2005–2006 Thai political crisis
In 2005 and 2006, a series of events occurred in Thailand as a result of public anger with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was supported by Sondhi Limthongkul and his coalitions. It led to a military coup that concluded in the overthrowing of the Thai Rak Thai government in September 2006, the flight of Thaksin after the court verdict, and the establishment of the junta government led by Surayud Chulanont, a favourite of privy councillor and senior statesman Prem Tinsulanonda.
The crisis, resulting coup, and post-coup military government called into question issues of media freedom, the role of the Constitution in breaking a political deadlock, and the existence of political stability in Thailand. It also reflected the long-term and significant disparity between urban and rural political orientation, abuses of power, and conflicts of interest within democratically elected leaders, issues that have long plagued the Thai political landscape.
Sondhi Limthongkul, a media mogul who was previously a staunch supporter of Thaksin, played a leading role in the crisis through the establishment of the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD). The PAD aligned itself with several state-enterprise unions (who were against Thaksin's privatisation plans for state enterprises), human rights and civil politics activists who charged Thaksin's rule as "undemocratic", monopoly of power, human rights abuse, suppressing the freedom of press and extrajudicial killings of drug traffickers, a main concern among several human right groups.
Key anti-Thaksin coalitions also expressed support for the controversial monk Ajahn Maha Bua. These groups opposed the Thaksin government's decision to appoint Somdet Phra Buddhacharya as acting Supreme Patriarch while Somdet Phra Yanasangworn was critically ill, and accused the government of improperly interfering in monastic affairs.
Significant supporters of the PAD included prominent socialists, scholars, and "royalists" (who claimed that Thaksin frequently insulted King Bhumibol Adulyadej), various factions in the Thai military (who claimed that Thaksin promoted only those who were loyal to him), and various civil groups, who criticised Thaksin for not paying taxes during the sale of Shin Corporation to Temasek Holdings, although the capital gains from the transaction were legally exempt from taxation. The movement was seen highly controversial and complicated.
In February 2006, Thaksin dissolved Parliament and called a general legislative election for the House of Representatives in April 2006. Most major opposition parties boycotted the election, led by the Democrat Party. After the elections, King Bhumibol requested that the courts resolve the crisis. Soon afterwards, the Constitutional Court invalidated the elections based on the positioning of voting booths, and the Criminal Court later jailed members of the Election Commission that did not obey the Court's request to resign.
New elections were scheduled for 15 October 2006. This time, the opposition announced it was contesting the election, and numerous newly founded parties actively campaigned. The election was cancelled after a military coup on 19 September 2006, while Thaksin was in New York to attend a United Nations summit. Thaksin has since been in exile. The PAD dissolved itself 2 days after the coup, after announcing that their goal had been accomplished. Since then (February 2008), the PAD has vowed to resume protests if pro-Thaksin practices and policies of the Samak government were to become evident.
Apparently, critiques on Thaksin Shinawatra took place even before the Sondhi's movement. Severe critiques occurred around the Thaksin case of hidden assets, filed to the Constitutional Court. Thaksin escaped a guilty verdict with an 8-7 judicial vote.
Human rights abuses were also the cause of criticism. Thaksin's war on drugs became controversial when thousands of killings and murder cases were explained by the authority as "extrajudicial" and "revenge" on drug traffickers.
Besides the removal and a threat on Sondhi's program, freedom of the press became the focus. Sutthichai Yoon, another major critic, was filed a case against. In early 2006, the supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra, claiming to be supported by the premier himself and his close figures, blockaded the entry of the Nation Group building, threatening to "burn" the building. Possibly the movement rallied by Sondhi, then became the focus of several anti-Thaksin groups.