Soldiers from the Thai army pushed aside reporters to shoulder their way inside the meeting room. The appearance of fugitive former government minister Chaturon Chaisaeng had been kept secret until the last minute. He’d refused to surrender to the army as ordered, and was expecting arrest at any time.

 

But he’d asked to meet the international media to make a public call for the coup to be reversed - and democracy restored.

 

However, news of his presence at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club in Bangkok soon spread, and in the full glare of the world’s media, soldiers arrived to apprehend the former Minister of Education. He was hustled away into custody.

 

This is Thai justice, coup-style. Mr Chaturon was arrested in front of dozens of cameras by the army and taken away.

 

Earlier, Mr Chaturon had said he knew his arrest would come at some point and he was prepared for it. He said he wouldn’t resist or try to escape.

 

He said the coup was not the way to solve Thailand’s political divide.

 

"Coup d’etat is an abrogation of democracy, therefore it cannot create rules that improve democracy. On the other hand it will make those rules that are undemocratic even more undemocratic. Coup d’etat is not a solution to the problems or conflicts in Thai society but will make the conflicts even worse," Chaturon said.

 

Mr Chaturon called the coup "the death of Thai society" and free speech. He said he expected resistance to grow, and if it was repressed, it would continue underground.

 

But he said he had no information on rumours that a government-in-exile could be set up in a neighboring country.