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The first election since 2014 took place in March 2019. The Red Shirts, once again, won the most seats in the house of parliament; despite this, the military general responsible for the 2014 coup was appointed prime minister under the new constitution. The king's sister also ran for the office, but her brother forced her to step down from the campaign trail.

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After allegations of corruption, an ill-conceived rice venture, and an amnesty pardon which forgave her brother, Yingluck was forced to step aside amid another coup. On May 7th, 2014, Yingluck and her cabinet had resigned.

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How Yingluck first heard of the 2014 Thai coup

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On July 3rd, 2011, the Red Shirts reemerged in full force. Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin's sister, won both the Red Shirt party leadership and the prime minister's seat. She was not only the country's youngest prime minister, but also its first female prime minister.

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Thailand has had 13 successful coups since 1932 (9 more went unsuccessful). In one instance in 1973, King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) usually an outsider of the various political crises, took a rare, direct role in overturning the government. He forced the military leadership to step down.

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Beginning on April 14th, 2010, a demonsration by the UDD led to blockades made out of bamboo and rubber tires. Successfully holing up in the Ratchapratsong shopping district, UDD demanded for the return of Thaksin. Two months later on May 19th, the army forcefully dissolved the protest; within the chaos, the CentralWorld Shopping Center burned down.

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In February 26, 2010, the Thai Supreme Court found Thaksin guilty for various counts of Corruption. Outraged, the UDD took to the streets and poured human blood over the gates of the Government Building. The act succeeded in catching the world's eye, but some criticized the protest as a waste of blood.

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Thaksin had many followers, especially among the poorer northerners. In 2007, they formed a new party called United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship; to symbolize their ideological break with PAD, UDD members wore red shirts.

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While Thaksin was at a UN summit on September 19th,  the military rolled into Bangkok with Tanks and armored vehicles. They forced Thaksin's government to step down and installed a military government. They also replaced the constitution.

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After a long break, demonstrations against the prime minister had been due to resume this week, bringing with them the danger of violent clashes between his supporters and opponents.

Late Tuesday night, General Sondhi was shown on television in an audience with King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a clear indication that the highly revered constitutional monarch endorsed the move.

On a military-controlled television station, a general in civilian clothes said a "council of administrative reform" had seized power in the name of the king.

Speaking for General Sondhi, who has publicly feuded with the prime minister, Gen. Prapas Sakultanak said that the military did not intend to rule the country and that it would "hand power back to the people." He gave no timetable.

The military has a long history of political involvement, staging 18 coups since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932. The last one, in 1991, installed a military leader who was pushed from power by a popular uprising the next year.

Under heavy rain, tanks and armored personnel carriers took up positions blocking the entrance to the prime minister's office on Tuesday night. Other tanks arrived at government offices and major intersections. Witnesses reported that roadblocks had been set up on roads leading into the city. The streets were quiet, and even at the prime minister's office there was little tension. Some bystanders photographed one another standing near the tanks.

Kitichai Songkeattisi, 40, a commercial photographer, said: "The last time was much more intense. People were more afraid."

Mr. Thaksin is one of the most popular - and unpopular - prime ministers in recent Thai history. Thais' different viewpoints demonstrate a sharp social divide that he has played on during the crisis.

Mr. Thaksin's party, Thai Rak Thai, or Thais Love Thais, has won three elections by landslides, in 2001, 2005 and again in April. Because of his broad support among rural voters, he was widely expected to win any new election.

But as he has tightened his grip over much of the political scene, opposition to him has swelled among the elite, mostly in Bangkok. Public indignation rose after his family's tax-free sale of its $1.9 billion stake in a giant telecommunications company to a Singapore company.

On television, the military spokesman, General Prapas, accused Mr. Thaksin of corruption and constant interference with the legislature and the courts. He apologized to the public for any inconvenience caused by the coup.

In an effort to end the demonstrations and reassert control, Mr. Thaksin called an early election in April, which he won in a landslide. But the opposition boycotted the vote and a court annulled the result, in a severe setback for the prime minister.

An election commission loyal to Mr. Thaksin set a new vote for Oct. 15, but its members were removed and jailed by a court for malfeasance. A new commission has said that election would be delayed.

The televised announcement on Tuesday was made after reports of large-scale military movements around the capital. The military has been sharply divided between officers loyal to the prime minister - some of them his relatives - and others who oppose him.

There has been tension over an impending military shuffle that would determine which faction would dominate.

Interviewed in New York by CNN soon after early reports of a coup, Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai said, "We hope that the situation should return to normal soon because the prime minister is constitutionally and legally elected prime minister and this is an elected government, so we have to do everything we can to uphold the principle of democracy."

General Prapas, speaking in Thailand, laid out the rationale for the military's move.

"The government's performance destroyed harmony in society," he said. "Everyone tried to win over each other, and the situation continued to worsen. Most people don't trust the government because there are many signs of corruption."

He said the prime minister had hobbled independent bodies created by the 1997 Constitution to provide checks and balances. A leading demand of the prime minister's opponents is the writing of a new constitution that would temper executive power.

General Prapas said many attempts had been made at compromise but had failed. "That is why we, the Party for the Reform of Governance under the Constitutional Democracy, which consists of the army commanders and national police commander, have to seize power."

He added: "We would like to insist that we have no intention of governing the country. We will return the power of constitutional monarchy back to Thai people as soon as possible to maintain peace and stability."

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With Premier at U.N., Thai Military Stages Coup

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After a long break, demonstrations against the prime minister had been due to resume this week, bringing with them the danger of violent clashes between his supporters and opponents. Late Tuesday night, General Sondhi was shown on television in an audience with King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a clear indication that the highly revered constitutional monarch endorsed the move.

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Around this time, a political party with an anti-Thaksin agenda emerged. They titled themselves the People's Alliance for Democracy. The group is made up wealthy, city-dwelling urban elites who wear yellow shirts (Yellow is associated with the king's birthday).

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Thaksin was accused of corruption in early 2006. The reason: he had supported legislation that helped his family gain 73 billion baht (about 1.88 billion dollars) from selling his former corporation.

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Between February and August 2003, Thaksin raised a "War on Drugs" - an effort to end the countries opium epidemic. Thakisn claimed this wiped out 90% of Thai's drug problem, but over 2,000 people were killed outright, and another 50,000 were arrested.

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On December 26. 2004, a massive tsunami hit the Andaman coast. Nearly 5,000 people died when the wave struck, and more than 2,800 more people were declared missing. Thaksin confidently took control of the situation, organized emergency units, and cut through red tape

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Thaksin Shinawatra, a former police officer, billionaire, and politician,  made a fortune in telecommunications. He formed the party Thai Rak Thai (Thais Loving Thais) in 1998, and his party one a majority of parliament's seats in 2000. Much of his voting base comprised rural, and working voters.

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Many of the canals, or klongs, provide alternative routes for travelers and merchants alike.

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Sit Down for a Meal in Thailand’s Floating Markets

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Thailand's King, Rama X, comes from a long line of kings. In 1932, Thailand officially transitioned to a constitutional monarchy, a government where the king/queen rules, but his/her power is limited by a code of laws.

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Thailand is located in Southwest Asia. Above Thailand lay Laos and Myanmar. In the East, Vietnam and Cambodia sit. The country has a rich supply of rice, tin, rubber, forests; the country also thrives on a tourism.