BREAKING NEWS! Thailand's army has taken control of the country!

Members of Thailand's army took to the streets
of the capital on Tuesday night.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS as of 20 Sep 06 3:16am
• Thai military says nation under martial law
• Thailand's constitution suspended
• Thai prime minister at United Nations in New York
• Tanks in streets of Bangkok

BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- Tanks and troops patrolled Bangkok early Wednesday after the chief of Thailand's army said the military was taking control of the country.

The coup against the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is being led by Thai army chief Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin and Thailand's opposition Party of Democratic Reform.

The coup plotters declared martial law and suspended the constitution of the Southeast Asian nation. (Watch tanks roll through the streets of Bangkok -- 3:53)

Thaksin, in New York to address the United Nations, declared a state of emergency Tuesday and said his government was still in control of the country.

Troops on the streets of the Thai capital had yellow ribbons on their weapons, a sign of loyalty to the nation's king, to whom the coup plotters proclaimed their loyalty.

At least four tanks and a number of armored vehicles were stationed around the royal palace in Bangkok, CNN's Dan Rivers reported.

Soldiers apparently were setting up roadblocks, and what appeared to be members of the royal guard surrounded the palace.

It was unclear if the soldiers were loyal to the government or to those attempting to seize power.

Two tanks were parked outside the government headquarters, which houses Thaksin's office.

There have been no reports of violence.

Rumors have been swirling in the Thai capital in recent weeks that a coup d'etat was being planned.

Thaksin, who has been under considerable pressure to step down, decided Monday night to reschedule his speech to the U.N. General Assembly for Tuesday night and return to Bangkok afterward, according to U.N. officials. He originally had been scheduled to address the assembly on Wednesday.

Elections in Thailand are scheduled for November after the country's constitutional court ruled that a vote in April was unconstitutional.

Thaksin had called for the April elections, three years early, after opponents accused the billionaire leader of abusing the country's system of checks and balances and bending government policy to benefit his family's business.

Thailand has seen dozens of government coups since the end of World War II.

CNN's Richard Roth contributed to this report. (More images here.)

Let's be praying for this city. Let's cry out to God that admist all these, the people of the land will begin to turn their eyes to Jesus. Certainly, this is not the first time the governement in Thailand has been taken over through a coup. But such polital unrest often leads to social and economic instability. Pray for God's sovereignty over the nation and that the Chrisitans in the country will rise up and be the light and the salt for the rest of the nation, that they will be trees of shelter that the Thai people can run to in times of difficulty. Let's take 5 minutes to pray for this city now.


Joshua Teo