The coup has "freed" all politicians and automatically relieved them of duty until the new constitution is drafted and in effect, Thai Rak Thai Party deputy leader Somsak Thepsuthin said yesterday.

The Wang Nam Yom faction leader said he had instructed all faction members to return to

their home provinces and "be with their constituents" until the Adminis-trative Reform Council says politics can return to normal again.

"To my understanding, political parties are automatically defunct after a coup and the constitution is pronounced ineffective. All politicians have become free," he said.

Somsak said it was too early to say if "his" faction would align with any group of politicians or other parties. He said he had not contacted party leader and ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra for quite a long time.

The politician has been back

in his home province - Sukhothai - since leaving Bangkok yesterday morning. There were no military officers seeking to meet or detain him, he said. Somsak said he heard the coup rumour on Tuesday afternoon but never thought one would be staged.

Thai Rak Thai Party members were disorganised yesterday with many saying they had no idea about their political future after the Thaksin government was deposed by military leaders on Tuesday night.

The atmosphere at TRT Party headquarters was lonely yesterday. There were no key members or former MPs there, only security staff and some party officials.

"Where have they all gone?" former Udon Thani MP Surachart Chamnansin asked. He was

having trouble contacting his faction.

Surachart said the party had yet to contact members and ministers from Thaksin's Cabinet who had fled abroad.

"We have to wait and see what the Administrative Reform Council (ARC) is going to do. For us, the

only thing we can do

is [wait] till the election will be held," he said.

The party's deputy spokesman Chatuporn Promphan said he couldn't contact key members because "we don't know where they are".

Many members were undecided about their future and would return to their hometowns to observe the political situation.

Wang Nam Yom faction member Sophon Phetsawang said he and others could not predict the future.

Most members would wait till

the upcoming election before making a decision on their

political futures, he said.

"I can't tell you if I will still be with Thai Rak Thai or not," Sophon said.

Suthichai Chanar-rak, another member, said the party obviously had to wait for the ARC to act. They just hoped an election would be held quickly.

Many other members refused to comment, but some protested against the coup.

Former TRT MP Thawee Kraikupti protested against the coup at Democracy Monument - and was later taken away by soldiers.

And another member, Surapol Kiartchaiyakorn, was seen being taken from Chiang Mai Airport by soldiers in a military vehicle.