By the evening of September 19, even market vendors had heard that a putsch was on. Would Thaksin's military allies prepare their forces to fight for their boss?

As it turns out, for some reason, Thaksin's key men in uniform - including assistant Army chief General Pornchai Kranlert, First Infantry Division chief Maj-Gen Prin Suwannatha and Anti-aircraft Artillery Division commander Maj-Gen Ruengsak Thongdi - failed to keep him in power.

Concern among the generals started brewing that morning when Army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin failed to show up at a teleconferenced Cabinet meeting with Thaksin, who was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

It prompted one to recall: "Why did [Sonthi] call three special combat companies to Bangkok?" while sipping coffee after lunch.

It was not until late afternoon when the generals called unit commanders to check out "unusual" troop movements. But no one picked up the phone.

The generals were shocked by the rapid developments while a report confirmed more troops were making a beeline for the capital.

As the situation was getting tense, one of the generals shouted to someone in his office:

"I know the situation has changed ... Just tell me what you're going to do," the general asked.

"I will be with you. But … I'm also a solider of His Majesty the King," was the reply. The conversation ended there.

The coup proceeded as smooth as silk. None of the generals close to Thaksin, at the end of the day, made a move against the coup.

Thaksin's men in Government House, however, were slower to accept their fates.

Around 6pm, then deputy premier Chidchai Vanasatidya, PM's secretary-general Prommin Lertsuridej and supreme commander General Ruengroj Mahasaranond headed to the Office of the Supreme Commander on Chaeng Wattana Road. They contacted Thaksin, who declared a state of emergency in greater Bangkok.

Modernine TV, Channel 11 and the radio stations under the Public Relations Department were ordered by Ruengroj to broadcast Thaksin's speech from New York.

In the end, only Modernine TV viewers at around 9pm could hear Thaksin declare the state of emergency and the removal of Sonthi as Army chief.

Thaksin did not finish his statement. A military unit seized the Modernine TV station and cut off the broadcast.

"Why don't you turn to side with me? You don't have troops anymore," a coup leader asked Ruengroj during a telephone conversation.

The Supreme Commander Ruengroj accepted the offer, and the whole country witnessed him a few hours later sitting alongside Sonthi and the three other coup leaders in the first TV address by the junta to the nation after seizing power.