As the highest commander left in charge on behalf of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in New York at the time of the coup, Dr Prommin Lertsuridej remained fiercely loyal to the ex-premier until the last minute of the military takeover.

Prommin, also known as Mor Ming, stuck firmly with "Thaksinomics" and never wavered in his stance throughout the six years that he served Thaksin.

He believes his boss was well accepted by the foreign community and that the Thaksin government followed the 1997 Constitution at every step.

Prommin was detained immediately after the coup and released on October 1. He gave an interview just a few hours after his release that was published on October 2.

"What happened on September 19 was that I and [then deputy prime minister] General Chidchai [Vanasatidya], [then Armed Forces Supreme Commander] General Ruengroj [Mahasara-nond], [then Deputy Supreme Commander] General Bunsang [Niampradit] and 10 other senior military officials carried out our duty to protect the 1997 Constitution and constitutional monarchy until the last second when we broadcast live about the revoking of the Constitution," he said.

With these statements he intended to portray himself as a guardian of democracy fighting alongside Thaksin against those who ripped up the constitution.

The "October people" - former student activists in the October 16, 1973, uprising, of whom Prommin is one, believe it was his strategy to fight on.

Prommin advised Thaksin not to return to Bangkok as earlier planned after he was tipped off about the coup. Prommin then sent signals to the military not to use force.

On September 19, reports of the coup circulated throughout the morning after Thaksin finished conducting a Cabinet meeting via teleconference from New York.

Prommin and Chidchai left the Government House together at 9pm for the Supreme Command Headquarters after plotting with Gen Ruengroj.

But when the coup-makers moved first it put the government on the defensive. It drew up three announcements to be read out on television by Thaksin, including ordering the removal of Army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin and his replacement by Gen Ruengroj.

Engaged in a battle of wits, Prommin tried to coordinate with all television stations to broadcast Thaksin's statements but could get through only to Channel 9, which the Council of National Security had not yet reached. Thaksin was able to read just two of his three planned announcements before he was cut short in mid-sentence, his tone extremely angry.

Prommin doesn't care if he becomes an outcast among his "October colleagues" and he doesn't mind being branded a hawk.

He has said he will never walk out of the game.

"The problem was, we had the ball. Whoever the government is must take the ball to the goal. One day, a person blows the whistle saying the game is over because they want to change from football to rugby. So I had to end the game," he said.

Prommin is seen as Thaksin's political heir and an important part of rebuilding the Thai Rak Thai Party as he awaits for the return of "our days", as Thaksin has said from far away.