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Published on March 29, 2008

Samak said the note, which has now been classified, was inserted into a pile of reports sent to him as part of the agenda for next Tuesday's weekly Cabinet meeting.

"I believe certain individuals remain active because they think they can still stage a coup and that I won't retaliate because I don't think it possible to overthrow the government," he said.

He said he did not suspect anyone in his People Power Party of being involved in sounding the alarm on the alleged coup.

He refused to speculate on who might be behind any alleged plot against his government, although he said he anticipated more attempts to discredit his ministers, including PM's Office Minister Jakrapob Penkair.

In regard to a book on the September 2006 coup by author and Bangkok Post reporter Wassana Nanuam, Samak said he found it to be "the kind of book in which the actual writer is not the purported author".

He said the book caused many people to feel awkward, even though he understood the actions of Army chief General Anupong Paochinda, who was identified in the book as helping coup leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin plot the overthrow of the Thaksin Shinawatra government.

He repeated his stance that a coup was no longer feasible and that coup-plotters should understand the new reality.

Samak had no comment on an anti-government meeting being organised by the People's Alliance for Democracy, but said the government would guarantee security and peace for the group's meeting in the Thammasat University auditorium.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday warned the prime minister that his remarks about a coup plot could cause panic in society and lead to instability without any justification for it. "I don't want the prime minister or society to waste any time, now that the political system is once again back on course," he said.

Abhisit said Samak's jitters about being ousted from power were unwarranted, because the real problem was not a coup, but rather the government's lack of performance in getting anything done.

"Instead of sounding the alarm, the government should focus on fulfilling its duties without bringing up some new controversy on a daily basis," he said, arguing that failure to live up to expectations would prove to be its undoing.

The Nation