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A military coup is a part of the problem, not the solution. The military can easily seize power but it would face a lot of difficulties when trying to run the country. Former coup leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin and military-backed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont have learnt the lesson on their own as they struggled to restore international confidence in Thailand. The coup and the military intervention ended when the general election in December installed a civilian government. However, the prospect of a military coup is always in the heart of many Thais, even among political activists who champion popular democracy. Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej loved to say there were plans of a military coup against his elected government. He always pointed to the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) blaming the group of creating political instability to justify the coup. The PAD, in fact, is struggling to dispel allegations that it organised a series of street protests as a pretext to pave the way for a military coup as some of its members were given positions in the then junta-installed administration last year.

Meanwhile, Suriyasai Katasila, a political activist who campaigned for popular democracy, also raised the threat of a coup against the elected government, saying that if the government rewrites the military-sponsored Constitution, there would be another coup.

"Many senior people I talked to have said the same thing, that there would be no other option for this country to end the conflict and the constitutional crisis but another coup," Suriyasai said.

Suriyasai who is secretary-general of the Campaign for Popular Democracy and the PAD's spokesman did not reveal the identity of the senior people he mentioned but it is widely known that the PAD has strong links with influential people who have military support.

The coup issue has put the Army chief Anupong Paochinda in an uncomfortable position. Anupong tried to say many times that the military has already withdrawn from politics and he would never stage a coup. He has the right to say so, but nobody believes it. His predecessor, General Sonthi, said much the same thing just months before he led the September 19 coup. Moreover, Anupong was one of the key people who helped Sonthi topple Thaksin.