From friend Grahame Lynch’s Facebook pages (resident in Thailand):

Update:

Grahame Lynch
25 May at 23:16 ·
End of day update on the Thai coup:

* The National Council for Peace and Order has extended sweeping powers to the military courts including in matters involving computer crime (illegal content regarding the coup) and lese majeste
* There were protests today at Erawan, Victory Monument and the small park next to Emporium. Apparently another has been called for Victory Monument tomorrow afternoon. The Skytrain shut down ingress and egress to stations near the protest sites for a time this afternoon
* More Thais were summoned to report to the Army today, notably academics and property magnates with connections to the Shinawatras
* All journalists (and interpreters) including foreigners who want access to military PR required to register with the military government tomorrow
* No vendors at Patpong tonight (there were some outside in the main road). Compliance with coup erratic: malls are closing early, increasingly bars are not
* Big address to the nation planned by General Prayuth tomorrow morning around 11 or so. There are reports he has received royal assent for the coup.
* Yingluck Shinawatra, the former PM, has been freed from army detention according to CNN and BBC
* Remarkably little press coverage on what the army exactly told the 18 newspaper editors it summoned for a meeting today.
That’s it for now. I am going into retreat for a few days as for various personal reasons I am highly stressed and tired AND I need a recharge. Feel free to add anything interesting you pick up in comments. Please respect the fact that we do not enjoy complete freedom of speech rights at the moment and I do not want to fall afoul of the law.

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ALERT: There is a curfew tonight in Bangkok from 10pm to 5am. Most major shopping malls closing at 8. BTS and MRT will close at 9 and 8 respectively. Gatherings of five or more banned.

1.15AM: Final update for tonight: army has warned that if the coup is criticised or misrepresented on social media the relevant platforms will be blocked – wouldn’t dismiss that one lightly given the speed with which they took down TV and radio today. And the heads of govt departments, provincial governors, heads of banks and chambers of commerce have all been summoned to a meeting with the army leadership tomorrow afternoon in Bangkok.

12.25AM: There are some reports filtering through that General Prayuth Chan-ocha, who heads the army, has been officially declared as a temporary or interim prime minister.

11.20PM: The military have appeared to have had great success in communicating and winning total compliance with their coup curfew – it was announced with 4 hours notice. Traffic in Bangkok is almost zero and looking across the horizon, highrise hotels are all lit up as tourists stay in their rooms with the lights on!

9.30PM: Political and protest leaders haven’t just been detained in Bangkok, apparently Chiang Mai UDD leaders have also been detained in an army camp there. Also reports a director of the Thai PBS TV station has been detained (update, apparently to be told to stop streaming their TV signal on the web). Both those reports are credible. Plenty of rumours circling around which cannot be confirmed, one concerns potential for division over this in the military. Say no more.

915PM UPDATE: Leaders from the Democrats, Puea Thai, PDRC and UDD all still being detained by the military – this is presumably to stop them caucusing with their supporters and doing anything rash tonight as a reaction to the coup. One of the top Shinawatra supporters Chalerm Yuumbumrung was detained at his home.

9PM UPDATE: ICT ministry has confirmed the Internet will not be cut. But with every TV and radio channel off air expect the net to be very slow….

8PM UPDATE: City shutting down already as stores close early so people can get home. Army has advised that airport transfers post-10pm can continue. Heads of all TV stations summoned for meeting with national army committee. Bangkok is gridlocked as people try to beat the curfew.

7PM UPDATE: BBC reporting Armed Forces are concerned about prospects of an armed uprising in the North and North East. (I report, you decide)

MY ADVICE: Get to the shops and ensure you have vital supplies for the next couple of days, curfews can cause panic buying and supply chain disruptions. And if you have urgent needs for the net be prepared for net congestion (with all TV and radio down, this is a fait accompli) or in extreme cases, outages. Get your essentials done now. UPDATE: 7/11 will comply with the curfew. If you have any shopping needs you have 90 minutes.
OK update on the situation in Thailand as at 6.45pm:

* Two days ago, martial law was enacted but the acting government stayed in place
* Today General Prayuth convened a meeting of the two protesting groups: the anti-Shinawatra group led by Suthep and the “red shirt” pro-Shinawatra group led by Jatuporn in order to find a settlement to the months old impasse

* After several hours, Prayuth apparently lost patience with them and declared he would take over administration of Thailand forthwith…

* All Thai television channels were and remain taken off the air. UPDATE: There are now reports that foreign channels rebroadcast by Thai operators such as True are off the air.

* The protest leaders have been taken collectively to a “Safehouse”. There are reports that Democrat party and acting government leaders who were not actively part of the protests but who were at the meeting have also been detained. UPDATE: Red Shirts UDD have tweeted: “Many of our co-leaders have been detained without whereabouts – families have not been informed – they are most likely detained at army camp.”

* It is not clear if they are there of free will. Prayuth is reported to have said they will remain together until they “learn to love each other” but this is unverified

* The acting PM Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisarn who was deposed today was apparently not detained 8.22PM UPDATE: Channel News Asia reporting he is at the US Embassy, but US ambassador has just tweeted “absolutely not”.

* Troops are reported to have surrounded the protest compounds of the two sides. One of the PDRC (anti-Shinawatra) protest stages has already been dismantled. Soldiers have fired in the air at Aksa Rd to disperse Red Shirts.

* At this stage THERE IS A CURFEW IMPOSED FROM 10PM TO 5AM and the army messaging has emphasised “law and order” and “live your life as normal” themes.

* Right now it is safe in Bangkok, just stay away from the obvious protest areas.