Thailand is a nation in damage control. Its military at the centre of a public relations battle being waged as it tries to sell its seizing of power as a "good coup".

WOMAN: So very, very happy, very enjoy. Very happy. Perfect.

THANAPORN THANADPHASA, THAI TOURISM AUTHORITY GUIDE: I find it myself today that it is a tourist attraction, I tell my clients that it look like a national childrens day. That the parents bring all the children to see this and the same way that our clients like to see this that I bring them here.

TOURIST: They are so warm, so friendly. I think they smile so much, they are so happy, that even when they are having a coup they are still happy.

And that's the image Thailand's coup makers are keen to promote abroad through its English-speaking spokesman.

MAJOR GENERAL THAWIP NETNIYOM, COUP COUNCIL DEPUTY SPOKESMAN: When we talk about coup, it's not really as bad as you think it would be because of our intention.

The one man who is no longer smiling is the nation's now former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. A year ago he was the country's all-time most powerful elected leader. Now he's in exile in London, knowing he could well face jail if he was to return home.

MAJOR GENERAL THAWIP NETNIYOM: Well, if he came back we would probably invite him first to talk to us. And that's the, we can clear things up. We can still consider he is a Thai citizen. And the Thai citizen should talk, you know, clear things up.

REPORTER: Have you been in contact, has the military, this council, been in contact with him?

MAJOR GENERAL THAWIP NETNIYOM: No.

REPORTER: No phone calls?

MAJOR GENERAL THAWIP NETNIYOM: No.

For a man who won three landslide elections - the third was declared void earlier this year - he has few friends left. For the past year, Thais have regularly taken to the streets accusing Mr Thaksin of corruption and abuse of power. But politicians critical of Mr Thaksin's rule, although welcoming his removal from power, are feeling increasingly nervous about the military's grip on power.

KRAISAK CHOONHAVEN, FORMER INDEPENDENT SENATOR: I am trying to call those people who are working with the military to take it easy. I mean, they are trying to control everybody.

Last week, Kraisak Choonhaven was the chairman of the Thai Senate's foreign relations committee.

KRAISAK CHOONHAVEN: So I have a feeling that they should get out of this paranoia, you know, and come to their senses. That they have the majority of the people on their side already and they should not in fact establish some sort of draconian control over the Thai society to such an extent.

The coup makers had said they didn't want to stay in power. But in an ominous announcement yesterday, the generals now say they will remain in government as 'advisors' even after a civilian prime minister is appointed. And in the past week, key politicians loyal to the former prime minister have been detained, martial law has been declared, media criticism curbed and any gathering of more than five people banned.

MAJOR GENERAL THAWIP NETNIYOM: Our intention is really to correct things and return the power to the people as quickly as possible.

REPORTER: In a democracy, it is not the military's decision to correct things according to what the military thinks is wrong.

MAJOR GENERAL THAWIP NETNIYOM: Well, it is different, because the mentality of a different country concerning military is different. You might - you've been in Thailand for many years, so you understand that our military here is not just to protect the country, we also help develop the country.

So far there's been little outcry. Even the country's longest-established political party, the Democrats, has been mealy mouthed in its defence of democracy itself. Earlier this year the Democrats boycotted the general election accusing Thaksin Shinawatra of undermining the basic principles of a democratic state and refusing to commit to constitutional reform.

SURIN PITSUWAN, DEMOCRAT PARTY – DEPUTY LEADER: The government, the prime minister, refused to even come to that so we decided to boycott it, which was our constitutional right.

REPORTER: But it seems that people are messing with democracy here - you don't like it, you boycott it, you don't like the Prime Minister, you throw him out.

SURIN PITSUWAN: That's not true. That's not true. We have tried all efforts in order to bring the solution to the problem, to the crisis, to the prolonged crisis, through the political process, through the parliamentary process, through the democratic process. We have failed. We were willing to go on. We were willing to toil on, on that road, but a lot of people thought it was futile. And toward the end, the military leaders took the action. We cannot condone, we cannot agree, we cannot support but we understand.

What little outcry there has been is generated by this man - academic and proud socialist Gile Ungpakorn.

GILES UNGPAKORN, POLITICAL SCIENTIST, CHULALONGKOM UNI: I grew up under military dictatorships in Thailand and they all say the same thing. That they are going to reform politics, that they are going to return power to the people as soon as possible and they are going to draw up a constitution.

In defiance of the military's ban on gatherings of more than five people, he led the first protest against the military coup.

GILES UNGPAKORN: Our message is that we want the military to return to barracks and not intervene in politics. We want the 1997 constitution restored and we want free democratic rights - the right to assembly, the right to express opinions and a free media.

Hundreds gathered to watch the handful of protesters stage a series of protests on the steps of a downtown shopping centre. This first test of the coup leaders' resolve passed unremarkably. Security forces were present, photos were taken, but no arrests made.

MILITARY (Translation): Right now we haven't seen or heard anything. The police need a chance to look at things first. I can't answer you now.

But it's not the military's ban on political gatherings that kept people away. Thailand may be one of South-East Asia's leading democracies, but polls show an overwhelming number of people support this coup. A poll taken just after the coup showed rural voters now more in favour of the military's action to break the political deadlock, which has plagued the nation for almost a year, than their urban counterparts. This woman bought her drink cart under one of the prime minister's job schemes to help the rural poor. She can't believe all the corruption allegations against him.

WOMAN (Translation): Thaksin always worked a lot. When he works so much it is possible for them to miss some things.

But here in the main market of Ayutthaya, the former capital of Thailand, people tired of the political uncertainty see the coup as a means to bring political stability.

WOMAN 2 (Translation): It's good, the problems will now stop. Maybe the economy will improve.

And accusations of corruption against the prime minister, which the military is now promising to investigate, are beginning to bite.

WOMAN 2 (Translation): Right now I don't love him, because he has made many problems for the country. It's not that I don't like him, I don't like what he has done.

The coup council has already set up an anti-graft commission which will have the power to seize assets of politicians and their families. The military appears to be hoping that by exposing corruption under the former prime minister, it will justify its seizing of power.

Korn Chatikavanij is a former international banker and now a senior member of Thailand's oldest political party, the Democrats.

KORN CHATIKAVANIJ, DEMOCRAT PARTY – DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL: I want Thaksin to return, I want him to be given a fair trial.

As the only surviving party, the Democrats know it too stands to gain politically. But to outright endorse the coup would be a step too far.

REPORTER: It's a bonus in some respects for the Democrats, isn't it? You wouldn't have won the election that wasn't had, that you boycotted. You wouldn't win one now. Come a year's time, you are the only party that's left.

KORN CHATIKAVANIJ: Well, I think that summary of the situation is fair, but I think you have to acknowledge the fact that we are the only party that was fighting against all that was wrong with the Thaksin regime over the past five years. So in many years if we are finally rewarded for that, I think that's fair rewards.

Another unlikely supporter of the coup is this woman. Dr Porntep Rojansunan is a forensic scientist who has worked hard at uncovering the truth behind some of the country's worst human rights abuses, especially in the south where a Muslim insurgency has been brutally suppressed.

DR PORNTIP ROJANSUNAN, FORENSIC SCIENTIST: It's a time of good things have happened in Thailand, but we have to wait, because the problem of the human rights in Thailand is in a very worse situation, not a good situation.

When 78 young Muslim men suffocated after being loaded onto trucks packed like logs she was called to investigate. She exposed a level of brutality and savagery that shocked the world and has inflamed an insurgency which has now cost almost 2,000 lives in the past few years. Dr Porntep sees the end of Mr Thaksin's hardline approach as by the far the best chance for the south.

REPORTER: Why do you think it is going to get better?

DR PORNTIP ROJANSUNAN: Maybe because General Sonthi, he is the only one who understands the things in the south. Maybe not because he is the Muslim but maybe because he has a loyalty to the King.

With Thailand somewhat of a beacon for democracy in the region, it's disturbing than an elected prime minister, albeit in caretaker mode, has been overthrown by the military. But the allegations of anti-democratic abuse against Thaksin Shinawatra have been swirling for over a year. There is an acceptance amongst most Thais that if the coup turns out to be the only way to bring him to account, then perhaps the interests of democracy will be served by this most unfortunate of methods.

KRAISAK CHOONHAVEN: I would like to see him facing the music. In fact I would like to see him faced with honest judges and bring all the charges of human rights violations.

REPORTER: What are plans in London?

MR THAKSIN: See my daughter, relax.

KRAISAK CHOONHAVEN: I would like to see him face the charges on tax evasion, and outright corruption in so many cases.

Thailand - Smile, it’s a Coup

Reporter/Camera
GINNY STEIN

Editor
ROBERT KILLORN
DAVID POTTS

Fixer
SURASAK SAENGOW

Subtitling
KANYARAT RITTIDECH

Producer
MARTIN BUTLER