Bangkok: Foreign governments expressed dismay on Wednesday at a military coup that ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and some warned their citizens against travelling to one of Asia's premier holiday destinations.
"I am really shocked. I didn't expect a coup would have taken place in Thailand," Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, prime minister of neighbouring Malaysia said at the UN General Assembly in New York, the Bernama news agency reported.
Australia called for a rapid return to democratic rule following Tuesday's putsch and said it would be in touch with senior Thai military figures to gauge their intentions.
"It's unacceptable for the military just to overthrow a government in this way," Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told Australian Broadcasting Corp. "It is of grave concern to us that the government has been overthrown in this way," he said.
Japan, the biggest foreign investor in Thailand, said the bloodless coup by a group headed by Army commander-in-chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin was "regrettable".
"Our country will closely watch the progress of the situation with grave interest," Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said in a statement.
"Our country strongly hopes that the situation will become normal and a democratic political structure will be restored swiftly," he added. Australia, New Zealand and South Korea advised against travel to Thailand until the situation becomes clearer.
Thailand's sun-soaked beaches and bustling capital draw around 12 million tourists a year, but there were no signs that visitors were canceling trips due to the coup, travel agencies reported.
The American and British embassies in Bangkok urged their citizens to avoid large gatherings and exercise caution when moving about the sprawling Capital of 10 million people.
Political gatherings of more than five people were banned on Wednesday, which was declared a national holiday by the coup leaders in a bid to maintain calm in the city.
"At this point we are not advising Americans to leave Thailand," the US embassy said in a statement a day after the White House called for a peaceful and democratic resolution to the situation in Bangkok.
New Zealand took a tougher stand against the coup leaders, saying there was a process in place to resolve a political deadlock since disputed April elections Thaksin called to defuse a street campaign against him.
Fresh elections had been expected in November but the coup leaders revoked the country's constitution and have not said if new polls would be held.
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