Thai taxi rams into tank in apparent coup protest

BANGKOK, Sep 30 (Reuters) A Thai taxi driver with slogans sprayed on his car today rammed into a tank in Bangkok in an apparent protest against the Sept. 19 putsch that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

''The car was badly damaged but the tank was unscathed,'' Police Major General Ekapol Tawichwongchaikul told Reuters.

Thai newspapers reported on their Web sites that the words ''destroying the country'' and ''die for the country'' had been sprayed on the Toyota Corolla taxi with black paint.

Major General Ekapol said he could not confirm the reports because the words on the car were too blurry to read. Police were questioning the 60-year-old driver who was taken hospital with broken ribs.

''He was probably drunk or half asleep. We found no weapon or bomb in his car,'' Mr Ekapol said.

Students and activists have organised small protests against the coup, but there has been no significant opposition to the coup leaders who say they have the overwhelming support of Thais.

Under the martial law imposed by the military, political gatherings of more than five people are banned, but it is loosely enforced.

The military said yesterday it was still investigating Wednesday's arson attacks on five schools in central Thailand, a stronghold of the former prime minister.

Mr Thaksin is in exile in London with some members of his family while graft busters probe corruption allegations against him and his cabinet colleagues.

TWO-WEEK DEADLINE The coup leaders, grouped in the Council for Democratic Reform, promise to hand over power to a civilian government before their self-imposed two-week deadline expires on October 4.

Yesterday, CDR leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said he expected an interim constitution to come into force today. After that, the name of a new prime minister would be submitted for royal approval.

Human rights groups are worried the army's decision to stay on as a Council for National Security (CNS) while a final charter is worked out over the next nine months will undermine its independence. The interim charter gives the CNS the power to replace the civilian government, but Sonthi said it would only be used in exceptional circumstances such as if the prime minister died.

''I can assure you it is impossible that we will control the government,'' he told Reuters, adding that the CNS would focus on security matters.

''We will be the government's tool to keep peace,'' he said.

Mr Sonthi declined to name Mr Thaksin's successor, but Thai media today continued to focus on respected former army chief Surayud Chulanon.

Surayud is a senior royal adviser with a reputation as a military reformer and moderniser who recognised the need to keep soldiers out of politics.

REUTERS SHB BD1520