Thailand's generals were agonising over whether to intervene forcibly in the country's deepening political crisis at the end of November, after the country's prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, dismissed the "suggestion" of army chief General Anupong Paochinda that he should step down and call a general election in a 27 November nationwide address. There was speculation that Somchai, who is also Thailand's defence minister, was preparing to sack Gen Anupong for his failure to back the government in the face of protests by the opposition People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) that have crippled the capital, Bangkok - a move that could provoke the military into seizing control.
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