Thai army seizes power

Thailand's military has seized power, deposing the elected government, suspending the constitution and imposing a night-time curfew across the country, Radio New Zealand reports.

Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha made the announcement in a televised address after he held a meeting with all rival factions aimed at finding a solution to six months of anti-government protests.

The military declared a 10 pm to 5am curfew and told outgoing cabinet ministers to report to an army base in the north of the capital. Rival protest camps were ordered to disperse and media censored, Reuters reports.

Hundreds of soldiers surrounded the meeting at Bangkok's Army Club shortly before the coup announcement and troops took away Suthep Thaugsuban, leader of the protests against the pro-Thaksin government. Some of the other meeting participants were detained.

The army ordered rival protest camps to break up and soldiers fired into the air to disperse thousands of pro-government 'Red Shirt' activists gathered in Bangkok's western outskirts. The protesters later left peacefully.