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MANAN VATSYAYANA | AFP | Getty Images May has been explosive for Thailand. The country's six-month-old political crisis, which has seen the ousting of Prime Minister Yingluck
Shinawatra, attacks on anti-government protesters and the imposition of martial law, reached new heights: a coup d'etat. Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha announced in a televised address
late Thursday that military forces were taking control of the government, ordering rival protesters to leave Bangkok and imposing a nationwide curfew between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Many media
channels have been censored following the announcement, including CNBC. While the country is no stranger to army takeovers -19 coups have been attempted since 1932- experts told CNBC this
coup posed particular worry. Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Managing Director of the World Bank, told CNBC that "[Thailand's] political allies need to agree that the country must be
governed and ruled in agreement of both the system and the mechanism to elect leaders that can restore trust to their people." Kristie Kenny, U.S. ambassador to Thailand said that the
coup posed a serious concern to U.S.-Thai relations, economically and in terms of security. Over the last 24 hours, a number of countries, including Singapore and the U.K., have issued
warnings against traveling to the popular tourist hotspot. Take a look at this month's images from the country's political crisis. _-Posted May 23, 2014._ MANAN VATSYAYANA | AFP |
Getty Images Army soldiers stand guard outside the Government House in Bangkok on May 23, a day after the Thai military seized power. The site was previously a popular location for
anti-government protesters. Getty Images Soldiers move foreign press away as they secure the venue grounds for peace talks between pro- and anti-government groups in Bangkok on May 22. Getty
Images A security guard stands at the Bangkok Skytrain's entrance after it closed at 9pm, stranding thousands of people as they headed home to meet the 10pm curfew on May 22. Getty
Images A lone anti-government protester sits on the ground after a curfew started on May 22. Getty Images Citizens pose for a portrait with army soldiers standing guard at the venue grounds
for peace talks between pro-and anti-government groups on May 22. Getty Images Protesters and bystanders examine the scene of a deadly drive-by attack on an anti-government rally site at the
landmark Democracy Monument on May 15 in Bangkok. MADAREE TOHLALA | AFP | Getty Images People stand outside a burnt school building and stores that were allegedly set on fire by separatist
militants in the Sungai Padi district of Thailand's restive southern province of Narathiwat on May 12. Dario Pignatelli | Bloomberg | Getty Images Newspapers featuring ousted Prime
Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on their front pages on May 8.