Story Highlights • NEW: Speculation grows on potential candidates for interim PM
• First political protests staged in Bangkok against coup
• Coup leaders prepare probe of alleged corruption of ousted PM
• Deposed Thaksin says he will take "deserved rest;" urges new elections
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BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- In the wake of this week's military coup in Thailand, former central bank Governor Chatumongol Sonakul is favored to become the country's interim civilian leader, The Bangkok Post newspaper said Saturday.
An appointment will be made by September 30, the paper said.
Thai army chief Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin, who led the military group that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a bloodless coup on Tuesday, has already said he would appoint an interim prime minister within two weeks and the military would then step back.
On Friday, Sonthi, who earlier received the endorsement of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, took part in a nationally broadcast ceremony that formalized the monarch's backing, The Associated Press reported.
Friday also saw the first isolated protests in Bangkok against the coup.
The Post newspaper, citing highly placed sources, said Chatumongol Sonakul was regarded as among the best-qualified for the interim job because of his monetary and fiscal expertise as well as his recognition in the world community.
The British-educated technocrat led the Bank of Thailand from 1998 to 2001, when he was sacked by Thaksin in a dispute over interest rate policy, Reuters news agency reported.
Other potential candidates are said to be Supreme Administrative Court President Ackaratorn Chularat, former World Trade Organization chief Supachai Panitchpakdi and central bank boss Pridiyathorn Devakula.
Thaksin was in New York at the U.N. General Assembly at the time of the coup, but he is now in London, England.
On Friday, the coup leaders said they had completed setting up a nine-member commission to review corruption accusations made against the ousted billionaire leader.
They also sacked police officials tied to the former prime minister.
Political ban
Additionally, the coup leaders banned political activity and detained four top members from Thaksin's administration.
More than 100 protesters defied the ban on public gatherings and denounced the coup, gathering in small groups Friday outside a Bangkok shopping mall.
Speaking in London on Thursday, Thaksin urged the military to quickly arrange fresh elections.
Sonthi earlier had promised to restore democracy as soon as possible.
The four ministers detained were former Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit; Newin Chidchob, the minister attached to the prime minister's office; Yongyut Tiyapairat, the minister of Natural Resources and Environment; and Cabinet Secretary General Prommin Lertsuridej.
The announcement of the arrests came Thursday, the same day the junta said it was banning all political meetings and the registration of new political parties.
The junta said the action was taken to maintain peace and order. It did not give a time frame.
"To ensure the constitutional monarchy is functioning after reforms have been completed, the Political Reform Council has ordered political parties to halt all meetings and political activities," it said in a statement read on television, Reuters said.
In a nationally televised address Wednesday, Sonthi declared the coup d'etat complete and promised power would be returned to the people as soon as possible. (Watch how army took over without a shot -- 1:16 )
He said his new ruling council "has so far received cooperation from all sectors of Thai society without any resistance."
Thaksin 'resting'
Speaking from London, Thaksin said Thursday he would take a "deserved rest." (Full story)
In a statement handed by an aide to reporters, Thaksin urged "all parties to find ways and means to reconcile and work toward national reconciliation for the sake of our king and country."
Meanwhile, an exiled Muslim rebel leader on Thursday welcomed the Thaksin overthrow, saying the coup could help resolve a bloody Islamic insurgency in the country's south, The Associated Press reported.
"It is the right thing that the military has taken power to replace the Thaksin Shinawatra government," said Lukman B. Lima, an exiled leader in one of several groups fighting the central government for a separate Muslim state.
"We hope that the political [situation] can be resolved under Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin as the new leader," Lukman said.
Sonthi, 59, known to be close to Thailand's constitutional monarch, is a Muslim in a Buddhist-dominated nation. (Read a profile of Sonthi)
He was selected last year to head the army, partly because it was felt he could better deal with the Muslim insurgency in the south, where 1,700 people have been killed since 2004.
He has urged negotiations with the separatists, in contrast to Thaksin's hard-line approach.
Meanwhile, political uncertainty flowing from the coup has prompted investment bank Morgan Stanley to cut its Thai GDP growth forecast sharply. (Full story)
Thailand now has had 18 coups since World War II. Rumors of the latest had been swirling around Bangkok in recent weeks as Thaksin battled considerable pressure to step down.
The telecommunications billionaire has been accused of abusing the country's system of checks and balances and bending government policy to benefit his family's business.
He had called elections in April, three years early. But the country's constitutional court ruled that vote was unconstitutional, and a new round of balloting had been scheduled for November.
CNN's Narunart Prapanya, Dan Rivers and Richard Roth contributed to this report
Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
Vista exterior del centro comercial Siam Paragon de Bangkok


En medio del temor de ser arrestados debido a la prohibición por parte de la junta militar de llevar a cabo protestas y reuniones políticas, más de 100 personas protestaron, sin ser detenidas al menos de inmediato, frente al centro comercial ''Siam Center'' en el centro de Bangkok. La protesta originalmente iba a realizarse al frente del cercano ''Siam Paragon'', otro centro comercial.

Los manifestantes se vistieron de negro para simbolizar la muerte de la democracia y llevaron pancartas que criticaban el golpe de estado del martes pasado.

Algunos de los manifestantes venían de un grupo cuya página web, www.19sept.org, había sido cerrada por la junta porque violaba la ley marcial al criticar el golpe de Estado.

Giles Ungphakorn, politólogo de la Universidad Chulalongkorn University, dijo: ''"Creemos que hablamos por un número significativo de tailandeses que están o muy preocupados o con mucho miedo de hablar"''. Cuando se corrió la voz sobre la reunión en las primeras horas del sábado, algunos fueron advertidos de no asistir. En otras declaraciones, el académico añadió que ''"las medidas que adopten para intentar silenciar a la oposición actuarán en detrimento de la junta militar"''.

Según la versión en inglés de Wikinoticias, hay contradicciones en los dos primeros informes de los medios locales sobre la protesta. ''The Nation'' afirma que alrededor de 100 personas asistieron, mientras que ''The Bangkok Post'' reduce el número a 20. El primer diario sostiene que la policía grabó la protesta en video, mientras que el ''Post'' sostuvo que sólo se hallaban presentes los guardias del Siam Center.

La manifestación no fue cubierta por la televisión local debido a la censura ordenada por la junta militar. Si bien la CNN mostró imágenes de las protestas, los operadores de cable tailandeses bloquean cualquier imagen que medios como la cadena estadounidense muestren relacionados con el golpe.

Si bien las protestas y las reuniones políticas de más de 5 personas han sido prohibidas por la junta, un subcomandante ha dicho: ''"la policía ha grabado la protesta en video y examinará la cinta para ver si los manifestantes han violado la ley marcial para fines políticos"''. Se desconoce si la policía o la junta arrestarán en los próximos días a aquellos que quedaron registrados violando dicha ley marcial.