A fascinating interview with General Prem conducted by the Far Eastern Economic Review just hours before the coup.

One extract:

[FEER]: On the issue of the book The King Never Smiles, by Paul Handley, isn’t the type of discussion that the book can promote–namely open debate on the role of the monarchy–good for Thailand?

General Prem: I don’t like it. The nation doesn’t like it. It’s a hearsay book and is not based on the fact. We are worried [about] the foreigners who read it. My suggestion is–please ignore that book. It’s useless.