Over the past day or so, many news sources have been reporting that the Thai and ASEAN candidate for United Nations Secretary-General, Dr Surakiart Sathirathai, has withdrawn from the contest. The website that carried information on his candidacy now seems to have been taken offline.

Since the coup, Surakiart’s bid for this lofty position has seemed even more unlikely than it did when he had the support of the serving Prime Minister and his cabinet colleagues. Without the backing of junta heavies, or political stability in his home country, he was unlikely to last long. His withdrawl is hardly unexpected.

The South Korean candidate, Ban Ki-moon, is now the only one still in the race.