( CNN ) -- The coup was televised through one messenger . When the Thailand military announced it had taken over the government , it also meant that all state-run , satellite and cable TV providers had been ordered to carry only one signal -- that of the army 's . Major news channels , including CNN , have been taken off air . Even Cartoon Network and Thai PBS could no longer air their usual programs . Patriotic music showing the military logo dominated broadcast signals . Without radio stations or television channels , those in Thailand who had access to the Internet turned to YouTube , Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , Google+ and various messaging apps . Trending hashtags related to Thursday 's coup included # ThaiCoup and its Thai language version , which translates to `` Coup d'etat 2557 '' ( 2557 is the current Thai year on a Buddhist calendar ) , as well as a more offbeat # CoupMovies . One user referred to the dozen successful coups since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932 . Social media has become increasingly important in government upheavals . Examples include the Arab Spring , the 2009 Iranian election results protests and the # Euromaidan movement in Ukraine that started late last year . When the flow of information is stemmed through more traditional channels , many seek alternatives for updates and information . Where protests and public gatherings were restricted , people connected and gathered virtually . Thailand remains under martial law , which among other things includes restrictions on where protesters can gather , what TV and radio broadcasters can air and what can be posted on social media . Netizens have been warned by the Peace and Order Maintaining Council ( POMC ) , which has seized power , not to post content that could be considered opposing or critical of the Thai military group . That did n't stop the tweets . `` I 'd be surprised if the army did censor social media , because I think it 's a really bad move , '' said Jon Russell , Asia editor at The Next Web . `` Already , they 've been criticized by the international community for what they 've done . Censoring the Internet is an awful means to an end -- they 'd lose a lot more than they 'd gain from doing it . '' Russell , who has lived in Thailand for five years , wrote in a post that `` Thailand has not been afraid to censor social media in the past . '' Thailand temporarily banned YouTube in 2007 , because of materials deemed offensive to the King , according to news reports . And in 2011 , Thai authorities asked Facebook to remove materials considered insulting to the monarchy , according to several outlets . Facebook is the most dominant social network in Thailand , with 26 % of the population using it , according to the social management system , Hootsuite . Following is Google+ and Twitter . Instagram is also surging in popularity in the country . Critics of the coup are not the only ones voicing their political thoughts on social media . On Tuesday , a Facebook page purporting to represent the Peace and Order Maintaining Council was created . Its info page said its purpose is to `` distribute news , information and announcements pertaining to POMC . '' In just four days , the page had 200,000 Facebook likes . CNN 's Kocha Olarn , Jethro Mullen and Catherine Shoichet contributed to this report .
Thai military takes control and restricts nation 's TV and radio . Netizens turn to social media to get updates , voice opinions . Military has warned not to be critical on social media posts .