 Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état, ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra attempted to put Ruangroj in power until Thaksin returned.However, Ruangroj was later named the Chief Advisor to the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM).In August 2006, Ruangroj visited junta leader Than Shwe in Myanmar, ostensibly to discuss border issues.