BANGKOK (Bangkok Post) -- The military coup in Thailand could spell danger for the wider Asian economic region, Treasurer Peter Costello says.

"I don't think it is good for the region," Mr Costello told Sky News, according to the Australian news agency AAP. "The region wants to show itself to the world as a stable political region which is a good bet for foreign investment."

It was a positive sign, however, that the overthrow of the government had been peaceful.

"The good news is that it all seems to be calm, it looks like Thailand will be moving to an election and it looks like the disruption will be minimized," Mr Costello was quoted by AAP. "But I can't avoid the fact, it was not good for the region, it does not give it a good reputation in terms of risk for investors, and the sooner Thailand returns to an elected democracy the better."