SINGAPORE — Thai officials rushed back to Bangkok in the wake of an overnight military coup as global financial leaders ended their annual IMF-World Bank meeting Wednesday after approving landmark reforms.

"We have certainly not seen up to now any financial consequences but as I said before we are following developments very closely," said IMF chief Rodrigo de Rato. "We look forward to an evolution and the benefits of democracy and stability in the country."

Thai officials played down the potential impact from the coup, although the country's currency fell in international currency markets, lifting the U.S. dollar to 37.68 baht from 37.30 at the end of Tuesday's Asia session. Earlier, the dollar rose as high as 37.95 baht.

"It won't have a big impact on the economy because everything will return to normal soon," said Pannee Sathavarodom, director-general of Thailand's Public Debt Management Office, who was heading back to Bangkok along with other delegates.

Thai coup leaders put the country under martial law early Wednesday, ordering the stock exchange, schools, banks and government offices to remain closed and declaring a provisional authority loyal to Thailand's king.

Military leader who ousted Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the coup was necessary to end mounting rifts within Thai society and Thaksin's efforts to undermine the country's democratic institutions. The military said it would soon return power to a democratic government but didn't say when.

Thai Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya canceled plans to present a speech at the morning session of the final day of the meeting of the two Washington-based institutions.

"Everything is going to return to normal," said Gongtot, president and chief executive officer of Thailand's Government Savings Bank. "We'll seek for a peaceful solution."

News of the coup rattled global markets, with U.S. stocks falling Tuesday and Japan's benchmark Nikkei Index down 1.3 percent in morning trading. For many investors, the news brought back memories of the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 that was triggered by a plunge in the Thai baht.

The IMF came under fire for its handling of that crisis. In exchange for multibillion dollar emergency loans to Thailand, South Korea and Indonesia, the fund required countries to raise interest rates, privatize state industries and cut public spending _ measures that many argued exacerbated the crises.

Today, the world economy is better prepared for such shocks, and Asian countries have strongly rebounded. China and India are major engines of global growth. But the IMF is again battling controversy, with some saying its efforts to give more say to emerging economies are not enough.

The IMF reforms passed Monday by the 184 member nations increase the voting shares of China, South Korea, Turkey and Mexico. But other nations have to wait at least two years to see their voting shares in the IMF adjusted under the two-step reform plan _ too long for some countries.

India, Brazil, Argentina and other Latin American countries opposed the reforms, arguing they should be implemented in one step for all nations.

Voting shares affect member countries' say in the decisions of the IMF and how much they can borrow from it. The weight of each nation's vote is determined by a formula that includes the size of its economy, openness to trade flows and other criteria.

Monday's decision raises China's voting share to 3.65 percent from 2.93. As a group, the four nations' voting share has grown to nearly 7 percent under the reforms from 5.3 percent.

"Considering the significant risk of climate change ... we urge the (World) Bank to facilitate investment in all sorts of low carbon energy technologies, such as greater use of natural gas and ... nuclear energy," Iranian Economy Minister Davoud Danesh-Jafari told the gathering.

Danesh-Jafari said privatization was a "major step" in support of the development of the private sector in Iran that would promote economic growth and encourage foreign investment.

The oil-rich nation insists its nuclear program has the peaceful purpose of producing fuel for nuclear reactors that generate electricity. But the United States and other countries fear Iran's goal is to build a nuclear arsenal and transform the balance of power in the Middle East.

Some 20,000 people attended the Singapore gathering. The Washington-based institutions hold their annual meetings overseas every third year, with the 2009 meeting to be held in Istanbul, Turkey.

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