Above phote from Bangkok Post (21 Sep 2006)
20 Sep 2006The newspaper was on my doorstep as usual this morning and, contrary to what CNN, BBC, etc are reporting, there are not tanks in downtown Bangkok. Banks and some businesses did close as a precaution so traffic is lighter than usual but it’s otherwise business as usual.
Late in the day Kay and I were driving on the north end of Bangkok, nearly in the next province, and we saw our first tanks. They were not driving around the streets; rather, they were guarding the entrances to major infrastructure such as the Telephone Organization of Thailand (TOT) and other utilities.
The scene around those tanks was like a local festival; people were bringing food and flowers to the troops and it was smiles all around, in part as there were photos being taking as if these folks were on holiday. At one point I watched as a parent handed their child up to a soldier on a tank, soldier and child then smiling for the camera.
If the TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) gets their act together, they could build a great PR campaign around this: Welcome to Thailand, the land of smiles and friendly coups!
21 Sep 2006While there was some uncertainty yesterday as to what direction this was all heading, the general feeling was this is probably a change for the better. Those feelings were confirmed today when we learned HM the King had given the ‘coup’ leaders his endorsement.
While many Thai’s and resident expats, myself included, would have preferred the change to have happened via free and fair elections, the simple reality is that free and fair elections weren’t likely to happen and the tensions were mounting between the pro and anti Thaksin camps to an alarming level. It was simply a matter of time before those tensions led to violence; hence, the coup diffused the ticking time bomb and will (hopefully) provide thorough and fair investigations into the corrupt practices of both the former government and the opposition.
A survey conducted by the Bangkok Post showed that 84% of Thais “
agree with the coup” and 75% believe the coup will “
improve politics.” With support that high from those directly affected by the coup, who can really say the coup is a set back?!
22 Sep 2006From editorials to letters to the editor, the overwhelming opinion is that the coup was a blessing. Whether the generals now in charge or the soon to be named civilian government can really ferret out the deep rooted corruption in this country remains to be seen (I doubt it!) but if they can at least lessen the amount of corruption and bring about a more democratic situation than we had before, then Thailand will be a better place!
As if the above wasn’t reason enough to support the coup, word on the street is that Thaksin was in the midst of trying to further consolidate his power and had plans to change Thailand from a Constitutional Monarchy to a Republic; now that would have led to real chaos and violence given the support HM the King has all over Thailand and abroad!
There have literally been dozens of letters to the editor in the Bangkok Post in support of the coup; below this post are three that I thought were well written and representative of everything I’ve read, heard and experienced over the past few days.
