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Wild Bill · Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Posts: 37

Can you say Coup D'etat? I would suggest that you hunker down with some food, some cold beer, a babe and a TV. You might want to pack your bags if things get rough. GOOD LUCK!

tedkarma · Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 8:10 pm Post subject:

I'm hunkered down with a bottle of gin. Things seem fine here.

Don't worry about it. Most of us who live here won't.

eek · Joined: 19 Jun 2006 Posts: 61

Keep safe guys.

Hope it is all settled soon and peacefully.

gypsywoman · Joined: 19 Aug 2006 Posts: 63 Location: bangkok

How is it affecting business in the city, is it business as usual or is everything shut. I read they have closed the stockmarket trading today, which is understandable.
I'm due to come in to Bangkok in a week, no point coming if business is going to be disrupted.

Any info would be great
Cheers

Kent F. Kruhoeffer · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 2129 Location: 中国

^ Hi guys

Most streets in Bangkok are calm and quiet at the moment.

It's business as usual, although traffic is lighter than normal for a Wednesday.

Of course people are concerned; many are glued to their TVs for the latest news.

Schools, government offices & banks are closed today,

although I taught my normal classes this morning

at Peninsula Bangkok Hotel - no panic at all.

Public transport is working smoothly & on time;

no military personnel anywhere in sight on

my commute to and from the hotel.

Yes, there are tanks and soldiers on the streets,

but mostly in areas near government offices.

Where I live, soi dogs and hotdog vendors are

out & about like any other day of the week.

In other words, everything is OK.

Internet connections are working fine

and they have restored cable TV service.

Don't forget; there have been 18 coups

since the Constitution was granted in 1932.

Thais are a pretty resilient bunch; mai pen rai.

Long live The

Thailand teaching and travel resources available here :::: The Master Index Thailand ::::

philbags · Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 149 Location: 1962-69

Hope it all pans out fine.
I'm in Guangzhou and just found that I cant use my bank card . Woohoo! almost no money. double woohoo!
luckily my brother's not as reckless and irresponsible as I am.help is on the way.
All the best guys
P the bags.

englishgibson · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 4345

Kent, an excellent post and thanx for the info...i am sure many will appreciate a first hand knowledge of what's going on there.

richie122 · Joined: 15 Nov 2004 Posts: 101 Location: Seattle, Wa, USA

Gibson,
Why are you being so pessimistic about this. The 80%of the Thai people are happy that the Prime Minister is gone. You need to understand that here in China if we saw tanks and soldiers on the street corners it would be much scenario. From the beginning of the coup until now has there been a shot fired?? I see this ending as peacefully as it occured

sigmoid · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 1276

This article provides potentially valuable insight into why the coup took place and why it has been so well-received:

"Had Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM) leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin not moved as fast as he did to stage a coup on Tuesday, Thaksin Shinawatra would have launched his own coup a day later."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/09/22/opinion/opinion_30014290.php

englishgibson · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 4345

Richie, it's just my point of view. Wink

Soldiers are for a defence of a country. Wink

By the way, are you sure that 80% of'em are happy?

Sigmoid, that above's a rather interesting point of view or shall I say evidence....which coup would've been more peaceful?

I'd still say that people of a country are to make decisions rather than their soldiers, but forgive me if I am misunderstanding the issue.

Cheers and beers Very Happy

Bayden · Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 988

My friends (Thai) in Thailand say everyones quite happy about the situation.
Thaksin was as corrupt as a politician could be, and he was at the very top. Meanwhile trying to manouvre his own men into top positions in the army.
My take is that if they didn't do it now, in a few years time they'd have a corrupt and immovable dictatorship.
While it may not seem it at the moment, this was a win for democracy.

englishgibson · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 4345

Interesting point of view...with all due respect to Americans, but they should overthrow GWB ASAP then Confused

Peace to Democrats, Republicans, Canadian Quebecois
and
cheers and beers to the hard working FTs in Thailand Very Happy

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

So will Thaksin return to Bangkok from Europe? His wife and family are already out of the country.

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438

His wife and two of his kids are still in Thailand.....