Tanks appear in Bangkok - reports

[minionofmidas]

"Party of Democratic Reform"? Has the Democratic Party renamed, or was there a merger?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Isn't this too newsworthy for the media to report on? Are they talking about how this affects the Jon Benet case?

[??????????]

Lets hope Thaskin is safely returned to power.

[NewFederalist]

More rumours - they are saying now that the coup is 'complete', and that the main army forces are simply going back to their barracks, and that the King will appoint an Government tomorrow!

I have no idea if this is just talk.

The baht has fallen a bit, even against the incredibly weak U.S. Dollar.  Also I read that the U.S. stock market is down a bit on this coup.

Might not be too bad a time for you to get outa Dodge and head on back to the good ole USA until things blow over.

David S... are you feeling okay?

[Colin]

I hope that if Thaksin is ousted that the military will allow for their to be elections as soon as possible or the King forces his hand and holds elections as soon as possible. The last thing that Thailand or Southeast Asia needs is another Myanmar.

[Michael Z]

BBC News states that Thaksin is officially ousted now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5361512.stm

[Filuwaúrdjan]

BBC News states that Thaksin is officially ousted now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5361512.stm

Ah, so Reuters beat the BBC again?

[ATFFL]

I wonder if he will fly back?  If he wants to counter this, he could fly in with the world media with him and confront the general. 

I doubt this is really over.

[David S]

More rumours - they are saying now that the coup is 'complete', and that the main army forces are simply going back to their barracks, and that the King will appoint an Government tomorrow!

I have no idea if this is just talk.

The baht has fallen a bit, even against the incredibly weak U.S. Dollar.  Also I read that the U.S. stock market is down a bit on this coup.

Might not be too bad a time for you to get outa Dodge and head on back to the good ole USA until things blow over.

David S... are you feeling okay?

Knowing the Mr O would not do anything I suggested, my plan was to wait until they throw him in jail and then say "I told ya so!"

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

More rumours - they are saying now that the coup is 'complete', and that the main army forces are simply going back to their barracks, and that the King will appoint an Government tomorrow!

I have no idea if this is just talk.

The baht has fallen a bit, even against the incredibly weak U.S. Dollar.  Also I read that the U.S. stock market is down a bit on this coup.

Might not be too bad a time for you to get outa Dodge and head on back to the good ole USA until things blow over.

David S... are you feeling okay?

Knowing the Mr O would not do anything I suggested, my plan was to wait until they throw him in jail and then say "I told ya so!"

Unfortunately in this case, the junta is not likely to do anything to foreigners,

[Joe Republic]

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Apparently things are already back to "business as usual".

[JohnFKennedy]

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Apparently things are already back to "business as usual".

Does that mean another coup is happening?

[Joe Republic]

The coup has pretty much happened; we just have to wait for Thaksin's response.

[JohnFKennedy]

The coup has pretty much happened; we just have to wait for Thaksin's response.

Yes I know. You said things were back to business as normal, which for Thailand is a coup hence I asked if ANOTHER coup was happening. It was a joke jEW. God!

[12th Doctor]

Wow... we have our own reporter on the ground in Thailand.


Opebo... can you describe the current situation to us?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

"Party of Democratic Reform"? Has the Democratic Party renamed, or was there a merger?

It's a blanket term for the opposition parties I believe.

Lets hope Thaskin is safely returned to power.

HAHAHAHAHHHAHA

No, that POS is getting exactly what he deserves.

Has that general arrested over that "assasination" plot a few weeks ago been freed yet?

[ottermax]

This is a good thing.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Love this pic:



"Thug-sin". haha

[Platypus]

um...why are the signs in English?

Can you say 'staged'?

[Joe Republic]

The coup has pretty much happened; we just have to wait for Thaksin's response.

Yes I know. You said things were back to business as normal, which for Thailand is a coup hence I asked if ANOTHER coup was happening. It was a joke jEW. God!

OMG phag

[Democratic Hawk]

It has been reported that Thaksin will arrive in the UK later today

While I have no respect whatsover for Thaksin, I must say I disapprove of military coups

There's only one man who can resolve this 'crisis' and that Thailand's revered King, who I do respect

Still, the military have said that the new government will be transitionary until such time as a new constitution is written, which will be followed by fresh parliamentary elections in a years time

Only time will tell if this coup does, indeed, change things for the better in the long-term

Dave

[minionofmidas]

I hope that if Thaksin is ousted that the military will allow for their to be elections as soon as possible or the King forces his hand and holds elections as soon as possible. The last thing that Thailand or Southeast Asia needs is another Myanmar.

Obviously elections as soon as possible (or even, at the scheduled date later this year) would mean Thaksin isn't ousted, but either returned safely to power, or (if all else fails) using the same trick the opposition used recently, ie continuing interim governments.
Thence, no new elections until next year, and a new constitution that will probably remove the current one's insane quorum.

[opebo]

There's only one man who can resolve this 'crisis' and that Thailand's revered King, who I do respect

Sorry for the delay - for some weird reason the Atlas didn't work for me for a couple of days. 

The King gave his approval fairly clearly about a day after the coup - he said that all Thais should refrain from violence or conflict, and that all civil servants should 'listen to' the orders of General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin.   

Since then of course there was a formal ceremony of acceptance of Sonthi by the King.  Interestingly there is a story of a coup leader not being accepted by the King - I think it was around 1980.  The King, his entire household, entourage, royal guard, and Prem all fled to Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima), and sat up there for quite some time, protected by Prem's loyalist troops.  Although Prem did not hold Bangkok, and the coup leaders did, without the King they could not cling to power and soon gave in, followed by another 8 years of the benevolent dictatorship of General Prem (not coincidentally the 1980's were the prime years for Thai growth and more importantly for the THai sex industry).

Presumably this will be the King's last hurrah.  I must admit that aside from my glee at getting rid of the family-values Thaksin and Thai Rak Thai, I enjoyed seeing the old monarch put that presumptuous would-be dictator in his place - and from his sick bed!  The old man is still recovering from back surgery.

[opebo]

I wonder if he will fly back?  If he wants to counter this, he could fly in with the world media with him and confront the general.

He can't - he'd be arrested.   No, he's better off to live his life of luxurious exile in London.

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I thought the same - or rather feared the same - and there were rumours of 'the other team' in the army showing up on the outskirts of Bangkok more recently.  But the King has spoken very clearly on the subject, and accepted Sonthi, so it really is over.

[opebo]

Wow... we have our own reporter on the ground in Thailand.

Opebo... can you describe the current situation to us?

Sadly, I was unable to access the Atlas for a couple of days - did anyone else have this trouble?

I can say that Thais were very nervous for about 2 days because of the rumours that the generals from THaksin's class at the academny were going to move on bangkok - there were rumours of tanks on the outskirts.  But everyone is totally relaxed now that the King has made his preference very clear. 

I was  upcountry in Isaan when it happened, and a fair number of people didn't like it (Isaan and the North are Thaksin's support bases).  I then traveled by bus to Bangkok but didn't leave the Mochit bus terminal - just changed to the bus to Pattaya.  But while in the bus terminal I noticed about a dozen soldiers around keeping an eye on things, and then a fairly robust military checkpoint at the entrances to check the buses - however they did not check us.  Mochit is HUGE, so a couple of dozen soldiers were like a drop in the bucket. 

Unsurprisingly I saw no military presence here in Pattaya.  Sadly nothing had changed so far - bars still sort of closing about 1:00 or 2:00, and still a good deal of police harrassment of the girls on the Beach Road.  Hopefully this will change.