BBC: Eyewitnesses: Bangkok turmoil

Eyewitnesses: Bangkok turmoil
Witnesses to events in the Thai capital tell the BBC News website what they have seen.


SANAPATH, BANGKOK

The situation is very unclear at the moment and Thai people like myself cannot receive any information from the media apart from the occasional pre-recorded messages that more or less suggested that everything is under control... I think everyone is wondering now why the state of emergency was called in the first place. It is fair to say that as Thai citizens we should be the first people to hear about this, not the people who attend the UN Assembly.



ROBERTUS, BANGKOK

I was on my way to the airport from Hua Lampong Station, thereby passing through Government House. At least five tanks have blocked the roads but everything seems to be calm, restaurants are closed down and armed soldiers are patrolling on motorcycles.



NARUSS MAHAKKAPOND, BANGKOK

I was holding a meeting in downtown Bangkok and the meeting was interrupted and everyone was out of the building immediately. There are also troops of fully armed soldiers and tanks around Bangkok, including Chinatown. Now I am at my girlfriend's place. My place is next to the king's palace.



RUSSELL MILES, BANGKOK

I took a taxi to Government House, or as near to it as we could. Troops and guys dressed in Swat-style gear are strolling around. There is a tense but fairly controlled atmosphere. Tanks are lined up blocking the streets, I saw a group of blokes bundling a cameraman and another chap into a van. We are taking photos, but not out in the open.



BILL HANSON, BANGKOK

As I emerged from the subway at Rama 4 and Sathorn I heard sirens and then saw a convoy of military vehicles head on to Sathorn Road with sirens blaring and buses of troops with guns at their sides. Haven't see this for many years here.



JOE P. THAWILVEJJAKUL, BANGKOK

We are seeing a large manoeuvres of armed vehicles near Government House area. This is definitely for real!

Are we going to cut and paste every single article of the hundreds that are certain to come out over the next hours or days? Or we all going to read the news for ourselves? I think we can all navigate successfully to CNN, BBC, etc.

'Coup' sparks Thailand emergency

Tanks took up positions outside Government House
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has declared a state of emergency in Bangkok amid reports of a coup attempt.
Soldiers have entered Government House and tanks have moved into position around the building.

Mr Thaksin, who is at the UN in New York, said he had removed the chief of the army.

National television announced that forces had taken control of Bangkok "to maintain law and order", and that they were declaring loyalty to the king.

However, the BBC's Kate McGeown in Bangkok says King Bhumibol is held in high esteem by all Thais, and the declaration of loyalty does not necessarily imply that he backs the takeover attempt.



An army-owned TV station is showing images of the royal family and songs linked in the past with military coups.

The announcement said the troops belonged to the "Council of Political Reform".

BBC World, CNN and other international news channels have been taken off the air, readers in Thailand told the BBC News website by email.

Our correspondent says low-level rumours of a possible coup have been circulating for weeks.

Thai media say that two army factions appear to be heading for a clash, with one side backing the prime minister and the other side backing military commander Lieutenant General Sonthi Boonyaratglin.

The general was sacked by the prime minister earlier in the day.

Political impasse

Our correspondent Jonathan Head said it was not clear which faction had taken the initiative and moved into Government House.

He said there has been pressure growing on the prime minister to resign, including groups close to King Bhumibol, following a political impasse in which April's general election was declared invalid.

Troops and guys dressed in Swat-style gear are strolling around

Russell Miles, Bangkok


Eyewitnesses describe turmoil

But it was thought that Thailand was making progress towards holding another election later in the year, our correspondent says.

Witnesses said several hundred troops were posted at key points around Bangkok, including at government installations and major intersections.

Russell Miles emailed the BBC News website to say there were troops "dressed in Swat-style gear strolling around" near Government House, and "a tense, but fairly controlled atmosphere".

He said: "We saw a group of blokes bundling a cameraman and another chap into a van. We are taking photos, but not out in the open."

At the United Nations, where the annual General Assembly is under way, it was announced that the agenda had been changed to allow Mr Thaksin to address it in the coming hours.

Are we going to cut and paste every single article of the hundreds that are certain to come out over the next hours or days? Or we all going to read the news for ourselves? I think we can all navigate successfully to CNN, BBC, etc.

Oh, well, I guess we are. The idiots are in control in more ways than one.

bg: If these threads about the coup annoy you, why continue to read them?

Thai army seizes Bangkok - Reuters
Tue Sep 19, 2006 6:48 PM BST



By Pracha Hariraksapitak

BANGKOK (Reuters) - The Thai army took control of Bangkok on Tuesday without a shot being fired and announced a commission to reform the constitution, despite the prime minister's declaration of a state of emergency from New York.

A government spokesman with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra at the United Nations said the coup could not succeed and "we're in control".

Tanks and soldiers took over Government House in Thailand's first coup in 15 years and a coup spokesman said on television the army and police were in control of the capital and surrounding provinces.

The seizure would be temporary and power "returned to the people" soon, retired Lieutenant-General Prapart Sakuntanak said on all Thai television channels.

The army declared martial law, told all soldiers to report to base and banned unauthorised troop movements, suggesting the military leadership was worried that Thaksin loyalists in the armed forces might attempt a counter-coup.

Prapart said the armed forces and police had set up a body to decide on political reforms, ousting billionaire telecoms tycoon Thaksin in the midst of a political crisis stemming from accusations he had subverted Thailand's 74-year-old democracy.

"Never in Thai history have the people been so divided," Prapart said.

"The majority of people had become suspicious of this administration, which is running the country through rampant corruption," he added.

"Independent bodies have been interfered with so much they could not perform in line within the spirit of the constitution."

Weerasak Kohsurat, a deputy minister in a previous government, told Reuters he believed royal adviser Sumate Tantivejakul would head the reform commission and an interim government would be formed while political reforms were agreed.

Elections would be called soon and Thaksin would be allowed to take part, he said.

RISING PRESSURE

After mass street protests against him in Bangkok, Thaksin called a snap election in April, hoping his firm rural following would counter his metropolitan opponents.

However, opposition parties argued that Thaksin had skewed neutral bodies such as the Election Commission in his favour and boycotted the poll. That rendered the election result invalid.

Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party was widely expected to win a re-run tentatively scheduled for late November, increasing pressure on his opponents in the military and the old establishment to resort to removing him by force.

"There is no other means to solve the political deadlock," said a former senior official close to the top military brass. "It's been almost a year that the country has no democracy, no legitimate government to run the country.

"I've told foreign diplomats Thailand may need to take a step backward, if they think a coup will, in order to leap forward."

The Thai baht fell immediately after Reuters reports of tanks rolling towards Thaksin's Government House office.

In New York, Thaksin phoned a Thai television station to make a statement.

"I declare Bangkok under a severe state of emergency," he said.

The transmission stopped after 10 minutes while he was still talking.

Inside Government House, around 50 soldiers ordered police in the complex to lay down their weapons, a witness said, and tanks and soldiers were seen on many street corners although Bangkok remained quiet.

In his television statement, Thaksin ordered troops not to "move illegally" and told army commander-in-chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin to report to acting Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya.

He also ordered Armed Forces Supreme Commander Ruangroj Mahasaranond to implement the emergency order.

Moron. I'm reading news from the source faster than you and Jinks the boy wonder can copy and paste here. Who do you think you're helping, exactly?

Statement from the military reformist - The Nation

The following is the statement from the miliary reformist.


There has been social division like never before. Each side has been trying to conquer another with all possible means and the situation tends to intensify with growing doubts on the administration amid widespread reported corruption.

State units and independent organisations have been politically meddled, not able to deliver their services as specified in the Constitution.


The administration is also usually bordering on "lest majest" actions against the revered King. Despite attempts from social units for compromises, there is no way to end the conflicts.


The revolution body thus needs to seize power. We have no intention to rule but to return the power to the people as soon as possible, to preserve peace and honour the King who is the most revered to all Thais.

The coup makers order soldiers not to leave barracks - The Nation

The military reformists issued an order for all soldiers to remain in barracks. The spokesman of the coup makers announced on TVs that all military units could not be mobilized. The Nation

Wonder what the new exchange rate will be. Hope all expats remain safe, went thru a coup in Turkey as a kid in the early 60's, all was back to normal in a few days.

Thai military stages coup while Prime Minister is in New York
By Adam Fresco, Ginny McGrath and agencies

Commentary: Richard Lloyd Parry
Thai troubles: timeline



The Thai military launched a coup against its Prime Minister today, circling his offices with tanks, seizing control of television stations and declaring a provisional authority loyal to the King.

Thai television channel 5, which is the army channel, and radio stations, declared that a "Council of Administrative Reform" with King Bhumibol Adulyadej as head of state had seized power in Bangkok and nearby provinces without any resistance.

"The armed forces commander and the national police commander have successfully taken over Bangkok and the surrounding area in order to maintain peace and order.

"There has been no struggle," the announcement said. "We ask for the co-operation of the public and ask your pardon for the inconvenience."

Tanks with loud speakers and sirens have been rolling around central Bangkok telling people to get off the streets. Initial reports said that army commanders loyal to the Prime Minister are holding crisis talks outside of Bangkok.

Thaksin Shinawatra, the Thai Prime Minister, who is in New York for a meeting of world leaders, has declared a state of emergency.

But it seems clear that the army commander in chief, Lieutenant General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, has taken power. Military and police involved in the apparent coup claim to have taken control of all six of the kingdomтАЩs public television stations, as well as radio stations, a senior military official said.

An announcement saying that forces loyal to the king had taken control of Bangkok "to maintain law and order" was being repeatedly flashed on all television stations in between images of ThailandтАЩs revered monarch King.

At least ten armoured vehicles were seen in central Bangkok and around 50 soldiers were reported to have arrived at Government House in the Thai capital, ordering police officers to hand over their weapons.

"I declare Bangkok under a severe state of emergency," Mr Thaksin he told the country's Channel 9 TV station. He also said he was transferring the head of the army to work in the Prime MinisterтАЩs office, effectively suspending him from his military duties.

The speaking schedule for the opening of the UN's General Assembly has been altered to give Mr Thaksin a chance to speak to the body this evening.

"The Thai Prime Minister is quite calm," said one of his officials in New York ."He watched President George W. Bush speaking at the UN General Assembly from his hotel room.

"He feels that he is the elected Prime Minister and he would like to safeguard the constitution of the country," said the official.

Mr Thaksin survived an alleged assassination attempt on August 24, when a sophisticated bomb was found in car parked near his house. Five military officers were arrested and charged for the plot but last week one of Mr Thaksin's aides said the conspiracy had not been entirely broken up.

His Government has been under severe pressure since a series of large protests and a flawed election that was boycotted by the main opposition parties earlier this year.

Mr Thaksin, a telecoms billionaire, was accused by opposition groups of corruption after his family sold a ┬г1.14 billion stake in his Shin Corp business empire in January without paying taxes.

The allegation, coupled with ongoing questions over Mr Thaksin's handling of the Islamist rebellion in southern Thailand and his controversial anti-drugs campaign which has killed more than 2,500 people, led to almost daily protests in Bangkok.

Seeking to head off the demonstrations, Mr Thaksin, a former policeman, called snap elections three years early to exhibit his broad support in the rural north and centre of the country, where he is popular for job creation policies and credited with kick-starting the Thai economy. But opposition groups refused to take part, effectively ruining the contest.

Since then Mr Thaksin has refused to resign, hinting that he will try to lead his Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) Party to a third victory in general elections scheduled for November.

Although it is 15 years since the last military coup in Thailand, Bangkok has been uneasy with rumours of an army takeover this summer. Last week motorists called radio stations after tanks were spotted rolling down the streets of the capital.

That proved to be a false alarm, with the army saying it was merely soldiers returning from exercises.

Holidaymakers will continue to be flown into Thailand despite the decision by the countryтАЩs prime minister to declare a state of emergency.

British Airways has confirmed that its daily Heathrow-Bangkok flight will go ahead at 10pm this evening, as will QantasтАЩ 10.15pm and Eva AirsтАЩ 9.30pm flight.

Thai Airways has said that its flight this evening at 9.30 from Heathrow is also going ahead but if anyone wanted to cancel they could change the ticket for the next available flight.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has not changed its level of travel advice for Thailand, which means tour operators will go ahead with planned holidays.

Derek Moore, chairman of the Association of Independent Tour Operators, told Times Online: "If the Foreign Office hasnтАЩt changed its advice then we will continue to operate. If the problem escalates into a political crisis we may have to think about changing itineraries, such as rerouting people directly out of Bangkok without a stopover in the city.

"However, in the absence of violence we are not too concerned about what is essentially an internal political situation."

Britons who are intending to travel to Thailand in the coming days have been advised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to monitor the situation before travelling, and once on the ground to avoid large crowds and demonstrations.

The FCO has also confirmed that it will keep its Thailand travel advice webpage updated

Around 350,000 Britons visit Thailand each year, and while the FCO warns of a high threat of terrorism throughout Thailand, most visits are trouble-free.

Caretaker PM tries to fight back - The Nation

Shortly after receiving news of an attempted coup in Bangkok caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra gathered reporters representing the Thai news media to his New York hotel at about 9pm Thai time.

He told them he had been informed of the coup attempt and was about to address the nation via an Internet broadcast on staterun television Channel 9. He would declare a state of emergency.

Meanwhile, in Bangkok soldiers were seen surrounding the Thaicom satellite receiving station at Khae Rai at about 9.30pm. Another group of troops seized control of staterun television staฌtion Channel 11.


Tanks and personnel carriers were observed on Rajdamnoen Avenue and its nearby vicinity surprising onlookers.


Troops were deployed at the Tevet Intersection and at the resiฌdence of Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda for his security.


By press time this morning tanks and military vehicles armed with machine guns were stationed at Government House, the Royal Plaza and government units along Rajdamnoen Avenue.


At Government House, reporters were asked to leave the building and remain outside while Cabinet secretarygeneral Prommin Lertsuridej and Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya rushed in.


As news of the attempted coup spread, senior military commanders met at Armyrun television Channel 5 headquarters. It was suspected they were preparing to announce the coup.


A group of pro-Thaksin officers, meanwhile, reportedly met at the home of Defence Minister Thamarak Isarangura.


At about 10.30pm, a bus loaded with soldiers from the 11th Military Police Battalion arrived at Government House. Their comฌmander spent about five minutes negotiating with the security staff before the troops were allowed inside without any resistance.


Sources said troops participating in the coup were from the 1st and 3rd Army Regions, the Internal Security Operations Command, the Special Warfare Centre and Army units in Nakhon Ratchasima and Prachin Buri provinces and sections of the Navy.


Before announcing his state of emergency Thaksin had decided to return home ahead of schedule and should be back in the country by tomorrow. However, his movements in the event of a successful coup remained uncertain.


Sources said Thamarak and Mass Communication Organisation of Thailand director Mingkwan Saengsuwan, who oversees television Channel 9, were detained by troops following the broadcast of Thaksin's announceฌment.


Soldiers wearing yellow identification cloth on their fatigues above the right breast seized the station.

Analysis: signs of Thai coup have been there for months
By Richard Beeston, Diplomatic Editor of The Times



TodayтАЩs military coup in Thailand came as no surprise to the people of Bangkok, who have been anticipating a move against the Government by the army over the past five months of political turmoil.



Even before tanks rolled into the capital and sealed off Government House, the office of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, rumours had surfaced repeatedly that the generals were about to make their move.

With Mr Thaksin abroad attending a long-planned engagement at the summit of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the coup plotters seized their chance to grab power.

At a single stroke ThailandтАЩs outward appearance as a peaceful tourist destination and a growing economic power in Asia was shattered by the rumble of tanks and the sight of heavily armed soldiers patrolling the capitalтАЩs normally bustling streets.

What few outsiders appreciate about the ancient kingdom is that the military remains the most powerful institution in the country. It has repeatedly flexed its muscles, notching up no fewer than 23 coup attempts in the past 74 years.

Tim Forsyth, an expert on Thailand at the London School of Economics who was in Bangkok during the last coup in 1991, said today that it was unlikely that the coup leaders intended to hold on to power but rather to have Mr Thaksin removed and replaced by someone more acceptable.

"Historically Thailand has been ruled by the military, but I would be astounded if they tried to form a military government," he said. "My guess is that they intend to announce new elections."

Clearly the militaryтАЩs patience with the former policeman and millionaire businessman who became the countryтАЩs first populist leader, finally snapped after months of a power struggle between the army and the government.

The political turmoil was compounded by an increasingly bloody anti-insurgency campaign against Muslim militants in the south and growing doubts about the ability of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the revered but aged monarch, to rule his kingdom.

The current crisis was triggered by the aftermath of AprilтАЩs annulled elections, which were widely boycotted by the opposition, and left Mr Thaksin at the head of a caretaker government.

Soon afterwards General Sondhi Boonyaratglin, the army commander-in-chief and suspected main plotter in todayтАЩs coup, announced that the King was unhappy with the political crisis.

The following month Prem Tinsulanonda, a former general turned royal aide, put on his old cavalry uniform and reminded an assembly of military cadets that their duty was to the King and not the Government.

The generals were then suspected of trying to neutralise Mr ThaksinтАЩs supporters within the Armed Forces, when more than 100 middle ranking officers, allied to the Prime Minister, were removed from key posts in the capital in July.

Later the following month police arrested a junior officer found in a car packed with explosives near Mr ThaksinтАЩs home. The Prime Minister responded by sacking General Pallop Pinmanee, the deputy chief of the powerful Internal Security Operations Command.

The general remained defiant. "If I had wanted to kill him, the Prime Minister would not have escaped," he said ominously.

As recently as last week, motorists in Bangkok was sent into a panic when tanks were seen rolling near the capital. The army insisted that it was simply troops returning from manoeuvres in the countryside.

Today the tanks were once again rolling in Bangkok, this time for real.

Thaksin cancels UN assembly speech after Thai coup

United Nations, USA - - Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra cancelled plans to make a speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, following the coup attempt in Bangkok, the UN announced.

Agence France Presse

[Dodger]

CONGRATULATIONS...to the people of Thailand.

It has become obvious over the past two years that a coup was totally unavoidable.

IMHO, a civilian government will be freely elected and re-building the legislature in short order. Again, there will be continuity between the wishes of the Honorable King and the Government. Only good things can happen after that.

I guess we can also expect the Thai Baht to lose value for a while.

CONGRATULATIONS? For what? For being thrown 15 years into the past and resuming one's role as a banana republic where the military can step in at will, remove a democratically elected government, and install martial law? Are you fucking out of your mind?

As repugant as Thaksin was, democracy in Thailand has been dealt a cruel blow from which it will take years to recover.

resuming one's role as a banana republicA banana monarchy, surely? But boygeenyus is correct; Thailand has once again lost international credibility and is likely to take years to recover. Fortunately that's all unimportant according to the economic theories propounded by the King

Moron. I'm reading news from the source faster than you and Jinks the boy wonder can copy and paste here. Who do you think you're helping, exactly?

Can someone please get rid of this idiot, all the major English news channels are down in Thailand and all information is exceptionally well recieved. No we don't all have BBC or NBC or any bloody fucking C. This is all ground breaking news to a lot of us.

I am besides myself with worry, may no one come to any harm or try to do anything rash, it will all blow over in a few weeks.

Bless all Thailand and keep her safe

I am besides myself In good company then :bounce:

[lonelywombat]

Are we going to cut and paste every single article of the hundreds that are certain to come out over the next hours or days? Or we all going to read the news for ourselves? I think we can all navigate successfully to CNN, BBC, etc.

All I can get is Steve Irwins funeral and the Nation computer has crashed for me 3 times in the last 10 minutes
Everybody wants news .Why dont you stop reading the posts. Simple

[anakot]

Thanks Martyuk for your postings. Great to have sources all in one place.

Can Homintern and geenarse please be removed from this board immediately? Their mental issues can be dealt with at a later date.

[wowpow]

Thai military declares Wednesday holiday to announce "new policy"

BANGKOK: -- Coup leaders declared Wednesday a national holiday and called top civil servants and foreign diplomats to a meeting at military headquarters to update the situations.

The coup leaders declared Wednesday "a holiday for government, banks and the stock exchange in order to quickly restore law and order," according to a statement read on national television.

They told top civil servants, leaders of state enterprises, and university presidents around Bangkok to meet at military headquarters at 9am "to learn about the new policy," the statement said.

An informed source said Gen Sonthi Bunyaratglin, coup leader, has ordered to invite foreign diplomats to attend the meeting to update them about the current situations in the country.

--The Nation 2006-09-20

via www.thaivisa.com (http://www.thaivisa.com)

can anyone get the nation or bkk post online.?

i can get the front pages very slowly...but not inside.. swamped by visitors?

Yes.

Sonthi will issue statement at 9 am

A spokesman announced on TV pool that Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the head of the Administrative Reform Council will make a statement at 9 am.

The spokesman also asks TV pool to return to normal TV programmes of each station from 8:10 am.

The Nation

[wowpow]

No TV here in Jomtien ar 9.21 a.m.

BBC News Latest:


Thailand's military tightens grip.

Thai military leaders are looking to consolidate their hold on power after staging a coup while the prime minister was at the UN General Assembly. Martial law has been declared, and the coup leaders have announced that regional commanders will take charge of areas outside the capital, Bangkok. They have ordered provincial governors and heads of government agencies to report to them in the coming hours.

The country's stock market, banks and schools will be closed on Wednesday.

BBC World, CNN and other international TV news channels have been taken off the air, while Thai stations have broadcast footage of the royal family and patriotic songs.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra cancelled a speech he was due to give at the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday evening. It is unclear whether he intends to return home.

The coup leaders insist that power will be returned to the people.

Declaration of loyalty

In Bangkok, Tuesday saw soldiers seize government offices and take up strategic positions around the city.

In a broadcast on all Thai television channels, the leadership of the armed forces said it had taken control of Bangkok, declared nationwide martial law and ordered all troops to return to their bases.

The rebels - who said they were led by Commander-in-Chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin - have visited King Bhumibol Adulyadej and declared loyalty to him. Many of the soldiers on the streets are wearing yellow armbands to signify loyalty to the king. King Bhumibol, who is highly revered by Thais, has made no comment about whether he backs the takeover attempt.

But there has been some negative reaction from abroad. The EU's Finnish presidency expressed "grave concern" at events, and the US called on Thais "to resolve their political differences in a peaceful manner".

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he deeply regretted the fact that the coup had taken place, while New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark urged politicians and military to resolve their differences democratically.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said the organisation supported changes of government through democratic means rather than by the barrel of a gun.

'Unease'

Pressure had been growing on the prime minister to resign, including from groups close to King Bhumibol, following a political impasse in which April's general election was declared invalid.

But the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok reports that while many people wanted Mr Thaksin out of office, there will be unease about the way this has happened, and people will be looking to see whether the king has supported the coup. It is the first coup attempt in 15 years in a country where they used to be commonplace. There were 17 of them between 1932 and 1991.

Opposition Senator Mechai Viravaidya welcomed Mr Thaksin's departure, despite doubts about the methods used. "I'm delighted he's gone," he said. "It would have been great if he had resigned voluntarily, but apparently he was too stubborn. But at least it's better than an assassination."

Another opponent of the prime minister, Chirmsak Pinthong, suggested that Mr Thaksin's continuation in power would have been even worse.

"I would say that nothing is worse than what Thaksin has done," he said. "Thaksin has already carried out what I would call a silent coup, because he called the country as a dictatorship by using money in a corrupt way.

"Nothing is worse than the Thaksin regime."

[wowpow]

F O Advice


Thailand map
Britons in Bangkok are being warned by the UK Foreign Office to avoid any demonstrations and large crowds, amid an attempted coup.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has declared a state of emergency and tanks have surrounded the government headquarters, Government House.

"Movements around government buildings and in public may be restricted," the Foreign Office is warning Britons.

It says the British Embassy in Bangkok is monitoring the situation closely.

The Foreign Office is also urging Britons in Bangkok - and those planning to travel there - to "monitor all available information on the local situation".

But Simon Calder, travel editor of the Independent newspaper, told BBC News that would be "very, very difficult".

"It is the middle of the night there and nobody quite knows what is going on."


People who have relatives and friends in the Thai capital will be understandably concerned
Independent travel editor Simon Calder

British Airways said its service to Bangkok was "operating as normal" and that the last flight of the day to Bangkok had left.

Mr Calder told BBC News that the flights from the UK would arrive in Thailand during the afternoon local time. "Nobody quite knows what the situation will be then," he said.

There were between 10,000 and 30,000 British tourists already in Thailand - about 2,000 of them in Bangkok, he added.

"It must be very tense there, and people who have relatives and friends in the Thai capital will be understandably concerned."

The Association of British Travel Agents' head of corporate affairs Keith Betton told BBC News British flights to Thailand would be diverted to land in neighbouring countries if necessary.

Independent travellers should stay off the streets of Bangkok, he added.


I am confident I will be able to get out when I need to
Engineer Steve Cowls

A spokeswoman for travel agent Thomas Cook told BBC News there was "no apparent threat to tourists" and the main holiday resorts remained unaffected.

But the company would continue to monitor the situation "very very carefully".

Steve Cowls, 46, of Oxford, an engineer working on a Thai naval base 150km (93 miles) south-east of Bangkok told BBC News no one there was even aware of the state of emergency.

"Everyone here is doing normal things - there is no indication that anything is going down."

Mr Cowls, who had been due to fly back to the UK from Bangkok on Thursday, added he was now considering leaving Thailand by travelling overland south to Singapore rather than attempting to enter the capital.

"I will work out what is best for me - but I am confident I will be able to get out when I need to."

Are you in the area? Have you been affected by this story? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below.

You can send pictures and video from Thailand to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100.

[wowpow]

Sattelite TV is back on but the News channels BBC and CNN are not.

I got a flight to Bangkok on friday 22nd ...... should I go?

9:16 am Sonthi holds a press conference. The first part of his statement is similar to the first statement of the ARC. He says the ARC has to seize power to solve the country's problems caused by the Thaksin admnistration.

Sonthi appears on TV along with the police chief and commanders of other armed forces in the four-minute announcement.

After Sonthi finishes reading the statement, a spokeswoman announces that the TV pool is disbanded and TV stations resume normal programmes.

The nation

Can Homintern and geenarse please be removed from this board immediately? Their mental issues can be dealt with at a later date.Settle down, Master Cedric. One coup per 24 hours is enough, thankyouverymuch. ;-)

BKK post seems to have lost all coup news?

[Dodger]

Boygeenyus..


CONGRATULATIONS? For what?

Congratulations for being free of a corrupt dictator was has already set the country back 15 years, who should have booted out of Bangkok a long time ago.

I believe the Thai economy will survive this transition to freedom just fine.

As far as the international community is concerned...we're all fucked up anyway.

[wowpow]

Daily Telegraph, By Damien McElroy, (Filed: 20/09/2006)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v27/wowpow/wthai20.jpg

King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest serving monarch, is a near-sacred figure in Thailand, renowned for his delicate handling of internal turmoil. In his 60-year reign, he has seen 17 military coups, 20 different prime ministers, and 15 constitutions. The Thai constitution grants very little formal power to the monarch but King Bhumibol exercises enormous moral authority based on the devotion he inspires in his subjects.

Rumours of a coup have circulated in Bangkok for months. All discussion about its chances of success have revolved around the attitude of the monarch.

King Bhumipol sealed his place in his people's affections in 1992 when he called the leaders of a military junta and the pro-democracy movement to his Bangkok palace. The meeting, in which both sides paid homage to the monarch, took place at a critical moment as middle-class protests filled Bangkok's streets. Grainy pictures of the audience became the defining image of an Asian ''tiger nation" joining the modern world. A caretaker government in civilian hands was established and democracy restored within months.

Cracks in the facade of democracy have been apparent all year. Junior members of the royal family, possibly even Queen Sirikit, are known to be hostile to the populist prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. He transcended humble roots to build a media empire and then the country's most powerful political base.

An attempted putsch against Mr Thaksin's administration in April fell apart after King Bhumibol indicated it did not have his support. Thailand has been in political crisis since January when Mr Thaksin sold his family business and avoided paying taxes on the deal.

The 78-year-old Bhumibol became the ninth king of Thailand's Chakri dynasty on June 9, 1946, succeeding his older brother, Ananda, killed in an unexplained shooting. After the absolute monarchy of Siam was deposed in 1932, the King grew up in semi-exile in Switzerland, a fun-loving young man with a taste for fast cars and jazz. He still retains an enthusiasm for playing the saxophone.

His relentless travel throughout Thailand and a strong personal interest in rural development increased his public profile and won him lasting admiration. Photographs of the king hang in most Thai homes and businesses.

King Bhumibol has supported and thwarted coups during his reign. One of his honorific titles is Great Strength of the Land. It is an appellation he has had to earn in each decade of his reign.

His first major test came in 1957 when he tacitly supported army chief Sarit Thanarat's takeover. Gen Sarit worked closely with the monarch to launch economic reforms. For five years, a government propaganda campaign portrayed the monarch as the symbol of the nation.

A border dispute with Cambodia in which Gen Sarit refused to yield a temple, provided an excuse to depose the junta leader, who was so corrupt he was said to support a harem of 100 wives.

The king chose a government of technocrats to succeed the general. The period was dominated by Thailand's alliance with the US, which granted enormous amounts of military aid in return for maintaining bases there during the Vietnam war. A period of further instability in the late 1970s gave way to relative stability in the 1980s, when a favourite of the monarch was prime minister for eight years.

His defeat in 1988 led to a new military regime that was toppled in 1992 when the king responded to the street protests. Once again, the nation's democratic future hangs on a subtle signal from he palace.

9:50 am A source in New York tells a radio programme that Thaksin is considering whether to go to England or not.
The Nation

Sonthi
"We have seized power. The constitution, the senate, the house of representatives, the cabinet and the constitutional court have all been terminated," he said.

"We agreed that the caretaker prime minister has caused an unprecedented rift in society, widespread corruption, nepotism, and interfered in independent agencies, crippling them so they cannot function.

"If the caretaker government is allowed to govern it will hurt the country.

"They have also repeatedly insulted the king. Thus the council needed to seize power to control the situation, to restore normality and to create unity as soon as possible."

BBC

10:40 am A spokesman of the AMC announces on TV pool that AMC invites students to take part in political reform. The spokesman says Gen Sonthi invites students to send suggestions on political reform to the AMC.

10:42 am A spokesman announces on TV pool that the AMC realises the problem of farmers and is considering how to help them so they should not demonstrate now.

10:45 am An AMC spokeswoman announces on TV pool that the AMC will take drastic action against any trader who hoard goods.

The spokeswoman also announces that the political gathering of more than five people is banned.

10:52 am An AMC spokesman reads an order of AMC leader Gen Sonthi for the Information and Communication Technology Ministry to check and censor any type of information dissemination that could affect the works of the AMC.

I am having real problems accessing the board and have only managed to get here by the most circuitous route. It's also, for some reason taking an age to load. However, as I probably only have one chance to post I wanted to send my best wishes to all board members currently residing or visiting Thailand during the coup. I have not been able to read anything but one page of one topic so I don't know how you are bearing up. I just wish all members of the board the very best and I hope over the next few weeks everyone stays safe and well. Kindest regards Bob.

Congratulations, Thailand. You are lucky to have such well meaning people watching out for you. Hopefully a path back to normalcy can be found very quickly.

My sentiments exactly Bob. It is unclear if this board will live out the coup, here's hoping. But so far no sites have been affected, more than is usual anyway.
Cedric

[wowpow]

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Anti Taksin demonstrators celebrate

10:52 am An AMC spokesman reads an order of AMC leader Gen Sonthi for the Information and Communication Technology Ministry to check and censor any type of information dissemination that could affect the works of the AMC.Coup leaders moved to censor media, ban public gatherings


Coup leaders moved to censor the media and banned public gatherings as part of measures meant to ensure public order.
Strict controls were slapped on foreign and domestic media, state television announced, that allowed the communications ministry to block" disinformation" deemed harmful to a provisional military council now in control of the country.
Security forces reportedly seized media transmission facilities.
Public gatherings of more than five people is banned, violators could be jailed for six months.
The council also outlawed stockpiling of goods by vendors, and said anyone caught raising the costs of their goods could be jailed for two years, according to the announcement.
Coup leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said earlier Wednesday the military had to seize power in order to unite the nation after months of political turmoil.

ARC (administrative reform council) announces appointments of AMC


The Administrative Reform Council issues its 11th announcement to appoint members of the council as following:

1 Supreme Commander Gen Ruangroj Mahasaranon becomes chief adviser of the ARC.

2 Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin becomes chief of the ARC.

3 Navy Commander-in-Chief Adm Sathiraphan Keyanon becomes first deputy chief of ARC.

4 Air Force Commander-in-Chief ACM Chalit Pookpasuk becomes second deputy chief of ARC.

5 Police Commissioner-General Pol Lt Gen Kowit Wattana becomes third deputy chief of the ARC

6 National Security Council secretary-general Gen Winai Phatthiyakul becomes secretary-general of the ARC.

The Nation

[wowpow]

Coup leaders moved to censor media, ban public gatherings

Coup leaders Wednesday moved to censor the media and banned public gatherings as part of measures meant to ensure public order.

Strict controls were slapped on foreign and domestic media, state television announced, that allowed the communications ministry to block" disinformation" deemed harmful to a provisional military council now in control of the country.

Security forces reportedly seized media transmission facilities.

Public gatherings of more than five people is banned, violators could be jailed for six months.

The council also outlawed stockpiling of goods by vendors, and said anyone caught raising the costs of their goods could be jailed for two years, according to the announcement.

Coup leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said earlier Wednesday the military had to seize power in order to unite the nation after months of political turmoil.

The Nation

it's perfectly obvious that this coup has the support of you know who !! and it's a done deal and all over bar the shouting..

the most significant and telling and telling fact, Mr Toxin went to New York with 40 suitcases !! :bounce: :cheers:

No, it is just unfolding.
It is not absolutely certain yet that there wont be a counter coup of sorts. Everything is focused on Bangkok, but things could still get messy there but especially in the rurals. It looks like "MR Toxin" believes London is his promised tax haven? Fat chance. Anyway I am wearing my rubber orange arm band, it is a lovely shade of orange too, best to mingle. Tootleloo!

Orange Rubber arm bands dedicated to you know who (available at all seven eleven outlets in Thailand) as seen on all military personnel this morning.

Poor, naive Cedric. My guess is that he is too young to appreciate what history has taught us again and again: once ensconced in the luxury of absolute power, military juntas do NOT typically cherish the thought of stepping down. Does the name "Suchinda" not mean anything to you? How democratic is a country, really, when the military is deciding who the people's choices are?

I hated Thaksin as much as anyone, but I think you have all gone off your rockers. Bush is every bit as foul as Thaksin was, but do you think the American people -- no matter which side of the political fence they are on -- would be cheering an army general who strode in, sacked Bush, tore up the constitution, dissolved the courts. and started dictating how things were going to be?

You all are so completely blinded by your hatred of Thaksin to appreciate that democracy in Thailand was murdered on September 19.

[Aunty]

it's perfectly obvious that this coup has the support of you know who !! and it's a done deal and all over bar the shouting..

the most significant and telling and telling fact, Mr Toxin went to New York with 40 suitcases !! :bounce: :cheers:

What, only 40? The man must be a lite traveller! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

Poor, naive Cedric. My guess is that he is too young to appreciate what history has taught us again and again: once ensconced in the luxury of absolute power, military juntas do NOT typically cherish the thought of stepping down. Does the name "Suchinda" not mean anything to you? How democratic is a country, really, when the military is deciding who the people's choices are?
.

1:15 pm Former Thai Rak Thai MP Surapol Kiartchaiyakorn is seen taking away from the Chiang Mai Airport by soldiers on a military vehicle.

2:00 pm ARC leader Gen Sonthi told foreign diplomats an hour ago that a civilian government would be appointed to run the country within two weeks.

Arse, you see you are used to those old style coups, ours only last a few weeks, it's 2006 you know. No need to get so upset, it's just a quicky, and all in a good cause.

[wowpow]

BBC quote the Military Council as saying that a new Prime Minister will be appointed within 2 weeks. They also have reports that Mt Taksin is in London. Did he buy a mansion there? The UK is very welcoming to rich foreigners and offers very advantageous tax breaks plus allowing land to be bought.

Confidence in the Thai economy seems high and also in the Thai Baht which has fluctuated a lot but not massively. The Military Council seem to be making all the right noises to encourage confidence in Thailand's future.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v27/wowpow/w.png
US$ - THB Yahoo Finance last 5 days - very up up and down currently 37.9 baht.

What, only 40? The man must be a lite traveller! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

I believe he left most of his baggage in Singapore.

[Aunty]

How democratic is a country, really, when the military is deciding who the people's choices are?

And what convincing evidence do you have that these choices are actually being made by the military?


I hated Thaksin as much as anyone, but I think you have all gone off your rockers. Bush is every bit as foul as Thaksin was, but do you think the American people -- no matter which side of the political fence they are on -- would be cheering an army general who strode in, sacked Bush, tore up the constitution, dissolved the courts. and started dictating how things were going to be?

You forget The United States has no King. There is no office, or no-one with higher moral authority than the office of The President of The United Sates of America, in the US. For all intents and purposes the President is the King of The United States. Yet the President cannot make law in the US in much the same way as the Queen of Great Britain does not make law in the UK. Don't forget too that the US is a collection of 50 largely independent States joined together in a Federal system. Who cares what happens in Washington if the Generals move to dispose the President.


You all are so completely blinded by your hatred of Thaksin to appreciate that democracy in Thailand was murdered on September 19.
Oh I think it died a long time before that.

[Aunty]

What, only 40? The man must be a lite traveller! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

I believe he left most of his baggage in Singapore.

A match made in heaven!

Nothing dead about democracy, it has simply learned to evolve, something it should always be doing. Just look at America, stuck in it's backward ways while preaching democracy to the rest of the world. There is rule of law and there is democracy and there are those who take advantage of both. It's high time Prime Ministers and Presidents were no longer immune to prosecution. I hope the Thais write that into their constitution.

And I hope Thaksin is sent straight from London back to the Hilton Bangkok to face the music.

containers Aunty.

Anyway, he can always go and live in London in General Pinchet's old mansion and take afternoon tea with Mrs Thatcher. I don't think Mr Thaksin will be gracing Thai shores for a while though I doubt he will give up without a fight. The conservative old guard have had their say and had their way and thats it.


This was far too well organised and what's a little coup between friends..at least it was bloodless..so far. Certainly less frightening than one of Edith's cocktail parties.

I got a flight to Bangkok on friday 22nd ...... should I go?

Yes Rusty in my opinion and that of almost everyone bar Australia, there is no reason not to go, have a nice trip. I am sure everything will be fine, just keep out of trouble by avoiding all street gatherings.

BBC quote the Military Council as saying that a new Prime Minister will be appointed within 2 weeks. They also have reports that Mr Thaksin is in London. Did he buy a mansion there?

Yes, he was reported some time ago (about the time he was trying to buy a share of Liverpool FC) to have bought a palatial mansion in one of the more fashionable areas of Central London

According to the latest poll For or Against the current coup,

For :
Bangkok : 81.6%
Upcountry : 86.36%

Against :
Bangkok : 18.4%
Upcountry : 13.64%

http://www.bangkokbiznews.com/2006/09/2 ... _id=139328 (http://www.bangkokbiznews.com/2006/09/20/w001_139328.php?news_id=139328)

According to the latest poll For or Against the coup,

For :
Bangkok : 81.6%
Upcountry : 86.36%

Against :
Bangkok : 18.4%
Upcountry : 13.64%

Interesting figures particularly about the surprising percentage in favour, given Thaksin's reported overwhelming support in the countryside.

[Dodger]

Cedric Stated...


you see you are used to those old style coups, ours only last a few weeks, it's 2006 you know. No need to get so upset, it's just a quickly, and all in a good cause.

I couldn't agree more.

I believe we have just witnessed the smoothest coup in history.

Personally, I support the country's actions and believe the rest of the international community will see this as a very positive step for Thailand. Is it a democratic move?...absolutely! If you believe, as I do, that democracy should be a dynamic process and change with the times, always with the full intent on benefiting the PEOPLE. This is democracy's finest moment for the PEOPLE of Thailand.

[wowpow]

We now have NINE trails on the topic of the Coup. I wonder how many more people will open. Why? Is it an ego thing?

The situation seems very well organized and well accepted throughout the world. It seems essential for all Western countries to decry armed intervention as opposed to a Democratic solution ( with the notable exception of the Hammas in Palestine ). The truth is that if Taksin went to the polls now he would probably be re-elected by his admirers and receivers of benefits in the North and Isaan. What was it Churchill said? something like "Democracy is an awful system of Government but it's the best we have".

The situation seems to be changing all the time. Taksin is in London has changed to Taksin is expected soon in London. The Governor of the Bank of Thailand is to be the new Prime Minister has changed to There will be a new Prime Minister named within two weeks. The Governor is considered likely to be a favourite.

At least the opening of the new airport can now be delayed without loss of face!

At least the opening of the new airport can now be delayed without loss of face!

BKK Post has reported that new Military Council has said that the opening of the new airport will go ahead as planned.

[Sen Yai]

[quote="Naughty But Nice":3tc0y9sk]At least the opening of the new airport can now be delayed without loss of face!

BKK Post has reported that new Military Council has said that the opening of the new airport will go ahead as planned.[/quote:3tc0y9sk]

But presumably without Taksin!

I feel sorry for the guy in this respect. All that effort to get the project finished, and now he will probably never see it!

Is it a democratic move?

Every now and then one would have to step back one step in order to be able to step forward again.

What I want to know is if there will be a f**k show at Future Boys tonight. Those stressed soldiers would need some release right?

Yes, it is sad, in a small way, that the first democratically elected leader of Thailand turned out to be such a fucking wanker, but Thailand will get it right soon. It is the peoples wish. Besides there is not a single other fully functional democracy in the whole of Asia, except perhaps Japan, so they can be proud of what they have achieved so far, and can look forward to a future where they can continue to decide, what's good for their country and whats not.

What I want to know is if there will be a f**k show at Future Boys tonight. Those stressed soldiers would need some release right?

What a pity the soldiers just missed TVXQ they were staying in my hotel last week at the same time I was, they would have looked very cute posing on a tank, bolstering morale on the front. http://upload4.postimage.org/1191778/dbs.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1191778/photo_hosting.html)

[Aunty]

What I want to know is if there will be a f**k show at Future Boys tonight. Those stressed soldiers would need some release right?

What a pity the soldiers just missed TVXQ they were staying in my hotel last week, they would have looked very cute posing on a tank, bolstering moral -e on the front. http://upload4.postimage.org/1191778/dbs.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1191778/photo_hosting.html)

What hotel is that Cedric? Oh, have you got any pics of their fathers? Those boys look like they're still in kindergarten to me, and might burst into tears the moment one looks at them and says, "how about it?"

Oh sorry Aunty, as much as you would love me to divulge what exactly is hiding in those snotty little shorts, my lips are sealed. Just to say they are a very sweet bunch of playful tots. The hair styles are vastly improved after a dip or 2 in the hot tub, all flushed and gagging for a cool soda pop.

I am sure i could be sued if I utter another word on the subject. Oh OK they have hairy legs, just the way I like em. Bush in all the right places.

But presumably without Taksin!

I feel sorry for the guy in this respect. All that effort to get the project finished, and now he will probably never see it!

I suppose you have been brainwashed by that innacurate, glaring article in the BBC praising Thaksin for his effort. The truth is that all he did was finish someone else's job and on the remaining infrastructure projects he accomplished NOTHING in his six or so years.

"We now have NINE trails on the topic of the Coup. I wonder how many more people will open. Why? Is it an ego thing?"..

I want my own coup thread !!!

[Bob]

The ends justify the means, right?

How anyone can intelligently argue that this coup is good for democracy or is supportive of democracy is beyond me. We're not speaking the same language.

While the outsiders are talking big words like democracy, it seems most Thais have welcomed the coup.

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/3125/o472673013uu5.jpg

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This soilder was telling Thaksin to.....

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/7219/o472673059zx6.jpg

Ok, so the Generals control Bangkok and apparently Chiang Mai, Lopburi, and the South. Oh yeah, and the King in Hua Hin.
The chiefs of the Navy and Police looked at the situation and decide to hedge their bets. "After all" they said, "Sonthi told us the King was behind him, and Sonthi is an HONORABLE MAN."
But what of the garrisons in the Northeast? What of the other areas around Chiang Mai? What of all the thousands of TRT minions in important government and police posts all over the country but esp in the north and northeast?
And Thaksin still has a billion dollars.

like Pearl says: тАЬIt's like the Roman Empire. Wasn't everybody running around just covered with syphilis? And then it was destroyed by the volcano.тАЭ

Hold yer breath and cross yer fingers
This ain't over yet

Good luck :salute:

[quote="chuckwow"]While the outsiders are talking big words like democracy, it seems most Thais have welcomed the coup.

Pretty pics Chuckwow. I remember similar scenes when the Khmer Rouge marched into Phnom Penh in '75

Honestly, do you guys really think the Bangkok Post and Nation are NOT censoring themselves???? Do you not think everyone in Thailand is being very very very careful what they say and do over the next few days? Do you really think anyone is going to stand up and say these guys are a bunch of bums? Even if someone did they'd be thrown in the klink straight away and you would never hear report of their words.

WAKE UP! ITS A MILITARY COUP! :salute:

While the outsiders are talking big words like democracy, it seems most Thais have welcomed the coup.


Yes exactly, every nation should have it's own peoples army to keep their politicians in cheque, after all these are the sons of Thailand. Assassinations are so American and seedy.

I agree though, it is too early to tell if every thing will go smoothly, and I am sure there will still be some digging, to rake up some sort of shit, before this is all over.

[bkkguy]

every nation should have it's own peoples army to keep their politicians in cheque

surely the politicians would prefer cash - there should be no paper trail to check on

bkkguy

Thailand is in dangerous land surrounded by communist or other dictatorships. It is in Asia where just about every country has professional armies. Even in the flagship developing world democracy, India, I would not hesitate to think that if things got as bad there as they did in Thailand then the army would step in for a while. There is a reality of checks and balances between the elected government and army (monarchy) in Thailand and things like this should be respected, not condemned by western politicians who live in a much different world.

anyone know how safe it is at night time? are the bars etc still open?

Exactly and who ever wants American style democracy, only Thaksin, may the richest man win style elections. I have noticed quite a few of the foreign leaders condemning the coup are themselves ripe for one, could be a connection? The Americans for example are too cowardly to even impeach Bush for war crimes, including ultimate responsibility for torturing of prisoners and the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians in Iraq, never mind deceiving the American public and the deaths of their own soldiers, what kind of democracy is that, it stinks?

Thailand is lucky to be getting a fresh start. The people, clever enough to see that they needed one. Prime ministers should be accountable at all times to the people, the minute they cease being that, they should be removed by any means that the people have at their disposal. This type of democracy is too be applauded, and not the kind where power buys you immunity indefinitely. Politicians are civil servants and nothing more. It is the people who lead.
The greatest moment so far of this entire coup, came at 10:40 am on Wednesday 20th September, It was also when I realised that this was meant to be a bloodless and intelligent coup:

10:40 am A spokesman of the ARC announces its fifth statement on TV pool that AMC invites students to take part in political reform. The spokesman says Gen Sonthi invites students to send suggestions on political reform to the ARC.
The Nation

"who ever wants American style democracy"

it's the best money can buy !

[wowpow]

This coup, so mild and bloodless, and polite seems to be generally regarded as a good thing. Not very exciting after all. It's a sort of Chicken Coup.

Oh, yes, yes. Everyone in Thailand supports the coup. After all, that's why they had to HAVE the coup in the first place, right? I mean, since everyone was so anti-Thaksin, they certainly wouldn't have voted him into power again in November, now would they?

No, now that you say so Arse they wouldn't have. Though I would say the same amount probably supports the King too.

Suan Dusit's poll shows 84% support coup


Approximately 84 per cent of Thais support Tuesday's military coup, according to the poll conducted by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University.

The poll showed that 82 per cent of Bangkok residents, and 86 per cent of residents in rural areas supported the coup as they believe it end political / social tension and is a positive step for Thai politics.

The poll contradicted the widespread belief that people in rural areas support Thaksin. About 16 per cent of Thais disagreed with the coup, citing adverse impact on Thailand's image in the international communities and weaken investors' confidence. About 75 per cent hopes Thai politics will improve following the coup, while about 20 per cent sees no change in political developments.

The Nation

So the coup was a complete waste of time. TRT would not have been reelected in November, and Thailand 's democratic process would have been preserved. Also, there would have been no need to send tanks into the city, censor international news, suppress opposition sentiments, and institute martial law.

Not to mention the fact the "shadenfreude" of Thaksin getting the boot by a democratic vote of his own people, rather than a military operation, would have been so much sweeter. Oh, well.

Sweeter for who exactly? You speak like this is the midwest USA! Only god is not yet involved.

I don't believe in God, so I won't be mentioning him.

Do you not think it would have been so goddam satisfying to see Thaksin lose an election by a landslide, as the latest poll figures suggest he would have? As it is, he can now go through life saying that he had the people's mandate, that he never lost an election, that he was the victim of an undemocratic power play.

Once again boygeenyus fails to understand the realities of Thailand. Thaksin was setting himself as a rival power to the King. He was attempting to play off various factions of the royal family against each other. It's been clear for many months through the actions of the King's surrogates (eg. Prem) that the King wanted Thaksin gone. That that was also the wish of large number of people in Bangkok (but not the countryside) was merely coincidental. The army, despite years of stating that the days of the army coup were behind them, got the nod from the palace and suddenly coups were back in favour. This action has nothing to do with preserving democracy and everything with preserving the status of the monarchy. A sub-text may well be that the Crown Prince is perceived as being in Thaksin's pocket and the king didn't want to risk consolidating that circumstance by his death

[Dodger]

Cedric States...


Exactly and who ever wants American style democracy,

Just the entire free world you dumb shit.

Boygeenyus,

Everybody (except possibly you) knows how Thaksin warmed up to the impoverished people in Isaan. He purchased their votes with free cows...funded with government money. Do you get it. One cow - one vote. Another cow - another vote...duh!

[Brad the Impala]

Cedric States...


Exactly and who ever wants American style democracy,

Just the entire free world you dumb shit.





If it's the FREE world, why haven't they already got it, if they want it and they are free?

No, I think that you are talking about the impoverished, enchained, disenfranchised masses. Or would they rather have a good meal, or peace?

[wowpow]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v27/wowpow/30014335-01.jpg


Their Majesties the King and Queen grant an audience to leaders of the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy, which is led by General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, and Privy Council President General Prem Tinsulanonda on Wednesday..//Royal Household

The Nation

While every other intelligent western nation, turns a blind eye to this weeks proceedings in Thailand, knowing full well the situation in Thailand and having informed and due respect for her people, America yet again blunders through with it's threats and unintelligent ramblings more akin to some obese loud mouthed child in a "candy" store than a fully educated adult.


The Nation

US reviewing aid to Thailand

"NEW YORK - The United States is reviewing its aid to Thailand following the military coup which toppled the government of prime minister Thaksin Chinaware, a senior US official said Thursday.
Associated Press, meanwhile, quotes State Department Tom Casey as speaking from Washington DC that any move by Thailand's new military government to ban political activities would be a setback to democracy, he said Thursday. Such a policy, he said, "would go against some of the statements that the coup leaders themselves have made. "He said the administration would like to see elections held earlier than the one-year timetable set by the coup leaders."

And some of us would like to see the " US administration" go further than just purchasing power for themselves, what about buying a brain or three. The whole notion of America and it's "democracy crusade" is beginning to set into one almighty mush of unintelligent crap. Do they think with their pathetic little hand out, of 14-million US in aid, that they can threaten and make demands on the Royal kingdom of Thailand, as to what and when and how they wish to now set the time table for reform?

Who do they think, they are making these demands too anyway? That piss in the drain 14-million US aid, alone, would not even cover one tenth the amount that Thaksin owes Thailand in Tax. Never mind the notion that America has, that they can blackmail a country into compliance with their sickly and fast plummeting green-back.
Are they really too stupid to see that having a pause in political activity in Thailand right now is vital for Thailand's future stability and it's immediate security? How is it possible that America who displays such unbelievable ignorance, still thinks that anyone is still listening to them. Almost the entire free world and certainly everyone else, that means the globe, would instantly back the impeachment of their own dear president, never mind listening to what shit that country has to say anymore!

I have only one thing to say to the Americans and that is, America FCUK off, Thailand doesn't need you!

[adman5000]

I really like the ignore button on this site.

[rincondog]

I'm sure everyone knows why he needs one.

[wowpow]

Thailand Coup 21 trails and rising. This is the best one though.

[bao-bao]

...but there's an element of his post that I have to agree with. The US should just butt out.

He's a LOT more vitriolic about it than I am, but once again I'm ashamed of my government and its "our way is the only way" foreign policy. At least I can say I not only didnтАЩt vote for him but I campaigned against The Shrub.

IтАЩm all too often reminded of the old Tom Lehrer song from 1967, тАЬSend the MarinesтАЭ:

"When someone makes a move of which we donтАЩt approve
Who is it that always intervenes?
UN and OAS, they have their place, I guess, but first тАУ we send the marines!

For might makes right, until theyтАЩve seen the lightтАж
TheyтАЩve got to be protected, all their rights respected
тАШTil someone we LIKE can be elected!"

If The Shrub would stop with his stupid shell game and the US of A could just keep their fingers out of everyone elseтАЩs business maybe the Darwin Theory could proceed to its logical conclusion and the cockroaches could have the whole mess!

IтАЩm not taking sides on any of the worldтАЩs turmoil and certainly not saying I have the solution to any of it, but itтАЩs abundantly obvious that the US government doesnтАЩt either.

Thailand has regained their dignity, America has lost another poodle that would jump at anything his master says, which would be nothing more than the anti-terror agenda to deflect world attention from issues of developement to those of US multinational corporate freedom. America will get much of what it wants from Thailand in the end, but now they'll have to ASK for it.

[Aunty]

Cedric, you need to get laid.

But I also agree with Bao-bao. There is a grain of truth to what you say. And I've even noticed it here on the board too a number of posts by some of our American friends on the coup just seem to lack a certain understanding street-smarts when it comes to appreciating the subtleties, the complexities, the fine shades of grey that is the un-American life of distant lands.

Thank-you Aunty, but I am still busy with the enema. I assume all these treats are meant as punishments, thats OK then.

Talking about the US aid, I recall the UN revealed that the US is the worst country that promises to send international aid to help people around the world but has hardly kept their promise. The US sent only 15 - 20 % of what they promised to send.

[Dodger]

Don't let your personal resentments blind you from reality...the U.S. has sent more aid to more country's than any other government in modern history.

And no Cedric, Americans are not cowards as you stated in one of your earlier ramblings. From my experiences in life, it's always the guy with the biggest mouth who is the biggest coward.

Nobody likes Bush's "big mouth"...and Cedric, you seem to parallel his character pretty well. People who shoot their mouths off, without a care in the world for who they offend or insult in the process, are at the very root of the problems we're ALL facing today on a global basis.


mai pen rai

People who shoot their mouths off, without a care in the world for who they offend or insult in the process, are at the very root of the problems we're ALL facing today on a global basisAmen. Death to democracy and free speech. Keep the bastards in their place

[Dodger]

That's right Homi...and I just exercised my own freedom.

I am american and proud to be one. BUT I agree we should butt out and not try to enforce our views on everyone else. Thailand was a warm friendly peace loving place when I first went in 94 and I fell in love with the people and the culture. Trying to bring western morals to the east has resulted in an unhappy people and way of life. I hope the people now have a chance to return to their buddist roots.

Don't let your personal resentments blind you from reality...the U.S. has sent more aid to more country's than any other government in modern history.

Americans are not cowards

Interviewed for American TV whilst visiting the UN general assembly yesterday the President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf told how the Bush administration warned Paskistan that the US would bomb Pakistan back into the Stone Age if they did not co-operate with the war on terror and supress domestic expression of support for terrorism against America.

So from the 'Land of the Free' yet again a demonstarion of their ambition to be world rulers.

And no Cedric, Americans are not cowards as you stated in one of your earlier ramblings. From my experiences in life, it's always the guy with the biggest mouth who is the biggest coward.



And America has the biggest mouth in the world right now so you therefore admit that Americans are cowards, QED !!
America should butt out and not try to impose it's distorted, corrupt version of Democracy on other countries - that is why it is in such an irretrievable mess in Iraq right now.

One day the USA and it's defenders and citizens resident on this board will realize that MIGHT is NOT always RIGHT, as the American Government and most Americans seem to believe.

Don't let your personal resentments blind you from reality...the U.S. has sent more aid to more country's than any other government in modern history.

Wake up Dodger and don't be blinded by the Black House's propaganda. According to the UN, the Scandinevian is the most generous nation.

That's right Homi...and I just exercised my own freedom.So all those people who think you're an old faggot who will burn everlastingly in Hell are entitled to their opinion provided they don't express it?

[Geezer]

DodgerтАЩs comment is, of course, correct. Also, I have consulted my atlas and cannot locate the country of Scandinevian. Perhaps you mean the country of Molvania.

http://www.molvania.com/molvania/index.html

[dave_tf-old]

Since America has been brought into the discussion (not surprising since neither America(ns) nor knee-jerk America bashers can keep their mouths shut), let's remember the rather fitful starts the US had in getting it's democratic act together.

Had George Washington been a power-grubber (he was actually considered for king-ship but turned it down, as well as serving almost reluctantly and temporarily before being replaced in, what was at the time, a limited democracy) our own history might have benefited from a temporary 'coup'. Thankfully, no such event was required, due primarily to the character of the man and the precedents of the office which he laid down.

I don't think Thaksin, despite his popularity, could be considered that kind of a leader, as many of his actions seemed designed to write into stone a continuation of his own power and a legitimization of his increasing wealth while in power.

The coup is a given, at this point. Some movements of the generals seem hopeful, others seem unsettling. Nobody with power should be trusted completely. Actions will speak louder than words in the coming months.

I hope to be around with so many of the rest of you as we decide Thailand's future here on this message board.

[Dodger]

Hey Dave TF...where'd you come from dude.

Do you plan to be LOS anytime in Oct-Nov?

I depart tomorrow and will be bouncing around LOS for around 8 weeks. Let me know what you're up to.

P.S. Don't mind my comments on this thread...I'm just toying with a few of the Board wacko's to pass the time...LOL

[Aunty]

Since America has been brought into the discussion (not surprising since neither America(ns) nor knee-jerk America bashers can keep their mouths shut), let's remember the rather fitful starts the US had in getting it's democratic act together.

Had George Washington been a power-grubber (he was actually considered for king-ship but turned it down, as well as serving almost reluctantly and temporarily before being replaced in, what was at the time, a limited democracy) our own history might have benefited from a temporary 'coup'. Thankfully, no such event was required, due primarily to the character of the man and the precedents of the office which he laid down.

I don't think Thaksin, despite his popularity, could be considered that kind of a leader, as many of his actions seemed designed to write into stone a continuation of his own power and a legitimization of his increasing wealth while in power.

The coup is a given, at this point. Some movements of the generals seem hopeful, others seem unsettling. Nobody with power should be trusted completely. Actions will speak louder than words in the coming months.

I hope to be around with so many of the rest of you as we decide Thailand's future here on this message board.

Excellently written. I couldn't agree with you more. Although Thaksin was 'democratically elected', democracy in Thailand is still in its infancy. And more importantly the traditions and the institutions of democracy and the structures of governance are in their infancy as well.

From what I can tell, democratic traditions in Thailand, or the Thai constitution, does not appear to have the mechanisms or the checks and balances suitable for removing somebody like Thaksin from office. Let's face it, any leader of a Western democracy who had as much blood and money on his hands as this guy did would have been gone long ago. You imagine the uproar there would be if The US President, or the Prime Minister of Canada, or the President of France, used a loop-hole in the law to sell his business interests for over $1 billion dollars, and then avoided paying taxes on the sale. And this comes after all the extrajudicial Yabba killings, and the botched handling of the Muslim rebellion in the South which has already so thoroughly stained his reputation. There would be people in the streets! There were people in the streets of Bangkok! In the US for example, the Congress would be holding hearings or setting up a Special Investigator to carefully go over every minute detail of The President's affairs and business dealings. Impeachment and eventual removal of The President would be the goal upon discovery of any deliberate law breaking. This is the process in the US Constitution for removing a president from office. There's a history of its use. The traditions and structures of democracy are very strong in the US because The Founding Fathers made it so after many months of very careful deliberation, debate and thought that went into drafting the rules and structures of the US Government. Nevertheless is impeachment a power directly exercised by the American people through the ballot box, no of course it's not. It's a power exercised by the ruing elite. Democratic? Indeed.

Under the Westminster system, a Prime Minister as bad as Thaksin, well the public outcry would be such that his own Parliamentary colleagues would remove him from office for fear they themselves would loose their seats in the next general election - the coup would happen alright. Isn't that what we are seeing in slow motion in Britain as we speak? And isn't that what happened to Baroness Thacther? People had had enough so eventually she lost the numbers and out of No. 10 she went. Moreover if for some reason a bad Prime Minister is not removed from office then the Queen has the power to sack the entire Government. It's all about checks and balances. And for those who think the Queen has never exercised this power go and talk to the Australians and see how democratic they felt it was that some Pommy Shelia 10,000 miles away sacked the democratically elected Government of Australia. This is not a power exercised by the people through the ballot box either. It's exercised by the ruling elite. But Australia is still a democracy.

It seems to me that the events in Thailand we have witnessed this week are nothing more than a Thai version of the ruling elite deciding to get rid of a very dubious fellow as Prime Minister. Given Thaksin's bad record I think that move was very wise. My only concern is that the use of the military to achieve this end suggests to me that there are short comings in the Constitutional processes of Thai Governance. Wouldn't it be better for the Thai to adopt the Westminster system so that Cabinet Ministers, including the Prime Minister, are given Royal Warrants that allows them to exercise the power and duties of office. If they screw up, all the King has to do is withdraw their warrants. But then, who would he appoint in the interim as the caretaker Prime Minister? (it needs a strong honest opposition) Maybe he just trusts the military more than any dubious Thai civilian politician with a big smile on his face, and his hand out the back.

But let it be remembered that it is not the military that rules Thailand, it's the King.

[bucknaway]

Hey Dodger, I am going to be in Pattaya Oct 14 with a friend of mine. Where will you be? Maybe we can meet for a drink and a laugh :)

And for those who think the Queen has never exercised this power go and talk to the Australians and see how democratic they felt it was that some Pommy Shelia 10,000 miles away sacked the democratically elected Government of AustraliaWhen was this, exactly? Or are you, in your ignorance of pretty much everything, referring to "Nov 11, 1975 Canberra: Governor General Sir John Kerr sacks Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and dissolves Parliament" when Brenda simply wasn't consulted and by all accounts was fairly pissed off?

[neddy3]

November 11, 1975.

Was the 'pommy sheila' involved? Problematic.

Certaily, her 'representative' acted.

Nice to see all three of our favourite Americana's on this thread forming a huddle, I feel all warm and gooey inside. Have a good trip boys, keep safe now yer hear. Perhaps you can form a delegation and do some damage control, have a good one!

Just in case you decide to do a side trip, to Vietnam, get really big back-packs. Enough for 8-million tons of Bombs, thats 300-tons for every man woman and child, leave enough space for the 72 000 000 million litres of Chemical weapons now you hear, we dont want you falling short, not on your holiday of a lifetime.
Napalm ,pineapple-bombs, agent orange enough for about 1.034.300 hectares, agent blue ,oh just so much to remember besides the hair gel. Caution napalm is a bit sticky in the tropics and agent blue is permanent. And if you get bored on those toxic beaches reach out for a nice holiday read. A "higher form of killing" by Jeremy Paxman and Robert Harris.
Oh and dont forget to pay your 4000 000 us departure tax when you launch your selves from Thaisoil into your adventures in Vietnam, if you don't, how on earth will you manage to start placing demands on the Junta when you return.

Enjoy.http://upload4.postimage.org/1214761/VNchemical2JPG.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1214761/photo_hosting.html)

[Aunty]

And for those who think the Queen has never exercised this power go and talk to the Australians and see how democratic they felt it was that some Pommy Shelia 10,000 miles away sacked the democratically elected Government of AustraliaWhen was this, exactly? Or are you, in your ignorance of pretty much everything, referring to "Nov 11, 1975 Canberra: Governor General Sir John Kerr sacks Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and dissolves Parliament" when Brenda simply wasn't consulted and by all accounts was fairly pissed off?

Well the only ignorant person around here Corporal Plonker is you as you endlessly demonstrate in your trolling posts. You do realise donтАЩt you how little credibility you have around here, and what little regard in which you are held? I assume you have some gift of personal insight? Probably not.

While it is true that the Governor-General actually dismissed the Whitlam Labour Govt, (and made the decision to do so) he did so using the prerogative powers of the Crown, which as Governor-General he holds on behalf of the Queen. But at the end of the day it all came down to who got Lizzy on the phone first. And in that respect Kerr, through typical political duplicity, won. Something The Palace, IтАЩm sure to anyone with half a brain, doesnтАЩt want widely known.

But anyway, this is a thread about Thailand, not Australia. Kindly donтАЩt take it off topic you ignorant sack of shit (It appears I need to use this sort of crude boorish language with you in order to penetrate your fog of hate and personality disorder).

[Dodger]

Bucknaway...

I'll shoot you an e:mail with my mobile number before your departure date. Just give me a ring...I'll have a friend with me as well...just don't know his name at the moment...LOL

mai pen rai

[Dodger]

Cedric dribbels...


Nice to see all three of our favourite Americana's on this thread forming a huddle, I feel all warm and gooey inside

If we had you in the middle of our huddle you would definately feel all warm and gooey inside.

[wowpow]

Please ex - colonials and dregs of the Empire. Is not the Coupe d'Etat in Thailand important enough to stick to the topic and not get dragged into your home country affairs and war crimes.

Democracy has many forms and operates at differing degrees of inefficiency. Constitutional Monarchs mostly only act on the advice of their Prime Ministers except in dire emergency when they or The Governor or The President have to act in the best interests of the people in the most constitutional way possible.

For P.M. Taksin to quit or take a very back seat and H.M. invited him to so do but he did not and the country remained divided until a benevolent Coup was the only way out. Now is the time for healing and preparing to move on into a happy future.

Mission Statement "I'm an educated well read man"
http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/fo ... .php?e=305 (http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/trackback.php?e=305)

Constitutional Monarchs mostly only act on the advice of their Prime Ministers except in dire emergency when they or The Governor or The President have to act in the best interests of the people in the most constitutional way possible.I don't recall reading this bit in Bagehot. Perhaps you can point us to the exact reference?

[Aunty]

Constitutional Monarchs mostly only act on the advice of their Prime Ministers except in dire emergency when they or The Governor or The President have to act in the best interests of the people in the most constitutional way possible.I don't recall reading this bit in Bagehot. Perhaps you can point us to the exact reference?

I somehow doubt you read.

[Bob]

A benevolent coup????? Sounds like Mother Theresa orchestrated all of this (and, if I recall right, she didn't have tanks backing her up).

As to your statement that the King asked Shinawatra to quit and then he (Shinawatra) didn't, could you advise as to your source of information as to what the King asked him, if anything?

Yes, a very serious subject. And I am wondering why everyone is blindly swallowing what the junta is pronouncing (when they've made it illegal to say anything critical of them).

[wowpow]

Flowers for soldiers? What kind of a coup is this?

"Have you had your photos taken with the soldiers and tanks yet?" "Let's give them flowers."

"Let's buy them some food and drinks." This has become the latest vogue to hit Thailand, and images of people welcoming the soldiers have certainly helped to soften this coup d'etat. With children wearing soldiers' helmets and people of all ages posing next to them, anyone would have thought it's a military showcase.

What kind of a coup is this?

Whether or not this coup will set back Thailand's democracy remains to be seen, but what the coup has definitely done is open up the discussion about "democracy".

What is a democracy when its leader is actually a despot in disguise? And what is a military coup if the military pledges its allegiance to democracy?

If General Sonthi Boonyaratglin had worn a suit rather than his army fatigues the other day when he gave a press conference, he could have easily been mistaken as the leader of a "democratic" government. If accountability is the key to democracy, then General Sonthi answered all questions posed by the media in a straightforward manner, something unheard of during the Thaksin era.....

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/09 ... 014427.php (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/09/23/opinion/opinion_30014427.php)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v27/wowpow/230906_front.jpg

Changing of the guard
The atmosphere at the gates of army headquarters, now the head office of the Council of Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy, lightens with female military police brought in to replace their male counterparts. тАФ Pongthai Wattanavanitwut

Bangkok Post

Bangkok Turm oil is beginning to sound like an offering in a Massage House. "You like Lemon Grass or Turm oil massage?"

Twaddle Pusher

Very good Teepee.

[AMARETTO-old]

Thailand takes a perilous turn as a coup d'├йtat places it once again under military rule

Posted Monday, September 25, 2006; 20:00 HKT
She came prepared for a violent protest and ended up staying for a bloodless coup. Charas-sri Kasetkala traveled 12 hours by train from Thailand's southern Songkhla province to join a planned rally last Wednesday designed to pressure caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to step down. In the spring, daily demonstrations by tens of thousands of people in Bangkok had nearly forced the embattled leader out of office. Early last week, the masses wanted to try again, despite rumors that forces loyal to Thaksin might try to break up the protests. Charas-sri's complaints about the billionaire PM were legion. Like many in Thailand, the 50-year-old was disgusted by the administration's alleged corruption and nepotism, exemplified by the tax-free sale of Thaksin's family-business stake to a Singaporean conglomerate for $1.9 billion. But Charas-sri, who brought her young grandson to Bangkok with her, was mostly outraged by the Thai leader's guns-blazing approach in the nation's largely Muslim south, a policy she blamed for the escalating violence that has claimed 1,700 lives since 2004. "I don't want my grandson to grow up in an unfair society," says the Muslim housewife. "People were so scared of Thaksin they had to follow him like buffalo."

But just hours after Charas-sri arrived in the Thai capital last Tuesday, army tanks rolled through monsoon showers into central Bangkok, achieving what months of peaceful protests could not. The country's army chief, Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin, who earlier this year had declared coups in Thailand "a thing of the past," had wrested control of the nation from Thaksin. The ousted Prime Minister was stranded in New York City, having just wrapped up a speech titled "The Future of Democracy in Asia." Martial law was declared and the constitution scrapped, casting a shadow over Thailand's democratic future. Yet, as soldiers flooded into the Thai capital, the mood turned almost giddy. Women in miniskirts posed for pictures next to tanks, while soldiers lounged in the gun turrets. Not a shot was fired in the country's 18th coup in 74 years. Standing with hundreds of revelers outside Bangkok's army headquarters, Charas-sri cried tears of joy at the demise of "Square Face," as Thaksin has been dubbed by his detractors. "This is a gift from God," said the headscarfed Charas-sri. In a nation where the gap between rural poor and urban rich has only grown more divisive, the diverse crowd beside her was remarkably unified in its elation at Thaksin's removal. "The thing about Thailand is that we execute our coups so pleasantly," says Supavud Saicheua, head of research at Phatra Securities in Bangkok. "There's no stigma attached to coups. They're almost seen as a natural part of the political process."

International reaction to the military takeover, though, wasn't as upbeat. The European Union exhorted the military to "give way to the democratically elected political government," while Australian Prime Minister John Howard deemed the coup "a throwback to a past I had hoped Asia had emerged from." Indeed, 15 years had passed since Thailand's last coup, and the country's young democracy was regarded as a model for its neighbors. Certainly, the putsch leaders, with their neatly pressed uniforms and chestfuls of medals, didn't score points overseas when they followed up a promise to restore power to the people with an indefinite prohibition on political activity, including any gathering of more than five people. Responding to the order, Korn Chatikavanij, the deputy secretary-general of the opposition Democrat Party, canceled an interview with TIME and declined to comment on the nation's political future. The media was also ordered to refrain from reporting anything that could be considered harmful to the coup leaders, who have dubbed themselves the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDR).

The coup had been executed with soldierly precision, but it's the dark side of martial rigor that's provoking concern. "The military may be good at fighting, but it may not be good at administration or governance," says Somchai Homlaor, secretary-general of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development in Bangkok. "We don't want to escape from the tiger only to end up with the crocodile." Governance in Thailand has never been just about the tiger and the crocodile. Unlike in the West, where checks and balances on the abuse of power exist within the democratic system, the corrective mechanism in Thai government has tended to come from outside, usually through military intervention. Refereeing this tug of war between officials and officers is the country's beloved 78-year-old constitutional monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej, whose every whisper is dissected for political meaning and carries the weight of divine mandate. Last Wednesday, he made himself clear, endorsing the new rulers and asking the populace to obey their orders. The night of the coup, Sonthi had already signaled his loyalty to the King by arming his soldiers with yellow ribbonsтАФthe color associated with the monarchтАФthat were tied around the muzzles of their rifles.

Such fealty to the King contrasted with mounting criticism in recent months that Thaksin had burnished his reputation at the monarch's expense. The former Prime Minister's rural-relief programs, for instance, vied for attention with the King's agricultural pet projects. Then, over the summer, Thaksin complained that "a charismatic figure"тАФwidely interpreted to be either the King or his top adviser Prem TinsulanondaтАФwas trying to force him out of office. Although Thaksin ranks as the most popular Prime Minister in Thai historyтАФhe was swept into office a record three times courtesy of his rural power baseтАФthe Bangkok ├йlite resented what they perceived as a l├иse majest├й attack. Last week, the six coup leadersтАФfour military chiefs, the national police boss and the head of the National Security CouncilтАФwent on to accuse Thaksin of using his position to enrich himself and his supporters; they also claimed he was eroding the very democratic institutions that should have limited his power. Certainly, Thaksin had taken advantage of the country's 1997 constitutionтАФwhich strengthened the executive branch's authorityтАФto fill the electoral commission, courts and other supposedly independent institutions with his associates. Thailand's democratically elected leader also allegedly used his position to pressure journalists, academics and even bankers who released pessimistic economic forecasts.

Careful cultivation of power is hardly unusual for a Thai leader, but Thaksin erred by alienating a competing power structure: the military. Having trained with the army before joining the police and later refashioning himself as an entrepreneur, Thaksin promoted many fellow members of his cadet class to key military positions, leapfrogging more veteran officers. His priority after returning from abroad was to oversee a military reshuffle slated for this month or next; the changes could have sidelined Sonthi and his acolytes before an election later this year that Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party was widely expected to win. The timing of the army putsch may well have hinged on preventing the military reordering, as well as pre-empting violence during Wednesday's scheduled rallies. Two of Thaksin's deputy ministers, who were detained by the CDR late last week, are suspected of planning to bus in pro-Thaksin masses to Bangkok in hopes of engineering a violent confrontation with anti-PM protestors. "We're sorry that it came to a coup," Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva told TIME a day before the ban on political commentary was announced. "But this proves that Thaksin has been destroying the democratic fabric of Thailand."

But is a military junta really the best way to repair the fabric of democracy? Sonthi has promised to hold fresh elections, though not for at least another year. Within two weeks, he said, the CDR would install an interim Prime Minister and begin drafting a new constitution to sew up the loopholes Thaksin exploited. Whom the generals chooseтАФand how much autonomy he's allowedтАФmay dictate whether the coup will be regarded by Thais as a necessary evil or just a power grab by ambitious generals. So far, candidates for the caretaker job include: Supachai Panitchpakdi, former head of the World Trade Organization; the Supreme Administrative Court president Ackaratorn Chularat; central-bank governor Pridiyathorn Devakula; and Chatumongkol Sonakul, a past central-bank governor. With the economy already slowing, much is riding on the generals' choice. "Thailand has to pick someone who meets international standards," says Sompop Manarangsan, a political economist at Chulalongkorn University. "If it doesn't, our economy will be affected because any instability gives foreign investment a reason to look elsewhere."

The CDR and the new Prime Minister must also deal with the intensifying sectarian violence in Thailand's largely Muslim south. Just three days before the coup, bombings in the city of Hat Yai claimed five lives. Although separatist Muslim groups have been operating in the region for decades, bloodshed has escalated in the past couple of years, not least because of Thaksin's confrontational approachтАФhe ramped up troop numbers and eschewed dialogue with local Muslim leaders. By contrast, Sonthi, who is the country's first Muslim army chief, has advocated negotiation over force. The general's rise to power last week drew approval from several insurgent groups. "Sonthi is a Muslim, therefore we believe we can negotiate a fair deal with him," Pak Abu, head of internal affairs for PULO Bersatu, one of the main insurgent groups, told TIME. "This turn of events will have a positive impact on the problems in southern Thailand." Still, Sonthi and the new caretaker leader will have to convince more hardline generals of the virtues of a policy that favors carrots over sticks. Thailand's Buddhist majority may need convincing, too. "To solve the southern problem, you need to bring the public on board and have a debate," says Duncan McCargo, a southern Thailand expert at the University of Leeds. "But having a coup and clamping down on the media is not the way to promote openness because it gets people nervous about what they can and cannot say."

For all the relief in Bangkok and the south, disappointment reigned in parts of Thailand's countryside, where Thaksin draws his most vociferous support. Even his detractors concede he enjoyed vast popularity in the countryside because of his village-investment funds, debt-relief schemes and health-care programs. Perhaps fearing a backlash against the coup, the CDR has specifically banned "farmers and laborers" from organizing political activity. "I feel sorry for Thailand's poor people and farmers," says sausage seller Ong-art Pamonata, who lives in Nakhorn Ratchasima in the northeast, a Thaksin stronghold. "Nobody will take care of us like Thaksin has." Chances are the new government won't be able to match Thaksin's reputation as a savior to the poor. "In six months, if the farmers think the money is going back to the rich in Bangkok instead of to the countryside, they will be very angry," says Wichai Turongpun, director of the National Institute of Development Administration in Bangkok.

If the Thai peasantry expected an immediate counterattack from their populist hero, they were disappointed. By week's end, ThaksinтАФphotographed looking strangely cheerfulтАФwas holed up at a luxury London residence, where he said he was taking a "well-deserved rest." But he may not stay quiet for long. Unlike other victims of Thai coups, he still enjoys the devotion of large swathes of society. "If there were an election tomorrow, he'd win," says political scientist Thitinan Pongsudhirak. "Thaksin has exploited this raw nerve in Thai society [by talking] to the rural poor and saying 'I'll give you what you want.' Unless this raw nerve is addressed ... you can write the perfect constitution but someone like Thaksin will come along."

In the past, deposed Thai strongmen have been allowed to return quietly from exile without threat of prosecution. But the current junta may not be so forgiving. As long as Thaksin maintains his rural popularity, they may be loath to offer him legal immunity. Last Friday, the CDR announced the formation of a nine-person panel charged with investigating alleged corruption within Thaksin's administration. The country's auditor-general, whom he had earlier tried to remove, also announced that she was expediting an inquiry into the tax-free sale of Shin Corp., the Thaksin family telecoms firm, last January. As the potential for legal action against Thailand's last elected leader mounted, Sonthi promised again that his military council was committed to restoring democracy. Few in Thailand, so far, have voiced skepticism over Sonthi's vow. On Friday, an anticoup rally near Bangkok's glitziest mall drew just handfuls of supporters. Even as foreign leaders condemned the putsch, staunch defenders of civil liberties in Thailand found themselves hoping that a democracy could somehow be birthed under martial law. "I'm against the very principle of a coup," says Adul Khiewboriboon, whose 20-year-old son was among those gunned down by the Thai military in 1992. "But I just don't see any other way out of this mess." Like many Thais, Adul can only hope that this coup ends as gently as it began.

Source : www.time.com/time/asia/covers/501061002/story3.html (http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/501061002/story3.html)

International reaction to the military takeover, though, wasn't as upbeat. The European Union exhorted the military to "give way to the democratically elected political government," while Australian Prime Minister John Howard deemed the coup "a throwback to a past I had hoped Asia had emerged from."

But, but...how could this be? Did our own young Cedric not just tell us that the whole world apart from the US was actually congratulating Thailand on this turn of events?

International reaction to the military takeover, though, wasn't as upbeat. The European Union exhorted the military to "give way to the democratically elected political government," while Australian Prime Minister John Howard deemed the coup "a throwback to a past I had hoped Asia had emerged from."

But, but...how could this be? Did our own young Cedric not just tell us that the whole world apart from the US was actually congratulating Thailand on this turn of events?

So who the fuck listens to John Howard? Dont get me wrong Mr Syd, but Mr Howard is the worlds nastiest little bit of stepped in shit your country has ever had the miss fortune to be run by.
The European union speaking with one voice, how unusual, anyway doing lip service to democracy is probably a shared sentiment. However no one has called for the return of Thaksin or the TRT. And no one has gone as far as the boorish yanks and threatened to reconsider aid. All 15000 000 dollars of it. How extraordinary, I am sure the Junta is having trouble sleeping at night with worry. Petty Cash blackmail? How simply vulgar. I am sure it went straight into Thaksins pocket before anyway, so they are hardly likely to even notice if it stops altogether.

Explain, dear boy, why anyone would advocate the return of Thaksin when he was only caretaker PM? What they are rightfully bemoaning is the fact that, whereas we were originally due to have a new democratically elected government in November, we will now have to wait AT LEAST a year. And in the meantime, we will be living under a military dictatorship, with no constitution and no civil liberties.

Small price to pay for a proper democracy. Light up a Cuban cigar and start having you some fun. Maybe the Philippines will care to join in.

A "proper democracy", eh? And this will magically appear from where, exactly?

A "proper democracy", eh? And this will magically appear from where, exactly?

The people of Thailand.

You mean, the same people that elected Thaksin and who were due to reelect him in a few weeks' time? Are brains going to magically appear between their ears overnight?

You mean, the same people that elected Thaksin and who were due to reelect him in a few weeks' time? Are brains going to magically appear between their ears overnight?

No they have those already, in the name of King and country, I am sure they will make the best choice for all. Arsehole I wish you would stop dwelling in the past, there has been a coup you know, it's a done deal.
I am afraid it has come at a bad time for you and the sale of your "condo" in Bangkok, and there is the "age concern" issue. But what about that advice that was given you by another of our loving community, and start living for the moment, instead of fretting about what has already past and what will happen years ahead.

A year or three is a nice good long time to reflect, nothing stands still you know, I am sure you are going to wonder what all the fuss was about by about the second half of 2009. Meantime relax and enjoy. Thanx your slaughtered goat that America has no power over the Thais, it should all go much smoother as a result.
Take it slow, no hurry, smell the roses.