Thai Coup - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**TheWills** · 09-20-2006, 06:41 PM

So well here I am in Thailand right now during the coup....even better here I am in Bangkok! Well we dont hear much about it cause the news is really filterd becuase the militray is running the TV stations but all the thais are really calm and easy about everythin, my gf on the other hand is freaking out saying its getting dangerous and I should leave, Im gonna call the embassy and see whats going on!

I have great luck every time I come to this country, first its a tusnami, then a leg break now a coup! I should really stay away from Thailand lol
wills

**mermaidnz** · 09-20-2006, 06:47 PM

haha stay safe

i have a simillar luck with thailand. first i ran out of money and came home early-missing the tsunami, and now we cancelled our wedding in thailand a few months back- but it was set for begining of october.

keep us posted with how its going too!

**Joker** · 09-20-2006, 10:50 PM

My Thai-coup Haiku.

Pad Thai for dinner
Loaded with Sambol Olek
Thai-arrea comes!

BE safe Will!!

**TheWills** · 09-21-2006, 12:25 AM

well the embassy said alls good and you should go about like normal, just register with us though and check in daily to see if event unfold. So tonight its off to Kho Samui lets hope this is gonna be a peacful thing!

chelseafc05 · 09-21-2006, 04:01 AM

on the news here everyones gettin pictures with the soldiers and tanks and stuff..
stay safe anyway mon

**Somnambulation** · 09-21-2006, 11:39 PM

I envy you TheWills (at least until the ethnic cleansing starts), its not every day you get to witness something like this first hand.

**omisan** · 09-22-2006, 10:03 AM

Quote:

(at least until the ethnic cleansing starts)[/b]

I'm assuming it won't be that bad considering there hasn't been a shot fired and the king has already endorsed a new government. All of my Thai friends here and their families back home seem to be pretty happy about it.

**TheWills** · 09-22-2006, 09:15 PM

Hey all
Well its all good in the hood over here, there wont be any issues, we had to go through a few military checkpoints on the way down to khao samui but other then that its all good and no issues......still cool tos ay I was hear during the coup!!!

**LiveFreeorDie** · 09-25-2006, 08:15 AM

My Thai friends are all pretty upbeat about the whole thing. Thaksin was considered to be very corrupt and engaged heavily in nepotism (sound like any other governments we know??) and the 'democracy' that existed previously was bought and paid for with Thaksin's billions that he made from his phone company.

It is potentialy good for Thailand as the government has been bogged down for the last nine months in a political deadlock and Thaksin refused to step down - so this clears the way.

The general who took over is also a muslim, which may help to ease the tensions in the south. For those who do not know, while Thailand is predominantly buddhist, the south is muslim. There has been a lot of violence (terrorist bombings and military reprisals) and Thaksin's government has never wanted to talk to try to work things out. The military had killed thousands of muslims at Thaksin's request in reprisal for bombings, many of them innocents. The top general wanted to to try work things out peacefully and Thaksin wouldn't hear of it. Never mind all the corruption that was discouraging foreign investment. the country was headed in the wrong direction.

Another thing to consider is that this coup had the support of the Thai king who is beloved by the people. He is a benevolent King who was not a fan of Thaksin's policies. The general who took over is a Royalist and so his actions were in fact supported by both the King and the people in large part because of the King's support.

If your planning on heading over there soon, I wouldn't worry one bit. Things are under control and very normal, at least that is what I have been told by various people that I know who live there.