First time I ever lived through a coup d'etat

Justhavingfun

Hello from Thailand.

Don't worry ... even though the coup d'etat in Thailand is for real. Troops backed by tanks have taken over all the key government offices in Bangkok; knocked the TV stations off the air, including CNN and BBC. But that's all about 3 miles straight down Sukhumvit (the "thanon" or road) my son and I live on.

Needless to say, my staff begged my son not go go out tonight, with tanks and soldiers on the streets. And needless to say my son insisted on going. So, I went with him "just in case," I could be of help.

But so far, everything was calm, only instead of seeing elephants walking down the street, we heard of (but didn't see) tanks further down the street. A hard driving rain is keeping the crowds down.

I think Thaksin is gone, and probably good riddance. He wasn't good for the economy -- he forced the gas stations, which traditionally were all 24 hours, to close at midnight. Forced the large department stores to shut down at 10pm insted of midnight or 1am. And by his arrogance and heavy-handed policies, had spread gasoline on the Muslim rebellion in ithe southland, where a sincere, thoughtful voice could have calmed it.

Now, I'm going to sleep. It may be hard to reach me by this thread or e-mail. If the army can close down the tv stations, I'm sure they can shut off the phones (including my cell) and the local internet.

Bye for now and keep on enjoying yourselves.


Still Having Fun in Thailand

ajaan

When I lived in Thailand in the 1980s I also lived through a coup d'etat. I believe it was in 1986, maybe 1985. Historically Thai coup d'etat are very bloodless.

MacCrimmon

You and a friend at one of the International Schools were the first I thought of.....stay safe.

SYRACUSIAN

But so far, everything was calm, only instead of seeing elephants walking down the street, we heard of (but didn't see) tanks further down the street.




Aaah, tanks in the city. I was only 5 when they showed up over here, and 12 when they finally left.


Glad to hear that you're still having fun.

drjules

I saw the news on the BBC - stay safe and absorb the experience

Dr J

ajaan

A coup in Thailand is different from those in many countries. I left Thailand in 1989 but my son's mother still lives there, and I don't think things have changed much since I moved back to the States.

The real power in Thailand is held by the military, as is evidenced by the coup. For the longest time most Prime Ministers were ex- Army Generals. When things start happening that the Army doesn't agree with, there is a coup and everything returns to normal. Most likely the coup will have no effect on the common man. We'll see.

Clankeye

Thanks for the report, Justhavingfun. My best wishes that you and your family stay safe.

Clankeye

cladking

Let us know how you're doing if you can do it safely.

FilamCoins

Didn't see this one coming! Would have bet on a coup happening right here in Manila before over there in the city of angels. I've been chatting with my cousin. He's on Sukhumvit 49 and has satellite TV so he's getting the foreign news. My Thai mutual fund dropped another 4% to a 52 week low. This sucks! Is there somebody competent who can replace Thaksin? I just hope the military is together on this so there's no fighting. I suppose the King supports this or it never would have happened. Best wishes to you and Thailand! Sawasdee!

TwoKopeiki

I wish for you and your family to be safe.

bosox

I saw one up close in Liberia when I was in the military. They were on a five year schedule for a while.

cosmicdebris

Stay safe dude.

1jester

I'm glad you're alright, and StillHavingFun!

worldcoinguy

Interesting history in the making. Stay safe!

Justhavingfun

Thanks ajaan: So far, knock on wood, you've been right. Bloodless. I hope it stays that way, because I know my son's going to want to walk to see the tanks, and I'm going to go with him "just in case." By the way, here in Thailand, "ajaan" means "teacher." Is that what you are, in more than a numismatic sense?


Thank you, too, MacCrimmon! You're one of the few on these boards who go out of their way to help others, and I do appreciate it and am sure many others do, too.


Hello, Syracusian "Aaah, tanks in the city. I was only 5 when they showed up over here, and 12 when they finally left." Where is "here" Syracuse? And I sure hope the tanks aren't the the streets here for 7 years.


Thank you, Clankeye! So far, no problem.


Ah, "absorb the experience". Yes Dr. Jules, that's what my son and I are doing. Only never having really seen the cops bash in the brains of somebody, he's a lot more enthusiastic about going to see the tanks than I am.


Warm regards,



Still having fun

newsman

Good luck to you, JHF! Keep us posted.

wybrit

It's probably "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss" (one of my favorite Who lines).

I hope you and yours will stay safe during the uncertainties of the next few weeks.

ajaan

Justhavingfun I taught in Chiangmai for 5 years 1984-1989. Yes, I am a teacher.

Man

It's good to here you're safe and in good spirits.

A question about the money. It may be a bit early in Thailand to answers this.
Does a coup automatically mean that all your country's coins/currency will change?

Or will you keep the same currency at a devalued price?

ajaan

The currency will remain the same at the same value. The average Thai citizen will most lieley see no change in their everyday life.

Justhavingfun

Dear Ajaan:

Alot of the power actually resides with the enormously beloved king who has little legal authority but great moral authority. And the military generals have met with him and apparently have his support.

I went for a short walk to a nearby shopping mall and was surprised to see four soldiers in camoflauge sitting on the corner. And they had tied a yellow ribbon around their machine guns, the color signifying support of the king. Funny how that little thing made those menacing guns a lot less menacing.

And my son naturally hopped on a canal taxi and went to the down-town area where he took more than 200 pictures of the tanks. Sure enough, on the gun turrets, there was the yellow ribbon. He said the same thing: The tanks were menancing, but seeing the yellow ribbon around them, made them very much less, so.

Warm regards,



Just Having Fun

Justhavingfun

Dear Mr. Filam:

I don't think it's a question of finding someone competent to replace Thaksin. That implies Thaksin was competent, which he wasn't. He was, in my opinion, a corrupt politician who stole the last election.

And I say that advisedly, because after the Thaksin-appointed election commission approved the results of the election, the opposition parties appealed to the courts, and Thailand's highest court through out the entire election as fraudulent.

They didn't stop there, either. They convicted the four commissioners (who approved the election) of fraud, and they're now out on bail facing two-year jail sentences.

So, the Thai's seem serious about keeping their politics clean, something that I unfortunately can't say about the Philippines (or America, for that matter).

The new leader, i.e., the general in charge of the whole shebang, is a Muslim -- which is rather amazing for a country that's 92% Buddhist. And he didn't get there by affirmative action either, which the Thai's don't believe in. But his religion gives me hope that peace can be brought to the Muslim south, where Thaksin's heavy-handed mismanagement of series of crises excited a full-scale and increasingly nasty Muslim insurgency.

Hope to see you soon!

Warm regards,


Just Having Fun

Justhavingfun

Thank you Two Kopeiki: Much appreciated!

And you too Clankeye and Cladking.

Hello Bosox: Nice to meet you. All things considered, I'm glad the coup d'etat that I lived through was in Thailand, not Africa. I just saw the Nicholas Cage moving where he was an arms merchant, and those revolutions in Africa looked like some really nasty, nasty business. This has been peaceful and I believe beneficial. Time will tell, of course, but so far so good.

Warm regards,



Just Having Fun

Justhavingfun

Thank you Cosmic Debris and 1 Jester:

So far I have been safe and my son and I are continuing to have a ton of fun. Especially him; I've been busy working.


Warm regards,



Just Having Fun

Justhavingfun

Interesting history in the making. Stay safe!

Hello, Mr. World Coin Guy:

What I'm really finding interesting is the enormous contrast between the reality of what has happened in Thailand and what the US press is reporting.

For instance, in the International Herald Tribune, Asian Wall Street Journal, and on Yahoo, I see constant references to Thaksin as the democratically elected president. Nowhere do I read the reality, which is that the election was corrupt, fraudulent, and that Thailand's high court threw out the election and sent the entire electoral commission (which had approved it), to jail for participation in the fraud.

And wow, they mean business. There is even a case in progress to disband Thaksin's party for its part in the fraudulent election; something allowed for under Thai law. If that happened, Thaksin and other party leaders would be barred from further participation in electoral processes for 10 years. I don't know where that case stands right now; the coup has replaced everything else in the English speaking Thai press, and from what my staff says, from the Thai press, too.

Warm regards from rainy Thailand,


Just Having Fun

cladking

It's great to hear the inside info. Thanks.

The state department decried the takeover and everyone is cueing from that probably.

SYRACUSIAN

<< <i> All things considered, I'm glad the coup d'etat that I lived through was in Thailand, not Africa. I just saw the Nicholas Cage moving where he was an arms merchant, and those revolutions in Africa looked like some really nasty, nasty business. This has been peaceful and I believe beneficial. Time will tell, of course, but so far so good.

Warm regards,



Just Having Fun >>







That was a great movie, Lord of War, I saw it too, last Sunday on cable. Highly recommended to everybody. I take it that you received my PM Mr Just Having Fun, good to see that censorship hasn't affected the internet, it would be very sad if we did not have you around here. Stay safe.

mrearlygold

What was Thaksins position on changing the laws to allow farangs land ownership?? I left the country soon after he was elected and never followed it.

I lived on Koh Samui for a year.

TiT huh? lol

1jester

How are things shaping up over yonder? Any new events that are of concern?

mrearlygold

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