Thai Coup

Strange to think that Bangkok is under martial law and the Government House surrounded by tanks… I missed all the fun by a couple months. The Army has a reputation of being rather straight forward and the folks to go to when you’re hassled by corrupt police (all the police are corrupt, all throughout the ranks – excepting tourist police, who have no power), so I suppose we should be glad that they’re the ones who decided to take over.

It’ll be interesting to hear what the King has to say.

I’m still on the Embassy mailling list, and just got this:

Attention American Citizens: A group calling itself the Committee for Democratic Reform under the Monarchy as Head of State has apparently seized control of the government institutions in Bangkok and declared martial law. We have seen various reports that the military has deployed troops around key government facilities and other strategic locations around Bangkok. There are no indications of any violence at this point. We advise all American Citizens to continue to monitor the situation closely, avoid any large gatherings and exercise discretion when moving about the city. At this point, we are not advising Americans to leave Thailand; however, Americans planning to travel to Thailand may wish to carefully consider their options before traveling until the situation becomes clearer. The Embassy will continue to follow developments closely. If there is any important information regarding the security of US citizens the Embassy will post it on the U.S. Embassy Bangkok and Department of State websites.

Update BBC says: They have also banned assemblies of more than five people, which are now punishable by six months in jail. Clearly, these people have never walked the streets of their own city. How do you expect to stop more than five people from gathering in the streets of Bangkok? Not with a 24 hour curfew could you accomplish that.