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September 20th, 2006

Thailand: Situation on the street

lingua → zht · zhs

Thailand under military rule day one looks like a regular day here albeit there were fewer people on the street.

Banks and schools are closed, and most of the offices too.

Internet and cellular connection are all fine. CNN and BBC broadcast were blocked until this afternoon, but then has been available since.

After trying to figure out what is really going on in Bangkok, I decided to look and see it for myself.

All malls and shopping are open. Siam Paragon the newest and biggest Bangkok malls looks normal. MBK the favorit shopping place for tourists is open, although they are closing sooner than usual, citing a possible curfew that might be enforced.

Public transportation are all normal, buses, taxis, motorcycle taxi, the subway and sky train station (Bangkok MRT) are all functioning as they suppose to with minimum sight of the military personnel's.

Jewie on his blog Lost in Translation posted Happy Military Coup mentioning how everyone seems to be happy.

The TV interviews with common people seem to contradict the expected situation of a military coup. Some on TV even said why the military had taken so long to react to Thaksin. Other seem pretty happy about the coup and they had been expecting it. On the streets, civilians are enjoying the holiday. Bringing food and water to the soldiers, photo taking session, flowers presented to soldiers. I have not seen any news report of anyone against the coup so far. It seems like it’s an all against Thaksin thing now.

Michelle on Brit in Bangkok calling this an Excellent News for Thailand:

Thaksin has been a HUGE problem to Thailand for well over a year now. A new election was coming up next month and Thaksin WOULD DEFINITELY have been re-elected because uneducated Thais in the mostly Northern provinces would vote for him. (Thaksin has given money to many of the poor for years, technically buying votes).

And Metroblogging Bangkok citing poll result how people feels about this coup:

According to a popular public opinion poll, the Dusit Poll [figures not exact as I couldn't here correctly]

83% the people approved the “peaceful” coup as a way to calm the political situation in Thailand.
17% disapproved….

I continue my quest for tanks from Siam Area to Rachadamnoen Nok (Outer Avenue) that is the center of government administration.

Most Government departments, U.N. and ESCAP organizations as well as Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, the parliament house are also situated on this road

As I arrived, I saw that there were no blockade anymore. The people were crowding the tanks and Humvees, distributing roses and mostly trying to take pictures together with the military personnel's.

There were celebration atmosphere in the air, where everybody like take part of this special day.
Peter, wrote on this forum describe the Thai people reaction of this coup as cool detachment. Other than in the Rachadamnoen area, you can not tell that there is coup going on in the country.

The temporary government has promised that there will be a civil government in 2 weeks period and has come up with new general election date to be held in October 2007
Tomorrow (hopefully) will just be a regular day.

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