Military Coup in Thailand

[red oct 2]

I didn't realize just how grim things were in Thailand. Everything that's been dominating the news was Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Steve Irwins Death, The Pope, than just over night the government of Thailand gets taken by the military. Everybodys thoughts as to what happens next?

Heres a link:

Link

[deanosbeano 0]

you didnt know about his telecom business and attempted take over of liverpool football club ?

this was always on the cards imo. although i must say i thought the people not the military would have got rid of him. still maybe the king will keep stability there.

[CsonkaPityu 0]

I know what it feels like to have your country run into the ground. Go Thai people! I wish we here could get rid of our little corrupt millionare/dictator too.

[ran 0]

A coup d'état in thailand ? you've got to be kidding me ... I honestly can't believe you ...

1947 - Military coup by the wartime, pro-Japanese leader Phibun Songkhram. The military retain power until 1973.

1973 - Student riots in Bangkok bring about the fall of the military government. Free elections are held but the resulting governments lack stability.

1976 - Military takes over again.

1991 - Military coup, the 17th since 1932. A civilian, Anand Panyarachun, is installed as prime minister.

This was bound to happen seeing the recent political context there.

Not counting all the unrest down there.

Let's hope it will put a small dent in the sex tourism business ...

[shinRaiden 0]

Here's a timeline from the UK Times :

Quote[/b] ]Recent political developments in Thailand leading up to today's declaration of a state of emergency by Thaksin Shinawatra, the Thai Prime Minister.

February 6, 2005: Thaksin Shinawatra’s Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) Party wins a second landslide election victory, taking 377 of the 500 seats in parliament.

September 9: State-run television takes a current affairs show hosted by Sondhi Limthongkul, Mr Thaksin’s former business associate, off the air, citing repetition of "unfair" criticism of various parties.

January 23, 2006: Mr Thaksin’s relatives sell their controlling stake in Shin Corp, the telecoms empire he founded, to Temasek, the Singapore state investment firm. The tax-free $1.9 billion sale angers Bangkok’s middle classes and adds momentum to Mr Sondhi’s campaign.

February 24: Mr Thaksin calls a snap election on April 2, three years early and two days before a big anti-government rally.

February 27: Three main opposition parties announce an election boycott after Mr Thaksin rejects their demand for a neutral body to reform the constitution.

April 2: Election is held despite opposition boycott.

April 4: After a strong protest vote, Mr Thaksin meets revered King Bhumibhol Adulyadej, before announcing on national television that he will step down as soon as the next parliament meets.

April 5: Mr Thaksin hands day-to-day power to his Deputy Prime Minister, Chidchai Vanasatidya.

April 26: The three main opposition parties say that they will stand in a new election if April 2 poll is annulled.

May 8: Constitutional Court rules that the election is unconstitutional and a new poll should be held.

May 23: Mr Thaksin takes back reins of power, saying it was time to get back work on economic and security issues.

May 30: Government sets election re-run for October 15. King of Thailand approves the re-run in late July saying he wants a swift end to the crisis.

July 20: Thai army chief unexpectedly re-assigns more than 100 middle-ranking officers thought to be supporters of Mr Thaksin, adding to rumours about divided army and possible coup.

September 19: Mr Thaksin declares a state of emergency after tanks surround Government House

Aside from that though, I think they've really tried to clamp down on bad publicity with the 60th anniversery of the King's ascension this year (ugh the tourism ad's were on every 5 minutes on every channel in Australia), and the US doesn't care about international news.

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

Let's hope it will put a small dent in the sex tourism business ...

It wont, since the roots of it are older than the aeroplane!

[Llauma 0]

Let's hope it will put a small dent in the sex tourism business ...

It wont, since the roots of it are older than the aeroplane!

Is that the worst you can come up with? Aeroplane? Hell it's older than agriculture.

Talking about the sex industry. A friend of mine was in Thailand right after the tsunami to take pictures for some newspapers and the sex industry was back to normal before the streets had dried.

[sniperandy 0]

I used to live in Thailand for nearly 4 years.

And Taksin being elected wasn't very welcome.

You need to see that for a long time a lot of business was done by the Military, Police Forces etc etc.

This goes form the Golden Triangle Trades to Money Laundering the Black Market and a lot of other businesses. Taksin changed a lot by changing police forces around. Eq. Northern Border Police was changed with Tourist Police in Bangkok, Southern Police was changed with Imigration Officers etc etc. Then they been changed (moved around) in turns.

So when some of the Drug Traffickers would have new connections, they soon be moved again.

However, one is not to forget Taksins own desires.

It was only a matter of time before this would have happend.

So long as they don't putsch the King all is good in Siam.

---------------

There was anohter coup years ago in the heart of Bangkok.

The Prime Minister back then was a Ex-Military 3 Star General.

He had the troops open fire on demonstrating Students back then in Banglampoo at the Victory Monument.

This is usually the route the King would take form the Palace in Banglampoo to his Residence. However, that day the Convoy was redirected another route and the king only learned of the massacker days later.

The laws had been changed after that that actually a Ex High Ranking Military person can't become Prime Minister. Cause he got to much influcene and connections in the Army....

[Messiah 2]

The military commander has promised that power would be returned to the people, and assuming he doesnt get greedy and try and run the country himself, It seems like they finally lost patience with a truely useless prime minister, constitution and have decided to oust him in favour of finding a new one...

Quote[/b] ]The leader of the military coup in Thailand has said a new prime minister will be named within two weeks.

Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin told a news conference that new elections would take place in a year's time, once a new constitution had been written.

(Source: BBC)

obviously its got to take a very honest man to hand power over after performing a coup - Wonder if he will get too greedy....

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

Let's hope it will put a small dent in the sex tourism business ...

It wont, since the roots of it are older than the aeroplane!

Is that the worst you can come up with? Aeroplane? Hell it's older than agriculture.

Talking about the sex industry. A friend of mine was in Thailand right after the tsunami to take pictures for some newspapers and the sex industry was back to normal before the streets had dried.

You got me wrong, I wasnt refering to prostitution but to sex tourism in Thailand.

I lived in Thailand for a year and when visiting the Malaysian border (to get my visa/job permit expanded) I quickly realised that not the western tourism alone could be the root of it. I ended up in a city where there was not a single western looking person but still more prostitutes than ordinary citizens. Days later when having returned to office I asked business friends. They told me that Malays for example, being muslim, often cross the border to thailand to be able to visit a brothel. Even the thais themselves seem to have no problem at all to visit such places! It appears they have a different cultural approach to it.

And dont think anything wrong of me. I had an authentic and hard-working thai girlfriend with an ordinary office job throughout that time and she wouldnt even let me pay for dinner.

[sniperandy 0]

Well a "real" Thai or "Siah" (Sir what they like to call themself if they have some money) usually doesn't go to brothels.

He usually has a girlfriend (or more) and they are called "Mia Noi" (small wife). This is quite common in Thailand.

Of course the people behind the prostitution who bring the girls from places like Cambodia, Burma or the East of Thailand to Pataya, Bangkok and all the other nasty places didn't like Taksins approach on fighting prostitution. Not htta it matters much. If a Cambodain girl is caught and send back to Cambodia (where she most likely was sold by here family to the Chinese running most of this trade), she will be back pretty soon.

I could go on and on about this but I guess you guys got the point.

Taksin wasn't that bad if you look at it.

Sure you can quote all the western media reports on fraud, corruption, business deals etc etc. but hey, the Prince shoots people cause he doesn't like them or they don't sell their land to them and he's also big in the whole trafficking business.

And any other Prime Minister, General, Police Captian etc etc. is corrupt down to the last man.

There is no country I have ever been to where you can pretty much buy your way out of any situation with a few thousand $ if you do it "thai style". Meaning, you don't say "hey, sorry, how much you want?"

You need to be all polite, tell the guy how much you respect him, his man blabla, and how much it would be to sponsor the police blabla to get this sorted.

My driving license for thailand only cost me 500 bht (12€) for example. Was signed by a guy working in the registration office who was a mate of a guy I knew who happned to be the buddy of the major of a village where my missus came from.

So whoever will get elected next will just be corrupt again. This is what it's all about in the "Land of Smile"...$ and a few $ and some $.