Stick
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Stick's 2006 Bangkok coup d’état Diary TUESDAY 19th September 10:58 PM - They say a state of emergency has been declared here in Bangkok. I drove home from Soi Convent tonight at around 10:30 PM and can confirm that businesses in the area I passed were not operating as usual. Bars, restaurants and other nightspots had dimmed lights and few, or no customers. Where I was, we were told to head home immediately and they closed up. The press is reporting that tanks are out in the area around Democracy Monument and that military have been dispatched to other areas. At this stage there haven't been any reports of violence. Regular programming on local television stations has been suspended. They were running images of HM The King, but now are running an announcement stating that the military have taken control. My mobile phone has been going bonkers and seemingly everyone has been sending messages or calling. I guess the same is happening with pretty much everyone. Mobiles are going crazy as everyone is calling each other, wondering what is going on, everyone nervous that it might really be a coup - something which has been mooted for weeks. At this stage things are unclear so it is best to check out reports from the mainstream press. We can only hope that things don't escalate into violence. Remember, to really complicate things, the Prime Minister himself is out of the country at present! 11:58 PM
- we just lost the cable news channels. CNN, UBC etc
are all displaying an apology message...ok, now I am
starting to get a bit more concerned. It would seem
UBC has just come under control of whoever is behind this.
How much longer will we have net access for? WEDNESDAY 20th September 12:32 AM - I just received a note, apparently taken from the Ministry of Education website, that all schools and universities nationwide will be closed from Wednesday. For how long, we will have to wait and see... 1:20 AM - Perhaps to be expected, it is business as usual in the nightlife areas with Dave The Rave confirming that Nana Plaza is raging on as if nothing has happened... In fact Dave's words were that "military coup or not, the show must go on"! 1:27 AM - Living very close to a busy road in Bangkok which, yes, is usually busy even at this time of night, I can confirm that tonight it is very quiet indeed. 1:52 AM - Don't have any delusions about going to take photos of it all. A colleague just emailed me now and said that "I took pictures of tanks at Rajadamnern.. but the soldiers took it from me. feel lucky to have gotten away." Time for me to go to bed. More in the morning, now that I have Wednesday off. 9:45 AM - I have woken up to a city a lot quieter than usual. I will go and do the rounds once I have had a couple of strong coffees, and will post bulletins of any interesting findings here. 10:00 AM - I received an email and photo attachments from friends who went out to look at the action near the UN building and they had no trouble taking photos of themselves smiling, in front of the tanks. 10:59 AM - I went for a drive to see what I could see and before I got very far I saw a major intersection guarded by soldiers, all tooled up. This is a few km away from Sukhumvit. Wandering around the local shopping mall it felt like a quiet day, business as usual. No-one seemed to be too concerned about anything. Traffic levels are consistent with a public holiday i.e. fairly quiet. 11:29 AM - A friend just told me that there are soldiers in Soi Thonglor, perhaps the most upmarket major Sukhumvit soi. 2:04 PM
- I just got back from the area in front of Government House
- full report plus a heap of pictures before 3:00 PM Bangkok
time! Soldiers remain at various locations around Bangkok. Other than that, life is normal! Despite major trepidation that it might not be safe, I couldn't help but head out to the area where it is all happening. I guess I am the sort who is just drawn to trouble... Unsure how traffic would be, I called upon my trusty motorcycle man and we set off in pursuit of action! The first sign I saw that things were not as per normal was on Silom Road where I the police traffic control box - which is usually staffed by police - was full of soldiers in fatigues! We then made our way towards Hualompong Railway Station, the city's main railway station where there were a heap more soldiers in the area, around the station, around the roads and even around the underground station. There were various army trucks and what not parked in the area, although I didn't see a tank anywhere in the vicinity.
Fighting the traffic which got thicker the further out we got, we eventually made it out to Government House, crowds of cameraman and media had surrounded a black BMW which just pulled up and I joined the scrum running towards him. The fellow in the car got out and started yelling about how this was good for Thailand, and how Thaksin should get out (he is, somewhere in New York, it is believed) and everyone started cheering.
Walking a little further up the road, I reached a road block which is outside the UN. Last night two of my mates got right up to the tanks and touched them and had their photos taken right beside them, but that was not possible with the road block in place. There were soldiers around, but only limited numbers visible. Talking with some of the people out there, apparently 10 somethings (battalions, truckloads, busloads - I am not sure) have been called down from Saraburi and should be there by now.
Here is one of the tanks in the area. I was surprised that I did not see more. Still, it is not like they really need more. There is no fighting - and hopefully it will stay that way. Still, apart from the army, no-one else has any tanks!
The atmosphere was not really what I had expected. While tanks and armed soldiers are never the most comforting sight, they seemed to be relaxed, and no-one seemed to be too tense. For sure, it did not seem like they were on high alert or anything like that. Soldiers wandered around casually, chatting to each other, and many had the famous Thai grin from ear to ear.
There were few policemen to be seen anywhere. I didn't see any traffic policemen at all, and thinking about it, in the whole time I was out I only saw two policemen, this fellow below being one of them. It really does seem as though the army is on control of everything....
And heaps of people were in the area taking photographs, and no-one seemed too concerned about it all. There were professionals, tourists, all sticking their cameras right into the soldiers'
A lot of the
soldiers were given flowers by the onlookers, many also
offered cold drinks. Without exception, everyone
seemed to be in favour of the coup. Many people wore
yellow, showing support for The King and all of the soldiers
wore a yellow ribbon, not only on their person, but on their
guns. All military vehicles and tanks also had a
yellow ribbon - signifying their loyalty to The King.
People were lining up to have their pictures taken with the soldiers, children, men, women, everyone. One person said to one soldier that he must have felt that he was here for a photo shoot!
Street vendors set up in the area selling cold drinks and snacks. None seemed concerned at what was going on around them. Chatting with one fellow, he told me that coups in Thailand are peaceful and I would have no trouble at all and that I should enjoy myself and take lots of beautiful photos! Is this really what a coup is supposed to be like?! Nothing really prepares you for this sort of thing but it was all so light-hearted! Word has come in
that markets in Bangkok ran out of food this morning and
might not open tomorrow - apparently prices were doubled for
produce. An announcement followed from the Democratic
Reform Council, the people behind the coup, that anyone
hoarding goods and inflating prices would go to jail for 2
years.
This is the car that the fellow in the second photograph arrived in. Someone has sprayed on it a message saying that the soldiers are fighting for Thailand. People were walking past and giving words of encouragement at the message. See all of the yellow shirts? You can pretty much guarantee they are all in favour if what is happening!
Word has it that the overland borders with Laos and Myanmar have been closed, but at the airport and other border checkpoints it is business as usual. I feel really
confident about things....people were so upbeat and buoyant.
Coups aren't supposed to be like this, or at least that was
what I thought. The
future is going to be bright. I am sure of it! Pictures Added Thursday 21st - but actually taken Wednesday
A soldier holds flowers given by well-wishers. The soldiers were given more than they could carry.
An ambassador leaves Government House after being briefed.
You could almost feel that this was the TAT's version of coup tourism...
Re-enforcements arrive for duty.
Yellow flowers and ribbons over all soldiers, weapons and military equipment.
A lone woman takes photos with her mobile camera. How did she get into the no entry zone?!
The military presence was not nearly as substantial as I had expected.
This photo says
it better than any to me. Just a few hundred metres
down the road from where all the action is, a young family
with two kids goes for a stroll. Scared that things
were going to get violent? I don't think so. 11:20 PM - I have a heap more photos I will put up online tomorrow... CNN and BBC came back on this afternoon so we have coverage of it all in Thailand. The bars are open and they might even run past the curfew tonight. Bar owners were positive... Things are looking up. I am drained and off to bed. More pictures and thoughts here tomorrow. Thanks for all of your nice emails!
THURSDAY 21st 7:15 AM - Driving to work this morning I could have been forgiven for thinking it was just another day. The cops were out and about directing traffic as usual, and everyone seemed to be going about their business as they normally do. Everything seems so normal. Dave the Rave sent an email saying that it is business as usual in all of the bars - so if you need a beer to unwind, head out and grab one, and do so without any fear whatsoever. Soldiers still man certain strategic points. Passing by the Patumwan intersection (MBK) for example there were a heap of soldiers as well as a Humvee. I am working today so there is most likely not too much for me to comment on today. I will try and do another photo shoot tomorrow and add the photos then. WHILE BANGKOK MAY NOT BE ITSELF AT THE MOMENT, I WOULD NOT CANCEL HOLIDAYS OR TRIPS. THERE IS A GREATER MILITARY PRESENCE BUT THAT IS ABOUT IT. IF YOU HAVE A TRIP PLANNED, DON'T CANCEL IT! 1:11 PM - I spent much of the morning talking wit the Thai staff at work about the coup and not one person was against it at all. In fact, most were strongly in favour of it... 1:52 PM
- Word coming out from the farang oriented bars is that they
are quieter than usual, which is to be expected. At
night, the streets of Bangkok are much quieter than usual,
according to friends who are out late at night... But
it is business as usual, and at least two bars in the Nana
area have reported that their nightly take for last night
was just down a little for a typical weeknight average. FRIDAY 22ND September 6:35 AM Despite the fact that the media has said that the borders with Laos and Myanmar have been sealed, the busiest border between Laos and Thailand, the Friendship Bridge at Nongkhai, remains open.
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