THE COUP: REDUX II - THE FINAL VIEW???

I never wanted my blog to become "Coup Central" but when I'm out and about and see soldiers in the streets, I feel compelled to snap a few photos. This group was situated in the shopping district by Siam Square and MBK. I think these pictures further illustrate the "Peaceful Coup" concept. If you look closely, you can see some soldiers sleeping in the back of these trucks.





These guys look like they're about ready to break into a game of bridge as opposed to overthrowing a government.



I think that should be about it for my coverage of the Coup. Unless I see something really unique, consider this case closed.

THE COUP: REDUX

Nearly one week later, armed soldiers can still be seen in the streets of Bangkok (or in the case of these two guys, underneath an overpass). I'm not sure how long this is going to be the case, but at least things seem calm and peaceful and the city seems as normal as can be under these kinds of conditions.



Still, the sight of military personnel with big guns in the middle of an urban metropolis can be kind of unnerving at times. It's something I never thought I'd see in person. Hopefully, things will work out for the best for the citizens of my new home.

THE COUP: ANOTHER VIEW

After two days, everything seems back to normal here in Bangkok. I had to go downtown last night for a meeting and it was the same bustle of activity and traffic that existed in the pre-coup days.

My friend Corey lives in the city and took some pics of the initial coup action from a few days ago. He was gracious enough to share them with me (thanks Corey!)














Note the soldiers, rifles and tanks sporting yellow ribbons and scarves. That's a direct symbol of loyalty to HM King Bhumibol.









I'm not sure when a military coup became a chance for a trendy photo op, but apparently that's the case over here. (By the way, Corey is NOT in any of these pics!)







Why is this soldier smiling?



Other than that, there's nothing new to report...yet...

HOW I SPENT THE COUP

The past few days around here have been a bit strange to say the least. This is not what I was expecting when I agreed to this move, but it seems like everything is calm - for now.

I found out about this situation on Tuesday night around 11:15 when I started to receive emails from friends back home checking to make sure we were OK. I turned on CNN and the BBC news and was able to follow the story for awhile until all of the channels (including stuff like ESPN, Cartoon Network, etc) went black. The local stations were showing footage of the King and Queen with some song over and over. It was the same on every station.

Regardless, our family is fine. We are far enough from the city (30 or 40 minutes away with normal traffic conditions) that I don't think this is going to personally affect us. I can't see tanks rolling into our neighborhood anytime soon. The schools were closed yesterday and today, so this is probably the closest my kids will get to a Michigan snow day.

Part of me wishes I had been downtown with my camera when this happened. It's certainly an event that would have made for an interesting blog entry. My wife Joanna had to go to work yesterday and she said the traffic was non-existent, which is a miracle around here. It took her only about 15 minutes to get to the office. There were some soldiers out, but not many.

This morning, I decided to ride downtown with her to check out the situation firsthand. I didn't see a single soldier on the way there and the ride took us well over an hour. It seems like the streets of Bangkok are back to normal in that regard.

On the way back I did see some armed soldiers. I apologize for the quality of the first picture, but I had to take it from a moving car. I didn't think it was a good idea to hop out and ask these guys to pose for a photo for my blog.



I'm really happy with the second pic, both with the quality of the image and with the message that it implies. As you can see, the soldier seems pretty relaxed and his rifle is lowered. Hopefully, that is a positive sign about the seriousness of this situation.



I don't really feel qualified to comment on all this politically. Although I'm living here, I still consider myself a tourist and just want what's best for the people of Thailand, especially for the friends that I have made already. The last thing anyone here wants is violence and bloodshed. King Bhumibol has endorsed the new regime, so I assume that most of the Thai population will follow suit.

Thanks to everyone who sent me notes and to those who were thinking of us.