Thailand has seen coups before, but this is the first one in a long time. If you have been to Thailand recently, or follow the politics, this coup is not surprising for many reasons. Many people see to much corruption at very high levels, the extrajudicial handling of the drug problem, the sale of a major Thai communication asset to a foreign country, the way that the Prime Minister handles his opposition using whatever means to silence them, and for the military, the Muslim uprising in the three southern most provinces. The political fighting in the capitol is further making the military nervous with the now ousted Prime Ministers plays to keep his power, despite a large and vocal group of people that want to see him out.
The military involvement with a Muslim insurrection in the south has to be troubling to them, and they want to open negotiations with the insurgents to work through the problems and come to a peaceful solution. Towards this end, Thailand has for the first time a Muslim General, General Sontai, controlling the military, and who appears now to be the new Prime Minister. Thailand being a mostly Buddhist Country, is very tolerant of minorities and this would seem to be a better track to travel, rather than trying to muscle through the issues using force, which is seen as not working, and counter productive? All Thai people love the King! The Thai King is the longest ruling monarch in the world today, whose 60th anniversary was a huge celebration. When you walk through Bangkok, it is amazing to see all of the Thai people that are wearing yellow shirts proudly proclaiming their love for the King, several weeks after the celebration.
This new Commander of the military is close to the King, and if he has suport of the King, the people will support him as well. No one has been hurt yet! However, it is pretty much assured that in the rush to cover the story, and be the most dramatic and sensational, the international news outlets will wreak more damage on the Thai people than the Coup, or the ousted Prime Minister. Not only will Thailand suffer, but the smaller countries that border Thailand will suffer as well, notably Cambodia and Laos, which receive a lot of overland tourist traffic from Thailand. Tourists that are in Bangkok now are a little nervous, but they will be safe, and will have a great story to tell when they get home. Thailand is a great place to visit, as it always is, and will continue to be. Book your tickets now and come and see the new Bangkok airport, with the current situation, you are sure to find some great rates, for the near future, see you here!
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