Our First Coup!

I never thought I'd have a reason to make that statement, but there you have it. It's not as exciting as the first kiss or the first grandchild, but it's nevertheless a milestone of sorts.

We stared in amazement at the TV late last night as news of the coup unfolded. We were relieved to hear that it was non-violent—and it has stayed that way, at least so far. A short while later, all TV broadcasting was interrupted, as the military tried to restrict access to opposing political views. TV shows were replaced by a notice informing viewers of the military takeover and apologizing "for any inconvenience." (The Thai people are unfailingly polite.)

I'm pasting into my blog a couple of photos from last night. And no, I wasn't crazy enough myself to go out on the street to take these pictures. I've downloaded them from other sources.



I went to work this morning as normal. Traffic was light for a change, since most Thais stayed home, with schools, banks and government offices being closed. It's important to keep this coup in context. Believe it or not, there have been 19 military coups since 1932, so overthrowing the government here is more of a yawner than it would be in the States. We're hoping that life will return to normal tomorrow, or at least as normal as it can be under martial law.