Will there be another coup?

[Gaybutton]

Rumors are floating around, including from among many Thais, that yet another coup is highly likely and will probably occur within a week, despite what the military is saying. I would think the military would deny that a coup is about to happen whether one is in the works or not.

 

I'm wondering what some of you think. I almost never post a poll, but I'd like to know what our web site visitors think. Feel free to comment as well.

[Guest luvthai]

I'm not sure another coup could do anything to offer a stable gov't. The last coup resulted in the mess they have now. The main problem with thai officials are they are just so greedy that they can't see past their own bank accounts. Maybe returning power to the king and he appointing a cabinet to run the counrty would be a better solution. The people of thailand deserve better than what they have. A major thorn in all this is the ex pm, as long as he lives he will continue to try and influence officials. There are no easy answers to the problems. Another coup will certainly destroy the tourism and foreign investments and may result in even more restrictions on foreigners.

[Gaybutton]

The last coup resulted in the mess they have now.

 

. . . may result in even more restrictions on foreigners.

 

That's for sure! Of course, there was a mess prior to the coup too. The current government is trying to seize Thaksin's money. Do you wonder, as I do, if they do seize it, how much of it will actually be used for legitimate purposes and how much will end up in certain pockets?

 

I agree that another coup could severely hurt the tourism industry, which seems to be in dire straits already. You know the tourism industry is in trouble when even the T.A.T. (Tourism Authority of Thailand) admits that tourism is down by 30% this year. And if they admit to 30%, then I'll bet it's actually down a lot more than that.

 

If you were a tourist planning a stay in Bangkok, would you come now or would you cancel your reservations and go elsewhere?

 

I'm not sure why you think one result might be more restrictions on foreigners. I would have thought the opposite would be more likely simply because Thailand's tourist industry is in so much trouble and if there is another coup, especially if it gets violent this time, the situation would become far worse than it already is.

 

Of course, there is still Pattaya, if people are not afraid to at least get as far as the airport. I think Pattaya would be much more attractive to tourists, coup or not, if they would end this imbecilic 1:00AM bar closing rule.

 

[Guest GaySacGuy]

GB...There should be a time limit on that poll....There will be another coup, that is a given in this country.

 

That said, I think that the unrest among many of the locals will probably lead to a coup in the near future...within 30 days.

[Guest buckeroo2]

I have no idea about a coup but eventually they will have to hold elections again and whatever the reincarnation of Thaksin's thai rak thai party is called it will win a resounding victory and the protests will start all over again. Bangkok's middle class feels very disenfranchised and are rallying behind the protesters. But the poor, who far outnumber the rich and middle class, support Thaksin and his surrogates. If far and honest elections are held, the poor will prevail and Thailand will be back at square one.

[Gaybutton]

GB...There should be a time limit on that poll.

 

There is one, kinda-sorta. I wrote that the rumor mill predicts a coup within a week. So, I guess the poll refers to the week, which means that if a coup has not ocurred by Wednesday, September 3, that's about where this poll would end.

[Gaybutton]

The following appears in THE NATION:

_____

 

PAD's Protest Activities Disapproved by Majority

 

More than 70 percent of the people condemned the People's Alliance for Democracy for its Tuesday's protest activities, Bangkok University Poll said on Wednesday.

 

Almost 73 percent voiced disapproval for blockading main roads linking Bangkok to the North, the Northeast and the South.

 

About 71 percent said they disagreed with the raid of the NBT station. And 68 percent said they found it unacceptable to lay siege at Government House and ministries.

 

The Nation

[Guest luvthai]

My thought concerning more restrictions comes from the move back toward thai nationalism and away from the industrial movement. While I like the move back to Buddist ideals and away from the western influences I realize there could be some loss of foreign priviledges. Granted it is only a possibility but still it is possible.