COUP “ANNIVERSARY”: 19-9-2006 / 19-9-2007

Yesterday we enjoyed the first anniversary of the last of the frequent coups in Thailand.

As normal a coup which brought a lot of mixed feelings and question marks but luckily this time the coup was bloodless.

I cannot judge enough, I can only see and hear what is happening around me, my (local Thai) environment, clients, acquaintances, friends and not as being a pensioner but “in business” with my, also local Thai, partners.

And what I have seen is not very positive, not at all. Financially, I think, it affected lots of people, either they cannot spend the money anymore or they are very careful in spending it. I see our (local Thai) restaurant almost empty and the clients don’t spend their money and consume minimum. Our other business is not much better. I see a local Shopping Mall suffering of fewer visits, I see local restaurants closing down, I see shops in that specific Shopping Mall closing down, I read about thousands of people sacked due to financial reasons, I hear taxi-drivers/owners complaining about less work and so on and so on. All this started after September 19, 2006.

Thailand has to try to continue surviving until the promised election at the 23^rd of December this year, if it will not be delayed as local Thai are already afraid for because it has been said that the present people-in-power want to finish first a certain “job” they where already after since the coup started.

Everybody hopes that the sun rises from dawn after these elections and that the consumer starts getting more confidence again.

Yesterday I bought Bangkok Post and I can only admire their open vision which they seem to publish without fear! Perfect!

My hope, as an outsider not knowing enough about this all, was already not very positive whilst informed by the local insiders around me and the newspaper was not able to change that. I finish with only mentioning the headers in that “anniversary”-issue:

“The new charter will mean weaker government, and a weaker democratic system will only turn back the clock” and “As a nation, what have we achieved since the coup? Has it mended the division in our society? Is our democracy ready to develop further? Do we have a new constitution that will stop politicians from misusing power?”

And seeing a header: “Sept 19 won’t be the last putsch” than I start asking myself is it not time to make Thailand, also MY COUNTRY, a REAL democracy where the people themselves can change in a electoral way their government and not by meaning of military coups d’etat?

Antoni P. Uni