# Military Coup in Thailand?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [September 19, 2006, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316 "2006-09-19T19:48:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/41 "2006-09-20T16:26:59Z")
What are Thai customs regarding sucession? Could the King designate the princess as his heir? Or would that be politically impossible?
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### Author:  [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2006, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/42 "2006-09-20T16:57:25Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#):
>
> Hasn’t that struck anyone as a bit, well, odd? I mean how/why does the populace find this an ok form of government change? One would think that a stable government is a desirable thing and yet they change 18 times in 60 or so years? Something is not working right over there.
Well, if government corruption is as accepted and pervasive as various posters have claimed, they may not see much difference between an election and a coup, as long as the coup is low on violence. After all, there isn’t much difference in terms of democratic legitimacy between getting into power because you have more money and/or better connections, and getting into power because you have more guns.
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### Author:  [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/43 "2006-09-20T17:19:35Z")
> [@Testy](#):
>
> I dunno if he’s up for the job or not. He certainly doesn’t command the same awe and respect his father does. Most of the expats in Bkk referred to him as the “Clown Prince.” Supposedly he’s been getting better in the last few years but he surely pissed people off for a while.
> Testy
Why doesn’t he enjoy the same level of respect/ Is he too young? Is he a playboy? Does he abuse his position?
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### Author:  [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/44 "2006-09-20T17:53:39Z")
> [@col\_10022](#):
>
> Why doesn’t he enjoy the same level of respect/ Is he too young? Is he a playboy? Does he abuse his position?
I don’t think he’s too young. He looks to be in his 40s to me. He used to abuse his position and had quite a reputation as a playboy. I believe there was some kind of scandal about him installing a hairdresser or dental hygienist in the palace as his mistris. As I mentioned, he seems to have cut back on this over the last few years.
Testy
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### Author:  [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/45 "2006-09-20T18:11:47Z")
> [@Lemur866](#):
>
> What are Thai customs regarding sucession? Could the King designate the princess as his heir? Or would that be politically impossible?
My understanding is that since Thailand is a Constitutional Monarchy, the Constitution needs to be amended/rewritten to allow a (ruling) Queen. This has not happened yet. But the current version of the Constitution was thrown out/suspended by the coup leaders, so perhaps they’ll rewrite to allow Princess Sirindhorn to rule.
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### Author:  [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2006, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/46 "2006-09-20T18:15:32Z")
> [@Testy](#):
>
> I don’t think he’s too young. He looks to be in his 40s to me. He used to abuse his position and had quite a reputation as a playboy. I believe there was some kind of scandal about him installing a hairdresser or dental hygienist in the palace as his mistris. As I mentioned, he seems to have cut back on this over the last few years.
>
> Testy
[Prince Vajiralongkorn](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maha_Vajiralongkorn) is 54 years old now.
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### Author:  [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2006, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/47 "2006-09-20T18:18:50Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#):
>
> [Prince Vajiralongkorn](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maha_Vajiralongkorn) is 54 years old now.
Damn. I wish I looked as good as he does. 😃
Testy
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2006, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/48 "2006-09-20T21:57:38Z")
Well bloody hell, Thaksin’s just arrived in London and may seek asylum.
I suppose Pinochet’s mansion is still warm…
(Disclaimer: I am in not actually comparing Pinochet’s politics to Thaksin’s.)
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### Author:  [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2006, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/49 "2006-09-21T12:31:46Z")
Here’s a [link to a section on a Bangkok oriented site](http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/) that talks about the events of the past couple of days, with [lots of non-professional photos and running commentary](http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/StickmanSpecial.htm).
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### Author:  [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2006, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/50 "2006-09-21T12:56:31Z")
A couple of interesting pieces from a USA Today article:
On General Sonthi and the problems in the south:
> [@](#):
>
> And despite condemnation of the coup by Western and some Asian governments, hope emerged on the homefront that the new government might have a chance to resolve a bloody Muslim insurgency that has led to the deaths of more than 1,700 people.
>
> An exiled rebel leader welcomed the military coup, saying that it could help resolve the country’s bloody Muslim insurgency.
>
> Lukman B. Lima, an exiled leader of one of several groups fighting the central government for a separate Muslim state, said coup leader Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin, a Muslim, was the “only one who knows the real problems” of the Muslim-dominated provinces of southern Thailand.
>
> “We hope that the political (situation) can be resolved under Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin as the new leader,” Lukman wrote in an e-mailed response to questions from The Associated Press. Lukman, vice president of the Pattani United Liberation Organization, or PULO, is in exile in Sweden.
And Thaksin’s current spin as he begins exile in London:
> [@](#):
>
> Thaksin said in a statement released in London that he will take a “deserved rest” and he urged the military to quickly arrange for new national elections. He also urged “all parties to find ways and means to reconcile and work toward national reconciliation for the sake of our king and country.”
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### Author:  [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2006, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/51 "2006-09-21T13:50:33Z")
An interesting thing. I was talking to a Pakistani man today about the coup and we got into how the average Thai wasn’t very upset about the matter. He said it was much the same in Pakistan during the various coups they have had there. He told me, “The military leaders are just as corrupt as the politicians but at least they mind their own business. The politicians aren’t satisfied with just stealing, they try to take everything. People trust the military more.”
I think Thailand is a lot like this.
Testy
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2006, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/52 "2006-09-21T15:47:12Z")
The press spin of this being a coup which succeeded [without a shot being fired](http://news.google.com/news?num=50&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&scoring=d&q=%22without+a+shot%22+thailand&btnG=Search+News) was countered effectively on network news last night. While the reporter told us that not a shot was fired, video revealed APC machine guns and even tanks blasting away.
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### Author:  [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/53 "2006-09-21T18:04:58Z")
> [@Squink](#):
>
> The press spin of this being a coup which succeeded [without a shot being fired](http://news.google.com/news?num=50&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&scoring=d&q=%22without+a+shot%22+thailand&btnG=Search+News) was countered effectively on network news last night. While the reporter told us that not a shot was fired, video revealed APC machine guns and even tanks blasting away.
Interesting. I haven’t heard a word about this or even talked to anyone who has seen any damaged buildings, vehicles or people. Where was all the shooting going on?
Testy
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/54 "2006-09-21T18:32:44Z")
> [@Testy](#):
>
> Where was all the shooting going on?
No idea. It was network news. God forbid they should actually inform us of what’s going on.
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### Author:  [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/55 "2006-09-21T18:46:11Z")
> [@Squink](#):
>
> No idea. It was network news. God forbid they should actually inform us of what’s going on.
Did they actually say the shooting had something to do with the coup? My wife watches Thai news in the evening and it occasionally starts out by showing the Thai military blasting away at something. I think it’s just exercises though.
I believe it was **I love me** on the previous page that is actually in Bangkok at the moment and if he hadn’t heard it some other way he wouldn’t have known there was a coup taking place.
Testy
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2006, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/56 "2006-09-21T19:03:13Z")
> [@Testy](#):
>
> Did they actually say the shooting had something to do with the coup? My wife watches Thai news in the evening and it occasionally starts out by showing the Thai military blasting away at something. I think it’s just exercises though.
Nope. They were busy telling ‘not a shot was fired’. The machine gun truck and tank were on the street, rather than at some obviously military location. The background at least looked Thai, palm trees and such, but as you say, it could have been archival footage. Why they’d put that in a story that emphasized the absence of violence though is a bit of a mystery.
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### Author:  [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2006, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/57 "2006-09-21T19:05:03Z")
> [@Squink](#):
>
> Nope. They were busy telling ‘not a shot was fired’. The machine gun truck and tank were on the street, rather than at some obviously military location. The background at least looked Thai, palm trees and such, but as you say, it could have been archival footage. Why they’d put that in a story that emphasized the absence of violence though is a bit of a mystery.
The Thais do a lot of things that just baffle me. Nice place though.
Testy
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2006, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/58 "2006-09-21T19:42:03Z")
I’ve been lurking on expatriate Thai messageboards for a couple of days, and nobody has mentioned shooting.
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### Author:  [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2006, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/59 "2006-09-21T19:55:59Z")
> [@jjimm](#):
>
> I’ve been lurking on expatriate Thai messageboards for a couple of days, and nobody has mentioned shooting.
My wife has been chatting with her vast extended family for the last couple of days and hasn’t heard anything either. It makes what **Squink** saw sound very odd but then the Thais tend to do things their own way.
Testy
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### Author:  [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-coup-in-thailand/373316/60 "2006-09-21T21:03:59Z")
> [@jjimm](#):
>
> I’ve been lurking on expatriate Thai messageboards for a couple of days, and nobody has mentioned shooting.
Maybe they just used Thai-sticks?
_::::runs:::_
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