Gaybutton

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT - THAILAND 1. This Public Announcement is being issued to alert U.S. Citizens traveling to and residing in Thailand to the recent military coup in Thailand. This Public Announcement expires December 19. 2. On September 19 a military group calling itself the Council for Democratic Reform Under the Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM) seized control of the Thai government and declared martial law. The CDRM banned any political gathering of more than five persons. The CDRM also banned the hoarding of goods or the increasing of the price of goods of any kind. The CDRM announced it will appoint a civilian government within two weeks as the first step to returning the country to democratic government. 3. The military deployed troops around key government facilities and other strategic locations, but there is little visible military presence elsewhere. There have been no indications or reports of any violence at this time. 4. Road traffic throughout the country continues to flow normally, although at reduced volumes. Public transportation is in service and all airports and most border crossings appear to be operating as normal. There have been reports of difficulty crossing the border with Burma at Mae Sot and Ranong. Americans who are scheduled to fly into or out of Thailand in the coming days are encouraged to contact their airline to ensure that the flight schedule has not been changed. 5. Given the fluidity of the current situation, the Department of State advises all American Citizens in Thailand to continue to monitor events closely, to avoid government installations and any large public gatherings and to exercise discretion when moving about. 6. The Department of State and the Embassy in Bangkok are continuing to follow developments closely. For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements can be found. Up to date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). 7. American citizens traveling or residing in Thailand are encouraged to register with the Department of State or the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General. American citizens may also register at https://travelregistration.state.gov. The Embassy is located at 95 Wireless Road in Bangkok. The American Citizen Services Unit of the U.S. Embassy can be reached by calling 66-2-205-4049 and by e-mail at ACSBKK@STATE.GOV. The Consulate General is located at 387 Wichayanond Road, Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand. The telephone number is 66-53-252-629. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To subscribe or unsubscribe to this list, go to: <http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/embassy/acsemaillist.htm> The U.S. Embassy Consular Section is located at 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand (Nearest BTS Skytrain station: Phloen Chit) American Citizen Services Unit Window Hours: Monday - Friday, 7:30 - 11 AM and 1 - 2 PM Note: The ACS unit is CLOSED on the last Friday of every month. Tel: +66-2-205-4049 Fax: +66-2-205-4103 E-mail: acsbkk@state.gov <mailto:acsbkk@state.gov>

In case you've been losing sleep over what is happening with Thaksin, here's the latest from THE NATION: _____ Ousted PM's Desperate, Frustrated Hours On his flight from New York to London, deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra looked calm, resigned and, in his own words, "jobless". "I didn't expect this incident would happen," Thaksin was quoted by the Thai News Agency (TNA) as telling reporters on the chartered plane as he headed for the United Kingdom. "I was prime minister when I came, and I was jobless on the way back," he told TNA, in his first remarks to reporters since being overthrown. "I volunteered to work for the country - [but] if they don't want me to do that - I won't," he reportedly said. Thaksin was in New York to attend a meeting of the UN General Assembly when military leaders staged the coup late on Tuesday. He left on Wednesday for London, where he maintains a residence and where he was expected to meet with his family, amid growing speculation that he might seek a political exile there. "I was in contact with my family the entire time this was happening, and I was also in contact with the military," he told TNA. However, the former PM was silent on whether he would seek exile in England after he and a small number of accompanying ministers arrived in London. His wife Pojaman reportedly flew from Bangkok to Singapore on Monday with ousted PM's Office Minister Newin Chidchob, and from there both took a flight to London to wait for Thaksin. Apparently accepting defeat, Thaksin left on a Thai Royal Air Force plane for London with Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee, his personal assistant Padung Limcharoenrat, deputy commander of the Special Branch Maj-General Atthasit Thareechatra and secretary to the ousted prime minister, Maris Cheysanguan. Thaksin's chief adviser, Pansak Vinyaratn, who has had several direct experiences with coups under other former Thai prime ministers, was not seen on the flight to London with Thaksin. At first, Thaksin reportedly wanted to fly to London by a chartered Russian flight, but later changed his plan and flew in the Air Force plane. Yesterday morning Thaksin and his close aides held an intense discussion in his hotel room at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York about the situation in Thailand. They were briefed regularly by someone calling from Bangkok and monitored the developments on CNN. Holed up in the plush New York hotel, Thaksin could do little but watch his own apparent downfall on television. As tanks rumbled through Bangkok's streets, he huddled with top aides in the luxurious, 1,400-room Grand Hyatt in the bustling heart of Manhattan. Cut off, 11 times zones from home, and with his political fate hanging by a thread, Thaksin launched a desperate, cross-continental rearguard action. But as the coup reached a climax, his aides in New York admitted they were losing touch. In an ironic twist, the man who made billions from telecommunications could not phone home. Troops had seized government communications lines, a Thai official said on condition of anonymity. "It is very difficult to communicate with people, to get to know the exact situation there," the official said. Thaksin tried to get access to TV Pool to declare a state of emergency and announce the removal of the Army chief, but he was only able to get Channel 9's cooperation. "TV Pool denied him the signal, and he looked very testy and his face told all," a source close to him said. An initial attempt to get iTV on board seemed promising, but due to some unexplained problems his former TV station could not serve as a broadcast outlet for his crucial announcements. In the end, he could only rely on Channel 9. When broadcast was done and he was about to finish reading his third announcement, he saw the writing on the wall. As messages flashed across television screens in Thailand declaring martial law in Bangkok, defiant Thaksin aides insisted he would not relinquish power. "The prime minister is quite calm," a senior official told AFP on condition of anonymity. "He watched President George W Bush speak at the UN General Assembly from his hotel room," the official said. As United States' news networks bracketed Bush's speech with pictures of military personnel carriers rolling through the streets of Bangkok, Thaksin can hardly have avoided also witnessing the political earthquake back home. "He feels he is the elected prime minister and he would like to safeguard the Constitution of the country," the official told AFP. During that time, he tried to call his Cabinet members, but only managed to get through to former Natural Resources and Environment Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat, another source told The Nation. Thaksin aides, meanwhile, hurried to rewrite his speech to the General Assembly - brought forward from Wednesday to about 6pm Bangkok time on Tuesday because of the fast-moving crisis in Bangkok. In the Grand Hyatt lobby, journalists and a few expat Thais gathered, desperate to learn Thaksin's fate. Elsewhere, the bustle of New York life went on undisturbed. Outside the UN, meanwhile, anti-Thaksin demonstrators gathered, chanting "Thaksin go to hell". "We normally don't like coups," said 48-year-old Chanyute Oottamakorn, a New York City employee originally from Nakhon Sri Thammarat. "But this time we welcome it. We needed it because he's so stubborn," he said. "We are happy," said another protester, a woman in her 50s who declined to give her name. She described Thaksin's regime as a corrupt group of liars. Confusion reigned at the Thai embassy in Washington, DC. "We are watching it on CNN," an official said. Finally, Thaksin's speech at the UN General Assembly was cancelled as the coup reached a global audience, putting him and the delegates in an awkward position. Thaksin sensed that something was seriously wrong when he discovered that the man who ended up leading the coup, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, did not show up for a Cabinet meeting via teleconference. The Army chief was reportedly playing golf with other coup plotters. Shortly after that, Thaksin tried to appoint Supreme Commander General Ruengroj Mahasaranond to the post of Army chief. At about 9pm Bangkok time, reporters were summoned to his room. They sat and listened as he called Bangkok to declare a state of emergency. His voice was shaky and almost choked with emotion. According to another report, the latest effort to contain Thaksin involves revoking the ousted premier's travel document. The idea was to force him to stay in one place, and bar him from moving around to drum up support. The Nation, Agencies

Ha! That's a great observation and certainly true. He's absolutely right, guys. Got a boyfriend in Thailand? I'm afraid the coup isn't going to give you a break from coughing up the money. Regimes may change, but the money flow goes merrily on. Some things never change. I wonder how long it will take before we start hearing stories about certain young gentlemen using the coup as the latest excuse for "you can send money to me?".

The answer to that is simple. Yes. The ARC, as the coup leadership has been dubbed by the press (Administrative Reform Council) has stated that the airport will open on schedule with full airline operations.

As far as I know, all venues will be open and operating as usual. The bars and clubs in Pattaya are all open. I have not seen any reports or heard word-of-mouth that suggest any kinds of curfews whatsoever. With the exception of the tanks in specific areas of Bangkok, nothing else seems to be out of the ordinary. Besides, it would seem to me that the new leadership has better things to do at the moment than spend time worrying about what time gay bars are going to close. What difference would it make to them? Somehow, I can't imagine they would be worried about a counter coup emerging from Future Boys. Can't you picture it? Attack of the Purses!

I do. I've had my say. Now it's back to letting people know what's going on around here. The following article is the most recent and most accurate I have been able to find: _____ BANGKOK, Sept 21 (TNA) Thai Army Commander-in-Chief Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin assured members of the diplomatic corps that the Administrative Reform Council he chairs will restore normalcy soon by effecting an interim constitution, appointing a civilian prime minister within two weeks and a constitution-drafting body as soon as possible. Gen. Sonthi also said that no legal action is being taken against ousted caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his family. Over 70 members of the diplomatic corps representing 43 countries and various international organisations attended the briefing at the Army headquarters chaired by Gen. Sonthi. Gen. Sonthi explained through translator the reasons why the Council had to seize power. He pledged to put an interim Constitution in place within two weeks, along with appointment of a civilian prime minister. New elections will take place in a year's time. At the same time, a legislative body and a constitutional drafting council will be appointed to expedite works towards a general election, he said. Moreover, Gen. Sonthi pledged ARC will abide by all UN charters and agreements, as well as all international treaties Thailand has committed to. The country will also maintain good ties with the world community. Gen. Sonthi told the diplomatic corps that the coup took place peacefully with "cooperation from the people and without resistance." The Council was also granted an audience with their Majesties the King and Queen. Responding to the questions posed by diplomats, Gen. Sonthi said that the martial law applies only to designated areas and it is not enforced in the border areas. To the question of what the ARC intends to do with Mr. Thaksin and his family, Gen. Sonthi said there is no action whatsoever planned against the former prime minister and members of his family who enjoy every right as Thai citizens. (TNA)-E007

This evening I finally had my chance to try Manhattan's. I was with a group of four and all of us thoroughly enjoyed it. I had the prime rib and it was absolutely perfect. I can't possibly improve on TeePee's review, but I can certainly concur. This is a marvelous restaurant, a dream come true for those searching for truly great steaks. It's expensive, especially by Thai standards, but well worth it. I would estimate that most people will end up spending between 1000 to 3000 baht, depending on whether you want drinks, wine, appetizers, dessert, etc. Their menu, by the way, does include Thai offerings if you happen to be with someone who prefers Thai foods to great steaks. We asked about the web site. We were told their web site will be up and running in about a week and the menu will be included on the web site.

All cable TV channels are back online now and operating normally, including those in the above list. I, and I believe just about every "farang" in Pattaya, would disagree with embassy warnings to reconsider travel plans. As I said in earlier posts, everything is fine. Everything is perfectly normal, at least in Pattaya, and without the news you wouldn't have any idea that a coup or anything else unusual had even taken place. Even the bars are open and running normally. I see no reason to avoid coming to Thailand or changing travel plans. As for me, the only traveling I plan on doing is from home to the beach.

I hate to break the bad news, but I wrote no such thing. If you read a little more carefully, you'll find that post was made by GayThailand, not Gaybutton. Even if I had written it, your remark was totally uncalled for and utterly ridiculous. I suggest changing your handle and re-registering. I think you just kissed your credibility goodbye. You can continue posting as "takesall" if you wish and I'm sure your posts will be given consideration . . . for what they are worth.

I highly recommend Khun Doon. He has always provided excellent service for me at very reasonable prices and he shows up when he says he will. If it is something he doesn't handle, he knows people who do. Whenever I have a problem, he's always the first one I call and I have never been disappointed. His number is: 081-694-6206

Yes, we could. We don't. I can't speak for others, but I am trying to bring the facts of the situation to light. If there are news reports available, I see no reason to paraphrase them into different words when perfectly good ones are already there. We cut and paste for the convenience of those who rely on the message board for information and have neither the time not inclination to research out the news. If that is something you don't find interesting, nobody is twisting your arm to read any of it. Also, I moved this topic to this forum, where it belongs.

Congratulations for making one of the most moronic remarks I've seen here in quite some time. Not only do you not have the first clue who I "mix with," but I report what I see for myself and I stand by my statement. If your observation has been different, then you could simply post what you've experienced without the snide comment about who you think I "mix with" or their interest and education level, which is also something about which you know nothing.

BANGKOK, Sept 20 (TNA) - It is premature to conclude possible impacts of Tuesday's bloodless coup d'tate staged by the Administrative Reform Council on the Thai economy and financial system, according to the Thai Bankers' Association chairwoman Jada Wattanasiritham. She said it is too soon to estimate how much the economy and financial system would be affected by the military coup. Still, Khunying Jada conceded she was concerned regarding the psychological impact of the coup on the tourism sector because such actions are not done within the context of the democratic process. However, she indicated, if the incident settles quickly, it would benefit the overall economy. Khunying Jada, who is also president of Siam Commercial Bank, said she had ordered all bank branches closed on Wednesday. However, bank branches in department stores and currency exchange rate booths are still open for service after she discussed the situation with the Bank of Thailand. She said she could not tell how long banks will be closed because the Administrative Reform Council has not yet informed the banks of any decision. Gornpot Asawinvijit, Director-General of the Government Savings Bank, said he believed the situation would return to normal soon. He said in his opinion foreign investors would understand the Thai political culture. (TNA)-E005

It is now 2:55 PM, Wednesday. All of the cable and satellite television channels have been restored, including CNN and BBC. There are no changes in the exchange rates since 10:30 AM this morning, although the banks are all closed today, so perhaps there will be no further changes in exchange rates reported until tomorrow. Meanwhile, as I said in another thread, if it wasn't for the fact that the coup is all over the news, you wouldn't know that anything is going on at all. There is no military presence in Pattaya. Today I haven't even seen the police stopping helmetless mototcycle drivers. Perhaps the police have taken a holiday because I have spotted not police at all today. Other than the banks, everything is open and operating normally . . . restaurants, shopping centers, gas stations, small businesses . . . everything. The Thai people are all going about their business as if nothing unusual has happened. I can certainly understand why the embassies are issuing travel warnings. They kind of have to in a situation like this, but rest assured there is absolutely nothing unusual going on at all now. Even the tour buses are running as usual. You have to make your own decisions, of course, but based on what I'm seeing here, and I'll bet others will concur, I see absolutely no reason for fear, travel plan cancellations, or anything else. We're all just fine and Thailand is just fine. There apparently is no resistance whatsoever to the coup and there are not even rumors floating around that there will be any resistance. Not a single person has been hurt in any way, other than a few arrests, and even those arrests are not confirmed. The coup leaders have met with His Majesty, the King and pledged their loyalty. His Majesty, the King has not made any public staement about the coup. Thaksin is still in New York, thus rendering him rather impotent if he intends to try to establish resistance. He has not confirmed, at this point, whether he will even return to Thailand under the circumstances. The coup leaders have stated that they do not have intentions of trying to hold the power themselves and form some sort of a junta. They have said they intend to hold elections normally and on schedule. In other words, everything is just fine, as if this never happened. In my opinion there is no reason to cancel travel plans to come to Thailand. As a matter of fact, since this coup has been brewing for several weeks now and people have been apprehensive about it, I think everyone actually feels relieved now that it has finally happened. The whole thing has been totally bloodless and looks like it will remain so. If my father was still alive today, his comment would be, "It's all a big nuthin'." Dad, I agree with you.

Everything is perfectly normal in Pattaya. If it weren't for the news, you wouldn't know a coup had even taken place. The Thai people are all behaving as if nothing happened at all. They're not even bothering to talk about it. Other than the press and the coup leaders themselves, the general populace doesn't seem to give a damn about it in any way.

As of 10:30 AM the exchange rate is as follows: US Dollar: 37.30 Euro: 47.16 British Pound: 70.095 Australian Dollar: 27.90 Canadian Dollar: 32.925 I'm quite surprised. In less than three hours the baht has begun to regain some strength against all of these currencies. We'll just have to wait and see if this trend continues.

Wednesday, September 20: The exchange rate opened today as follows: US Dollar: 37.45 Euro: 47.335 British Pound: 70.325 Australian Dollar: 27.97 Canadian Dollar: 33.0275

It's 7:00 AM in Thailand. Here's the latest: Thailand is now under martial law. If there are military supporters of Thaksin, they have not yet acted in opposition to the coup. This is Thailand's 17th military coup since 1932. As of this moment UBC is still completely offline. The coup leaders have declared today (Wednesday) to be a government holiday, which will include banks, while they hold meetings with officials and try to establish order. Thaksin's wife went to Singapore on Monday and is still there. The whereabouts of the rest of Thaksin's family is not known. There are reports of arrests of key govenment officials loyal to Thaksin and replacements of key government officials by the leaders of the coup. There is a report that His Majesty, the King granted an audience with the leaders of the coup at about midnight last night. That is not yet confirmed and there are no reports yet as to the results of the audience, if indeed it took place. Obviously, the Internet is still functioning normally. Telephone service is also still functioning normally, including mobile phone service. The coup leadership is being referred to as the "Democratic Reform Council." There are no reports yet as to whether there will be any effect upon the opening of Suvavarnabhumi International Airport. There are no reports of any international or domestic flight cancellations. Last night at 2:00 AM my boyfriend called me. He was with friends near Sunee Plaza. There was a driving rain and he asked me to pick him up and bring him home, which I did. There was absolutely no police or military presence at all and the city was functioning normally. He and his friends were not yet aware of the coup. In all liklihood, most people were not even aware of the coup at that point. There are no reports, as yet, whether the coup leaders first consulted LetMeTellU prior to their action. __________ The following appears in THE NATION: Coup leaders declare a holiday Wednesday is a national holiday, the military coup leaders announced early this morning. They said that government offices, the stock exchange and all banks should stay closed "in order to quickly restore law and order." The declaration was one of four orders read in the wake of last night's coup. The decree ordered university presidents, state enterprise officials and senior civil servants to a special meeting this morning at 9 a.m. at military headquarters, where they will be read details of new policies. Foreign diplomats also have been invited, the announcer said. __________ BANGKOK, Sept 20 (TNA) Identifying itself as Thailand's 'Democratic Reform Council,' a group of the armed forces commander and the national police commander led by Army Commander-in-Chief Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, carried out a bloodless coup d'etat on Tuesday night and dismissed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra while he was in New York. Despite the demonstrated public distaste for military coups and military rule, one year of political impasse and deteriorating confidence in the prime minister developed into a situation where the public could view the military as a possible protector of the country's hard-won democratic reforms.. Carried out as Mr. Thaksin was in New York to address the United Nations General Assembly, the lead-up to the coup saw the now former premier attempt to dismiss Gen. Sonthi on Tuesday, unsuccessfully. Military armoured units surrounded Government House, and occupied the office of the prime minister, other key government offices, and radio and television stations. Describing its action, the Democratic Reform Council said in its first announcement, shortly after 9pm in Bangkok, that "for the sake of peace and order" in the kingdom, the council imposed martial law on a nationwide basis, and repealed the state of emergency that Mr. Thaksin had declared earlier in the day. In a second announcement, the council halted all mobilization and military movements, and ordered troops to their bases. In its third announcement, the council repealed the 1997 Constitution, and dissolved the House of Representatives, the Senate and the Constitution Court. However, the council affirmed the role of the privy council, the role of the courts of justice

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Australia advises citizens to avoid Thailand Australia urged citizens not to travel to Thailand following a bloodless coup last night. Staff at the Australian embassy in Bangkok have been told not to send their children to school until the situation was clarified. "In light of the very uncertain political situation and apparent military-led takeover of the government, we strongly advise Australians to reconsider their need to travel to Thailand until the situation is clarified," the Department of Foreign Affairs website said. Australians in Thailand Should Exercise Extreme Caution "You should avoid concentrations of military personnel or military activity. You should avoid demonstrations and political rallies as they have the potential to turn violent. You should stay indoors, monitor the media, and follow the instructions of the local authorities," the website advised. Tim Fisher, chairman of the Australia-Thailand Institute and former deputy prime minister, said all Australians should take the travel advisory very seriously. "(It) has all the hallmarks of a back-to-the-future coup d'etat," Mr Fisher said. "I urge all people to follow closely the updated travel advisories which have been issued already, and will continue to be updated as further information comes to hand." New Zealand warned its citizens in Thailand to avoid government buildings and large crowds, but issued no travel advice. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman Brad Tattersfield said New Zealanders in Bangkok should exercise caution, respect any curfew and stay within tourist areas.

I'm writing this at 6:40 AM. It's still too early to report on the actual exchange rates. I'll post what happens with the baht when the information becomes available. Meanwhile, according to the following article, we can expect the baht to take a plunge as a result of the coup. Obviously there is no way to predict, at this point, how much of a hit the baht will take, but I have a feeling it will be short lived and start heading in its 'normal' direction once the dust settles from the coup. Take advantage of the favorable rates while you can, guys . . . The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: ______ Baht Records 4-Year Record Fall New York (Agencies) The baht suffered its greatest fall in four years this morning after news reached currency markets of the coup against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The baht fell 1.3 percent to 37.77 per dollar at 4 p.m. in New York, from 37.29 late on Sept. 18, the biggest decline since July 2002. Thai bonds and a New York-traded fund of the nation's stocks also declined. Bloomberg news agency quoted Nick Bennenbroek, a vice president of foreign exchange research at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. in New York: "It's an issue of confidence. I would tend not to downplay the impact this could cause on Thailand's financial markets." "We can probably see further weakness in the Thai baht," Bloomberg further quoted Bennenbroek. "I would not be surprised to see a very significant drop in the equity markets." Marc Faber, founder and managing director of investment firm Marc Faber Ltd. in Hong Kong, was also quoted by Bloomberg: "It appears that it's a military coup to basically oust the prime minister, and the implications are not obviously overly favourable because it creates a lot of uncertainty. It is far from certain that the coup will succeed and if it succeeds, we don't know exactly what kind of government will follow." Investors said the coup was unlikely to trigger declines in emerging-market securities as happened after Thailand's devaluation in 1997, when bonds, stocks and currencies across Asia tumbled and economies in Thailand, South Korea and Indonesia slipped into recession. The risk of owning Thai government bonds jumped to a two-year high, according to traders betting on the creditworthiness of countries in the credit-default swaps market. The price of the contracts rose to more than $47,000 from $33,000 today, according to HSBC Holdings Plc. The contracts, which pay investors $10 million in exchange for the bonds should the government default in the next five years. Yield premiums on Thailand's 7.75 percent bond due in April 2007 compared with benchmark Treasuries rose 2 basis points to 60 basis points, the highest in a month, HSBC prices show.

Thank you very much, JO. I just downloaded and tried it. It works beautifully!

Attention American Citizens: A group calling itself the Committee for Democratic Reform under the Monarchy as Head of State has apparently seized control of the government institutions in Bangkok and declared martial law. We have seen various reports that the military has deployed troops around key government facilities and other strategic locations around Bangkok. There are no indications of any violence at this point. We advise all American Citizens to continue to monitor the situation closely, avoid any large gatherings and exercise discretion when moving about the city. At this point, we are not advising Americans to leave Thailand; however, Americans planning to travel to Thailand may wish to carefully consider their options before traveling until the situation becomes clearer. The Embassy will continue to follow developments closely. If there is any important information regarding the security of US citizens the Embassy will post it on the U.S. Embassy Bangkok and Department of State websites. **************************************************************************************************** To subscribe or unsubscribe to this list, go to: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/embassy/acsemaillist.htm The U.S. Embassy Consular Section is located at 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand (Nearest BTS Skytrain station: Phloen Chit) American Citizen Services Unit Window Hours: Monday - Friday, 7:30 - 11 AM and 1 - 2 PM Note: The ACS unit will be CLOSED on Friday, September 29 and Monday, October 9. Tel: +66-2-205-4049 Fax: +66-2-205-4103 E-mail: acsbkk@state.gov

It's now 1:10 AM and rain has started in Pattaya and it's a heavy rain. Perhaps that's the reason we've all lost cable and satellite. I have a feeling it's going to turn out to be sheer coincidence. We'll know soon enough.

Now it's 12:45 AM. I don't know whether this has anything to do with the coup, but my TV service is provided by UBC Satellite. It has now gone completely off the air with a total loss of satellite signal to any stations at all. Maybe it's merely coincidence. I don't know yet, but what I do know is that there were no storms today and the weather is just fine, so there is no weather related reason for UBC to be completely offline. It's too soon to know for sure whether this has anything to do with the coup.

Here are the first reports coming from the BANGKOK POST: _____ Troops loyal to Army Commander-in-Chief Sonthi Boonyaratgalin staged a coup tonight to overthrow caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. As of now, the troops appear to be in control of Bangkok and all television stations although, earlier, TV Channel 9 which is under the control of PM's Office Minister Newin Chidchob managed to broadcast a message from the embattled premier declaring a state of emergency in Bangkok. Tanks and troops are seen at the Government House and Sanam Luang. _____ Army commander Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin has launched a military coup, with tanks surrounding Government House and the military in charge of all local broadcast media. The actual coup came in the middle of a panicky message by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from New York. In a connection to Thai TV and radio, Mr Thaksin attempted to declare a "severe state of emergency in Bangkok" but was cut off midway. Shortly after that, a message appeared on screen on public TV stations, saying the army was in charge, and appologising for inconvenience caused. The last military coup in Thailand - there have been 19 since 1932 - was in 1991. It was overthrown in 1992 amid considerable bloodshed, and after that a democratic constitution was proclaimed. "[Gen Sonthi] seems to be behind it. Since this afternoon there have been troop movements into Bangkok," said Panitan Wattanayagon, a professor at Chulalongkorn Univeristy who specialises in military affairs. __________ No one has claimed to have taken control of government, but a power vacuum has occurred and it appears that there has been a military coup. Tanks are on the streets of Bangkok, and parked on Sanam Luang (the Royal Grounds), near the Government House, in the main administrative region. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawtara, currently in New York, declared a state of emergency on Tuesday evening, amid rumours that the military had staged a coup d'etat. The broadcast with the Thaksin decree was cut off in mid-sentence. It has been common in past military coups - Thailand has experienced 19 since 1932 - for the military to seize control of the airwaves as their first step to seizing power. Mr Thaksin also ordered troops restricted to barracks. Tanks have taken up positions around Government House - meaning troops have not stayed in their barracks. TV and radio stations are playing music and old videotapes of the type played during military coups in the bad old days of military dictatorships. "I declare Bangkok under a severe state of emergency," said Mr Thaksin before his audio transmission was cut off by broadcast media. Mr Thaksin requested an earlier speaking time at the United Nations -- early Wednesday morning Thailand time. Aides told reporters in Thailand that he intended to fly directly back to Bangkok after the speech, which would bring him back to Bangkok on Thursday morning at the earliest. The official Thai News Agency was unavailable on the Internet, or by telephone.