The Coup? Has It Affected You? If So How-explain

[cm-happy]

As a long term expat, last years coup, has not affected my life here in the slightest. I go about my daily (day & evening) routine exactly the same as before. NOTHING HAS CHANGED FOR ME!, except I no longer run around the house muttering dam_n it!,dam_n it!, after reading the paper, as I did with the prior regime, sometimes upsetting my mate.

There is another active thread running "DARK DAYS AHEAD" where the doom & gloom brigade is having a field day.

Gave it a cursory look & laughted to myself. Seems the political, & social analysts have dusted off their crystal balls, & predicting the end of the world is at hand all based upon conjecture & what MIGHT happen in the future. Well if the can do that successfully, maybe they should get into the market & make a bundle.

If you have been affected by the coup, please explain how, maybe I'm missing something.

[jumnien]

September 19th, 2006 is a day I will remember for a long time, one of the most important days of my ten year stay in Thailand. Of course, the coup happened that day and the military-inspired circus entertained us for a while. But what I will always remember about Sept. 19th is that is the day we got our new nanny for our little boy. She came into our lives and made our family whole. She is an 18 year old girl from Amnat Charoen and is a most amazing young woman! Always cheerfully working and never in a bad mood.

As for the coup, it will pass. It really doesn't matter who gets elected I suppose, but I do personally hope that the PPP will prevail if for no other reason than too piss off the military goons who shat on the country for the last 14 months... But whatever happens is fine by me!

[sweetchariot]

How about the changes to Visa regulations? Or the Foreign Business Act? Or the new constitution?

I would imagine these three pieces of legislation alone have effected the vast majority of expats and longer term visitors. Hopefully after the 23rd Dec we will have some sensible policies, regardless of who gets in.

[TheEmperorOfTheNorth]

It really doesn't matter who gets elected I suppose

Indeed. And that's actually a very good summary of what the military and their employers hoped to establish / re-confirm with the coup.

Short-term the day to day effects are minimal. Perhaps some 'Farangs' actually happy about the lengthened opening times for bars. Maybe if they're really lucky the cheap and plentiful ya ba will make a return too eh! That was fun.

Long term though the military and their employers have set Thailand back over a decade, massively hit investor confidence and guaranteed that Thailand will remain a feudal country at the core, and of course the cheap playground for a lot of happy 'Farangs', instead of developing to its full potential, economically, politically and as a society.

Google 'A coup for the rich'. It's a very good read.

Edited November 13, 2007 by TheEmperorOfTheNorth

[jumnien]

What coup? I clearly remember Mr. Sonthi assuring us that it was not a coup, just a military intervention.

[fletchsmile]

As a long term expat, last years coup, has not affected my life here in the slightest. I go about my daily (day & evening) routine exactly the same as before. NOTHING HAS CHANGED FOR ME!, except I no longer run around the house muttering dam_n it!,dam_n it!, after reading the paper, as I did with the prior regime, sometimes upsetting my mate.

There is another active thread running "DARK DAYS AHEAD" where the doom & gloom brigade is having a field day.

Gave it a cursory look & laughted to myself. Seems the political, & social analysts have dusted off their crystal balls, & predicting the end of the world is at hand all based upon conjecture & what MIGHT happen in the future. Well if the can do that successfully, maybe they should get into the market & make a bundle.

If you have been affected by the coup, please explain how, maybe I'm missing something.

Can't say it has changed my life much at all either. I haven't noticed any significant direct changes. Some transitory impacts on the economy, business sentiment etc. But if it wasn't a coup it would be something else changing life a little in some way or other. Life doesn't stand still.

I did notice as you suggest, that there are a lot more people who understand a lot less about Thailand than they think they do. All this garbage and comparisons to Burma, police states etc.

Long run I expect it to have a positive impact. That will only be proved in the future with hindsight tho'. Until then the doom and gloom pessimists will no doubt see the future in a different light. Even when we're thru it all, some people will want to go back and single out all the negatives and overlook the positives.

[Naam]

How about the changes to Visa regulations? Or the Foreign Business Act? Or the new constitution?

it's a fairy tale that these changes (except for the "new constitution") came from the military government. they were all Thaksin's doing!

[nidge]

As a long term expat, last years coup, has not affected my life here in the slightest. I go about my daily (day & evening) routine exactly the same as before. NOTHING HAS CHANGED FOR ME!, except I no longer run around the house muttering dam_n it!,dam_n it!, after reading the paper, as I did with the prior regime, sometimes upsetting my mate.

There is another active thread running "DARK DAYS AHEAD" where the doom & gloom brigade is having a field day.

Gave it a cursory look & laughted to myself. Seems the political, & social analysts have dusted off their crystal balls, & predicting the end of the world is at hand all based upon conjecture & what MIGHT happen in the future. Well if the can do that successfully, maybe they should get into the market & make a bundle.

If you have been affected by the coup, please explain how, maybe I'm missing something.

sorry but you are wrong. <snip. there is much room for change (bad) in the future for Thailand.

How can you say this is wrong??? Your opinion differs perhaps but that does not make the OP wrong.

The coup has affected me even less. I don't read the paper when at home so i did not suddenly stop saying dam_n it!.

I was in the air en route to Bahrain as the coup happened. I called my wife once i found out, no one in her village had any idea there was a coup and there was a complete air of indifference.

I don't care who gets voted in as long as they continue to allow me to live here. The people in my village will all vote for whoever the elders decide as none of them care less who is running their country.

I am sure any of you living in an up country village will agree that each area has it's own "micro community", (for want of better words), and it will continue to run as it has for years regardless of who is in power in bangkok.

Edited November 13, 2007 by Crow Boy
removal of quote reference to HRH

[jaiyenyen]

Slightly off topic, today whilst shopping, I noticed a cosmetic's retailer having a "Coup Day" Sale

[Cobalt60]

We were so close to signing a contract. Had been on it for nearly two years. Flew out to Bkk on coup day. Govt finance was involved, plug was pulled on all standing or imminent contracts, goodnight to that then, ah well had a nice week on the town instead.

Nearly back to where we was one year and two months ago, never know, may get the job. Its been up hill struggle thats for sure.

[Ricardo]

What coup ?

The truth is, there has been very little effect in our village, everybody is still poor, the local-government poo-yais still blatantly rip them off whenever they can, and everyone looks forward to the next election & the cash it will put into their hands.

For me - Immigration were actually easier, than previously, this time round. The newspapers & TV, while still controlled, appear to be less-so than before. I still have beer in-the-fridge whenever I'm thirsty. And I laughed to see some of the TRT-goons get their come-uppance.

For Thaksin, he now has his new toys to play with, and far more money than he & his servants & family can ever spend. But he did lose-out on his chance to tell the UN face-to-face that they weren't his father. Shame.

[Heng]

Unfortunately the coup has been "good" for our pawn shop / money lending operations. The current administration has pretty much given the underground lottery and casino syndicates carte blanche and those folks are using it to grow their businesses exponentially. More and more often I sense/suspect our 1% a month loans are being used for gambling debts rather than business bridge loans. Related to Thaivisa: a part of this contingent that is often a good indicator of the gambling climate is an increase in numbers of mia and pua falang who show up in our shops.

I say unfortunately because while we are getting higher revenues, we often have to deny loans on the basis that they won't be used for business purposes... because all that leads to down the road is more folks crying in the office, debtors disappearing to other provinces (we can't legally seize collateral for 2 years from the date of default... so that's often months and months of trying to call people up through a maze of disconnected and changed #'s), getting seriously ill, etc. Cash/loan reserves increase and become underutilized, NPL's increase.

[villagefarang]

No effect, same as all the other coups I've experienced here.

[thaihome]

We deal with government owned corporations on multi million dollar contracts. Since the coup there has been a noticeable reluctance for people to commit to changes to existing contracts, and even make payments that are due. This is somewhat understandable as these are contracts done under the previous government and are under extra scrutiny and no one wants to make a mistake and be accused of corruption or mismanagement.

This is easing somewhat now.

TH

[Mosha]

We were travelling between Hat Yai and Pask Phanang when the news broke, so we didn't here about it for a few hours. I fully expected to be stopped regularly travelling back to Ranong. Was very surprised when only the usual Checkpoints into Ranong were in place. Even the Highway speed cops in Surat Thani were absent. Life has not changed one bit for me.

[mellow1]

No affect to me, but will it be the same for Thailand and it's people, only the future will tell.

[CTO]

We deal with government owned corporations on multi million dollar contracts. Since the coup there has been a noticeable reluctance for people to commit to changes to existing contracts, and even make payments that are due. This is somewhat understandable as these are contracts done under the previous government and are under extra scrutiny and no one wants to make a mistake and be accused of corruption or mismanagement.

This is easing somewhat now.

TH

I am in same boat as ThaiHome and Cobalt, dealing with Gov projects, that stopped fast, but we launched our first 11 schools last weeks, 9 in the South, so at least we're moving forwards again.

I do know 1 Farang who was prob one of the very few people to see the pointy end of the rifle during the days after the coup, funny story and very true, but not for here, maybe over a beer when I start drinking again next month.

[sriracha john]

but it is coming to a close, not just for me I believe, but for the vast majority of foreigners.

the vast majority???

but ok... if you say so. Does that mean fewer McDonalds being built? :

and all this from what are called the people's tanks?

[nidge]

I have had a great time in Thailand, but it is coming to a close, not just for me I believe, but for the vast majority of foreigners.

From reading this thread i would make a better guess that most foreigners will not change their future one iota because of the coup. Perhaps if you had a personal investment in a business here you may chose to go elsewhere but the majority are here to live long time rather than come to make money. If the coup has gone unnoticed why would anyone leave?

[TonyLeung]

good post.

[englishoak]

The tightening visa restrictions, cancellation of the Investment visa and the new Foreign Business Act are a clear warning of what is to come.

Ignore these warnings at your peril.

A non-Immigrant visa is merely a temporary permit to stay in Thailand for purposes other than tourism. Only very few foreigners become Thai citizens or obtain permanent residency, so the vast majority stay on the most tenuous circumstances.

It has always intrigued me why so many people put all their resources and lives into a place where they can never be anything more than a temporary resident, where their very future lies at the mercy of a poorly-paid uniformed official!

The coup is just the beginning of another long, drawn out political struggle in Thailand and certainly won't be conducive to foreigners living here either.

I have to agree and can't see it changing for the better anytime soon. When I return to retire to LOS it will be on the assumption that it will not be forever,Unfortunately.

[Ricardo]

It has always intrigued me why so many people put all their resources and lives into a place where they can never be anything more than a temporary resident, where their very future lies at the mercy of a poorly-paid uniformed official!

We are all only temporary residents - on Planet Earth !

The coup is just the beginning of another long, drawn out political struggle in Thailand and certainly won't be conducive to foreigners living here either.

I beg to differ - the coup was just the latest event in Thai history - and many of us have seen little/no effect on our lives, as shown by previous posters.

And why assume we put more than a small part of our total resources into Thailand ?

And aren't we all always at the mercy of poorly-paid officials, wherever we are, you should have seen the line of Customs-men questioning the passengers about their private business on the very airbridge to our plane, last time I flew out of the UK ! They didn't actually say, "you don't board until we're happy with your replies", but the implication was clearly there.

[LinkPopularity]

ignorance is blizz

[TheEmperorOfTheNorth]

Agree completely with Emp. Tud.

[TonyLeung]

Yes, it is the typical nonsense you constantly see on Thai Visa. They seem to like these simple generalizations, "The government has always been corrupt". Great what does that have to do with the new anti-immigration and investment legislature passed since the coup? Things look worse now than they did in 2006.

Or

"Its not like back home where the police are constantly hassling you and you can't step outside your door."

You had a lot of problems with the police back home?

"No."

Then &lt;deleted&gt; are you talking about?

"I'm just stringing a bunch of words together, mostly just stuff I over heard from inebriated men around lower Sukhumwit."

[bendix]

Certainly hasnt affected me in the slightest. The much-maligned tightening visa requirements are a good thing in my opinion and, as Naam pointed out, were Thaksin's policies and nothing to do with the coup.

If anything, the business I'm in has picked up incredibly in the last twelve months. Year on year our revenues were up 37% so the notion of business grinding to a halt or quality FDI declining may have happened, but it hasnt impacted us at all. And that's translated into bigger bonuses too ;-)

[Ricardo]

Ah, the usual pointless and seemingly obligatory comparisons with the UK.

Sorry, aren't I permitted to compare, with wherever I want ?

I was back in June for the first time in five years, had a great time. Fantastic country.

I suspect you wear rose-tinted spectacles - but defend your right to do so !

The coup is the beginning of a long drawn out political struggle after the relative calm of the Thaksin administration. It certainly signals a new era in Thai politics.

Relative calm ... I guess those must have been totally-opaque spectacles, back then.

[TheEmperorOfTheNorth]

At least the bars open longer. Perhaps that explains where some of the posters on Thaivisa are coming from.

[popshirt]

Those of us with real estate to sell, even those such as myself with a condo registered in the farang 49% have certainly felt adverse effects of the coup. And this began long before the sub-prime mortgage debacle in the US. In fact it can be dated back to the coup.

[keemapoot]

There are undoubtedly certain pockets and industries where the coup hasn't had much effect. This will be the case with a country the size of Thailand and with it's substantial manufacturing base.

Although GDP growth has been predictably lower this year, if elections go forward it's reasonable to assume things will be back to some kind of reduced normalcy.

Failing that, and in the event of another coup, I would venture that things will go to hel_l in a handbasket pretty quickly.

In any event, those of us who've diversified our existences and not tethered our lives to Thailand come rain or storm should weather through ok. For those who've staked their futures only on Thailand I wouldn't be so sure....