At about 11:45. They already had a few occupants. Was this a alcohol checkpoint thing? Lots of really hot young thai ladies trying to deal with the curfew.

the Army command post is set up almost directly across from Warm Up. at 11:45 it's getting close to curfew. people in already? people without ID maybe? underage drinkers? could be anything. BTW it's quite serious at the moment to not be in possession of your ID. don't leave home without it!

I drove by about 10:30 and there was a serious presence then, I didn't notice if it was army or police. I think they just wanted everyone to know they were there.

Maybe they were just trying to let all the young hipsters know that there has been a coup, a curfew is place, so stop dicking around like TV's very own Bernard Trink wanabee.

I now live in Thailand and am very happy here.I respect the Thai laws and do not break the law.There has been a coup and I have to and will respect the curfew.I cannot vote here so what is the point of criticizing what is going on in this country? Just put up with it and lets hope the Thai people will have an democratic government that is not corrupt back soon,

MESmith who is Bernard Trink? Does he own Spicy?

"MESmith who is Bernard Trink? Does he own Spicy?"

I wondered that too, but fortunately I had google, bing, and other search engines and 20 seconds to spare.

bernard trink was a resident columinist journo for many happy yrs with the bankok post

very sadly the b/post format became trendy and bernard was put to the retirment paddock

from a old expat his columns will be always remembered and cherished

some journo was bernard, they dont come along these days,as good as bernard

all have a nice evening

Gosh, folk don't know who Trink is/was

Changing demographics around here....

bernard trink was a resident columinist journo for many happy yrs with the bankok post

very sadly the b/post format became trendy and bernard was put to the retirment paddock

from a old expat his columns will be always remembered and cherished

some journo was bernard, they dont come along these days,as good as bernard

all have a nice evening

Come on now, he certainly wasn't a good journalist. As the 'Night Owl' he was a cross between a pimp and a smut-monger, reporting weekly on the availability of 'demi-mondaines' in their 'boites' where visitors could drink 'suds' or 'fire water'. He may have been amusing and even informative - but a good journalist? For heaven's sake!

is this topic about a paddy wagon or Bernard Trink?

so far its 2 posts up against 6 posts

paddy wagon?....is that what I refer to as a meat wagon?

C'mon blue eyes. Do you really care about either one? BTW, a paddy wagon hauls people who may be impaired but are not usually injured - unlike a meat wagon, I'd say.

is this topic about a paddy wagon or Bernard Trink?

so far its 2 posts up against 6 posts

paddy wagon?....is that what I refer to as a meat wagon?

Depends on the type of 'meat' inside when talking about 'meat wagons' in the land of smiles!

is this topic about a paddy wagon or Bernard Trink?

so far its 2 posts up against 6 posts

paddy wagon?....is that what I refer to as a meat wagon?

Depends on the type of 'meat' inside I would think when talking about the land of smiles!

Speaking as a Scotsman, a 'paddy wagon' is a pejorative 19th century English term for a vehicle used to haul away Irishmen. With apologies to my brethren from the Emerald Isle!

is this topic about a paddy wagon or Bernard Trink?

so far its 2 posts up against 6 posts

paddy wagon?....is that what I refer to as a meat wagon?

Depends on the type of 'meat' inside when talking about 'meat wagons' in the land of smiles!

Well it would have to be fresh meat; but if either the meat and two veg or the meat curtains were on offer then i think everyone would be dead meat.

the meat wagon is of course an ambulance.

I was in the area - about 10.30 a convoy arrived and made its way down the soi towards Monkey Club. What was noticeable to me was ten police outriders escorting what I could only describe as a Humvee type vehicle. That was the only army vehicle in the convoy and I can only imagine it was a commanding officer of some sort.

What was noticeable by its absence in Nimman last night was the police cars sounding the thirty minute warning. I sat outside NAP bar and left at midnight, pushing my luck of course, and was amazed at the lack of police or military. The streets were dead by that time as you would expect. I suppose an explanation for the area around NAP being quiet was the police concentrating in the Warm-Up area.

Incidentally, Monkey Club is for sale, offers over one hundred million baht if anyone is interested.

You can expect more visits to bistros since, I have it on better authority than those posting here, many of Chiang Mai's hottest venues have been used to store some sixty-six thousand tons of rice diverted from official warehouses, where it was stored under the rice-pledge scheme.

Of course they will use paddy wagons to haul away the illicit goods.

By the way, Bernard Trink was a former Jesuit, defrocked for various reasons; he was the father of thirty-seven illegitimate children by seventeen mothers, none older than seventeen. During his time in the priesthood, Brother Bernard, Catechist of the Sisters of Saint Surplus, was famous as the master-of-ceremonies of Bangkok's world-renowned "Organ Transplant Bingo" parties ... until they were abruptly shut-down amid allegations of impropriety involving kidneys, and bone-marrow.

cheers, ~o:37;

p.s. if one is going to invent history, why not take it over the top ?

Well, I don't give a hoot! but Bernard wrote some useful comedy. Can anyone speculate on why there are lots of soldiers around Chiang Mai Gate and other tourist areas, but I live by the back entrance to CMU and there are none up here. Closest bivouac would be the same group close to Warm-Up. So is it a big show for the farang, or the media? I left Nimman at about 11:45, and just had to get my 49 thb sub at Subway, and four Tiger Yai at Lotus, so I was about 8 minutes past curfew, when I got home. There were still some people out, but mostly vendors finishing packing up. Unfortunately, they might be getting the worst end of the curfew. A few of my favorite ones, haven't been out in more than a week. Nothing like a nice 30 thb pad see ew and a 20 thb flesh flute shake to cap off a few promos around Nimman. They've got a good staff at that Subway, though.

There is a large scale crackdown going on.

From the news forum (Thailand Live) "RT@UDD_English: Police & soldier in Chiang Mai report that they have arrested 613 suspects in 5 days - 66 for illegal firearms, 302 drug related, 145 others"

There are police and soldiers everywhere. Just saw 2 large trucks with armed soldiers heading North on the Phrao Road. Earlier this evening near Big C, a number of police trucks driving around slowly with their lights flashing.

is this topic about a paddy wagon or Bernard Trink?

so far its 2 posts up against 6 posts

paddy wagon?....is that what I refer to as a meat wagon?

Depends on the type of 'meat' inside when talking about 'meat wagons' in the land of smiles!

could be a meat dragon then??

Gosh, folk don't know who Trink is/was

Changing demographics around here....

That's a "was" AFAIK - last Nite Owl what 10 years ago (dropped without warning by BKK Post, remember the discussions vaguely here on TV (lot less people on it back them ) - around the same time as Thaksin had the editor sacked wasn't it???)

"who is Bernard Trink"?

There's still a good few cars and bikes going past my house after curfew each night - two just went by as I typed (moped and car) and its 01:16

Well, I don't give a hoot! but Bernard wrote some useful comedy. Can anyone speculate on why there are lots of soldiers around Chiang Mai Gate and other tourist areas, but I live by the back entrance to CMU and there are none up here. Closest bivouac would be the same group close to Warm-Up. So is it a big show for the farang, or the media? I left Nimman at about 11:45, and just had to get my 49 thb sub at Subway, and four Tiger Yai at Lotus, so I was about 8 minutes past curfew, when I got home. There were still some people out, but mostly vendors finishing packing up. Unfortunately, they might be getting the worst end of the curfew. A few of my favorite ones, haven't been out in more than a week. Nothing like a nice 30 thb pad see ew and a 20 thb flesh flute shake to cap off a few promos around Nimman. They've got a good staff at that Subway, though.

Hmmmmm..... looks like someone's been kickin' up their star spangled heels again!

You don't say whether your "flesh flute shake" was downed before or after your fortuitous encounter with the "good staff" at Subway, but I hope that you remembered to check the "born on" date of the former.

Because there's froth, and then..... there's froth.

Be careful out there!

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And this.