Why is it that nearly every article written about the coup has to make mention of the red light district. They want to emphasize the point that the streets cleared on Tuesday night and they constantly make mention of the closing bars that are full of dancing girls just miles away from the tanks... CNN even interviewed a go-go dancer to get her thoughts and write about how she was trying to tune in the news on the TV in the bar... Is it because all the journalists visit these places nightly? I'm not casting judgement since I visit them as regular as the average well adjusted red blooded male.

It's hard enough to convince my friends and family who have never visited that Thailand is not about that. The coup has nothing to do with Pat Pong and the mere mention of it in every article only perpetuates the gross misleading impressions the world has of this country full of beautiful people with strong beliefs and friendly smiles. The stories could just as easily be strengthened by stating that the bustling discos and beer bars were closed early. It's simply a matter of how they want to spin the story.

I beg the journalists to be responsible and report on the news at hand. Not the sensational aspect of side stories that should have died years ago.

... every article only perpetuates the gross misleading impressions the world has of this country full of beautiful people with strong beliefs and friendly smiles.

Oh dear, Pollyanna, how upset you must be.

In my experience, most of the world -- at least most of the very tiny part that gives a hoot one way or another -- has a reasonably accurate impression of what Thailand it really like, no matter how much you might wish they didn't.

and since they 'have a reasobly accurate impression of what THailand is really like" then they know why OldHandLuke must be living in Thailand .... zzzzzzzzzz

Great story to find the GoGo/BeerBar Girl's point of view on the coup.