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The Thai Embassy in Singapore treated us rudely, and refused to give us the 3-month visa they had earlier promised. This was not really a good example of the respectful Thai culture we were used to. Was this because of the revolution or just a standard practice? There were some twenty other foreigners receiving similar treatment.

Singapore itself was a nice experience for us, even more so because we got a new friend Shamim through Couch Surfing (an equivalent to Hospitality Club). She accommodated us at her place, and we shared nice moments talking about everything on Earth, especially Muslim culture.

The recent limitations of freedom in Thailand have been business as usual in Singapore for years. The Singaporean opposition is effectively suppressed and silenced. Only those who don't care about the safety of their families or themselves dare to criticize the Chinese dictatorship of Singapore.

The military leader of Thailand announced last week that they will also set limitations to the political rights of people. Thais are no longer allowed to gather in political meetings or express their opinions publicly. The media are censored and web sites are closed. In Thailand, however, the reasoning is more complicated than in Singapore. The country has not been living in a military dictatorship for 15 years, and thus recent restrictions are a quite a setback for people.

The military junta which is now in power is afraid that people in the countryside will sooner or later revolt against dictatorship. They are the most devoted supporters of the former Prime Minister Thaksin. But one can ask why the junta is so afraid if they have nothing to hide?

The leading general says that he has the support of the King which is quite an extraordinary statement. Let's speculate a little: if the King supports the coup, then he is leading it, and the whole thing should actually be called a monarchist coup. Or, in another case, if the King actually doesn't support the coup but is e.g. held hostage, then this is a coup revoking both democracy and monarchy. The thing is unclear as the King himself has not spoken publicly nor given any support to the army general and his supporters himself. There was just a short video on TV showing the general kneeling in front of the picture of the King.

Whatever the situation is, either the King or the general seems to play a political game. If the masses don't agree, the revolution to come might not be bloodless any more.

Vierailimme alkuviikosta Thaimaan lähetystössä Singaporessa selvittelemässä sotatilan mutkistamia viisumiasioita. Siellä kohdeltiin maahan pyrkiviä ulkomaalaisia pelon sekaisissa tunnelmissa pääsääntöisesti ala-arvoisesti. Lähetystön ulkomaalaisten ja toimittajien pelko sai meidät pohtimaan Thaimaan tilannetta hieman eri valossa kuin aiemmin.

Thaimaassa hiljattain tapahtunut sotilasvallankaappaus teki maasta sotilasdiktatuurin. Perustuslaki, sananvapaus, kokoontumisvapaus ja mediat on vaiennettu. Vain sotilasjuntan johtajan, diktaattori Sonthi Boonyaratkalin hyväksymiä mielipiteitä saa esittää joutumatta puoleksi vuodeksi vankilaan.

Vallankaappaus saattaa johtaa vallankumoukseen, sillä diktaattori on kumonnut perustuslain. Lisäksi uusi perustuslakiehdotus on lähinnä suuri illuusio. Se pitää diktaattorin edelleen vallan kahvassa perustettavasta siviilinukkehallinnosta huolimatta. Kuninkaan rooli vallankaappauksessa on edelleen vähintäänkin epäselvä. Mikäli diktaattorin väite siitä, että kuningas tukee vallankumousta pitää paikkaansa, on kyseessä monarkistinen vallankaappaus ja paluu kuninkaan yksinvaltiuteen. Jos taas väite on perätön ja kuningas on diktaattorin panttivankina, niin silloin kyseessä on monarkian kaatanut vallankaappaus. Toistaiseksi ainoa diktaattorin esittämä todiste kuninkaan tuesta on lyhyt videopätkä, jossa diktaattori kumartelee itsekseen kuninkaan kuvaa.

Vapauksien rajoittaminen ja opposition vaientaminen näyttää lupaavan ongelmia tulevaisuudessa, kun oppositio saa rivinsä kasaan ja alkaa toimimaan Thaksinin palauttamiseksi valtaan. Thaksin nautti aiempien vaalien perusteella kansan enemmistön suosiota erityisesti maaseudulla. Diktaattori Sonthi Boonyaratkal on syyttänyt entistä pääministeriä korruptiosta ja uhkaillut tätä tutkinnalla ja omaisuuden takavarikoinnilla. Tämän ja opposition vaientamisen on tarkoitus pitää Taksin kannattajineen aisoissa.

Ulkomaisten tv-asemien sensurointi, tekstiviestien estäminen sekä vaatimukset kansainväliselle medialle jättää Thaimaan sisäpolitiikka rauhaan kielivät ulkomailta tulevan painostuksen pelosta. Lähinaapurit eivät tilannetta kritisoi, sillä mailla on sanaton sopimus, jonka mukaan jokainen hoitaa omat asiansa. Lisäksi monet naapurivaltioista, mm. Singapore ja Burma, ovat itsekin diktatuureja. Molemmissa oppositio on tehty käytännössä laittomaksi.

Vallankaappaus on säästynyt toistaiseksi verisiltä mellakoilta. Mikäli tilanne kuitenkin johtaa vallankumoukseen, ne ovat tuskin vältettävissä.

When we entered Thailand there was a film shown in the airplane before landing. In the film an older couple was walking around in fancy clothes and distributing presents to peasants. There were also some pictures of the couple when they were younger, and the old man took pictures of the people that worshiped him. Funny thing, we thought and continued sleeping.

There was a portrait of the same people in the airport, we noticed when we walked through the immigration and customs and were finally in Chiang Mai, North Thailand.

We stayed the first week in city's Night Bazaar area and visited some Buddhist temples. In one of the temples we met two very familiar guys: Buddha and the King sitting side by side. There is a kind of personality cult for the monarch in Thailand. Everywhere in every city there are pictures of the king, or of his wife, or both of them. He was like a big brother that followed our steps wherever we went.

Our friend, Martijn from the Netherlands, who works here as a guide, explained that Thai people genuinely love their king. He had lots of good will thanks to helping those in need and correcting wrong doings in case of unresolved disputes like some past revolutions and military coups. This raised respect in us. He was not just putting his pictures everywhere but actually played an active role in Thai society. And he had gained that respect without having any actual power, just the support of the people. He had won lasting admiration because of his relentless travels and his strong personal interest in rural development earlier in his reign.

People turn to the king in difficult times such as the recent coup d'état that took everybody by surprise. When the coup stopped Thai TV broadcasts, pictures of the king were shown instead. Even the military behind the coup showed their loyalty to the king by wearing yellow ribbons. The loyalty was such that the international media asked is the king behind the whole coup. But when put into Thai perspective, there is nothing surprising in citizens expressly showing their loyalty. When the king recently celebrated his 60 years on the throne, millions of Thai citizens commemorated the event and showed their reverence by wearing yellow t-shirts - the official royal colour. Thai people wear yellow t-shirts or carry yellow flags not only during festivities but also otherwise. Yellow is the favourite colour of the whole nation.

For a Westerner, who is used to more or less controversial monarchs with little or practically no power or influence at all, it is really surprising to see the opposite. Thailand's king really seems to unite the people in a way that no other head of state or government could do.

Thailand's king is the world's longest-serving monarch with his 60 years in throne. He has already reigned through 17 military coups, 20 different prime ministers, and 15 constitutions until the latest coup on 19 of September 200Accordinging to Thailand TV the coup has the king's support. Nobody knows what happens in Thailand now or what will happen in the future. However, one thing is sure. The reason why Thais are worshipping their king is respect, which is the cornerstone of Thai society. And that respect will remain long after the king and the current military junta.

We can only wonder what the king of Finland might have been if the plan to make Finland a monarchy instead of a republic had succeeded in 1918. At least the country could be driven by respect rather than by envy.

Please read the related blog entry regarding the respect in Argentina.

The aim of the coup is to overthrow Prime Minister Thaksin. According to a
rumour the king has already appointed a new Prime Minister, but the rumour
is not confirmed.

The coup limits at the moment to the capital. According to the news the
situation is calm there. Here in Chiang Mai we wouldn't have even noticed
the whole thing if we hadn't had TV and Internet. Local Thai channels are
in control of the army and are not sending any program but BBC keeps us
informed.

We are safe and well away from Bangkok and tanks, so no fears or worries.
We are not worried either. We will try to post some pictures from the streets soon.

Päivi & Santeri

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