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Thailand Adjusts to Latest Military Coup

Thais woke up this morning to the news that the signs of a possible coup-in-the-making was, far from being just a rumor, an actual coup in planning. As Thailand?s prime minister attended the opening of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the country?s army chief took his chance and ordered government buildings surrounded and barricaded. Several high-ranking civilian and military officials were arrested over the course of the night, and by Wednesday morning the bloodless coup had seemingly been carried out without a hitch.

Thailand has a long history of military coups, there have been nearly twenty such coups since the founding of a constitutional monarchy in 1932. The Thai military?s influence on political life echoes the situation facing democracy in Turkey, where if a government is seen to be too religiously-minded, it faces a possible ouster by military commanders sworn to uphold the Turkish constitution, and the country?s officially secular nature.

Neighboring countries, many of whom possess significantly empowered, quasi-independent militaries within their democratic systems, were wary of the developments in Thailand. The Philippines military was quick to insist that no similar coup was in store for President Arroyo, and in Nepal, where democracy has taken nascent steps once more following protests against King Gyanendra?s having seized absolute power earlier in the year, officials called the coup regrettable.