COUP!

So Anne-E made it in to Bangkok on Saturday and we had a couple of days to romp around the city and do some fun things. We went to a fusion puppet/dance/film show, we went to a couple of museums, markets and temples and the grand palace. We were going non stop and we escaped Bangkok just one day before the coup that's made the front page of a lot of international newspapers. The military's just fed up.

The country's a bit divided as to how they feel about their current prime minister. It's about 50/50 between people who think he's a good guy and those who apparantly think he needs to be replaced immediately. I remember a few months ago in Mae Sai when there were rallies on the main road to protest Thaksin's very existence. Some people don't just want him to leave office, they want him to die.

And so in Bangkok while there are tanks roaming the streets and soldiers with ak47s around their shoulders, there is nothing shocking or frightening to speak of down here in Phuket. We didn't even know anything was going on until we decided to check our email.

And while I don't think there is any cause for concern...it's a bit weird to be in a place where the government has just been...well, completely shut down. I really don't want to mischaracterize the situation. Check it out for yourself http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5362228.stm