Interlude, with Thailand Coup

It’s not Aceh and it’s not the Rohingya but it is Wati, who’s been keeping us abreast of Indonesian politics and is now in Bangkok where she has a second home.  She sent me this two-day update:

Hello All,

After feeling a bit of relief that the Bumrungrad doctor complimented my health, “considering your age--" the creep-- I took Nội for an early dinner last night in a nearby food court, and then we went people watching in nearby Soi Nana where tourists go to have fun with the young ladies.

Nội and I stayed out a bit, waiting for the weather getting cooler. At 6.30pm Nội got a call from her daughter and in a panic asked the waiter to translate a word for me. The waiter looked annoyed and I asked Nội not to force him to do that. Later he came back with an iPhone and showed the translation of what Nội asked for.

The screen showed "coup d'état. Government overthrown."

I told Nội to calm down and I paid the bill and we walked for about an hour from Soi Nana to the emporium--all the BTS or sky trains that we passed were jammed with people and had long lines trying to buy tickets. Roads were full with cars that got stuck in traffic.

I left Nội at her bus stop.

It was 8pm and I stopped to buy a few things in the Emporium and Seven Eleven (usually open 24 hrs). The staff was obviously distraught and packing to leave, but their faces remained calm and they gave friendly greetings.

I was home by 9pm; the streets looked so quiet from our window.

This morning everything seems normal and now I am reading papers with the hope that [her husband] can come home safely from the airport tonight since his flight will land at 9.30 pm and he has to go through immigration, collect his luggage etc. and the curfew will be on at 10pm.

The trip from Suvarnabhumi to Le Raffine will take at least 45 minutes. . . .

This is life as of now in Bangkok.

Cheers

 ********

Update May 23

BBC and CNN now also have a blackout here. The curfew will start in 40 minutes -- exactly the time when my husband’s flight will land from Hanoi.

It’s rather spooky when I look out of our windows.

I  "kicked " Noi out and told her to go home at 5 pm today although she still wants to finish her work.

Love

more info:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/21/world/asia/thailand-crisis-up-to-speed/