Thai coup

Dad was right about the impending coup in Thailand to help break the political deadlock in the country. He was only off by three months. :-)

As correctly pointed out by many pundits, Singapore government investment arm Temasek Holdings effectively triggered the coup!

The whole saga started when Temasek's purchase of Shin Holdings from the family of premier Thaksin Shinawatra caused a groundswell of unhappiness. This led to a series of complex events, culminating in the coup on Tuesday night.

Anyway, it's rather incongruous that many countries have been quick to condemn the military coup, while many Thais in the capital seem to support the seizure of power.

Well, many democratic countries have to chastise any non-democratic means in seizing power. Are they too presumptuous to condemn the coup?

As pointed out by dad's colleague, Thailand has a generally benign military like the Philippines. So, is it wise to condemn a coup that has been blessed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej -- the paramount moral leader of Thailand?

Similarly, what was wrong in backing a military coup (non-democratic means) that accompanied the People's Power movement that overthrew corrupted Philippines president Ferdinand Marcos in 1986?

The situation is Thailand is more complex. According to conventional wisdom, most rural Thais continue to support Thaksin. Most city dwellers continue to spit on him.