Tourism in Post Coup Thailand: Same Same but Different!

As you may have heard on the news, the government of Thailand recently underwent a coup that ousted the democratically elected Prime Minister and has temporarily replaced him with a military junta headed by General Sondhi - a muslim.  Despite the breathless news reports about soldiers flooding the streets and tension about the future of Thailand, I have seen remarkably little change in the city.  It is almost as though the news is about some other place.   Although the Coup occured on Wednesday night, I only first saw a soldier on Saturday, simply standing and watching the world go by under the toll road.

There are lots of tourist warnings being released about the uncertainty of the political situation and the remote possibilities for problems.  I personally am more worried about the opening of the new airport than any fallout from the coup!  The population in Bangkok is used to political intrigue and the takeover of the government seems almost normal, especially now with Royal approval.  The Thais have always gone to the King before in times of political crisis, and so his consent to the coup really confirms and legalizes the military actions in the mind of the public.  In addition, the muslim beliefs of the commanding general have also given pause to the muslim insurgency in the south, as they wait to see what actions this new leadership will take.

The bottom line for tourists is that Thailand is almost completely unchanged by these political upheavals.  The country is just as safe, if not safer now, and believe me when I say that every citizen in Thailand knows the importance of the tourist dollars.   Now that the King has formalized the change of power, there will be no protests by the population.  If you were planning to visit, don't change your tickets.

As they say here in Bangkok, things are "same same but different."