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Couple caught up in Thailand coup
Oldham Evening Chronicle - Friday, 22 September, 2006
Oldham Evening Chronicle - Friday, 22 September, 2006 Couple caught up in Thailand coup
A CHADDERTON couple are watching history unfold after becoming caught up in Thailand’s bloodless military coup.
Gavin Munro and Suzie Holt, of Broadway — who are six weeks into a six-month round-the-world holiday — initially thought fellow travellers were getting rowdy after hearing the noise in Bangkok from a backpackers’ hostel on Koh Sahn Road.They were shocked to see tanks and soldiers in the streets as the coup’s leader Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin moved his men in to oust absent prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The couple are now trapped in their hostel but say there has been no violence or panic so far.Gavin (33) said: “Soldiers with automatic rifles were slowing down cars and observing their contents through the window. Some roadblocks had big machine guns on tripods.“The locals are calling it a revolution, the officials a coup. The Thais are some of the friendliest people I’ve met and they’re all in favour of what happened, although are a little reluctant to talk about it.“Some seem a bit wary that if Thaksin comes back there may be trouble, but as yet there is no sign of any civil unrest. The only problem so far has been the conflicting advice that we get from the FCO and the Thai embassies in UK and Thai, which is a bit frustrating so we’re stuck here until we know it’s okay to move.”The coup, following months of growing tension after a controversial election, has been condemned internationally but welcomed by many Thais.Gavin says the Thai people have been impeccably polite with revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej apologising to tourists for the inconvenience. “That’s the thing with the land of smiles . . . even the military takeovers are done politely!” he joked.Gavin is a technical troubleshooter who has played in bands around Oldham for 15 years, including Lovechild and State of Confusion, while Suzie (33) is a recruitment consultant. Sue said 'Since the military coup I have had nowhere to plug my straighteners into' and Gavin remarked that he wished he had breathed in on the above picture and would like to reassure Chron readers that at the time the photo was taken, he had indeed ate 'All the pies'.
A CHADDERTON couple are watching history unfold after becoming caught up in Thailand’s bloodless military coup.
Gavin Munro and Suzie Holt, of Broadway — who are six weeks into a six-month round-the-world holiday — initially thought fellow travellers were getting rowdy after hearing the noise in Bangkok from a backpackers’ hostel on Koh Sahn Road.They were shocked to see tanks and soldiers in the streets as the coup’s leader Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin moved his men in to oust absent prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The couple are now trapped in their hostel but say there has been no violence or panic so far.Gavin (33) said: “Soldiers with automatic rifles were slowing down cars and observing their contents through the window. Some roadblocks had big machine guns on tripods.“The locals are calling it a revolution, the officials a coup. The Thais are some of the friendliest people I’ve met and they’re all in favour of what happened, although are a little reluctant to talk about it.“Some seem a bit wary that if Thaksin comes back there may be trouble, but as yet there is no sign of any civil unrest. The only problem so far has been the conflicting advice that we get from the FCO and the Thai embassies in UK and Thai, which is a bit frustrating so we’re stuck here until we know it’s okay to move.”The coup, following months of growing tension after a controversial election, has been condemned internationally but welcomed by many Thais.Gavin says the Thai people have been impeccably polite with revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej apologising to tourists for the inconvenience. “That’s the thing with the land of smiles . . . even the military takeovers are done politely!” he joked.Gavin is a technical troubleshooter who has played in bands around Oldham for 15 years, including Lovechild and State of Confusion, while Suzie (33) is a recruitment consultant. Sue said 'Since the military coup I have had nowhere to plug my straighteners into' and Gavin remarked that he wished he had breathed in on the above picture and would like to reassure Chron readers that at the time the photo was taken, he had indeed ate 'All the pies'.
posted by SuenGav @ 9/22/2006 08:06:00 pm
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