Doesn't sound good

Looks like the Thai military has staged its first coup since 1991. I don't know a lot about the Thai government and it does sound as if the coup was pretty bloodless. Still, this doesn't sound good:

In Thailand, announcements on state-run television signed by the coup
leader, army commander Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, said that martial law had
been declared and the 1997 constitution had been revoked.
[...]
Thailand's army banned political gatherings of more than five people, the
Reuters news agency reported. The cable TV operator shut down broadcasting of
international channels. Local TV stations showed images of tanks.

YIKES! Hmm, revoking the constitution, cutting off international TV, and showing martial images on state TV -- sounds ominous to me.

I'm sorry to admit it, but I wouldn't be following this story as closely as I am if not for the fact that Thailand Jeff just headed back that way last week. Even so, I doubt I'd have been overly concerned, as he tells me that little of the "Thai trouble" reaches up his way, but evidently he's still in Bangkok taking care of some business before heading home. Er, Bangkok is where all this is happening, right? Again, YIKES!

This morning, however, I got an email from TJ. He says the TV stations are back (except for international news) and there was a lengthy report on the coup in the morning paper. Of course the military likely controlled what went into the paper, but evidently Thais still have internet access so I can't imagine the military could have pulled a North Korea type propoganda effort. Oh the other hand, might they have blocked internet access to international news as well? I think that's a good bit harder to do than blocking TV signals, but I just don't know. Jeff said all the foreigners are lined up at internet cafes trying to get word out, so I don't know if anyone is worrying about checking international news.

All-in-all it doesn't sound too bad, but I just get nervous about military coups. It's kind of a rule I have: I don't talk to other guys while standing at a urinal in a bathroom and get nervous when the military seizes power.