Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing something of a hot topic insofar as it is kind of a hot potato topic if you will regarding coups in Thailand. I'm not going to go too far into detail about coups themselves because the thrust of this video actually goes in a slightly different direction. But people have asked me over the years what I think about it; do I get upset, does it sort of bother my sensibilities, the notion of coups. It doesn't really bother me at all. Thailand has had a number of them -I shouldn't say it doesn't bother me at all - I think of it like weather okay? It's like a tornado. Where I am from in Kansas we have tornadoes, they happen. You don't want them to happen but how do you stop tornadoes? You don't, you just deal with the aftermath and I kind of look at coups in a similar way out here, it is just sort of something, I get it, outsiders don't really sort of understand it but it is just kind of something that is uniquely sort of systemically part of the Thai polity. Now that being said, again not necessarily something you necessarily want to encourage, but at the same time getting upset about something that is basically for lack of a better term, almost baked into the cake if you will, I don't see the point in that. 

That said, the thrust of this video as I said, is kind of going a different way and what do I mean by that? Well I thought of making this video after reading a really good article in the Pattaya Mail that is pattayamail.com. I think Barry Kenyon actually wrote this one, tip of the hat to him. I have read his stuff for years and he's very insightful. This is an article worth reading, but that said I am going to quote a small excerpt. The article is titled: Anti-coup plans not finalized says Defense Minister. Again, the thrust of this video goes a different way and I urge those who are watching this video go check out that article for more insight. That said, quoting directly: "The next general election is slated for 2027 with some polls suggesting very strong and enduring support for radical policies. Given the coup-culture which is still entwined into Thai culture and even expectations, that could be a challenging year." Yeah and this is the point of the video. 

I find it interesting, especially new people that are out here who haven't been here very long and by very long I mean haven't been here more than call it 5 years, there is certain kinds of conversations that they have and it's like "oh do you think there could be a coup?" Well look, the way I look at it, 2027 it is a good point in time that is being elucidated here because we have a sitting Parliament right now. We have had an election, a legitimate Parliament has now opened, Parliament is open, we've got a functional Government and that appears to be the case moving forward likely all the way to 2027. 2027 would be the next inflection point and that is important because what are you worried about right now? At the end of the day, folks that are looking to invest here, live here, move here, 2027 will take care of 2027 but it's a long time off. And especially for tourists, I think frankly and I could be wrong, but I think frankly right now we are arguably in one of the more placid periods Thailand will have seen for a number of years, maybe decades in terms of the forthcoming roughly 3 years because again we have a sitting Parliament. I don't see where we see a situation unfolding at least from what I can see in the immediately foreseeable future, and even further out than that, that anybody's going to feel the need to engage in any coup-like behaviour. 

So the reason for this video if nothing else, there's a great line in the show Star Trek the Next Generation where there was a strife in the Klingon Empire and a new Emperor was installed and that is a scene where his opposition says: "One day the Duras will rule the Empire." And he says, I think his name was Gowron, he says: “Perhaps, but not today." And that's the thing I am trying to really point out here especially for folks that are looking to come to Thailand for their first time, I can understand. Outsiders, the whole notion of a coup makes them uneasy. Having been through one myself over here, and having studied the aftermath of the prior one, the immediate aftermath when I first came here, at the end of the day I stand by what I said earlier, I look at it like weather. It is, “what are you going to do about it?” and you just kind of have to deal with the aftermath but the point I am trying to bring up is I don't think it's going to happen today or anytime soon, if it happens at all, ever again.