Bangkok creeps back to life after Thai-style coup

BANGKOK: An uneasy calm settled over Bangkok Friday as one of the world´s most vibrant cities crept back to life after a night-time curfew imposed by the military as part of a very Thai coup.

The capital´s usual morning gridlock was relieved as schools were shuttered following an army order, but many people returned to work as normal, stopping at food stalls which opened following the end of the curfew at 5:00 am (2200 GMT Thursday).In contrast to the last coup in 2006, there were no tanks on the streets and only a limited deployment of soldiers at key buildings. The direct impact has been felt by senior politicians who were ordered to report to the military. But for the public at large, the curfew was met with a very Thai dose of humour and stoicism in a city whose recent history has been pock-marked by political unrest. For Thanakan Chalaemprasead the most distressing aspects of the coup so far are the loss of his favourite television shows -- after the army ordered the suspension of normal programming -- and the early closure of the city´s ubiquitous 7/11 stores.

"I was hungry... but I only had instant noodles at home," the 21-year-old mechanic said."There was also nothing on television... if the army wants us to stay home, they should have at least let us watch something."

Instead, televisions and radios blared patriotic music punctuated by statements from a stern-faced military spokesman.

Overnight the commercial heart of the city, famed among foreign holidaymakers for its 24-hour beat, was reduced to a near ghost town, with only the occasional tuk-tuk or taxi plying the roads as the curfew descended.

A smattering of bars breached the order serving beers to bemused tourists, most of whom were holed up in their hotels.