King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has been on the Thai throne for 60 years and is “highly revered” according to Husby, apparently approved the military’s ouster of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was in New York City at the time. General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin was named to head the temporary government.
“Schools, government agencies and businesses have all reopened,” reports Covenant missionary Doug Johnson, who with his wife, Carolyn, work out of Roi et. “Life is normal where we are up country. The events are distant from us, though locals still have feelings about the events. Things remain quiet in Bangkok – traffic remains lighter than usual.”
Despite the coup, Covenant missionaries have been able to carry on their work in the nation where 94 percent of the people consider themselves Buddhist, Husby says. World Mission work in the region includes expanding Tilapia fish farms and developing crafts businesses to help improve the economic lives of Thai citizens.
The coup is the eighteenth in Thailand since World War II. The latest takeover had been rumored for weeks, as Shinawatra had been pressured to step down over accusations of abusing his power.
“The current military leader is a Muslim in a country with only about five percent Muslims,” Husby says. “It has been suggested that he was appointed to lead the military in order to bring resolution to the Muslim uprising in the south.” He also has a close relationship with the king, which Shinawatra does not.
Covenant News Service will continue to update the situation as warranted and as additional information becomes available. To learn more about the Covenant’s work in Thailand, visit the World Mission homepage at Thailand. To read an earlier account of the uprising, see Thailand Coup.
