School is closed due to the revolution!

[Jpurple]

That is, in fact, exactly what was said to me on the phone this morning. All the office staff were phoning to make sure everyone stayed home. Apparently, the army has taken over Bangkok, declared martial law, and made today a holiday- all banks, schools and the stock market are shut down.
My first thought -Wow! That's the closest Bangkok will ever get to a snow day! (Maybe its a Canadian thing...)
Anyway, we're fine, because we're far enough out of the city that we haven't seen or heard anything. It's annoying to try to get news because all the T.V stations are shut down, but considering no one knows of anyone who is still on the Prime Minister's side, I expect it will all be over pretty quickly. (That and the king seems to have given the army the go-ahead. I think outside news sources are underestimating the power the king still has- if he said the sky was purple, then all Thais would insist that the sky is purple and has always been so...)

In the meantime, does anyone have any funny ways they were phoned to tell them not to come in to work? I'd love some entertainment on my unexpected day off.

[Gurndigarn]

In the meantime, does anyone have any funny ways they were phoned to tell them not to come in to work? I'd love some entertainment on my unexpected day off.

I had my own revolution once. It had actualy been going on for a week, but then in the middle of the night, it packed up and flew to the capital city... where I was.

[Ringtail Z28]

During the 2003 firestorm I didn't have class for like a whole week. I got sent home early a couple of days from work because management realized that eight hours of pushing carts in the ash-filled toxic air was a little unhealthy.

[TNT]

I don't suppose I'll ever have a story that will top, "Um... don't come in today because the government has been overthrown."

I'd have to go back many generations for that one... two of my ancestors fought in the American Revolution. The Brits haven't given us much trouble since around 1815, and since then, things have been pretty predictable in these parts (outside of that unpleasantness with our Southern provinces).

I hope everything's okay where you are.

[Spiffy McMoron]

I'm glad that you're safe, JPurple. I thought of you when I first heard the news on the television, but then I wasn't quite sure if you were affected by it (I couldn't remember if you were in Thailand, or another southeast Asian country. )

I still had to go to school but I remember one day where my parents got a phone call saying that I would have to find a different way to school that day. The reason? My school bus was sriving down the highway when it came over a hill, and hit a horse that was in the middle of the road.

I drove by the bus later, and nobody won in that fight.

[Antisocial_Worker]

I still had to go to school but I remember one day where my parents got a phone call saying that I would have to find a different way to school that day. The reason? My school bus was sriving down the highway when it came over a hill, and hit a horse that was in the middle of the road.

I drove by the bus later, and nobody won in that fight.

Speaking of any sort of fight, I have an uncle who was a bus driver, and who was called in early one day to help get the kids home due to a riot.

[repsac]

The best I've ever had was
Me: Hey, Manager around? Yeah? lemme talk at him. (waits) Hey, listen, I'm caught. Freight train doing some switching down town. Looks like I'll be here a bit. Yeah. I'll be late...

(LOUD sound of a BANG and some metal screeching.)

Manager: what the HELL was that? Are you Ok?"

Me: Uh yeah. Remember the train? Yeah, well it just derailed...

Manager: Take the day off, and change your underpants.



Couple box cars had derailed, deciding that they would MUCH rather try rolling on the street as opposed to the tracks. It only took a short time for the railroad to drag the cars clear of a crossing, but I ended up with a three day weekend because of it.

[ArenaBoy]

In early 2003, we had a nasty icestorm. And by nasty, power was out all over the county except for my neighborhood (We were without cable but I didn't really care). The school board decided to go ahead with school despite the fact that trees are falling all over the place and there's an advisory to not go anywhere. At the last minute, they cancelled school. My parents were pissed that day at the school board. I had a 5 day weekend because of that storm.

[lordlundar]

I was reading about that revolution in the paper today. Kudos on your King still having so much pull as he does. The paper I read was saying how many coups he's endorsed and refused to endorse. All the ones he's supported succeded and all the ones he was against failed. Very cool And very cool that it was done without firing a shot.

to Repsacs story. I had something similar. One day, heading to work, first bus got in a t-bone bump. (nothing serious, but I had to wait for the next one)

Second bus I usually take, about a block away from the store, there was a major collision. I had to get off after a while and head to the store (I was late as it was).

I told my sup if something else happened before I got there, I would find the nearest phone, call in and say that I wasn't coming in due to an Act of God. We then started joking about coming up to a fire in the store.

[Moirae]

I had to read that three times and I still don't even have the words....

[Barefootgirl]

I'm glad you're OK, jpurple. The Thai prime minister is in the UK, right now, and BBC news says things are getting back to normal (or something approaching normal). I am just glad this was a virtually bloodless coup. I wonder if the army will honour its promise to reinstate democratic elections.

[Jpurple]

The coup itself was entirely bloodless- it's just the madness down south that's been bloody. The newspaper today says we're supposed to have a temporary prime minister appointed in two weeks, and then a proper election by next October, so that sounds pretty good, assuming all goes to plan.

And yeah, you wouldn't believe how much power the King still has- pretty much anything he says, goes, even though he technically has no power in the government. We're wondering if the former prime minister will come back to Thailand or just take refuge elsewhere- they're determined to make him stand trial for corruption when he gets back in the country, from the last reports.