He happened to have been in Singapore during the World Bank/International Monetary Fund meeting and recalled the sight of soldiers on the streets. In their hands were assault rifles held at port arms. And notably, there were no smiles on their faces.

Upon his arrival in Bangkok on the day after the coup, he was surprised not to see army troops in battle gear massed at Don Muang International Airport - the point where all visitors should be checked for security reasons. What he saw were a few guards lounging about "as if they were getting ready to drink or play cards".

Topping this surprise was the scene of soldiers guarding The Nation's compound on Bangna-Trat Highway. Like their colleagues who are still posted at key buildings across Bangkok, they wore helmets and carried M-16 without clips. They were alert but also quick to return any smiles given by passers-by.

"Is there really a coup?" my friend asked.

I don't know either. Without soldiers, tanks and occasional announcements on television and radio, I would not believe that there had been a coup and that Thailand is under martial law.

Seeing people rush to take photos with the tanks and smiling soldiers was another surprise. My colleagues hurried downstairs to snap photos with the troops, in the fear that if they didn't do it now, the soldiers would be transferred back to their provincial bases soon.

Indeed, if these soldiers were allowed to collect money from civilians who approached for photo ops, they'd all be rich by now.

The Royal Thai Army could also get money from all those clamouring to pose for photos with tanks. Say, Bt20 per photo? That could be used for army procurements, saving a lot of taxpayers' money.

Do unto others ...

At the Red Cross museum in Geneva, I learnt that all religions in the world contain a provision that tells followers not to return anger with anger. They should forgive one another and live for the sake of harmony.

But how many people understand these teachings and follow them wholeheartedly?

In Thailand, after the coup, those who claimed to have been threatened by the Thaksin government's policies have voiced vengeance against the former prime minister.

One vengeance-seeking group was activists who protested against the gas pipeline construction in Songkhla. They wholeheartedly welcomed the coup, saying that it was good to strip the previous government of political power.

That's fine. But what shocked me is they proposed that the reform group seize Thaksin's assets. Without enough evidence to show that all of his money is dirty, this sounds like pure vengeance.

achara_d@nationgroup.com