You know it's a pretty sorry coup when...

... you see this:



I'm nearly certain this is the weirdest picture I've ever taken.

I'm not sure if these soldiers were stationed as a result of the coup, or if they simply guard the king's nearby palace. But if a gaggle of junior high school girls can gigglingly ask to pose for photos with their assault rifles, then clearly Thailand, coup notwithstanding, just ain't all that militarized. That the soldiers unloaded the guns before handing military weaponry to adolescents makes this less startling - but not by all that much.

PS: I was supposed to get all my blog posts from Bangkok up this weekend, but I spent the entire time wandering around town looking at temples instead. So sue me. Pretty pictures will ensue.