'No panic,' Filipino in Bangkok says

MANILA, Philippines - A Filipino working in Bangkok on Tuesday said that apart from the "curfew" that was implemented by the Thai military, there was "no panic" in the capital.

Richard Allan Aquino, who works as associate editor at Ensign Media in Bangkok, told philSTAR.com in a chat on Facebook that nothing has changed in the capital.

"It's still the same.  There's a curfew though. The SkyTrain (train system) stops operating at 9 p.m. as curfew is 10 p.m. Even 7-11  stores  close at 10 p.m., while malls at 8 p.m.," Aquino said.

He added that bank operations remain normal, but foreigners are advised to carry their identifications cards or a copy of their passports all the time "just to be safe".

"Those going to the airport are exempted from the curfew. I heard that you just need to present your passport and ticket to the checkpoints and that there are taxi cabs with sticker that are authorized to bring passengers to the airport during the 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew," he said.

Aquino, who moved to Bangkok in January, said he lives in the Sukhumvit area, where his office is also located, and that the area is peaceful.

"My residence is four train stations away from my office, and two stations away from the Philippine Embassy," he said.

The Philippine Embassy on Thailand posted on Facebook on Thursday  that it is advising Filipinos to "exercise extreme caution and vigilance and observe precautionary measures."

Measures cited are: remaining indoors for the duration of the curfew; avoiding non-essential movements within Thailand; refraining from taking part in protests and other political activities; following security instructions by the authorities; and contacting the Embassy for emergencies.

After six months of political deadlock, protests and deadly violence, Thailand's military seized power in a coup and scrapped the constitution on Thursday. It was the country's second coup in eight years and 12th since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932. Here's a summary of events and a guide to understanding what is happening.

The coup leaders have summoned former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Cabinet members and anti-government protest leaders and said Saturday that they would be detained for up to a week to give them "time to think" and to keep the country calm.

The army said the detainees were being well-treated and that the aim of the military was to achieve a political compromise.

The military also summoned 35 other people, including more politicians, political activists and, for the first time, outspoken academics and journalists, to "maintain peace and order." - with a report from AP