PostBag
I had occasion to use the new Airport Bus Service last week. Whilst these are expensive, well-appointed vehicles, their design is quite impractical. The passengers were faced with no less than five high steps to reach the floor of the bus whilst trying to manipulate heavy suitcases. I suspect both the bus body designer and the official who authorised the purchase do not use airport buses; had they done so these vehicles would never have been assembled in the first place.
SCOTTISH BRIAN
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Blame owners, not dogs
This is in response to Nils Wright who wrote "Killer dogs must die" (Postbag, Aug 18). It is time to look at irresponsible dog owners instead of just blaming dogs.
On so many occasions in this country, I have seen people parading their pit bulls, rottweilers, German shepherds and other large breeds, without the least bit of control over their dogs. They are usually running around being led on a leash by the dog, instead of the other way around.
In choosing a dog, it must fit your personality and lifestyle. If you can't lead your dog, your dog will lead you - it is their natural pack instinct!
What happened was a tragedy, but if they had received the right training that they are hopefully now going to get, this tragedy might have been avoided.
I was happy that the dogs got some mercy and a chance to do some good; killing them would just be an added tragedy. Dogs are not calculating murderers; powerful breeds need powerful and knowledgeable owners.
Hopefully there will be more responsible dog owners who choose dogs not just to show them off, but ones they can control in a humane way.
DIANA L
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Like every other fugitive
What is it with all this complaining by a group of PPP MPs that Samak Sundaravej failed to protect the dignity of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra?
What "dignity" could they possibly be referring to? The man has jumped bail, fled to a foreign country and currently is a fugitive. There is an arrest warrant out for him. I believe it is common practice that arrest warrants are routinely distributed to police stations and immigration points nationwide. And, frankly, they ought to be if they are supposed to serve their purpose, i.e. to alert all authorities concerned that the person in the warrant is to be arrested on sight.
Instead, those MPs decried the practice, calling it an attempt by the national police to vilify and discredit Mr Thaksin. Come on, get real, you childish fools! The man is being treated just like every other fugitive, not better, not worse.
THOMAS SCHMID
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The system is at fault
I have read a lot of criticism from just about everyone about how Thaksin and his wife have fled Thai justice. I submit that it is not Thaksin, but Thailand's justice system that has failed.
Thaksin, like him or not, crook or not, was a democratically and legally elected PM who was removed from office at the point of a gun. Was that just? Is that Thai justice in action?
In any democracy with an ounce of justice, an elected leader can only be removed from office by impeachment followed by a fair trial and a democratic vote in parliament to convict him of the accusations. If the opposition cannot defeat him that way, they must defeat him in an election. Tanks in Bangkok is hardly the just and right way to do things.
Now the self-righteous people who subverted justice and democracy, illegally and violently overthrowing him in a coup d'etat with all the look of a personal vendetta, are seeking to punish him and his family further? These people are hardly on the side of right and justice. In fact, had their coup failed, they'd likely be in prison - and justly so.
Anyone interested in Thailand and justice should re-examine this whole episode, starting with the overthrow of their democratically elected leader and all that has followed it.
DANNY BOY
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Parks and litterbugs
The number of visitors to our national parks during high season is 47% above what they should be, and each visitor leaves behind a half kilo of garbage, seriously threatening the parks' ecology. I propose a holistic approach to the problem.
Sell a limited number of tickets per day, with high season tickets costing, say, double those of low season. For a small park, we could have morning or afternoon tickets at reduced prices. Tickets for overnight stays would cost double those of day trip tickets. The price of a low season ticket would equal the average cost of maintaining the park as is, and the premium for high season would go towards park development and weekday subsidies for targeted groups, e.g. students in uniform, low-income people and seniors.
Since foreign tourists pay all Thai taxes for which they are liable, I see no justification in charging foreigners more than Thais.
Sell tickets over the internet as well as at the gate, to enable advance planning by visitors.
Chinese parks have found a most effective way to reduce litter to almost nil: anybody littering is given a big bag and not allowed to proceed until he/she has filled the bag with garbage picked up from the ground. In China you cannot pay a fine in lieu of your public service.
However, as a reward to the vigilant ranger who catches the litterbug, I propose a 100-baht fine in addition to filling the bag. (Of course, these penalties must be well-publicised at entrances and on tickets.)
Enjoy our parks, but make sure others can, too.
BURIN KANTABUTRA
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Choice is necessary
Martin and David Parr (Postbag, Aug 18) are correct that there should be free viewing of the Olympics in the Thai language for the Thai population. However, it is not just the lack of accessibility to international TV which is at issue here, but also the quality of the reporting.
I am not English but I enjoyed life in Britain for 33 years and was able to watch sports and other events in a number of European languages via satellite. The same would be the case if I resided in Germany or France. There is no reason why this choice should not be made available in a country like Thailand.
HORST BULLINGER
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