Re: ''Dam activist hits the road... all 388km of it,'' (BP, Sept 15).
The fight against the Mae Wong dam project has gone up a notch or two. The Seub Nakhasathien Foundation's secretary-general, Sasin Chalermlarp, has embarked on a march to Bangkok from Nakhon Sawan province in a protest against the construction of this dam.
A big thumbs-up for the conservationists, as that's a long way through some tough weather at the moment and they are supposed to arrive in town tomorrow.
I hope the momentum of this protest will continue to grow, much like the massive demonstration in the 1980s which brought the Nam Choan dam in Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary to a halt, saving one of Thailand's World Heritage Sites from destruction.
For those who are not convinced of the threats posed by a dam, they should visit places like Rajaprabha dam (Chiew Larn reservoir, which was built in 1986) in Khao Sok National Park in Surat Thani and see for themselves the damage that has taken place.
When water is released from this dam, the stench is horrendous all the way down-stream. Claims that the dam will benefit farming are just empty promises.
Dam construction actually benefits loggers more. As soon as a dam is constructed, people will start cutting down trees in the designated site. Usually, the remaining forest is under threat from poachers. This will be the case for the Mae Wong dam.
How can the politicians think of destroying one of Thailand's last remaining tiger reserves? It just boggles the mind!
NATURE LOVER
Tigers get roar deal
Re: ''Manhunt snares alleged killer poacher'' (BP, Sept 14) and ''Killer poacher suspects to surrender'' (BP, Sept 15).
At least some effort is being made to catch poachers who continue to penetrate our last remaining tiger reserves for the bones of the greatest iconic wild species in Asia to supply the hideous ''traditional'' medicine trade. Until this trade ceases, the big cat will soon disappear.
It's difficult to fight poaching. A sack of tiger bones can fetch hundreds of thousands of baht, depending on the size and sex. The obsolete system of using ill-paid temporary rangers to carry out patrols once or twice a month just does not work.
As the poachers now turn to poison, it's not only tigers but also other species like leopards, bears, wild pigs, civets, porcupines and raptors that are also vulnerable.
A whole ecosystem could very well be wiped out.
Anak Pattanavibool, country programme director of the Wildlife Conservation Society has it right: there are not enough personnel and money to tackle poaching.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Department of National Parks need to set up a ranger school in the Central Plains region, with graduates employed as permanent rangers with good salaries and benefits.
They would be trained by Thailand's elite forces in all phases of warfare and other important skills and armed with up-to-date weapons to prepare them for the worst possible scenarios in the forests where they are to deal with poachers who use powerful guns.
Mark my words: if action is not taken now, tigers will disappear, possibly in my lifetime. A 100-200% increase in ranger numbers is needed now, not later.
TIGERMAN
US a force for good
I recently read several letters which have been critical of the United States. I ask those writers to consider the following points:
The US spent enormous sums of money to rebuild and militarily protect Germany and Japan after World War II, so they could become the economic and democratic success stories they are today.
A recent UN report claimed North Korea to be a gigantic chamber of horrors, with possibly 100,000 political prisoners suffering unspeakable tortures. Well, there's one area of the Korean Peninsula that has no gulags, no torture, and no starvation. It's a free and prosperous country called South Korea, and it exists today because 34,000 US soldiers died to protect it from a totalitarian regime.
America's constant pressure against Russian imperialism led to the breakup of the Soviet Union. Because of that pressure, nations from Slovakia to Kazahkstan to Mongolia are independent today.
The US has helped numerous countries with food and disaster relief aid, saving millions of lives.
Finally, what would the world look like without the contributions of Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Neil Armstrong, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Jonas Salk, Walt Disney, et al?
I'm curious to see if the writers who are critical of US actions can name another country which has come close to contributing so many positive things to the modern world.
BEN LEVIN
Spend, then vanish
Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva is right when he claims the 2.2-trillion-baht loan will put the country into debt for the next 50 years (''PM rules out dissolving House if bill fails'', BP, Sept 20). But then, Snow White and her mindless minions will not be around to be bothered about paying it off, will they?
They'll leave the debt for our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to cope with. And, at the rate national debt is rising, it might extend longer than the 50-year prediction. By that time, Thailand might be a province of China, just like Tibet.
YANKELEH
Growth not always good
Researcher Terdsak Chomtohsuwan suggested that single people should pay for a baby boom (''In the grey area'', Life, Sept 17).
It's proposed as a measure for a future population overladen with ageing people. The researcher suggested we would have insufficient young people to support them.
In Niger, the current population is approximately 17 million, similar to that of the Netherlands. The number of births per woman in Niger is 7.6, in the Netherlands it is 1.1. The population percentage of young people under 15 in Niger is 50%, in the Netherlands, 17%.
The Netherlands is one of the most economically successful countries in Europe, as well as one of the most densely populated. By the middle of this century the Netherlands' population is expected to increase by just 1 million. The population of Niger will almost quadruple to around 66 million.
Much of sub-Saharan Africa is, and has been for decades, reliant on food aid, and this, together with modern medicine and the lack of birth control, allow _ and in fact encourages _ high population growth and a perpetual dependency.
Niger would seem to fit Mr Terdsak's economic model quite well.
When suggesting worldwide birth control as being essential for our children's and their children's future, the retort is, ''How will you do that?''. Well, the first thing is to start talking about it, but it seems to be a taboo subject when it is the one thing people can change.
Climate change is a natural phenomenon over which we have no control: the threat of overpopulation is totally our responsibility. Economic growth, the theory of more and more, has no future.
JC WILCOX
Awaiting enlightenment
According to media reports, the government will give a review of its performance from August 2011-August 2012 on Tuesday next week, one year after it was due.
This could be for a number of reasons. Too much foreign travel, too little involvement in the decisions that were being taken to know what was going on, too little being committed to paper, too much information being confidential, too much time spent on non-government business, complete indifference to the duties of government, and writing fiction takes longer than reporting the facts.
This government promised openness. Perhaps we will be enlightened regarding the difficulties of production next week.
Meanwhile, revenue collection during the first 11 months of the 2013 fiscal year fell short of target by 1.2%, or 19.13 billion baht, said Somchai Sujjapongse, director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office. However, the amount was 2% higher than in the same period last year.
Hard to contradict, as we have not had the report on the previous year yet.
RICHARD BOWLER
Seeing red at crossings
Why does a red light seemingly mean ''go''?
I ask this because here in Pattaya, the number of vehicles driving through a red traffic light is increasing daily. I understand the confusion, as at some traffic lights, drivers can turn left on red, while at others they cannot. But there is no excuse for driving through the red light at pedestrian crossings. Since the system was installed, half the lights have never worked, and for the ones that do work, drivers refuse to stop. Now, three years on, the situation is getting more dangerous, as even more lights don't work and many motorists drive through red, beeping at pedestrians crossing on the green.
Pattaya police have signs everywhere, saying ''your safety is our priority''. If this is true, they need to start dealing with this basic safety issue, especially as the biggest offenders are buses and motorbike taxis.
City Hall also needs to explain why millions of baht was spent on pedestrian traffic lights which either have never been switched on or were faultily installed.
PATTAYA STOKIE
Follow HK shark fin ban
Hong Kong has a new official policy: No shark fin items served at official functions. Can Thailand follow suit?
Shark populations have plummeted. For example, off the coast of Baja, Mexico, there used to be profuse amounts of hammerhead sharks. Now they're gone. In their place are fishing boats from Asia.
In a similar vein, Thai officialdom doesn't allow monosodium glutamate to be used in official dinners which include farang guests.
Can Thai chefs show the same courtesy to us regular people?
KEN ALBERTSEN
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