Re: “Ex-ministers defend Yingluck on YouTube”, (BP, Jan 17)
The four former ministers — who gave answers to questions posed by the National Legislative Assembly that were supposed to be answered personally by former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra — have done more damage to her.
It shows leadership and responsibility is utterly lacking among this group of people. It also shows Ms Yingluck is not a true and decisive leader as we have been led to believe. There are two pertinent questions that these former ministers failed to give clear answers to, or were trying to obfuscate:
First, why did the Yingluck government allow corruption to spread so fast and so wide that hundreds of billions of baht was lost in such a short period of time? Second, good policies on commodity trade must involve the government working in tandem with the private sector.
Many countries in the West (including the US) do it by signalling the traders and exporters to give good prices to farmers, and the government directly compensates the buyers with cash. But in the case of the Yingluck government’s rice price-pledging scheme, free traders and exporters were cut off from the programme. Why?
Hence, if Ms Yingluck is left untouched in this case, Thailand’s rice policy will be in an even nastier mess.
Vint Chavala
Unvarnished truth
Re: “Crusading journo quits Thailand”, Online, Jan 17
“The harassment of Andy (Hall), Alan (Morison) and Chutima (Sidasathian) has no place in a country calling itself free,” Andrew Drummond wrote.
“Thailand’s inability to take criticism, and its greatly flawed justice system, are major handicaps to its progress.”
The above from Mr Drummond is the unvarnished truth. Without journalists like Mr Drummond, Thailand will undoubtedly suffer further injustice.
It is a shame he has been forced to leave the Kingdom; he will be greatly missed.
Michael Setter
Bang Saray
Like it or lump it
As a Canadian, I’d suggest Ron Dale’s letter, “Queue jump back to Canada”, on Jan 18, be taken with a grain of salt and a smile.
A reformed smoker is worse than anyone who smokes. A religious convert is more fervent than one who is born into the religion.
So it goes with many so-called “foreigners” who live here too long. They become overly “Thai-ised”, to coin a word.
This seems to be the case with Ron Dale. For him not to see or recognise what goes on around him, or in the country, shows myopia on a grand scale.
Many people see what they only want to see, especially those who have been here a while.
Canada has the same problems as Thailand — queue jumpers, bad drivers, rude taxi drivers, corrupt politicians, rude people, violent people and, yes, even corrupt police.
I’ve paid lots of “tea money” to police on rural Ontario roads who seem to think they caught a “city slicker” in their territory, and accused me of unfounded vehicle violations just because they could.
PostBag is a forum for everyone, including complainers. (When was the last time one read a whole PostBag where there were only good and positive things printed?)
PostBag is the Hyde Park soap box for many of us, and I for one am happy it exists, regardless of the nature or severity of the complaints.
Ron Dale suggests Sam Willis return to Canada if he doesn’t like it here. I’d suggest Sam stay, and that Ron Dale return instead.
Ontario Mango
Lumpini surprise
The article in your Saturday edition concerning Lumpini Park was of interest to me as I have spent many good hours walking, running and even dancing in that great green asset to Bangkok.
I am concerned about its welfare.
However, I wonder about those who evaluate its condition as the article indicated the park is home to eight species of mammals, including “lizards, turtles and snakes”.
Excuse me, but the aforementioned creatures are reptiles, not mammals.
H C McCaffrey
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