Re: “Stress, sleep woes take toll on nurses” (BP, Feb 6).
I can confirm and support the frightening report conducted by the Nurses Council into the critical state of Thai nurses’ health.
My wife suffered and still does from every symptom described in this hellish litany, including the dreaded big C (cancer). Luckily it was detected early, and no full mastectomy was necessary. Yet the painful scars are there to prove it.
I feel guilty every time she comes home from work, absolutely exhausted and stressed. That is why we are planning for her to retire early. And the Thai health service will lose another great and experienced nurse.
Unfortunately we cannot afford to live on my meagre English pension. We are anxiously awaiting the time when she will retire early, hoping she will survive the next two years in reasonable health. If she does retire prematurely, she loses the pension. She cannot risk losing it, and why should she, considering that she will hopefully live at least 35 years after that?
Please start an urgent, massive campaign to help nurses.
Isan Proofreader
No meter, no worries
I recently met a couple of friends visiting Thailand when they arrived at Suvarnabhumi. After the initial greeting we went off to find the taxi rank.
I was a bit bemused by the new machines and long queue, but it quickly went down and within minutes we are standing at a ticket machine. Two very lively and helpful attendants were there. One spotted the amount of luggage my friends had and signalled a move up to the next machine for vans.
He operated the machine for us and gave us the ticket for lane one. A lane one driver came over and directed us to his van which was parked where it should be.
We all got in and the driver showed me a laminated card with 700 baht written in big print on the top. “No meter?” I inquired. “This van, no meter,” was the reply.
I was happy with that. The thought of struggling to get three large people and three large cases into a standard Bangkok taxi had been a worry for me.
We went all the way to the Southern Bus Station through some horrendous traffic. I handed over 700 baht at the end of the journey. No request was made for 50 baht airport fee. I was very happy with the entire Suvarnabhumi experience.
It’s easy to knock Thailand when they get things wrong, but equally we should be prepared to give credit where it’s due when they do something right.
Hua Hin Paul
Get Churchill facts straight
Re: “Criminal Churchill” (PostBag, Feb 7).
Francois Dor needs to brush up on his history. In 1940 France sided with Germany against Britain and was actively fighting the British in North Africa, other parts of Africa, Palestine, Syria and Iraq. British soldiers and sailors were being killed by the French. A French officer even shot some British sailors in Portsmouth harbour.
The sinking of the French fleet was a necessity to avoid the French Vichy, and pro-Nazi, government handing it over to the Germans.
If anyone was a “criminal bastard” it was the French government who turned on their one time ally after abjectly surrendering to the Germans. Many French soldiers who had been helped by the British to escape at Dunkirk turned on their saviours, returned to France and fought against them.
Churchill was passionately pro-French. Churchill ensured that Britain stood up (alone) against tyranny and the Nazis. This in turn ensured Germany’s eventual defeat.
Had Britain surrendered, Hitler could have turned all his armed might against the Russians and defeated them well before the US eventually joined in as a result of Pearl Harbor, when Germany and Japan declared war on the US.
Jerry Friend
Tread carefully, Prayut
The latest news that the interim government is to seek military alliances with powers other than the US is understandable given that country’s unwarranted interference in Thailand’s internal affairs, which can only make Thai reconciliation much more difficult.
Since World War II, history has shown that US foreign policy is not concerned with human rights or democracy in other countries, as evidenced by their current approval of Saudi Arabia and Egypt (and many more dictatorial regimes over the years).
They will actively support whichever side they are most easily able to control and bend to their wishes.
Gen Prayut, however, should tread carefully.
History has also shown that they will stop at nothing in (try not to laugh) the defence of the United States, and generally have had the power and wherewithal, legal or otherwise, to get their own way in the end.
Tony Ash
Cha-am
Wrong end of the stick
Re: “Stick close to Asia” (PostBag, Feb 7).
I realise you have the right to edit PostBag letters, but that should not change the meaning of what was written.
Two words were added to my letter, which changed the meaning of what I originally wrote.
The meaning of my letter is that if Thailand cuts the US out, then it will certainly become just another Banana Republic. The edits to the letter imply the opposite.
Farang Observer
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