Re: “Between democracy and authoritarianism”, Opinion, April 10
If I read the writer’s opinion correctly, I would say he is giving a warning, that Thailand is somewhere between a rock and a hard place with the West (that is, America) and the Asian East.
I realise that America under Barack Obama scares a lot of people, myself included, but let’s not burn any bridges with America for the next two years, and see what we get with the next administration.
At the same time, take a look at what you can expect by cozying up to the likes of China, Russia, and most East Asian neighbours.
Russia: Authoritarian, and don’t think for one minute they are not communist.
China: Dictatorship, and for sure communist.
North Korea, Laos, Myanmar: All of the above.
If you want to pattern the future of Thailand with the above mentioned East, then I suggest you get out your Oxford, or Webster online dictionary, scroll down to the words starting with “D”, then scroll down to “Democracy”, delete, and jot in “Dictatorship”, because that is where you are surely headed.
Farang Observer
Throwing it away
Drought? Drought did you say? Where? In Thailand?
Along the highway in Prachin Buri I saw more water being wasted from continually running open hoses than probably a whole day of Rocky Mountain run-off.
Even funnier was the Disneyland-style law that no water should be thrown from those 100-litre drums on pickup trucks during the Songkran festival.
I wonder who thought that prohibition up? The guy must have been a pre-Songkran drunk.
I can weep when I think of how some people have so little regard for what His Majesty the King advocated: To think about others and the good of the country before one thinks of oneself.
Jack Gilead
Tradition submerged
Re: “Revellers ready to make creative Songkran splash”, Business, April 13.
The water battle festival was distorted from the original Songkran, which is about the young paying respect to their elders.
But the water wars have been popular among foreigners and these days the old Songkran tradition is forgotten, even by many Thai youth.
Nonetheless, I wish the government would designate separate holidays for the water throwing festival and keep Songkran a traditional one.
In doing so, it should slap a ban on water throwing on streets and in public compounds on traditional Songkran days, with violators facing severe punishment.
This will help preserve the tradition as we know it and still bring some more foreign currencies from a crazy event without worrying that it will destroy Thai tradition.
RH Suga
Check the maid story
Re: “Maid’s lawyer seeks new team for ‘slave’ probe”, (BP, April 12).
Indeed it would be prudent for authorities to get the “story within the story” regarding this case.
Surely there is more to the tale than the one-sided account presented by the World Health Organisation representative, Yonas Tegegn, and his wife, to Pak Kret police.
It is inconceivable that any maid would “forget” to take her passport with her when fleeing a place of employment for whatever reason, unless perhaps she was in fear for her physical safety. There seems a strong likelihood that indeed Ms Annet’s passport was not in her possession as asserted.
Police say they have abandoned the probe as the maid's complaints of ill-treatment by her employer fails to stack up.
But if, as it seems, Dr Tegegn’s yarn lacks credibility with respect to the disposition of Ms Annet’s passport, other parts of his account warrant further in-depth investigation as well.
Samanea Saman
Sweet solution
I agree with Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Yuthavong’s idea of asking hotels to cut the packets of sugar to one teaspoon instead of two (BP, April 10).
According to ''half-sachet Mango’’ in his April 13 letter, everyone uses the present full sachets, which is generalising, as I am sure many people use one teaspoon of sugar in their coffee.
I always leave half the sugar in the packet on the saucer.
To me that is a waste, as no doubt it will get thrown away. If you require two teaspoons, just use two packets. Simple.
Peter Comerford
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