OPINION

A live edit

In the news report of the green light for charter debates (BP, July 22), Election Commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn was quoted as saying: "The first TV debate on the draft charter will be taped today and will be broadcast on Monday."

The debates will be taped, not broadcast live, and be shown on ThaiPBS TV daily from Monday to Aug 5.

Now, let me give you the true translation from Thai to English.

"The debates will be taped starting today, and will be shown on ThaiPBS TV daily from 2pm-3pm on Monday to Aug 5. The debates will not be shown live, as we need time to do the editing before being shown on TV."

Sound familiar?

Thitinan Pongsudhirak in his article, "Turkish, Thai democracy and dictatorship," (BP, July 22) is unduly optimistic in claiming that military coups are becoming obsolete. Well, the recent Turkish coup was unbelievably incompetent as instanced by the putsch leaders' seizing only the least-watched state TV channel and seeming not to have heard at all of social media.

A 2015 YouGov poll in the United States found that almost half the respondents could envisage theoretically supporting a coup where the federal government was beginning to violate the constitution.

Step forward presidential hopeful Donald Trump, an ignoramus with utter contempt for the normal workings of democracy and a preference for twisting arms and encouraging waterboarding. If he does manage to win the November election, many Americans will soon turn to the US military to save civil rights and the constitution.

Thailand has weathered its last coup gracefully, without bloodshed, happy soldiers, and for the most part, a happy population. Everyone in Thailand during my last visit seemed to be going about his/her business without a care for politics or who runs what or how.

Now, Turkey on the other hand, bloodshed, arrests, unrest, with more to more to come. Where would you rather live, under a Turkish coup or a Thai coup? The decision is obvious. Thailand is still ahead. Thailand-1, Turkey-0.

For many years it has been obvious Thai producers have been quick to catch on to packaging scams that see small quantities put in large bags, but they have now added misleading printed descriptions to their arsenal.

On a recent quick shopping stop, my wife grabbed a bag of high-end 3-in-1 coffees which felt big and substantial. There was also a description that read 22g x 15s, which to a Thai speaker and reader means very little but which she assumed meant there were 22 sachets inside. On opening the giant bag we found some very large sachets which were maybe a fifth full of powder. And to her surprise only 15 in number.

The packaging was good quality. The content was probably a third of the weight of the packaging. Perhaps its time to insist that the contents be written in script large enough to read and in the language of the likely customer, helping to educate customers on just what they are paying for and how much they are getting for their hard-earned money.

Does Speeding Mango in his letter (PostBag, July 22) realise that police, however incompetent or corrupt, will take your licence, assuming you have one, if you are stopped and charged for any traffic "offence"?

Did the Red Bull heir hand over his licence, or is he presumably still driving ... somewhere? How many perpetrators of unnecessary, avoidable deaths are made to pay for their actions in Thailand? Do Mercedes and Ferrari drivers carry a "get out of jail free card"? Justice is a joke in Thailand.

After reading Eric Bahrt's response , "Danger of silly writing", (PostBag, July 22) to Charlie Brown's letter, I can only conclude that vegans have absolutely so sense of humour. Neither do the carrots in my garden.

But they're always worried about being eaten by Peter Rabbit. Perhaps Charlie is right. A good, medium-rare prime rib might help Eric Bahrt smile. In fact, the thought of a such a treat is making me smile … right now.

Join me for a steak, Charlie?

Jihadists have carried out attacks on Western targets since Sept 11, 2001, and include Madrid 2004, the 7/7 London bombings, the Boston Marathon 2013, Paris Nov 15, 2015, Brussels 2016, Orlando and now Nice. They indicate our adversaries, even lone wolves, are disciplined, coordinated and murderously rational.

The absence of humane philosophy and moral probity aids their mission to sow death, fear and suspicion. Worldwide attention to their atrocities validates their modus operandi, gaining fame and infamy at any cost, including the sacrifice of their lives and the lives of civilians. Their intention is to provoke vigilance and fear: "We can hit you at will, at any time and anywhere."

Terrorists and mass murderers are convinced that if western targets can be struck efficiently and consecutively, no amount of intelligence and security operations can prevent them from infiltrating nations.

It's a Medusa with many snakes that regrow as you attempt to another one off. However, the backlash against Muslims is a grave concern, not just in the United States, but also across the developed world.

We need to be aware of the majority of Muslims bearing the burden post-9/11 under the suspicion that ties them, broadly and unjustly, to criminal atrocities committed by killers linked to Islam.

Many Muslims are concerned that they have been tarred with the same brush of religious affiliation and that their safety is threatened. There is nothing wise about the urge to isolate and stigmatise the majority of Muslims, who want peace for all.

It was lovely watching Donald Trump's two sons taking enough time off from slaughtering elephants and cutting off their tails (hopefully after they're dead, but who knows?) to tell everyone at the Republican convention what a great inspiration and terrific dad Donald is.

Now I know why some animal species eat their young!

A Taiwanese friend arriving from London in the early hours of the morning a few days ago had to wait four hours to get a visa-on-arrival. It's about time that Suvarnabhumi airport, home of the national airline, improved itself before it's awarded the title of the world's most terrible airport.

Re: "Doing a Boris Johnson", (PostBag, July 20)

I hope the writer is proud of himself. He not only likens the UK's new Foreign Secretary to Hitler but brands anyone of a Tory persuasion a liar. I would remind Mr Bourne that it is the Remainers who are in denial and were far more guilty of a "fear and lies" campaign than anything said by the Leave vote. Jeremy Corbyn was a Eurosceptic for 35 years until he became leader of the party last year. What does that say about him?

I ask him, where is the financial meltdown and emergency budget? A fall of 10% in the value of the pound will in fact help exports, just ask the Japanese how desperate they are to see the yen lose some value.

I say this to all who deny the 1.3 million majority their victory: we voted leave for democracy, the right to make our own laws and the continuation of British culture.

We look outward to the whole world. We do not look inward to the nightmare of a single European/near-eastern state where laws are made by the unelected. Maybe that sounds familiar to Mr Bourne?

A little ditty penned after reading Mr Leo Bourne's "Doing a Boris Johnson," (PostBag, July 20):

The UK is an island-based nation, always full of innovation.

Second-largest EU economy, but fastest growing by some degree.

Even dragged down by EU legislation, far healthier than any other EU nation.

But selling pork pies by the dozen, that is currently "Tres Verboten".

Order 10 + 2 you must do, or Jean-Claude Juncker will be after you.

Finally the UK saw the light, and Boris Johnson led the fight.

Release from EU bureaucracy, control of our borders and a parliament free.

Democratically the UK had their vote, and "We Want Out!" is how they spoke.

Now Obama has bumped us up the line, and with either Trump or Hillary we will be fine.

A bright future for all in the UK is now ours to seize, and ten years down the line we will all be pleased.

So thank God for Tories strong and true and as for spineless Labour, we know what we should tell them to do!

Re "China must act peacefully despite tough talk", (Opinion, July 21).

China illustrates the old proverb, "Might makes right", regardless of who is right or who is wrong. Now, if Mainland China were the size of Taiwan, and Taiwan the size of Mainland China, then I doubt whether Mainland China would raise an audible squeak about territorial rights.

Dear Editor,

Would it be too much to ask that you provide a broader range of letters, other than the letters backwards and forwards between Mr Bahrt and others, published under the PostBag banner? Really, some of them are downright inconsequential.

The impression that I get is that Mr Bahrt, for example, has a spare desk in your editorial section.

Thank you.