Re: ''Armstrong admits doping''(BP, Jan 16).
This is a very interesting case of ''cheating'' despite it having dragged on for so long. But finally the truth is revealing itself and it will certainly not end there, since others involved in Armstrong's disgraceful actions will also be in hot water after he indicated he is ready to testify against them as well.
I really have high respect for the US Anti-Doping Agency _ the organisation has performed its duty and did not hesitate in going after such a respected US citizen and sporting figure. I cannot imagine such a thing happening in the Land of Smiles. Would the authorities here dare or be willing to do anything like that?
In Thailand these days we are all very concerned about how the younger generation behaves _ sadly, there are not many good examples we can see and follow.
In addition to the family we may also need the education and culture ministers to work harder to show young Thais what's right and wrong and how to be good citizens.
VICTOR
Ticket sales off the rails
The State Railway of Thailand has announced that, effective Jan 14, 2013, it will terminate online ticketing through Thai Rail Ticket. No explanation is offered on the website. We are now to buy tickets at the train station or left to the tender mercies of private travel agencies whose service is less convenient and more expensive than the efficient service we enjoyed before. Who wins here? The private travel agencies. Who loses? The ticket-buying public. It's hard to explain this obviously wrongheaded move without invoking the spectre of corruption.
MARC SULLIVAN
'Thai Spring' not far away
Forty-four Democrat members think Thailand is ''edging closer to a police state'' (PostBag, Jan 18). What did these members do, or are presently doing, to prevent the situation from deteriorating further, aside from making a palaver about it of course? Talk is a commodity that is very cheap in this country. From the powerful and almighty to the power brokers, all we get is blather, blah-blah-blah. We get foam, no substance, we get stew with potatoes and no meat. We get so many promises of things that will happen to improve living standards and benefit the nation. But in reality, what we get and what we see are different. We see those who promise much and talk much only getting richer, solidifying their power bases, while the rest of us ''eat rice''.
Dear Democrats, (and Pheu Thai as well), shut up, put up, or do something. The so-called ''Arab Spring'' is not that far away.
THAI RIDGEBACK
It's not all Thaksin's fault
Re: ''Thailand 'edges closer toward a police state''' (PostBag, Jan 18).
I think the Democrats are overly preoccupied with Thaksin to the point that they hold him responsible for everything - from traffic congestion to a movie being axed.
The movie Shakespeare Must Die showed footage of the 1976 massacre near Thammasat. In that footage the body of a dead man hangs from a tree while another man beats the corpse with a chair. The censor considered the scene gruesome and asked the movie producer to edit it. The producer refused and the rest is history. It had nothing to do with Thaksin.
Regarding the Nua Mek 2 soap opera, one wonders aloud that if the government really wanted to ban the series why didn't it do so after or before the first episode instead of waiting until the series was near its conclusion. Moreover, Channel 3 says it made the decision to ban the rest of the series without political interference. It is believed the final episode contains dialogue that may violate the lese majeste law. Channel 3 is expected to explain soon. Again, it has nothing to do with Thaksin.
As for the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), the agency has filed many charges against Abhisit Vejjajiva; but the man will have his day in court to prove his innocence. Let the courts decide. The DSI has no authority to pin guilty verdicts on Abhisit. Lets not get over-excited.
The Democrats should take their minds off the ghost of Thaksin and focus on a strategy to win the next election. Telling half truths, launching diatribes and mudslinging doesn't work anymore.
SOMSAK POLA
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