Postbag

Re: ''My spoof Democrat letter'' (Postbag, BP, Jan 24).

I read with mirth Songkran Grachangnetara's spoof of the Democrat Party's open letter. However, I also found that on the bottom of the online version of his letter, as of the moment I am writing this, more people had clicked ''dislike'' than ''like''.

Thailand needs all its brilliant minds to think up brilliant ideas for its future. The country needs good politicians in the opposition as much as in the government. And straightforward condemnation is much more effective than heaping scorn.

VINT CHAVALA

---

Mystified by failure to act

Re: ''DSI fingers Suthep over cop stations deal'' (BP, Jan 23).

''Amazing Thailand'', as the tourism authorities like to call it, is full of incidents I hardly understand.

The police station construction contract was signed in 2011, but work hardly progressed and was abandoned for nearly two years. The project was taking place not in a small corner of the country, but in many locations, and at police stations, which are especially important venues.

Anyone who has paid for a contract for any work and finds no progress has been made for weeks or even a month would complain to the contractor. If the contractor failed to respond, they would complain to the police.

And yet this incident only came to light after those responsible failed to take any action for nearly two years. Why have these police stations been so quiet about their own problem? Why is the DSI looking into this only after an appeal by the Pheu Thai Party. I wish someone would clarify these mysteries for me.

R H SUGA

---

Dual standards on shrimp

The Bangkok Post ran a quasi-inflammatory editorial on Jan 20 (''Shrimp claims over the top'') which complained that Thailand is discriminated against because the US wants to slap hefty import duties on Thai shrimp, since Thais produce shrimp at a lower cost than the US does.

Is it not paradoxical that a country that promotes openly dual pricing against foreigners is now requesting foreigners not to do the same thing in their home countries?

I have lived in this country for 23 years, speak the language fluently, pay all due taxes, married a Thai and established my permanent residency here. Still I have to pay the special tax for foreigners if I dare visit national parks, museums and numerous tourist attractions.

Come on Thailand, stop your own discrimination at home before asking others to do so in their own countries.

MICHEL BARRE
Nonthaburi

---

Selfishness is the Thai way

In his letter, ''THAI staff so selfish'', Burin Kantabutra supports the transportation minister who said the THAI staff are putting their own interest before the organisation's interest.

Why should Khun Burin be so surprised? Putting one's own interest in front of everyone else's interest is the ''Thai way''.

Just look around us. We have Thaksin, whose personal interests and political meddling come before the interests of the country. We have politicians whose personal interests come before that of their constituents.

The list is endless. Why should the THAI staff be any different? The only person who puts the country above himself is His Majesty the King, and while people hear him, they do not always listen to him.

THAI RIDGEBACK

---

Southerners not protected

Where is the extra military protection?

We were led to believe there would be extra protection for teachers in the South as promised by Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha.

Then how is it that a school bus driver was shot while driving children to school last week? Why was there no protection for the school bus? How is it that a teacher is shot in front of his students within school grounds? Why is there no daily military protection at each school?

It boggles the mind to try to decipher what security forces are actually thinking and doing in the South. Are the commanders really taking their work seriously by figuring out possible security breach situations before they happen?

STAN ZYDEL

---

CONTACT: BANGKOK POST BUILDING
136 Na Ranong Road Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110
Fax: +02 2403666 email: postbag@bangkokpost.co.th

All letter writers must provide full name and address.

All published correspondence is subject to editing at our discretion.