According to a New York Post internet article of Feb 6, a Thai official demanded YouTube remove a Saturday Night Live skit, in which an advertisement for Rosetta Stone language CDs spoofed Thailand's sex industry. Perhaps the Thai government should rethink its response.
Free-and-easy sex between consenting adults is fine, and, in my opinion, isn't open to criticism. The key phrase here is ''consenting adults'', and that, I think, is where there's a problem that the government is ignoring.
We live near Patpong. Every time I walk near Patpong itself, I'm approached by touts offering men and women for sex, directing me to sex shows, etc. I'm not bothered by that, provided they're not too persistent. Several days ago, however, something happened that gave me pause and triggered this letter.
One of the touts offered me young adult males for sex. I made the stupid mistake of glancing at his card, saw what he was offering, and declined. I suspect the fact that I looked emboldened him to continue.
His next offer was clearly of a child. He held his hand down around his knee to indicate the height of the child and questioned me in Thai. I have only a smattering of Thai words, but his meaning was clear. I firmly refused (which I had to do twice), and he left.
I know there is paedophilia in Thailand. There is probably paedophilia in every country. But nowhere in the world, from Southeast Asia to Europe to North America, have I ever been offered a child, let alone offered one openly on the street.
If I had been in the US, I would have immediately called a cop and, if allowed, helped locate the sick individual who makes his living providing children for sex. It never occurred to me to call a cop here.
Perhaps some of the fault is mine for considering the tout's offer as not unusual in that neighbourhood.
However, some of the fault must belong to the government and law enforcement agencies that permit a situation to exist where a pimp feels comfortable offering a child for sex. That's the problem. It's not with Saturday Night Live, nor is it with YouTube.
There has to be line in the sex industry that should never be crossed, and that line must universally protect children.
Let consenting adults do what they choose, but children require protection, and the state should provide it. Anything else is inexcusable.
THOMAS GIESEN
Make noise a big issue
Every week letters appear in Postbag complaining about the ever increasing noise levels in Bangkok, (and other cities and towns in Thailand). Bangkok went from noisy to noisier to noisiest. Statistics do show that continual noise is a serious hazard, contributing to hearing loss, lack of sleep, lower productivity, and more. So, what will the governor candidates do to alleviate and rid the capital of excessive, unnecessary, unneeded noise, noise, noise? I bet the thought never entered their minds, as, I'm sure voters never even thought of making noise pollution an issue.
JACK GILEAD
Watch out for 'joy fliers'
Last night I witnessed at least three powered ''para gliders'' take off from the Pala beach area near U-tapao airport and head towards the airport. The pilots did not appear to have any radio communications with them. They did not appear to be coordinated with the airport control tower.
Shortly afterwards there was also a small ''flying boat'' type aircraft in the same area circling around the runway approach areas of U-tapao. Normally the airport has many flights bringing tour groups and freight cargos to U-tapao. Please tell me that last night all commercial and military flights were halted to allow the ''joy fliers'' some time in the air!
Most concerned!
SIR LANCE
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