Re: "UDD to mark third anniversary of upset", BP, March 15.
About 45,000 supporters gather at the Ratchaprasong intersection inMay last year to commemoratethe second anniversary of the 2010 red-shirt crackdown. PATTARACHAI PREECHAPANICH
The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) plans to hold two rallies in Bangkok, on April 10 and May 19, to mark the crackdown on red shirts and, in advance, asks the affected businesses to accept their apologies. Thai business people in the area get what they deserve, a loss of well-needed business revenue. If a person threatens your home, you have every right to take whatever means necessary to expel him. Why Thai business owners continue to put up with this nonsense year after year is incredible. They haven't got the backbone to deal with this red mob by themselves or ask for help from the police. An angry mob of both business owners and consumers would soon make a dent in these rallies as the organisers would see they are gaining enemies, not supporters.
DAVID JAMES WONG
Bring on the saloon bar
As a keen supporter of the State Railway of Thailand I was interested to read letters (''Transport off the rails'', March 8, and ''Throw drunks off trains'', March 9) complaining about the behaviour of a loud, drunken minority of passengers on long-distance journeys. Being an old, English gentleman, I cannot condone boorish behaviour in any circumstances, but would like to present the opinion of a beer drinker and formerly frequent train traveller.
In the days when I was required to make ''visa runs,'' one of the pleasures of the journey was to find a seat in the dining car and order an ice-cool beer and a plate of khao-phat rotfai, as the long shadows of evening fell across the passing landscape.
Dinner would be followed by another beer and introductions with one's fellow travellers. In the course of the long journey we would put the world to rights before eventually retiring to our berths.
On a recent overnight trip to Nong Khai I was surprised to find the train staff coming round to make up the beds well before 10pm. Then, upon adjourning to the dining car, I barely had time to finish my meal before closing time.
One of your correspondents suggested the present guards should be replaced by younger and muscular men. That might please the feminine passengers, regardless of gender, but what is really needed is an improvement to the menu and the provision of a ''saloon-bar'' bogie. Let those who so wish, slumber undisturbed - but let the boys make a bit of noise.
RICHARD STUMBLES-WHITE
Tuk tuks? Tch tch
It is fun to be back in Phuket and good to see that the tuk tuk drivers' attitudes have improved a little around Patong. Sadly the antics and poor behaviour are still there when it comes to perhaps going to Kata for dinner. It is then that the battle begins and you can't get an honest answer or price and you then wonder what it will take to get back to Patong after dinner.
When will the system of transport really be open and honest and metered, regulated taxis be available?
The system of a car being called a taxi is wrong. A taxi is a metered vehicle that is controlled and regulated in the interests of the traveller.
It is time the crooks lose control of the transport on Phuket and then people would be able to move around more happily. Why do the people in charge think it is okay to treat the tourists as they do?
STUART DAVIE
Paying premium rates
Re: ''Pradit putting tourists off'', BP, March 14. Ray Gregory should heed his own words with regards to research. Retired expats over 65 years living in Thailand are not ineligible for health insurance.
However, like any insurance for us more mature individuals, it is just unfortunately very expensive.
JR SMITH
EIA certification murky
EIA: Explicitly Iniquitous Authorisation. It has been reported that foreigners are driving the Thai condo market and many properties are being sold off-plan on the basis of possessing EIA (environmental impact assessment) approval. This all sounds hunky-dory but what exactly does the statement mean? Actually, not a lot.
The process leading to EIA certification is in itself extremely murky and often downright corrupt. Local residents and other interested parties are generally kept well out of the picture until a challenge becomes unfeasible.
EIA certification is officially granted by The Office of Environmental Policy and Planning (Onep). Ideally, an EIA should be followed with an audit. This would evaluate EIA performance by comparing actual impacts on the environment after construction with those that were originally predicted in the pre-construction report. However, common sense does not prevail here. Claiming to be unable to cope with a ballooning number of applications (a property bubble?), Onep washes its hands of all responsibility from the moment an assessment has been ratified, shoving any post-EIA challenges or problems on to the shoulders of local authorities. In turn, the local authorities pass any disputes to the BMA's Public Works Department because this is where the really shady deals seem to be taking place.
The lack of an appropriate EIA follow-up system allows the developer carte blanche to commit ''architectural anarchy'' at will. With Onep well out of the way, illegal alterations to the original building plans can be easily implemented. At this point, the BMA is the responsible body but initial modifications and deals are apparently only fixed verbally, probably with the help of a suitcase full of dosh. A verbal agreement allows the developer to proceed without implicating anyone in authority and offers ample time for chicanery-linked problems to be ironed out. If complaints or appeals are made by the public (not very common in Thailand) a variety of techniques will be skilfully employed including the loss of courier-delivered mail, question evasion or by simply playing mum. It is presumed that complainants will eventually give up the fight (most do) after which the required final documentation can be officially signed and sealed. And then on to the encore, glorious in its shameless virtuosity - collective declarations, issued as and when necessary, that Thai law has been followed to the letter during the whole process. As if anyone would think otherwise!
Thailand's EIA system is a total farce, immensely sleazy, and the term ''EIA approved'' is a meaningless joke. The Bangkok landscape is littered with concrete monuments, clear but ugly reminders of how the system really works.
What a way to build a city. Foreign buyers should beware.
JOHN SHEPHERD
Solar potential is huge
Germany is Europe's and the world's leader, whereas Argentina is South America's leader. No, I am not talking soccer, but rather solar power. Indeed, Argentina has plans to increase its solar power generating capacity 35-fold from its current (pun intended) 10mW capacity. Thailand currently produces about 65mW annually. What plans are there for significant increases in capacity? I've heard mention of a ''buy-back'' solar power programme in Thailand, but it's under-publicised (who knows about it?) and, at five kW minimum per contributor, it's not open to home owners with modest-sized solar arrays. Thailand has mega potential for solar power development, for house-, village-, and large municipal-sized arrays. Perhaps it might even become No.3 for solar in Asia, after China and Japan.
KEN ALBERTSEN, Chiang Rai
Cruelty is horrifying
It was interesting that in the ''They Said It'' section (BP, March 10) Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was quoted as saying: ''No one cares more about elephants than the Thai people''. Yet below her comment was a quote by British environment minister Richard Benyon who said in regard to the Thai elephant camps: ''This is a cruel and miserable trade that needs to be stamped out''.
Reading Ms Yingluck's comment got me thinking that if instead of using her government to intimidate the Elephant Nature Park (ENP), how nice it would have been if she had visited the park and learned how elephants are really treated.
Lek, the founder of the ENP, could have introduced Ms Yingluck to the elephant whose eyes had been poked out by its previous ''caring'' owner.
Then Khun Lek could have shown Yingluck the film which would have taught her how baby elephants in Thailand are routinely tortured for days by these ''caring'' people. And all this torture is legal because those elephants are ''domestic.''(I'm really starting to hate that word!)
To be fair, some Thais do care about elephants. Khun Lek is Thai. But clearly the people in power (that includes you Ms Yingluck) don't care or these horrible and barbaric atrocities against elephants would not be tolerated for one more minute.
ERIC BAHRT
Goodbye blue sky
I was flying from Udon Thani to Suvarnabhumi airport. As we got up to cruise height, I was amazed that there was actually blue sky above Thailand.
However when we landed I thought we were in Beijing, China. What happened to the Yingluck government's promise last year to reduce this unnecessary smoke which affects Thai people's health, tourism and economy?
The air all over Thailand has been polluted with this toxic smoke for at least five months.
Come on Thailand, the Thai government, politicians, tourism board, doctors and the people, clean this smoke up and stop the thoughtless and uncaring people who do this without regard to Thai people's health.
Don't keep blaming other countries.
This is your problem.
PAUL CADWELL
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