OPINION

Another bombshell to come?

Re: "Deal with GT200 now", (PostBag, June 25).

Apart from the technical inadequacies of the bomb detectors, there is another aspect to the purchase that needs investigation. The Bangkok Post of June 18 reported that of the 1.4 billion baht spent, "the devices themselves were said to have cost about 400 million baht, with the rest of the money going to two Thai firms that acted as middlemen and have not been named".

That's a cool billion baht that disappeared. "Tea money" perhaps? I think taxpayers are entitled to know the names of these firms who enjoyed a rather expensive cup of tea at our expense.

On my very few trips back to England, since I settled in Southeast Asia 26 years ago, I've noticed a considerable dumbing down of the population.

This impression has been reinforced by the English vote to leave the EU, plus observations of the antisocial behaviour of English expats while abroad -- please note my deliberate exclusion of Scots, Welsh and Irish from this statement! In my view, the potential severing of links, not only to the EU, but also, to the integrity of the United Kingdom as a sovereign entity poses a huge risk to England per se. This decision is a bad choice by shortsighted nationalists, who can't even behave in a civilised manner while guests of another country.

We'll be migrating to Scotland, once they gain independence!

Joe McCardle's rather simplistic and presumptuous statement that a united Ireland will happen within, he appears to postulate, 10 years is wishful thinking.

This, too, "without a shot being fired".

Given the bloody history of this poetic dream over the past half century as an example, not only does it show a lack of political sophistication it also sweeps aside the aspirations of a significant percentage of the population in the north, who have repeatedly told the world they will not surrender to the letter or the spirit of a united Ireland.

Ron Martin said in his letter ("Lesson for Thailand", PostBag, June 25) that Thailand should look at this (Brexit referendum) and understand that this is what true democracy is, adding, "The British public argued their point of view and will still be friends regardless of the result".

This is while the Bangkok Post editorial on the same page headlined "Brexit exposes divisions" and an AFP news report quoted an analyst as saying the decision to leave "has divided the country geographically, as well as between generations, between cities and rural areas and between Britons with and without a university education".

Very soon, Scotland will undoubtedly run another referendum to decide whether to leave the United Kingdom for the second time since two years ago when the "leavers" lost to the "remainers" by just 5-6%. Northern Ireland is ripe to leave the union with the United Kingdom and rejoin the Republic of Ireland.

The upcoming referendum in Thailand may or may not have its flaws, but so far not one single person has yet been murdered, especially not a promising young lady MP. And I definitely would not want Thailand to emulate what just happened in Britain with all its frightening implications.

For the first time in my life I agree with Tony Blair in believing that some (or many) people registered a protest vote forgetting that this was not an election. They have unwittingly paved the way for an eventual break-up of the entire United Kingdom.

The nightmare has only just begun.

Britain pulls out of the EU.

Dow Jones drops over 600 points.

The value of stocks drop by more than $900 billion.

And now we see Donald Trump is over in Scotland gloating about it.

And Trump's supposed to be pro-business?

He's not even pro-American!

In response to Mr McCardle's letter yesterday, I wonder which planet he has just arrived from.

He says that, following a Northern Ireland referendum on whether to unite with the Republic of Ireland, Ireland could well be united "without a shot being fired".

May I point out that members of Sinn Fein, the Irish political party now calling for such a referendum, have fired quite a few shots during the 30 years leading up to the 1994 IRA ceasefire, a time in which 3,500 people were murdered.

Mr McCardle should be careful about getting what he wishes for.

Any such referendum risks a return to "The Troubles".

This will mean still more shots and tragic deaths in the future.