OPINION

Put up, or shut up

Kuldeep Nagi, in his Jan 8 letter "A pack of perilous prophecies", has turned into a prophet of doom and gloom. For a Thai, does he ever have anything positive or good to say about anything?

The history of Asia has shown there has never really been a "true democracy", but at least Thailand is trying. It'll take time, but one needs to live with what one has while trying to improve it.

Mr Kuldeep might not like the military way of running this country, but at least things are being accomplished, for the good of the people I would like to add.

Rail services are on the way to being vastly improved, road traffic safety is being tackled (although with little success, but tackled anyway), and for the first time in ages, things are being done, not just talked about.

The whole trick is to improve the education system to teach people to ask questions and expose inequities. Then the people will force change.

Mr Kuldeep should run for political office if he wants to help promote change more quickly. If I were Thai, I certainly would consider that option.

I don't disagree with comments about the need to improve infrastructure and so on (Editorial, Jan 7).

What I strongly object to is a continuing belief in comments from tourism authorities about increases in tourist arrivals. It is time their pronouncements were challenged.

I work in the hospitality industry in Chiang Mai. The consensus of those of us who actually deal with tourists (restaurants, guesthouses, hotels, tour companies) is that this peak season is down on previous years.

Furthermore, authorities seem determined to make life as difficult as possible for those working in the tourism business. Just three examples:

1. The current blitz in Chiang Mai to remove all guest house licences. Guesthouses provide a low-cost alternative to hotels and if they are removed then many simply won't come here or will come for a day instead of several days.

2. The daily reporting by businesses to immigration authorities of every new arrival. When the Immigration Department site is down, as it is frequently, they insist on the delivery of paper copies of the information. Why should businesses carry the cost of their incompetence especially as everyone knows nothing is done with the information.

3. Authorities insist that an agency which books tours must have insurance. No-one in the TAT can explain why. Tour operators must have insurance which is logical because they actually transport and have responsibility for activities undertaken. So what does the agency insurance cover?

Tourism authorities have a vested interest in announcing that all is fine, but those of us working in the industry know differently.

Re: "Govt acts to replace vans, boost safety", (BP, Jan 7).

It seems to be obvious to most, except the powers that be, that the multiple accidents have nothing to do with the size of the minibus/van. It is due to the atrocious standard of driving of these mental money-chasing morons, who have no regard for other road users.

So when they have an accident with the updated minibus, they will kill 20 instead of 14.

Last week I had what I consider a unique experience in a minibus on a two-day 340km round-trip.

The bus driver made sure everyone in the bus had their safety belt on before sitting behind the wheel and fitting his own safety belt.

Not once did he exceed the speed limit and he never attempted what I would have considered an unsafe overtake, and kept a safe braking distance from vehicles in front at all times.

He also used his indicators at all turnings and every time he changed lane.

Given the four-hour one-way trip, the driver stopped half way there and back so we could stretch our legs and he could have a 30-minute break.

All in all it was one of the safest and most pleasant bus trips I have undertaken in a long time.

Oh! I nearly forgot to tell you. I was in Vietnam and was on a trip from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay and back.