OPINION

Look at your own backyards

Re: "Diplomats slam poll delay", (BP, Jan 27).

With all due respect, the Hon Pirkka Tapiola, EU Ambassador to Thailand, what exactly do you mean when you said, "relations with Thailand remain under review"? It sounds like a threat to me.

Let me emphasise that Thailand is a sovereign country, not the EU's colony, never was and never will be. We are not thrilled either about the election being postponedagain, but please allow us to deal with our own problems. Same message to the US Embassy here. Thailand is not Puerto Rico or Guam, so leave us alone. We'll return to democratic government whenever we are ready.

Oh, by the way, the Hon Glyn T Davies, do you know that there was another mass shooting by a 15-year-old boy at a high school in Kentucky? Also, the authorities in California are demolishing homeless encampments like crazy.

Anyway, I thank the EU and the US for showing concerns about my country.

Re: "Bureau needs overhaul", (PostBag, Jan 27).

David James Wong hits the nail on the head in his letter about the poor performance of the Immigration Bureau, which is a law unto itself. David concluded by saying the bureau needs to be totally overhauled and its staff need to attend attitude-adjustment courses.

However, I'm not sure that would work. A few years ago it was announced that said staff would be sent to "charm school". Sadly, that never worked either as it was apparent the attendees all flunked the course.

An Expat (PostBag, Jan 27) defends the electoral college because he says otherwise the votes of the people who live in big cities with big populations would have more influence than people who live in smaller states.

That makes no sense. Because the electoral college presidential candidates spend nearly their entire time campaigning in just a few battleground states while virtually ignoring the overwhelming majority of the country. For example, Hawaii, which has a small population and is not a battleground state, is ignored. Florida, which has a big population, gets special attention because it is a battleground state.

When the United States constitution was written, America had 13 states, not 50. While the electoral college might have made sense two hundred years ago it is now a menace and has deprived the majority of the American people of the right to choose their own president.

Re: "School chief deserves jail", (Editorial, Jan 27).

I read that this 51-year-old school director who allegedly had a relationship with a 14-year-old girl has a history of what appear to be paedophilic relationships with his students. Is the Ministry of Education following the example of what used to be common in the Catholic church -- slapping a paedophile's wrist after he is caught, and then moving him to another district? If so, then heads in the Education Ministry should roll too.

It started in America, it came to Europe, now it is in Asia: Obesity among young people with the threat of diabetes.

When my husband and I came to a medical congress at the beginning of the millennium, most people in Bangkok were slender no matter what age. At the same time paediatricians in Finland reported obesity was spreading like a wildfire among Finnish children, who also led the diabetes statistics in the world.

What causes obesity? Sugar, white flour, fat and lack of exercise.

What do youngsters do after school? They go to fast food joints, which are everywhere. In America you can drink gallons of sweet drinks, eat as many hamburgers as you like. Not quite as bad in Europe. But good offers seem to be around in shopping malls in Bangkok to get fat. Just stand outside a fast food joint in Bangkok when schools break up and already obese school students comfort themselves with sugar, fat and white flour.

Since about 2010 the number of fat people -- especially in Bangkok -- has increased yearly.

So what to do? I do not think that Thailand can close down its fast food joints. Laos acted better: It never let them in. And it shows: Hardly a fat person in the street!

Re: "Taxi network wants answers on Uber's legal status", (BP, Jan 24).

This shows indecisiveness and cowardice on the part of transport authorities who so far have failed to overhaul the conventional public taxi service.

Re: "Dual pricing dilemma", (PostBag, Jan 24).

I take this opportunity to remind AA that foreign students always pay a higher semester rate than local students.

In the United States, out-of-state students pay a higher fee than those residing within the state.

The rationale being, out-of-state students should not be subsidised by state tax payers.

It is very fair. As for "dual pricing", other than education, I am not aware of any instances in the US where dual pricing exists.

It is nice to know that Prime Minister Prayut asked his ministers to plan their budgets wisely.

I can see it now.

A minister sitting down with a pencil and pad writing his ministerial budget.

One for me, one for you.Two for me, one for you.Three for me, to hell with you.

And, let's buy another luxury watch with what's left.

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