Sensors & sensibility

Autonomous cars and taxis will be a reality in the near future.

 Apart from the benefits of greatly reduced costs for the consumer (estimated to cut costs relative to owning one's personal car by half and taking a taxi by 80% or more) and raising GDP by increasing productivity, there is a benefit of exceptional value for Thailand: saving lives. Autonomous vehicles are predicted to reduce road accidents and fatalities by 80%. That will be good for the general population.

Perhaps one day soon the government will realise this and do something about the laws regulating motor vehicles to make them progressive (for all the people) instead of extremely restrictive (for the rich minority).

Michael Setter
Market economy

Re: "Prawet district hopes to relocate vendors", (BP, May 28).

Another example of Thais not obeying the law. The selfish vendors have returned to the sister's house. Also another great job of policing by the Prawet district. Also another example of parents teaching their children to do as they please.

Mr P
Toxic Rayong

Re: "The dark side of IRPC", (PostBag, May 28).

My Thai friends and I agree with everything that David Brown said about the petrochemical company IRPC, especially its reckless disregard for the environment and its endangerment of the health and safety of Rayong residents.

But we ask ourselves the question: "Why have we left it to a farang to wake us up to the terrible damage we are doing to our beloved country and home?"

We understand why IRPC employees don't want to rock the boat because it would be a career limiting move. But what about the rest of us Thais who have to live here in Rayong under a regular cloud of black noxious gas?

Let us unite and call upon IRPC to make a public statement about what it intends to do to remedy this irresponsible behaviour.

Supernattawee Maichob
10 shades of grey

Re: "Free speech will not save us all", (Opinion, May 28).

In the US, free speech (First Amendment) has its own 10 shades of grey. In the white corridors of power, it is cherished as a great American value but degraded and condemned when it is exercised by blacks, Hispanics and other people of colour. But the proof is in the pudding -- any freshly elected president tries to appoint Supreme Court judges and other professionals who will interpret the constitution to their personal liking. Both the Republicans and Democrats use different shades of grey to meet their political agendas.

The First and Second Amendments have been part of the never-ending American saga where they are often used against each other. In the great American tradition, "Nothing is free" including "freedom of speech". Both come with a heavy price, costing innocent American lives.

Kuldeep Nagi
Hail the 'Axe Aunties'

Re: "'Axe aunties' furious as traders return", (BP, May 27) and right they should be. It is obvious that someone is cashing in, whether the local police or the city inspectors.

The "Axe Aunties" should be deputised, made police officers, and permitted to distribute legitimate fines for thousands of baht. Money makes a situation either come, or, go. As for the local police and the inspectors, what's to say except that they are incompetent, or on the "receiving" end. Call a spade a spade. There can be no other explanation.

Axe Auntie Supporter
Bin unholy trash

Re: "No police apology for monk's rough arrest", (Opinion, May 28).

We should morally support the police in arresting more corrupt monks, because only once in a long while we can find police action of such a scale in sweeping away the trash of the Buddhist community.

Yingwai Suchaovanich
Good will prevail

Regarding Mr P's May 27 letter about wayward monks and the apparent collapse of integrity in society, bear in mind Oliver Cromwell's words: "Trust in God, and keep your powder dry."

Ellis O'Brien

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