Blind leading blind

Re: "Thai English skills dip for third year", (BP, Nov 5).

Is anyone surprised? No, not really. Students seem indifferent, the Ministry of Education is run by a bunch of "educators" (I question their credentials and job skills), and Thai English teachers, while perfectly capable of teaching English, lack the spoken, everyday skills for practical usage. The only ones who do know are those who have worked or lived or studied in English-speaking countries. Of course, one help, as insignificant as it may seem, would be to employ native speakers and, best of all, retired teachers living in Thailand. But, nooooo. Both the myopic Immigration Department and the more myopic Education Ministry are afraid we will take jobs away from Thai teachers. It's a never-ending cycle. It is a classic example of the blind leading the blind, no offence to those with visual impairment.

Told Ya So

Big, but not great

One cannot but wonder at the gigantism that manifests itself in Buddhist Thailand, where statues become ever taller and bigger, dwarfing temples nearby, as can be seen on the picture on page 2 of the Bangkok Post's Nov 6 edition illustrating construction of a Buddha statue 20 storeys high. What is the meaning of this craze? Couldn't the money have been used more sensibly -- to help needy children, for example? Is this what the Lord Buddha taught? Do the people who are behind this monument to human vanity really think this will help them get a "better deal" after death? What happened to humility, moral virtue and the like? Do I hear someone laugh?

Sagittarius

Abandoned by world

There have been numerous letters and articles in this newspaper complaining that Asean nations and Aung San Suu Kyi haven't done enough to help the Rohingya, who have been persecuted in Myanmar. Perhaps Asean really believes it is engaging in "quiet diplomacy", which is a euphemism for doing nothing.

Do we ever reach a point where a country is so cruel and sadistic that the rest of the world is morally obligated to let that country know that its barbaric behaviour will no longer be tolerated by civilised countries? To me it is obvious that Myanmar passed that point long ago, and thus the rest of the world has blood on its hands for letting those murderers get away with what they're doing.

Eric Bahrt

Culture out of reach

Practically no place is more hazardous or difficult to get to than the Thailand Cultural Centre from the MRT station! There was once a painted crosswalk to help people get across a terribly busy street, but that's long been worn out over 15 years of use and nobody seems to repaint it. If there's any place that needs a pedestrian crossing walk it's there! Do we have to wait more years for the Orange Line to give proper access to our city's main cultural venue?

Don Moisen
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