OPINION

Football madness

Re: "At least 125 dead in stadium stampede", (BP, Oct 3).

With all the death and destruction around the world from natural disasters these days, it's dismaying that humans seem so quick to pile onto the suffering with self-inflicted tragedies such as the Indonesian stadium disaster.

And, what is it with people that they feel compelled to become so emotional -- even violent -- over a simple sporting event? It's just a game, people!

Re: "Building bookworms", (Editorial, Sep 28) & "Time for reform", (PostBag, Sept 30).

The editorial "Building bookworms" alleged that "in 2018 one-third of all 15-year-olds are functionally illiterate" and this affects the reading skills of the students. In the letter "Time for reform", Sept 30, Stewart Charles said that it is difficult to learn the Thai language because there are 44 consonants and 43 vowels. He advocated that the authorities should trim and simplify the language so that students could have an easier time trying to learn the language.

In Divinity school, I had to study Hebrew (24 consonants and 11 vowels) and Greek (24 consonants and seven vowels ). Small wonder kids in schools have an uphill task trying to learn the Thai language.

In 1951 Singapore was then a British colony, and we had only English schools and Chinese schools. My father sent me (age 7) to school to learn English as graduates of English schools have better job prospects. In secondary school, I had to learn Chinese as a second language.

I had much difficulty learning Chinese as each word has as many as 23-to- 26 strokes. To pronounce a Chinese word we had to learn the Chinese phonetic symbols.

In secondary school, I found it difficult to master Chinese as words. So in 1958 when China officially adopted Hanyu Pinyin, I felt that I was vindicated for my valiant attempt to pronounce Chinese in my own unique way.

Today I am equally fluent in English and Chinese, and my spoken Chinese is impeccable.

I feel that the Thai authorities should simplify Thai writing and also reduce the number of consonants and vowels. In this way, more Thai students will be able to master the national language with less effort.

Re: "Ministry hails 'return to normal' as variants 'now manageable'," (BP, Oct 1).

The pandemic is over. Yet, you and the rest of the media have created an atmosphere of fear. Some of it warranted, most of it not. It's time to help people return to normal. The people need encouragement to return to normal. You need to do this with your news stories. The damage has been profound.

Here in Chiang Mai, the popular areas for tourists are still like ghost towns. Hundreds, if not thousands, of businesses have gone broke. Ordinary Thai people are still walking around in a quiet deserted street by themselves still wearing masks.

It's completely irrational, but that's what fear does.

Those tourists who come will see there is nothing to do and they will go home and spread that message. Tragic.

So stop reporting Covid numbers, stop slanting all news stories towards the negative, and start encouraging a return to normal. Please. For Thailand's sake.