Published on August 18, 2005
Row over ‘airport cracks’ report diverts attention from other alleged scandals
Re: “Govt tightens screws on ‘Post’”, News, August 16. The Nation appears to relish the plight of the opposition newspaper over its lack of care in reporting on Suvarnabhumi Airport.
However I have no glee in seeing the Bangkok Post being pursued on the basis that it was “published in English with a worldwide circulation” and it “harms the reputation” of the airport. Under British law, when assessing libel damages, judges also take into account the reputation of the plaintiff. The story about alleged “cracks in the runway” at Suvarnabhumi Airport has merely diverted attention from the other alleged scandals. If, it seems, the Bangkok Post hastily jumped on the bandwagon, there is little doubt the airport was already internationally pretty infamous without the Post’s latest offering. But I do not think it is the airport itself which has taken offence. Andrew Drummond Bangkok -------------------------------------- Newspaper is paying the price for poor journalism Reading the latest edition of “Stoppage Time”, (“Libel suits being used to intimidate, Opinion, August 17), I question how much longer The Nation will be around. How could the editor of a major newspaper publicly declare that its operational structure and fact-checking system is capable of making the same bonehead mistake that occurred at the Bangkok Post regarding unsubstantiated and false reporting of major cracks on the new airport’s runway? Seeing its cross-town rival shoot itself in the head by delivering solid legal fodder, such a strong “admission in advance” provides [ammunition to] any attorney pursuing future libel claims against The Nation, and a punch in the stomach to the morale of any journalists and editors that work there. My goodness, the Post faltered in a major way. Its writers and editors allowed not one (as your editor reports), but multiple stories over four days to cite the same unnamed source citing unnamed experts on what was clearly a highly politically charged topic. This is nothing more than terrible journalism and very risky business. While Thaksin’s response is certainly over the top and a bad public relations’ move for Thailand, what else would you expect from the man who consistently lashes out when things don’t go his way? His response has nothing to do with free speech as your editor asserts the Post screwed up, and is now paying the price. Tom Sherman Bangkok -------------------------------------- Make learning English fun with Japanese comics I agree with the writers of the letter “Missing component in getting Thais to learn better English is the joy of reading” (Letters, August 17). Here are some suggestions for how to improve recreational reading in English. Many Thai young readers and students (and even grown-ups) love Japanese comics. For some, that’s almost all they ever read. And that’s okay – they make reading fun. In Japan, manga and anime are a respected form of art and popular literature. We need to have manga and other comics in English in Thailand. There are many editions available in North America. Perhaps they could be reproduced here cheaply. Maybe with more simplified language, or graded manga readers. Get Thai English learners to practise more English reading with what they love to read most – all kinds of comics. Students can read aloud to each other to train their ear for listening, or do manga dictation. Education should be experienced by learners as something they do, not something done to them. R Danailova Krabi -------------------------------------- Govt reaction to airport article isn’t surprising Re: “Libel suits being used to intimidate”, Opinion, August 17. As a Thai taxpayer, I absolutely agree with the point being raised in the article. I’m totally fed up and hopeless with corruption scandals surrounding this TRT administration. The lawsuit is nothing but an obvious scheme designed to intimidate against future press reports of any suspected wrongdoings by the administration. This is clearly against public interest and no taxpayer in his right mind would approve of such a lawsuit. Such an act is, however, to be expected of the TRT administration. Pramote J Songkhla -------------------------------------- High prices partly to blame for THAI’s woes Flying from Los Angeles to Bangkok should automatically mean flying on Thai Airways. Yet ever since my first trip to Thailand on Thai Airways several years ago, I have been flying with either Eva Air or China Airlines. All three airlines fly Boeing 747-400s and the cabin staff do everything they can to make passengers comfortable and the meal services are very good. This is where the similarities end. Generally, a business-class ticket will cost more on Thai Airways than with either Eva Air or China Airlines. I did notice that very recently, Thai Airways airfares from Los Angeles to Bangkok were lower than I have ever seen – perhaps a case of too little too late? Any Thai Airways executives reading this should take it as their failure that two airlines from a different country have consistently been providing lower air fares to passengers flying to Bangkok. Eva Air and China Airlines are profitable airlines. I recommend that the Thai government hire people who know how to manage an airline. Robert Baxter Bangkok -------------------------------------- Learning a language is easily done in everyday situations Re: “Better English teaching needed”, Editorial, August 15. This is an excellent view, which is based on well-balanced and sound observations on the English education scene in a non-English speaking nation. I am a Japanese person who was educated in very similar circumstances as in Thailand. Luckily I can now speak fluent English and this ability provided me with opportunities to travel to many countries and meet with people of different cultures and backgrounds. I am 65 years old, and learned English in a typical old-fashioned school system – rote learning and grammar. I still believe this method is effective in the long run and should not be underestimated. Nowadays, however, there are a variety of means and tools available for English education to attract young people’s interest, as the author rightly pointed out. I learned English, without really trying, from movies, songs, radio talk shows, and reading novels (in later years). When I had to speak English for the first time in my life upon entering a university, I was surprised how well I could speak. Thais, like Japanese, don’t have opportunities to speak English in a day-to-day situation, but you can listen and read when you are alone and, by doing so, you learn words, expressions, pronunciation, spelling and even grammar. I still believe this is the most effective and economical way of learning English – and without really trying! Allow me to praise your fine article. Masa Shimamura Bangkok -------------------------------------- Lack of closure for families of missing Burmese workers The well-coordinated efforts of a hard-working international team of forensic experts based in Phuket has led to the successful identification of the decomposed corpses of more than 2,000 tsunami victims. There are no exact figures for the missing, though, since the stated responsibility of the taskforce is restricted to using scientific methods to analyse and match the given data only of the bodies that have been rendered. Presumably, the majority of unclaimed corpses are those of mostly legal construction workers, menial labour providers and itinerant fishermen. Of the more than 1,000 Burmese migrants who have been listed as victims, only one has been positively identified. At least another thousand, mostly ethnic Mon, have simply disappeared. Distrustful relatives are afraid to claim bodies, fearing deportation or reprisals from corrupt police or government officials. Until shameful discriminatory attitudes regarding “illegal aliens” and unfair treatment of ethnic minorities are replaced by more compassionate and responsive human rights policies, closure and the healing process for all parties involved will remain impossible dreams. Dr Charles Frederickson Bangkok -------------------------------------- Better plan needed to improve children’s future Re: “Govt to map country’s intelligence”, News, August 13. While this study may shed some light on the “lack of necessary dietary minerals and vitamins”, it will fail to honesty get to the root of the problem, which may be the ways in which the children from the ages of zero to three (home life), and four to seven (school life), are being intellectually influenced and stimulated via normal acculturation. C Gigante MacBaine, PhD, Assumption University bangkok
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