Published on October 03, 2005
Bangkok’s got the style but lacks the skills needed to become a Fashion City
I think the obvious delusion that Thailand could be a fashion hub or centre of fashion is just endemic of the ridiculous claims and wasteful spending of this government. Anyone who knows anything about high fashion in Asia knows that Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore have long been the regional leaders in terms of design and market penetration into Asia and the West.
Thai designers have for decades tried but been unable to develop a worldwide or even regional brand of any sort that might be on par with say an Issey Miyake. A major fashion-buyer friend of mine came here from America to go to the Bangkok International Fashion Fair. Of the 500 or so exhibitors there, she found five she had some interest in. But the vendors had next-to-no printed material and no line sheets to give to her, which would have been useful to her in ordering the products and presenting them to her clients in the United States. She had to make up her own order sheets to remember what products she liked and had next to nothing to show her clients in stores in America. She was generally disappointed with the lack of professionalism and organisation of the show. Some better organising would be useful for the next one. CBS Bangkok ---------------------------------------- Low-standard dictionaries make learning English hard In regards to the challenge to improve the quality of local English teaching, it should be known that one of the biggest problems is the low quality of locally produced English-Thai dictionaries. They should be removed from bookshelves, because they give pronunciation only in Thai, and not in the International Phonetics Alphabet. This makes it very difficult to learn how to pronounce English words correctly. Eng Bangkok ---------------------------------------- History shows the danger of relying too much on leaders Last month I happened to switch to Channel 9 and found a documentary on the life of Mao Zedong. I watched and listened attentively to the narrators’ comments on this historical figure with a dual personality. He helped found a new China. The Chinese people were overjoyed after his revolution, when they became masters of their country after a long period of foreign influence. But the good times did not last long. Before long, this great leader led his people to disaster. Paying no heed to the rational minds among his comrades, he initiated such campaigns as the Anti-Rightist Movement, Great Leap Forward and Great Cultural Revolution, which cost the lives of millions. During those hard years, the masses had little to eat and wear. The country was dragged backward by this great leader when many countries in the world were developing rapidly. Mao never said he would be responsible for what he did. But even if he had, how could he be held responsible in a way that would really make up for all the suffering of the people? Now Thais are listening to their prime minister pledge that he alone will take full responsibility for his mistakes. And mind you, any mistake our PM makes will not be a simple mistake. It would be a disaster. So let’s say no to the cult of personality and blind worship of anybody, particularly the person who has the destiny of a nation in his hands. Abee Bangkok ---------------------------------------- A brave stand to take in an age of self-censorship Re: “PM may have broken law: report”, News, September 29. Thanks to Veera Somkwamkhid and to the engineers, accountants, auditors, economists, lawyers, social researchers and human-rights activists who have stood up and testified on the activities of the present regime. Thanks for having the courage to print news of the civic network’s report. John Francis Lee Chiang Rai ---------------------------------------- Horrified at the thought of rock star winning the Nobel Re: “Bono ‘a frontrunner’ for Nobel Peace Prize”, News, September 30. If Bono of U2 receives the Nobel Peace Price for 2005 it will be a big mistake. I would feel embarrassed if such a hypocrite were granted this reputable prize. I would be eager to learn about one single achievement of his that would have made him worthy of winning this prize. I say this as a Norwegian citizen. S Syvertsen Bangkok ---------------------------------------- Packing a lot of leaders on one plane isn’t worth the risk I’ve read the news of the PM and many of his ministers going on this fun ride and landing safely at the new airport. It made me wonder who was managing the risk associated with the government. If an accident had occurred, it would have wiped out the entire government! P Bate Sydney ---------------------------------------- Seatbelts can also save lives when worn in the back seats I’ve been to Thailand three times, and taken more than 50 cab rides in cities all over Thailand. My complaint is not about the driving, though, but the lack of seatbelts. None of the taxis I’ve been in has had functioning seatbelts in the back seats. This is very dangerous. Even at high speeds on the freeway, a seatbelt can save your life. This lack of concern for safety does not make sense. I am Canadian, and my wife is Thai. We want to visit Thailand in the future. But we also want to have a child soon, and I wouldn’t want to take my child for a ride in a taxi without enough seatbelts. This situation should be changed, and changed soon, for the safety of passengers. John Canada ---------------------------------------- Thai farmers deserve more profits for their labour In my neighbourhood many farmers have planted cassava, an important cash crop in Thailand. Many farmers are willing to produce ethanol from cassava tubers because Thailand has a policy to use ethanol derived from cassava, instead of importing MTBE. But as usual, monopolies and profiteering middlemen stand to benefit most, at the expense of poor farmers who deserve to boost their earnings. Also, the big oil companies may want to build in the future their own ethanol-processing centres, and earn the money that should go to small- or medium-scale local cassava farmers. Many farmers would be able to go into business for themselves and be self-sustaining, if only they were given a leg-up under an SME programme. Building a processing plant under which farmers could work together is plausible. Not that much equipment is needed - mostly just stainless-steel tanks, heating equipment and vacuum pumps. All of this machinery and equipment could be made in Thailand at a reasonable cost. A Watcher Isaan ---------------------------------------- Eliminating fowl industry would mitigate bird-flu risks Not one of the dire warnings from the UN or the World Health Organisation in recent days about the millions that may die as a result of bird flu has noted that vegetarianism is the only real solution for preventing what could be the greatest health disaster in the history of the world. Eric Bahrt Chon Buri ---------------------------------------- Giving in to vice is the wrong approach and harmful Social Development and Human Security Minister Watana Muangsook has suggested building a racetrack for rogue teenagers so they can race their motorcycles. But I wonder if once the track is built, and the teenagers are allowed to show off their daredevil skills there, that they would really stop racing on public roads. Since we read so much about teenagers engaging in sexual relations, in Bangkok particularly, perhaps we should use the same logic and build short-term motels for them and encourage them to use these rooms at a discounted rate? Also, since we see lots of fighting between technical-school students at bus stations and on buses, perhaps we should open a gun shop in front of colleges, in order for them to be able to obtain firearms legally and conveniently? The wiser way is to strictly enforce traffic laws and ensure that these motorcycles comply with safety standards and noise-pollution laws. Their operators should be properly licensed, have appropriate training and always wear a helmet. The law should apply across the board, no matter how young or how old the drivers are. Ron Howard Bangkok
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