Published on December 15, 2005
Pointing out society’s shortcomings can be done without stereotyping
Re: “Thaksin alone is not powerful enough to cause society’s ills”, Letters, December 13.
I concur that it is certainly short-sighted and shallow to blame one person for all of society’s ills. However, I have not gotten the impression that anyone – let alone everyone – is doing so, as Frank G Anderson suggests. Naturally, Thaksin, as prime minister and head of the Thai Rak Thai Party, will be the focus of most of the attacks. This does not mean, however, that anyone truly believes he is the spawn of evil in Thai society. The author turns around and blames everything on Thai society. However, by calling Thai society “unethical, selfish and greedy”, the only thing the author really highlights is his own patronising attitude towards Thais. First, he believes that Thais have all been duped en masse into believing that one man can somehow be the root of all ills. Second, by highlighting that everyone is to blame – “teachers, students, politicians, monks, community leaders and followers” – he has managed to stereotype an entire nation. Does the author not also, as he put it, “blame everyone else for [his] problems”? I am suggesting that stereotyping is discriminatory, and that in itself is a problem. Is this patronising attitude of the author truly the fault of the citizens of Thailand? He also refers to Thais as being short-sighted by nature and that this attitude is what causes society’s ills. Perhaps it has not occurred to the author from his perch that he, too, is a member of society as long as he resides in Thailand. Valisa Bangkok ---------------------------------------- Time to step back and reconsider all of this What is the point of putting down Thaksin and Thai Rak Thai to the point of humiliation? I’ve seen many provinces benefit and grow economically during this government’s tenure. Thailand is doing well. And how does this catfight help Thailand now? Corruption is a part of any government. What should we really be doing if we want the best for our people? Still, it’s sad to see politicians with no core beliefs. It is only greed that drives them to keep on fighting. Before blaming anyone, though, there should be a fair and mature exchange of viewpoints without personal emotions. Love Uncoils Variances Bangkok ---------------------------------------- Is Thailand just a part-time destination for tourists? Having been here in Thailand for about 18 months, I can’t help but ask myself one key question: if Thailand is striving to become a primary tourist destination in Asia once again, why does it appear that they are pushing the cart from both ends? You read and hear about new shopping malls and other business investments, but you don’t hear about much more. The high tourist season seems to start with the onset of snow from the home countries of tourists. It also coincides with the cooler weather in Thailand. That would certainly suggest people don’t like weather extremes of hot or cold. But the simple fact is the vast majority of people from colder climates take their holiday from May to September. Much less than a third holiday in their winter months. If people want to holiday in Thailand from May to September, they must put up with the hot and wet weather. Dealing with the rain is not such a big issue, as it only rains for short periods. However, dealing with the heat is another story. The only way for non-acclimated tourists to enjoy their holiday in Thailand, if they are not full-time die-hard shoppers, is to head out in late afternoon after the peak daytime heat, do some exploring and enjoy the nightlife. But that seems to be a problem now, as venues are forced to close much earlier than tourists want. By not being a 24/7 tourist destination, Thailand is throwing away a lot of revenue. Indeed, if Thailand was a 24/7 tourist destination, things would tend to balance out, and more tourists would come throughout the year. Other Asian destinations like Singapore have seen this and adapted and are effectively now siphoning tourist money from Thailand. The formula of being a 24/7 tourist destination is paying off. The formula of having a variety of things for tourists to do 24/7 is key to success for all levels of business. People work hard all year and look forward to the very few weeks when they can get away from it all. When it comes to deciding where to go, they choose places that have a variety of things to do anytime they want. At the moment, Thailand appears to have a sign that says, “Welcome to Thailand, your bedtime is 1am.” The issues of the South and natural disasters do play a role but only in small areas, while the early closing of venues affects all of Thailand. It is human nature to forget negative things. The memories of last December’s tsunami will fade over time, and the tourists will eventually return to the areas it affected. It would appear on the outside that only a select few high-end Thai businesses are actually prospering the way things are now. There appears to be a channelling of tourists into those places. Medium- and small-sized Thai companies seem to be doing much less business than before as a direct result . You would expect this to be a common practice in competing businesses, but not by a government body that should be spreading prosperity to all the people instead. John Krukowski Bangkok ---------------------------------------- For the sake of our health, let’s learn more about MSG Re: “Tweak tasty Thai dishes, and they’ll be healthful as well”, Letters, December 12. Ken Albertsen once again points out the dangers of monosodium glutamate (MSG, or pong churot) in Thai cuisine, and he is right. But the infestation of the food market with MSG extends far beyond cooked foods at Thai, Chinese and Japanese restaurants or in bottled sauces. Thailand is a major market for MSG. Grocery stores here are awash with products with MSG and its close relatives. Many processed foods, such as potato chips, various cookies and other sweets and umpteen kinds of snacks in plastic bags kept on the shelves for many days or weeks, also contain MSG as a “flavour preservative”. It is also added in many canned foods, including tuna, where it helps to eliminate the tinny taste. Moreover, research suggests that persons sensitive to MSG may also react with similar symptoms to the sodium caseinate and hydrogenated palm-kernel oil used for making non-dairy creamer. And to the carrageenan (seaweed extract) in various kinds of soy milk and related products and also contained as a “thickener” in many types of ice cream. The hydrolysed soybean protein found in most soy products in Thailand (including high-protein soy milk) may also affect you if you are MSG-sensitive. Some people report bad reactions to soaps, shampoos, hair conditioners and cosmetics that contain hidden MSG. Keep in mind that there are more than 40 ingredients as potential additives in which MSG will be found. In classifying such ingredients in the US, the Food and Drug Administration called them “monosodium glutamate and other hydrolysed proteins”. What can be done? People should inform themselves by consulting sites such as www.truthinlabeling.org and www.msgtruth.org. You can test your own sensitivity by increasing the intake of foods you think you may be reacting to, such as instant noodles, soy products, coffee with non-dairy creamer or (alas) even some forms of ice cream. Experiment on yourself, and you may be surprised – I was. Be cautious about any food you buy that is packaged and processed. MSG is a drug. It acts as an excitatory neurotransmitter, an excitotoxin. Some people have stronger reactions to MSG than to arsenic or mercury. You or a friend or relative may be among them. What is needed are independent studies here of possible MSG impacts on health and a broad campaign of public enlightenment, including awareness of the allergic potential of soy protein and its relatives. Many Thais will tell you about the effect MSG has on them and their loved ones. These stories should be systematically collected and reported more in the press. This is the taste that kills. It is big business, and big trouble. Bill Templer Trang ---------------------------------------- Can’t we just kick back with some falafel and Foster’s? I was upset when I heard about the race riots in Sydney’s southern suburbs but not surprised. Trouble has been brewing below the surface with a lot of Australians in regard to migrants for many years. I had my own unpleasant experience with a group of migrants from Lebanon a few years back. When I moved back to my home in western Sydney in 1997 after many years in Bangkok, one of the more unpleasant experiences I had was being mugged one night on my own street by a small gang of Lebanese Australians, who relieved me of the 5 Australian dollars (Bt155) I had in my wallet. I was lucky to get away unscathed. Fortunately, one of my neighbours saw what was happening and wrote down the number of the muggers’ car, and in a matter of days, the police arrested the ringleader. The courts gave him a slap on the wrist. However, I certainly don’t condone any of the violence that has happened around Sydney’s southern beaches – strongholds of white Australian surfers – and condemn it strongly. But I think the surfers had simply had enough. Australia used to boast a tolerant society, where people stood up for what they believed in and only fought if they had to – my father lied about his age and joined the army at 16 to fight the Japanese in World War II. At the end of the day, neither side has shown the true spirit of the Australia I grew up in and the one my father and grandfather went to war for. Alan na Sydney Bangkok ---------------------------------------- Insight on media tycoon’s warning that the sky is falling Has anyone noticed the remarkable physical resemblance between Sondhi Limthongkul and the new animated-movie version of Chicken Little? Check it out; the similarity is uncanny. Constance Beasley Bangkok
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