Many years ago, we gave Thaksin several warnings about his political strategy. The high number of MPs that the Thai Rak Thai Party had did not guarantee the safety of the government. It only helped him reduce the power of opposition parties. However, closing the crater of a volcano cannot prevent an eruption. In a democracy, the government cannot avoid being examined. When the opposition parties find it difficult to scrutinise the government, the duty falls to the hands of the Thai people.

I don’t want to tell Thaksin, “I told you so,” but to talk about signing on to the campaign to oust Thaksin. As Thaksin has reduced the voices of opposition parties, signing on to the campaign occurring right now nationwide would give Thais their first chance to voice their opinions outside of an election period. If the campaign succeeds, it will be one of the most important in Thai political history. It will be recorded in history like the October 14 event.

However, do not sign your name or participate in a public rally against the PM because you want to be a part of history. Do not do it because you want to tell your grandchildren in the next 10 years, “See? I once fired a PM”. But sign your name if you think our country needs to be changed. Sign it if you think you cannot trust this PM any more.

For those who love to say, “I hate this PM, but we have no better choice,” make your decision. There are more than 65 million people in Thailand. There must be one who is better than Thaksin, at least in some aspects. Do you dare to challenge? You will not have a good haircut unless you talk to your barber, and Thaksin cannot work well if you let him do his job but disagree with everything he does.

Make a decision, folks. Use your voice and use it wisely. You waited 18 years to have the right to use it.

Warithorn Samana

Bangkok

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Amply rich PM seems debased by incalculable greed

I find the name of the Shinawatra entity, Ample Rich, both a misnomer and ironic. From what I have gleaned from your stories on the PM, he is not a man who is comfortable with his wealth.

On the contrary, the picture I get is one of greed, where there is never enough wealth and indeed very little charity that is not self-serving. Perhaps the name is really meant to be tongue-in-cheek.

Adak

Chiang Mai

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Constitution Court did not find PM innocent in 2001

A news analysis piece published in The Nation [‘Constitution’s Achilles’ heel’, News, August 5, 2001] points to a matter that seems to have dimmed over time: that the PM’s acquittal by the Constitution Court on August 4, 2001, was apocryphal and gerrymandered. The last line of the piece states, “Seven judges [out of 15] convicted him [the PM] of intentional asset concealment, while only four found him not guilty.”

The piece further explains that 11 out of the 15 judges felt the PM should be investigated by the National Counter Corruption Commission; that is, they felt the PM had not revealed his assets when he should have. The four swing judges were arbitrarily added to the four who declared the PM not guilty, rather than to the seven who found him guilty. By what principle?

The net result was that nearly twice as many Constitution Court judges found the PM guilty of assets concealment than did not. Apparently, getting away with that made the PM feel he was permanently inoculated against any further assets-concealment charges. We need to see clearly that the Constitution Court decision in August 2001 did not certify his innocence. In fact, the opposite is the case.

Notwithstanding this observation, the most daunting thing to understand about the PM is insatiable greed for money and power. How much is enough?

An Alien Observer

Bangkok

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The Winter Olympics would help this country chill out

This country seems to be going through a lot of stress with all of the problems that are happening. It’s a shame no one is showing the Winter Olympics on television, as it’s a great educational and entertaining event that only happens once in awhile.

Andrew Greenlay

Bangkok

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Visa extensions could serve as a cash cow for government

Re: “Some repeat visitors come here 12 times every year”, Letters, February 14.

I used to go on visa runs regularly; now I have a retirement visa.

When I had to make a visa run, I would take a month and combine it with a vacation, spending money in other countries.

The Thai government is missing out on a gold-mine. They should charge Bt10,000 or more and allow visa extensions of 90 days at the local immigration office.

Why send all the tourists to Phnom Penh and Penang and lose all the tourist income?

I don’t see people coming from other countries doing the same. The “Cheap Charlies” will still make the visa run. I would have gladly paid not to make the run.

Bill Cymbalsky

Bangkok

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Experienced negotiator needed for Thai-Japan FTA

Now that the Thai chief negotiator of the free-trade agreement (FTA) with the United States has been changed from a Foreign Ministry generalist to a professional trade negotiator, how about the Thai chief negotiator for the FTA with Japan, who is another Foreign Ministry generalist?

Japan is our second-largest trading partner and the country with which we have the largest trade deficit. The FTA with Japan as presently drafted would decimate the Thai car-assembly and spare-parts industries, as well as deter investment from European car companies. In return, the increase in Thai agricultural products to Japan would be peanuts. Please rectify this soon.

Atip Munvit

Bangkok

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Women put themselves in danger by drinking at bars

Re: “Police accused of covering up of another Samui rape”, News, February 14.

It’s clear now that another British woman was raped after having two bottles of beer at a bar on Samui. It’s no matter if she were a foreigner or a Thai; if a woman goes into a pub or bar and has an alcoholic drink, it will be interpreted that she is available. Why? Because alcohol will make her lose consciousness and behave wrongly. And everyone should bear in mind that bad people are always at places selling alcohol.

Please, women, please! Don’t hurt your parents and yourselves by doing such things any more.

Prasert Kittichungchit

Bangkok

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More attention needs  to be paid to plastic bag pollution

Re: “Excessive use of plastic bags a danger to the environment”, Letters, February 16.

Charlie Stampfer’s letter is fundamentally important, because it shows just how much headlines hone in on politicians and other figures yet do little to highlight issues like this that affect the health of the nation – the people that is. Tax it or ban it, by all means. Taiwan banned these bags from retailers two years ago.

Can you imagine how many people cram Thailand’s hospitals each day with respiratory diseases resulting from toxicity in the atmosphere from the burning of plastics, be they containers or the infamous plastic bags?

This is a deadly serious issue for all who live in Thailand, and the press must campaign for the environment. The politicians have obviously given up trying to govern the regions, and there appears to be no national body to stamp its authority on the polluters.

David Prescott

Bangkok

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Some English words are lost in translation in Thailand

Re: “Getting to the roots of ‘grass roots’,” Letters, February 15.

Cha-am Jamal should be able to distinguish “Thai English” from “English English”. In Thai English, the term “grass roots” is a noun, not an adjective, and it means the rural poor. In Thai English, there are no such things as bottom-up or top-down grass-roots movements.

Thais have their way of using English words. Here are a few examples. “Influential- people” means bad guys like local bullies or mafia bosses, not the Pope or Alan Greenspan or Bill Gates or General Prem Tinsulanonda.

“War weapons” are actually assault rifles, not nuclear missiles or 100mm cannons. I was horrified when I read an English-language newspaper report, “A hit man killed an influential person with a war weapon.” A “hi-so” (short for “high society”) is a socialite. “Taxi meter” means “metered taxi”. A “bar beer” is a beer bar.

Last but not least, “local wisdom” in Thai English means “indigenous skills”.

Somsak Pola

Samut Prakan