The only person we need to find now is the head of a corruption investigation taskforce. How about Police General Seripisut Temiyavej?

This is the dream team we need to rehabilitate the country.

Larry Clive

Chiang Mai

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Government House siege a good example of karma

 My elders, especially my grandmother, have always told me about the working "karma". I recall a time long ago when I threatened to dump her into a water vessel. A very short while later I had a painful slip and fall. That was karma catching up with me, I was told.

Last year I read that Auditor General Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka could not work from her office because the government had ordered it locked with a padlock in addition to the existing door lock. A few days ago the prime minister was prevented from working at Government House because of PAD-lock.

Karma indeed!

Buntoon Raksapao

Bangkok

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Open letter to Foreign Minister Kantathi

 Dear Khun Kantathi,

I felt so bad reading about your defence of a prime minister who no longer has the trust of the Thai people, and who has trampled upon every one of the principles of Thai foreign policy for his personal benefit like never before in the history of this nation.

Lest it be forgotten, your father was among those courageous souls who saved Thailand from being colonised by the Allied Powers after World War II. The Seri Thai movement, in which your father played a prominent part, was able to persuade the United States to come to Thailand's aid against the British demand for punishment for being a fervent Japanese ally.

Thaksin wants Thailand to be colonised, even by Burma, just because of his business interests. No one can be fooled by his or your rhetoric. It came as a great surprise to me that you have forgotten your own roots.

I never want, nor do I seek, any favour from you in my current problem with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This will be decided eventually by the highest court, where I believe in the end that justice will prevail.

Your father served with the Jayanama family in Tokyo during the war, along with my father who was your father's best friend. Your father drafted a constitution for Thailand in 1986, which I translated in full and had published in the other English-language newspaper. Nobody knew what your father did, but I basically agreed with what he wrote.

Now the Jayanama family has come out against this unjust prime minister. Why must you defend him when you know it isn't the right thing to do?

Your father did not sell our country to our enemy. He risked his life defending it. Even his rival at the time, Khun Thanat Khoman, knew this to be the case.

What I want to see is a Foreign Ministry that is not tainted by political and blind ambitions. The era of Surakiat Sathirathai has already left an indelible imprint of shame. The Jayanama brothers, along with Khun Kasit Pirom, have spoken the truth, and you should welcome their sincere criticism.

There is still some time left, and I think that it is not too late for you to realise it. Even if Thaksin comes back, please do not harbour thoughts of ever being appointed foreign minister again.

Prachyadavi Tavedikul

Bangkok

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Singapore-owned Shin Corp could be boon for consumers

 While I have a lot of sympathy for the people protesting about the behaviour of the prime minister, it seems inappropriate to target Singapore or other foreigners. Singaporean businessmen did nothing wrong in buying something that was put up for sale.

There are few options available to mobile phone users: besides AIS, both DTAC and Orange are also largely owned by foreigners, and surely no one expects the clock to be turned back and people to give up using mobile phones.

Behaviour like this seems very counterproductive in that it certainly does not gain friends for Thailand and many foreign businessmen are likely to conclude that doing business with Thais is fraught with problems and not worth the trouble. The outcome could well damage the economy for a long time to come.

In the end what does it matter who owns a company if it still employs and pays Thai workers and provides a service to millions of customers. As seen in many countries, a more competitive market results in improved services at lower prices - something that all customers want.

Andy B

Bangkok

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Election is pointless without an informed electorate

 It seems to me that we are making much ado about nothing in discussing the election timing. The question is not when we should vote but whether we should have an election at all.

Our goal should be to have a transparent government that's accountable to us the people. Those opposed to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra charge that his acts, especially the Shin sale, benefited him and his family much more than the nation. Our chairman of the National Corporate Governance Committee has forgotten that he should be a role model of transparency, for unless the electorate knows the facts, they will vote blindly.

So, the various parties - especially Thai Rak Thai - should agree on ways to let the truth be known about Thaksin, preferably in open court or in a Parliamentary censure motion. If he is confident of his innocence, like media reformer Supinya Klangnarong, he should demand a trial to clear his name.

Only after we know the facts will we begin to be informed enough to decide on who should lead us.

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok

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No question about it, Thaksin has to go

 Some well-meaning people are calling for a compromise between Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's opponents and his supporters. Unfortunately, I don't see room for any compromise to break the current political deadlock - it's an uncompromising life-and-death struggle, a struggle between good and evil, right and wrong.

Let's just look at the root cause of the conflict: Thaksin himself. He will not leave the political arena of his own accord, for to him it is tantamount to suicide. He is resorting to the strategy of "encircling Bangkok, the capital city, by caravans of the poor from the rural areas", a strategy used by the communists who succeeded in taking power in China some decades ago. It's sad that the poor in our country have unconsciously fallen cat's-paw to save Thaksin and his empire from fall and disintegration.

But Thaksin will never succeed. Thai society has had democracy for a long time and our people, who cherish the democracy they won with untiring endeavour and bloodshed, are now waging a life-and-death struggle in defending it. Let's demand that Thaksin immediately stop inciting his supporters and call them back to avoid confrontation. He must know that any such confrontation will only arouse more and more people to rise up against him and speed his doom.

It's now or never. Thaksin will go down in history as a byword of infamy if he fails to abandon his vicious scheme.

Abee

Bangkok

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Khao Lak ready for tourists again ... spread the word

 While spending a few days in Phuket prior to a holiday in the now recovered and very beautiful Khao Lak, I was disturbed that the tourism counters there were telling tourists that there is very little accommodation and the area had not recovered yet.

This is a dishonest tactic and very unfair. Does the Tourism Authority of Thailand know that the tour desks are not aware that Khao Lak is open for much-needed tourism?

Khao Lak has much to offer tourists and tourists have much to offer Khao Lak. A visit to Khao Lak will be very enjoyable - there are great restaurants and bars and the beachside bungalows are all brand new and of a very good standard. So please don't forget Khao Lak!

Stuart Davie

Darwin, Australia

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Media glossing over the faults of Palestinians

 The world media in its infinite wisdom time and time again seeks to portray Israel in a bad light. Yet the facts speak for themselves. The events of the past week only serve to highlight the Palestinians' total lack of governance. It is a country run by thugs, criminals, militias and terrorists.

The plight of ordinary Palestinians is a tragedy in its own right. It is however a tragedy of their own making. Nothing more, nothing less.

A J Haupt

Pattaya

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