Bong and Pla's letter accuses leading English-language newspapers of bias against the prime minister in reporting.

Given the persecution of the press by the current administration, it must be hard to find among the media some kind words for those who have done so much to stifle reporting. Balanced reporting is a nice ideal, but it has to go hand in hand with press freedom.

Let's just hope that whatever the result of this weekend's election, the new government will have learned its lessons and accept that a free press is an essential vehicle for public expression of the people.

A free ride for a government that is elected to serve the people and account for its performance can never be on the agenda.

David Prescott

UK

Thanks to PM's supporters for really showing us a mob

Re: "Democrat leaders attacked in Chiang Mai", News, March 31.

Finally, the Thais have had an English grammar lesson on the proper use of language. Kudos to the people of Chiang Mai for their exceptional definition of the term "mob"! Now the prime minister can proudly point to his home town and exclaim the real virtues of mob rule.

Congratulations, we finally have the real definition of a mob!

Erik and Somchai

Canada

A 'no' vote could end up being a vote for Thaksin

While I understand the sentiments of people who want to cast a "no" vote on Sunday, there's a bigger issue that the anti-Thaksin coalition needs to understand. A recent Abac poll shows more people want to turn up to make their voices heard. The problem is that by doing so they justify the election. At the moment, only Thai Rak Thai and a few minority parties are standing in the election. It is possible that if only their direct supporters turn out, not enough votes will be cast to make the election valid. However, if plenty of anti-Thaksin people turn up and cast a "no" vote, then they may end up legitimising the overall electoral process by providing a big enough turnout to make the whole election constitutionally valid. At the end of the day, if you think that Thaksin is not fit to govern the Kingdom, stay at home on April 2. Your anti-Thai Rak Thai vote may help in winning him the election.

Greg Lowe

Bangkok

Mob rule is not democracy, no matter the numbers

Re: "City roars, South rumbles", News, March 30. What has our country come to? A large mob of 100,000 (or 40,000 per CNBC's morning news) could block a main artery for Bangkok's traffic flow and shut down the largest shopping mall in town. With a mob, you could have your loans slashed down in principal by 50 per cent with no future interest after taking your lender's employees hostage. Again with a mob, you could demand that the directors of the Election Commission resign or else. With a mob and the support of the opposition parties, you could stymie a national election of people's representatives and make it ineffective, because you guess that the party you don't like, because of his conduct, would win the election.

Ours must be the most tolerant society in the world. I wonder whether we are heading in the right direction in regard to good governance and good accountability in a Thai way and whether the farmers are now singing the Louis Armstrong song, "What a Wonderful World". Presently it is really a great moment for mob rule. Oh, what a great country!

Songdej Praditsmanont

Bangkok

Verdict of Sunday's 'trial' will hardly be this humorous

There is an Australian legend from the mid-1800s about a man who stole a large herd of cattle and drove it through trackless wastelands across half of the country to his own property.

He was caught and tried, but even though cattle-rustling could be punished by hanging, the jury, made up of his fellow cattlemen, were so impressed with his feat that they returned a verdict of: "Not guilty - but he should give the cattle back."

The judge was furious at this obviously flawed verdict and ordered the jury to reconsider the verdict. They came back and said: "Not guilty - and he can keep the cattle."

What will Thailand's "jury" say on Sunday?

Clear Thinking 1

Bangkok

Why are there no southerners in the Caravan of the Poor?

There are a couple of issues that just don't seem to make the news in Thailand.

I am writing from southern Thailand. Is this a national election or not? Even though Thaksin is pushing this election like he is such a democratic demigod, here in the South you wouldn't even think there was an election, while people die daily in the three southernmost provinces. Where is he?! Hiding out in Isaan and the North, can your news network throw it in his face and ask him whether the South is still part of Thailand and is this a national election?

On another note, the Caravan of the Poor. Now I see them on television with what appear to be ID cards around their necks. Is this to facilitate paying them? And again, why are there no poor southerners in the crowd, only Isaan people and northerners? Has anybody asked their leadership why one of the biggest organisations representing the poor, the Assembly of the Poor, is asking Thaksin to resign? The Caravan of the Poor is nothing but a proxy demonstration: Shin Inc Demonstration. Thank God the southerners have more dignity then to be paid puppets of this government.

Now I understand how the Khmer Rouge could empower the poor to take over the country and murder anyone with half a brain. Scary times for Thailand when educated, knowledgeable people are seen as unruly mobsters and an enemy that must be snuffed out.

Somchai Sribanyen

Thailand

More than social security is needed for retirement

Re: "Social security 'bankrupt' by '51", Business, March 30.

These research results from the International Labour Organisation and the Asian Development Bank are quite disturbing. The research finds that by 2051, Thailand's social-security system could potentially be insolvent.

Frankly, this is another example of the lack of vision that the caretaker prime minister and Thai Rak Thai have shown towards the issue of providing a social safety net for Thai citizens. It is baffling to see one mega-project after another proposed and yet no attention or priority has been placed on programmes that directly provide benefits to the people.

Naris Chaiyasoot, director of the Fiscal Policy Office, stated the study suggested employers and employees should each contribute 3 per cent of monthly salaries, and it should be compulsory in businesses with more than 100 employees by 2008 and all businesses by 2018. The problem is people are already living pay cheque to pay cheque under the current administration's live-for-today policy. Where does this 3 per cent come from when most people barely have enough to make ends meet?

The Office of Fiscal Policy needs to be more proactive in addressing this problem. Social security was never meant to be the only source of income for people when they retire. It is designed to replace a percentage of an average wage-earner's income after retiring.

Most retires need an average of 70-80 per cent of their work income to live comfortably during retirement. The national pension plan that Naris suggests seems to be more like a defined benefit plan for civil servants rather than a solution for the general population.

To enjoy a comfortable retirement, Thais need more than just social security. They also need well-structured private pensions, tax-deferred savings and inflation-paced investments. The objective should be to create several income streams from several diversified sources that can be drawn upon during different periods of retirement.

Danuj Kamolvathin

Bangkok

Foreign spouses do not receive equal treatment

In this era of unprecedented openness and freedom, where any question may be asked publicly, I am asking a simple question: why are foreign women given more attention and freedom than foreign men and apparently more than Thai women?

If a foreign man marries a Thai woman, he continues to have many obstacles placed in the path he must follow to get a visa to remain in Thailand.

If a foreign woman marries a Thai man, all obstacles are removed, and she receives a long-term Thai visa very quickly.

Why are foreign men treated differently from foreign women?

However, and more to the point, why are Thai men given more rights than are Thai women?

Specifically, the spouse of a Thai man receives visa benefits quickly, while the spouse of a Thai woman receives no visa benefits.

Michael Weldon

Udon Thani