Fathers are wonderful people. Next to mothers, they are the most important people in most people's lives. In Thailand, however, there is one father who is more important than most in Thai life. Because in all of our lives, quietly, unassuming and perhaps even unbeknownst to us, our father has been building bridges along the pathways of our lives to make everything so much easier and happier for all of us.

And our father is always there for us, come rain or shine, when we need him. He is the one whom we know will never let us down. He is so simple, straightforward, elegant and eloquent. His words of advice make such an impact on every phase of our history as well as our future.

All the Thai children are most proud to have such a wonderful father. He is a warm, loving, kind and sometimes stern parent. Although he is a busy person, he makes time to spend quality time with his children. If his children have a problem, he will always come up with all sorts of solutions. Year in and year out - just like that.

As we look back on life, we wish we listened to all of our father's advice, but like most children, we did not. Our father does not want us to quarrel among ourselves. Many of us, especially those who are in government, should wish now that they had listened to his advice, and followed it.

Since taking his oath to "reign with righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the Siamese people", he has remained true to those words. His economic philosophy of self-sufficiency is at once so simple and so profound. Life, according to the teachings of Lord Buddha more than two thousand years ago, does not require much to be happy. It is therefore heart warming for all Thai people, whatever their political points of view, to welcome the joyous news that His Majesty the King will receive this year's United Nations Development Programme Award.

It is time for all of us to put our differences aside, rejoice and reunite on this most auspicious occasion, especially as it happens on the year that Thailand will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the ascension of our beloved Monarch. It is clear from this award that our father will be remembered alongside those great men whom history will never forget: Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama.

Prachyadavi Tavedikul

Bangkok

Touche! Socialist care ignores basic economic realities

Re: "Caring for poor segments of society is in the best interest of more affluent members", Letters, April 18.

Messrs Johnstone and Ross take issue with the fact that socialist Bt30 healthcare has Marxist roots. However, neither deny this basic premise. They appear comfortable with imposing a socialist boot on the neck of Thai doctors.

Mr Johnstone makes the unsubstantiated case that "there is plenty of money at more fortunate levels of society" - not his own mind you - to provide modern health care for the poor. No understanding of the cost or complexities of modern care are shown.

Thai doctors, with whom I am familiar, are trained for and understand first-world medicine, yet are given a third-world budget for their mission. Then, when they cannot deliver, they are sued, using first-world malpractice standards. Obviously, even for Messrs Johnstone and Ross, this puts Thai doctors in an untenable position. Do they care about the Thai doctors' agony that their system has imposed?

The law of unintended consequences for the liberal quick-fix solution is plainly not thought through, or just cavalierly ignored by the socialists.

Mr Ross seems to have some issue with how a successful economy develops and the lessons to be learned from those successes in other locations. The responsibility of any society to "take care of its weak and underprivileged" was never an issue, as all agree this is necessary. What is at issue is just how that goal can be attained.

Socialist medicine carries enormous baggage of ill will and inefficiencies, which can never be rooted out. Vouchers paid for by charities, voluntary contributions to buy insurance for indigents and designated charity clinics, where malpractice rules are constrained, all accomplish far more without the need and danger of nationalising a whole industry.

W Knight

Orange, California

Italy shows importance of political education

Italy's Silvio Berlusconi has been voted out of office by a very narrow margin of votes (about 25,000 in the lower house). Even though he is still fighting to cling to power, it seems Italians have been able to rid themselves of an embarrassing politician who came to power with high hopes using his extreme wealth and media domination. He is also a politician whose administration was marked by allegations of conflicts of interest, cronyism, false promises and murky business dealings. Our own venerable Thaksin Shinawatra, who has just made a one-day visit to Milan, the hometown of Mr Berlusconi, has often been called the Berlusconi of Asia.

There are some lessons we can learn. First, change can be effected through the ballot box. Second, the opposition has to be united, as was the case with Italy's centre-left coalition. Third, it requires a continuous process of education to help people see the truth. Italian magistrates pursued allegations in the courts and the press covered the hearings extensively.

For our less-educated electorate, it will take more time, but it can be done. Much has already been achieved. It would now take only a 10-per-cent swing of voters. So, in the midst of calls for political reform, let's not forget educational reform in all its dimensions from the grassroots up. This is the only hope for our society.

Nisanart Pumpanwong

Bangkok

Bickering abandons best traits of Thai culture

Re: "If the deal was clean, then surely Thaksin is spotless", Opinion, April 19.

At present I am back in the West for a few years, but I have been a long-term resident of Thailand, my wife and son are Thai, and my heart is in Thailand. Perhaps a view from someone like me, who is partly outside and partly inside, would be interesting.

I was struck by Khun Tulsathit's statement: "Why can't there be a compromise? Thaksin, in showing us that the world is grey, has somehow managed to divide Thais and the international audience into black and white camps."

To me, the current political uproar makes it seem as if Thailand is abandoning its very wonderful culture and becoming thoroughly Westernised. Here in the USA, Republicans attack Democrats, Democrats hate Republicans, and partisan political advantage seems to be the only thing that matters to either side. The country seems to lose no matter what happens.

If one side wins, it implements a narrow agenda and damn the rest of the country. If the two sides are evenly matched, nothing gets done at all, and damn the whole country. Personally, I like traditional Thai values much better; talk, talk, talk, work things out, compromise. No one ever wins everything, no one ever loses completely, but everyone's interests are considered and the country moves forward with broad-based participation.

Has Thai society decided now that modern, Western ways are better? I hope not. I doubt Thailand can develop as rapidly, on all fronts, economic and social, if substantial parts of Thai society are left out of decisions as Thailand charts its direction into the future. I know that Thailand will be a less pleasant place to live if Thais decide they would rather be Western than Thai. Why, indeed, can't there be compromise?

Dr Mark Speece

Juneau, Alaska

We must find the will to punish offences

As we are now at an impasse, so much for all the commotion. No proof of wrongdoing tendered, no indictments for corruption or any other criminal offences against the Thaksin regime. All the shouting about corruption and other criminal matters has, as usual, gone by the wayside.

We never learn. Why were the allegations made if no proof could be tendered so charges could be proffered? The next lot will be no different because we, the Thai people, never have it in us to prosecute in order to teach the most needed lesson of all: "a mandate" to govern is not a mandate to exploit things for your own benefit.

Corruption, kidnappings and more, but no one has been indicted? Somchai is still missing, as are others who have disappeared during the Thaksin era, but as usual we let the culprits walk with their ill-gotten gains without teaching them a lesson.

Maybe we deserve what we have and will get. People must fight for what they believe in, sacrifices have to be made, lessons have to be learned and taught. Thaksin and all his friends are laughing all the way to their offshore banks.

Again I, a proud Thai, hang my head in shame. It will take generations to eliminate the evil from our society, because the present generation hasn't got the courage to effect change and is being led by the nose by some empty souls, who cry foul but do nothing to cause change.

Noppadon

Bangkok

'Nation' television is great; not so for news columns

I don't normally watch TV, but last [Monday] night I watched a show on Channel 9 hosted by Khun Suthichai Yoon and Khun Thepchai Yong. The show was about Laos; how the country has changed, how Laotians are receptive to Western culture and how much they like [musician] Sek Loso. The show, indeed, was very educational. Part two will be aired next Monday and I will definitely watch it.

Khun Suthichai and Khun Thepchai were courteous, articulate, knowledgeable and well-prepared. I will remember Khun Suthichai and Khun Thepchai as brilliant television hosts, not as Nation columnists, because those columns are dictated by personal vendettas.

Somsak Pola

Samut Prakan