I am a science teacher who's lived in Thailand four years and strongly endorse Noppadon's view that "we as a people are not innocent, because we never fight to a conclusion. We quickly suffer from amnesia and forget what they have done to our nation" and: "Everything in our nation must be overhauled: public service, law enforcement, our armed forces and specifically our justice system."

Nearly every day I read stories in The Nation about official corruption but rarely see any stories of consequences. Whatever happened in all those scandals at the new airport? Thai politicians and corrupt businessmen thumb their noses at the law because they know the "good ol' boys club" of police, courts and prosecutors will let them off.

The rich and powerful will never respect the law as long as they think they can get away it, and the rest of us won't trust the law as long as there aren't any real consequences for such flagrant corruption. Thaksin and the Thai Rak Thai Party seem to have an open, public policy that money can buy off or circumvent any problem or legal obstacle.

I'd like to suggest a new weekly feature for The Nation: Corruption Watch.

Every week there should be an ongoing, comprehensive list of all the important corruption scandals of the past few years and their status. It should include a brief summary of each case, the state of the investigation, and the last date of any significant developments. Allegations and scandals involving Thaksin and the Thai Rak Thai as ruling party could be listed separately. Brand new scandals, recent developments, and matters settled the previous week could also be highlighted.

It might be slightly repetitive, but if the public was reminded weekly of all the official scandals and lack of meaningful consequences, I think they would be appalled. It would also show how many cases are dropped or just evaporate into thin air over time. Maybe then some of these crooks would have their feet held to the fire until it means something.

I hope you'll consider it. It would be a very valuable public service and good for The Nation.

Best wishes and keep up the fight, from a farang who loves Thailand and most of its people.

Glenn Bradley

Bangkok

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Election overseen by courts and EC seems reasonable

 Re: "Electoral stand-off: Commissioners offer compromise", News, May 13.

Shared responsibility bewteen the Election Commission (EC) and the courts in conducting the next election seems a plausible compromise. As one of the commissioners pointed out, the last thing we need amid all the current political uncertainty is to go through the lengthy process of selecting a new EC.

Concerned

Bangkok

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Thailand is better off not being on UN rights panel

 True, Thailand was denied a seat on the new human rights panel. But I, personally, as an American and one who dearly loves and admires the Thai people and culture, especially following their remarkable showing of democratic peaceful protest, believe the Thai nation just may benefit from not being on the panel.

The Human Rights Council was instituted in order to correct failings of the previous panel. If you review the countries seated on the new panel, I'm quite sure that calm reasoning will tell you that a considerable number of them lack acceptable human rights positions.

Considering that the panel has such members, Thailand might be better served to stay on the sidelines and observe - while at the same time continuing its most positive advancement into the world's political, academic and economic arena.

Be patient, my friend.

Howard Raphael

Los Angeles

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Proposing an Islamic party is an irresponsible move

 The assertion by acting caretaker Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya that Muslim people could set up an Islamic party is perhaps one of the most irresponsible statements ever made by a politician in Thailand.

The very prospect of this happening threatens to split Thai society right down the middle, bringing an end to Thailand's secular society. Can one imagine a possible parallel with the tragedy of the religious and political division of India on attaining independence?

There would be no winners in such a move - the Deep South would become even more impoverished than it is now as investment would dry up, extremists would demand the imposition of shariah law and businesses would head north.

Perhaps the basis of Chidchai's suggestion is that an Islamic party would split the Democratic Party's support in the South, thereby strengthening the position of his Thai Rak Thai Party.

What price power then?

David Prescott

UK

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Britain is now a reason for concern, not fond nostalgia

 Re: "Expat Brits nostalgic about the little pleasures of life", Letters, May 7.

I thought that C Croft's response to my letter about the decline of the quality of life in the UK was quite reasonable, although somewhat romantic. I fear the gentlemanly pursuits he talks of will become a distant memory, much as knights in armour and men with bowler hats and canes. It won't be long before a walk in the Lake District will mean having to pay and pass through a turnstile before setting foot on the hills. The countryside will be prowled by wardens ready to pounce and hand out tickets for any breach of the Country Code, much like the beloved traffic wardens in the cities.

Even though Britain is a wealthy nation, in my view it looks like a bankrupt East European state with its run-down buildings, faltering infrastructure, security cameras, signs, watchers, informers and an all-out war to impose restrictions for whatever reason upon everyone. Motorists and smokers are hounded, yet they have allowed easy access to alcohol, the deadliest drug of them all. Alcohol is said to be related to 70 per cent of crime, yet they have bent over backwards to make it more freely available. So here we have a population anaesthetised by booze, continually fed banal filth by the rabid tabloid press and mesmerised by television game shows offering contestants the opportunity to make financial gain in exchange for their dignity (and there is no shortage of takers).

Britain was once known as a great nation of decency, courage, politeness, invention, quaintness and other good qualities which led the way in standards of the modern world, so it is deeply saddening to observe it in such rapid decline. I don't blame any political party for this demise; it is the fault of the laid-back silent majority who have let their country and values be overtaken by the trendy "couldn't care less/life owes me a living" rabble.

Sadly I don't have an answer, but once things go into a slide it is hard to reverse the trend. In years to come it would ironic to see Britain regarded by others as a dustbin nation that has been reduced to developing-nation status.

R Richards

Bangkok

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Dan Brown claims only a factual inspiration

 Re: "Media twisting story of Christ to turn a profit", Letters, May 8.

What is Paul Kokoski's problem? At the beginning of "The Da Vinci Code" the author Dan Brown clearly states the factual inspiration for his book. The rest is quite obviously intended to be nothing more than an entertaining fictional yarn.

If only the Biblical writers had been as upfront and meticulous!

John Shepherd

Bangkok

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Just how well off are the poor people up-country?

 Re: "Caravan leader faces pickup row", News, May 12.

Your report on the Caravan of the Poor leader Sa-ing Ta-ngaisin, suspected of misusing pay-outs meant for protesters, quotes her neighbour Niphon Thanpadung as saying he received Bt10,000 to participate in the pro-Thaksin rallies, but was supposed to get more.

It continues: "He had [to] be away from home 20 days in order to join the caravan, but if he had stayed at home he would have earned about Bt40,000 from his business, he said."

At that rate he would be earning Bt60,000 a month. If this is correct, then the up-country definition of "poor" is certainly different from the one used elsewhere.

Tang On

Bangkok

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Laos government being too sensitive about Thai film

 Re: "Thai film no joke in Laos", News, May 13.

 Here's another story of how a private enterprise is misinterpreted by government. What a private company does or does not do is seldom related to what any government would prefer.

Movies are often politically incorrect. For Lao officials to even comment on the movie shows their extreme sensitivity and their willingness to show anger.

Michael Weldon

Udon Thani