How fortunate then that at least they don't have to worry about getting from A to B in the shortest amount of time possible when driving here. Their special blue number plates, granting their vehicles diplomatic immunity, allow them to flout the road rules in a way that not even the most reckless Thai driver would imagine.

Take for instance the Nana intersection at 2.25pm on May 28. A bright red two-door coupe, sporting left-hand-drive steering and blue diplomatic plates (I would guess an American since they are the only ones I see driving around Bangkok with left-hand-drive cars) decided that heading east up Sukhumvit, away from Ploenchit, wasn't for him.

This male diplomat, in his 30s or early 40s, decided that instead, he'd do a U-turn at the intersection of Sukhumvit and sois 3 and 4 from the far left lane! Clearly, neither the clear illegality of U-turns there nor the three lanes of oncoming Sukhumvit traffic were a concern to our diplomatic friend. He was happy to block the entire intersection while he slowly and clumsily performed his about-turn. And upon seeing those shiny blue plates, the police in the booth on the corner of Soi 4 were impotent to stop him as well.

Many of the diplomatic corps are well aware of their immunity on the road, so flouting traffic laws is second nature for them. A favourite is flouting the ban on driving east under the expressway flyover where Ploenchit Road meets Sukhumvit, across from "Soi Zero".

For mere plebs like us, we are forced to turn onto the expressway if we come down from Ploenchit, or put up with Petchaburi or Rama IV traffic if we want to get to Sukhumvit. Not for our blue-plated friends however! At any given time of day, East Asian, African and Western diplomats (and even diplomats' wives on their way for coffee) find it fit that traffic police under the expressway stop exiting vehicles so that they can pass, while other poor sods are pulled over and fined.

So remember, next time you hear an American diplomat chastise the Thai populace for buying pirated DVDs and stealing American intellectual property, rest easy in the knowledge he or she is being disingenuous. They have as much regard for Thai laws as we have for theirs!

Samran Vatanopast

Bangkok

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Leaders and citizens need to rediscover Buddhist teaching

 Re: "Remembering a truly great soul", Editorial, May 28:

This is perhaps one of the best editorials I have read on the "great son" of Thailand, whose birth centenary was celebrated on Saturday. Buddhadasa Bhikku was a world citizen - like Buddha himself in many ways. He was the much-needed "avatar" to cleanse Buddhism in Thailand of its materialistic twists and corruptions.

A revolutionary like Buddha himself, Buddhadasa was bold, and reminded Buddhists what their religion is really all about.

Your editorial was right about the best way to honour this great soul who rejuvenated Buddhism, but his centenary is much more timely to remind the country's leadership about its duty to "practise" Buddhism. Arrogance, endless greed, despotic tendencies, ruthless subjugation of all who hold differing views by adopting unlawful methods, are all symptoms of a sick mind. An avowed Buddhist cannot behave in this way.

It is ironical that despite Buddhism being the national religion, and despite great saints like Buddhadasa Bhikku, Thailand has voted for and produced such leadership. Every citizen of this country must consider the following:

Have we really honoured the Buddha, whom we wai everyday?

Are we preserving our true national heritage or digging its grave?

What kind of a "team" have we allowed to sit in power and rule over the fate of this great country?

When goodness is discarded to practise evil, and righteousness is no longer honoured and heeded, then it is certain that the country is heading for more disasters and calamities. Has Mother Nature already given the first warning signal to the people of Thailand?

A Patriot

Bangkok

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Hard to avoid reverting to hatred against politicians

 Re: "Hatred debases public discourse", Editorial, May 27.

Your well-meant editorial only plays in the Thai Rak Thai Party's hands. Politics is not for the faint-hearted, certainly not for anyone harbouring chivalrous feelings and most certainly not for their extreme opposites, such as Thaksin.

From his political record - much longer than five years - Thaksin seems to have somehow acquired a ticket for perpetual return to politics, and this makes him a most dangerous person.

Once people like him and his minions acquire a taste of absolute power, it is almost impossible to dislodge them; they have too much to gain and even more to lose.

Therefore, it is necessary to curb them as soon as they have demonstrated their real nature, and this they have already done repeatedly.

In particular, they have demonstrated utter disregard for the Constitution and the rights of the people. As they did the first time, they are trying again to buy votes with demagogic policies that are nothing but promissory notes.

If they win, they will certainly pay, sorry, honour them through government funds, that is, taxpayers' money. That would be all right were it not that the rest of their policies would unbalance the economy further, destroy the middle class and silence the press to allow them and their cronies to get richer and richer, as we have already seen.

Krabong Kuverakorn

Bangkok

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Lessons, tests in Maths textbooks don't match

 I would like to complain about the Maths textbooks which purport to teach some sort of mathematical skill or knowledge and then give test questions at the end that require the students to perform some operations that were not taught in the lesson.

For example, the lesson gives examples in whole numbers and then the test gives a question involving the manipulation of fractions or decimals.

If any Maths educators in the Ministry of Education are listening: Please coordinate the lessons and tests in textbooks, so that if the student doesn't get it in the classroom, he or she can study it at home.

These half-baked textbooks discourage and confuse children (and parents) rather than encouraging students to move ahead confidently.

Math Hater

Bangkok

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Surakiart could prove fitness for top UN post at home

 Surakiart Sathirathai still seems to be interested in the top post at the United Nations. However, as someone with strongly affiliation to the Thai Rak Thai, a party accused of severe human rights offences, he does not seem an appropriate candidate for any UN position.

Surakiart might consider acting on behalf of human rights in Thailand; that would benefit the Thai people more. He should suggest, for instance, punishment for those responsible for the deaths of nearly 100 Muslims at Tak Bai.

If that's too much to ask, then please let Surakiart stay in Thailand before he starts damaging global affairs.

Utopia

Bangkok

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British MP's statement shows lack of political decorum

 Is British MP George Galloway's latest sorry behaviour - comments that Prime Minister Tony Blair's assassination would be "justified" - more a reflection of one man's diminishing hold on reality or yet another symptom of a liberal society's inability to properly define the limits of tolerance?

The commissars who inhabit, with painful influence, Galloway's dream utopias would have no difficulty defining him and prescribing "corrective" measures. One wonders if Galloway or his constituents ever ponder this certainty or if, indeed, representatives of the broader polity will ever find it in themselves to enforce the decorum essential to responsible representative government.

The many of us wearied by Galloway's outsized ego and its output certainly hope so.

Ron Goodden

Atlanta

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TAT should focus on quality tourists rather than numbers

 Prakit Chin-amournphong, vice chairman

of the Thai Hotels Association, is so right when he warns against low cost tourists. Just look at the examples of Spain and Turkey who both encouraged mass low cost tourists and soon regretted it.

There are several problems including massive infrastructure costs that gain little real returns - most of the money is paid abroad to tour operators and they pay hotels etc, but there is little true trickle-down effect. Last and by no means least, people with money do not want to be with the masses, so they start going elsewhere.

Personally I think Thailand has already gone too downmarket is some areas, such as Pattaya, and even places like Chaweng are beginning to look more like Magaluf than Marbella, and that is not good.

TAT, count numbers only at Thailand's peril!

Worried

Bangkok