We have been spared war and major turmoil, unlike many other nations in this world, due to His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej's keen diplomacy and good relations with foreign nations. I have no doubt we are better off than most other countries, thanks only to His Majesty. I am positive His Majesty will guide Thailand during the present crisis as he has always done so ably in the past. Indeed, we are so fortunate to have this King who binds us all in unity.

A Thai Citizen

Bangkok

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Swiss student is proud to follow His Majesty's example

Born and raised in Thailand to Swiss parents, I feel incredibly honoured and proud to follow His Majesty the King's path, as I am in Switzerland for studies but will eventually return to Thailand, to my country, my people and my home, where I belong. Like a rare jewel, His Majesty radiates dignity. His love for us can only be compared with that of a father for his child. He leads our hearts and minds with honesty and by example. Long live the King!

Philippe Meyer

Switzerland

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His Majesty's compositions played in his honour in Vienna

I honoured His Majesty the King by playing some of his compositions on the piano at a charity-reception celebrating the 60th anniversary of His Majesty's accession to the throne, in Vienna on June 13.

Best wishes from Austria to Thailand. Long live the King!

Johann Turek

Vienna

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It's certainly not America that acts like a 'trade bully'

Re: "Free-trade deal with US could never be fair", Letters, June 16.

I seldom have reason any longer to defend my native country, but it seemed to be a little strange to have the country with the largest trade deficit in the world being depicted as a "trade bully". I think Michael Greenwald was thinking of Japan and China.

John Arnone

Yasothon

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Thaksin understands lawyers perhaps a little too well

Re: "PM sues Democrats, papers", News, June 15.

He's at it again! While the rest of the country was basking in the glow of His Majesty the King's 60-year celebrations, it seems Thaksin's lawyers have been busy. Scarcely had the red carpets been rolled up when the lawyers issued a raft of criminal and civil suits against the opposition and media for doing nothing more than what they're supposed to do; ie, to oppose, and to report the news.

In this maelstrom of legal activity that commenced with the Temasek tax-avoidance deal, it is instructive to cast our memories back to Thaksin's radio show in the first week of January 2003. He was reported in the papers as saying: "A person who helps wrongdoers after they commit a crime is called a lawyer."

Nigel Pike

Phang Nga

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May cool heads prevail in South despite bombings

Re: "Wave of 40 blasts rocks deep South", News, June 16.

PM Thaksin's knee-jerk response to the unprecedented, massive 40 bombs down South will probably be to clamp down with an iron fist, impose curfews, raise the military presence, etc. Such highly visible steps will relieve PM Thaksin's short-term political pressures, and if, along the way, we have a few more Krue Se or Tak Bai incidents (for which no general has been court-martialled), the eye-for-an-eye men will say, "Well, too bad."

Southerners are just as Thai as any of us. We cannot treat the South as occupied territory or its people as enemies. Its problems are mainly political, not military, and the solutions must be politically led, as well. The National Reconciliation Commission's report was thoughtfully drafted with strong local input and has been approved by PM Thaksin. Its recommendations should be implemented vigorously and immediately; eg, forming an unarmed peacekeeping force and a new administrative body to oversee the restive areas as a way to mediate conflicts and give residents a greater voice in local government decisions.

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok

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Regional accents unavoidable in English-language teaching

With all the opinions on both sides of the divide about who should be teaching English to Thai students, I'd like to make a point that seems to be missing in the debate.

Language is primarily a tool for communication, and consequently it does not really matter whether the students learn from a native speaker or anyone else, as long as they can learn enough to get their message across to anyone else also speaking English. That other person may also be a user of English as a second language, and if the two of them can exchange ideas and communicate effectively, we have achieved a great deal.

Regional English accents and foreign-accented English are unavoidable and have to be accepted by the teaching profession as the price to pay for accelerating the use of English as a form of international communication.

Comparing Thai students' English skills with others in the region is not helpful in advancing the case for getting more Thais to learn English; it only causes an inferiority complex even before they start.

Tom Lloyd

Australia

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PAD must show it can address citizens' concerns

Is the emerging People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) an anti-imperialist front, or are they going to try to make Thaksin Shinawatra's Thai Rak Thai Party's imperialist policies work?

The issues that concern the people throughout this country are poverty, debt, job security, health and safety at work (and in the home), the viability of local communities, public services, dignity in retirement, balanced economic development, democracy, discrimination in social justice, the environment - these are only of concern to the Thai Rak Thai imperialists in so far as they represent a cost, threat or business opportunity.

Let's make it quite clear that on every front, giant corporations ruthlessly and single-mindedly pursue only the interests of their directors and shareholders. We see monopolies driving down wages and challenging claims for improved conditions. They demand longer working hours, offering "McJobs" instead of job security. At the same time, they are reaping lavish profits in oil, banking, water and most other branches of industry and commerce.

Karl Marx may have said, "You have nothing to lose but your chains," but unless there is a change in the direction from the globalisation of companies, then fairer wages, a shorter workweek, equal opportunity, decent benefits and pensions and more investment in public services will only be a dream.

The two big questions the PAD must address today are whether the present government is a wholly owned subsidiary of Thailand's big business; and if Thailand is not a fit place to produce a product, why should it provide a market here? Only an alternative socially reforming government with real powers and the support of the people can make the necessary changes. Or will it be little wonder why so few people vote at all?

By appealing to the family tradition of Thai society and its love for peace, the PAD can gain the necessary power. The armed forces and the police, who are also underpaid, need to understand that WE are The People, and so are they (and their families).

Giles Wynne

Nakhon Ratchasima

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Bangkokians are in constant danger of losing their hearing

Re: "BTS TV advertising blitz fails to impress commuters", Letters, June 15.

My compliments to Jeremy Hadanough on his comments regarding Bangkok noise. With his permission, I may adopt his second name!

During my years in Bangkok, I have totally failed to discover why almost all public sound is always at full volume. Periodically, an attempt is made by the authorities to limit the decibels, but no one cares. It most certainly is a health hazard, and his figure of 30 per cent of the Bangkok population is no surprise. Due mainly to this problem, I have lost half my normal hearing. This was confirmed by three doctors. When I visited the hospital clinic, I was shocked at how many children were there for tests, and how many adults, also.

In a large shopping complex in central Bangkok, I witnessed one of the most disturbing things I have seen in this city: a screaming contest. Literally. Seemingly for some promotion. Small children enticed from the crowd by an emcee to scream as loudly as possible into a live mike stuck in their faces. The emcee screamed also, to encourage greater volume. One of the most senseless, stupid, thoughtless and almost-insane acts I have ever seen. The young lady emcee should have been charged with child cruelty.

The noise drove me from the building, and it was around that time I noticed a loss of hearing. I'm sure that scene didn't help the latter, but think of the poor sensitive children. If this is the current mind-set, there is no hope for any relief.

David Ross

Bangkok