Prachyadavi Tavedikul has good reasons to conclude that Kofi Annan's efforts are too little and too late in the matter of United Nations reform. Some recent collective views on the same issue deserve to be more widely known.

The foreign ministers of the Group of 77 (including Thailand) and China stated recently that given its universality and legitimacy, the United Nations is the apex of multilateralism. Nothing should be done to undermine its pluralism and its diversity. They also stressed the importance of ensuring that the UN Secretariat meets the highest standards of accountability, transparency, integrity and ethical conduct. Therefore, they supported a system of internal justice where staff members are held accountable for wrongdoing, irrespective of their nationality and seniority.

In the same statement it was emphasised that the secretary-general should receive adequate and predictable resources to undertake effectively the numerous tasks entrusted to the UN. The viability of any UN reform measures depend ultimately on the broad support of all its members, as well as of the UN staff who dedicate themselves to the values and principles of the organisation.

How these legitimate demands, formulated at ministerial level by 132 countries belonging to the Group of 77 and China, can be put into effect and receive tangibility in an institution of 191 countries is a different story.

Ioan Voicu

Bangkok

-------------------------

What's so 'sensitive' about televisions on Skytrain?

 Re: "Commuters want peace and quiet", News, June 21.

The reported response of the Skytrain management that the issue of a few televisions being tested on trains is "sensitive" seems bizarre.

Skytrain management should explain exactly what the sensitivity is. Is it sensitive for the commuting public and, if so, in what way? Is it sensitive for the Skytrain management? If so, why? Is there advertising money involved, perhaps? Does the management put their revenue flow ahead of commuters' health?

The Skytrain management continually cites "surveys" showing that commuters don't mind the televisions. Could Skytrain users see the details of these surveys, including the way the questions were framed?

Does Skytrain management know that there are statutory noise limits in Bangkok? What are the decibel readings in the carriages where the televisions have been installed, at peak commuting hours?

The commercialisation of life has gone far enough. Televisions on Skytrains offer advertisers little mileage - just a few seconds of indecipherable footage and soundtrack playing to an apathetic audience. The BTS should stop this pointless exercise and leave people in peace.

Nirmal Ghosh

Bangkok

--------------------------

BTS staff do not support noise blitz on commuters

 Re: "Commuters want peace and quiet", News, June 21.

I called some of my friends who have worked at Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTS), the Skytrain operator, from the very beginning for comments. They all said that they were dismayed and frustrated by commuters' anger towards the company. They all agreed that fare-paying customers deserve the best of service, which includes a quiet environment away from all the noise pollution in Bangkok.

The BTS staff do not agree with the addition of noisy advertisements, both on the platforms and especially in the trains. However, they could not block the decision since the advertisements are all operated by VGI, a company owned by the BTS's majority shareholders.

I believe that the newly formed People Who Love Quiet Club should help the BTS to protest against this noisy action and maybe also petition the BMA, which grants the concession to operate the Skytrain, to help alleviate the pains of the commuters.

Fan of quiet BTS

Bangkok

---------------------------------

Asking for improvement is not simply whining

 Re: "Farangs like low cost of living but want it to be like home", Letters, June 21.

Meechai Burapa said he thought farangs were "whining" too much regarding lack of English commentary in Thailand for the World Cup. Why that should upset him is anybody's guess since Thailand's image would have been enhanced in the eyes of visitors, in that it would have come across as a progressive, modern, and forward-looking country. He also makes the unrealistic observation that there was never any Thai language commentary for televised sports events during his stay in the United States.

Meechai is wrong on several counts. Firstly, there is nothing wrong with complaining. On the contrary, complaints very often result in better products and better services, thus complainants provide a public service for which they should be commended, and it should not be referred to as "whining".

Second, farangs in Thailand must come from about 40 different countries, all with their own national language, yet none of these farangs would expect television commentary in their own national language because, like Thai, these are national languages. On the other hand, English is an international language spoken by billions across the globe, which is why English television commentary is expected, and why it is unrealistic for Meechai to expect Thai-language television commentary in the US - or any country besides Thailand.

Finally, Meechai seems to object that farangs "would like it to be like home" in Thailand. Again, this is a rather strange observation to make. It would seem that he prefers that farangs live under some sort of hardship in Thailand. I would urge Meechai to reflect on his stay in the US, where he was a free man in every respect and was no doubt encouraged to feel at home there, and by Western standards rightly so.

C Croft

Bangkok

------------------------------------

In a global world, we have to learn to live with foreigners

 Re: "Door is always open for foreigners who are fed up", Letters, June 23.

I certainly hope Sunida is not representative of most Thais in wanting to get rid of foreigners. We live in a global world, where people live side by side in countries not of their birth.

Certainly, no country can claim to be absolutely free of "corruption, pollution, incompetence" and what not, to quote her own words.

Sunida is obviously familiar with the UK, given her remarks about football, the Tube etc. While she is entitled to show disdain for all that, it would be nice for her to remember that the UK is home to many migrants from the Caribbean, Africa and Asia, including Thais, all of whom are given equal rights and opportunities.

Tom Lloyd

Australia

-----------------------------------

Expats seem to develop fantasy image of home

 Re: "Door is always open for foreigners who are fed up", Letters, June 23.

I'd like to commend Sunida's letter. Every now and then, some high-powered expat becomes overwhelmed by the fantasies he has developed about his home country and flounces off back to it, emitting in his wake a letter of complaint about Thailand. This in turn always provokes a wailing chorus of support from other expat residents banging on about how this is the most corrupt country on earth etc etc. For God's sake, if you don't like this place, exercise your democratic rights and be gone!

Every foreign resident of this country should take an honest look at their birthplace before romanticising it. The noisy trains, people crowding into lifts, lack of football commentary in English and cops with their hands out are petty annoyances in Thailand - but a person with a pinch of tolerance can rise above them.

I suggest that the people who feel tempted to squeal about these trivialities in the letters page of a national newspaper in their host country should pause to think how they would feel if Asian visitors wrote en masse to The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian or The New York Times to complain about the blackguardly natives.

Tommy

Nakhon Pathom

-------------------------------

Locals entitled to draw the line regarding outsiders

 Re: "Door is always open for foreigners who are fed up", Letters, June 23.

I'm with Sunida on this one. Reading the letters column, one would think that all farangs ever do is complain about some aspect or other of life in Thailand. Considering that most of them live better than they could at home, it's a bit precious, and really testing Thai hospitality.

Here in Australia, we now have a immigrant minority who want to ban mixed-sex bathing in public pools, Christmas Nativity displays in shopping malls etc, for being offensive to their religion. When groups like this try to dictate to the majority, it's time to tell them to go back to where they came from, and good riddance.

Rodney Sheaves

Sydney

---------------------------------

Choose to go or choose to see the positive side

 Re: "Door is always open for foreigners who are fed up", Letters, June 23.

While Sunida might have gone a little over the top, she does raise valid points. I for one just cannot understand all this fuss over the lack of English-language commentary on free, local television in a non-English-speaking country. Actually, I'm even finding the lack of any commentary makes the games even more enjoyable!

As for corruption, pollution etc - we are all here anyway and remain here by choice.

JR Smith

Bangkok