It is one thing to claim to be a Buddhist; it is another to live like one. The Buddha spoke of cultivating detachment, wisdom, compassion and selflessness. All too often we see the opposite: attachment to power, status, gathering wealth, ignorance and selfishness. The worst offenders in Thailand are its so-called political "leaders" who put self-interest ahead of the best interests of the whole country.

Apart from His Majesty the King and a few others, Thailand is currently void of positive role models and the younger generation are caught in the cult of the popular mass media where what you have is given more importance than what you are as a person. When your bank balance and possessions become more important than personal integrity, kindness and compassion for others, we are doomed to spiral down into a self-created quagmire where the greedy, power hungry and self-obsessed rise to the top of our society.

In Thailand, the majority is tarnished by the selfish actions of the minority who place their own inflated self-interests above all else. This has led to a cancerous-like growth of corruption and nepotism to the stage where the public has lost all confidence in the institutions of government. The judiciary, police, armed forces and civil service are all riddled with the disease of corruption. People are concerned that the younger generation has become lost, but what do we expect if we teach them that dishonesty, graft and fraud not only go unpunished but often get rewarded. Money then becomes the fruit of all evil as well as the root.

Capitalism in itself is not the problem. The problem lies in a lack of personal values, integrity and self worth. As long as you are judged and valued on what you have rather than what you are as a person, people will continue to buy status and power to gain the perceived trappings of success to prop up the image they have of themselves.

The current government and prime minister are extremely poor role models for the young. They have raised the corruption bar. Any project for development of the nation will only take place as long as they personally gain from the deal. As long as they work for their own personal gain instead of what is best for the nation, the worse things will get. All too often we also see monks who are also caught up in the cult of celebrity and put personal ambitions ahead of their role as spiritual teachers. It is also pointless blaming Western culture if individuals choose to follow its lowest manifestations.

There is no better example of Buddhist principles being lived than the King. Humility, compassion and wisdom are the hallmarks of a person who works for the greater good of the whole rather than personal enrichment of the individual. Some of the current political elite need to visit the room of mirrors and ask what they have done for the overall good of the country.

Andrew Lynn

Phuket

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Letter praising the King does foreign community proud

 Re: "Praise for His Majesty the King from a foreign admirer on his 60th anniversary", Letters, June 15.

The letter by Dr Elizabeth Ogunlana congratulating His Majesty the King on the 60th anniversary of his accession to the throne, filled me, as a fellow Nigerian, with pride and joy.

Although a congratulatory message on this joyous occasion from His Excellency the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has already been conveyed through the diplomatic channel, the message from this Nigerian was most thoughtful and inspirational. She is not only a pride to Nigeria but should also be a source of pride to the whole foreign community in Thailand. The cadence of her letter captured the essence of the person and reign of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

All Nigerians join her in wishing His Majesty many more years of a caring, compassionate and glorious reign.

T S O Olumoko

Ambassador

Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

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Abac should have stood up to ministry on royal poll

 Re: "Abac backs down on poll on royals", News, June 22.

I am dismayed that the Abac poll on the popularity of visiting royals was suppressed.

Although I am sure limited university funds could have been spent on less trivial topics, once research has been approved and completed by any university then it is in the public interest for the results to be published. And why is the Foreign Ministry controlling what is published by a private university? More importantly, why is the Abac poll director not standing up for free speech and independence of scholarship?

Top-level universities everywhere depend on having a strong and independent research base, free from political interference. Anything less than this is fundamentally corrosive to the success of higher education and severely affects how a country's higher education system is perceived abroad. This could well lead to foreign donors reducing their funds to support research and international research journals questioning the reliability of research data from Thai universities. The quality of graduates who want to study overseas could also be downgraded. These are far more important factors to consider than the presumed hypersensitivity of some foreign potentates.

Peter Moseley

Bangkok

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Change the law on drinking, but what about enforcement?

 Re: "'25, better drinks age'", News, June 21.

There may be good intentions in raising the legal age for drinking alcohol from 21 to age 25. Most people agree that people get more responsible as they get older. However, there are only a handful of policemen who enforce the standing law, so how does the government expect to enforce the new law? It makes absolutely no sense to me.

The lack of "trusted" police in this country is grave. There is a saying here: "If something happens to you, you are on your own." Just the other night I saw a Western man beating up a Thai woman. Everyone stopped and stared. I tried to call the police three times but each time they hung up on me. The people around me told me that I should not worry. In the end the police never showed up and the woman escaped when a Western woman walked up and took her way.

So, go ahead change the law just for appearance's sake. But remember it will not change a thing.

JSF

USA

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More details needed on group against human trafficking

 Re: "Website against human trafficking", News, June 24.

The article did not mention the name of the organisation, or "team", that was reported to be developing a website to accept tips from the public about human trafficking. Also, the team's Web address mentioned in the article, www.stophumantrafficking.com, does not work.

The Nation should tell its readers more about the project. The article names the head of the team as Veerasak Kowsurat but gives no information about this person.

The article included a quote from an official of the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, an agency that has long been notorious for its complicity in the traffic in women and children.

It is common knowledge also that the Thai police, social workers, lawyers and detectives and foreign embassy personnel in Bangkok, who would have access to the tips on human trafficking from the public, are complicit in the traffic in women for prostitution and paedophilia. There are countless cases.

Prathip Gidrangsri

Bangkok

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No further news on lottery to assist victims of trafficking

 There has been absolutely no follow-up by the media of a government proposal in May 2005 for a government lottery from which proceeds would go to assist women and children who were victims of traffickers.

On May 13, 2005, The Nation reported that the Foreign Ministry had announced that a projected 18-month campaign by deputy prime minister Surakiart Sathirathai for the post of United Nations secretary-general would cost Thai taxpayers at least Bt100 million. Then, as now, Surakiart's bid for the top UN post, which falls vacant at the end of this year, was generally considered a lost cause and a waste of money.

Shortly afterward, an official of the Prime Minister's Office, Jakrapob Penkair, was reported to have protested that the amount was "outrageous".

Two weeks later, on May 26, the same official announced that the government was seeking the same amount, Bt100 million, to start a lottery to raise funds for the victims of traffickers in women and children. The project was to be supervised by a human trafficking prevention and suppression committee chaired by Surakiart.

What happened to the lottery proposal?

What happened to the human trafficking prevention and suppression committee?

How is Surakiart financing his trips around the world to solicit support for his bid for the top UN post, a position he has absolutely no chance of getting?

Samakh Siphonphat

Bangkok

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Big buyer finds things falling apart after forking over cash

 As part of a big international purchase, I ended up with a Thai telecom company and now there seem to be some problems. But every time I try to call the guy who happily took my money, I can't seem to get through to his mobile. All I get is "network busy".

In fact, I haven't been able to get through to anyone who subscribes to my new phone company. But I did receive a text message the other day - and it was bad news. My new TV station is in trouble too.

Hope my satellite is still in orbit.

Disappointed

Singapore