To caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, this development must be one of the biggest blows ever visited upon him. But at least this time around, he appears to have accepted defeat graciously; it is certainly not an easy thing for a man of such huge pride and ego. Had the caretaker PM behaved this way earlier instead of exuding supreme defiance and arrogance, he might have been better received by his opponents.

To the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), there may be temptations to claim this as their victory. It is not. While the PAD may have seemed to many to be Thaksin's nemesis, what transpired yesterday was basically the hands of justice at work, not the work of the PAD. There can be no doubt that the judges in this case did their job fairly and admirably.

With the ruling coming hot on the heels of the Democrat Party's victories in local elections on Sunday, again it can cause a sense of elation that may be more illusory than real. For one thing, the one election that counts is still more than two months away. For another, the Democrats' sweep on Sunday bore little relation to the achievement of the current Bangkok administration; it was more a matter of public sentiment that has been turning against Thaksin and his Thai Rak Thai in recent months.

All in all, the victory yesterday, if we can call it that, is a victory of justice. This is soul-searching time for all concerned, especially those who wish to see Thailand return to a state of normalcy at the earliest opportunity. This means we cannot let ourselves be overwhelmed by emotions one way or the other and that we must see to it the judicial process runs its full course and is not interrupted. Indeed, it is also time to put politics back where it belongs, and that is in the ballot box.

Prachyadavi Tavedikul

Bangkok

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

Ruling confirms that last election lacked legitimacy

These are some points we can draw from yesterday's ruling against the three election commissioners:

1. We now know for sure that the previous election was not only "unfair" and "unconstitutional", but also "illegal".

2. Also, we know the previous election was not democratic, and the so-called "victor", therefore, did not "win" a "democratic election".

3. We also now know that the boycott of the election was, in fact, legally justified, and those who chose the "no vote" option voted appropriately and wisely.

4. Furthermore, those who came out to support the Election Commission (EC) were wrong to do so. If any of those supporters are national leaders, they now have an obligation to make it clear to the Thai public that they were, in fact, wrong and that they are very sorry to have misled the people.

5. Following on from that, the same national leaders must no longer claim they always follow "the rules". They must also acknowledge that those who demonstrated against the election and the EC were right to do so, that they were, in fact, the ones who were "defending democracy".

6. Finally, Thais should immediately demand that their caretaker prime minister write another letter to George W Bush explaining he was wrong to say what he did before, that in fact the demonstrators were correct in what they did. Above all, he should explain that the so-called "extra-constitutional" powers had backed free and fair elections all along and that Thais are right to show that power the profound respect they do.

And oh yes, he should also explain to Bush he now realises he is just the caretaker prime minister of the Kingdom of Thailand and not, as he claimed in his first letter, the prime minister of Thailand.

That will do for a start!

Lung Kip

Chiang Mai

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

A functioning mobile network would be a great 'innovation'

Re: "Telecom companies gear up for Bangkok Int'l ICT Expo", Business, July 25.

In this article, the writer states, "Thai tech buffs can look forward to exhibits of technology for a better life from cellular operators at the Bangkok International ICT Expo next week."

Without spoiling the surprise, can you give us a hint of what we can expect? Will we see new technology that allows mobile-phone subscribers actually to connect and talk to each other using hand-held devices - even when subscribing to different services?

This would be an extremely attractive value-added service to the current core functions of mobile phones: delivery platform for annoying ring tones; poor-quality instant camera; substandard MP3 player and fashion accessory.

E Holland

Bangkok

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

Teacher violated professional standards by joke to Ung Ing

Re: "Ung Ing's words 'twisted'," News, July 25. It was good for the assistant professor to give her side of the story and reasons for "teasing" the girl. Unfortunately, I found her logic flimsy.

First, for a teenager to hear her father being damned by the dean and professors of the faculty must be traumatic. But that the teacher chose to taunt her, especially on the first day of the semester, is beyond belief.

Second, to speak about the status of a student's family is in itself wrong, irrespective of the teacher's intention.

Directly addressing the girl in regard to her father's affairs, whether inside or outside class and no matter how lightly the topic is touched on, is an inexcusable breach of a teacher's ethics.

To be a trustworthy teacher, you must be blind to students' family backgrounds when educating them. With the proper teaching, the girl may even correct her father on the right principles of government, especially when she is now the only one he is listening to.

Third, why would her father drag the institution in to answer for this misdeed instead of the lecturer personally?

The father trusted the institution to educate his daughter, and the lecturer is a representative of that institution; hence, the father rightly blamed the institution for having such a representative.

Fourth, the professor regarded the girl as a political victim, but instead of helping the student, her remarks to the girl added insult to injury.

Finally, the academic said she would not take any action against her father. Wow! She does not even realise the impropriety of her own conduct. If I were the girl's father, I would submit a request for disciplinary action to be taken against this assistant professor for taunting my daughter when she was in need of encouragement and for the unethical conduct the teacher displayed in bringing her dislike of me to my daughter's attention, which was wrong any way you look at it.

Songdej Praditsmanont

Bangkok

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

Foreigners made a scapegoat for environmental issues

Re: "Pha-ngan official: Don't sell land to foreigners", News, July 24.

Although it is probably true that certain unseemly foreign interests were involved in "Samui-gate", it would be overly simplistic and disingenuous to lay the blame wholly on foreigners. Forest encroachment, falsification of land documents and environmental destruction for capital gain are normal practices in Thailand, and the regime consists mostly of corrupt politicians and rich Thais. Also normal here and elsewhere in Asia is the practice of flaying scapegoats to bury sensitive issues that might otherwise expose too much.

Cha-am Jamal

Phetchaburi

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

Given recent US acts, Rice's Lebanon visit lacked sincerity

Re: "Rice visit 'supports Lebanon's govt'," News, July 25.

The Unites States last week rushed a special delivery of bombs to Israel for use on targets in Lebanon by Israeli planes.

America's ambassador at the UN told the world a dead Israeli civilian is worth a whole lot more in terms of moral outrage than a Lebanese one.

Neither of these events seems to be a very friendly gesture from the world's superpower to a country that is being besieged by its neighbour.

Never mind. Now I read that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in a surprise visit with Lebanese leaders (to show America's support to the Lebanese public) thanked them for their steadfastness and courage.

Would that be the steadfastness and courage needed by the Lebanese government and people to stand by and watch as the country's citizens are killed and property and infrastructure destroyed once again by Israel? Or the constancy needed as you're told again, "It's all your fault, because you didn't properly implement UN Resolution 1559 -you know, the one where you and your fledgling Lebanese army were mandated to control the despicable, all-powerful Hezbollah?"

Golly, thanks for stopping by, Condi!

MSNBC's Chris Matthews asked a reporter on the scene how Israelis were coping with "vacation plans", considering the war situation.

Matthews concluded that the resilient character of the Israeli people would "keep that country around for a very long time".

I'm sure Condi has the Israelis on her "to visit" agenda. Maybe even in "Holy Nazareth" where anchorwoman Rita Cosby said the "ragtag terrorists attacked the hometown and birthplace of Jesus".

"O little town of Bethlehem..." Hmm, I wonder how the vacation plans for the Lebanese are going?

Mr Bill

Bangkok

Send us your views in an instant E-mail your opinion, with 'Letters to the Editor' in the subject box, to: letters@nationgroup.com