The letter in Saturday's paper from George Morgan bore all the hallmarks of an American fiscal perception of the world. Shining through every sentence was a "money is good" message, and if you don't behave like Singapore and China you will be left behind. Well, perhaps being left behind is no bad thing. The lust and worship of money we have seen exhibited by Thaksin and his bandwagon of cronies should be as clear a lesson as any country needs to review its fundamentals. The new government has said that it intends to follow the beneficent advice of His Majesty the King in the area of a sufficiency economy. This is sensible indeed and Bank of Thailand Governor MR Pridiyathorn Devakula on Tuesday reiterated the adoption of a sufficiency economy would help build economic equilibrium.

Thailand avoided European domination because of another much-loved monarch and this is why it has the unique character it enjoys today. What it "lost out" on is admirably exceeded by what it gained in individual character by maintaining its independence. Over-dependence on foreign investment led directly to the 1997 crash. Thailand does not need a repeat of those dark days. There are other roads to follow as the world rushes headlong into globalisation. Wealth does not automatically bring happiness. Pursuing it is not the good, right or only rational route to follow. The last thing the country needs is to join the squalid headlong rush for increased wealth and consumption. It would most probably be "trampled" by others determined to be first to "benefit".

The last thing Thailand should do is to attempt to emulate Singapore. Singapore was clearly the apple of Thaksin's eye. Indeed, he commented on it, especially the very pliant "free press". That alone should be warning enough.

Dr John Symons

Bangkok

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Samak could fill newly vacant TRT hot seat

What's all this fuss about nobody wanting to lead the Thai Rak Thai Party? Have you all forgotten Thaksin Shinawatra's No-1 fan and super chef, ex-Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej?

He was popping up all over the place to defend his hero, and surely if anybody deserves the job he does. The only problems is, we haven't heard a peep out of him since the coup. Anybody know where he is?

Chiang Mai Mike

Chiang Mai

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Targeted imports will be good for Thailand

Re: "Thailand urgently needs reform of its laws on foreign business", Letters, October 7.

It would seem that now that the generals have taken steps to protect the country from the plunderers of Thailand within, the plunderers of Thailand from without see a potential window of opportunity.

George tells us that: "A very effective way to reassure direct investors they are welcome in the Thai economy would be for the interim government to reform the alien business law." He is particularly concerned about having 100-per-cent ownership in Thai investments rather than using Thai investors as partners or having nominees. We don't want a repeat of the "Pizza Hut" fiasco, do we George?

George goes on to tell us that: "Over and above the actual capital inflows it generates, it [foreign direct investment], is the main window through which innovation, competitiveness and productivity gains flow into the economy."

There is something in what George tells us. Not too long ago I noticed that the local convenience store branch was carrying a popular American root beer. Needless to say, I bought up their supply. I returned not too long after to do the same again. The third time I returned, the drink had been removed from the store and had been replaced with an overstock of a Thai brand of root beer, which tastes similar to what I would imagine toxic waste tastes like. The store had obviously been "bought" with either a discount or a kickback of some sort, not to stock the competitor.

Discounts, rebates and display allowances are all methods that one product uses to replace another. None of them have anything to do with satisfying the customer but rather are attempts to train the customer. They were probably imported from the West along with the flow of Western products.

It is a fact that Western markets have long since been saturated and the only possible avenue to expand distribution is in foreign markets. When you consider Western markets greed-induced belief that if you are not growing you are dying, it is imperative for them to invest in other countries.

It has nothing to do with creating "capital inflows, innovation, competitiveness and productivity gains" to the receiving economy. It has to do with what they believe is survival and for the opportunity to "train" yet more potential customers. And believe me, they have the advertising revenue available to do so.

As a foreigner, I would love to see more of some of the products I had access to in America. But as a lover of my adopted home, I also know that if Thailand does not keep some restrictions on the import of foreign products and investment, it will be buried in look-a-likes, copies and pretenders, all of which will be willing to pay "display" allowances to replace products we really want.

John Arnone

Yasothon

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Academics' criticisms are a service to society

Re: "World scholars back Midnight University", News, October 4.

It is sad to learn that the new powers that be in Bangkok have decided to put a lid on the so-called Midnight University. We really should not pick on these hapless academics. They are only doing their job when they dissect Thai society for all of us. Indeed, in a lot of ways Midnight University was serving much like the chorus did in classical Greek tragedy: commenting, singing, narrating, warning, foretelling . . . Since time immemorial, academics have always been the voices of their age. They give in their analysis of what their age has given them in sorrow or gladness. And yet, while they are the voice of their age, they have tones which the age does not give them - which, indeed, the age does not sometimes recognise. Besides, their message is not a phonographic reproduction of the age's voice and clamour, but is an expression of interpretations, with warnings and encouragement, that the age very frequently finds quite beyond its grasp.

Dr Alex M Mutebi

Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Surayud could be a strong voice for Thai greenery

It was Khun Surayud Chulanont who noted in 2002 that "forests disappear when roads are cut", and after six years of abuse, exploitation and desecration, Thailand's increasingly ugly environment may at last have a champion in the shape of our new, nature-loving prime minister.

Down here in Phang Nga, scarcely a week goes by without yet another bald hillside appearing in the landscape, the scourge of oil-palm plantations is spreading and ribbon development [the building of houses along the sides of roads radiating from a city or town] determines urban settlement plans by default. The same is true throughout the country. Having observed the complete failure of land-use planning on all fronts in my twenty-five years in Thailand, I conclude that there is no chance of land-use control under a democratically elected government, simply because the loggers, encroachers, landowners, speculators and polluters hail from the governing families and it is not in their interests to do anything about it.

Right now these selfish clans are temporarily out of the picture and we have a terrific opportunity to start putting things right. How about an immediate and total ban on logging of all remaining primary forest? How about a massive boost of resources and manpower to the beleaguered forestry and wildlife patrols? How about a convenient and well-publicised system for toxic-waste disposal, including mobile-phone batteries? How about an educational campaign on TV explaining the dos and don'ts of environmental care? And how about an enforceable system of town planning and development control? Britain got its first such law, the Ribbon Development Act, in 1935 ... that's seventy-one years ago.

Although few seem to realise it, environmental deterioration is probably the most serious long-term threat to Thailand's health. Over to you, Khun Surayud. And to all the environmental groups in Thailand, stir yourselves and lend this good man your support.

Nigel Pike

Phang Nga

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A status report on the new airport

Two friends left this week from the new airport, this is their feedback:

There are almost no signs, including at counters. There are long lines at check-in and immigration. People are generally confused about where to go and the directions by the staff are often incorrect. The airport has A, B C and D wings, but beyond that it is not easy to find out where to go as sometimes airlines have multiple flights leaving at the same time and you can end up at the wrong gate.

All of this with long distances to walk each time, causing airlines to complain that people are missing connecting flights, particularly between international and domestic. It is recommended that you have a few hours between flights. The floors are slippery and the air conditioning is spotty and in some places non-existent. My Thai friend heard a lot of cursing from people. I was told that most of the TOT lines were not working on the first day, making it difficult to fix teething problems.

While I realise that this is only week one of a new and rushed international airport, many of the advantages we were told about do not seem to have materialised, and while the airport is pretty to look at, it is still poor at the functional level. Carry additional money for the trip out and add at least one hour to the travel time to what it took at the same time of day to the old airport, plus another hour for the new queue lengths.

Let's hope next week sees some improvements.

Christian Lloyd

Bangkok