Prime Minister Surayud never actually pinpointed anyone in the "old powers" theory, as no one has actually been ruled out until the guilty perpetrators are found.

Meanwhile deposed PM Thaksin, who had been fading from Thais' memories, suddenly had a media-grabbing opportunity to write a three-page, hand-written letter hastening to say he was not guilty. His usual self, he jumped the gun and immediately released a somehow ready-made statement about the cause being the Muslim South and how he had already warned the new government about this. But Thaksin, who once controlled the television and radio, the main media in Thailand, seems to want to remind the rural North he is still around, and though his support has been deteriorating, has not been able to break his old habit of defending himself in what he hopes is also the international limelight.

Especially concerning the South, Thaksin's best hope is that memories fade. How many times did he visit the South during his government? Remember when he said four soldiers killed in the attacks at an army base in January 2004"deserved to die"? Wasn't it his own policies that caused the unrest and the majority of the 1,900 innocent lives lost in the South during his term as prime minister?

Thaksin immediately pointed to the Muslim South as responsible. Does he have some kind of proof the government doesn't have? He is supported by General Chavalit, who instead of acting as a former prime minister should be promoting peace in the country, not division. He came out to "taunt" the CNS to name names and so forth. Why doesn't Chavalit ask Thaksin the same question he puts to the CNS? This way, they both contribute to help the country by coming forward to "name the names and arrest them all".

What we need now is unity, hope and encouragement to mend the nation, which is exactly what Prime Minister Surayud is working for with his transparent agenda, and not further national divisions by the old finger-pointing technique that seems to be the "old powers'" way of political life. We must wait until the evidence is conclusive and deal properly with the result.

However, one must remain optimistic about Thaksin's brief re-emergence in the media: maybe it will have an advantage: all the groups that came together against him can now come together again, just like old times. This time, the purpose is unity and to remain vigilant - as "together we stand, divided we fall".

Carolyn

Bangkok

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New Year bomb attacks smack of factional rivalry

Behind the scenes there is definitely a power game being played out. The bombs, the rumours, even the problems with the Internet. My knowledge of Thai society is not sophisticated enough to know which faction has the upper hand or even what are their groupings or who the main players are.

Public fear and emotion are the tools they will try and use against each other. I would say it is impossible to know who actually ordered the bombings or who started the rumours. They were done, though, for effect. The effect at this early stage is beginning to show results, going by the reactions of journalists.

I hope those supporting the CNS can stop things before they escalate. Yes, and escalate they might. Just because we live in the so-called modern world there is no reason to not cast fearful glances back at recent European history and events like the Spanish Civil War. This may be a bad example, but heaven forbid things could end up the same way!

In a now infamous broadcast, BBC weatherman Michael Fish said: "Earlier on today, apparently a lady rang the BBC and said she heard that there was a hurricane on the way. Well don't worry if you're watching: there isn't." Hours later, gusts reached 106 knots in southeast England, causing massive damage.

Yuri Velasquez

Bangkok

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Bangkok blasts are clearly not the work of terrorists

Re: "Government serving its own ends by ruling out Muslim insurgents in Bangkok blasts", Letters, January 3.

How Brian Elkley could come to the conclusion that the bombs were the work of terrorists baffles me. The bombs were obviously placed so as not to cause considerable loss of life. Not a terrorist trait. They were not placed where they would cause loss of life to Westerners. A lost opportunity for terrorists looking to kill tourism. As for the initials written at some of the locations, if that doesn't smack of a frame-up, I don't know what does.

I doubt that Thaksin personally had anything to do with this, but there was an entire regiment of pigs yanked from the trough by the recent coup who not only are having difficulty making the payments on their MBs but also could be in for a dubious spotlight being shined on them. They are running hungry and scared, and that makes for a dangerous situation.  The police may catch one or more of the perpetrators, but I seriously doubt they will be able to trace the influence back to its origin. We may be in for more such acts designed to create confusion and make the present government look impotent.

As for terrorists, I doubt you will ever see them attack either Bangkok or Pattaya, both having large concentrations of Western tourists and expats. Why? Because both places are where most of the terrorists go for R and R in between terrorising.

John Arnone

Yasothon

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Motivation for assaults on civilians the greatest mystery

Whoever are the culprits in the New Year's Eve Bangkok bombings, it begs us to examine their motives and tactics. They obviously chose New Year's Eve in an effort to garner the most publicity, but for what? Until we know the "who" we will never really know the "why", but we can look at the "what".

In short, what could they have been thinking to do what they did in the way they did it? They placed a number of small bombs in public places around the city. But these sites were rather strangely selected. They did not target government buildings or personnel, or the police or the military. These bombs targeted people, not buildings. One report had them filled with nails as shrapnel. Yet a small number of larger bombs might have resulted in maximum carnage. Why so many small ones?

So, we have a series of small attacks targeting not the government nor its economic base nor any structure, rather the common man. What is to be gained by any group targeting Thais? Everything is clothed in mystery.

Grandpa in Chon Buri

Chon Buri

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Where is Pojaman when the government needs her most?

Khunying Pojaman was immensely respected for her pioneering work in Quantum Accounting and Auditory Chaos Theory. Her account books would induce dizziness and nausea in even the most hard-nosed independent auditor within minutes. Sustained perusal would assure internal haemorrhaging, bleeding from the rectum, death and probably worse: an end to career prospects and terminal social ostracism. Now that the entire Western coalition of aid-donors has demanded an audit of the tsunami funds, the one mortal woman to hide all the shameful embezzlement and land encroachment is petulantly global shopping from the Thais' lack of gratitude for her efforts. The international community is now looking for a bullet-proof, high-profile auditor as, for danger, the job is being compared to the post of travelling bible salesman in Iraq.

Tarzan of the Thais

Bangkok

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Tsunami warning systems are inoperable already

As someone directly involved in the installation of the tsunami warning sirens, it is sad to know that they have been disabled and are no longer usable. I have tried in vain to get attention brought to this, but nobody seems to care. As it is, people in the affected communities think they have working tsunami warning sirens when in fact they do not. The sirens have not been connected to the NDWC via satellite as required and consequently cannot be activated in the event of an emergency.

Requests have been made for the return of the donated equipment since the Meteorological Department has allowed it to be tampered with and thereby rendered inoperable. A letter has also been sent to the auditor-general to investigate why the company that was awarded the project is not complying with the regulations and not providing the equipment and testing required.

Any attention you can help bring to this most urgent matter would be appreciated - but mostly appreciated by the people who think they have the benefit of warning sirens.

Swimming with sharks

Bangkok

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Too expensive for a walk in the park

The practice of charging foreigners much higher fees than Thais to visit national parks has probably gone too far. In the United States, the fees to visit national parks are the same for everyone, irrespective of nationality. Americans are proud to share their parks with visitors. We live in Thailand and recently took visitors to Doi Inthanon. It cost Bt400 for each of the four of us in the car, or Bt1,600 in total, compared to Bt120 for four Thais.

If we had gone to Yellowstone, America's premiere national park, it would have cost us about half this amount, and the fee would have given us access for seven days and to Grand Teton National Park as well. In the US, we could also buy an annual season ticket giving us access to all the national parks.

Maybe Thailand, too, could introduce a season ticket available to both foreign residents and Thais to allow access to all the country's beautiful parks.

My wife and I would like to walk in Doi Inthanon and other parks, but at these prices we will have to wait until we can go to the US to have a walk.

Anthony Bottrill

Bangkok