I was very disheartened to read this article about the surveys of youth attitudes and behaviour. My disappointment was not with what changes might be taking place in youth behaviour, but with the comments reported in the article.

Sunit Shrestha, manager of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation's ICT Plan for Health Promotion Programme, was quoted as saying, "The rise must be regarded as significant and worrying." The rise being referred to was the reported increase in the number of respondents visiting pornographic websites from 61.6 per cent to 62.6 per cent. I presume Sunit has never taken even a basic course in statistics, or if so failed it.

Simple, first-course analysis of those figures quickly shows that with sample sizes of about 1,300 the difference is not significant. The samples would have to be about 18,000 in both years for that difference of 1 per cent to be significant.

It is disappointing to see that a person in a responsible position did not check the correct interpretation of the data before going on the record with a public statement. I am sure the Abac Poll Research Centre has plenty of qualified people who could have advised Sunit had he asked.

Those working for health promotion in the community should make sure they understand what surveys are telling them about the true situation in the community, not distort it through careless or deliberate misinterpretation of data. It does not do their cause any good in the long term. Where are the professional standards?

Gareth Clayton

Bangkok

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Living example of the true definition of 'traitor'

 There is no better word in the English language to describe Thaksin than the word traitor. The dictionary explains that the word traitor means "a person who is treacherous and disloyal to their own country".

What else could you call a person who made a fortune from his fellow countrymen, then refused to pay even one baht in tax after selling off important national assets? What else could you call a person who subverted and corrupted government policy to make that fortune and obtain those assets? What else could you call a person who oversaw the murder and execution of his fellow countrymen without any judicial mandate? What else could you call a person who intimidated or sued any dissenter to his megalomaniac plans and schemes? What else could you call a man who has endangered his fellow citizens lives by insisting on the opening a substandard and unsafe airport that is becoming a national embarrassment?

I call that man the worst type of traitor, one who belongs in a prison cell, not on some golf course at a five-star resort in Bali.

Andrew Lynn

Australia

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Call to reconsider amended business act was shocking

 As an ordinary Thai, your headline "Reconsider amendment, envoys urge - Embassies call for compensation at least for those businesses that stand to lose", (News February 10) shocked me.

First, I wonder whether these embassies of Canada, America, Switzerland and Japan and the Delegation of the European Commission would have had the audacity to speak against our sovereignty in regulating our country's commercial affairs if we had an elected government.

Second, is the amendment truly in violation of the World Trade Organisation's rules? My knowledge tells me otherwise, since the rules allow for domestic laws to protect local customs, culture and the security of citizens. Furthermore, can Thais own businesses in services like law, accountancy, architecture, engineering, brokering and auctioneering in the countries of the protesting embassies and European Union?

Third, to call for compensation from the Thai government for the previous misdeeds of their citizens in violation of Foreign Business Act 1999 was somewhat misdirected. The action should be against the Thai advisers who advised them to violate the law. Their citizens picked those lawyers who were more accommodating to their wishes than many good Thai lawyers who told them otherwise.

Finally, despite numerous explanations from the government and the simplicity and mildness of the amendment, their citizens still maintain that the amendment is vague and unclear. This brought to mind Harry S Truman's statement that "if you can't convince them, then confuse them", in which they have achieved their aim admirably.

I just pray that our election and elected government come soon, very soon, thereby stopping these onslaughts from these high-powered nations. They would then have a hard time protesting against the government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Spade

Bangkok

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THAI union's opposition to move is unreasonable

 The Thai International Airways (THAI) union says they will strike if the government reopens Don Muang. Where is the loyalty of this union? It must not be with Thailand.

Were they involved with the corruption of the new airport? Do they want to see a large commercial aeroplane crash at the new airport?

Don Muang is still being used. It is the safest airport in the area. I live on the north approach, and see planes land all the time, including Thai International, other airlines and the Thai air force.

Can't these people understand that they are supporting an unsafe airport constructed by a corrupt administration? If they support that administration, they also must be corrupt.

Old man in Thailand

Bangkok

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Now that you mention it, cable cars are a possibility

 Re: "Latest cable-car plan as unnecessary as all the others", Letters, February 9.

David Hardcastle's letter may well have had the opposite effect that he intended. Does he not realise that in these times of colossal mistakes, someone in authority might latch onto the cable-car idea as a solution to solve the transit problem between Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang?

Now imagine that, getting off your plane and being cabled across Bangkok for your journey onwards!

Certainly it would put the "Amazing" back into Thailand. Anything is possible - and now that cable cars have been mentioned I wouldn't rule them out.

Norman Castle

Bangkok

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Time for Suvarnabhumi to get a proper assessment

 Suvarnabhumi Airport is described in the press as having a lot a major technical problems which may lead to the transfer of some national and international flights to the old Don Muang airport. What I do not understand is how come such a problematic airport can work nowadays without a significant number of flight delays?

Since its opening, I have travelled more than 20 times through Suvarnabhumi airport on either national or international routes, with three different airlines. I fully agree that many improvements could be done in this huge new airport, but I also would like to mention that, so far, I never had a flight or luggage delay. I also never saw or felt any surface irregularity when the aircraft were rolling on the taxiways and runways. I may be a very lucky traveller.

After my most recent flight on Friday night, I checked the next hundred flights scheduled to take off from Suvarnabhumi airport: only three of them were delayed, which seems to be quite a normal situation.

What about a fact-based comparative study of delayed flights and airline complaints between Suvarnabhumi and the average international airport?

LV

Bangkok

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All economists, however great, open to criticism

 Re: "Critique of Friedman's market theory a 'leftist rant'", Letters, February 7.

Slander in any book is a pretty strong word. As we know here in Thailand, any hint of such impropriety could lead to a zillion-baht lawsuit. Steven Haney accuses Professor Pranab Bardhan of slandering the late economist Milton Friedman by calling him a "Chicago Boy" ("Political freedoms may not always flow from economic freedom", Opinion, February 5).

Sorry, Haney, the article did not say that and the term in the article was not "Chicago Boy" (I was born in Chicago - I am a Chicago boy) but "Chicago Boys", referring to the Chilean graduates of Friedman's economics department who were the ones who actually offered advice to Pinochet on the value of free markets.

Friedman was not the one slandered nor was the "prestigious" University of Chicago. If any one was being trashed, it seems to me, it would be Bardhan and his "ineffectual, merit-less and unsubstantial arguments" - you know, the "leftist rant".

No doubt Friedman is legendary in his field and greatly admired by Haney. In the light of such a venerated image one tends to forget that he and his theories were not universally accepted. There are other prominent economic theories and every one has its critics. Bardhan's article is just one example.

I have noticed that almost all the opinion letters recently have been about issues here in the Kingdom. I find this very refreshing and informative.

Having said that, I for one am renewing my intention to keep my further opinions and thoughts on matters of the US in check and focus on the "here and now" relevant issues of the Kingdom. Every day is a new day, right?

Chicago Boy

Bangkok