This past October, they planted several hundred tree-saplings along some of the main roads of the city. Since these trees for the most part were planted in sandy, non- absorbent soil beneath dug up sidewalks just as the rainy season ended, almost all of them died and were eventually removed. Then, about a month ago, they replanted new trees in the same locations just as the hottest, driest part of the year begins. And guess what? Almost all of them have died.

As an added observation, almost all the trees were planted in the centre of already narrow sidewalks, directly under electric wires. This insures that if the trees do survive and grow to a fairly large size, pedestrians will have to walk in the street. Also they will grow directly into the electric wires thereby insuring that they are periodically butchered as the local workers do not seem to know how to properly prune a tree.

It is not just mega-projects that suffer from poor planning, inefficient implementation, waste of taxpayers' money, and widespread opportunities for corruption, even local projects suffer from a "trickle down" effect.

David Spillane

Chiang Mai

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Replace Foreign Business Act with industry-specific policies

I suggest that we replace the Foreign Business Act (FBA) with industry-specific, nationality-neutral measures targeted at whatever fears we're concerned about.

The FBA seems to be based on the heroic assumption that only non-Thais are capable of acting against Thai national interests. That's obviously wrong.

We could, for example, specify up front that Thai Airways would always have to have its hub in Thailand, and any planes could be taken over at a moment's notice by the government, with compensation at market rates, to evacuate Thai citizens and their dependants from danger. We could specify that any public utility would have to satisfy domestic demand before export sales, and that we would be willing to provide them with up to x per cent profit to do so. Then, having transparently stated the conditions of sale, let any investor buy who wished to invest do so - regardless of nationality.

Bring whatever we're afraid of into the open and figure out how to manage the risk, rather than follow the dictum: "when you have a weak platform, wrap yourself in the flag."

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok

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Leadership wise to avoid relying on foreign investment

Re: "Junta's foreign business policy sending investors elsewhere", Letters, March 4.

I have been reading the many letters from foreigners telling us how Thailand is so dependent on foreign investment. This latest one, from Mike Snider, is just about enough.

Mike tells us that Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont is "naive" and that previous administrations understood the value of foreign investment. He tells us that Thailand is only doing well economically because of the global economy. Where do these business school clones come from? What sort of brainwashing do they endure in order to convince them that, as Michael Douglas so aptly put it in the movie "Wall Street", "greed is good".

I have a news-flash for you Mike. Thailand is doing well economically because it is one of the few countries in the world that not only produces enough food for its own population, but also ample food for export. Coupled with that, it is one of the most desirable tourist locations in the world.

As for previous administrations "understanding" the value of foreign investment, if you call opening up the credit market forcibly so that Thais could use credit cards to purchase more Western goods, I can only say, thank God for the naivety of the present prime minister. The people in Bangkok, and other parts of Thailand, are now being strangled by the debt they have amassed.

Most of the people of Thailand have homes, albeit many barely standing, and just about everyone gets a meal or two every day. And if it wasn't for the fleecing they take from the elite of Bangkok - the same people who encourage foreign investment - they would also have a little money left over for Western toys.

Whatever money exists in Thailand, exists because of the millions of farmers and tourism support workers, not because of "foreign investment". And it should stay that way because with "foreign investment", comes "foreign foolishness", such as run away credit, consumerism, rape of the environment and so on.

A sustained diet of that will eventually lessen Thailand's desirability as a tourist destination, deplete farmlands and national parks and, shall I go on?

The one certainty about the Western world is that they will always find another wonderful paradise to westernise, corrupt and litter. Could it be that the present "naive" administration has, in all their naivety, figured that out?

John Arnone

Yasothon

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Surayud's reticence to act proves he's not up to the job

Re: "Another chance for PM to prove his worth as a leader", Opinion, March 5.

Sopon Onkgara feels that this is another chance for Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont to prove his worth as a leader. I like his argument, but I am taking a different position. I am aware that my idea may not fly with the Council for National Security, but I think that now is the perfect opportunity for Premier Surayud to resign. He is mentally tired. He has set the bar too low and he has dwelled on "honesty and transparency" as the only goal during a critical point in Thai political history. Even his supporters and admirers are dismayed with the government's performance in the past five months.

Following the coup in 1991, Anand Panyarachun was appointed premier by the military in the same manner. Anand led a cabinet of high achievers and delivered a strong performance in all major areas including the drafting of the constitution of 1997.

Thailand has many people like him who could come in and finish the task. The current Cabinet does not owe its power to the ballot box. Through the power of arms they comprise the sovereign authority of the day. They cannot rule as tyrants, but their political latitude is far and wide, particularly in ways and means to bring former prime minister Thaksin to justice, civilly, criminally and constitutionally. President Truman once said, "If you cannot stand the heat, get out of the kitchen". For Premier Surayud, the kitchen is too hot and he does not like to cook.

Veharachan

Bangkok

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Lack of independence would undermine BBC-style station

Re: "Left-wing BBC a poor model for future overhaul of iTV", Letters, March 2.

A BBC-style broadcaster in Thailand? Oh what wishful thinking. I grew up with the BBC as the only radio and television broadcaster. Things changed later when commercial channels were permitted. As a sole broadcaster, funded by licence fees collected by the government plus a budget allocation from general revenue many people would expect it to be the mouthpiece of the government of the day. They would be wrong.

The BBC charter states that it is "free from both political and commercial influence and answers only to its viewers and listeners". The strength and worldwide reputation of the BBC is that is really independent. But I fear the BBC model would be unlikely to work in Thailand, because politicians here do not understand or respect the concept of independence. When the BBC charter says it is independent, it is very rare for a politician to dare to try and influence that independence. The politician will come off the worse for it. British people treasure that independence. In Thailand anything that is a government body, whether it is supposed to be independent or not is expected to work in the interests of the politicians in power at the time. Until such time as people here demand the true independence of statutory bodies and public corporations, there is little hope of unbiased coverage of news and events in this country.

Likewise, until about five months ago there was little hope of independent anti-corruption bodies. Look at the way an independent auditor general was treated under the previous regime. For the future, we can only hope, but there are some good signs in that respect.

Gareth Clayton

Bangkok

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US politics may influence China's Burma stance

It was American sanctions against the bank in Macau, for its dealings with the North Korean government that forced Pyongyang to negotiate in good faith. The US could also impose financial sanctions against any bank that finances Daewoo International's proposed LNG plant or natural gas pipeline in Burma. This is the State Peace and Development Council's "weakest link", and American financial sanctions are more effective than United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

Last week, Senator Hillary Clinton who is the leading Democratic candidate for president next year, stated that America's enormous national debt to foreigners is a national security threat. This may be the opening salvo in anti-China trade legislation in the US Senate. Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader of the US Senate, can block anti-China trade legislation in the Senate. But he is still angry at the Chinese government for vetoing the UNSC Resolution on Burma. Senator McConnell is the leading supporter of the Burmese democracy movement.

The very powerful speaker of the US Congress, Nancy Pelosi, was manhandled by Chinese police at Tiananmen Square in 1989. She is expected to support anti-China trade legislation.

Myint Thein

Senior Adviser to the Burmese Resistance

Dallas, Texas