Actually, that is not the case. Rather, the genesis of the FBA is the belief that Thais cannot compete against greater know-how, capital and other resources from abroad.

This type of legislation is not unique to Thailand. Even in the US, to a lesser degree, Burin will find protectionism in immigration and other laws. Many states have passed laws on restrictions of foreign ownership of farmland. If Burin wants to buy a stake in a US airline, he will encounter all kinds of restrictions and barriers.

"Free market economy" at the level visualised by Burin does not really exist. Nations practice varying levels of protectionism while advocating free trade. For Thailand, the issue at hand is to create an open economy where foreign investment is welcome, while an optimal level of protection is maintained, subject to continual revision as we deal with the impact of globalisation. This realisation could be incorporated into the doctrine of sufficiency economy.

Netirat Intira

Bangkok

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Thai society at fault for poor English-language usage

As a five-year veteran teacher in the Thai school system, I must openly lament the end of another futile, frustrating year trying to impart English to Thai high-school students. I have finally concluded that it is a waste of my time and talent to work in the Thai education system. I sincerely hope that Thai schools, government or private, cease English classes altogether as they are a collective failure.

Let me elaborate: By the time Thai students reach their first year of high school, they are intellectually dead on arrival. Most have no imagination, creativity, curiosity or maturity. The reasons why, I suppose, relate to government indifference, the anti-intellectual ethos of Thai society, and the unquestioning nature of Thai parents.

Anyway, in high schools here, the classes are at least twice as big as they should be, resources are scarce, standards for English are too low, and students are not allowed to fail even those low standards. Add to this mess corrupt, absentee directors who know little about education, Thai-English programme managers with feudal philosophies of management (with the inevitable high turnover of foreign English teachers), and you know why Thais are infamous for their poor English skills and lack of general knowledge.

I strongly advise those foreigners thinking about teaching English in Thailand to work only at reputable international schools. Other alternatives are private English lessons with bona fide English-loving Thais or corporate work with interested groups.

I advise the Thai government to start getting serious about education in general and English in particular. Otherwise, Thai schools will continue to be merely youth warehouses that destroy potential and turn out (mostly) dullards year after year after year.

CM Phillips

Nontaburi

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BBC is also subject to government interference

Re: "Lack of independence would undermine BBC-style station", Letters, March 5.

Gareth Clayton's glowing memorial to the BBC of his youth fails to account for the most recent and blatant interference by the British government in the operations of the BBC. I'm referring to the affairs surrounding the death of Dr David Kelly and Andrew Gilligan's article about the "dodgy dossier" that the government produced in the lead up to the Iraq War.

Pressure on the BBC from the government, the government sponsored "Hutton Enquiry", and the government's spin doctor Alistair Campell, ultimately forced the resignation of both BBC chairman, Gavin Davies, and director general, Greg Dyke - effectively muting any overt criticism by the BBC of the government's policies in Iraq since then. The BBC's legacy as an independent broadcaster has suffered enormously since that time.

In this light, the prospect of a free and independent news channel in Thailand is at least as unlikely as it would be in any other country, including, and most instructively, in the United Kingdom.

Jonathan Peter

Pathum Thani

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Don't look to Britain for a truly independent TV station

Re: "Lack of independence would undermine BBC-style station", Letters, March 5.

In affirming that "The strength and world-wide reputation of the BBC is that [it] is really independent ... it is very rare for a politician to dare to try and influence that independence ...", Mr Clayton (Bangkok) shows a woeful ignorance of what has been happening at the BBC since the Blair government came to power in 1997.

The pro-Labour bias of the corporation (in its political reporting) has long been a matter of public knowledge, and of criticism among British Conservatives. Several BBC directors were openly appointed because they made significant contributions to Labour Party funds, and BBC coverage of political events, including local elections, frequently carries a breathtaking pro-Labour bias. It is rare indeed to hear BBC speakers comment negatively on our prime minister. Most British people realise this is the case - though not, it would seem, Mr Clayton. In the post-Thaksin era Thailand needs truly independent channels of communication - which the BBC does not provide in the UK.

Mervyn Matthews

London

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Region has cause to worry about the Chinese military

Re: "Chinese military defence budget to soar this year", News, March 5.

China's military spending has seen double-digit growth for 18 consecutive years. Its fast-paced military build-up threatens to upset the region's military balance, with important security implications not only for Taiwan but for the Asia-Pacific region as a whole. The opaque nature of China's military expansion has deepened the worries of nations in the region and beyond.

A legitimate question is: since no country in Asia poses a military threat to China, why does Beijing continue to expand its military programmes at such a feverish pace? Taiwan, in particular, has every reason to be worried about China's military expansion because Beijing continues to refuse to renounce the use of "non-peaceful means" to resolve disputes between the two.

Eleven years ago, on the eve of Taiwan's first presidential election, China test-fired several missiles off the coast of Taiwan to intimidate its voters. Since then, Beijing has continued increasing its military pressure on Taiwan. Currently, it has deployed around 900 missiles aimed at the island nation. It is estimated that the number of missiles increases by 80 to 100 per year.

Although the Taiwanese people have demonstrated  that their democracy can survive and thrive in the shadow of China's intimidation, the international community should take measures to prevent the current security situation in the Taiwan Strait from further deteriorating. If war breaks out in the Taiwan Strait, other countries in the region and far beyond will also suffer.

David Tzou

Bangkok

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Sufficiency economy concept still causes much confusion

Through the media today we hear a lot about the sufficiency economy concept. However, it seems foreigners and locals alike are finding it difficult to get a grasp on this concept. An outsider may misinterpret it as "self sufficiency" in the sense that the nation cuts off all trade relations, closes the country and effectively grows everything it needs in its backyard - which is probably why this is not a particularly popular policy among foreign investors, thus creating more doubt about the already controversial interim government.

To complicate issues even further, the Thai media has a tendency to link anything remotely to do with agriculture with the sufficiency economy concept. May I point out that this concept does not suggest that everyone should leave their luxurious lifestyles and become farmers, because that would mean no growth or development for the economy. A "sustainable economy" may be easier to understand; this is simply a matter of not living beyond one's means. Of course, we can't all live the same lifestyle - a sustainable lifestyle for a peasant is bound to be different from that of a millionaire. But the main idea of the sufficiency/sustainable economy concept is that one chooses a lifestyle which isn't unnecessarily extravagant, without compromising the enjoyment of living.

Madura Watanagase

Bangkok

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Politician seeks publicity, not the welfare of children

How much did Paveena Hongsakula pay for the full-page advertisement about herself in the Life section of The Nation on February 26? The ad was published as a feature article, "Paveena the powerhouse", by Veena Thoopkrajae and Jintana Panyaarvudh. It included a solicitation for funding, The editors of The Nation have sold out once again to join a conspiracy with phoney NGO fronts for gangs trafficking in women and children to defraud the public and cover up crime. 

Kidnappings of children in villages about Bangkok have increased in recent years. The children have been snatched near schools, their homes, and along the road. The children, if not murdered, are sold into slavery for forced labour and prostitution. The police refuse to do anything. Incredible as it may seem, they send the families of kidnapped children to NGOs, and Paveena Hongsakula in particular. Needless to say, the NGOs and Paveena do absolutely nothing. 

The Nation article described Paveena as "dependable, connected and hardly ever wrong." A lie! When Paveena was deputy minister of labour and social welfare in the second Chuan government, she ignored victims of kidnapping, trafficking and prostitution who were referred to her by the police. Paveena is interested only in cases that she can use for political capital. But when police are intransigent, she is not interested. She takes a case only if she is assured that the police and journalists will stage a raid and she will get a starring role. 

Paveena is a fraud. She should be held to account for every case she has ignored and side-tracked.

Prajuab Wacharapong

Bangkok