Governments should not have control over free media, but neither should any individual, business entity or political party.

A law can be formed to limit the [holding] of any one person or entity or party to not more than 5 per cent, whether through direct ownership or through nominees. A committee of journalists should also formulate a strict code of conduct with severe penalties to ensure the professional behaviour of their peers.

Then and only then will there be a free media that serves society and not political masters or capitalists.

Taaknotseen

Bangkok

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Government has more important duties than TITV

In my point of view, the current government has a lot of important things to do during its remaining months rather than focusing on messy iTV. Time is running out fast and five months have already passed by but the government could not bring to justice even one culprit out of four famous corruption cases of the previous government.

The corrupters are playing golf and sipping beer. Business as usual? Suvarnabhumi Airport - the showpiece of the previous government - has become evidence of organised corruption. Who built this mega-airport? Grab them and let them repair it; that is their own responsibility.

As a matter of fact, iTV staff members ought to complain about their rights to Temasek not to the government. At the same time, the government has the right to revoke the broadcasting concession and licence when licensees do not comply with or break the rules and regulations. The government has nothing to be concerned about with the iTV saga - let them go by their own speed. iTV is not as important as the poor people across the country, because it is just a broadcasting station like other TV stations.

The government must stay the course! Think twice and take advice before doing anything as two major flaws have been made recently.

Finally, the government needs a hard-line approach when necessary in some cases.

PathFinder

Bangkok

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A multilingual station might be a suitable replacement

Perhaps this could be a chance and time to introduce a multilingual, but a possibly non-political, television station in Thailand, where a wide range of programmes are offered to both the national and international community.

Documentaries, movies, news with their original soundtracks but subtitled in English and/or Thai where applicable would be appreciated by international viewers within and outside of Thailand.

A professionally operated English-speaking channel could benefit Thailand as a country as well as it would offer very interesting cultural aspects to the "outside world" as well.

With 12 million tourists annually and the international expat community residing in Thailand - a sizeable interested audience is already around. This is not to mention all of the Thais who would be interested.

The grass-roots population would have a chance as well to get exposed to English, hence students could familiarise themselves with the language.

I'm sure that there are enough good English speakers among Thailand's television broadcasting circles to ensure a high international standard for this Station.

KIB

Bangkok

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Role of journalists greatly compromised in Thai society

Western journalism was started certainly by business motives. [Still,] it gathers information and opinions of the people and re-distributes them through widely read papers or through electronic media. In Thailand, the journalism industry has been more weighted toward commercialism.

Here the professional journalists are lost between contemporary journalism and controlled journalism by their owners, politicians and competitors.

The general public wants them to represent freedom of speech, and act as a more investigative, instructive media agent between them and anti-democratic groups, including politicians and business owners.

Thaksin, as a targeted politician and a greedy business tycoon, offered a disciplinary hand to iTV, and this has brewed all the problems of iTV today.

A Watcher

Bangkok

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Chula never agreed to sell coup book in the first place

With reference to The Nation's article "Chulalongkorn book ban 'may violate Ji's academic freedom'", (News, March 2) and "Chula bans second coup book" (February 13), may we provide you with the following facts.

Ji Ungphakorn came to the Book Centre on February 7 with copies of his book "A Coup for the Rich" already published and with the following phrase printed in it "Distributed by Chulalongkorn University Bookshop". Up to that point, Ji Ungphakorn had never submitted any requests to Chulalongkorn University Book Centre to take care of the distribution of that book.

In the publishing and distribution business, it is normal that a distributor has the right to consider the contents of a book prior to its decision on distribution.

Chulalongkorn University Book Centre, like all professional bodies, established procedures and regulations and publicised them on our website, www.chulabook.com.

In the case of Ji Ungphakorn, he clearly breached our procedures and regulations.

I would like to bring to your attention that Ji himself has been distributing his book "A Coup for the Rich" at his office and even selling it right in front of the University Book Centre. Every time, he loudly condemned the University Book Centre over the loudspeaker. Such actions are below the proper standards for an author who wishes to put his book under our care.

In addition, Ji Ungphakorn's book "A Coup for the Rich" quotes the banned book "The King Never Smiles" by Paul Handley and copies the legally-prohibited article from the Far Eastern Economic Review of January 10, 2002.

We wish to point out that distributors will be held responsible for the distribution of books in case contents are deemed in breach of Thailand Printing Act, clauses 51 and 52.

Chulalongkorn University Book Centre is ever conscious of the university's obligations on social contribution for the sake of global understanding, knowledge exchange and a peaceful world. We have no desire to be controversial to any unethical party, nor any wish to be exploited.

Uraiwan Kornvityasinn

Manager, Chulalongkorn University Book Centre

Bangkok

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Activists' voices missing in marital rape debate

Once again it was International Women's Day on Thursday.

Thursday saw another International Women's Day. Thai newspapers gave it little attention. Even in countries like Pakistan and Iran, where women risk imprisonment etc, women went into the streets to demand more justice, gender equality and in general protest against continuing violence against women.

In the draft of the new constitution for Thailand lawmakers seem to exempt marital rape from being considered a criminal offence ("Anger over proposed change to rape laws", News, February 14).

Where are the women organisations protesting this proposed amendment to the law in Thailand?

Nick

Bangkok

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Like it or not, Thailand is a consumerist society

Re: "Thais won't profit by replacing culture with consumerism", Letters, March 9.

I understand John Arnone's point but the realities of a post-modern Western world do not coincide with Thailand disengaging from globalised capitalism.

In "The Man Without Qualities", Robert Musil brilliantly remarked that capitalism is perfectly suited to the human mind because of its hierarchical ego. It is a tenet that, whilst imperfect, is also a truism because of itself. If Thais were to refute the premise of globalised consumerism, which they won't however much it grates on some people, it would severely impair their opportunity to educate and advance themselves.

It is not the seizure of consumerism over culture - lower case 'c' - that is in any way being celebrated, it is a pragmatism brought on by the state of the world, with the belief that its flavour is here to stay because of its overwhelming allure. For the prosperity of the nation, please take a look at what's tenable. Most people are wired into their new Lexus, not harvesting sufficiency from the "Olive Tree".

Sucatash

Bangkok

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BTS should use increased fares to get rid of noisy adverts

The BTS Skytrain is one of Bangkok's best assets, making life in this hyper-urban metropolis far more tolerable and pleasant.

 BTS Skytrain has just increased its fares. Would this be a good time to turn off the sound of those offensive, intrusive monitors in the cars with their obnoxious, grating noise, since passengers have already paid for the service?  Even the tourist fluff is off-putting and abrasive. And also, would this be a good time to eliminate the same ear-shattering cacophony from the platforms? Just eliminate the noise.

Jon Harger

Bangkok