I don't know why everybody is getting so excited about making Buddhism the state religion. There's a simple solution that will satisfy the militant Buddhists and the followers of other faiths as well.

Why not let all religions become state religions? All they'd have to do is apply to the Religious Affairs Department. Upon receiving approval, each religion would receive a beautiful embossed certificate declaring it to be a state religion. It would then be authorised to use the prestigious phrase "a state religion of the Kingdom of Thailand" in its advertising.

We would have state religions ranging alphabetically from Animism to Zoroastrianism. In the spirit of equal opportunity, Agnosticism and Atheism could apply, but they would be placed in a special category for "non-religions".

Thailand would become famous as a country enlightened in matters of religious tolerance: the only country in the world that had not just one state religion, but many; a refuge for faiths verging on extinction like Baalism and Molochism, a shelter for oppressed and persecuted faiths like Cannibalism and Satanism.

But there's a problem.

The system might be abused by frivolous and mischief-minded people. For instance, I could easily invent my own religion and apply for state-religion status. I'd call it Beasleyism, with myself, Constance Beasley, as Goddess. Needless to say, such shameless pranks would quickly turn the whole business of state religions into a laughingstock.

We need a filtering mechanism to distinguish hi-so religions of quality and substance from two-bit, Raggedy Andy religions fit only for trailer trash.

As always in Thailand, the preferred mechanism is money.

To demonstrate its sincerity and deep spirituality, each religion aspiring to state-religion status must submit with its application form a processing fee of Bt1 million.

As with non-immigrant B visas, the application must be renewed and the fee must be paid annually.

This will solve the problem of state religion in Thailand. I also have an idea for licensing the production and distribution of amulets, but that's a different topic.

Constance Beasley (Goddess)

Bangkok

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Deifying Buddha goes against the essence of his teachings

Re: "Buddhism defines Thailand", News, April 23.

I refer to the interview given by General Thongchai Kuersakul in which he espouses the need to declare Buddhism as the national religion of Thailand. However Buddhism is not a religion, and in his own words when he was asked about the Buddha's principle of non-attachment, "The historical Buddha stated he was no god..."

How then can we deify the Buddha?

He was as human as we are, having been born as a prince and forced to marry a princess, he became a monk. When he did not find solace in living such a mundane life he sought enlightenment and nirvana. He advocated that we must all live in moderation as a way of life - that's Buddhism.

To advance the argument further, we must not forget that Hinduism was founded long before Buddhism and it has often been said that Buddhism is a branch of Hinduism minus the occultism. After all, both had their origin in India.

But look into the inside of the many temples here in Thailand and you will see evidence of Hindu occultism out front when this was not meant to be a part of Buddhism, period.

It is therefore very naive of Thailand to enshrine in its constitution Buddhism as the national religion when Buddhism is a way of life.

GTK

Bangkok

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Political interests out to use Buddhism for their own ends

Re: "State-religion ralliers betray tenets they claim to cherish", Opinion, April 26.

I couldn't agree more with this important analytical piece. Establishing Buddhism as a national religion can only stir up more controversy. Religion should have absolutely nothing to do with nationalistic sentiments.

The article states: "The task for Thai Buddhists is simply to understand their own religion..." Exactly, and there is a long way to go from money-Buddhism and the lucrative trade in amulets with supposed magical powers to the real meaning of the Lord Buddha's teachings, which often appear to be distorted beyond recognition by many of his over-ambitious followers.

Unfortunately religion has been misused as a galvanising element in times of conflict and uncertainty throughout history up to this day.

One may expect that this should have served as a lesson to keep religion out of politics, commerce and sentiments concerning national identity. Any monk of any religion should prove to have sufficient intelligence and foresight to strongly disagree with these tendencies and their dangerous implications.

Observing

Bangkok

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Boost economy by selling off southernmost provinces

Re: "Thailand's growth worsening as competitors reap the benefits", Opinion, April 27.

The writer bemoans the lack of a game plan for the future of Thailand's economy.

Russia sold Alaska to the United States and continued its development unabated. It's time to sell the three southernmost provinces to Malaysia.

Use these funds, plus those saved from an impossible policing action with no hope of success, to reinvest in Thailand.

 Offer resettlement grants to those Thais relocating into the new truncated Thailand. Build a wall across the peninsula creating thousands of new jobs. Let Malaysia have the Muslim headache and good riddance. When you find yourself in a hole, it's time to stop digging, as different actions get different results.

Will Night

Orange County, California

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Insular approval of FBA draft typical of junta's methods

Re: "NLA Members vote overwhelmingly for ministry's FBA draft", News, April 26.

Your quote from National Legislative Assembly member Pramon Suthivong, who said that the draft by the government created better conditions for Thai and foreign investors, pretty much sums up the military-installed government's approach to this whole sorry affair. Pramon is not only chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce but was also chairman of the Commerce Ministry committee that drafted the amendments for the government. The government's idea of transparency and avoidance of conflicts of interest seems to be having the chairman of a body that looks after the interests of Thai business owners draft the amendments and then vote on them as a member of the legislature.

It is a pity that the process didn't involve any consultation with foreign investors or representation of Thai labour groups or consumers, who will all suffer as a result of the legislation. However, it is hardly surprising that Pramon praised the draft!

Foreign Investor

Bangkok

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Acrobatic feats performed with mobile and motorbike

Re: "Failing mobile-phone manners a global problem", Letters, April 27.

It's time that we started labelling those BMW and Benz drivers who are too tight-fisted to buy a Bt125 hands-free kit as "cheapskates". I have noted that mobile phone-wielders often look like they are going to mow down all the motorcycles at red stoplights, as they turn right with one hand on the wheel at a stoplight. Indeed, I have met several motorcyclists who have been knocked down by such drivers.

But my particular favourite is the motorcycle with five people on it, with an owner who insists on carrying an umbrella, smoking a cigarette and also trying to talk on the mobile at the same time. I saw one slightly inventive soul who got round this problem by getting one passenger to hold it to his ear as he busied himself with all those other ridiculous multitasks.

Nokia

Bangkok

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Onet testing only fair means of screening worthy candidates

Re: "Admissions to resume", News, April 27.

The two university admission tests, the Ordinary National Education Test (Onet) and the Advanced National Education Test (Anet) seem still to be generating confusion.

The rectors' refusal to accept Onet scores obtained by students in a second or later sitting sounds like an ominous consequence of the current dismal catastrophe that is Prathom and Matthayom education.

The rectors' justified fear is that both the point average (GDA) and the cumulative grade point average (GPAX), which account for 30 per cent of admission criteria, reflect scores inflated by schools. We are being told that the country and rural schools are at fault. The amusing thing is that all Bangkok schools, from the humblest to the most prestigious, are guilty of doing exactly the same.

As no teacher may fail a student, most of them go to the entrance test with no sufficient preparation and no understanding of it - therefore they fail or, worse, under-perform. At the same time, the rectors' stance seems too rigid and restrictive. If they want quality students adequately prepared for university, they should rather eject GDA and GPAX from the entrance criteria and consider only the Onet and Anet results. That may force secondary education to come up to scratch.

As Prathom and Matthayom essentially constitute a systemic betrayal of the Kingdom's youth, it would be proper that students be allowed to sit again, one or more times, to the annual Onet and Anet. If they have striven to study in the intervening year, their improved results should be accepted. Otherwise, the rectors will unwittingly compound the systemic damage to the students by adding another form of discrimination in education.

Krabong Kuverakorn

Bangkok