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Published on January 16, 2008

I wholly agree with Burin's comments regarding the failed mission to reform the police force. Such reforms would bring one of the highest valued improvements to the lives of Thailand's citizens, its businesses, and to the reputation of the nation.

Let me illustrate an example of the current policing system, from personal experience:

One evening last year, our apartment was burgled, with losses approaching Bt100,000 in such items as computers and mobile phones. Yes, insurance is the normal defence, but that is not the message here. The following day, the security guard on duty at the time of the theft was not contactable, and indeed never returned to work. Quite likely therefore, he was involved in some capacity. The conclusion of a lengthy visit to the police station, speaking with a variety of officials was: "We will not investigate the case nor contact the security company as you did not lose enough."

I soon learned from others that the private security company involved is owned by none other than one of the district's police officers. That police officer did, however, visit our apartment building - in a gleaming, brand new, luxury SUV - to discuss a replacement guard with the owners. I now see why Bt100,000 is such a small amount of money.

May I ask - did the independent Police Complaints Commission proposed in the reform bill ever get established?

Paul Haines

Bangkok

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Monk was coerced into giving political support

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and your headline photo on Saturday certainly speaks loudly. The caption reads: "People Power party-list MP Chalerm Yoobamrung, left, and party leader Samak Sundaravej accompany Luang Phor Khoon, a prominent monk in Nakhon Ratchasima, during a rally to encourage people to vote for its candidates in the re-election in the province's Constituency 3."

It shows the head monk being led toward photographers. On each side of him is a PPP official grasping the monk's hands with both of their own hands. Directly behind the three men are half a dozen additional men who look like bodyguards.

Granted, career politicians have no lower limits regarding what they'll do to try and garner votes, but the prominent monk should have known better than to let himself get paraded into a national photo-op which appears to show him endorsing politicians. He could have said, "No way. You do your political posturing, but keep me out of it". But for an elderly monk to resist two strong men who were physically imploring him to make a political stand would not have been easy.

Ken Albertsen

Chiang Rai

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No protection from the greed of politicians

Whilst the judiciary is the appropriate bastion of defence from perfidy, the grim truth is that this institution was subjected to attempted interference by the deposed Thaksin regime and would be the target of assault by any PPP-led regime. I see no way to avoid that. So back to the problem of who "rescues" the country, then. Or as other writers have suggested: does the country get what it deserves and hang the consequences?

I feel an analogy of child rearing might be appropriate here. In deciding whether to intervene in a child's development, a diligent parent will measure and judge the risk of harm to the child before intervening. If risk of injury is slight, then the child should be allowed to make the mistake and live with the consequences; thus internalising and learning responsibility for its actions. In more dangerous situations, intervention is necessary to avoid real harm to the child. To allow the PPP to run roughshod over the country and purge all institutions and pack them with their cronies is not democracy, as I understand it. And to pretend, hope or wish that this is not exactly what would happen is not facing the depressing truth.

So where can one go? I agree that the Army should not have to be the default saviour of the Kingdom at the first indication of problems; its copybook is far from clear of substantial blots. However, the courts fair little better.

I genuinely feel for the extremely decent people in Thailand who clearly love their country and would make infinitely better leaders than the shoddy pack scurrying around trying desperately to form a government so they can all get aboard the gravy train.

John Symons

Bangkok

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Doomsday scenario sounds good to some

Re: "More personal freedom goes up in smoke", Letters, January 15.

John Arnone of the Isaan provincial wasteland of Yasothon is spitting fire in your letters column. To his horror, smokers can no longer light up in bars. Even more horrific, the go-go bars will close. And he himself will be forced to take his vacations in Macau and Phnom Penh! Thailand is truly going down the toilet.

As a non-smoker who finds go-go bars nothing more than the degradation of Thai women, John Arnone's doomsday scenario sounds good to me. No smoking, no go-go bars and the likes of John Arnone elsewhere - what more could we educated masses want?

Andy Nyack

Bangkok

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Clear up Suvarnabhumi's safety certification

Regarding the recent problems caused by fog at Suvarnabhumi Airport: most international airports and commercial airline crews are qualified to make Zero Zero landings and take-offs. Don Muang is certified, so is Utapao and Chiang Mai. Is the problem the fog, or is it that Suvarnabhumi Airport is not fully certified?

If the airport is not fully certified, then AOT needs to explain why.

Tom

Bangkok

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