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Published on January 26, 2008

Thus we have the key Finance Ministry being claimed by the PPP - even though it requires such a high level of expertise that well-known, experienced financial experts/economists like Dr Virabongsa Ramangkura, Dr Olarn Chaipravat, Dr Thanong Bidaya or Dr Suvarn Valaisathien have evidently declined. So, the front-runner is evidently a medical doctor - perhaps he's qualified because our economy is sick?

What the PPP should do now is look at its allies, and see if there is one among them with a person of sufficient calibre to lead our economy out of its morass in the midst of the sub-prime crisis, and swap posts with it. Now is no time to look merely at PPP's vested interests.

Also, having elected our MPs, despite knowing their character and that they would form our Cabinet, the people must make sure that they don't steal too much from us. As US President James Garfield noted: "Now, more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption."

We must remain vigilant, and force our representatives to be transparent, putting our interests first.

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok

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Real-life soap opera looks more ominous

I see that there has been much ado about a soap opera concerning bad behaviour among flight crew which is apparently, according to real flight crews, not credible. I saw a small excerpt on the news the other evening and it consisted of much slapping, screaming and throwing of water, so clearly a believable story line that mirrors reality.

What seems to have escaped everyone is that a much superior and equally incredulous soap opera, amusingly called the government of Thailand, is about to start in Bangkok.

Already we see frantic behind-the-scenes activity as the casting director in absentia places the most appropriate "actor" in the most convenient "role" for himself rather than for the good of the production or the "actor's" career development.

Imagine my horror then to see, so as to give us a taste of things to come, that the leading roles have now been cast.

In charge of the House we have a man whose notoriety stems from the fact that he previously led a bungled police raid on a supposed drugs factory which in reality turned out to be a frail elderly woman's house, riddling it with bullets and almost killing her and her husband had they not sheltered behind their refrigerator.

Why he led this fiasco quite eludes me. Was he a policeman at the time or in charge of the police? On both counts the answer is, I am reliably informed, no. Somehow this near-fatal tragedy has been treated with mirth or at least indifference, with the life-saving refrigerator, which was peppered with bullets becoming a sobriquet for this failed Robocop.

But yet more unbelievable still, is that the country is apparently to have as its figurehead and ambassador to the world a belligerent, crude bully who is mired in court cases and criminal investigations.

I think that flight crews have little to worry about in comparison to the people of Thailand.

Catherine Chobley-Dickson

Bangkok

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University libraries should be less stingy

 

The low rate of reading by the Thai people is mentioned many times. Whilst society should realise that more reading should be promoted, I'm very surprised to know that outsiders (meaning not a current student, professor, or a university staff member) have to pay to enter the library at the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University.

After I graduated there I went back to visit the faculty, including dropping in at the library to read some newspapers. A library staff member misunderstood that I was still studying there. But later when I came more often on Sundays, the staff noticed that I actually was an outsider and informed me that I had to pay a Bt30 fee each time.

I had thought that the library of my beloved faculty would always be my treasure chest of knowledge, where I could spend time reading good and sophisticated stuff for free. It's not anymore. If Thais have a very low rate of reading, this is the kind of thing that further discourages visiting a library and reading.

If you are studying or not, if you have graduated or not, I think you still need to sharpen your mind and always update your knowledge by reading, and you should never stop.

Though we understand about maintenance expenses, and so on, the number of public libraries in this country is still low. If we agree that knowledge is important, libraries in universities should try to offer more to the public.

Libraries should be the first place to make people feel good about finding knowledge and should support anyone who cares about reading by making reading free.

Benjamas Nillsuwan

Bangkok

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One way to stop the exploitation of animals

Baby elephants tortured, their mothers shot so as to exploit them more easily; ageing beach horses rotting in stalls from neglect; a neighbour that regularly kicks his dog; live kittens thrown in trash cans; birds in cages; pigs' legs broken so as to be packed tighter in trucks.... On and on and on.

Until tourists and resident foreigners really take a stand - which means stop patronising businesses and yes, stop visiting animal "attractions" - animal abuse will go on and on and on.

 Take heed Thailand, you aren't on this planet alone, and we are watching.

Christy K Sweet

Phuket

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