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Published on February 17, 2008

Many movies that come here to Udon's CharoenSri theatres have English subtitles. However, "Naresuan" did not.

So we have an excellent example of a wonderful movie, a Thai extravaganza, with very limited sales potential because it does not have English subtitles.

Plus, it has become available on VCD (no subtitles), but not on DVD, where subtitles (English, French and Chinese) would make it marketable throughout the world, with potential earnings of 100 times what it could earn in Thailand.

No fewer than five American friends have asked me to find these movies with English subtitles on DVD, but no video outlet in Udon has them or even heard of them being available on DVD.

A few years ago, I was also asked to acquire "Suriyothai" on DVD, which I did, sending a number of copies to friends in the USA.

Using current world population figures, it is easy to understand that for every Bt1,000 earned within Thailand, there is another Bt100,000 available outside of Thailand.

The Thai movie industry produces many excellent and funny movies every year, but very few are ever translated or subtitled in English, thus putting extreme limits on foreign distribution.

I believe that this trend needs to be reversed, because there is an extremely large English-language market for foreign films.

Michael Weldon

Udon Thani

Senate election pamphlet lacks vital information

 I have just received a four-page pamphlet prepared and distributed, I think, by the Election Commission, showing us citizens how to cast our votes in the upcoming Senate election on March 2.

Besides colour pictures of the 21 candidates, with some very minimal detail, the EC could at least have provided some other relevant information at no extra cost, such as the election date and time, the number of candidates we can vote for, and last but not least (it's the law), the name of the publisher of this pamphlet.

I don't know how much money has been spent on this pamphlet but I am sure it could be a lot better!

Vic Phanumphai

Bangkok

Economy class provides income, but not profits

 Re: "Don't forget all the peasants in economy", Letters, February 16.

Michael Clowes's sarcastic and amusing remark on an airline not serving the Oriental Hotel's food in economy class seems logical since the majority of airlines' income comes from economy passengers.

However, his logic falls flat on the reality of finance, since the profits of all major airlines comes from first and business classes and fares for the "peasant" class are just sufficient or sometimes insufficient to cover operating expenses.

So, Michael, with the thought of cheaper fares, you might feel happier to do without that cuisine and be satisfied with peasants' food.

Songdej Praditsmanont

Bangkok

Flashing images of new Cabinet causing alarm

 I am so horrified when I see the flashing faces of the new government on your website and imagine how they are going to administer my country. Please remove it.

CTA

Bangkok

Explore all other options before going nuclear

 With the vast amount of information available on the Internet, there is no excuse for Bangkok power brokers to not have up-to-date information. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) has declared its intention to spend Bt1 billion (or is it a trillion?) for a "feasibility study" to see whether nuclear power plants are the best option for Thailand.

There's a wealth of exciting new technology regarding generating electricity and useful heat from "concentrated solar power". Here's an informative website that should be required reading for anyone who's at all concerned about power needs for Thailand's future: http://peswiki.com.

With photos and brief commentaries, it showcases many of the latest innovations. Some systems are already up and functional, and tied into their respective power grids - actually selling excess power to their local utilities. Some systems are suited for home-owners, some for village scale, and some are municipal scale. Common themes are effectiveness, low cost, efficiency. Already, some per/KW set-up costs are as low as fossil-fuel generators, and their efficiency levels are rising dramatically.

Which would you rather have: expensive, polluting, possibly dangerous power generation, or cheap, non-polluting, safe power? Egat will spend billions of baht to convince Thais they need nuclear power. And you can bet their expensive "feasibility study" won't have much to report about concentrated solar power and other clean alternatives. There are several reasons why, but for starters, it's because nuclear involves gargantuan contracts for construction, for security, to buy uranium from overseas, and to dispose of radioactive waste. So, where there are large contracts, there are under-the-table pay-offs. The two go hand in hand in Thailand, and big businesses are salivating as they watch Thai governments march toward nuclear power.

The other reason is impressing the neighbours - much like the Thai navy insisting it needs an aircraft carrier with a full complement of jump jets.

Ken Albertsen

Chiang Rai

Condo owners stiffed by serviced apartments

 With luxury condos popping up all over Bangkok, those who want to buy and live in one might want to stay away from buildings where the owner has sold a large portion to serviced apartments.

Having bought a condo in Lang Suan with a serviced apartment section, it was soon clear that all the service provided would be prioritised to those temporary guests in the serviced apartments.

Condo buyers who have had to pay for facilities three years in advance are met with rude, unwilling service and are delegated the remotest parking spots, even though we live here permanently and have paid for all facilities. The smallest service, like posting mail, has a service charge attached or a plain refusal, but serviced apartment guests get it for free.

The Thai condo staff are fearful and powerless against the foreign-owned serviced-apartment section, especially with the backing of a building owner who undoubtedly washed his hands of any accountability after profiting immensely from them. As it is, many former condo residents have ultimately sold their units to the serviced apartment, but those of us still living here deserve the service priority we paid for!

DP

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