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Published on February 24, 2008

In "Johnny Walker's" letter he called the candidates for the Senate elections a bunch of corrupt opportunists. One of the candidates in Roi Et has among her principles that buying votes is destroying democracy and moreover is insulting to voters who don't realise they end up paying for this bribe. In all venues this candidate has told voters this. As I know this lady, I can guarantee you that not one baht has been or ever will be spent on bribes or other illegal activities that go against her principles.

If she does become a senator, she will not participate in shady deals being a 100-per-cent ethical person only interested in the well-being of the population, which she can afford to be. Some rotten apples in the bunch don't mean that all are rotten and to lump all candidates together is something this courageous lady doesn't deserve. "Johnny Walker" should apologise.

Egon

Bangkok

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PPP's initial moves paint a grisly picture for country

I have been reading the news of the day in the major newspapers:

l A journalist's television show was shut down because he was critical of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and made an honest report of Samak's statements on 1976.

l Wan Yoobamrung was appointed secretary to the deputy public health minister. Public Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsap wanted to appoint Wan as his chief assistant to fight against drinking and smoking, even if he is openly known for having a well publicised history in this area.

l Chalerm, Wan's father, and Samak will restart the "War on Drugs". The only success of the past one was to kill small-time people and some who had nothing to do with drugs. More killings are likely to come, and after a few years it can be claimed that only one unlucky guy died.

l Sunai Manomai-udom was removed as chief of the Department of Special Investigation and replaced by a close aide of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra before the final investigations are finished. This ensures that all charges against the Shinawatras will be shown not to have evidence or, worse, be dropped.

There's not much to say. The coup-makers failed to clean up politics. Thaksin is now resentful and is showing it through his puppets before he comes back even more powerful than before to seek revenge. The Thai people will have to pay and suffer even more, which we can already see from these early days of People Power Party governance.

There's not much to say. Pity our beloved Kingdom, and unless a miracle happens, the years to come will be dark indeed.

Somsak

Bangkok

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Double standards in policing beggar belief

Let me see if I got this right. The son of a prominent Thai politician, who has a sordid reputation for brawling in nightclubs, is assigned a high government position that directly influences millions of young people. Concurrently, a foreigner sits in prison for months for being a week late renewing his visa because he was in a Thai hospital bed with dengue fever (he paid his fine, but the hospital lost the paperwork that would prove he was incapacitated). Meanwhile, another son of the same powerful politician shoots a policemen from a metre away with many eyewitnesses nearby (none of whom came forward, wonder why?) - and gets off with a reprimand. Concurrently, a foreigner is fined Bt2,000 for allegedly dropping a tiny cigarette butt on a filthy Bangkok sidewalk. Is this Thai justice at work, or is it just a badly scripted movie?

Brahmburgers

Chiang Rai

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Traffic flow makes for cash flow in tourist spots

My wife and I recently visited Thailand for the second time. The first visit we spent exclusively in Bangkok, on the second visit we spent four days in Hua Hin.

We really enjoyed our holiday both times, but for one very frustrating set of incidents. While in Hua Hin, we hired a motorbike to get around. Unfortunately the helmets supplied with the motorbike did not fit.

On the second day whilst exploring the town, at an intersection with traffic lights, just opposite the police station, we were pulled over by a policeman for not wearing our helmets. I pointed out that all around us there were local people also not wearing their helmets.

The policeman took me into his little box alongside the road and said that the fine was Bt1,000. I said that I only had Bt520 with me in my wallet. He took the Bt520 and allowed me to go, without writing out any form of paperwork.

Two days later I was stopped again in the same area and told I was fined Bt200 for not wearing a helmet. This time, a ticket was written out and I had to cross the road and pay the fine at the police station. This I did, and at the same time asked to speak to a senior police officer who could speak English.

They introduced me to a senior officer who spoke perfect English until I said I wanted to report a case of corruption. He immediately could not speak any English and there was no other officer who could speak English. Whilst this was going on there were two other foreign visitors who came in to pay their fines of Bt200 for not wearing helmets.

My wife and I spent the next hour watching and taking photographs at this intersection. The result was 245 local people not wearing their helmets and not one of them stopped.

Some of the motorbikes had four people on them, all without helmets. During this same period five foreign people were fined for not wearing helmets.

Throughout the rest of our stay we noticed that local people wearing helmets were the exception rather than the rule.

Why the corruption, and why pick on tourists? The area seems to be mainly financed by tourism; surely the police realise that this will kill the goose that lays the golden egg.

Foreign Tourist

Bangkok

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