An omnipotent 'phuyai' |can get quite perplexing

The propaganda machine can then churn out positive news of the chosen one. After all, if you keep repeating lies or myths, it will turn into fact or accepted as fact by at least a portion of the population.

Finally, I wonder about the identity of the phuyai he mentioned.

It would certainly be interesting if someone can enlighten us foreigners in Thailand on who is this phuyai who seems to hold immeasurable power and can immobilise the country with a tweak of his little pinky finger.

HAM SUP CHAI

BANGKOK

NGV makes airport limos |as bad as buses

Re: "Poor bus design makes hard work for travellers", Opinion, August 20

I sympathise with Scottish Brian's frustration with the Airport-bus design.

I have a similar complaint about the airport limo service. Occasionally I treat myself and hire an airport limo instead of taking a chance with the low-quality taxi service.

On my last trip I hired a limo on my return to take me and my wife home. It was expensive at Bt1,000, but the limo is hassle free and clean.

To my surprise, the Toyota Camry limo couldn't hold two pieces of luggage in the trunk! One suitcase had to be placed in the front passenger seat. I don't know what they would have done if there were three passengers.

Also, seems that they have fitted the airport limos with NGV or LPG tanks in the trunk and now the space, like in taxis, is taken up by these steel bombs.

Have they forgotten the original intent of limos - taking passengers and their baggage to and from the airport?

R MCCLARAN

BANGKOK

Only Samak can make |begging a real profession

PM Samak (Sundaravej) has approved begging as a profession, which is an admission of the competence - or lack thereof - of his administration. Under him, beggars must provide proof that they're underprivileged, disabled, homeless, or elderly without children to care for them.

How naïve I am to think that it's the government's responsibility to provide training/education so that all have equal opportunities, that a reason for Thaksin (Shinawatra) promoting universal health care was so the disabled would be rehabilitated, that the Ua Arthorn and other programmes were for the homeless and old folks' homes were for the elderly.

The government spokesperson said this law would help the authorities get rid of the many foreign beggars in Thailand. Presumably they're here without visas - so why don't we just send them back?

PM Samak, your ministers have much to be humble about. Even so, please ensure that they do their duties or find more competent persons, so there is no need for a Thai to beg for a living.

On the other hand, I encourage busking, or performing in public places for money. If professionally done, busking adds much to the colour and character of a city, and I have enjoyed hearing a quartet in Prague, a bagpiper in Sydney and a concert violinist in New York City. Samak should license buskers, not beggars, for the two professions are as different as night and day.

BURIN KANTABUTRA

BANGKOK

Why assure the public about a fair court?

I have a few points to make regarding Pojaman Shinawatra's case.

First, why must the court, in the beginning of the verdict reading, say it had tried the case fairly, justly and without animosity against the defendant? (At this point, everyone knew what the verdict was going to be.) Isn't the court supposed to be fair all the time? Does it need to assure the public about its fairness?

Second, the court chastised Pojaman for breaking the law even though she was highly regarded in society as prime minister's wife. Does this imply that the punishment fits the social status rather than the crime itself?

Finally, the court rejected Pojaman's complaint about the illegitimacy of the Assets Examination Committee, ruling that it was formed legally and impartially. Methinks the AEC was selectively bred, artificially inseminated, conceived in the womb of the coup and delivered by the invisible hands.

MEECHAI BURAPA

CHIANG MAI