How much longer must plain citizens lose out?

The current players seem not to realise that vote-buying, policy corruption and cronyism are now not acceptable. The country and the middle class in particular have become more aware of the excesses of their rulers and more unwilling to passively accept these abuses.

However, cunning politicians have realised that throwing a few baht at social problems in the rural areas garners a return far beyond the investment for them; and even that investment is public money, and not their own. -Having found their winning formulae, they feel they can then go about the business of systematically robbing the state.

Since the coup of 2006 the country has attempted to find its way to no avail. That which the coup leaders sought to remove from the body politic, namely Thaksin, still hovers over the Kingdom like the shadow of death.

We now have the spectacle of his fugitive ex-wife returning to no doubt "put a bit of stick about" so that he, Thaksin, can position a puppet prime minister in office again to rehabilitate him.

There appears to be only a cycle of misery ahead for the Kingdom.

All that is certain is that the country, in other words ordinary Thai citizens, will be the loser as this vain bully tries to overpower the vested powers.

DANIEL W DELAWARE

BANGKOK

Selective foreign

criticism unworthy

Ref: Letter: The West should look in its own backyard first.

Thank you, Khun Pramote.

So-called first-world countries, through their ambassadors, have been quick to condemn the PAD for closing our airports. The government of Somchai Wongsawat closed the airports. I did not hear a squeak from these ambassadors when two Thaksin governments bought their way into power. Selective criticism is cowardly and smacks of brown-nosing in their own national interests. Thailand may not yet be finished with a people's revolution to rid the country of power-hungry, corrupt politicians whose only interest is to recoup their electioneering investment and make huge profits in the process. I would not like to be living in the backyards of most of the countries represented by the ambassadors who condemned the PAD.

LIAM AYUDHKIJ

BANGKOK

How can bail fugitive just sweep back in?

Can any one tell me why the ex-Mrs Thaksin, a bail fugitive and convicted felon, can return to this country and sweep through immigration checks etc as if she were royalty, particularly when it is obvious her presence will not assist the country in finding its way out of the present political and constitutional morass?

She enjoyed such privileges when her ex-husband was prime minister; he is no longer prime minister and she no longer his wife. To afford this "ordinary citizen" such deference and dispensation is shameful.

FRED MORRICE

BANGKOK