All this business about marriage and spouses

I read with amusement Songdej Praditmanont's letter about foreigners being at the mercy of their Thai wives wreaking havoc in their relationship. I remember succinctly his advice to my wife and me during our wedding that respect and tolerance of each other were the keys to a lasting relationship much like his own long-standing marriage. I wonder if I should sleep with one eye open from now on.

NG WAI PH'NG

BANGKOK

There will be no peace as long as Israel exists

Re: 'Israel a thorn in America's side', Opinion, yesterday

Nick Ferriman writes that Israel must stop building settlements, and I agree. He then gives a list of the Israeli right-wingers' desires but ignores that, for example, in the Hamas charter, there will be no peace until there is no Israel. What I find sad is that we have an American president who is trying to reach out to the Islamic world and yet, for instance, the Iranian government bans his speech from being shown in Iran.

DEAN BARRETT

BANGKOK

Two-tier pricing has its uses

Re: "Two-tier pricing at tourist sites can lead to resentment", Letters, June 10

Horst Bullinger says the "two-tier pricing in return for privileges like special seating and priority entrance to venues is daft … it would create resentment among Thais towards foreigners".

Bullinger overlooked the fact that I specifically stated the price-tier system was nationality-blind. If practised by, say, Disneyland/Sea World, anybody could pay extra and go to the top of the queue. This is precisely what an airline does when it allows first and business-class passengers to embark/disembark first; those in economy don't mind waiting, because they've chosen to save their money. It's a win-win situation.

Is that idea daft? Aye, daft like a fox, perchance?

BURIN KANTABUTRA

BANGKOK

No apologies for bad taste

Re: 'What is auto-erotic asphyxiation?', Letters, June 9

The matter of David Carradine's death has shown how the media report such "human-interest" stories but has also revealed interesting aspects of your newspaper's demeanour and editorial tone; ranging as it has from a letter of questionable taste, meant presumably to be humorous from a supposedly ageing gentlewoman to a Stoppage Time column worthy of St Thomas Aquinas.

However, what is at question here is a simple matter of taste and decorum. While culture determines many aspects of how we react to diverse human situations, death and the manner in which it is dealt with is commonly afforded respect regardless of culture.

The prurient interest that symbolises the media's approach in this instance denies simple obligations to Carradine's family. Sentiments such as discretion, decorum and decency seem to have left the editorial handbook to be replaced by lewdness, lasciviousness and luridness. To excuse this moral decline, as in some way necessary to keep up with the pack or to serve truth in a convoluted manner, is problematic to say the least.

However, introspection is indeed a most worthy pursuit, and in Stoppage Time ("Sorry, David, if we are denying you peace", Opinion, June 10) Tulsathit Taptim correctly observes that: "what matters more is probably what has gone wrong with all of us who still live".

However, in seeking to make peace with himself, and perhaps others, he fails to realise that sometimes an apology can't, regardless of how earnestly we wish it to, undo the harm that has been inflicted.

DR JOHN SYMONS

BANGKOK

The govt may as well write Newin a large cheque

Re: 'Politicians pushing for NGV buses deserve their "reward",' Opinion, June 5

You wrote: "The arithmetic for the leasing of 4,000 NGV buses is very simple: the cost of leasing an NGV bus is Bt3 million. The maintenance cost of each bus is Bt4 million throughout a 10-year leasing period. Overall, it costs Bt7 million to operate one NGV bus for 10 years, but the leasing deal is Bt64 billion, or Bt16 million per unit. If you subtract Bt7 million from Bt16 million, you get Bt9 million - in commission."

As a result, Abhisit went to "arbitration" via the NESDB to buy time. In 'You scratch my back and I'll stroke yours', National Affairs, June 11, you reveal: "Ampon Kittiampon, secretary-general of the NESDB, has recently been in the spotlight for his close ties with influential politician Newin Chidchob".

Doesn't this sounds like Gollum when all of Isengard had to be emptied?: "We wants it, we needs it. Must have the precious."

Mega-projects are not dreamed up for economic stimuli alone; they are also there to enrich politicians. With such transparency, why all the fuss? Britain's expenses row was kept hushed up until ministers were forced to resign. Here, in the microcosm of all that is bad, why not write a cheque to Newin and be done with it? After all, as in a recent spoof in the Daily Mail on the fiasco featuring gangland killer Reggie Kray: "We have acted at all times within the rules." What rules, he was asked. "The rules of our organisation."

ARUN SINGH

BANGKOK