Buses for all children would ease traffic

Every October and April, when the schools close for the holidays, I notice that the traffic flows much more smoothly in Bangkok. And when the schools open again, the traffic is as bad as ever.

If all school children were required to ride school buses to school, the traffic would stay much lighter. Also, this plan would reduce energy consumption, and at least in a very small way, help reduce global warming.

This simple plan would both help reduce traffic and make the air in the city much cleaner to breathe.

TROY CHENSRI, 10

BANGKOK

All signs point to a shake up for the dollar

Ref: "Could we really trust any replacement for the dollar?" Letters, Oct 11.

Normally, I agree with most of what Songdej Praditsmanont writes as he seems to be a logical man; however, I believe his thoughts on the dollar are off base. I believe that he, like everyone else, is relying more on what always has been rather than what is.

The United States has been spending money unabated for six decades. Both its citizens and government have escalated that spending in an upward spiral continually during that period. The Bush years were probably the worst as he persisted with a war in Iraq that was uncalled for and unnecessary.

I watched real estate prices increase steadily there because of the speculating and I knew that when the average price of a house got out of reach of the average man, the problems would start. That happened quite a few years ago but the concept of borrowing and spending has become so ingrained in the psyche of Americans that they continued it by creative financing which finally caused the real estate bubble to burst.

What is frightening is that the American government and those Americans still having jobs remain in denial. President Obama, who seemed to have his finger on the pulse of where the problem was, went right on with the spending in spite of what was happening and began to bail out banks and companies in order to avoid a collapse. And because he has got away with it so far, he is now spending more on social programs. How can a country create another bureaucracy and major expense, (health care), when it is already grossly over-staffed and overwhelmingly in debt? What we have seen happen so far is only the tip of the iceberg. Everyone wants to believe that by printing more money and throwing it at the problems, they have been solved, but how can you solve a problem by utilising the same method that created the problem? The stage has been set for the worst inflation in the history of the country to strike. Study what is happening to the dollar in comparison with every world currency and watch the price of gold, and you become aware of where the "smart" money is going. And where the "smart" money goes, eventually everyone's money goes. Printing money can only make a currency less valuable and that is what Obama is doing and that can lead to nowhere but continued devaluation and loss of confidence. If loss of confidence is universal, how can the dollar remain the benchmark currency? There has to be a shake up.

I would like to believe that Khun Songdej is right and I am wrong, but as I am writing this letter I am also planning a trip to take the remainder of my money out of America and put it to work someplace else. Like him, I don't hold vast sums of American dollars, but if enough of us do the same, which is becoming apparent, where will it all lead?

JOHN ARNONE

YASOTHON

Persistent airport problems - trolleys, taxis, security

I have commented on the inactivity of the Airport Organisation of Thailand before, after all I am still waiting for an answer to my written complaint of 14 July 2009. I got used to carrying my suitcase as there are never trolleys available but now the AOT makes life difficult after arrival. When I arrived last week the public taxi stand had been moved from the level of the arrival hall to one floor beneath and the queues were much longer than usual because now more people are involved in checking and handing out papers to drivers and passengers. Thereafter the taxi drives directly into a traffic jam as now two roads are converging into one exit road. Why all this inconvenience? It is for the protection of the unsuspecting tourists who otherwise are lured to non-licensed taxis. Does anyone at AOT think about the comfort of the traveller? About the impression the foreign traveller gets from such an arrangement? Not at all, the decision makers are VIPs who never use the public taxi service.

Security: Hand luggage is now scanned directly after passing immigration thus avoiding the long queues in front of the scanners previously installed at the departure gates. However, somehow I feel not so secure anymore as the chances for smuggling arms or bombs into the duty free area through people working there and then to an aircraft seems much easier now.

KILOWATT

BANGKOK