Self-serving lectures by |ex-MPs waste study time

I don't know what kind of gods the "acharns" at Nida Business School worship, but hosting an "academic lecture" featuring politicians who have in one way or another failed their country in the past is a waste of brainpower indeed.

One was a deputy prime minister, another a foreign minister in the Thaksin regime. According to the news, one lecturer chided the Abhisit government for adopting a "daily retaliation" approach towards Cambodia. The other complained Thailand was too aloof towards its three neighbouring countries. So on and so forth.

What they said at the lecturing event did not interest me as much as what they deliberately skipped mentioning. Not once did I read that these two "academics" mentioned the real cause of Thailand's ongoing problems (Thailand's spat with Cambodia). Nor did they mention Thaksin Shinawatra's name during the lecture, even though Thaksin is 100 per cent linked to this problem. Why?

All I can think for an answer is that these are full-fledged politicians and must not be regarded as respectable academics in any way. What they did at Nida was just send signals around that they are available if and when Thaksin is reinstalled, constitutionally or otherwise.

When will Thailand's academic community learn to distinguish between academics and politicians, so better students can be produced?

CHAVALIT VAN

CHIANG MAI

Challenge of reading Hun Sen's body language

Your front page on Saturday featured a photo of the ministers attending the Mekong-Japan summit and posing for a group photo, with Cambodia's Hun Sen standing several metres away from the other countries' representatives and being urged by the minister from Laos to join the group.

Hun Sen's body language, as reflected in the photo you printed, spoke volumes about his attitude towards the other countries - or perhaps just Thailand - and the photo begged the question of whether he accepted the invitation to move closer for the group photo.

Whether he accepted or refused would have been a significant, newsworthy event, but unfortunately we can only guess at that because you did not bother to report it.

DOUG CHAPMAN

BANGKOK

Time Thaksin learned to act like a grown up

Ref: "Thaksin accuses Thai government of overreacting like a child", November 6.

Like a child, Thaksin Shinawatra ridiculously accuses others of being childish, oblivious of his own behaviour.

Like a child, he craves constant attention, even if that means becoming a bully, or surrounding himself with easily manipulated unworthies and wimps.

Like a child, he thinks he's cleverer than he actually is.

Like a child, he gets himself into tangles through his own deceit, whilst embroiling everyone else in the process.

Like a child, he always wants more pocket money, even when mum and dad say no - he became delinquent long ago.

Like a child, he thinks he can be the leader of the world, buoyed by the kow-towing of his self-serving "classmates".

Like a child, his temper tantrums border on farce and his tactics are consistently transparent.

Like a child, he lacks self-awareness and an understanding of his own ego.

Like a spoilt child, he thinks the world should revolve around him, and causes chaos wherever he goes.

Like a spoilt child, he is willing to be as devious as it takes to get his own way, "waging war" - (possibly very topical!) - and bearing grudges against those who block his path.

Like a naughty child, he has run away from home to avoid punishment.

One day, however, he's going to get such a "spanking" that he won't know what's hit him!

Thank goodness there's a mature adult now running the country.

JOHN SHEPHERD

BANGKOK