Are Thaksin's red shirts just victims of big lies?

However, the very next day, Malaysia's top policeman reported that the Malaysian government had no record of Thaksin's even having been in their country, let alone the Special Branch having guarded the felon-on-the-run.

Now, Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh and their Foreign Ministry have rejected the claim by red leader MP Jatuporn Promphan that Cambodian officials had taped a phone conversation between Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and a diplomat in Phnom Penh over Thaksin's flight plan.

"I think the one who made claims about the tape just did it for kicks [or] probably had a hidden agenda of drumming things up to the point of war between the two countries," Tea Banh said.

Red shirts, are your leaders telling you the truth? Or do your leaders believe that you are among "the great masses of people [who] will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a little one" - Adolf Hitler? Do they have your - or their own - best interests at heart?

BURIN KANTABUTRA

BANGKOK

Protection from dengue begins at your backyard

The rains here on Koh Samui have really stirred the mosquitoes into action. In the past two days they have dined heartily on my body, especially my ankles, elbows and wrists.

In April this year, I suffered from a dose of dengue fever (also known as bone-break fever). The mosquito that infected me is called the Aedes Aegypti mosquito and like others of its ilk, they like to breed near human dwellings - where us humans end up being their "meals". They lay eggs in containers holding stagnant water, such as discarded car tyres, plant pots, cans etc. If fish are kept in these containers, however, the eggs get eaten. Otherwise, the eggs turn into larvae and then into mosquitoes.

I recently watched an interesting documentary about the way Jakarta is trying to deal with this serious problem. If two or more cases of dengue fever have been found in one area, a group of volunteers is sent there to look for any vessels containing stagnant water and see if there are any Aedes mosquito larvae breeding. If they find stagnant water, they discuss the situation with the home-owner and advice them of the dangers.

After this is done, a team from the health ministry arrives and starts "fogging" the area with insecticide.

The downside of this was that most residents were reluctant to leave their homes even for a short time for fear of their possessions being stolen. Apparently they were okay with the unpleasant feeling of inhaling the chemicals.

On the positive side though, Jakarta seems to be fighting a winning battle, so maybe Thailand and other Asian countries should take a leaf out of their book.

Here are some interesting facts about the Aedes mosquito:

l The male is quite harmless, it is the female that infects humans with dengue fever.

l They are attracted by carbon dioxide, body odour and heat.

l Their lifespan is only two to three weeks.

l There are approximately 100 million cases of dengue, worldwide, every year though very few are fatal.

l The reason that dengue is so serious is that the infection attacks the liver. The normal platelet count of a human's liver should be between 150 and 450, but my count was down as low as 50. However, after five days of medication, my second blood test showed a count of 278.

l Dengue patients should drink lots of water and fresh fruit juice (but no alcohol), eat lots of fresh fruit and get lots of rest.

I suggest that we all make a start in fighting this problem by cleaning up our own backyard and getting rid of any stagnant water lying in receptacles around the house.

DES GILLET

KOH SAMUI

A television commercial that actually tells the truth

Every time I watch the Thai Life Insurance advert, "Que Sera Sera", I get a lump in my throat. The gorgeous, smiling children from Srisangwan School, singing their hearts out, are the finest goodwill ambassadors imaginable. Their unforgettable message resonates day after day, complementing the Thai mai pen rai attitude about the future not being ours to see.

This Doris Day hit won the 1956 Oscar for Best Song, and the ad, directed by Thanonchai Sornsrivichai, deserves to be named the Best Commercial of 2009. Congratulations and thanks to all involved

CHANCHAI PRASERTSON

BANGKOK