PAD showed no respect for His Majesty's birthday

Asking the reason for the question, he answered by saying the red shirts would hold a rally when the whole nation is preparing to celebrate His Majesty's birthday. My question to him was that he should remember what happened exactly one year ago. He could not remember without me reminding him. So I told him that exactly one year ago the PAD showed His Majesty its deepest respect by terrorising Bangkok's two airports, preventing planes from taking off for days and leaving hundreds of thousands of people stranded both in Thailand and in every country with flight connections to Thailand. And the PAD announced to the world that it had taken this action in order to protect the monarchy. From whom and what?

I am fed up to the teeth by this. What kind of respect is the PAD showing, using the monarchy to justify its crimes? I have said this before, and I will say it again: His Majesty the King has 65 million people that love him more than anything and who will protect him with their lives. That is Thailand's entire population.

Per G

Ayutthaya

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Firebrand Samak was also a good entertainer

Re: "My guilt-free last words on Samak Sundaravej", Opinion, November 25.

Like Tulsathit Taptim, my father was a great fan of Samak Sundaravej. On his desk was Samak's photo, which was subsequently hidden after the 1976 turbulence. But unlike Tulsathit, I liked Samak's cultural side and admired his debating ability in running down his opponents' well-prepared attacks. His Sunday talks when he was prime minister, on the Thai language, history and culture, was a weekly enjoyment as I could close my ears to his political views. I venture to guess that he could have lived longer if he had not accepted the thankless role of being someone's proxy and instead went on with his cooking lessons.

I missed him already when one channel showed him crooning a Thai folk song. Deservedly, may he rest in peace!

Songdej Praditsmanont

Bangkok

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Article wrongly accuses coup-leader Sonthi

Re: "Coup-maker flirting with democracy", November 23.

Atiya Achakulwisut's article opens with the staggeringly sweeping and totally unsubstantiated statement that the 2006 coup has put Thailand back 12 years. This is laughable. How has this been calculated and by whom? What parameters did they use? What has been destroyed or damaged? What repairs are necessary and to what?

Self-important pronouncements from unnamed academics presented without any basis in fact, nor supported by clear examples, are simply not credible and have no place in a serious broadsheet newspaper.

This on its own would be sufficient to call the piece's credibility into question but there is more to come as the writer undertakes what has all the appearance of a personal vendetta against General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, given the strident tone and the use of highly emotional language.

We are told for instance: "With traces of the damage he caused still evident everywhere we look." Everywhere? I wonder how the running of the MRT has been affected by the 2006 coup for instance.

Much time is then spent analysing what is termed the irony that the general gets to run in an election and many barred politicians will not. Well that is just how it is; it is not ironic, it may not be fair or balanced or acceptable to some people, but many other aspects of Thai society are as equally unfair and fail to attract any column inches.

Then there is the staggering misrepresentation to end all misrepresentations in what is presented as "What we do know", where the writer places the causes of the current social division squarely at the general's door because he led the coup.

However, what I find most troubling about this article is the rather shabby analogy, which to my mind is in rather poor taste, comparing the coup's effects to abuse victims.

I am not sure how I would describe this writer's column, but suffice to say, a piece of detached, intellectually rigorous journalism seeking to inform and educate readers it is not.

John de Laurent

Bangkok

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Anand must ensure he remains impartial

Former prime minister Anand Panyarachun, who chairs a committee looking into areas of concern regarding the development of the eastern seaboard, recently presided over PTT's 11th Green Globe Awards ceremony.

The PTT is very much an interested party as regards the committee's findings. Will there not be any repercussions on Khun Anand's image as an honest broker?

Citizen Jane

Bangkok