Re: "Bravo Prayut", (PostBag, Jan 26). It is nice that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha still has his avid supporters, but 449,900 is not quite right in his letter, in which he insists that "the majority of those polled would prefer Prayut to be the next prime minister". The largest single percentage might still prefer Gen Prayut, but that number is far below a majority. And the poll statistics show a consistent downward trend.
In March of last year, 38.6% reported preferring Gen Prayut for PM (NIDA, March 18, 2018). In May, he was down to 32.2% (NIDA, May 13, 2018). In Nov he had dropped to 27% (Rangsit University, Nov 29, 2018). In the most recent NIDA poll, on Jan 20, he was down to 26.2%.
None of these statistics show anything near majority support. They do, however, show consistently dwindling support over time, which is all I ever asserted. Although not settled on one person, the overwhelming majority of the Thai electorate clearly prefer a prime minister who supports the good morals of democracy.
With each delay of the ever-promised election, the civil politicians rise in popularity as the politicians who overthrew democracy decline.
This wholesome trend can continue for at least two more months before the unelected politicians allow the ever-promised election to be held.
Felix Qui
Take haze accountability
Re: "Foreign haze 'contributing' to pollution", (BP, Jan 26).
I suppose it was just a matter of time before Thai officials concocted a way to shift the blame for the lingering pall of pollution blanketing the city of Bangkok to foreigners.
How convenient to attribute the city's shroud of haze to the burning of fields by poor Cambodian farmers. So typical and so predictable!
Of course, it's so much easier to point fingers at Cambodians (or Myanmar, Europeans, Americans, Africans, etc) for every flaw and misfortune afflicting Thailand, rather than accepting responsibility and making difficult decisions to remedy problems.
If foreigners can be blamed for the choking air pollution, there's no need to enforce vehicle maintenance regulations, purchase new clean-running buses, restrict the number of cars in downtown Bangkok, provide incentives for electric vehicles, close polluting industries, or crack down on sloppy construction operations run by cronies.
Samanea Saman
Enforce Thai road laws
With the discovery that the 7 deadly days, twice a year, are no different from the other 351, I am reminded of my wife's first visit to England 30 years ago.
On the drive away from Heathrow airport her first remark was on how orderly the traffic behaved and how everyone was going in the same direction and all passed on the right.
Which brings me to my point that Thai roads must share some of the blame for the awful road deaths. Almost daily we are treated to stories and photos of accidents at U-turns and vehicles overturning after entering a roadside ditch.
Up in the far North there is no such thing as a proper "highway". What we have are four-lane roads strewn with hazards and obstacles that necessitate far more caution and lower speed limits than driving in Europe.
U-turns backed up into the "fast lane" and traffic lights that need jumping exist solely because Thai drivers can't negotiate roundabouts.
Another major hazard on my regular Chiang Mai to Doi Saket route is the markets that have allowed shops to operate on the designated parking areas which then cause cars to reverse out onto the main road.
That this is allowed shows just how little the authorities care for proper law enforcement.
Allowing speeds of over 80kph on roads such as this is only going to increase the already awful death numbers.
Lungstib
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