Re: "'Coconut shell' students find their voice", (Opinion, Nov 13)
This phenomenon is interesting. It suggests changes in Thais' cultural values. Thailand has high-power distance and uncertainty avoidance indices. These two cultural values positively correlate with defensive and acquiescent silence. The associations of these indices become weaknesses, and are being exploited by the military junta that uses fear to motivate and shape people's behaviour to fits its agenda.
It's a kind of social engineering.
Sam900
The kids are alright
Re: "'Coconut shell' students find their voice", (Opinion, Nov 13)
Congratulations to the brave young minds of Suankularb, who show us, yet again, that it is the youth of Thailand who set the example of excellence in honesty, in open-mindedness, in critical thinking and in respect for all such democratic values. In a word, it is Thai youth, high school and university students, who set the moral example from which their benighted elders, stuck in their stifling coconut shells of repressive, wilful ignorance, need to learn. Naturally, the bullfrogs are croaking loudly at this timely disturbance to their slumbering moral faculties. Let us hope their children will continue to rebel against the bad old ways of their elders.
Felix Qui
Some expats like NCPO
Mr Reichstetter, in his Nov 13 letter, "Invention of corruption", thinks that I can't be an expat because I'm not part of the grumpy farang who want to remodel Thailand to their own image. Sorry to deceive him, but I am a real expat.
I agree that I'm part of a minority who is happy to live in Thailand and submit to its regulations, whether they make sense or not. I also have been here long enough to know that this government is much better than all former "democratically" elected governments.
As for the general elections that you and politicians are asking for, it seems that when the population is unhappy it calls for elections, not politicians without agendas except filling their pockets, expats for different reasons, all related to their personal comfort, and the outside world because this government does not toe the line with their predatory policies.
Last but not least I wonder what you mean by "participation of the politically and economically powerless"?
It seems that this government is doing a lot for those, and by holding elections we may hopefully find new blood running in elections instead of the usual corrupt or inefficient contenders that we would inevitably see if elections were held now.
Clara Holzer
Where red means 'go'
Today I read again the shocking statistics that are accorded to driving on the roads here in Thailand!
Sadly to say, my home province of Rayong is rated the worst in the country!
This morning on the way to the office I saw a pickup pull out in front of a lady motorcyclist! The pickup just did not stop! Luckily no accident! This or something similar I see on a daily basis.
Each time within 500 metres of leaving my house I can witness some terrible driving. Every day and every evening. Even early in the morning the "red lights" are ignored.
"Etiquette or politeness" on the highways just does not exist. People just drive here as they want.
So who is to blame for that? Surely then the blame "starts at the top"?
Sir Lance
Rayong
Wrong on Rosa Parks
Re: "Equality an illusion", (PostBag, Nov 12).
Rosa Parks, a black woman, was ordered to give up a seat on a bus in Montgomery (not Selma) Alabama on Dec 1, 1955, to a white passenger (as required by the then local regulations).
By refusing to do so she provided one of the initial sparks of the Civil Rights Movement. The response of the bus driver is not recorded but I doubt it was anything like what Mr Wong says.
The quote comes from Orwell's Animal Farm, a satire on Stalin's Soviet system and it reads "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others".
Przemo Kranz
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