I thank Paul Bromberg ("Ivory towers won't fall", PostBag, Jan 5) and 449900 ("Enforce ivory ban", PostBag, Jan 4) for underscoring my point about the need for effective enforcement of bans on ivory as a means toward reducing poaching of elephants.
Bans without enforcement are, of course, meaningless.
Where we apparently differ is in our respective beliefs about the potential to actually implement bans on the sale of ivory. Mr Bromberg and 449900 seem to think a ban is unenforceable. I'm more optimistic, especially in the case of China -- which has clearly demonstrated its ability to enforce strict measures on society in many aspects.
Nearly everyone recognises that the legal sale of "old" ivory, and ivory purportedly derived from domestic elephants, simply provides a smokescreen for the continued infusion of laundered new ivory (ie, poached ivory) into the market.
Samanea Saman
Leave antiques alone
Based on my ownership of some 123 ivory items, I would like to contribute to the current debate on the ivory trade.
When I was 18, my grandfather, a merchant mariner who travelled the world, gave me 20 Japanese netsuke -- small delicately carved pieces from wood, stone, but often ivory, including marine ivory and fossilised ivory.
They are used by Japanese men to counterbalance their inro (purses) hanging from their obi (belt around their waist).
Over the years I collected many more, when I could afford them. Netsuke are highly sought-after works of art, and ancient and signed pieces are worth tens of thousands of dollars, and sometimes hundreds of thousands.
I totally support a ban on the trade in new ivory, but would plead that if Thailand intends to introduce new restrictions on the sale, marketing and transport of ivory products, it excludes antique ivory from its prohibitions.
Charlatans try to "antique" ivory products by soaking them in tea for a week or so, but this is easy to spot by anyone who knows the real thing.
David Brown
New drugs thinking needed
Re: "Punishment addicts" (PostBag, Jan 6).
Karl Reichstetter is correct that lawmakers have long played on the natural fears of parents for their children to whip up support for their populist wars on drugs, under which the ugly reality is that instead of reducing drug harms, children end up with criminal records in addition to worsened drug harms for themselves and society.
Felix Qui
Stray dogs a problem
Charcoal Ridgeback thinks it's "wonderful" that the prime minister wants to encourage dog breeding (PostBag, Jan 6).
All one has to do is look out in the street and see all these suffering stray dogs to observe how "wonderful" the dogs breeders are. This problem would not exist if everyone got their dogs from shelters instead of breeders.
Eric Bahrt
Bitcoin needs explanation
It's a good thing that the authorities will "educate people about bitcoin", (BP, Dec 29). However it begs the question: Who will educate the authorities?
1) Bitcoin is not a coin. Don't confuse bitcoin being paired with actual currencies (just like other commodities are) with bitcoin being a currency; and just because the mainstream media is calling bitcoin a 'cryptocurrency' doesn't mean the authorities should too.
2) If bitcoin has a bad week (it plunged as much as 30% as recently reported), it doesn't mean that it "parallels with investment in Ponzi schemes" for the same reason that if the SET goes from 1753 (Jan 1994) to 214 (August 1998) it isn't necessarily mean a Ponzi scheme either.
3) Authorities should not say bitcoin "is not legal tender" in Thailand if you are not breaking the law by settling your tab in the Lim Lao Ngow noodle shop at Bangkok's Siam Square (that's the definition of "legal tender").
4) Authorities should warn about the speculative frenzy behind bitcoin, but shouldn't say things like "the recent price surge was driven by speculation". Three main things drive bitcoin prices up: Speculation (folks buying and holding for a short period to hopefully sell quickly at a higher price); investment (folks buying and holding for the long term not only to hopefully sell at a higher price in the future but also buying and holding for other very legitimate reasons as well); and hedging (folks buying digital assets, or what should be called 'cryptocommodities', due to their lack of faith in fiat money).
Eddie Delzio
English must take root
In his Jan 5 letter, "Education pipe dream", Kuldeep Nagi -- someone who is clearly familiar with Thailand's education sphere -- makes a number of excellent points and recommendations. His concluding statement that establishing "English as the medium of instruction" seems like an elusive dream goes to the heart of the matter.
English has obviously not taken root in Thailand. In order for it to do so the flood gates must be opened completely to all native English speakers who would teach here under any and all circumstances. Without this change 99% of the world's knowledge will, most unfortunately, continue to remain inaccessible for Thai speakers. If the government sincerely wishes to bring about reform then let them do this one simple thing.
Michael Setter
Yingluck flight shames police
Re: "Police to again query UK on Yingluck's whereabouts," (Bangkok Post Online, Jan 5).
This query did nothing but shame the Royal Thai Police who were supposed to prevent the former prime minister from fleeing. Her brother Thaksin has been freely travelling around the world for years.
RH Suga
Wee Willie Winkie
One British paper recently reported about willie whitening. There is a children's nursery rhyme, "Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town…" I guess Willie kept running into Thailand.
Jack Gilead
Contact: Bangkok Post Building
136 Na Ranong Road Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110
fax: +02 6164000 Email: postbag@bangkokpost.co.th
All letter writers must provide full name and address.
All published correspondence is subject to editing at our discretion.
