Re: "TAT touts Chiang Rai cave visits", (July 4).
The story says "As soon as the boys are out of danger, the Tourism Authority of Thailand plans to start a promotion to attract tourists to the Tham Luang cave".
I have been to these caves years ago and thought they were dangerous and would not allow anyone to go in. All these caves should be closed. The boys have not even been rescued yet and already people are trying to capitalise on this tourist attraction from Hell.
The Genius
Sealed with a diss
For one day at least I think we can set aside our increasingly pointless and petty squabbling over issues such as politics and dietary preferences and instead give thanks that the young footballers and their coach have been found alive and apparently well. This gripping saga has of course produced its own element of squabbling with, for example, controversy surrounding the visit to the site of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and other VIPs, but let's face it, if he hadn't turned up, some would have accused him of not caring. But it doesn't matter.
Nor does it matter that, according to some reports, the Chiang Rai governor ignored the role of the British rescuers, and instead claimed the boys were found by Thai Navy Seals. That might make some people hot under the collar, but not, I'm sure, the rescuers themselves.
From what I have gleaned from media reports over the years, these specialist rescue teams, irrespective of nationality, don't do what they do to bask in the limelight, or receive plaudits. They are a special breed, possessed of exceptional levels of courage, skill and resourcefulness to which few of us could aspire. It would seem their job is not done -- getting the boys safely out of the cave might be even more challenging than finding them, so our prayers should continue.
Robin Grant
'The Thai version'
Among the many YouTube videos covering the Thailand cave rescue, one brief video showed the moment the two divers found the 12 boys and their football coach. In response to a question from the boys, the two divers told them they were from England, and are clearly speaking in an English voice.
Why then is it shown on the screen that they are Thai Navy Seals, with the Royal Thai Navy emblem also being shown?
Whoever is responsible for this, are they incapable or afraid to give due credit to the two brave English divers who caused such rejoicing for the families of the young boys, and indeed to the whole Thai nation?
Lawrence Tilney
Religious tolerance
Re: "Schools must be tolerant", (Editorial, July 3).
The editorial agrees with parents forcing their daughters to wear the hijab inside the country's public schools. Of course, if you must be tolerant of young girls having to wear the hijab, you must also be tolerant, as this newspaper is, of female genital mutilation (FGM), which is widespread in southern Thailand.
If we tolerate that parents perform FGM on their daughters, why couldn't they also make them wear the hijab, at school and outside school, with our blessing?
Baffled Reader
Bags of trouble
Over the years we have been using durable shopping bags at added cost. Many other shoppers accept the free single-use plastic bags that supermarkets are now keen to be rid of. Some now demand a bag per individual item as they stock up to weather the calamity of an imposed plastic bag famine.
We now hear that the supermarkets have gifted another month's grace to make the less-than-difficult adjustment of taking enough durable bags to shop with. As conscious consumers we were being doubly charged, once for our durable bags and also unfairly made to subsidise the plastic bag habits of others, with the latter cost being added to the purchasing price of groceries.
It's time to wrap this argument up: those who decline bags should not be obliged to pay for the profligate addiction of others.
Joseph Ting
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