The Defence Ministry's spokesman explained why conscription is necessary (BP, Feb 28).
Whatever the reason was, fine.
But you've got to get rid of the darkly comic belief that all conscript soldiers do is wash the panties of the generals' wives and daughters. Thai males are superstitious; they believe dirty panties are "ritually unclean". In other words a man will lose his dignity and be jinxed for life if he touches them.
I think that is the main reason young men will do everything to avoid conscription. And what about the bribery?
Maybe that's another reason conscription is here to stay.
Somsak Pola
Laws? What laws?
Khun Atiya Achakulwisut asked in her Feb 26 column, "Is the law still relevant in today's Thailand?". The laws might be relevant, but enforcement is not. Khun Atiya cites the noise laws, yet songtaew drive slowly up and down the local streets here in Prachin Buri with loudspeakers blasting candidate information in an endless loop.
Noise, noise, noise. It is enough to drive a sane person insane.
Then, there are the laws against burning. The rice fields here are still burning. People still burn garbage and the stench is disgusting.
Then there are the laws against pollution, but somehow, they are only applicable in Bangkok. Massive rigs ply the roads belching black exhaust regularly. Older motorcycles and diesel vehicles still spew black smoke from their exhausts.
There might be laws, but the laws are selectively enforced. No one really cares.
Charcoal Ridgeback
Disarmingly complex
Nuclear disarmament is a complex global issue whose solution is still on the waiting list, in spite of the negotiations carried out under the UN.
However, the most representative political forum of today -- the UN General Assembly -- cogently indicated the orientation to be followed in the process of difficult negotiations.
In its resolution, entitled "Principles and Guidelines for International Negotiations", the assembly indicated that states should facilitate the pursuit or conclusion of negotiations by remaining focused on the objectives of the negotiations, and they should use their best endeavours to work towards a mutually acceptable and just solution in the event of an impasse.
These recommendations are fully applicable while dealing with denuclearisation.
Ioan Voicu
Ugly Chiang Mai air
Chiang Mai is a beautiful part of the world except for one thing: air pollution. On Wednesday it was recorded as the third most polluted region of the world after India and Pakistan!
When will Thai politicians do something about this annual event, which is caused by the burning of forest and fields? No more empty rhetoric please. Let's act and fix this problem for good before all the visitors flee to healthier places!
Paul Holbourne
The nuclear option
TDRI researchers' campaign to promote electric vehicles (EV) as a replacement for existing fossil-fuelled vehicles (Opinion, Feb 27) only tells one half of the story. EVs consume electricity from the public grid, and Thailand generates a significant chunk of its power from fossil fuels.
Using EVs just transfers the emissions from the vehicles' tail pipe to the power plants' chimneys. We should be advocating for clean, nuclear power instead.
James Debentures
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