If state funding for hospitals were adequate, there would be no need for the very admirable run by Toon Bodyslam - and the real heroes would be taxpayers.
Re: "Trump coy about content of JFK files release," BP, Oct 27.
There is a thin line between lying and not telling the whole truth, but they both surely lead to misdirection. I reckon this is the case for President Trump when he decided to keep some content of the JFK files secret. They said it is due to "national security", but I'm afraid that it's actually because of "someone's security". If the government is certain and has all the evidence that confirms Lee Harvey Oswald is the assassin, why don't they just release it? Is it because he is a scapegoat in one of the most famous conspiracies in the US or are there any government authorities involved? People have been waiting for more than 50 years and they deserve to know the truth, not some filtered documents.
Pattrawut Sristreeyanon
PM's 'democracy' working
Robin Grant, in his Nov 4 letter "Coups of no benefit", is galloping off again about democracy in Thailand. A check on Google listed the following: 1. Direct democracy 2. Representative democracy 3. Presidential democracy 4. Parliamentary democracy 5. Authoritarian democracy 6. Participatory democracy 7. Islamic democracy 8. Social democracy
It's a toss-up. Take your choice. I'll bet that there would be so much bickering, none would work. Better to have Gen Prayut on track for a long while. At least his version of "democracy" is working best, for now anyway.
Jack Gilead
The good old days
There is a lot to be said for Clara Holzer's comments in her Nov 3 letter, "Let's stay in last century". Too much progress too soon does somehow not become Thailand, from public transportation, (Bangkok is rated one of the world's worst), to being unable to cope with expanding health issues and hospital modernisation. (Let's exclude the luxury hospitals such as Bumrungrad and BNH. You only see wealthy Thais there). Suvarnabhumi airport is a mess as well.
Corporations are indeed gobbling up pieces of Thailand, not to mention the subtle takeover by China, like some slowly advancing, unnoticed, insidious spider. At times it appears that Thailand is building a house, roof first, without the proper support.
Personally, I'm for buffalo carts and elephants. Sanook and sabai. There is a lot to be said for the past.
David James Wong
Toon can't do it all
I genuinely applaud "Toon" Bodyslam, the celebrity-singer leading a charity run to raise funds for state hospitals ("PM thanks 'Toon' for charity run", BP, Nov 3). It is no easy task running 2,191 km from south to north of the country, spanning 55 days. Not to mention the physical and mental tolls on him. More than 40 million baht has been reportedly donated on the first day.
Broadly speaking, however, if state funding was adequate, there would have been no need for Toon's charity run. And the real "heroes" would have been the state government and all taxpayers. When schools, hospitals and other public goods require such PR-related charities like Toon's for financing, it doesn't bode well for any government. The state's responsibility is in effect outsourced to private individuals' hands. Will there be a run to build a new airport in Chiang Mai? Charity concerts to build parks in every province?
If we substitute an ordinary citizen for Toon championing the same cause (to buy hospitals' equipment), success won't be assured like it is now. It doesn't reflect well on our society that we are willing to do good when it is celebrity-led. Well- informed citizens -- who collectively make up a strong and democratic nation -- ought to be moved by causes rather than the face of those causes. Similarly, we ought to be moved by reasons and arguments over the person saying them. The day that Thais donate generously for a great cause (for example, anticancer research), minus celebrities, is the day Thailand has reached maturity.
Edward Kitlertsirivatana
IS killers are just cowards
Re: "NY suspect says killing 'felt good', " BP, Nov 3.
It is reported that the suspect committed such a crime because of his strong belief in IS instructions spread on social media -- if without weapons, just grab a knife to stab westerners, smash their heads with stones or just drive a truck towards them etc. They are just underhanded coward fighters who play dirty tricks. I can hardly understand how he felt good after killing people. It's nonsense.
Moreover, this crime could trigger the cancellation of green cards lottery for immigrants which could affect his own family.
Nichanard Navakijkul
Commercialisation a shame
Re: "Loy Krathong must be kept under control," Online, Nov 1.
This is just one example of the monetisation of a tradition. Same as Christmas, Valentine's Day and Halloween, etc, all over the world. Obviously, one part is that the tourist industry and shops are happy to find another reason for people to spend a lot of money. But on the other hand, there seem to be lots of people who want more and more special days and special occasions to try to make their life somehow better. I am not sure which part is worse.
BKK-Farang
We're killing Loy Krathong
My dear Thai friends, I am sorry to inform you that henceforth and forevermore, Loy Krathong is cancelled.
Why? Because the water goddess, Mae Khongkha, that you purport to pay homage to during this festival, is dead.
It was a long, slow and agonising death, caused by suffocation from all the plastic waste, garbage and pollutants that you throw by the hundreds of thousands of tons into her waters each year.
The death rattle was on the night of Nov 3.
With some Thai friends we took our homemade banana palm krathongs to the Rayong River. The first thing I saw was a Mercedes pull up and a woman got out carrying an ostentatious polystyrene krathong. Later a group of revellers departed, leaving behind on the river bank all the rubbish of their picnic.
Mae Khongkha took one last pitiful, whimpering gasp and gave up the struggle.
David Brown
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