Re: "Weeping BNK48 singer apologises for swastika T-shirt", (BP, Jan 27).
The incident in which an all-girl pop band member shamed our country yet again by wearing a T-shirt displaying the Nazi swastika emblem, shows the majority of our country's youth are still ignorant of world history.
It also shows our government has been dragging its feet for too long in terms of education reform.
One newspaper in a neighbouring country pointed out that this was not the first time Thai youths have embarrassed their country by showing their ignorance of the barbaric cruelty of Hitler's Nazi regime that killed more than six million Jews during World War II, and the much-despised swastika symbol.
In 2011, a group of Catholic school students in Chiang Mai wore Nazi uniforms for a sports day parade, embarrassing the school's management because they had to apologise to the parents and the public.
Again, in 2013, one of Thailand's most prestigious universities in Bangkok had to apologise after its students created a mural depicting Hitler during graduation celebrations.
These examples show the government should reform the country's education system now, and make it imperative for students to study more world history so that our future generations will be more informed of situations in the outside world, and won't show as much ignorance as today's students.
Vint Chavala
Chiang Mai
'Bubkis' bans
Re: "Haze caused by 'local sources', says PCD", (BP, Jan 29).
So the governors of the five provinces that border the capital have placed indefinite bans on outdoor trash burning.
Unless there is enforcement, all bans on this or that will be worth "bubkis", a good Yiddish word meaning baloney (not the eating kind), or worth nothing, or however else you wish to interpret this wonderful word.
There are also bans on rice field burning, sugarcane field burning, and more.
Perhaps if the politicians shut their palavering mouths (contributing to a lot of air pollution as well), and found practical, enforceable solutions carrying real penalties, we might be better off.
Yankeleh
Criminal burning
Re: "Nationwide haze", (PostBag, Jan 29).
I agree with the letter from Robin Grant about the almost-criminal burning around Kanchanaburi and it being more than just stubble from sugarcane fields.
In Sai Yok district from where I have just returned, mountains are ablaze, with fires destroying trees and vegetation that have been there for many years, yet no notice is taken by any of the authorities.
This is far worse than anything I've seen in Chiang Mai or anywhere else in Thailand.
Pete
Kalasin
Long-tail boat fumes
It is wise to take measures on the roads and in the streets to fight pollution.
But it seems that nothing is being done to control and regulate the engines of the long-tail boats on the Chao Phraya which are the main source of fumes on the river.
Not to mention the noise they are making: this is another form of pollution, of course.
P de P
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