I could not disagree more with the conclusion of Observant Citizen in his March 29 letter that the Thai voting system should result in the party who wins the popular vote taking priority over the party with the highest number of seats.
The party-list allocation, which was actually designed to avoid landslide victories, does mean that every vote counts, because it allocates 150 additional seats based on the number of votes cast. This works the same way when producing a closer representation of voters' wishes.
However, the new system is still based on the number of seats. Otherwise, what is the purpose of having seats at all? A majority party or coalition should have the right to form a government and appoint a prime minister. To appoint a prime minister from a minority is unworkable nonsense.
Phil Cox
Other side of the law
Gary Fox in his March 30 letter tries to defend Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights. Israel conquered that territory in the 1967 war.
Although Israel has been the invader in almost every attack against its Arabs neighbours, it is irrelevant to argue about a war that occurred over 50 years ago.
What is relevant, is that it is against international law to annex conquered territory. Israel in the past has been offered full recognition (the Arab Peace Initiative) in exchange for pulling out of the conquered territory and allowing the Palestinians to build their own state in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem.
But it has always been the view of America and Israel that international law only refers to "the other side".
Eric Bahrt
Parlour without prostitutes
As expected, the rigged Thai elections look like a game of musical chairs. As always, in this game, the music is controlled by the military band. In spite of all the hoopla about the new elections, the end game should be obvious. The appointment of a new Upper House consisting of 250 senators is as unique as setting up a massage parlor in Pattaya without prostitutes. It is quite clear that Thailand is not ready for democracy.
Kuldeep Nagi
Wolf and the lamb
Khun Songdej Praditsmanont talked about the conversation between Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha and Chaikasem Nitisiri, the former caretaker justice minister, in which Gen Prayut asked Mr Chaikasem whether the government was ready to resign and he "bombastically" replied, "As of this minute, the government will not resign." And the rest is history.
I'm not sure what kind of lesson politicians should learn from this conversation. Never be bombastic with the army chief? Always be straightforward? Had Mr Chaikasem laconically replied, "no", would there have been coup? Or was it that the army chief's wish is the politician's command?
No, Khun Songdej, it's a case of the wolf and the lamb.
Somsak Pola
Sudarat, Hillary has-beens
Thai politics is not very different from American politics. There are winners and losers, and those in between. Pheu Thai's Sudarat Keyuraphan is just like Hillary Clinton. Both lost. Ms Clinton went down raving and screaming that the presidency "was stolen from her", and Ms Sudarat and the Pheu Thai are claiming dirty politics and election fraud.
Funny, but if the shoe were on the other foot and Pheu Thai claimed a clean majority victory, would they also scream election fraud? I think not. Both Hillary and Ms Sudarat are whiners. But in a generation or two, they'll be forgotten has-beens, as will everyone else who today thinks he/she is a big power broker, including Thaksin, who is already on the decline.
Anti Thaksinista
Foreigner obsession
Re: "More courtesy, please", (PostBag, March 30).
I doubt immigration authorities "hate" their foreign clientele. The problem is that Thailand has decided on a heavily interventionist approach in which some farang have to turn up for checks several times a year to prove their address in 30- and 90-day checks or confirm bank balances, as with the recent retirement extension requirement.
Add to this the fact that rules differ from office to office and you have the inevitable mixture of misunderstanding, confusion and frustration by customers and officers alike. Cambodia has a different strategy: little to no documents needed for extensions and no obsession about where you are sleeping.
Immigration police in Phnom Penh actively urge the use of agents and discourage attendance at their offices. A police general told me recently, "If we want a foreigner, we have many ways to nab you."
Thailand, of course, is a much bigger country, but the central point is the nature of bureaucracy rather than the shortcomings of individuals.
Barry Kenyon
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