On Aug 29, the Bangkok Post ran a story that a dengue vaccine has now been approved for use in Thailand and is generally available. If I remember correctly, you quoted a cost of 2,000 baht for the three injections required over an 18-month period.
The was the news I had been awaiting, because four years ago I contracted dengue during a visit to Laos, and it knocked the stuffing out of me. My Australian GP warned me to be extra careful of exposure to the aedes aegypti mosquito in the future, because a second infection could lead to hemorrhagic dengue, which is often fatal from internal, unstoppable bleeding.
I shopped around and not one public hospital in Rayong has the vaccine.
A well-known private hospital does have it. The up-front cost is 9,600 baht, plus a 1,000 baht doctor's fee and 600 baht nurse fee. While this all-up cost of 11,200 baht would not overly stretch my financial resources, I wonder how average Thais will be able to protect themselves from this rapidly spreading and often fatal disease.
David Brown
Money buys loyalty
Re: "Prawit denies senior police helped 'Boss'," (BP, Sept 5).
The lack of progress in apprehending the rich brat for allegedly killing a policeman five years ago is a disgrace. If this had happened in Hong Kong, or any other country, the whole police force would mobilise itself and the culprit would have been arrested within hours -- and detained without bail.
Where is the honour, support for other officers, sense of outrage, and loyalty among brother officers in the Thai police? Obviously, a perpetrator's family connections, the greng jai attitude, patronage, promotion prospects, corruption, and self-aggrandisement are more important than arresting the killer of a colleague!
Ex-Hong Kong Cop
In other words
Suppose the Rohingya were Christians or Jews and the people murdering them were Muslims. Would the rest of the world still refer to the leader of those murderers as a "democracy icon"? No way!
Eric Bahrt
Stand with Rohingya
About a year ago when the brutality against Rohingya people was on the front page, I had an "Exodus" moment. I recalled the famous Leon Uris book and its movie with Paul Newman. After World War II the numbers of people displaced by war was higher than it had ever been. I thought then about how Jewish people armed themselves, contracted to operate their own boats, stood tall, and battled to get to Israel and to make a home in Israel.
At that time I thought Rohingya people need to do the same. They cannot let a far more powerful force simply annihilate them. They need to protect themselves, to organise, and, yes, arm themselves. And I will wait for the inspirational book about their noble defence to come later. Maybe this only works for some and not for others.
Now it seems to be happening and I wonder if any other people will rise to the occasion and help in their defence. Unless the Rohingya are treated fairly, it will be IS or the Taliban who will volunteer to help.
John Kane
Teach, don't preach
Re: "Chula wrong on Netiwit", (Editorial, Sept 2).
You would imagine an educational institute that has difficulty staying at the bottom of internationally accepted quality standards has other priorities than enforcing its indoctrination. They can't even allow, let alone deliver, progressive thoughts.
AXSBKK
Rainy days with True
As a subscriber to what used to be UBC and is now True, for about the past 15 years, I've endured that inane message apologising for disruption every time it rained, with the suggestion to check the cable connection.
Cables don't disconnect on their own.
Please change the message to "It's raining, please be patient, it will pass."
It is entirely understandable if you are stupid. It is quite inexcusable for you to think your subscribers are similarly afflicted.
David Surin
Straight talk with Kim
Can somebody inform the buffoon running/ruining North Korea that nobody is going to invade his country. There is nothing there that anybody could possibly want.
J Lauder
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