Cash for votes

General News - Saturday December 22, 2007

POSTBAG

Cash for votes

E-mail: postbag@bangkokpost.co.th / Snail mail: 136 Na Ranong Road, Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Despite the threats of dire consequences for those handing out money and those on the receiving end, distribution has now commenced in earnest in my village and all neighbouring villages.

This time the payoff is just 100 baht per person. And of course each person is told which numbers to mark an "X" for, the party concerned not being difficult to guess. This is on top of 100-baht payouts to villagers who turned up for meetings during the last fortnight.

The Election Commission's threats are just a joke. They do not attempt to apprehend anyone, and despite being informed of what was going to happen a few weeks ago (and it did happen), showed no concern and nobody investigated.

Thailand sadly must live with money politics for evermore, which will inevitably mean that the government will be working mainly for themselves.

ISAN NICK

Buri Ram

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AoT's accountability

So now the Airports of Thailand (AoT) is under pressure from disgruntled flight-path residents near Chiang Mai Airport, and so it should be. This airport is less than 2km from the historic old town and has seen a three-fold increase in flights over the past five years - good for the tourist industry and the slew of new five-star hotels, but increasingly unpleasant for the residents who all have to live close to this city-centre airport.

Particularly problematic are the noisy 747s and MD82. Such aircraft should be banned or their flights taxed and minimised from this airport. Last year the AoT missed a perfect opportunity to move the airport out to Sankhampeng, but instead built an international terminal on the existing site. The value of this centrally located land as residential property would have probably financed two new airports.

There's only one snag: the military share this airfield for their imaginary war against who knows what, adding fighter jets and training exercises to the noise problem. Their private little neighbourhood nearby with its own exclusive golf course seems just too convenient to give up the privilege.

And despite the massive increase in air traffic, they continue to limit access to the northern road to the airport, which forces all the have-nots to join the traffic jam of one-way systems around the moat area to get to the terminal.

One wonders just what sort of environment studies are ever undertaken with regards to the people who actually have to live here, rather than profit from the exercise.

ANDREW

Chiang Mai

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People deserve better from their physicians

Sometimes I read an article in the Bangkok Post and feel compelled to read it again just in case I got hold of the wrong end of the stick. And then again, just to be sure.

I refer to "Jarun: Plan to protect doctors needs review" in Thursday's Post. I can understand that doctors would not welcome the ludicrous blame-culture that seems to be all the rage in America and, increasingly, in Europe where a litigious public routinely sues anyone and everyone for every slight or imagined mishap.

On the other hand, there is such a thing as being accountable for one's actions which is something the rich and powerful in this country find difficult to grasp.

If a medical professional makes an avoidable mistake which results in further injury or death, then that person should be held responsible.

After all, I feel sure that a doctor would have no hesitation in bringing legal action against, say, a builder whose faulty workmanship caused injury or death in the doctor's home.

But then, the law seems to only work one way in this country - or am I being cynical? The Thai people deserve much better than this.

CHRIS NEWMAN

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Stock up, don't whine

I have been interested in all the letters written about the alcohol ban during last weekend's advance voting. It should be noted that this weekend will also see such a ban.

If so many readers are dependent on alcohol, stock up, fill your fridge. Just stop complaining.

The real losers are the friendly expats running legal pubs and restaurants. They lose their bartenders, their cooks, their staff who must return to their native provinces to vote. In addition, they lose considerable tourist revenue.

Lazy farangs continue to imbibe, unbothered, at guest houses in plain view of the police.

The real "losers" are not those who have had their holidays "ruined", but those who are barely able to survive the "six days of December".

THE GOOD RICK

Bangkok Post