End vote buying

General News - Saturday December 15, 2007

POSTBAG

End vote buying

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

I am pleased with the poll by Bangkok University (Bangkok Post, Dec 14), particularly the prediction that large numbers of people will go to vote. This will have a big impact on vote buying. First, the vote buyer will need a lot of money to have a chance of winning. Second, if the vote buyer loses, he will have no chance of recovering his money. If the vote buyer wins, we can make him lose in the long run by having a new election, say, every two years. In this way, the vote buyer will become extinct eventually.

SUNTHORN SKULPONE

Kalasin

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Unfair stereotyping

This is in reply to Susan Sutton's unfair argument ("Oversized complaint", Postbag, Dec 13). I really don't understand how a complaint about a size problem turns into an unfair stereotyping of all Thai women.

I can see that sometimes Bangkok gets a little tight, but I don't know what country Susan comes from because the taxis are the same size as a standard car in the UK. And I am sure the seats on the trains are of a size similar to the ones back home, too.

As for the lack of large-sized clothing stores, Susan must understand that the majority of the population are naturally small and it is a breath of fresh air for me that Thailand caters for the masses, unlike England which only allows the minority to do what they like and the majority must fit their lives around those few groups.

You do see overweight Thai people and they are not walking around naked, they all have clothes on, so it can't be impossible to find the right size, however big you are.

As for her closing statement, anyone with a tiny amount of intelligence must understand that to generalise a whole population is completely unfair. Maybe Susan should be thinking about a gym membership to solve her needs, as most people don't seem to have her problem.

This letter really upset some of my female Thai friends and I think the best thing to suggest is, "like it or lump it." By this I mean: get on with living here or just go home.

Not all Thai women dress or present themselves as you suggest, but I do sense a hint of jealousy in your letter.

CHARLIE SMITH

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Insulting letter

I was most surprised and disappointed that Postbag printed such a bizarre and insulting letter entitled "Oversized complaint". May I suggest two simple solutions to Susan Sutton's complaint. Firstly, that she perhaps diets or, secondly, lives in another country. Insulting the people of your adopted country seems in very poor taste. Shame on you, Susan.

PAUL BEST

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Go home, Susan

I feel I must reply to the unbelievable remarks made by Susan Sutton of Chiang Mai (Postbag, Dec 13).

She states that she is having problems living in Thailand because of her size. She does say that she is oversized. If one looks at the definition of the word in a dictionary you can see that "over" means "used as a function word to indicate extreme". The use of the word "oversized" as very different from large or big, indicates to me that this person is extremely overweight.

Susan lives in a country where people are generally shorter and much slimmer than the Western person. I, for one, cannot be called slim but am not oversized. The comments she made about Thai women - "Thai women all look undernourished; the way they dress is disgusting, and the cosmetics they use are cheap and tacky" - are not only disrespectful of the Thai nation but also wrong. The Thai people are a proud people and are always concerned about their looks and appearance. I would like to get some comments from Thai women on Ms Sutton's looks, but they would not be so disrespectful to her.

I suggest Ms Sutton leave this country, which she so obviously hates, and goes back to where she came from.

NEIL BLACKETT (OVERWEIGHT)

Chiang Mai

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Susan in need of help

I write in reference to Susan Sutton's "Oversized complaint". Susan moves from complaining about Thai taxis to small seats on the skytrain. What she hasn't realised is, when in a taxi she can take up the whole back seat and her travel companion can sit in the front passenger seat. As for the skytrain, she is lucky because she can have a seat for each cheek.

However, to make the general reference that all Thai women look malnourished, dress disgustingly and wear cheap and tacky make-up, obviously shows Susan's state of mind.

Our recommendation to her is book a complete train carriage for herself from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and seek some sort of medical health (psychiatric) in one of Bangkok's famous hospitals. The train authorities are awaiting your call, Susan.

MARK NOSKE

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Susan is jealous

With reference to Susan Sutton's "Oversized complaint", may I offer her a few words of advice? Firstly, Thailand's transport infrastructure is designed for Thai people and tourists of average proportions to travel in comfort and safety.

Regarding Thai stores not catering for larger women, why should they if there is a limited demand from overweight people who can easily and cheaply have their clothes custom-made by the many excellent tailors throughout the Kingdom?

Regarding the Bangkok Post's not catering for women of your needs, I suggest you read the paper and its many supplements regularly, where you can find many excellent articles on healthy eating and weight control. You will also find in the classified section many health spas and clubs which would be happy to help you with your problem.

Your comments regarding Thai women are outrageous and a clear indication of the jealousy you have of their physique. In all of the business districts, department stores, restaurants, etc, Thai women dress with impeccable taste and take the utmost care with their hair and cosmetics. If you are unhappy here, I suggest that you return to your home country where you will probably fit in just fine with your fellow fatties.

SOI 4 DAVE

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Excellent article on 'the weaker sex'

Re: "The weaker sex", Outlook, Dec 14. Kudos to the excellent report by Sanitsuda Ekachai. The report hits the nail right on the head.

Yes, the main stumbling block to gender equality is the "deeply-ingrained cultural values" that endorse male superiority.

But this is not just a problem in Thailand. It is common in Asia, Central and South America, Africa and especially in the Middle East.

America is no different, where Caucasian males hold most of the executive jobs and females are still making less than males in the same job.

Lack of legal endorsement and policy implementation is not the main problem, though. Corruption, murder and rape, for example, cannot be prosecuted because of lack of implementation/enforcement. Again, this is due to the "deeply-ingrained cultural values".

Education is the key to improving everything. Children have to be taught not to be afraid or kreng jai to ask questions, even to the elders. They have to learn how to "question the authorities". At the same time, the phuyai should respect questions from the dek. As long as children are taught the way they have been taught, things are not going to change in the near future.

It will be fairly hard for women alone to take things into their own hands to make changes. Males and their attitudes, especially toward alcohol and adultery, have to change. But then again, it cannot be changed without a good education.

MANAS THANANANT

Bangkok Post