Lower park fees is a win-win situation

General News - Tuesday December 11, 2007

POSTBag

Lower park fees is a win-win situation

136 Na Ranong Road, Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110, Thailand - fax:022403666 - email:postbag@bangkokpost.co.th

We are very excited to read your article, "National park fees reduced for foreigners." Recently, we had some high-ranking members from the Thai tourism authority visit Chiang Dao. One of the questions they asked local resort owners was: what we felt could be done to improve tourism in Thailand. We all agreed that the two main priorities to us are to lower National Park fees and to stop the burning (excessive smoke pollution) in northern Thailand.

Seeing that the government in this country is listening to the people and is taking positive steps, gives us a great feeling. I have always felt that cutting National Park fees for foreigners, would both bring more tourists to Thai National Parks and would also improve tourists' feelings; they have often complained about having to pay 10 times the fee that Thai nationals paid.

Your article mentions tour operators, but there are also tens of thousands of solo travellers, who don't use the services of tour operators and will now also greatly benefit by the lowering of National Park fees. I believe that Thailand's National Parks will see more traffic and therefore more revenues in the near future. This is a win-win situation for everyone.

KURT GRUEN

Chiang Dao

CIA eye wash

Re: "CIA tape destruction puts agency in bind" (Bangkok Post, Dec 10). Nothing can put the US Central Investigation Agency in a bind, it is all eye wash in the end. The American obsessive paranoia and obsessive compulsive "reasons of national security" justify and condone all conduct by, or on behalf of, American officials and organisations.

What the report has established is that when the Americans want to rationalise or conduct an act of cruelty, deception, sadism or torture, they put the responsible position in the hands of a "Latino". In this case, we are told that the person responsible for the destruction of the tapes is a "Jose Rodriguez". In the case of the existence and continuation of torture, we had "Alberto Gonzalez".

So, when you want a willing ally for acts of perversion, just find a "Latino". They are not only able but are willing. Just examine the history of Latin American countries.

EMANUEL D SAMUEL

The Thaksin CDs

I fully agree with Election Commission chairman Apichart Sukhagganond's decision to investigate how five million CDs with campaign speeches by ex-PM Thaksin, seeking to sway votes, came to be distributed. Even if made before the royal decree announcing the election, its distribution now seems to break the ban on Thaksin's participation in the electoral process.

But, given the Council for National Security's strong anti-Thaksin stand and the huge stakes at risk in this election, the EC's investigation and verdict must be above suspicion as to its impartiality.

We must not only have an election; it must be seen to be credible and represent the will of we, the people. This cannot be done if the PPP is dissolved based on what is perceived as flimsy evidence, or an incomprehensible ruling.

As in a court, the defendant must be judged guilty beyond reasonable doubt if he is to be punished. Let justice not only be done, let it be seen to be done.

BURIN KANTABUTRA

War veterans

Re: "Pearl Harbor raid remembered" (Bangkok Post, Dec 9). The article says that a few dozen "greying" Pearl Harbor survivors had gathered to remember their comrades who died in the attack in 1941.

Kindly note that these survivors are more than 80 years old. They are no longer greying. They are as grey as they are going to get.

CHA-AM JAMAL

Populist democracy

I read with interest the comments about so-called populist policies. Thaksin Shinawatra and Tony Blair have, in the past, both been accused of these political methods as though they where a crime. The procedure at a general election is for parties to produce a manifesto and then put it to the electorate.

After the election, if the party that has won proceeds to carry out policies that are popular with the majority of people, it is called democracy, not populist.

If a government is run against the will of the people, it is called dictatorship. You can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.

FRED SIBBERT

Samut Prakan

Flattered

I'll admit that at first I was highly offended when Red Ridgeback (Postbag, Dec 8) said that the only reason Postbag prints my letters is because I'm stupid, and therefore my letters strike a balance with all the letters that are written by smart people.

But now that I think about it, I'm flattered. Whereas before, as a representative of vegetarians, I was in the minority; now that I'm a representative of stupid people, I'm finally in the mainstream. After all, stupidity is the ultimate in conformity.

ERIC BAHRT

Pattaya

By : Bangkok Post