Police ad hard on ears

POSTBAG

Police ad hard on ears

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

Whose idea was it to hire an advertisement van to praise to the skies the chief of the National Police Commission?

The fawning message is not necessary for the public but the van was parked in the public space, illegally I am sure, on the divide at the end of Henri Dunant road before it turns into Rama I, right next to the Police Commission headquarters.

The worst thing about this is the unbelievably high decibels the advertisement generated. The amplifiers and speakers on the van are installed at car window-level and the sound literally makes a driver's eardrums dance. Even with all the windows rolled up.

Whoever came up with the idea of hiring this loud but useless advertisement van parked in a public space to put the Police Commission in a good light should rescind it immediately as it is working to the contrary.

The deafening ad is noise pollution and it makes the commission look like a polluter.

CIVIC DRIVER

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Unsolicited messages

I've just received an annoying message on my cell phone.The message is in Thai but it says in English "Pizza 1112."

I do business with the company but will never deal with them again. I also get other annoying messages on my cell phone, most are in Thai so I have no idea what they say.

I didn't have a New Year's resolution until now, but I now have one. I will never do business with anybody that sends me unsolicited messages and that also goes for the messages that show up on my computer when I am trying to read something.

Enough is enough.

BILL CYMBALSKY

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Not worrisome

Several of your readers have written in about vote buying. All seem to agree that taking money to vote, even if the recipient is asked to vote for a certain candidate, is nothing to worry about. No one can force a person to vote for anyone. Since voting booths are private, no one can tell how anyone voted.

So what is the problem? Paying people to vote when they can vote for whomever they please should not be a crime.

The military-appointed EC should be dissolved immediately. They ran the election, their job is finished.

It is up to the new government to appoint a new EC for future elections. Let the courts decide who should be disqualified or not.

As I've said before, until Thailand subjugates the military to civilian rule, this country will not be free.

The military has no business sticking its nose in politics.

PAUL

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Dummy police

Your article concerning Bang Mod's new "police mascots" on the front page of Saturday's edition gave my family and me a really good laugh.

I think that your description of the mascots as being "the brainchild" of Bang Mod police was more than generous. The product of a "child-like brain" may have been more appropriate.

The question for the Bang Mod police is whether or not they are worried that this new initiative will undermine their careers. Will these new mascots show superior intelligence and be promoted ahead of their "non-inflatable" counterparts? Are we in fact getting an early look at the next chief of police?

The idea that these mascots could somehow relieve stress is more delusional than visionary. Unless, of course, motorists are permitted to vent their frustrations by crashing into these police look-alikes. The idea may actually cause some confusion, as motorists are left to ponder which ones are the real dummies.

STEVE

Nonthaburi

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Talisman jockeys

Re: "Troops get amulet protection," Bangkok Post, Jan 1, 2008.

On Dec 11, 2007, one of the buses in a convoy of three buses carrying soldiers to Pattani in southern Thailand was hit by a roadside bomb and 15 soldiers in that bus were injured. There was no fatality. Incredibly, in the investigation into this incident, data were taken on whether the soldiers were wearing a talisman called the "Luang Poo Jiam" around their neck at the time of the bombing.

The data showed that while all the soldiers in the convoy possessed these talismans, only those in the unfortunate bus were not actually wearing the amulets at the time of the bombing. The military concluded that the talismans had protected the soldiers who wore them. Subsequently, the commander of the Pattani Task Force ordered all his men to wear the amulet at all times, saying they would be protected from harm if they did so.

The military has acted in an unprofessional manner in this case and, in so doing, has provided all the reasons to those still in doubt why there must never be another coup in Thailand. The economic powerhouse of Southeast Asia can ill afford to place its future in the hands of talisman jockeys.

CHA-AM JAMAL

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Puppet government?

Bangkok Post of Dec 30 states, "Thaksin to pull strings of PPP govt." Does this mean Samak is not capable of leading the people and is only a puppet? Is this also an indicator that all the elected officials of PPP are taking orders from Thaksin?

TOM ROSS