PostBag
Eric Bahrt in his letter "Gushing praise sickens", on April 13, misses a very important point. All political leaders are not what they appear to be. Those who smile outwardly can be deep killers and liars beneath the surface.
Who really knows what goes on in the mind of a political leader, whether a democrat or a dictator. Saddam Hussein was like a smiling, loving, gentle grandfather when he held that little western kid on his lap during the time of the first Gulf invasion. Stalin was the same.
Does Eric think Thaksin Shinawatra is any different? He ordered the Krue Se mosque invasion in the South and the so-called "war on drugs" where more than 2,500 people were killed.
Is Barack Obama any different when it comes to secret domestic or foreign policy? Who knows what Yingluck Shinawatra really does to keep power? Look at Chalerm Yubamrung, who can openly threaten, subvert and get away with things in full view of the public. Samak Sundaravej did the same thing.
I think Eric should first put himself in the place of a political leader, and then see how honest and forthcoming he would be. Sure, it's fine to curse leaders, to wish them long life, to wish them death _ it does not matter. In the end, we all wind up in the same place.
Ronnie Reagan, for all his faults, was admired and liked by the American public. It is said that if the American public likes a president he can get away with murder. If they don't like him, he'll be ticketed for jaywalking.
BERELEH
What is behind 'sorry'?
Re "Thaksin 'sorry' for offending" (BP, April 14). There was good news for this year's Songkran after all: Thaksin Shinawatra issued an apology as part of a Songkran message on his Facebook page.
This was in contradiction to the news just one day before: When Thaksin warned he would call out "the people" in a show of force against the Constitution Court for standing in the way of the Pheu Thai Party's constitutional amendment endeavour.
This threat was delivered during the red-shirt gathering in Bangkok on the occasion of the third anniversary of the 2010 bloodshed.
Just wondering. Is this particular warning part of this year's apology too?
VINT CHAVALA
Lamphun
It's in the mail
I'm a bit puzzled by two letters published on Saturday. First, BMV in "Do 90-day in person", tells us an immigration officer said he does not have the staff to deal with 90-day registration by mail.
That may be so, but the central immigration bureau in Bangkok encourages 90-day registration by mail across the country. And it is the Bangkok immigration bureau that sets policy, not the local immigration offices.
I assume Chiang Mai is still part of Thailand, so this particular immigration officer should be dismissed or replaced for his attitude and incompetence if he or his office cannot cope with what is part of their regular workload.
Second, Brian Stock's letter, "You post it, you lose it", seems to indicate the writer is uninformed. With any type of posted immigration registration, one is not required to send the original passport, but a photocopy.
A registered or EMS letter with either the yellow or blue return postcard receipt guarantees tracing from the moment the letter leaves the local PO until the card is returned to sender. And if that gets lost (highly unlikely), the postal receipt giving date, time and destination is ample proof to immigration that you did send the registration.
I live in a boonie town, with a boonie post office, and have never in 20 years had any postal problems with loss. Perhaps Brian should get a POB which would help by eliminating home delivery.
YANKELEH
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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/04/15/lead-into-temptation/
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