Bird flu is back in Thailand and several other neighbouring countries. Without effective vaccines and medication, we have very few options besides prevention.

I live in Chiang Rai's Muang district, by the Mengrai military barracks, and my house shares part of its mile-long fence. When I drive past the Army camp, I often see chickens strolling on the street, and I have to try hard not to kill any of them.

I don't understand why backyard chicken farming is still allowed near the heart of the city of a big province when a bird-flu pandemic is looming. I recall that there were several bird-flu deaths in Indonesia that doctors suspected were the result of inhaling the virus from dried chicken faeces. This raises an important question. All cars passing through these streets with backyard chickens running around pooping run a big risk of carrying the excrement back home, or to the barracks if they are Army vehicles. It will be big news when the very fit young soldiers get infected with bird flu without any contact with dead birds. It would be even bigger international news if tourists happen to step on the excrement that potentially carries the virus and takes it back to their hotels, infecting themselves and perhaps others staying there.

Is it possible to ban all small household backyard chicken farming like Vietnam has banned duck raising as a drastic control measure? Or at least ban people from allowing their chickens to roam through the streets and endanger the lives of others. This is something for those trying to control bird flu in Thailand to consider.

Jaffee Yee

Chiang Rai

-----------------------------------------------------------

PM's response to epidemic belies 'rural saviour' image

Re: "Use of illegal vaccines may mask flu symptoms", News, August 9.

The rural human toll that avian flu is taking makes one recollect Thaksin's crisis-management techniques at the onset of the epidemic.

He vilified the virologist who dared to warn the public that the virus could pass on to pigs and then to humans - something that shortly thereafter the Chinese authorities had to admit had already happened. Presumably this was done because the virologist's warning might have threatened the tourist and chicken and pork export industries. The fact that it would have threatened human lives here and abroad took a back seat.

And yet Thaksin still appears to see himself as the saviour of the rural people.

Krabong Kuverakorn

Bangkok

-----------------------------------------------------------

Vote-buying for next election just taking on different forms

If you think the upcoming October 15 general election will be clean and fair, think again. It is suspected that even more cash is being used to buy votes in many different ways this time round.

In the provinces, wads of money are being distributed rapidly by a certain cash-rich political party, in order to gain an advantage in the upcoming election.

The vote-buying begins with guided tours for potential canvassers and supporters of the party, for motivational purposes and to ensure victory in the election.

What's more worrying is that this time round, multilevel networks were formed by this particular party's MPs immediately after the Royal Decree on the October 15 election was announced.

While upper-level supporters enjoy a free tour to the seaside resorts of Pattaya, Hua Hin and Phuket, down-the-line vote-getters have a chance for an eye-opening trip to their neighbouring provinces, to ensure even more of a chance of a resounding victory for the cash-rich party.

This particular political party's former members of Parliament join hands in welcoming canvassers from each other's provinces. For example, folks travelling from Chiang Mai are being hosted by a Chiang Rai MP's underlings, and vice versa. Besides the fact that the tours are being paid for, travellers are also paid pocket money, ranging from Bt500 to Bt1,000 each.

They stay in hillside resorts belonging to the host MPs - not in Buddhist temples like many might expect - with motivational speeches waiting for them, in order to ensure the party's return to power.

If you think the upcoming October 15 general election will warrant fairness and democracy in Thailand like someone has adamantly insisted, then think again. As someone else remarked: "Elections are not democracy."

Chavalit Van

Chiang Mai

-----------------------------------------------------------

Abhisit's thin policy points might not hold up in debate

Re: "Engaging Abhisit in televised debate in Thaksin's interest", Letters, August 8.

Abhisit Vejjajiva challenging Thaksin to debate is like David challenging Goliath to one-on-one combat. According to the story, David wins because he has a secret weapon and sees a chink in the giant's armour. But in this case, I wonder if Abhisit has a secret weapon?

His ongoing television campaigns, among other things, express his economic policies: increase the minimum wage, reduce the cost of living by reducing the prices of petrol, cooking gas and electricity and finally create a fund to promote a self-sufficient economy. We have no details about that last point, but it sounds like another constituent-pleasing fund, with the difference that this time, Democrat MPs would be holding the purse strings. As for that first one, raising the minimum wage, this is a pipe dream. If the increase isn't high enough, nothing is achieved. Raise it too high, and inflation hurts the people it was meant to help, not to mention provoking howls of protest from employers.

Reducing the cost of living is another pipe dream. Even if Abhisit were to assume the driver's seat, how does he propose to reduce the price of petrol when world oil prices keep rising? He may be able to lower the price of cooking gas, since this is produced domestically, but electricity? In one of his television ads, Abhisit says he would not privatise the state electricity enterprise, but instead would create a special body for it. Already he's pandering to the state labour union that he hopes will help put him in power. Unless it's privatised, we will have to keep on supporting an inefficient state enterprise and paying a high price for electricity.

His economic policies are too simplistic, worthy of a third-rate party, not the main opposition party that is supposed to lead us out of the wilderness we're in right now. I hope Abhisit, like David, has a secret weapon up his sleeve. So Abhisit wants to debate Thaksin. He might regret it if his wish were granted.

Trirat Petchsingh

Nonthaburi

-----------------------------------------------------------

Satisfying Burmese junta put ahead of local villagers' needs

Re: "Exim defends Bt4-bn loan to Rangoon", News, August 9.

Given this government's consistent support of the junta, and our esteemed caretaker prime minister's cosy business relationship with his pals in Rangoon, this news comes as no surprise. It's sad that while a regime shunned by the international community for it's flagrant denial of democracy and human rights has no trouble in securing massive funds "for road construction and infrastructure development", the villagers of At Samat district are still waiting for a single 2-kilometre road promised to them by the prime minister six months ago ("Standing behind the PM", News, August 9). While these poor villagers continue to stand behind their PM, it's clear his loyalties lie elsewhere.

Hawkers

Bangkok

-----------------------------------------------------------

Reader baffled by commercial dealings at highest govt levels

I begin to wonder if I am living in a world of Lewis Carroll's creation, in that I feel saying that things have become curious is an understatement concerning what happens in Thailand. First, we have a state bank using public funds to bankroll a military junta (which is under economic sanctions imposed by the US and the EU, because of its human-rights violations) on the pretext of creating jobs and income for 16 Thai export companies - which it declines to name ("Exim defends Bt4-bn loan to Rangoon", News, August 9). Excuse me, but this money came from whom? Thai taxpayers!

Next we have the nonsense of government officials in the Office of the Auditor-General having to summon government officials in the Revenue Department to provide evidence in an ongoing investigation ("Probe into suspect share sale to begin", News, August 7).

And finally the crowning glory, the Commerce Ministry is indefinitely delaying the announcement of a six-month inquiry into whether Kularb Kaew Co Ltd which indirectly owns Shin Corp is a nominee of Singapore investment giant Temasek Holdings, because "it's a very complicated legal issue and it needs thorough investigation" ("Shin deal findings too hot to handle", News, August 9). For pity's sake, what have they been doing for the last six months!

Dr John Symons

Bangkok

-----------------------------------------------------------

Editorial accurately captured media repression in S'pore

Re: "Media: don't mess with Singapore", Editorial, August 9.

Your editorial concerning the Singaporean government's latest crackdown on free and unfettered news and opinion was right on target. In its edict, the nanny state's Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts insists the press act "serves to reinforce the government's consistent position that it is a privilege, and not a right, for foreign newspapers to circulate in Singapore".

If you substitute the phrase "media we don't own and control" for "foreign newspapers", you can see the ministry's real intent. The government in Singapore refuses to accept that it is paid by and work for the people, not the other way round. While everyone from the prime minister on down frets that Singapore needs to become more creative and free-thinking to compete in the information age, the city-state is doomed to remain a second-rate economic and artistic player, unless and until its leaders stop strangling the minds of its citizens in their desperate bid to maintain their grip on power.

Paul Bradley

Bangkok

Send us your views in an instant E-mail your opinion, with 'Letters to the Editor' in the subject box, to: letters@nationgroup.com