The Supreme Administrative Court should indeed consider with great care the arguments against the 2001 listing of PTT Plc. Above all, the Court must consider the precedent this ruling will establish for the rule of law in Thailand. It must be made clear that regardless of how serious the impact any ruling might have on the Stock Exchange of Thailand, the Court will always make the rules of good governance a priority over the aspirations of investors.

For it's those rules, and only those rules that protect the rights of ordinary, non-investing citizens against the greed of the high-flyers who buy their way into governments all over the world specifically to get hold of a country's resources. The Administrative Court is there to oversee the administration of Thailand, not to facilitate investment. Let the SET do it's stuff, of course, and the Revenue Department too - but don't ask the Administrative Court to give priority to any special interest group - anytime, anywhere!

So if indeed the privatisation of the PTT was flawed due to conflicts of interest with lawmakers, or to a lack of public participation, or to violations of procedures set out under the Corporatisation Act, then the Administrative Court must not hesitate to throw out the whole rotten fiddle. Yes, chuck out the bath water, I say - it's the baby we're interested in, not the high-flyers' dividends!

And that of course is where the kid gloves come in - cradle our lovely baby, dear Court, so that when it grows up there will be something left for it to live for!

Lung Kip

Chiang Mai

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'Failed state' might not be far off given current situation

Re: "'Failed state' the logical outcome of PM's divisive rule", Opinion, September 5.

It is extremely depressing to think that Thailand has gone from one of the oldest nation states in the world - with its own unique culture, traditions and institutions - to the point where it is now starting down the path towards being a failed state. All of this has developed after only five years of misrule.

Some symptoms of a failed state as defined by the UN include, for Thai people to consider, "a consistent pattern of gross, flagrant or mass violations of human rights", "members of minority groups being made subject to harassment, intimidation and abuse by armed groups of all affiliations", "security forces unreliable and often out of control", "shattered social and political structures", and a "paralysis of governance".

If we are not already at the stage of having become a failed state, we certainly have reached the state of having a failed government. All of this is primarily because of the desire of one man to cling to power, but it is also because of the inability of Thai society to immunise itself from the raw enticement of money.

Prapa Tepchat

Bangkok

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Votes that were bought don't count towards legitimacy

Re: "'Failed state' the logical outcome of PM's divisive rule," Opinion, September 5.

Manipulating people is one thing, but dividing a nation is unforgivable. You cannot claim 16 million voters for yourself when the election was nullified and declared illegal.

How many of the 16 million votes for Thai Rak Thai were cast in exchange for money or goods? I would guess more than half of them. The other votes, Thai Rak Thai could only get with promises for freebies and populist programmes which we the taxpayer have to fund. Why should we support corrupt people who want to live at our expense? I bet that the combined wealth of Thai Rak Thai Party members exceeds the wealth of the 16 million who voted for them. It does not matter how many millions of votes Thai Rak Thai and Thaksin get, as long as they are bought they will not count.

Democracy forbids buying votes. How can Thai Rak Thai talk about democracy when the party is under control of a dictator who is using only foul and abusive language? The media should stop talking and writing about him.

Put him in "exile" in his own land. A shame to all his "underlings" or should we call them servants? Surrounded by people like the man whispering in his ear, caretaker Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidchob, and other fact- and law-twisting experts, Thaksin will never become a statesman. He will be remembered as a "backside" trying to hide the fact under heavy lipstick.

Raimund

Bangkok

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Public sentiment on TRT clear in reaction to 'bombing'

Forget Shin Corp Sales, forget the upcoming election; any leader who survives an apparent assassination attempt, only to have a significant and noticeable amount of the population question the authenticity of the attempted authentication needs ask himself: where has my credibility gone and why?

Short and sweet

Bangkok

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To PM, globalisation seems to mean selling out Thailand

Re: "'Failed state' the logical outcome of PM's divisive rule", Opinion, September 5.

If Thaksin identifies himself as someone who is able to keep pace with change, he should not interfere with the media and the activities of the opposition.

The fact stands, however, that he remains unaware of the impropriety of his practices. Globalisation in his view simply means selling to foreign firms what he has built for some profit, with a disregard for the greater national security. Is this why he claims that he is someone who is capable of keeping pace with change?

Bangkokians are smarter than any cheap politicians might think. They know how to put a stop to the corrupt dream of anyone. They will show their power in the coming election.

Bangkokian

Bangkok

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Lack of education keeping poor under thumb of elite

Re: "Having friends in high places key to the 'Thaksin system'", Letters, September 5. Whilst Abee makes an interesting point about the so-called "Thaksin system", it really is far more complicated than just a network of "friends" in high places.

The main problem with Thailand's continuing struggle with democracy, is the feudal mindset which still exists in the minds of the majority of the people; particularly in the Northeast and South, where democracy has not really changed the lives of the poor. Feudalism is alive and well, and to change the perception of this poisonous system is not an easy task, when the controlling families have nothing to gain, and a lot to lose.

The fact is that the influential families in this country do not want a change to the status quo, and any dilution of their wealth and power. The only real way to change people's mindset is to make a real change to the reality they face, and introduce the idea that they really can make a difference to their own lives. This is achieved through education, and if the Education Ministry has been found to be corrupt, then the changes which are so desperately needed in Thailand are already being usurped, quite probably by the people who have nothing to gain, and lots to lose from real democracy.

A Voter

London

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Ready to dial the competition up after prepaid card rip-off

One of the country's leading mobile-phone operators is completely dishonest. I have just refilled my prepaid card with Bt50, taking my total credit to Bt500. However, I have been told that I must now use all the credit within three days, otherwise I will lose all Bt500! This is outrageous. Yes I know it says on the refill card that the credit purchased on the card must be used by such and such date, but they don't say that you will also lose any accrued credit as well. Before I topped up, I had around Bt450 credit, but I could not use my phone until I topped this up. Needless to say I will be changing my cell-phone provider as soon as I have used up my Bt500.

Not a happy customer

Bangkok

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No proof that Taiwanese head's shooting was staged

Re: "Taiwan's PM too knows that a failed assassination attempt can win the public's sympathy", Letters, September 4.

Taiwan's second direct presidential election on March 20, 2004, represents the latest step in more than a decade of Taiwan's democratic development. Regrettably, just a day before the election, President Chen Shui-bian and Vice President Lu Hsiu-lien were shot while campaigning in southern Taiwan.

The shooting cast a shadow over Taiwan's democratic development, sparking intense confrontation and pushing the governing and opposition coalitions into political impasse. The close results of the election prompted opposition parties to question the truth of the gunshot incident, stage mass demonstrations, and file legal charges contesting the results of the vote.

As a result of suits brought by the KMT-PFP alliance, the first nationwide ballot recount began on May 10, 2004, with more than 2,000 judges and court clerks, and more than 1,500 lawyers, assigned to the task. In November and December 2004, the Taiwan High Court rejected the two claims of plaintiffs Lien Chan and James Soong, one to nullify the elected leader's status and the other to nullify the presidential election. The appeals of both were also dismissed by the Supreme Court in June and September of last year.

Nothing has yet proved that the 2004 shooting incident was staged to sway the votes. It is suicidal if political figures try to deceive their constituents. Honesty and credibility should be the best policy.

David Tzou

Information Director

Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Thailand

Bangkok