You wrote that Siam annexed Pattani just over a century ago. While I am willing to go for such a view of history and say that we are the oppressors if it would only bring peace to the South, the statement is one-sided and does not take into account the larger context of history. It is history as presented by regional scholars and echoed by some of the more masochistic Thai academics. And it does not explain why from the 16th to 19th centuries maps published by the various European countries showed Siam as being much more extensive than today.

The colonial factor loomed large in the 19th century and Siam, which was a loose collection of dependencies and autonomous States, was forced to become a country in the modern sense with a centralised government. If Pattani was annexed (with the brutish connotation) so were other principalities, notably Chiang Mai. On this note I would vote for devolution not only for the South, but also for the former principality of Chiang Mai.

Sumet Jumsai

Bangkok

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Where is the action to right previous regime's wrongs?

 Re: "Govt must restore sound diplomacy", Editorial, October 16.

We cannot hope to justify the military coup d'etat nor explain it to the world if it becomes merely an act of changing one set of office-holders with another group of persons that continues the policies and practices of the deposed regime.

The interim government must move aggressively and courageously to correct the wrongs of the past five and a half years and root out the collaborators. It should not be concerned only with continuity. One of the first acts of the interim foreign minister should have been to set up an independent enquiry into festering scandals such as the Bt7-billion e-passport scam and the Bt4-billion loan to the Burmese junta, as well ask for proper accounting of the enormous expenses incurred in hosting Apec and Asia Cooperation Dialogue meetings and the failed campaign for the post of UN secretary-general.

Admittedly, it is difficult for senior bureaucrats who had worked with the past regime to now turn around and do something differently. The natural tendency is not to ruffle feathers or make enemies out of former colleagues. But these are not normal times. Having accepted the honour and prestige of ministerial posts, the senior bureaucrats have the responsibility at least to aspire to do more than just serve out their time and return to comfortable retirement and the cocktail circuit.

Your editorial stated that "the Foreign Ministry's top echelons collaborated with Thaksin in conducting diplomacy designed to promote his self-aggrandisement and advance his selfish interests". If true, this is a serious indictment and a proper accounting has to be made.

It is still early days, but all the signs are pointing to business as usual at the Foreign Ministry. It is the usual routine of preparing for foreign trips and international conferences. Our only hope now seems to be that one day, history and future generations will pass judgement.

Prapa Tepchat

Bangkok

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Turmoil will start again if ex-PM is allowed to return

 For mercy's sake, give us ordinary folk a little rest and respite from all the dispute and social unrest caused by that former despot - for not for just one year but five full years.

Let us breathe easily for a while without the threat of his return causing the "pro" and "anti" marches and rhetoric that, we know from history, are bound to start again and more than likely result in a bloodbath.

Let us be free of his and his family's and his cronies faces in the news and newspapers every day. We know the media cannot resist this kind of coverage. Spare us poor citizens the nausea.

Remember what happened when another prime minister who fled the country in 1973 was allowed to return. We have just marked the anniversary of the bloodiest uprising and protest ever in Thailand. That was triggered by a seemingly innocent return from exile.

As a respected newspaper, please remind the politically correct evangelists and the niggling legal eagles and human rights sobsters - and the expats - what would inevitably happen. I am too old to go through it all over again.

Sunida Kitiyakara

Bangkok

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Recover ill-gotten wealth to quell the Thaksin threat

 Re: "Moving forward without fear", Editorial, October 15.

Your editorial addresses many problems faced by the Council for National Security and their interim government. It does not however address the most critical dilemma: the future of Thaksin. The prime minister's comment that Thaksin could return as he is a Thai national is utterly incomprehensible and shows political naivete. Is not conciliatory; it is extremely worrying and unwise.

Thaksin might be likened to the Hydra of Greek mythology, a monstrous nine-headed snake that, when one of its heads was cut off, grew two more in its place. It took much skill by Hercules to eventually destroy this monster. It had one immortal head that Hercules ultimately buried under a large rock. The same is true now, dealing with Thaksin's "mortal heads" in the guise of investigating wrongdoing and corruption and continued subversive support only wounds him. Thaksin's "immortal head", his immense wealth, stolen from the Thai people, must be removed. If this "head" is not removed then the Kingdom will forever live in the fear of the return of this monster in some guise or the other.

The government's duty is clear: Thaksin brought the country to the brink of near ruin, and now that "monster" must be finally laid rest for the Kingdom to go forward safely

Dr John Symons

Bangkok

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Proposed ban on alcohol ads smacks of worn-out thinking

 The proposed ban on alcohol advertising is a classic example of an uninformed knee-jerk reaction to a perceived problem, the ramifications of which most certainly have not been thought through. The new government must employ "intelligent thinking" and not the worn out right-wing solution of simply banning something.

If one has not understood the dynamics and cause of a problem then palliative attempts to address the symptoms will be worthless and bound to fail, while hurting countless innocent victims along the way. While the Thaksin era was plagued with cronyism and corruption, perhaps the interim government's is to be marked by ineptitude and incompetence.

There is now talk of raising the minimum age to drink to 25, quite what that is supposed to achieve is anyone's guess. The present serving times for alcohol make little sense in terms of control and adversely affect tourism. This latest development is an object lesson in naivete. If this is to be the calibre of the new government's approach to the country's problems then any hopes of a better Thailand are already dashed. What lies ahead seems to be simply a cycle of more sterile and mechanical thinking.

Frank Johnston

Bangkok

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Start by getting booze off the roadside

 If they want to bring in some really beneficial alcohol laws, I implore Thai lawmakers to come to Pattaya and Jomtien to see the weekly carnage caused by alcohol. Clubs and bars are one thing, but the beach parties win hands down every time.

Every weekend hundreds of cars and thousands of people arrive and pour out onto the footpaths and beaches. As the day progresses more and more alcohol is bought and consumed. It's a very nasty scene with fights and many car/bike accidents. And the rubbish and trash left behind is an eyesore. At night it's much worse.

I'm all for having a good time. However, getting plastered in a public space and then driving plastered is a recipe for disaster. I am sick of trying to dodge these road maniacs.

So please, officials, spend the day at the beach and make up your own minds. For a start ban alcohol from the sidewalk - get it off the streets as it's a real live advertisement for grog and this is what you want to stop.

Kelvin Bamfield

Chon Buri

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Ideas for keeping it quiet inside Suvarnabhumi

 Re: "Coping with the nightmare of Noise", Opinion, October 15.

One can only sympathise deeply with Somroutai Sapsomboon, whose family suffers the abominable noise of aircraft in the vicinity of Suvarnabhumi Airport.

It is most unlikely that her invitation to Airports of Thailand officials to spend a night at her home will either gain their notice or lead to a solution. Only mass legal action, led by the King Mongkut's Institute of Technology, is likely to focus attention on the problem.

Meanwhile there is the lesser problem of noise at the airport building. On Thursday last I made some spot measurements at the entrance and inside the terminal and found that the noise levels were less than in Don Muang, registering an average of 73 decibels.

I propose that the airport authorities abstain from any measure that would increase the level of noise and set a target of reducing the average noise level by an easily achievable one decibel per year. This is a barely noticeable improvement but in three years will reduce the noise in the terminal by a factor of two! I would propose in particular:

1. Do not install the loudspeakers that were everywhere in Don Muang, nor the giant LCD video displays.

2. Do not allow the open-fronted cafes and restaurants to broadcast music. The result will be the noise jungle of a BTS station.

3. Stop the use of piercing whistles by those directing traffic at the terminal; hand signals are sufficient.

4. To plan further noise reduction, have made a detailed noise map of the entire terminal and its vicinity so that the areas of excessive noise can be identified and the sources suppressed.

Danthong Breen

Bangkok