As the director of the Unesco Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education here in Thailand, I, too, would like to add a word of congratulations to the Royal Thai Government with further encouragement and support for continued efforts. Indeed, the country has made significant progress in early childhood care and education, or ECCE, and other areas. But great challenges remain. Early childhood programmes are vital to offset social and economic disadvantage, improve the likelihood of success at higher levels and pave the way to realising Education for All by 2015. In comparison to neighbouring countries, Thailand, is one of the more advanced countries in terms of providing ECCE access to children from 3 to 5 years old. According to the Unesco-published 2007 EFA Global Monitoring Report, enrolment for early childhood education in Thailand far exceeds the 35 per cent average in the developing countries of East Asia and the Pacific.

Unesco is happy to note Thailand recognises "learning begins at birth" and has taken considerable steps to expand access to early childhood education. Still, much work remains to be done. A holistic approach to ECCE must be adopted to address every aspect of care, education, health and nutrition for all children under 8 and ensure quality standards in all programmes.

 Issues of quality remain at all levels of education in Thailand. As the 2003 OECD-Unesco Institute for Statistics global study of literacy skills showed, 37 per cent of 15-year-olds in Thailand performed to a level indicative of very low reading abilities. An independent assessment carried out by Thailand's Office of National Education Students and Quality Assessment (ONESQA) also showed two-thirds of state-run and private schools in the kingdom failed to meet performance standards.

While enrolment figures continue to increase - especially in secondary and tertiary levels, we must not forget those who are out of school because they have disabilities, their families are poor, they lack birth certificates or legal status, they don't speak the language used in school, and for many other reasons.

In closing, I am thankful the Royal Thai government remains committed to provide quality education for all children and reaffirm Unesco's commitment to support and assist the government in its efforts.

Sheldon Shaeffer,

Director, Unesco Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education

Bangkok

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Coup-makers must charge Thaksin to retain credibility

The current government of Thailand has many problems to solve but the one most important and looming over the nation is the idea that Mr Tax-sin must be found guilty of some major crime. If he is not, then the coup is fully discredited as occurring for no good reason. Logic says that either Tax-sin is guilty or the coup leaders are guilty for removing an innocent Tax-sin.

Sure, I am glad the guy is gone, but now we need to see legal reasons for his removal - and soon!

Charly

Bangkok

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Provincial governors must also be investigated

Almost all the provincial governors have been found to be Thai Rak Thai-linked and thus should be transferred en masse. The problem is, they should have been promoted or not promoted on the basis of how well they did their jobs - not what party they belonged to. What's to prevent a future Thai Rak Thai-like government putting the governors back? Interior Minister Aree says the reshuffle was based on merit. If so, make each province's performance indicators public, measurable and totally relevant to local needs. For example, to what extent did one province's people approve of their governor's performance? To what extent did he raise education levels, slow the flow of young people to Bangkok, raise income, improve the environment, encourage local participation in provincial matters, etc?

If a given person did well, then promote him to a more challenging job. In any event, political affiliation would be irrelevant.

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok

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Auditor-general the subject of misleading reporting

Re: "Feisty Jaruvan is quite a handful', News, November 2.

I find it interesting that you have decided to launch an attack on the Auditor-General Jaruvan for sticking to her guns and trying to root out corruption and refer to her as being a "handful" and having an "ego". These may be quotes from other people but the way the piece has been written suggests that the writer, and therefore The Nation, concur with this view. And yet, Thaksin has an ego that would put most megalomaniacs to shame, but this seemed to matter little when he was the PM.

MR Pridiyathorn Devakula is also displaying signs of a larger than normal ego, but little if no criticism there! Pojaman's Ratchadaphisek land deal was legal even though it is illegal for the spouses of MPs to purchase such plots? Perhaps the difference here is that Auditor General Jaruvan has no past actions that she needs to defend, and others have many. You may not like her ego, but recognise her honesty and build from there.

Despair in Thailand

Bangkok

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What did Burma's generals spend their Thai loans on?

Re: "$50m-plus wedding for daughter of SPDC boss", News, November 2.

The Burmese wedding of the year sent me to The Irrawaddy. There I found an article on the Burmese junta's extravagant new capital city: "In June 2004, shortly after construction began on Naypyidaw [Pyinmana], the Export-Import Bank of Thailand lent Burma Bt4 billion. Although it is not clear whether any of this money has been used to build the city - Thailand's Exim Bank told The Irrawaddy that the arrangement is very confidential - it is worth noting what the money has paid for."

It was speculated the loan was made by the previous regime to secure a telecommunications contract for the previous PM's company. Perhaps our Thai junta can investigate where the money has "very confidentially" gone? A few billion to seed a deal here, a few billion for cronies building "low-income housing" there. Pretty soon you're talking real money!

John Francis Lee

Chiang Rai

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Give us the old Don Muang airport or our money back

Looks like Thai Airways and the Airports Authority of Thailand have resumed their infighting again. Hoping a one-month wait for the new airport to work out its kinks would do the trick, we flew to Singapore on TG403 on Monday and back next day on TG410. On both flights we were bused 10 minutes to and from the tarmac. We could have received the same treatment for less than half the price on one of the budget airlines. Oh how pathetic it is for a national airline to be treated like this on its own home tarmac.

We can bear the one-hour queue to check-in and grin at Thai efficiency. We can bear the grim-faced officers checking our passports, taking a leisurely 30 to 60 seconds per passenger, and we empathise with their low pay. We can bear the slippery floors heading to the departure gates, and even chuckle at the extra-big "slippery floor" signs. We can bear the unkempt skylights, floors and toilets and blame it on an overflow of non-travelling visitors. We can bear the noisy trolleys running through the terminals and blame it on oversight. We can bear the crowd of taxi touts waiting to pounce on us at arrivals and just catch a taxi on the 4th floor.

What we can't bear is the self-accolade that Suvarnabhumi is the "World's Newest Crossroad!" What we can't bear is the unaccountability of those running the new airport. What we can't bear is the Bt150 billion spent on what was a given at Don Muang.

Dear Mr Prime Minister, please make it bearable by giving us back our tax money. Or just moving us back to good old Don Muang!

Sukit Bejrsuwana

Bangkok

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Warning to Thai citizens travelling to South Korea

On leaving Thailand last Saturday to return home to South Korea, I have to admit the departure terminal at the new airport gives a much better impression of spaciousness than the arrival terminal. But this letter is not about the new airport but what happens to Thais when they arrive at Incheon Airport in South Korea.

I saw a perfect example early last Sunday waiting in line at passport control. There was a young Thai woman with a baby in a stroller in front of me chatting with her friend in the other line. When her turn came, the Korean immigration officer took one look at her passport and motioned for her to go  to the interrogation room. I have seen this happen every time. When she did not move fast enough, another guy came over and shouted at her, "Hello, missus. Hey you. Go over there." When she didn't move fast enough he came closer and started poking her forcibly in the ribs with an extended finger.

So much for the warm welcome. This happens every time a Thai arrives at Incheon without some invitation or authorisation, or better yet someone there that can sponsor them to enter the country. It doesn't matter if Thais are supposed to get an automatic three-month tourist visa. This is what really happens.

What awaits in the interrogation room is that she will be asked why she is coming to South Korea, how long she intends to stay, where she will stay, who she knows in South Korea, what she intends to do and whether she has enough money? That will be determined on a formula depending upon how long she says she is going to stay, at a certain rate of Korean won per day. The absolute minimum would be at least equal to 2,000 baht a day. If she cannot answer satisfactorily she will be sent on the next plane back to Thailand. There are no exceptions and there is no appeal here.

The conclusion for Thais, and I can't suggest this strongly enough, is not to go to South Korea without an official letter of invitation or someone who can sign you in. You will be bitterly disappointed, treated very rudely and waste your money on a ticket. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Brian Elkey

Cheonan, South Korea