It seems that ultimately the public will have to pay for the accumulated Bt200-billion loss due to the various populist projects declared and implemented by the ex-prime minister.

Time and time again it was repeated that Thaksin Shinawatra's government was a CEO-style organisation. Who can forget it? He ran the government as a one-man show. The entire civil service was made to dance to his tune. All his ministers were dummies and puppets. This is known to all, and he called it a great administrative reform to push Thailand toward speedy progress. He took every opportunity to say that he alone had achieved results, including wiping out the drug menace.

At one time even our revered King had to remind him that if he was the CEO he had to take not only take praise and felicitations, but also full responsibility for blunders and mistakes committed.

So, as CEO, should he not be held personally responsible for the Bt200 billion losses? Why should the public have to pay for it by way of increased taxes. Did the ex-premier set the right example by paying the taxes he owed to the country and the government? The CEO has to be held personally accountable and all his cronies collectively responsible for repaying every single baht of loss caused to the exchequer.

Will the legal community wake up to their responsibilities and sue the CEO for causing such massive losses to the nation? It is very urgent to list all the fraud and corruption in implementing these populist policies that resulted in such massive losses.

All taxpaying citizens must raise their voices to demand that the ex-premier and his cronies make good the losses. Honest taxpayers should not be penalised twice over.

A taxpayer

Bangkok

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Come to think of it, it was a coup quite unlike any other

 With its coup successful, the Council for National Security (CNS) could tear up the 1997 Constitution, declare martial law, install a cabinet and establish a national legislative assembly. Until a new government is elected, the CNS is the de facto ruling body through military force.

The CNS declared its objective to curb widespread corruption and set up many commissions to investigate former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. They could have seized his assets pending investigation and adjudication, but they have exercised a peculiar restraint.

There is ample cause to suspect that the former prime minister enriched himself many different ways, yet strangely the head of the CNS gave an interview a few weeks ago in which he said it was difficult to link Thaksin with corruption. If the CNS decided to allow a private group with subpoena powers to find Thaksin and his cabinet's ill-gotten wealth for a 10 per cent commission, it would get dozens of applicants.

We should have known that this was a unique coup when the military's first announcement after seizing power was to apologise for any public inconvenience.

Netirat Intira

Bangkok

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European experience shows problem with alcohol ad bans

 At The Nation's recent "Meeting with Economic Ministers" I pointed out that the Nordic countries, with their long history of state monopoly in the sector, have some strange policies on alcohol. And that since the Thai Public Health Ministry used Norway as its model, there are a couple of things worth noting. After Norway introduced its total advertising ban, per capita consumption of alcohol rose 20 per cent to reach an all time high, according to official data. And, by the way, the ban in Norway is going to be lifted when the final stage of a court process, under international trade law, reaches its conclusion early next year - just as happened in Sweden before.

Those interested in the issue of how international trade laws affect alcohol advertising bans may find it useful to look at the cases concerned.

Sweden was subject to the European Court of Justice's judgement in Case C-405/98 on March 8, 2001. In a nutshell, it deemed that the advertising restrictions were legal only if they were "proportionate", ie that public health objectives could not "be ensured by measures that were less detrimental to trade". It referred the issue of proportionality to the Swedish Market Court, which in turn deemed the measures excessive in its judgement on February 5, 2003. The Swedish Parliament duly amended the relevant law on May 15, 2003.

Norway is about to discover the consequences of the judgement of the European Free Trade Association Court in Case E-4/04 on February 25 last year. The judgement was similar to that in the Swedish case, and the issue of proportionality was referred to the Markedsradet - the Norwegian equivalent of Sweden's Market Court. It is expected to reach its judgement early next year.

Graham Catterwell

Bangkok

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Letting everyone have their say will take country forward

 Re: "Stop messing with Internet access and free debate, Opinion, November 20.

For the first time, I do agree with Kavi Chongkittavorn - constructive debate would show Thailand as a mature society that can discuss issues based on fact and reason.

In this day and age people cannot be forced to believe whatever the government or the elite want them to. Rather, showing them facts that can be proved is better than giving them exaggerated ones.

I have seen this coming for the past 15 years: both the grassroots and the elite coming forward to demand what they want. This shouldn't be viewed as a clash but rather a balancing of the country's direction. For about half a century, Thai democracy has revolved around a very small group of people; now it is time to involve everyone.

A Reader

Bangkok

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Scrutiny needed of other deals besides Shin Corp sale

 As a Thai citizen, I feel it is important for me to say this. Much has been said about the Shin Corp and Temasek deal, but very little is mentioned about the deal between cellular service provider Total Access Communication (DTAC) and Telenor. There are parallels and similarities in these two deals. One received much publicity, while the other almost none, but the issues are the same.

Why hasn't the DTAC-Telenor issue been raised as much as the Shin Corp-Temasek deal? From what I understand, the Norwegian company has the controlling stake in DTAC now. Are they using nominees? Has everything been done properly and correctly? Norway is as much a foreign country as Singapore, maybe even more so culturally and geographically.

If I'm not mistaken, it was a private citizen like myself who blew the whistle on the Shin-Temasek deal. Perhaps I, too, will file a complaint and/or legal action against another foreign entity taking control of our national assets. This would involve lots of time, money and effort. Would any other Thais out there care to help me with this? Since my time is too precious, I won't be able to show up at any meetings or court dates, but I will pay for everything. Yes, I can and I will pay.

Norm Vittula

Bangkok

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Apec does well to recognise energy security's importance

 Re: "Vietnam, Apec and beyond", Editorial, November 20.

As a recent visitor to Vietnam, I welcomed your informative editorial about the host country, the Apec summit in Hanoi and the key global problems discussed by leaders from its 21 member economies, to use the official terminology of this influential diplomatic forum. If Vietnam achieves the world's second highest national economic growth after China this year it would be exemplary in this current era of globalisation an uncertainty. In the context of substantive deliberations under the Apec summit's theme of "Towards a dynamic community for sustainable development and prosperity", the Vietnamese example becomes highly instructive indeed.

The Hanoi Declaration adopted by consensus by the economic leaders contains many ideas and recommendations that are topical not only for the Asia-Pacific, but for all continents. One such idea is that human security is inseparable from energy security, which is critical for sustainable and harmonious development. Noting the challenges of meeting rapidly growing energy demands while minimising environmental effects, the leaders urged member economies to continue to work to facilitate energy investments and cross-border energy trade; to develop new and renewable energy sources and technologies to ensure cleaner use of fossil fuels; to boost energy efficiency and conservation; to enhance emergency preparedness, and to better protect energy infrastructure.

There is a clear commitment to pursuing policies and technologies that promote the development of cleaner energy and improved energy efficiency. The purpose is to enable economies to meet increasing energy needs with a lower environmental impact and to successfully address climate-change objectives.

Energy security is an indisputable global priority.

Ioan Voicu

Bangkok

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Product development is not the main concern for SMEs

 Re: "Thousands of SMEs predicted to go under", Business, November 20.

A government office giving suggestions about product development sounds like a bad idea. As the owner of a small SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) going for the high value-added, high-tech market, competing directly with European products, I think the biggest problems are:

1. Lack of skilled staff

2. Suppliers responding too slowly. In Singapore and China we receive quotations the same day. In Thailand it takes a week - but only after calling the supplier daily.

3. People not doing what they saying they will do.

Please address these fundamental issues first, as they are the main reasons SMEs go under, not the products.

JB

Bangkok