OPINION

Love is earned, Prayut

Re: "New Prayut questions get angry retorts", (BP, Nov 9).

Some of Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha's questions for the public make me think that he is fishing for compliments, perhaps feeling unloved and under appreciated.

Perhaps to get more love and appreciation from the public, he should learn from the most popular man in Thailand at the moment.

That would be the rocker Toon, who is currently running around the country for the charity to earn money for a good cause.

Gen Prayut could do something dramatic to show he cares for people outside the military -- like increasing the budget for the health ministry to at least be equal to the budget of the military.

My response to Observer in his Nov 8 letter, "Unhealthy leadership".

Yes, Thailand does need a government answerable to the people. Also a military answerable to the government. Not in my lifetime I think.

Re: "New Prayut questions get angry retorts", (BP, Nov 9).

How pathetic to watch those hapless politicians gesturing and making impassioned speeches in the name of democracy for the sole purpose of accessing that level in society that allows them to steal in exorbitant proportions with impunity.

Re: "Aswin defends slow Aetas demolition", (BP Nov 9).

Demolition is a waste but it may be unavoidable.

I want to know if any city officials had a part in this and, if so, they should be punished and charged the demolition costs.

Re: "Cabinet backs pension donation scheme", (BP, Nov 8).

If this scheme goes through, and the rich and elderly give up their old-age allowances to help the underprivileged, and receive medals in return, it could just become another scheme at the expense of taxpayers.

Who will pay to design and produce the medals, and how much would it cost? I would guess the Thai taxpayers -- including the underprivileged who the rich people's money is supposed to help.

Why do these rich elderly people need medals in the first place? Is not helping the poor reward enough?

Go ahead with the pension donation plan, but use the money to help the poor.

Re: "Amlo to seize B58m in assets", (BP, Nov 8).

I can never understand the use of the future tense in all these proceedings. "Will do", "will seize", "will confiscate", etc. The government agencies announce in advance so many plans of what they "will do", that it gives those people time to make plans, transfer funds, leave the country.

Why not just do, and report it after the fact. Surprise, surprise. Gotcha! No escape this time!

Why is it that Thais such as Mr Chavalit, as shown in his Nov 8 letter, "'Barbaric' Americans?" lack the courage and humility to ever accept criticism of their country?

The difference between the barbaric behaviour in Thailand that I described and the atrocities in America that he referred to, is that the overwhelming majority of Americans condemn the atrocities, while the Thais never admit they do anything wrong.

Another big difference is that I always speak out against America when I disagree with it. (Just look at my letters about Trump!)

I am of the firm conviction, that the world would be a better place if the Dalai Lama and Pope Francis were in charge.

I personally abhor organised religion, but these two men speak so much sense, irrespective of their own particular ideologies and exhibit so much more gravitas than the vast majority of world leaders, who are a bunch of power hungry self-serving, oligarchs, dictators. kleptocrats, etc and the inevitable hordes of cronies and sycophants that we see every day.

Wouldn't that be nice?

It is interesting that Twitter has extended text messages to 240 characters, which is about 48 words. Does the world really want more latitude given to the master of Twitter messages and the consequent potential rhetorical content?

Please! Remember that "Brevity is the soul of wit". Is something lacking here?

Contact: Bangkok Post Building 136 Na Ranong Road Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110 fax: +02 6164000 Email:

postbag@bangkokpost.co.th

All letter writers must provide full name and address.

All published correspondence is subject to editing at our discretion.