There's no failure here

There's no failure here

Re: "Chula sends its students back to square one" (BP, June 22).

A recent article concerning Chulalongkorn University revealed the fact that some students had actually failed, which surprised me. The surprise had nothing to do with several Chula undergraduates having to start university over again due to an administrative blunder; rather I was amazed to hear some Thai students actually failed!

I worked for six years at various Thai schools and universities and came to learn there's no such thing as student failure in Thailand.

I also wonder if Chula students had their intellects and natural curiosity dulled to the nub years before. My experience teaching in Thai schools indicates the answer is probably (a depressing) ''yes''.

In the West, quality universities expect applicants to be well-rounded before they are of university age. Thai youth are far from being well-rounded. For example, Thai teenagers do not experience working weekend, part-time or summer jobs as they go through high school. Jobs are important for instilling independence, self-confidence and maturity - qualities, by the way, Thai parents actively discourage in their children.

Volunteer work is also important for a number of reasons and Western colleges look for a history of this on any application. Unfortunately, volunteer work is virtually unknown in Thai culture.

To make matters worse, Thai culture is anti-intellectual in nature. Rare is the occasion when a Thai reads anything except a comic book. Thai universities are not about love of learning or the attainment of critical thinking.

There is always the goal of acquiring a BA for career advancement. But here, too, there is a problem: Connections are everything in Thailand. Having a degree from a so-called good Thai university means less than who you know.

CM PHILLIPS


Inaction over rice

The Yingluck Shinawatra government is firm in its plan to cut the rice-pledging price to farmers from 15,000 baht per tonne to 12,000 baht.

We all know the real problem of such a big loss of money as a result of this rice-pledging scheme is corruption by government officials.

And the government is still dragging its feet in showing the public its own version of facts and figures to kill this speculation.

This rice-pledging price cut, which hurts farmers directly and badly, was a result of the prime minister lacking a determination to tackle irregularities within her own government.

Hence, to cut the pledging price is to take aim at the wrong target _ and with obvious homicidal intentions!

VINT CHAVALA
Lamphun


Our own 'Phuket'

Everyone is rightly concerned about what is occurring to tourists in Phuket, but no one seems upset about what is occurring right here on Soi Nana in Bangkok. The taxi mafia there is controlling transport better than Phuket ever dreamed.

It is impossible to get a metered taxi on Soi Nana. All fares have to be negotiated. Some months ago I was picked up by a wandering driver who didn't know the score and set the meter. Before we could reach Sukhumvit, he was pulled over by two other taxis and I was told to get out and find another cab.

And this happened about 50 metres from the police booth at the corner of Sukhumvit and Nana. Gee, I wonder why they weren't concerned.

You can't clean this mess up because everyone is involved in it.

Until the tourist numbers start dropping drastically, it will go on because the cancer known as corruption is spreading like wild fire.

JOHN ARNONE


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