OPINION

People power

Samanea Saman in his May 2 letter quoted judicial officials as saying that the land "belongs to the military ..."

If Thailand is a democracy -- by the people, for the people -- then the military like the government own nothing.

Everything the military has from its issued underwear to the sophisticated hardware it uses, is the property of the people.

The vast majority of Thailand's people are destined to be forever bottom-dwellers until they take this on board. And, to borrow a phrase from a popular movie, it is not they who should not be afraid of the government, but rather the government that should be afraid of them.

Nick Nicholson

Some people are now saying that Donald Trump should be given the Nobel Peace Prize because of changes in North Korea.

But what are those changes? North Korea saying they will not test any more missiles? Several months earlier they already announced they had completed their testing. It would be like me beating someone to death and then promising not to hit him anymore.

And history has shown that it's completely meaningless when North Korea talks about "denuclearisation" when they have never followed up on such promises.

In response to the April 28 letter, "Lion City blinkered", I would like to reiterate some points I made in the interview he mentioned.

Rapid technological change is greatly transforming our lives in the digital age. It has disrupted traditional ways of doing things. But technology is also an enabler of more development and progress. The Asean member states recognise this, and are committed to helping our people ride on opportunities created by technological advancement and innovation to improve their lives. We have agreed to establish an Asean Smart Cities Network. At the 32nd Asean Summit, Asean member states named 26 cities as pilot cities for the network. Thailand's pilot cities are Bangkok, Phuket and Chon Buri.

Around the world and throughout history, urban centres are the drivers of growth. Cities are where ideas flourish and can be translated more quickly and effectively, where most digital innovation takes place. But while such innovation starts in the cities, the results are not confined to the urban areas. Among other things, the benefits of digital innovation include more efficient delivery of better public services and more effective linking of producers to consumers. Such outcomes benefit the rural areas as well. That is the objective of the Asean Smart Cities Network: to benefit all our people, both in urban and rural areas. In Thailand, the government has been pressing ahead with plans to bring broadband internet to all 75,000 villages across the country. Such efforts to bring the benefits of digital technology to the rural areas will ride on the digital innovation in the cities, in Thailand itself, and in the region through the Asean Smart Cities Network.

I have been the butt of jokes for the past 20 years with my Thai pronunciation. Now the shoe is on the other foot.

A friend in Bangkok sent me a package via Kerry Express. Got that, folks? Kerry, pronounced "Keh-ree". However, the local Prachin delivery office called me, in Thai, to report "Nee kuh Curry".

I thought, Hmmm, curry? So I politely told the caller, wrong number and hung up. The calls persisted until a gal speaking "English" called to say, "I am curry," which sounded like, I am Kao-ree, or Korean. I responded with, "I am a farang. I am not Korean." I gave up.

This morning Kerry Express called again, but this time a friend waiting for me answered my phone and sorted things out.

Whether curry, Kao-ree, or whatever, it matters not whether a person speaks English or not. No one expects many English speakers upcountry. I do however think it necessary for a person working for a company to know how to pronounce the company's name properly. My one-day delivery finally arrived -- a week late.

CONTACT: BANGKOK POST BUILDING 136 Na Ranong Road Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110 Fax: +02 6164000 email:

postbag@bangkokpost.co.th

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