OPINION

Up to Thaksin

Re: "Parties shed pre-poll blood", (BP, Feb 27).

We are approaching the most expensive and consequential election in modern times. After eight years of increasingly authoritarian oversight, the ruling elites are desperate to maintain control, at any cost.

This will almost certainly mean jumping into bed with the Pheu Thai Party, the likely winner of over 200 seats in the election, a most unpalatable prospect, since the Powers That Be (TPTB) have spent the last 20 years trying to rid the country of their nemesis, Thaksin Shinawatra, who still controls that party.

Equally, if Pheu Thai joins a coalition of pro-military parties, simply to ensure Thaksin's jail-free return to Thailand, surely this would prove most distasteful to its supporters, especially those red shirts who have yet to distance themselves from Pheu Thai.

Herein lies the root cause of the recent spat between Future Forward Party (FFP) co-founder Piyabutr Saengkanokkul and Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat, on the matter of election strategy.

Pita has been encouraging voters to think that together with Pheu Thai, MFP will have a chance to form a coalition government if Pheu Thai wins over 200 seats and MFP can win at least 50 seats. But this is clearly a dream on Pita's part.

MFP is anathema to the powers-that-be. Therefore the party will never be allowed a place in any coalition controlled by them.

Piyabutr says MFP should distinguish itself from all other parties by positioning itself as the new power against the old powers.

Don't expect to ride into government on the back of Pheu Thai.

Go for broke, don't compromise. MFP is the only party with a clear ideology and a campaign platform that addresses Thailand's structural challenges. People will get the message, eventually.

Piyabutr is probably correct that unless the Pheu Thai Party makes a single momentous campaign promise, that it will not under any circumstances join with any pro-military party to form the next government.

The country's rural majority deserves such a commitment. Will Thaksin allow it?

Blind men stumped

Re: "Victim, not villain", (Editorial, March 2) and "UTN's real roadmap", (PostBag, March 2).

While I commend the editorial for examining the big picture and analysing all aspects before coming to a recommendation, I find Felix Qui's letter is more like three blind men touching an elephant.

The letter is one-sided, touching on a very small fraction of the whole story while ignoring the big picture of why the coup took place, the many successes during almost nine years of the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, and, most importantly, the fact that Gen Prayut is running his campaign in line with democratic rules and procedures, not suppressing democracy as falsely accused.

It is also a kind of hate speech and unnecessarily sarcastic.

It's all relative

Re: "Go easy on 'pa thong ko', say health experts", (BP, March 2).

I am disappointed in Dr Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director-general of the Health Department, who has called only for responsible use of the "substance" whilst admitting the very real health risks of pa thong ko (fried dough).

And giving a pass to something so sickly as cha Thai (Thai tea), packing "the equivalent of up to 13 teaspoons of sugar", for recreational use? Will syrup injecting rooms be mandated next week?

Surely the proper response to discovering that people, even adults, might be indulging in recreational use of something unhealthy is to call for a ban to protect the nation and save the children.

What can the doctor have been thinking?

Strong words

Re: "Be less critical", (PostBag, March 4).

Thank Mr Graber for your sage advice. You must know that in the USA, everyone is entitled to question wrong-headed government policies.

We do not take pride in being loyal subjects or objects.

Are we taught to question everything? From your usual diatribe, it seems a difficult thing for you to accept.

Hear, hear!

Re: "Monitor lizards not for meatball factory, say police", (BP, March 2).

As an ageing monitor lizard, I object to the term "pest" that is applied to my species in this article.

We have been around for much longer than you lot who introduced fast food for us to enjoy at our leisure.

At least you avoided the cruel Thai pejorative for our genus that is applied to persons of your race who are deemed highly offensive in some perceptions.