OPINION

Kingly advice

Re: "Historic win faces hurdles", (BP, May 16) & "Move Forward Party pushes to amend royal insult law," (BP, Feb 10, 2021).

In deciding whether to support Pita Limjaroenrat for prime minister, our senators should look to our beloved national father, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great, for guidance. Many senators are concerned that Mr Pita and the Move Forward Party (MFP) might damage the monarchy and curb the government's frequent usage of S112 to silence critics.

But the monarch was a prominent critic of how we've been using S112. He does not seem to object to our having lese majeste laws but rather to how we've been using them.

HM King Bhumibol told us, "The king is a human being and, as such, should be subject to criticism. Charges against those accused of lese-majeste should be dropped, and those held in jail for lese-majeste should be released. The use of the lese-majeste law ultimately damages the monarchy" (Grossman and Faulder, King Bhumibol Adulyadej; A Life's Work, Editions Didier Millet, 2012).

MFP's proposal to reform our usage of S112 seems to be in line with King Bhumibol's advice, for MFP wants to allow honest criticism, sharply reduce punishment, and allow only the Royal Household Bureau (instead of anybody at all) to file lese majeste complaints.

Since the Royal Household Bureau would know King Bhumibol's wisdom far better than almost any other Thai, this step would greatly reduce abuse. In any event, such changes would be made through parliament, and senators would have ample opportunity to provide input.

Senators should follow our beloved national father in listening to the people's voice and protecting the royal institution.

Pledge for Thaksin?

Re: "InQuote of presumptive premier", (Opinion, May 16).

The response of our presumptive premier, Khun Pita Limcharoenrat, to foreign media on the return of former premier, Khun Thaksin Shinawatra, was simple, wordy, but unhelpful.

Naturally, anyone has the right to return to his birthplace in Thailand from overseas.

But the question is whether, as a Thai fugitive and as the father of the leader of a major influential party (Paetongtarn), whether he will be treated by the next government as a privileged returnee without facing charges and sentences.

In allying with his daughter's party to command a majority vote in the House, has any promised concession been given?

Tomorrow is here

Re: "A bitter farewell", (Life, May 15).

Another step towards a soulless society dominated by cyber technology. My wife and I went to a restaurant, T'day, whose logo is a beaming lizard (but obviously not a relation of the recent unhappy correspondent to this column).

Before Covid the service was good, and the food was excellent.

The food offered for self-cooking was below average, and the service was awful. Staff were more preoccupied with their cell phones than attending to customers.

Moreover, legions of service robots (usurping human jobs) motored up the aisles, blaring orders in loud childish Thai iterations accompanied by a liturgical corporate jingle and infringing on the frontier of our small, beleaguered booth.

An attempt to put my foot out to trip one up was frowned upon deeply. If this is the future, home cooking is better, in my anachronistic opinion.

The rise of the machines is with us already. Crikey.