OPINION

More skywalk please

I would like to thank the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration for the increase in green space all over the city, with beautiful parks that are well maintained at all times.

I also would like to extend my gratitude for skywalks around the city, which make walks more enjoyable, allowing pedestrians to get a better view of the city and the cool breeze, as I have experienced many times before entering the city's malls.

Can the BMA now extend the skywalk from Phrom Phong station to Phloen Chit station, so people can walk from Emporium all the way to Siam station, Platinum and MBK malls?

That would be a wonderful way to keep tourists happy.

Re: "Smarter than you think", (PostBag, March 31).

I'd like to support Yingwai Suchaovanich's wishes that PM Srettha Thavisin might complete his four-year term.

It is not only because of his seven months of incessant overseas visits to market Thailand abroad and the ability to untie the knot that besets the Royal Thai Police, but also his towering height and fluency in English that do not cause one to cringe.

However, despite having a successful CEO for a leading public company managing our nation for the first time, there are still concerns surrounding his longevity.

His term is not dependent on most Thais, but on his party members and the de facto leader. One can only hope that the excellent manoeuvrability he showed in his former business would be enough for him to survive Thailand's traditional politics.

Re: "Don't shift the blame", (BP, March 23) & "MFP still wants S112 offences included in amnesty", (BP, Feb 6).

Khun Vint Chavala asks "Knowing that to amend the Section 112 law is unlawful, why did the MFP leaders try to mislead their junior members and the public to break it?" I suggest that MFP recognises our beloved national father as our outstanding expert on protecting the monarchy and seeks to follow his advice.

Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, a former national police chief, noted that Section 112 was amended in 1997, and emphasised that when he was top cop, "the royal institution instructed against the inappropriate use of Section 112, as it could lead to harassment under the pretext of protecting the [royal] institution".

So, there's precedent for amending S112, and we should, for Thailand's law of lèse-majesté has one prominent critic: His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great. In 2005, King Bhumibol used his televised birthday address to note that the King is a human being and as such should be subject to criticism; that charges against those accused of lèse-majesté should be dropped, and those held in jail for lèse-majesté should be released; and the use of the lèse-majesté law ultimately damages the monarchy.

What the MFP seeks seems to be what His Majesty King Bhumibol wanted. MFP wanted to use democratic means to implement changes to Section 112, which channels our father's desires to protect the highest institution. Shouldn't they be encouraged?

My recent retirement visa extension at the Chiang Mai Immigration Office was a positive experience.

The whole process was handled efficiently. All officers involved were friendly, polite and cheerful. I would like to thank them and wish them all the best. Chiang Mai Immigration, keep up the good work.