The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration says rubbish from the flood will be cleared by the New Year. I live in an area of Bang Khen which has been dry for about 10 days.
Yesterday morning when I went out to retrieve the emptied bins after this morning's trash collection, I saw that none of the trash that had been put into white fertiliser bags (8 white sacks) had been picked up.
The trash in these bags is heavy, flood-damaged stuff (books, pieces of wood, etc) too heavy to put in the black plastic bags that are sold in the stores.
I wonder what the BMA expects us to do with this flood-damaged trash. Are we supposed to dump this stuff in vacant lots that are already filled with ruined furniture - which they also refuse to pick up?
I have a lot of sympathy for trash collectors, some of whom I've seen collecting trash while up to their waists in water on Phahon Yothin Road during the flood.
But our neighbourhood is becoming incredibly ugly with discarded and uncollected trash. I see no hope of our neighborhood ever looking halfway decent again, if the collectors will only pick up trash that comes in black plastic bags, set out tidily in front of people's houses.
By the way, there are two houses in our compound and we've only had time to clean up the one on the higher ground; we're just starting on the other. So we're going to have plenty more trash before the year is over - collected or not.
IRRITATED TAXPAYER
Provide and be liable
It is not illegal for a fugitive to eat or have a place to rest. But for an individual, or a government, or a government minister to provide these things to a fugitive, is to commit the crime of aiding and abetting.
It is not a matter of what can be provided, nor what might have been provided to others in the past. Rather, it is what may not be provided: anything and everything that aids a fugitive is breaking and undermining the law.
JAMES BROUGHTON
Amazing as ever
The annual international Corruption Perception Index (CPI) is once again unflattering about Thailand. Apparently, we're getting more corrupt because we've fallen from 78th to 80th place, if several disingenuous journalists and commentators are to be believed.
Actually, a quick Wikipedia reference reveals that we are tied with 5 others for 80th place, and this year an additional 5 countries are included overall. But our index has fallen from 3.5 to 3.4, returning to its average rating for the past 5 years.
To suggest this is proof that the Abhisit Vejjajiva government is equally or more corrupt is simplistic, since the year prior to an election is fraught with corrupt fund-raising from all sides.
Interestingly, our worst corruption index in a decade was 3.2 in 2002, and our best was 3.8 in 2005, suggesting that the more settled and stronger a government come election time, the less incentive to be corrupt.
I would also add that the biggest corruption occurs immediately after a hard-fought election, in order to recoup investment before it's ''too late''. Which leads me to believe that our dirty politics is a prime motivator behind this debilitating practice.
Ironic it is, then, that this recent election was contested on the fate of a man convicted for major corruption, and the largest portion indicated they want him back to lead us!
MATT BALMAIN
Wrong deemed right for exposing bigger wrong
I am eager to see the conclusion of the 200 million baht burglary case. The suspects have confessed, but their crime has been good for the country. It has exposed a possible case of 1 billion baht being received in kickbacks by a high-ranking bureaucrat.
This burglary runs parallel to the 2006 coup in that it benefits the country. Over-throwing a legitimate government is a serious crime. But when it was done to get rid of the most corrupt prime minister in Thai history, it was a good crime.
The robbery at Supoj Saplom's house should be viewed in a similar light. If the authorities can prove that Supoj obtained the money illegally, the thieves should be cleared of all charges.
The government should also present them with a ''Good Citizenship Award'' for exposing corruption and recovering the loot.
MEECHAI BURAPA
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