Booze curbs silly
Re: "Govt orders study into booze curbs", (BP, Oct 24).
So Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is ordering a study into modifying alcohol sales restrictions to help aid flagging tourist figures.
I just wish some common sense could be brought to bear on the subject.
Firstly, these restrictions have no effect on tourism. Tourists for the most part neither know nor care and if the surging popularity of destinations such as Dubai is anything to go by, alcohol sales restrictions have a minimal impact on the choice of destinations.
Secondly, the idea that you can curb the sale of alcohol based on the time of day or night is silly.
If the members of the Prevention Network against Alcohol were in the market to buy alcohol they would discover that it is freely available 24/7 in the myriad of corner stores that ignore the restriction.
The only outlets who respect this law are the major supermarkets and convenience store chains.
Thus, the only people inconvenienced by this illogical restriction are regular families doing their weekly shop who are prevented from putting a bottle of wine or a six pack of beer into their shopping trolley.
Let's hope some common sense prevails and these restrictions are lifted once and for all.
Kleerwater
Silence no option
Re: "Letter fatigue", (PostBag, Oct 22).
I was amused to read Ron Martin's letter which complains that Postbag letters are so predictable that he can usually figure out who wrote the letter after reading just one or two sentences.
Some people may say the same about my letters and that's why I no longer write so many of them.
Still, when Israel commits war crimes and tens of billions of animals are slaughtered and tortured for food, I feel that if I don't speak out then I'm not much better than the people who commit these atrocities.
In other words, if you want to stop injustice, silence in not an option.
Eric Bahrt
MoUs which no one gets
Re: "Abhisit warns MoU plan may misfire", (BP, Oct 20).
Voting on what you don't understand is meaningless and could easily mislead. Prime Minister Anutin wants a referendum on the two Cambodia-related MoUs, but are our voters capable of comprehending the multi-faceted issues at stake?
We must not only know what we are against but what we are for, lest we jump from the frying pan into the fire. If we say "no", would we evict all Cambodians from Thailand? Impose 100% tariffs on Cambodian products?
Mr Anutin says not to worry: he'll teach us all we need to know. We have 52.2 million voters. Any good teacher gives students ample opportunities to ask questions. Dump the referendum, and work through parliament, Mr Anutin. That's what our MPs are for.
Burin Kantabutra
