OPINION

Poor timing

I was stunned by the airing of American Psycho (unedited version, sic) at 12.15pm on True Visions Channel 228. This movie is only suitable for late-night viewing (parents note) at best, given its horrific and lewd content, although we are assured by film critics that it is a satire of contemporary society. Given ongoing developments, this seems to be true. It's going to get a remake too, God help us.

Blame game

Re: "Fight disruptions mar long-haul arrivals", (Business, March 11).

Talk about travel experiences -- here is a good one. We had previously booked tickets to travel to the Middle East next month. Then, US President Donald Trump decided to start a war, which is now involving nearly the entire Middle East.

As a result, several governments have issued advisories to their citizens to leave the region or to avoid travelling there. Therefore, we asked the airlines we booked with about refunds. Their response?

They say they are circumventing the airspace over the direct conflict area, or they have not yet decided what they plan to do. In either event, they insist the decision to cancel is entirely ours, and no refund will be forthcoming. In other words, we would be cancelling our trip of our own volition and, according to the airlines, heeding government directives is irrelevant. We have saved for a long time for this trip, and now we must face this dilemma, which is not of our doing. I suppose profits are more important.

Fix the police

Re: "Panel targets gold bribe case", (BP, Feb 28).

Like cancer, the best time to stop police corruption was yesterday -- for the longer we allow it to grow, the more it invades every nook and cranny. We have already missed superb opportunities to cleanse the Royal Thai Police.

In 2024, a Nida poll reported that the RTP was the least trusted law enforcement agency in Thailand, with a whopping more than 70% of respondents saying they did not trust general police units. Also in 2024, deputy police chief Surachate "Big Joke" Hakparn and his immediate superior, Torsak "Big Tor" Sukwimol, accused each other of being on the take.

Now Big Joke is in hot water for allegedly giving NACC commissioner Ekawit Watchawalakul gold bars worth 10 million baht to clear him in a probe into an online gambling case. He has been relieved of his duties at the RTP. But how could his boss, Big Tor, have failed to suspect Big Joke's unusual wealth -- unless he too moved in similar circles?

More broadly, why has Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who chairs the National Police Commission, turned a blind eye to the recommendations of former graftbuster Vicha Mahakun's report on preventing a repeat of the Vorayuth "Boss" Yoovidhya case?

This is yet another opportunity for Mr Anutin to demonstrate that he supports the rule of law. The reform-oriented People's Party and the Democrats want to cleanse our police force.

If Mr Anutin will not release Mr Vicha's report, the parliament should ask Mr Vicha to update Pol Gen Vasit Dejkunjorn's 2006 report, which covered, inter alia, boosting police compensation and decentralising the force. But whichever path we choose, the rot must be stopped now.