The world needs tigers

Dear Sir,
As a regular visitor to your fair land I have been interested to watch the gradual progression from a country once totally reliant upon agriculture to that of one which is growing in strength both economically, and by its appreciation of the need to retain its natural ecological heritage. Indeed, much selfless work towards the latter by their Majesties the King & Queen has been in evidence and acknowledged by countries throughout the civilised world.
It therefore came as no small shock for me to read the letter ‘Who needs the tiger’, published in your 25 April 1997 addition. The disappointment was doubled by the fact that a person who has the title Doctor before their name wrote it. The letter not only contains an unacceptable racist element, by stating ‘The western mind has got used to thinking that man is supreme and has a right to use nature for his own benefit’, but sarcastically, it patronises Western values using such words as ‘The presumption is’. Also decried are the religious beliefs of the Western civilisation, and in a newspaper published precisely for that readership. Contradiction follows contradiction, calling the reader to question not only the validity of the letter but also the maturity of thinking which lead to the letter being written in the first place.
Example: The writer states ‘The Western mind has got used to thinking that man is supreme and has a right to use nature for his own benefit’.
Conversely: The writer states ‘The Eastern World view is somewhat different. When used to build, a house a stone attains its higher potential than living in a quarry’. The writer also states that the use of the tomato by living beings is the realisation of its higher potential. Reference to the cow giving milk to living beings instead of being killed for its meat and thus attaining its own higher value begs the question whether this is not in fact a perfect example of ‘Man’s right to use nature for his own benefit’, the exact doctrine which Dr. Jhunjhunwala lectures us to shy away from.
The good doctor goes on to say: ‘To conserve it (the tiger) so to say, even in the wild would amount to denying it of its highest potential and reducing it to an item of exhibition’. However, previously the writer states that the stone and tomato gain their highest potential by benefiting ‘living beings’, and in this context we must assume that he is referring to man, as a tiger does not eat tomatoes nor does he live in a stone house. Therefore if, as a result of man benefiting from being able to see or show his children an animal that (if Dr. Jhunjhunwala had his way) would otherwise be extinct, surely the tiger is ‘gaining its highest potential, given that we neither eat tiger meat nor drink its milk. Another statement which calls into question the reasoning ability of the doctor is, ‘There is no reason why the extinction of the tiger, already nearly complete, should disturb nature any more. I dare say that nature wants the tiger to become extinct.’ This could lead the average thinking man to question what exactly is Dr. Jhunjhunwala’s view of nature. The word nature is derived from the word natural, which means ‘without outside interference’. Therefore it must be Dr. Jhunjhunwala’s view that, given no outside interference (to include that from man also), nature would act on her own to cause the tiger to become extinct. But why should nature do this? Tigers evolved on this planet hundreds of thousands of years before man and lived in harmony with the rest of nature until man arrived. Dr. Jhunjhunwala goes on to say that man is but a ‘humble part of nature’ and that ‘the extinction of some species, if nature wills it is nothing catastrophic.’ Based upon this last philosophy it could be deemed unnatural for any illnesses in humans to be treated medically as the illness should be deemed to have been the will of nature and as such (according to Dr. Jhunjhunwala) patients should be allowed to die (become extinct) rather than to allow medical science interfere with the will of nature.
By the way, it is a fact that as much of Thailand is only just above sea level, she stands to lose huge areas of land when the polar ice caps melt. These are melting because the world’s temperature is rising as a result of the burning of fossil fuel by countries with no appreciation of their place in the total world environment. Similarly, the land that escapes flooding will itself receive vastly reduced rainfall with much evaporation of water reserves because of the (burn & slash) policy adopted by certain Brazilian tribes of the rain forests. As a result of their actions large areas of rain forest have been lost forever, these forests produce clouds which produce the rain from which most of the world, including Thailand, benefit. The lack of cloud cover will inevitably lead to increased evaporation by the uninhibited rays of the sun. Fortunately, the Brazilian government (as a result of information gained from Western countries) is beginning to appreciate the devastating effect their polices will have on the world ecology and are re-thinking their economic strategy for the future.
Just think if Dr. Jhunjhunwala lived in Brazil and was able to influence the government with his philosophies, we would all be doomed!
Yours unrepentantly,
Neil Stone

Prescription for longevity

Dear Sir,
...There are so many “Fitness Tips” being given around the world I thought I’d add my bit, which is working for me and truly, I’ll be an Octogenarian next month!
The articles, “Excuses...” & “Silly Proverbs” were fun and so true. I am looking forward to reading “Excuses for Breaking the Law and Excuses for Home.”
Yours sincerely,
An Octogenarian

Plenty of Specialists will tell you how to keep fit, you must not bow
to anything that tempts your taste buds. No indulgence or chewing cuds.
No, scrumptious cream cakes, fatty pork, snacks from vendors bought,
beverage sweet or caffeine. No puffs to inhale nicotine.
You must beware of cholesterol. A salt free diet is control.
No strong spices to make you belch. Just vitamin pills on which to perch.
Be not a glutton or go on a binge. ‘Twould make all Dietitians whinge!
I say the rules for longevity, is to live a life of variety.
Be interested in environment around; for Urban districts, Media sound.
With your neighbours have a chit-chat, and don’t let your dog bite his cat.
In villages Rural join in functions; to weddings, funerals or pious actions.
Be aware of the farmer’s fields. Open your senses to Nature’s yields.
As for diet, partake what you wish, but not too much of any dish.
Drink plenty of water, a glass of wine and you will surely feel very fine.
Do not be lazy and sit all day; a game of golf or a swim in the Bay.
Keep your mind active, do crosswords or read. Do not rush things, take time you need.
On what you can’t solve, never to brood. Don’t give advice, ‘cos not understood.
Be optimistic and look on bright side. Be content with life & swim with the tide.
“Early to bed & early to rise,
Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”
This is my precept for durability.
If comprehended, not a gullibility.
An Octogenarian

Pattaya, city of fear?

Dear Sir,
Despite the statements of Prime Minister Chavalit, Pattaya City is normally a place of peace and enjoyment. I have known it since 1984, and after nine holidays spent here, and now a period of residence of almost four years, I can say that I have never been attacked, never felt threatened, even though I have been on the streets at all hours, something that few would care to do in places of any size in most countries of the world.
That I use the bars that are such a horror to the Interior Minister reduces me, I suppose, to the level of an ‘undesirable’ in his eyes. What does he say, I wonder, to my sometimes visiting ‘places of entertainment’? Does he really feel that my mind will be corrupted and depraved beyond all salvation due to my seeing a ‘lewd show’, whatever it is?
In all my time here, I have not been approached by a prostitute, in or out of a bar; I have never been invited to buy drugs or any kind stronger than the contents of a bottle of Mekong (which I do enjoy), or a pack of ‘Marlbro’, which I happen to loathe as I do all tobacco. I don’t quite know what money laundering is, and those who speak so freely about a Mafia - and I know some who do use this word very freely - mostly have no idea what a Mafia is.
I recall the days when Gen. Chavalit was himself Interior Minister. I do not recall that he ever mentioned this resort, critically or otherwise, in that time. To be frank I don’t recall that he did much else, other than have a lot of trouble in deciding if the closing time in Bangkok and Pattaya for ‘entertainment’ ought to be 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. My letter to the ‘Bangkok Post’ let out my puzzlement that he should think that this single hour would make any obvious difference.
Yes, in general, Pattaya is a quiet place (except at Songkran). But what have we now to look forward to, with the recent presence of 1000 police on our streets, something not seen, even in the blackest days following any of the several military coups? We ought to be able to feel respect for and confidence in our elected leaders, and in those, the police, who are guardians of law and order. Following recent events which have turned this pleasant place into a City of Fear, it is hard to maintain this respect and confidence.
Let us never, ever, see such a thing in Pattaya again.
Yours faithfully,
John D. Blyth

Dangerous powder on Songkran

Dear Editor,
My husband and I have been to Thailand 3 times in the past two years; this is our second time in Pattaya. We come from wonderful Scotland, and love Thailand - its people, culture, food, shopping and weather. So no complaints here! And we’ll be back!
The reason I am writing is the shock I got at the Songkran festivities in the middle of Pattaya. Yes its great fun, however I think people should be much more careful about flinging handfuls of powder into people’s eyes. We were walking along, not bothered about getting sprayed with water pistols, when I suddenly saw a European girl very distraught having had powder flung into her eyes. Then 5 minutes later it happened to me. Suddenly I saw a hand filled with powder which was slapped into my open eyes. It was a terrible shock and very distressing. Luckily enough I was wearing contact lenses, which were by now a horrible dense white, completely caked in powder. Someone, thankfully, squirted water in my eyes and I managed, in a state of panic, to get the lenses out. As I am very short sighted, I then couldn’t see. It ruined the night for my husband and I and we had to come back to the hotel.
In retrospect, what is even more worrying is that the powder substance could have been caustic and caused permanent, serious damage.
Can I please ask you, as the voice to Pattaya and beyond, to appeal to your readers and their acquaintances, not to put substances into people’s eyes or on their faces. Its just too dangerous.
Hey! During Songkran - let’s get wet! But not upset!
Looking forward to our next time in Thailand.
Yours sincerely,
Angela Hone (Scotland, UK)

The world needs tigers

Prescription for longevity

Pattaya, city of fear?

Dangerous powder on Songkran