Corruption a constant, but it became the norm after 2000

I would advise John Arnone to go back and read my letter one more time (“More context needed before criticism”, July 18). I never said there was no corruption in the 15 years before the 2014 coup.
What I said was that, during those 15 years, corruption in Thailand sank so deep and spread so widely that it threatened to bankrupt the country if something was not done to stem it.
If the behaviour of politicians at that time had not been so bad and so out of control, the coup would never have happened.
An elected government is not supposed to empty the country’s coffers at whim, cause the deaths of citizens by non-transparent means or enrich its leader, supporters and electors at the expense of the whole nation – all the while demanding to be called a “government by, of, and for the people”.
Such a government will never be tolerated anywhere in the world as representing “democracy” in the true sense of the word.
Vint Chavala
Bangkok