Too much bitterness behind the divide
Re: "There was a time when a public assembly was not just a mob", Opinion, December 6
From my perspective as a foreigner residing in Thailand, I was disappointed to see that columnist Pornpimol Kanchanalak felt the need to inject a discordant note into her account of the celebrations of His Majesty’s birthday by making disparaging comments about the speeches delivered by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the Speaker of the House.
Surely, this special day gave the country a good opportunity for the nation to come together.
Perhaps, for this day, politically partisan point scoring could have been set aside, particulary since His Majesty himself expressed a wish for Thais to show compassion and goodwill toward one another.
I suppose the columnist’s words are just a reflection of the depth of the political divide and the sheer bitterness behind it.
Let’s just hope that the Thai people will not just listen to His Majesty’s advice, but will actually follow it.
Robin Grant
Bangkok
