Bangkok Barry

The police in Thailand do have a credit union. Who told you they don't? My brother-in-law is a policeman and has bought two pieces of land with a cheap loan. As for being poorly paid, no-one makes them take a job with low pay. It's their choice, isn't it? Many, many people are poorly paid but they don't usually go around robbing shops at gunpoint because of it.

That might be because most find masks uncomfortable and inconvenient. They are not needed now, haven't been for many many months and are not used in most of the world. It's an Asian thing, always was and perhaps always will be. Up to them, and any farang who is comfortable with them. No-one is stopping anyone wearing a mask if they want to. Saying you have to now is ridiculous and way out of line internationally.

Just kids being kids. Age is irrelevant. They both acted like children, but are both allowed to breed and spread their stupidity. At least the woman-child managed to hit a pole, which appears to be obligatory with any accident in Thailand. But why does she have her leg in a bucket? I see the ice pack, but.....

Or, let your natural immune system deal with it as happens almost everywhere else in the world. Would you wear a mask in your home country? Because from what I've seen you might be alone in that.

Surely there are budget fares to the UK or other points in Europe, from where much lower fares are available than the $10,000 one way that you quote. That is just silly.

The last time the Thais made their feelings felt on the streets they were met with water cannon and their demonstrations resulted in nothing at all. The time before that was worse and resulted in the army removing the democratically elected government. So, whatever the people do, they lose. You can't fight with rubber ducks and camera torches. The army wins every time. Always has, always will, because what the people want doesn't matter at all in any Third World country, not just Thailand.

As someone commented in the linked article, this could be a very good income stream. Easy money and plenty of opportunity as it's a common sight. Not much danger to oneself if photographing from across the street, and then off to the police or local office to collect your winnings. Of course, there is a flaw. You only get the money as part of the fine, and neither the police nor the local office will take any notice and just do the usual, which is nothing. No fine, nothing for you and business as usual. As it always, always is in Thailand.

We are all aware that kids who are far too young to be able to control a motorcycle, let alone legally be driving it, are a common sight on Thai roads. Many of them will die, often before they even reach their teen years, but no-one seems to care. The police rarely do anything to stop them, but even more baffling is why their parents allow them on the road? I was prompted to write now because two kids were nearly killed right outside my house today. The driver looked about seven and his passenger maybe four. What alerted it to me was the sound of horns and air brakes, and there was a large lorry pulled right across the two-lane road after he had taken evasive action - action that left the lorry inches from a pickup that had been pulling out onto the road. The kids then roared off down the road, on the wrong side with the driver not even looking at the road as he preferred to stare at me for the first 100 metres. I doubt they'll live until the weekend, but no-one cares. Someone gave them the keys and happily sent them off to a possible death. Why? Of course, the kids may not have been sent out by parents as so many parents don't actually raise their own kids, but dump them on elderly grandparents who probably struggle to look after themselves, let alone a boisterous kid. Still, it's their kids, their culture, their problem, so why should we care if they don't? But what happens if someone dies by crashing into your car, or mine?