From the Thai-language press: Matichon editorial: Don’t trade in one dimension - October 5, 2005 After the the Public Health Ministry declared businesses must not display and advertise cigarettes, 80% of shops all counties cooperated except 7-11 shops which have 3200 branches. The fine for violation is 200,000 baht per time. This reflects the confidence of a giant company that is close to a political group. So social groups, youth, and family networks came out to protest the CP 7-11 company. However, the reason that CP 7-11 did not follow the declaration is that the company was waiting for the arbitration of the royal decree to see if 7-11 company displayed correctly. This is the company’s confidence that as a big business with lawyers and consultants that suggest that they not give in and try to maintain the advantage of displaying cigarettes. It is sure that CP 7-11 company may be concerned more about business than society. Cigarettes are a harm to smokers’ health in the long term and also a waste of the public health budget. There was one cigarette trading representative who commented with no concern on the social side that “cigarette traders must fight by the principle of the law and with no consideration of social or media demands." Whenever the big company is only concerned about its own benefit, it may face a bad image. CP 7-11 company should not trade only in one dimension--making the most profit and not considering the social dimension and the health of consumers. Otherwise this may effect to the company’s image. Don’t assess peoples’ demands as meaningless. From the Thai-language press: Matichon editorial: Must talk about "The Opportunity" - October 3, 2005 TV broadcasts about Suwannapoomi Airport on the day of the auspicious inauguration used language as though people are under an obligation of politicians who created the airport. It may be partly true, but if we think that politicians volunteer to work for people, this issue may be rejected because this is politicians’ duty and responsibility to serve the nation not make people feel under their obligation. If we follow the Nong-ngoohao Airport story since the beginning, more than 40 years ago, it shows the insufficiency of politicians and they were only interested in being elected. Compare with the neighbor or international countries, the sufficiency of our politicians falls far short. As we know material modernization is a part of economic growth and we have lots of neighbor competitor countries that have lots of abilities. Some are behind us, but at present many more are more modernized than Thailand. In the view of competition, for the Suwanapoom Airport, the slower we finish, the less successful we are. Because we have obstructed progress by trickery for benefit of a few and this showed we lack professional politicians. We have only electioneers who are insufficient in both ideas and management. Media work is not easy as holding the microphone or tape recorder in hand. We have to study hard at least knowing peoples’ minds really enough to show opinion or vision. If we do not know, we just report the truth that is expedient. At worst, if we can think, instead being people who work for status in government, we should think for those people who lost opportunity from the past up to now because we elected politician to get benefit for themselves. For the airport construction, people have known it was notorious since the beginning. So it is not a surprise to see the electioneers are fatter during this time. More: Unlocking the Thai world: Thai-language newspaper headlines