Virtual reality

Re: “Back to bite”, (PostBag, Feb 22) & “EC reviews court ruling on MFP: Decision on party dissolution soon”, ( BP, Feb 17).

Vint Chavala seems to have moved into an increasingly phantasmagoric universe all of his own. He has never, of course, sought to play down his xenophobia, extreme conservatism and reactionary views. In recent letters, he has made it his mission to berate the MFP and its former leader, Pita Limjaroenrat.

Writing in a smart-alec style, which draws on the Harry Potter trope describing Voldemort as “he who shall not be named”, Khun Vint seems to find it amusing to avoid mentioning the MFP or Mr Pita by name. This is merely childish, but his claim that the MFP wishes to make Thailand a republic and instal its leader as head of state, and has said so “time and time again”, is I believe a blatant lie.

I presume that the aforementioned royalist contributor to PostBag is old enough to have heard His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great speak against the lese majeste law in 2005. Did he immediately write to the Bangkok Post suggesting His Majesty was on the wrong track?

There are a number of other elements to Khun Vint’s recent letters which would suggest he is losing touch with reality. Foremost is his call for the Royal Thai Police to investigate if young people are being enticed into committing lese majeste offences to advance their careers in politics. I hardly feel the need to comment on how bizarre that is … on two levels. Even less coherent is quite how the MFP is using AI to gain MPs quickly and cheaply. Then, there is the idea that the MFP’s desire to create a republic would cause a civil war. We have to be kind on that one and assume it’s a typo for a coup.

RAY BAN