Steve Merchant

Racial reversal Re: "Repugnant racism", (PostBag, Nov 2). Some people appear to have a very strange stance when it comes to what makes people angry and intolerant. They are also very confused about racism as it was practised in the past. Fifty years ago the recent white immigrants to the USA were in full control of politics, the media and social norms.

Bangkok traffic cure Re: "Congestion fee questions", (Editorial, Oct 23). Indeed, penalising parties using private cars coming to town does not alone solve the horrendous traffic jams that some Bangkokians have to endure. The crucial enticement is to provide alternatives that are reliable citi-wise and popular. In London, it is usual to see most office workers taking public transport to work and using private cars at weekends.

Chiang Mai's crisis Re: "Hotel occupancy rate in Chiang Mai down 30%", (BP, Oct 8). For several years, Chiang Mai has suffered awful smoke pollution that now lasts for two months at the end of the dry season. They have now experienced successive floods, the second being the worst ever.