Stop horsing around!

The Nation newspaper of Thailand has quoted the country's Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung as telling district chiefs in provinces to travel on horseback following sharp fuel prices. Talk about a politician putting his foot in the mouth, this one surely beats them all. The supplement, Daily Xpress, has a picture of Chalerm getting into his expensive Bentley, but doesn't say if it's an official or personal car. Still, his idiotic suggestion, although environment friendly, has drew chuckles in the country. Si Chompoo chief Preecha Saiprasert said he would stick to his motorcycle while his Nakhon Si Thammarat counterpart Kairaj Kaewedee refused to be drawn on Chalerm's idea, saying he needed to see the policy in writing. Still, the newspaper managed to find a leather worker Phanu Nimchompoo, who has been seen on horseback on local streets, for years even before petrol became expensive. Meanwhile, the Nation put on its front page today that the price of gas for vehicles would be raised next month.