Postbag: Laws can't fix society

Postbag: Laws can't fix society

Re: "Business urges 20-year economy plan" (BP, Aug 24).

A senior business leader has called on the government to map out a 20-year plan for the nation’s economy. One central problem in Thailand is that whenever something is wrong or has to be improved, people run to the government, usually requesting a change in the law. It seems never to occur to anyone that they must do something by themselves.

There is a lack of skills, technology and productivity causing a middle-income trap. Part of this is down to the education system, which strives to create obedient subjects instead of creative, thinking people. I cannot see what legal changes could do there.

The mentality of people across the system has to change. It's a Herculean task. I do not know how to do it, but a military government would however be the last thing I would have thought could achieve this.

One way may be for students, parents and teachers to stand up against the old system in their individual environments. Chase out the old morons. There would be difficulties at the beginning. But things can change quickly if the public is mobilised.

Another part of the problem is the mentality of the business "elite" who mostly only think in terms of "cheap" as a business model. There is not much consistent effort into research and development, product improvements and business creativity. Piecemeal and small-scale ideas abound. Again I do not know what a government or legal changes could do there. Again it has to come from the people. Another Herculean task since the business elite is basically quite arrogant.

Dr Karl Reichstetter


Prioritise EU trade

Re: "Middle powers must cultivate Asean ties" (Opinion, Aug 27).

Jacob Hogan invites readers to think about a broader vision for Asean’s relations with the rest of the world.

A fundamental issue is the strengthening of the enhanced partnership between the 10 Asean members and the 28 members of the European Union (EU).

Resuming negotiations of an Asean-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) should be on the list of priorities when the Asean Economic Community comes into being by the end of 2015.

Negotiations for a region-to-region FTA were launched in 2007, but were suspended in 2009 after seven rounds.

Current negotiations towards FTAs with some individual members of Asean should not affect but encourage the concluding of a general agreement which would be mutually beneficial for 38 countries from two continents.

Ioan Voicu


Pointless homework

Re: "End student cheating" (PostBag, Aug 28).

Sutipunt Bongsununt wrote that the reason for homework is practice.

The primary purpose of homework is to establish that the teacher and students understand what has been taught. Where there is misunderstanding, the teacher can seek to clarify the matter.

Until there is understanding, there is no point in "practising skills", because the students will merely be reinforcing error. Of course, there is one exception to this rule, which is when "rote learning" is the point of the task.

Roger Haslock


Bloated bureaucracy

Thailand’s prosperity is closely linked to tourism and the contributions that expats make to its economy.

Over the last few years the Thai immigration offices have become bloated, inefficient and unhelpful. I think a good clean-out by the government is essential and urgent.

David T


Tap airport potential

Re: "NCPO lukewarm to AoT’s urban centre proposal" (Business, Aug 26).

The NCPO is quite right. Development of areas around airports for commercial purposes is of course AoT’s concern. But since such development is not one of AoT’s objectives, it should be wholly done by private companies.

Whoever the developer is, the AoT should conduct a long-term study on future expansion of airports, before giving any approval and/or signing any agreement with developers. Due attention should be given to safety and environmental concerns.

RH Suga


Civil service slackers

Try this out at home. The NCPO's www.1111.go.th web page for lodging a complaint is regularly coming up with a “wrong ID number” message.

Surely this complaint site is just another example of civil service lip service? Here we have a typical case of TIT (This is Thailand). ML Panadda, please take note.

MR Varothai Suriyong

Does not compute

Re: "Shigeta asks to take babies back to Japan" (BP, Aug 27).

Japanese man Mitsutoki Shigeta has fathered 15 babies through surrogacy. Reports says his name is on the birth certificates, along with those of the surrogate mothers.

This data would go into the Interior Ministry’s computer. Do you mean to say that this computer could not spot Mr Shigeta suddenly becoming a father of 15?

Frank Lombard


Bizarre comparison

Re: "Delusional rhetoric” (PostBag, Aug 28).

After reading Ahron Shapiro’s letter, one could be led to believe that it was Muslim and Christian Palestinians who colonised what is now modern-day Israel and the Palestinian territories, then unilaterally declared statehood in 1948, rather than the other way round.

The comparisons between Hamas and insurgent groups in southern Thailand are equally bizarre given that the presence of the Thai military in the South can hardly be compared with Israel’s policies regarding the Palestinians.

For starters the Thai authorities do not systematically bulldoze homes and “appropriate” the property of people living in the South, whether Muslim or Buddhist, and subsequently turn the land over to religiously fanatical Jewish colonists, or “settlers”, as they are called.

Nor do they prevent freedom of movement in the South or kill thousands of unarmed civilians. Mr Shapiro is delusional indeed.

Stephen Tracy


Bad peace will do

Ahron Shapiro writes that we’re "delusional" if we think that Israel withdrawing from occupied territory will cause peace to follow.

Back in the 1970s I told my Zionist relatives that Israel should return the Sinai to Egypt, so Israel could have peace with that country. My relatives began screaming hysterically that if Israel listened to me then it would be annihilated.

Well guess what? Israel did “listen” to me and they now have a peace treaty with Egypt that has lasted more than 35 years.

It was David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, who once said: “A bad peace is better than a good war”.

Eric Bahrt


Twisted US logic

Re: "Air strikes threaten Obama’s legacy" (BP Sunday, Aug 10).

A short two years ago, senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham were insisting that Barack Obama give military support to the rebels fighting Assad in Syria.

These two eloquent senators have been able to do a complete U-turn and are now calling on Mr Obama to bomb these same rebels controlling a vast area in Syria.

This is the same twisted mentality of the previous US administration who put Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and Gadhafi in power and then, years later, ensured their elimination.

Mario Aiello


Define Islamic

The editorial in the Sunday paper on Aug 17 stated that "it is important to see Islamic State (IS) for what it is — it is neither Islamic nor a state".

"The 'caliphate' it claims is nothing like the Islamic states of the Ottoman era and its predecessors," the article said.

This dismissal of the violent IS as non-Islamic seems very questionable. Moderate Muslims may agree with this view, but judging from news reports, Muslims in their thousands in various countries clearly think otherwise. Does it then follow that they are not genuine Muslims? Or are they completely misguided?

What exactly does Islam teach about forced conversion, oppression of other religions, etc? A consensus seems to be lacking on what is “Islamic” and what is not.

And the Ottoman Empire, though highly civilised in many ways and certainly very different from the IS, was not without its barbaric side, as evidenced by its treatment of Armenians in the early part of the last century.

Bob Gosling


Jellyfish safety tips

The mass gathering of box jellyfish is happening in coastal areas around Thailand until September. So how to respond to the risk posed by box jellyfish, also called sea wasps or sea stingers?

If stung, rinse the wound with vinegar for at least 30 seconds before the poison gets into the bloodstream. This is to detoxify and relieve allergies. First aid is vital.

Sutipunt Bongsununt


Booze scare tactics

A new proposal to require graphic warning labels on beer, wine, and spirits containers holds little promise as an effective solution to Thailand’s problem with harmful drinking.

The proposed policy is intended to frighten consumers with large, graphic photos on alcohol labels, printed alongside text warnings that may dramatically overstate the potential risks of moderate consumption.

Not only are such messages fundamentally misleading, but there is no evidence that such extreme warning labels will make any material impact on harmful drinking.

A better approach is to focus on problematic drinking patterns and provide accurate information that supports people’s decision-making.

Policy decisions must be based on proven approaches backed by strong evidence — not on sensationalist campaigning that rests on precarious grounds at best.

It is also essential to engage other parties with a stake in the issue — including those who produce, sell, and serve alcohol and whose resources and relationships with consumers give them unique opportunities to help engage and educate.

A sensationalised short-term "solution" is decidedly different from a true step-change in drinking culture.

History has shown that draconian measures to curtail alcohol consumption have not only failed, but worse, have generated unintended consequences, in some cases intensifying the problem.

Conversely, educating Thai citizens about responsible drinking and the risks of harmful consumption, combined with smart long-term and comprehensive policies and strong enforcement around targeted areas like drink driving and underage drinking, will drive greater and more lasting change.

Marjana Martinic
Deputy president International Center for Alcohol Policies


Medical monopoly

I have just heard that the Bangkok Hospital in Phuket has bought the Phuket International Hospital. This creates a near-monopoly in the private sector for medical services in the province.

Monopolies have no place in a competitive, modern economy or society such as Thailand.

They merely encourage businesses to be lazy and unresponsive to clients’ needs, and they always result in more expensive services to consumers.

Even now, private hospitals mark up the shelf price of basic pharmaceuticals by at least 10 times the cost. One can only guess what blatant profiteering this buy out will now result in.

This is a sad day for Phuket and for Thailand.

One can only hope the NCPO will act swiftly and firmly to overturn this purchase and so prevent the exploitation of Thailand’s citizens and the expatriate community here.

Andy Philips


CONTACT: BANGKOK POST BUILDING
136 Na Ranong Road Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110
Fax: +02 6164000 email:

postbag@bangkokpost.co.th

All letter writers must provide full name and address.

All published correspondence is subject to editing at our discretion. 

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (4)