Re: “Prayut begs EU for mercy on illegal fishing”, (BP, May 1).
I really wonder why the military hunts down harmless student protesters and invites them for attitude adjustment when, as I understand it, everybody in the industry knows who the illegal operators are.
It shouldn’t take much “hunting” to pin them down and “invite” them to the law enforcement agencies.
Could it be that the criminals are so well connected that our “good people” are unable to do anything?
Karl Reichstetter
Back to the future
No matter how hard the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) tries to write a new constitution that will best fit the people and the country of Thailand, it will still come short of the standard of the 1997 constitution which is known as “the people’s charter”.
During the nine-year period of its use, the 1997 version provided the country with strong independent agencies to effectively keep wayward politicians at bay. A good example is Thaksin Shinawatra. During his heyday, Thaksin tried time and again to take advantage of the system by attempting to neutralise these agencies, but in the end it was he who was met with failure. The charter was too strong for one smart person to conquer.
Hence, to bring back the 1997 constitution will not only save us money and time, but provide us with the best charter there ever was.
Vint Chavala
Speaking up for maids
Re: “Ethiopian maid refuses overdue wages”, (BP, May 1)
Having followed the headlines of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) head to Thailand and his former maid, I would like to express my deepest respect to the human rights advocate Mr Kongchantuk for representing the maid.
For me, as an expat to Thailand, it is hard to believe that a head of an international organisation — top job, top salary — on a private level didn’t have the decency to pay his employee a decent salary and create humane working conditions for her.
It doesn’t just cast himself in a bad light but also reflects badly on the WHO, in case they keep silent.
Alex
Archaic customs law
Many Thais who journey abroad tend to purchase goods and gifts for themselves, or family members or friends. Under Thai Customs Law, a person can bring personal items back into the country but they must not not exceed 10,000 baht.
Such personal goods — clothes, shoes, and bags — must not be used for commercial sales. It should be noted that foods, supplementary foods, and cosmetics are not customs duty exempted, while goods like cigarettes, tobacco and liquor are partially waived.
In reality, many travellers will bring back personal items worth more than 10,000 baht, which are subject to customs duty.
Any traveller who fails to declare these goods will be punished by a fine four times the purchase price, plus customs duty payable, or imprisonment of 10 years, or both, according to the Customs Act BE 2469 (AD 1926). It should be noted, however, that the 10,000-baht cap on those goods, set by the archaic law, may no longer be realistic, given the current economic situation and inflation rate.
Rujira Bunnag
Managing Director, Marut Bunnag International Law Office
Hail the photographer
Kudos to Bangkok Post photographer Pawat Laopaisarntaksin for his amazing snap in yesterday’s issue of the newspaper of red-shirt adviser Tida Tawornseth taking a tumble on the steps of the Southern Bangkok Criminal Court.
To capture such a fleeting moment takes great presence of mind.
As a longtime BP reader, I am always amazed at the pictures that grace the pages of the paper. They are only rivalled by the clever puns of your headline writers. Keep up the good work.
The Klongurchin
Pay environment heed
I haven’t read old or new constitution drafts. Even so, I’d be surprised if any of the drafts addressed environmental issues.
There’s no doubt the current draft (as all previous drafts) address issues of politics, privilege and laws.
Yet those are all people issues. Thailand is more than people. It’s a land mass which borders on two seas, with plains and hills, animals and other life forms.
Even with a sterling set of rules revolving around politics and people, it won’t mean much if the environment continues to degrade.
Historically, environments have been known to degrade — to where they’re barely habitable.
Look at the Middle East, for example. The so-called “Cradle of Civilisation” used to have abundance of plants and animals. Now, it’s mostly sand dunes. Five thousand iron-clad rules over five thousand years couldn’t stop the near-total destruction of the environment.
Thailand, too, was previously more lush and had many more species in its forests and in its seas than it currently has.
Mention of environmental husbandry in the country’s highest compilation of laws won’t necessarily halt widespread destruction, but it may slow the process.
Some suggestions: a) Wherever possible, natural habitat should be preserved and allowed to flourish. b) Toxic or questionable chemicals shall not be used or applied to destroy or alter habitat on land or water. c) When feasible, alternative power solutions should be implemented in lieu of power generated by fossil fuels. d) Habitat and communities should not be flooded (for hydro / dams, for example), unless there is no plausible alternative. e) Regarding agriculture: wherever feasible, organic growing methods should be used, in lieu of using/applying manufactured and/or commercial chemicals. f) Reserves and parks should be set aside, on land, coasts and territorial waters, for natural habitat, with protection of indigenous species provided by trained professionals, if needed. g) Rubbish, particularly toxic and/or radioactive materials, should be disposed of responsibly, with minimum impact on the environment. h) Nuclear should not be pursued as an option for power generation.
Ken Albertsen
Prayut right on UC
I agree with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha that those who are well-off should not use the healthcare services provided by the universal coverage (UC) healthcare scheme.
Although my family has been covered by the UC since 2002, we have never used it. We always pay out of our own pocket to the private healthcare system.
I am certain there are many families like us who never use the UC services and still keep their UC membership.
I do not understand why the People’s Health System Movement criticises our prime minister for his remark.
The UC healthcare scheme always claims that it serves 48-49 million people. I do not believe this number.
In reality, I would like to know how many people get healthcare services from the UC health scheme each year. I suspect that less than 24 million people use the UC benefit, which means the budget may exceed 6,000 baht per person.
Manoon Leechawengwongs, MD, Vichaiyut Hospital
Rise of cheap living
In my May 1 letter, “The great gall of China”, I lambasted Chinese-manufactured products. By chance I came across a news story online, printed in the New York Post, reporting how a Chinese construction company in Changsha, China, built a 57-storey skyscraper in just 19 days.
Who in their right mind would want to live or work in such a 19-day wonder? I’d feel safer in a plastic Lego building. I doubt if any of the Chinese hierarchy would ever live in one of these buildings. They prefer their ground-level villas in walled compounds. I assume this building is not earthquake proof either, and in lieu of what happened in Nepal, well, I guess life in an over-populated country is cheap and expendable.
Jack Gilead
Sink Satun port idea
I wonder if Prime Minister Prayut, or for that matter the Bangkok Post, has heard about Asean integration and looked at a map beyond Thailand’s national boundaries?
If so, how does he think a new port at Satun will ever be able to compete with the excellent deep-water port at Penang with its existing rail connection to Bangkok and beyond?
Ricky Ward
Referendum a joke
It seems that the chairman of the CDC claims the charter drafters and the National Reform Committee are not authorised to call a referendum. The prime minister also says the National Council for Peace And Order cannot call a referendum.
So why not ask the people if we need one? Have a referendum to see if we need a referendum on the new charter (tongue firmly in cheek). It’s becoming a Monty Python sketch now. Good luck.
Fantia
An ode to Thailand
I appreciate Jack Gilead’s comments in his April 27 letter, “Welcome to paradise”, in response to Andy James who thought I should have researched my trip before coming here.
Well, I did, and I still have at home the clippings from the Bangkok Post in which a politician, no less, confirmed there were no prostitutes in Pattaya, and another (I think he was a government minister or something) said that most tourists come here not to drink and party (although I’ve been known to have a drink or two!) but to enjoy the temples.
So I fail to understand some of Andy’s comments. Anyways, I would like to share in PostBag some other positive experiences of my stay in your wonderful country.
Although I was sorry that the prices of luxury goods in the rather chilly shopping malls were well above my means, here is a tip I learned from the locals: These same designer goods can be bought for a mere fraction of the price in Patpong. And talking of low prices, I was amazed to be able to buy at Chatuchak Market those little blue pills for people of my age (if you get my drift!) at prices almost too good to be true.
During my stay, I saw several letters in PostBag which complained about the tardiness of Thais. My experience has been quite different because I always found Thais to be on time for appointments with me, except when those rare phenomena they refer to as “rain” and “traffic” were said to have occurred.
I also tried to take the time to learn a little of the Thai culture and lingo when I was here, as not everyone understood American, even when I spoke it loudly. For example, I tried to learn friendly little phrases when chatting to the broads here, such as “I love you”; I was told “See Roy Bart”. Sadly, time ran out before meeting him.
As you may have gathered from my previous letter, I was impressed at how helpful people in authority were. When I carelessly dropped a cigarette butt near a large pile of litter on Soi Nana, a uniformed gentlemen appeared from nowhere and politely told me I had broken the law. He must have taken pity on me as he explained that on that day he could offer me a special deal whereby the normal fine was reduced from 3,000 baht to only 1,000 baht. Furthermore, he kindly let me pay the fine directly to him rather than making me trudge all the way to the police station. Boy, was that my lucky day.
I guess I was even luckier after I had apparently damaged the jet-ski I rented in Pattaya. The owner was demanding a huge amount for repair costs when a policeman appeared as if like magic and kindly negotiated a much lower price for me. Also, he thoughtfully came with me to my hotel to collect the money. I was most impressed as an American cop would never have provided such service.
So, thank you Thailand.
Ima Lyer
Praise for Pattaya
I visited Pattaya Immigration to apply for a retirement visa. One young lady checked my documentation just inside the door. She sent me to the next counter which allocated me a ticket for the appropriate section and queue. I took a seat there and even though there were three people still in front of my ticket number, a young man told me they were being processed and I was next. He checked my paperwork, I signed one extra form and paid 1,900 baht. I was given a number and told to come back the next day to pick up my passport. Ten minutes was the total time I was in there.
You hear a great deal of negative publicity about the immigration departments in Thailand, but Pattaya was definitely on the ball as far as I was concerned.
Billy Sheal