OPINION

In tigers' best interest

The maintenance and conservation of a large number of tigers (147) confiscated from the infamous tiger temple is a serious financial and technical challenge for Thailand.

While Indochinese tiger subspecies are restricted to SE Asia, Bengal tigers are the dominant endemic predator of South Asia (India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh).

Hence, as it seems from several reports emerging from Thailand that based on superficial studies, the confiscated animals are being tagged as Bengal tigers; but this needs to be confirmed 100% by modern genetic analysis.

If some of the tigers are purebred Indochinese tigers, then Thailand could use them for captive breeding programme or even try to release some of the animals into the wild under reintroduction programme.

If they are hybrids, they are of no use for any captive breeding programmes and should be distributed across the world as show animal or display animals as these are not true pureblood subspecies and hence have no conservation value.

India and Thailand have excellent bilateral relationship; and India has vast resources for tiger conservation and has one of the largest populations of wild Bengal tigers in the world.

The animals will have a better use for the conservation programmes in India and South Asia rather than being held captive in Thailand.

I sincerely believe that it time for the Thai authorities to make serious and sincere efforts in securing a better future for these helpless animals by arrangement with other nations and competent third parties to reduce the huge pressure of handling such a large population of these confiscated animals alone.

Recent suggestions to downgrade ya ba as a Class 1 narcotic were widely resisted, but one thing that needs to change is the oppressive policy towards suspects.

Random urine tests at clubs, businesses and even on the pavement are a gross infringement on the public's right to privacy.

Last week, authorities showed up unannounced at my place of work and tested all factory workers, three had "purple pee" and were summarily dismissed.

Now we have to re-employ, re-tool and fight a case of unfair dismissal.

This is a violation of workers' rights and raises some critical questions: 1) On what grounds can police raise suspicion to warrant a urine test? 2) Does traces of banned substances in your blood confirm you willingly took the drugs and if you did while abroad are you breaking Thai law? 3) How random are these tests, for example do the police ever test parliamentarians, the court officials or policemen? 4) if we go this far in catching law-breakers, can we expect dashcams on people's cars to show they broke the speed limit?

Graham

Re: "Brex-ache not worth it" (Postbag, July 2).

Andrew needs to follow the example of the vast majority of the British people and "Keep calm and carry on". He reckons that the decision to leave the EU has resulted in a collapsing pound, markets tumbling and a political crisis. In reality, the pound, at the time of writing, is down by about 10% on its pre-Brexit level, hardly a collapse and good news for British exporters, and the London Stock Market has regained the losses it suffered immediately after the vote.

Brexit isn't a crisis, it's a long overdue shakeup for a political class which has increasingly lost touch with the people. In due course a new prime minister will be appointed and things will settle down.

There are certainly risks and uncertainties inherent in taking such a far-reaching decision, and there will be plenty twists and turns, setbacks and disappointments before this story runs its course.

As Andrew admits, the EU is a behemoth in need of reform and dilution, but many British people have realised that, up to now, it hasn't been interested in reform, and has frequently exhibited anti democracy tendencies.

Following the "Brexit" vote, some EU leaders are already calling for a review of the way the EU operates.

It could be that the brave decision by the British people might shake up European politics too.

Two-thirds of what Westerners argue about is based upon ideologies, concepts, etc, rightly or wrongly understood by those who espouse them.

In Asia, two-thirds or more of decisions are based upon tangibles -- what people can see, touch, feel or smell.

Asians have little problem with "mixing and matching" ideologies, for example, if the outcomes are acceptable, and Americans used to be like that before they changed and went flat-assed broke.

In the case of the so-called Brexit, the answer for Asians is an easy one: if the referendum vote is "non-binding" and if it potentially creates financial disaster, then toss it and ignore it.

Top leadership is supposed to get paid to make those kinds of decisions.

The Royal Thai Navy has decided to purchase Chinese-manufactured submarines.

I do hope the Thai navy also put in an order for salvage vessels as well. Being submerged in a Chinese submarine is the equivalent of a Houdini water escape trick that could non-function at any moment condemning its occupants to a watery grave. The Thai PM seems to have a great affinity toward China with his preoccupation to its high-speed trains, Chinese investment, etc. Thailand is a Tibet in the making.

It is good to see that the Thai aircraft carrier will not be a lone attraction, but will now be accompanied by some submarines. Should be a must-see on all Thai holidays.

Maybe they can use the Blimp to film the appreciative visitors.