OPINION

Handout blowback

Re: "Phumtham plays down BoT warning on handouts", (BP, April 25) & "The thorny issue of digital wallet funding", (Business, April 25).

.Our PM continues struggling to secure finance for the ill-fated digital wallet scheme. The Bank of Thailand has warned that the Bank for Agriculture and Agriculture Cooperatives (BAAC) will suffer liquidity problems if the proposed 172 billion baht is withdrawn to partially fund the handout scheme.

The government already owes the BAAC 800 billion baht, withdrawn by the Pheu Thai to fund the rice-pledging scheme that was mired in corruption and deceit. The Pheu Thai de facto leader has indicated he'd prefer someone with his superior DNA to lead the party into the next election. Be careful, PM. Perhaps a "fall guy" is required in the interim should the digital wallet scheme fall foul of the justice system in the future.

Re: "The correct response to Beijing's EV subsidies", (Opinion, April 9).

I'm an American who installs solar set-ups. For years, I've been annoyed at the high US tariffs placed on solar items sent from China to the USA.

Americans pretend they favour competition in the marketplace where the best and lowest-priced products prevail.

However, the Bangkok Post article indicates that US businesses are afraid of competition.

US manufacturing is stymied by high wages paid to its workers, as well as astronomically high salaries and perks paid to bosses.

The US putting high tariffs on solar/electric products from Asia hurts US consumers.

Side note: Millions of Americans would love to have a reasonably priced battery-powered motorbike, but there are none available for sale in the US.

Can you gauge why?

Re: "'Big Joke' drops his complaint", (BP, April 24).

Our present fiasco of ex-deputy top cop Surachate (aka "Big Joke") Hakparn and others, including top cop Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol, being accused of money laundering should force Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to stop stonewalling.

Publicise and send ex-graft buster Vicha Mahakun's report on reforming the Royal Thai Police (RTP) and public prosecutor's office to Parliament now for decisive action.

Needless to say, the RTP is thoroughly corrupt; then-PM Prayut Chan-o-cha commissioned ex-graft buster Vicha Mahakun to recommend key reforms needed for the RTP and OAG.

Khun Vicha's 2010 report addressed human rights violations and abuses of power, but then PM Prayut buried the report, and Srettha adroitly did likewise.

The longer our leaders put off the difficult but necessary action, the harder any vital change will come about without violence.

Prime Minister Srettha, stop playing jokes with us. Send the Vicha report to parliament now.