Re: "15% VAT plan has vexed", (BP, Dec 6) and "Pichai promotes rejig of tax rates", (Business, Dec 3).
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavijira's argument that wealthier citizens pay more VAT than poorer citizens is a spurious one that is often used disingenuously by governments to justify high VAT rates. The correct way to look at the VAT burden on individuals is VAT paid as a percentage of personal income. Since low-income earners have a propensity to spend nearly all of their income or even borrow to survive, the VAT they pay is a very high percentage of their income.
Their wealthier compatriots, on the other hand, have a very high propensity to save because they only need to spend a small proportion of their income to survive and even live very well.
They may also spend money abroad, thus contributing tax revenue to other countries instead of Thailand. Some may also buy personal goods and services through their businesses and illegally claim VAT refunds. So, it is clear that the VAT burden falls disproportionately on the poor.
George Morgan
Buddha's legacy
Re: "Buddhism is always oddly political", (Opinion, Nov 29).
Buddhism is a separate philosophy praised and discovered by Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha is not part of politics. Buddha has shown peace and security in the world, but politics may bring political conflict. Buddha's teachings can not be commercialised for political purposes. Buddha has brought more peace to Asia. Buddha is the ancestor of all humanity. I am proud of Buddha's teachings because Buddha was born in Nepal, where I was born.
Regmi Suman
Taxing carbon fairly
Re: "Cabinet to consider carbon tax next week", (Business, Dec 4).
I agree with this approach in terms of its potential to reduce carbon emissions without imposing significant new costs on consumers or businesses.
However, while the direct impact on fuel prices may be minimal, integrating the carbon tax into the existing excise tax system might reduce hidden environmental impacts, therefore limiting a behavioural incentive for reducing carbon emissions.
Furthermore, while the oil sector may not face immediate cost increases, other sectors, such as manufacturing and logistics, which indirectly depend on fossil fuels, might experience increased operational costs over time.
Ultimately, the tax could inadvertently shift the burden onto other parts of the economy, affecting consumers indirectly through higher prices for goods and services. To enhance transparency in how the tax is integrated and utilised, are there any discussions on implementing measures to mitigate these impacts? Beyond the burden on consumers, I also found in the comments that one of the biggest concerns citizens have is opaque tax fraud from corporations and governments.
As a student concerned about both environmental sustainability and economic fairness, I believe that while the government's approach is a step in the right direction, it must be accompanied by clear communication and complementary measures to ensure it leads to meaningful environmental change.
Binho Lee
The EV mirage
Re: "Cabinet to consider carbon tax next week", (Business, Dec 4).
Carbon taxes would act like interest rate increases commonly used by central banks to slow economic activity during inflation. Indeed, the information quoted in this article, ie, 372 million tonnes of carbon annually generated in Thailand or the energy sector generating 37% of the country's total emissions per year, is merely the result of spurious calculations based upon mathematical modelling and has no real-world data points incorporated.
In the bigger picture, Thailand is a huge carbon sink, and as a nation, we should be collecting enormous sums from the EU for our contribution to producing oxygen and sequestering gigatons of CO2 annually.
The article's most absurd quote concerns the use of electric vehicles, which has already reduced carbon emissions by 341,000 tonnes. This is a rabbit out of the hat stuff, intended to market EVs, nothing more.
Meanwhile, each 1,000-pound car battery requires the mining of 500,000 pounds of rock, and the processes used to extract, refine, and create a chemical battery require a lot of fossil fuels. The lithium in a lithium-ion battery is a tiny fraction of the battery -- the rest comprises all sorts of metals, ores, and minerals. EVs are a total failure commercially, require huge subsidies, and the vast majority come from China.
Not a good solution for Thailand.
Michael Setter
Walking in fear
The BMA has begun installing several pedestrian crosswalks with traffic lights. I have used these crosswalks many times, but I do so with considerable trepidation each time. Based on my experiences with similar crosswalks worldwide, I'd rate the designated crosswalks in Bangkok as among the most dangerous globally.
Despite being well-intentioned, these crosswalks are hotspots for injuries and even fatalities, as vehicles routinely ignore red lights and speed through, a reality often highlighted in TV news reports.
These crosswalks are crucial for making Bangkok a more pedestrian-friendly city for both residents and tourists. While the law grants pedestrians the right of way, it also reveals a troubling attitude among Thai drivers who frequently disregard these rights, unlike in most other major cities worldwide.
Currently, the illumination of red lights for vehicles indicates a greater danger time for pedestrians than a signal for cars to stop. In fact, more pedestrians are likely to be injured at these crosswalks during red lights than if they were to cross at any other points of their choosing, making these crossings feel more like traps than safe havens.
We must shift this mindset and enhance safety for all pedestrians in Bangkok. Furthermore, to benefit the environment, we should encourage people to walk more and rely less on motorised vehicles.
It's time for the police and the BMA to rigorously enforce the law, imposing significant fines on drivers who fail to stop at pedestrian crossings, especially when the lights are red. Additionally, drivers' records of incidents at crossings should be considered when renewing licences, similar to how drunk driving offences are treated.
With today's face and license plate recognition, the full force of the law can easily be applied to this embarrassing situation.
ML Saksiri Kridakorn
Words do matter
Re: "A court reckoning", (PostBag, Dec 3) and "Truth, justice and the ICC's very broken compass", (Opinion, Nov 30).
Colin Roth and all readers are entitled to their own opinions of Israel's actions. However, there are two instances in his recent letters with which I must take exception.
He (and he is far from alone) has loosely used the word "genocide". The word is highly contentious and, of course, has significant meaning to all Jewish people who suffered from the genocide perpetrated by the Nazis during the Second World War.
Whatever deaths and/or war crimes may or may not have been perpetrated by the Israeli Defence Forces, they are unlikely to meet the legal and/or moral criteria of a "genocide", just as the mass bombing of Dresden by the Allies or dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not a "genocide" despite being horrific acts of war. Language really does matter.
Secondly, Mr Roth glibly describes "Hamas, the Palestinian resistance movement, who have admitted to killing some Israeli civilians," as if this was no big deal. I would contend that the families of the almost 1,200 individuals murdered by Hamas on Oct 7, 2023, including at least 46 Thai nationals (according to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with five still being held as hostages by Hamas), would be greatly upset by this comment.
Perhaps the editors of PostBag should give more consideration to the feelings of these victims in future.
Paul Bromberg
Not always an insult
Re: "Drop the disrespect, please", (PostBag, Dec 1).
Burin Kantabutra seems to think it's terribly rude to call someone ignorant. Yet, we're all ignorant in some ways.
For example, I'm extremely ignorant when it comes to automobile mechanics.
But I have been called "a walking encyclopedia" when it comes to such issues as vegetarianism or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So when someone in a debate calls you ignorant, they are probably only referring to the issue that's being debated, and thus, it's not, in my opinion, a great insult.
We should also draw a line between political attacks and personal attacks. When Trump supporters seem to label all criticisms of their man as "Trump derangement", it should be seen as political rhetoric and not serious psychological analysis.
If I write: "Mr X is a jerk", that's freedom of speech.
But if I write with no evidence that Mr X is a murderer, that's defamation. And democracy in Thailand will continue to be a joke until the Thais learn to see the difference.
Eric Bahrt
A cooler approach
Re: "Keep it classy", (PostBag, Dec 3).
Indeed, keep PostBag classy! Allow me to express appreciation for the feelings of Regmi Suman, Jerry Feldman, and Burin Kantabutra. One person blasted me for being egoistic and too sensitive and asked me to leave the kitchen if I could not stand the heat.
It is the manner of the heat that needs to be reduced to make the forum more civil and inviting for people to walk in.
Songdej Praditsmanont
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