OPINION

Towering infernos?

In the wake of the Grenfell inferno, British authorities tested the eternal cladding (panels widely used to insulate buildings and improve their appearance) of 60 high-rise apartment buildings for the required fire resistance (BP, June 27).

All 60 buildings failed the test, which is frightening enough for the British -- but as Thai enforcement of regulations is extremely lax, how safe are Thai high rises?

PM Prayut should immediately order that all apartment high-rises nationwide be tested for compliance with fire regulations within the next 90 days, using foreign inspectors and labs if necessary to meet the deadline. All buildings must be brought into full compliance within 90 days after the inspection results are announced, or the building closed.

We must learn from the Grenfell inferno.

Re: "Charter body to mull primary voting plan", (BP, June 26).

I am sceptical of how this plan would run in unison with the CDC's general hope that the new political system would be less partisan. As shown by recent US electoral trends in both the Democratic and Republican Parties, primaries have allowed extreme wings to takeover policy decisions and eliminate the middle ground.

It is simple politics that the extreme wings are those who show up to a primary so, to me, it sounds counterintuitive that this increases public ownership of parties when instead the choice of radical candidates will be forced on moderates from all parties at a general election. For this reason, I'm actually less fearful of powerful local party branches, but instead of an even greater partisan swing countrywide within all parties, instead of moving national politics back to the centre.

The issue could perhaps be solved by a non-partisan common primary system e.g. those in California or the two-round runoffs in France, but then that gravitate elections toward a two-party system, instead of the multi-party system the CDC hopes to establish.

Re: "Cabbies told not to bully", (BP, June 25).

Recently, after a knee surgery check-up at a hospital on the super highway in Chiang Mai, I asked the hospital concierge to kindly order a taxi to take me home. The taxi duly arrived and we headed out onto the highway. I realised he had not turned on his meter, so I asked him politely to do so and was met with these exact words: "No! 300 baht." I could do nothing being on the highway with a walking stick and so fell victim to his scam.

The very next day I had to return to the hospital and was driven there by a friend. To return to my home I was reluctant to use another taxi gangster, so I used Uber. Within minutes a pristine Honda Civic arrived, the driver opening my door and assisting me to the seat. The vehicle was spotless and before we even started the journey I knew that it would cost me just 78 baht. The driver spoke perfect English and was polite and courteous. So, get real you cabbies of Chiang Mai and improve your service and ethics and don't "bully" your customers either!

As a US veteran, I am staggered by the amount of flag officers of general and admirals that the Thai military employs. If the PM is truly concerned with good governance, then fiscal administrative efficiency should be a priority within the management of the Thai government.

The Thai military is ranked No.16 in the world yet the military administration has over 1,750 generals and admirals. This number is twice as many as 880 employed by the US military which governs the greatest and most powerful military in the history of the world!

The US has current military operations in 150 countries with 800 bases in 70 countries. Australia, whose military is ranked No.15, employs only 80 flag officers. Why does Thailand feel the need to have such a bloated bureaucracy that is not serving the people?

When I hear about programmes for social security and well-being not having adequate funding such as health care or education, I wonder how much more could be done if the inflated top-heavy military was reduced. Such administrative and fiscal irresponsibility should be addressed if the PM is serious about eliminating corruption.