OPINION

Competing to be the noisiest

Re: "Keeping the noise down", (Opinion, Oct 12).

Reading your editorial and other articles regarding Thailand's worsening noise pollution, I'm surprised traffic noise has never once been mentioned! This for me is the most irritating source of noise as it seems motorcycles and tuk tuks are competing to be the noisiest, most obnoxious vehicles on Bangkok's roads.

In Sept 2016 the Post reported on the police purchasing expensive equipment to measure noise levels from road vehicles so that remedial action could be enforced. During the two years since, has any reader seen these devices put to use? I certainly haven't!

Re: "Death Island Appeal", (PostBag, Oct 13).

An Eastern European was found dead floating in the sea in the middle of the day off Sairee beach. An investigation is underway. It's likely he drowned. Happens every day somewhere in Thailand, but because it's Koh Tao the tabloids report it and some letter writers pile it on again.

No one calls it "death island" outside the tabloids, certainly no one pays much attention to the rabid, ill-informed comments made on the website. Tourists coming to Koh Tao generally don't worry about silly notions anyway or they stay in Koh Samui or Bangkok where they may be shot by gun violence easily enough.

A Daily Beast website headline, "Trump Jr Boosts Smear, Tying Missing Journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Islamic Terrorism" illustrates how some (questionably responsible) people should have their mouths sewn shut.

It is unbelievable how both Trumps consider themselves such worldly spokesmen as to express their mostly ignorant opinions on everything from the proverbial "soup to nuts". Why anyone even gives credence to Trump Jr is a mystery. As Shakespeare wrote in  Macbeth, "It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing." Endure, oh Americans, endure another few years. It'll soon all be over, providing the country survives that long.

The recent news that Turkish officials are alleged to have recordings of Jamal Khashoggi's reported torture, interrogation and murder is noteworthy, indeed. Is there not any limit to how far a member of the world community will go? A member of the community of nations? And how long its peers will remain indifferent?

Re: "Useless UK embassy", (PostBag, Oct 13).

The following is my letter to the British Embassy.

As you are very aware, your decision to cease issuance of proof of income letters has caused a great deal of distress to many pensioners including myself. Whilst I am aware that there may be spurious applicants, may I suggest that instead of a blanket decision to discontinue this service that you continue to issue letters to individuals who can provide verifiable proof of income from previous employers which in my case is American Express, an internationally established blue chip company.

Again, I am sure you are aware that many expatriates have been increasingly dissatisfied with the decline in service from the embassy in Bangkok over the past few years and this will give you an opportunity to improve the perception that you simply do not care about your customers -- Britons overseas.

I sincerely hope that you will give consideration to my suggestion,

A clear statement From Thai Immigration, please! There has been a lot of talk recently, most of it incomplete, ill-informed, alarmist or confused, about Thai Immigration's recent bid to tighten up the rules requiring expatriates on either marriage or retirement visas to show that they have the required funds.

For a retirement visa or extension (marriage visa figures in brackets), the requirement is 800,000 (400,000) baht deposited three months prior to renewal in a Thai bank account or a verified income of 65,000 (40,000) baht a month. The deposit route isn't changing, as I read it, with the verification being a letter from the bank.

The monthly income route is the issue, as the British Embassy (and others) have said they cannot comply with Thai Immigration's verification requirements and are therefore ceasing to issue letters of verification of income from mid-December. This is odd as one has to provide proof of income -- P60 and/or original pension letter -- when one applies to the embassy. It would seem, however, that the issue is less one of proof of income as proof of that income being remitted to Thailand. But this is what the embassies have said and we as expatriates will have to work round it.

With that in mind, may I on behalf of expatriates here on retirement or marriage visas, ask Thai Immigration for a clear, concise and unequivocal statement of its requirements on this matter? Is the monthly income route being discontinued and, if not, where is the verification to come from and what must it consist of?

Perhaps such a statement might be made via the columns of the two English language newspapers in the kingdom? I am certain that not just expatriates would be grateful for such a statement, but regional Thai Immigration offices would be as well, to avoid them being besieged by hundreds of farang all asking the same questions!

In hope, if not expectation.

Re: "Plants have feelings too", (PostBag, Oct 13).

Darius Hober is a brave man to point out that plants are sentient beings (at least philosophically) and vegans too are killers when they eat them. Boy, oh boy.

Now we can expect fireworks coming from the vegan brigade, spearheaded by the the High Priest Eric Bahrt himself. Here it comes! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Re: "Plants have feelings too", (PostBag, Oct 13).

We hear the old "plants feel pain" argument to counter the view that it's cruel to eat animals. Since plants don't have a centralised nervous system, there is no scientific basis for assuming they feel pain.

But here's the clincher. Since most plant food is fed to livestock, not humans, the livestock industry causes more plants to be destroyed than vegans.

Will this new information cause any meat eaters to become vegans? Of course not! Because concern for plants is not their reason for eating meat and they know it! They're just making excuses.

Contact: Bangkok Post Building 136 Na Ranong Road Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110 fax: +02 6164000 Email:

postbag@bangkokpost.co.th

All letter writers must provide full name and address.

All published correspondence is subject to editing at our discretion.