OPINION

Megamall madness

Re: "New megamall to occupy 400 rai at Klong Toey port", (BP, May 21).

Just how many more megamalls does Bangkok need? And, since when is it the job of the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) to conduct commercial retail, tourism, and office rental businesses? Going by their name, shouldn't the PAT be focusing on managing port facilities and services and leaving other businesses to more appropriate entities? If there is excess land in the port area, it should be returned to the central government or the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration for management according to the highest benefits to Thai society. I can think of many things that Bangkok needs other than another landmark megamall.

I'm particularly uneasy about the plan for relocating ("evicting" is the word used by PAT director-general Kamolsak Promprayoon) more than 12,500 families from their homes in the Klong Toey area. Such relocations almost never end well for those involved. Wonderful promises are made and model flats are put on display, but in the end those evicted usually get a raw deal.

Re: "Pattaya needs big clean-up", (Editorial, May 21).

Pattaya in the 70s was indeed a little paradise, with crystal clear water and beaches with clean sand. Now, oh dear! Why has this situation been allowed to go on for decades? One word: greed.

Thailand and the rest of the countries in Asean should act together and work in concerted ways to improve energy utilisation.

A renewed focus needs to be placed on the merits of renewable energy, which could be realised through some targets. Reduce fossil fuel consumption, empower even more enthusiastically the agricultural sector, put special emphasis on developing low carbon societies and lastly enhance energy security.

According to the most recent figures available for Asean, energy from renewable sources only constitute between 24-26% of the sum consumed. More action towards making energy utilisation efficient is on the cards. As it is, we are in a do or die situation.

Re: "Condo rental mess", (PostBag, May 21).

Peter, you need not worry. Despite the court verdict in Hua Hin, condo short-term rentals are alive and well there with management either unwilling or unable to prevent owners letting them out to "friends" for short breaks. This is Thailand after all.

When will anyone show huge respect with gratitude to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha for his mastery of strategic skills to have:

First, carrying out a soft, superb military coup.

Second, managing a calm transition that none had been successfully done before by keeping away the Thaksin opera and seriously tackling corruption and other matters that needed cleaning up.

A strong plan over 20 years will allow Thailand to reach real developed country standards. Of course, rules will applied and implemented, upsetting those selfishly breaching them, which is wrongly called freedom of speech and actions. All the nation will benefit with a modern, new Thailand.

The press is losing its informative grip due to social media's disastrous instant exchange of gossip rather than facts.

The government is going to re-record the newer version of the Thai national anthem as shown on the 6pm news to include monks (BP, May 22). How about adding a few of us Westerners as well? Many of us have lived here for 20 to 30 years or more. We are soon to become an endangered species.