OPINION

Safeguard trade

Re: "China to dominate CLMV as Thailand set to lose out", (BP, Nov 27).

The concerns raised by the article warrant a comparison between the US and China. The US acquires influences through the meting out of economic goodies such as the Generalised System of Preferences (or GSP which Thailand will be mostly cut off from soon unless amicable negotiations can be worked out), previously generous opening of the US market (not anymore), military grants, and many other "strings-attached" quid pro quo.

While China is pursuing a different model using its Belt and Road Initiative through the building of infrastructures that connect the recipients of cheap strings-attached funding (on the main routes) and beneficiaries (for instance, Thailand) who will connect with the main routes using self-funding subsidiary infrastructures.

An access to a market is like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can help establish a distribution network to the Chinese or other markets along the route. However, the flip side is that it can also help open up previously protected domestic markets to the outside world.

Japan is a prime example of countries that closely guard their domestic distribution networks. Any outsider who wants to access its domestic market has to do it through native distributors.

A free and fair trade among neighbouring countries is always a good thing -- as long as we have safeguards in place to protect and upgrade vulnerable local producers against the onslaught of highly competitive Chinese imports that can disrupt domestic industries and make inroads into our traditional CLMV markets.

Insurance nightmare

I received a message from my US embassy telling me that unlike my previous eight long-term visas for Thailand I will now need insurance that pays 400,000 baht for inpatient coverage and 40,000 baht for outpatient coverage. I am 78 years of age and none of the 12 insurance companies recommended by the embassy will cover me. On the 30th of January my visa expires and I will be leaving Thailand and my Thai wife and our home with the only option of coming for 30 days on an occasional tourist visa.

A solution that I thought of is for someone to form a Thai insurance business that will provide the coverage the Thai government wants. This business would be available to anyone, no matter health or age because the first year payment for coverage would be 500,000 baht. If no payments were made for the medical coverage of the policy holder the following year no payment would be due and the same for all the following years.

The government would be happy because the expats would pay for their care and the insurance company would be happy because they couldn't lose any money no matter what was due. People like me would be happy because I could get a long-stay visa. Whoever forms this business please let me be one of the first in a long line of people with 500,000 baht cash to give to you. Please hurry, the 30th of January is going to be here in a few months.

Plastic shenanigans

The death of a wild deer recently in Khun Sathan National Park following its ingestion of 7kg of plastic waste is terrible.

However, the proposal from our Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa beggars belief. So, every visitor will be given a black plastic bag, yes, you heard this correct, a black plastic bag in order to collect their trash while visiting the park. I am currently looking for an appropriate adjective to describe the inability not to see the wood for the trees.