OPINION

Privatise THAI

Let's turn Thai Airways' chronic losses into an opportunity to privatise entirely.

The Bangkok Post reported on Aug 10 last year that "THAI second-quarter loss more than doubled as the global economic slowdown, fierce competition and a strengthened baht took their toll on revenue". Also, "After 2016, THAI has since been in the red", (Nikkei Asian Review,May 16, 2019). President Sumeth Damrongchaitham, brought in to turn the airline around, has resigned.

Saving face aside, I see little reason why taxpayers should shoulder chronic billion-baht losses. If world powers like the US, UK, France, Japan and Germany don't need majority state-owned civilian airlines, why do we? Some say that we need a national airline to evacuate Thais during crisis: yet when 142 Thais needed rescuing from Wuhan this year, the government called on AirAsia.

Our economy has been tottering for years, with just 2.4% GDP growth in 2019. With Covid-19 killing our tourist industry, a government-owned airline has become a wasteful usage of taxpayers' hard-earned funds.

Sell the Ministry of Finance's 51% ownership and use the proceeds to rehabilitate our economy into the powerhouse it once was.

There are so many rules and regulations in Thailand which are counter-productive. When the obvious solution is to cut or change unnecessary, outdated or irrelevant regulations, the Thai solution is to add more regulations, complicating and, in many cases, contradicting what is already there. Then no-one understands anything and the numerous different interpretations which result cause absolute chaos.

The law becomes impossible to follow or even respect. Any decision can be changed by any "authority" which cannot be challenged but is changed by someone else. Complete contradiction, caprice, uncertainty, unfairness, inconsistency, and instability is the Thai way.

When foreigners are involved in disputes, complaints or arguments it gets even worse. The Thai multiplicity of truths depending who you are, how much money you have, what paper qualifications you have, who you know and whatever else they can bring into the equation creates situations which cannot be reasonably challenged.

What they want is to humiliate and punish us. Money is the ultimate aim of the regulations in Thailand so far as non-Thais are concerned. There is no real human feeling, understanding or compassion. "We are always right. You must not complain, we never do wrong. This is the law." The ignorance or arrogance of the Thai people will be their downfall. The health minister is a prime example. He needs to be dealt with appropriately, starting with a strong disinfectant administered orally, followed by an enema -- a nut in his butt.

I find it curious, nay scarcely credible, that Myanmar and Laos, right next door, so far have not appeared in your daily Covid-19 virus tracker. This is disturbing given the numbers of migrants from these countries who illegally work here and who would not reveal any symptoms to local health centres for fear of being deported.

The wing commander in charge of running Suvarnabumi Airport has been removed from his job. The reason given is government dissatisfaction with how he is running the airport during the virus crisis. Are those who criticise the wing commander in a position to do his job better? If so, let's hear your suggestions. The critics probably have not the foggiest idea what they are talking about, but finding a scapegoat for their own inequities is quite common.