OPINION

A costly delay

It is becoming increasingly clear that there will be no tourists arriving in numbers before the majority of Thai people are vaccinated. A country that depends on close to 20% of its GDP on travel and tourism should by now be right up there with Israel in terms of inoculations or at least at par with the UK to be able to open up this coming summer.

Preparations for vaccine purchases should have been made long ago and rolled out immediately after approval -- this job lays squarely with the public health minister. Now it looks like we are looking at the end of this year or the beginning of next year before reaching the critical mass of inoculations in the population. This delay in opening up the country will cost over a trillion baht in lost income and I see some comments on saving a couple of hundred baht on jabs. Huh?

Re: "US brand uses monk's image without asking", (BP, Feb 18).

All Thai Buddhists must be poised on the brink of enlightenment if the National Office of Buddhism has nothing better to do with its time than pick on an obscure American clothing company for purloining a photo of Luang Phor Koon.

An official has expressed the desire "to find out what the [Supreme] brand's purpose is". I suggest that the company's purpose is to sell more clothing.

The whole business is puzzling. The article is illustrated with a photo of a shirt with a camouflage (popularly called "camo") pattern stamped with the photo of the revered monk. Camouflage clothing is normally associated with military activity. What military activity has to do with a revered Thai monk is a question worthy of extended meditation. My guess is that the personnel of the clothing company may have been smoking too much cannabis.

I suggest that the National Office of Buddhism might start worrying more about the spiritual condition of Thai Buddhists and less about the eccentric activities of foreign clothing companies.

Re: "Expats excluded", (PostBag, Feb 13).

The evolving Covid-19 vaccination programme offers government authorities a great opportunity to demonstrate respect and appreciation to long-term foreign residents in recognition of the benefits that they contribute to Thailand. Many resident foreigners are in high-risk categories with respect to Covid-19 -- being older than 60 years of age or afflicted with underlying maladies -- that makes contracting Covid-19 especially dangerous.

Immunising resident foreigners should be seen as an opportunity rather than a bother. Outlining a clear plan for how long-term resident foreigners can receive vaccinations in line with recognised global priorities for immunising high-risk individuals is in everyone's interest. One simple option would be to allow private hospitals to purchase vaccines directly from suppliers and administer them to foreigners residing in the kingdom. Hopefully, this is something to which authorities will give serious consideration.

Yet another farang, WhizBang, in his Feb 18 letter, "Uncaring officials", writes to complain about Thai immigration. "...Incompetence, ineptitude and uncaring officials who often seem to enjoy making others miserable."

I have been dealing with Immigration in Chiang Mai for over 30 years and have always found them helpful.

Did it ever occur to you that some of these problems with immigration may be a reflection of the attitude of the foreigner rather than of the immigration official?

Re: "Call for more baby bumps", (BP, Editorial, Feb 18).

It's all very well to call for "solid measures to quickly boost the birthrate and stabilise demographic development" but Thai women are making rational, informed choices not to have children.

When brutish authorities use unjust laws to lock up their children for daring to question a dubious status quo, the sensible choice is not to bring children into such a society. When gross wealth inequality driven by repeated coups against the Thai people allows abuse by the rich and powerful who support the injustices of coups, the morally right choice is to remain childless. When those with vast wealth preach "sufficiency economics" whilst doling out niggardly pittances from their own vast wealth, for which they expect boundless praise in return, not to have children is a rational choice. When seeking and speaking truths about Thai society is proscribed by anti-democratic law, good people will abstain from inflicting life on the children who must suffer it should they be born into such a traditionally backward society.

Re: "Record low birthrate worries officials", (BP, Feb 12); and "Sweethearts urged to keep distance, mask up, abstain", (BP, Feb 13).

On the one hand, we have the Thai government coming up with policies which encourage people to get children, since the authorities are concerned about the country's declining birthrate. Then, on the next day, we get the Department for Disease Control (DDC) telling Thais that they need to be careful on Valentine's Day, so abstinence is the only option for dating couples, the aforementioned body proclaims. Talk about getting contradictory signals!

Just as some here have commented upon the Thai government wanting to have its cake and eat it, too, with regards to policies which encourage tourism to the kingdom but which require a period of quarantine due to Covid-19, so too, here, it seems that the Thai authorities want to have their cake and eat it.

The birthrate cannot be increased with abstinence, it should be clear to all. I think Thai citizens have made the correct decision in not having many children at this stage, considering we are still in the middle of a pandemic here.

The people of Myanmar have demonstrated their endorsement of the National League for Democracy and their massive rejection of military rule. The army junta has lost all vestiges of legitimacy and the spectre looms of a bloodbath of innocent protesters at the hands of the military. Now is the time for the United Nations to put into practice the Resolution of the General Assembly in its Action for Peacekeeping:

We affirm the primacy of politics in the resolution of conflict and the supporting role of peacekeeping operations therein, and reaffirm the basic principles of peacekeeping, such as consent of the parties, impartiality, and non-use of force, except in self-defence and defence of the mandate. We recall the importance of peacekeeping as one of the most effective tools available to the UN in the promotion and maintenance of international peace and security.

The people of Myanmar are at grave risk, as is also the United Nations office, in addition to the some 500 United Nations local personnel who do not enjoy the security of diplomatic status. With the utmost urgency the Thailand Country Representative should submit a Resolution to the Security Council to draw up an appropriate mandate for a UN peacekeeping force to be dispatched to Myanmar asap, to assure the protection of UN personnel. Thereafter, the mandate could be extended with appropriate clearances to include observer and reporting status relating to civilians.

Having just flown to Phuket, the flight was an uncomfortable experience. The plane was half full and the cabin crew were more focused on policing masks being worn over noses for all, rather than serving passengers with any modicum of service-mindedness. I missed the dystopian announcement of "food and drink cannot be consumed on this flight and is punishable by Thai law". Therefore, when I proceeded to take a sip of water I was immediately told I couldn't. Naturally, I was shocked and said I was very thirsty. Instead of explaining the policy to me patiently I was threatened with "do you wish to fly with us or not?".

In Phuket I noticed multiple police checkpoints day and night with Thais and foreigners stopped and searched. I was stopped and searched late at night, quizzed on my sobriety (I never drink and drive), asked repeatedly if I had drugs, my pockets rummaged through, my crotch grabbed invasively. Upon sharing this story with my hotel receptionist she smirked and commented on missed tea money opportunism with tourism drying up leading to an increasingly hostile authoritative presence on the streets. I am but a guest here and the CAAT and TAT etc can enact whatever policies they wish. These are observations and experiences to share.

Re: "Man arrested over ties to savings club", (BP, Feb 19).

Anyone so crassly stupid and gullible to believe they will realise more than 500,000 baht return on a 100-baht investment deserves to lose their money.

It would seem that the disabled toilets at the Bang Pakong service area on route 7 have themselves been disabled for many years.

First it is very hard to shut the door as the frames have warped -- some won't shut at all. Surprise! Having closed the door, there is no working light or visible means of switching one on.

Trying to lower oneself on to the pan is fraught with difficulty as the arm supports are either missing, hanging by their last screw or so wobbly that they are a hazard. Raising oneself afterwards is even harder.

After all the fumbling about, a good handwash is needed. Another surprise! No water or the taps don't work. There is no soap, hand sanitiser or paper towels; nor is there a mirror.

Worst of all, the large red help button is either missing or obviously not in working order.

Thailand usually prides itself in having immaculate toilets but it would seem that the public sector does not understand maintenance and there is likely no budget -- or it got diverted to a better cause.