OPINION

Keep goading FAD

I realise you can't publish a letter full of photographs, but I'm submitting this in the hope that you will continue goading the Fine Arts Department (FAD) into upping its game when it comes to preserving the kingdom's Heritage.

Northwest of downtown Korat sits Wat Prang Thong in Nakhon Ratchasima province. All that remains of what was once a significant Khmer complex is a single tower which was ineptly restored during the Ratanakosin period. The only Khmer feature left is the beautifully carved stone lintel. The top of the tower would have had a completely different look when originally constructed a thousand years ago.

The lintel over the East facing door and the southward lean of the tower. The existing tower was probably one of three. Many bits and pieces of the other two are still lying around, but little effort has been made to preserve or reconstruct them.

Unfortunately, the tower continued to collapse. In about 2010 the FAD decided to fix it by adding this ugly steel support structure. I suspect that the steel framing the lintel is there to protect it from theft. Unfortunately, it obscures the edges of the lintel and makes it difficult to appreciate its beauty.

But the vulnerable risk of insufficient conservation is not limited to the heritage.

There is also the railway station at Khok Kruat in Nakhon Ratchasima. I hope it is not adversely affected by the rush to finish the high-speed rail and double-track projects.

Re: "An Olympic-sized Covid-19 risk", (BP, June 18).

Members of the medical profession and the general public in Japan have expressed concern about the dangers to public health from holding the delayed Olympic Games in Tokyo.

At the same time, sport administrators in Japan and the Olympic movement have expressed the importance of going ahead with the games.

Why don't they reach a compromise and do what everyone else has had to do during the pandemic and conduct the games via Zoom?

Re: "Anutin: we'll do better from now on", (BP, June 17).

It's great news that the flow of locally produced AstraZeneca vaccines is beginning to flow. The decision to delay the second AZ shots for 16 weeks much less so. There seems to be no medical evidence that this delay is advisable and it is notable that the UK is reducing the time gap to eight weeks, from 12, for more vulnerable people as the new variants are more virulent.

Apart from those vaccinated with the less affective Sinovac, simple maths means that this 16-week delay will leave virtually no one fully covered in 120 days when the PM has announced the reopening of Thailand.

Re: "Money changers feeling the pinch", (Business, June 16).

Money changers must be applying some sort of mystery mathematics in claiming that the volume of money exchanged fell by over 600% during the past year. Since a quantity cannot decrease by more than 100% of itself without going into negative range -- which is not realistic unless money changers are giving money away -- there seems to be some slipshod reporting involved. Clients seeking the services of money changers in Thailand are urged to carefully count their money before departing the counter.

Re: "Virus cover needed for long stays", (BP, June 16).

Yet again, the Thai government has announced another ill-conceived policy that bears all the hallmarks of a rush to be seen as doing something but which will actually accomplish nothing except to make Thailand look foolish and a less enticing place for foreigners.

In its latest policy blunder, the government plans to require long-staying foreigners to have US$100,000 in Covid-19 cover. Unless the government is going to demand that all foreigners already here report immediately to Immigration with proof of such coverage, then that policy will be phased in over the course of the next year as foreigners renew their one-year visas.

However, by the time most foreigners have to renew their one-year visas, they will have been vaccinated against Covid-19 (unless the Thai government decides to reserve all vaccine doses for Thai people). So, the result will be that foreigners will have to have insurance for treatment against a disease to which they are immune. By the logic of the Thai government, it should also require proof of cover for treatment against polio, which is still a problem in at least two countries, or even smallpox, since you can't tell when smallpox might escape from a lab and start to infect people again.

Moreover, it seems uncertain that there is even, at the current moment, a real problem: the Post has not reported any situations in which foreigners have contracted Covid-19 in Thailand and been unable to pay for their treatment. Indeed, if there is any long-term problem with non-paying foreigners here, it is probably with respect to tourists who come here on cheap flights and with little money and are then unable to pay for treatment when they are injured on Thailand's roads or elsewhere. Thus, if the government wants to address a problem with any substance, perhaps it should require resident foreigners as well as all other foreigners entering the Kingdom, for any reason, to provide proof of insurance against every conceivable form of disease and accident.

Re: "Virus cover needed for long stays", (BP, June 16).

After reading this article from the Bangkok Post, I sincerely hope that all European and Western countries' governments reciprocate this and make having Covid insurance necessary for Thai expats.

Re: "Virus cover needed for long stays", (BP, June 16).

The government has decided to penalise foreigners living here in the kingdom. To get your Non-Immigrant visa (O-A Visa) renewed, you must have Covid insurance cover of US$100,000.

On returning to Thailand last January, you had to provide to the embassy proof that you had this cover, along with inpatient and out patient hospital cover. You had to have an approved hotel booked for your 15 days' quarantine at considerable cost.

This before you were issued a certificate of entry (COE) and on the 16 June it was decided that it would become mandatory. Thus, please explain the difference between foreigners that are married, retired or on a business visa for one year. This government is discriminating between them.

O-A visa holders must have 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account while a married person must have only 400,000 baht in the bank while he or she is supporting a family. The retired person in Thailand has contributed to the economy the same as all those on other one-year visas.

The sooner this government is removed the better. They have destroyed this fine country with empty promises, and lie at any given chance. All this is just blatant discrimination by a government that does not believe in individuals' rights.

Re: "I just want a date", (PostBag, June 17).

I, now 77 years of age, luckily managed to get two confirmed dates for vaccinations: one via the Mor Prom app at my regular hospital and one, a bit later, via https://www.thailandintervac.com/ at MedPark International Hospital.

I selected the first and I tried to return my second one to help another senior or expat get my slot, but failed following the instructions on that website.

Calling the hospital I was advised to send an email. The response to my email was: "MedPark Hospital is only the vaccination site. The reservation, postponement or cancellation must be solely made at www.thailandintervac.com.The link www.thailandintervac.com is belonged to The Department of Disease Control. You may call them at 02-590-3000 or hotline 1422."

Calling 1422 was met with music only, so I gave up. The website did provide an email address using "report bugs" but no link to edit my booking. Happy to transfer my confirmed vaccination (A38642) date on 26 June 2021 to Khun Millie Tan (for free!!!).

Re: "Macau shuts Taipei base in protest", (BP, June 17).

A commentary under the China heading on June 17 stated that "Hong Kong and Macau ARE semi-autonomous cities". This is no longer true. Macau earlier and most recently Hong Kong are now under complete control of the Chinese government. Just look at all the arrests in Hong Kong for acting as a free press in the last week!! Hong Kong falls under a treaty signed with the British and Chinese guaranteeing them self government for 50 years with a significant period of those years in the future. China does as Xi pleases despite treaties!!

When is Thailand going to become a country without juvenile laws?

1. No alcohol to be served with meals in restaurants

2. No alcohol sales between 14:00 to 17:00

3. No alcohol sales on royal birthdays or celebrations

4. No alcohol sales on religious days

The owners of all of these establishment cannot open or do business according to the rules of the day. They are closed down because of no customers and the ones that are open struggle to cover their rental because of a lack of customers.

All civilised countries serve alcohol on national days, king and queen birthdays, and remembrance days for victories in war. From where I come from and in other countries on national and local voting days, all businesses are permitted to serve alcohols as normal.