OPINION

Open up market

Re: "Selling the family silver?" (Editorial, Sept 27).

Now that the government is willing to smash the hallowed taboo of foreign land ownership to entice investment by wealthy foreigners, it is surely time to lay to rest that other old bugbear, the Foreign Business Act. Thailand has been lagging behind its Asean neighbours, particularly Vietnam, in foreign direct investment for decades and having the most restrictive foreign investment laws in Asean is clearly one of the reasons for this.

Having to give majority control of your own business to local partners, who usually expect to borrow the money from you and add little or no value, is a huge turn-off for foreign investors. Thailand only needs to protect its strategic industries, such as infrastructure and natural resources. All other sectors should allow 100% foreign ownership.

This is about providing jobs and skills to workers, not selling the family silver.

Re: "Selling the family silver?" (Editorial, Sept 27).

I believe the desire of Thailand to attract wealthy tourists and investors is a good strategy on paper, but they are not considering human nature.

This shortsighted focus on generating money is being conducted without reciprocity and is hypocritical. Why should anyone with true business sense invest in a market where you do not truly own your property and have to surrender the controlling interest of your entrepreneurship and resources to a Thai national? This model only benefits the Thai side of the equation and is nowhere near a reciprocal arrangement.

Thailand should treat foreign investors and residents the same way that Thais are treated in their countries; anything less is blatant hypocrisy. In my country, for example, a Thai can legally own property without restrictions; a business investment must employ 10 citizens and control does not have to be surrendered. So how about it Thailand, treat foreign nationals the way they treat you?

Re: "B230m paid out in jab compensation," (BP, Sept 28).

I'm the last person to give the anti-vaxxers' campaign any oxygen, but I couldn't ignore the report of 230 million baht paid out in jab compensation, for severe injury and death to 464 approved claimants.

I try to stay across such Covid vaccination issues, but have not seen similar reported levels of adverse reactions to jabs and deaths from any other country. Any informed comments would be welcome.

Re: "OnlyFans star's arrest renews debate on sex work," (BP, Sept 28).

Isn't it ironic that in a country riddled with corruption at every level, where illegal coups have replaced elections, where the sex industry has been an important item in the economy, where even the clergy has been faulted for not always following Buddhist precepts, a media platform with erotic content has been targeted by a corps that is not particularly known for its ethical conduct, in the name of morality to boot?

What hypocrisy! It is time for this country to wake up and stop looking into people's private lives.

Has the sex industry that was thriving before the pandemic, and will thrive again when the health crisis is over, ever jeopardised the Thai way of life?

The exploitation of sex workers, paedophilia, the trafficking of men, women and children should be the focus of the laughable ire of the self-appointed guardians of "morality".