Covid hysteria
Re: "Heedless manhunt, Omicron marches on", (PostBag, Jan 10). As I read the Second Secretary to India's remarks concerning the Bangkok Post's recent coverage of an allegedly Covid positive foreign couple who were allegedly taken off-guard by a surprise positive Covid result and/or alleged miscommunication, I could not help but sympathise with the secretary because the recent debacle really reveals just how paranoid much of the Thai public still is regarding Covid.
The Bangkok Post's front page (online) article says that Thailand had 7,926 known new cases yesterday.
As such, it was sad to watch this recent hysterical reaction to this couple because there are almost certainly plenty of Thais and local residents who are also Covid positive, asymptomatic and spreading the disease without knowing it as I write this.
Getting two people into quarantine is probably not going to even put a ping in Thailand's rising Covid numbers. We are just going to have to accept that we have Covid throughout most of the country.
It is here to stay, but the country's attitude towards Covid-positive people presently gives potential foreign tourists and investors every reason not to travel here.
JASON A JELLISON
Target bad bikers
Re: "7 deadly days", (BP, Jan 3).
Time and again we are reminded that Thai roads are among the most dangerous in the world. Speeding, drunk driving and lack of common sense in general are mostly responsible. However, around 80% of all casualties are motorcycle riders. It would be interesting to know how many accidents are caused by careless motorists, and how many are due to irresponsible bike riding. I suspect the latter account for many mishaps.
Wouldn't it be better to focus more on the reckless bike riders in order to reduce casualties instead of running useless campaigns during new year periods? Helmets often seem unnecessary to these dimwits, and police seem to regard them as a mere cash cow.
Why not introduce a more stringent motorcycle licence with appropriate enforcement? Seeing helmet-less 13-year-old children ride to school with three piled on a bike is just asking for trouble. All the while the police just look on. The safety campaigns that are run now clearly aren't working. Time to do better.
TOM BUNDABERG
City charm gone
After a long break, we are finally back in Bangkok and ready to spend the remaining winter months here. Yet we are so sorry to experience continuous noise pollution almost every evening close to our home.
The source is the recently opened Bangkok Island Beach Club, a music boat docked at Charoen Krung Soi 57 Pier. This is different from Chao Phraya cruise boats that just come and go and stop music playing at the proper time.
After the Christmas and New Year period of concerts and DJ performances, which was extremely irritating, the events calendar of Bangkok Island is quite empty so we thought finally we could rest and enjoy beautiful Bangkok again.
But the music playing with strong drumming goes on and on and on ... the boat is either a place for private parties or for bands to practise. How come the authorities permitted such a loud-playing music boat in the middle of the city? The noise pollution is terrorising the neighbourhood, especially the other side of the river. What happened to the charm of Great Old Bangkok?
ERIC H
