OPINION

Options for farmers

Re: "How Vietnam is trying to stop rice warming the planet", (BP, March 24).

The article explains how Vietnamese farmers do not burn leftover rice straw but instead use it as compost to produce mushrooms. This is a twofold benefit: they earn extra money and do not create PM2.5 pollution from burn-offs, which benefits the health of their fellow citizens. I presume the same principle applies to sugar cane farmers and their burn-offs.

Maybe Thailand could implement this method if it wants to improve air quality.

Read and learn

Re: "World faces prospect of financial tumult", (Opinion, March 23).

In a brief span of about a week, US banks Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapsed, with another on the verge of closing operations soon. And a major world bank, Credit Suisse, has seen its stock collapse by over 30%, with little relief on the horizon.

Now I ask: will the contagion soon spread to Thailand? One would think so, despite the assurances this week of Prayut Chan-o-cha that all is well in the kingdom. Most likely, other financial institutions will also collapse, not only in Thailand but around the world.

Chartchai Parasuk has been warning Thais in his Post column since the end of 2022 that economic prospects will be dim this year, despite the expected surge of tourist arrivals to the kingdom.

So I suggest that people read his upcoming articles on how we can best mitigate the economic disruptions which are sure to beset us this year.

A sporting chance

Re: "Level the playing field", (PostBag, March 26) & "Trans women banned from female athletics", (BP, March 24).

Felix Qui raises some interesting points in his letter regarding trans women competing in sports. But why stop where he did?

Let's just give everyone equal opportunity and let them all compete on the same playing field. Let football teams pick players based on their physical strength, stamina and skills.

Make events like the Olympics open ones, where all can compete on a level playing field. That way, no one can complain that they have fewer opportunities than others.

Iffy Phuket deals

Re: "Chinese investors snapping up real estate in Phuket", (Business, March 28).

This article has me puzzled. It said Chinese investors are buying up condos, villas, shophouses and orchards in Phuket. What confuses me is that as an individual from another country, retired here in Thailand, I am limited to buying only a certain percentage of a condo building while the Chinese are buying such varied types of real estate. Have I been told about the Thai law on foreign ownership of real estate for the past 50+ years that I've been visiting and living in Thailand incorrectly, or are Chinese nationals under a different set of laws? It sounds like another case similar to the immigration scandal for rich Chinese.

Counting fingers

Re: "No time for cruel jokes", (Editorial, March 17).

I was surprised to read in the Post's March 17 editorial that General Prayut had sarcastically asked those giving a three-fingered salute what happened to the other two fingers. Surely the general is not suggesting that the three-fingered salute he received should have been followed by a two-fingered one.