OPINION

Far too enterprising

Re: “AoT to unlock ‘airport cities’,” (Business, Sept 18). The Prayut Chan-o-cha government should not allow state enterprises to get involved in businesses that have nothing to do with their core undertaking.

For example, PTT, a SET-listed state enterprise that has enjoyed a near-monopoly in retailing gas for vehicles in the country, has jumped into a fried-chicken franchise, using the huge profit it has made from selling petroleum products. This is a bad precedent for other Thai state enterprises. It is also an invitation to more and unnecessary corruption in these companies.

If the management of these enterprises insist on seeing great potential in businesses other than their company’s core business, they should be told to resign and start their own companies — using their own investment money.

Vint Chavala

Re: “Democrats fear ban if they join NRSA”, (BP Sept 18). Well, the fear that career politicians such as Mr Abhisit and others will be barred from contesting the next election are well founded. After all, these are the same people who are partly to blame for the current situation.

First, they sided with yellow shirts and later with the People’s Democratic  Reform Committee to oust elected governments. Besides blaming the Shinawatra family for every ill in Thai society, they have often sided with the military and the mob to undermine and unseat elected governments. What sort of faith do they have in elections and democracy?

Kuldeep Nagi

After reading Nicholas Borroz’s Sept 18 article “US estrangement from Thailand”, one could only wonder how events would have shaped themselves in Thai-American relations if that “jerk” (Ivana Trump’s own word) Barack Obama would have been less harsh and less critical of the coup and the coup master.

Obama’s myopic obsession with his so-called American version of democracy is being pushed on everyone and everything, from Gen Prayut to Vladimir Putin. Reversing Thailand’s love affair with China is not going to happen, or at least not in the near future.

Jack Gilead

Nicholas Borroz’s article is among the most myopic opinions I’ve ever read on the subject of the US-Thailand relationship.

If there is any negativity on America’s part for Thailand, it is due to just one person — Obama! The soon to be ex-president has no understanding of foreign policy, no sense of history and is generally incompetent. I can tell that Mr Borroz is just another deluded left-winger and, as such, has opinions that should be discounted by Thais and Americans.

Ted EF Roberts

On Thursday, I learnt what “Thainess” really is. Here at my home in Pattaya our houses are ruined under 1.5 metres of water. Our cars and motorbikes are under water and many personal possessions lost.

Despite all this I heard high spirits with neighbours chatting and joking among the turmoil. The young Thai men went out and came back with bottled water and food many, many times during the day.

I personally am gutted but the spirit of recovery in my Thai wife is amazing.

As soon as the water started to recede down the steps she was cleaning up. Before bedtime on Thursday night, the lounge and kitchen were passably accessible thanks mainly to her hard work.

Amazing resilience I have to say. Thai cheery voices faces went a long way to help my anguish at my own loss.

So “Thainess” has earned a pass from bad driving and overcharging for a while!

Khun Frosty

Mr M’s Sept 18 letter “Pattaya flood disaster” shows that Thais do, after all, listen to the government’s call to create catch basins for water. Pattaya, aka the Cesspool by the Sea, is one of the first to comply. The government should issue a certificate of compliance and satisfaction for all Pattayans to view and be proud of, while they watch rubbish of all sorts, used condoms, discarded needles, excrement, and giant rats float gently by their homes and places of business. Why do I keep humming, Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream…

Vasserbuflox

As previously described in my letter of Aug 23 my elderly neighbour subjected himself to the arduous return bus journey, Tha Ton to Bangkok, a marathon of 26 hours on a bus and 10 hours in the city, in order to apply for his new British passport. He then repeated this torture a few weeks later to collect the newly produced document essential for his stay here in Thailand.

As was his nature, he went as far as to praise the staff in the office for their kindness and efficiency in dealing with his business. One week after this he collapsed and died at his home near Tha Ton. I am not suggesting his death is a direct result of the British government’s decision to make all this necessary but I am more than a little angry that a sick old gentleman was subjected to this ordeal in the last month of his life. RIP Mister Tom. Shame on you, British government.

Lungstib

Biodegradable bags are not only in use in Western countries as explained by Joob-Joob in his Sept 17 letter. The Villa Market stores in Thailand adopted them quite a while ago. These are marked with an explanation that: “Sunlight, heat and oxygen” cause them to decompose.

I have kept some for re-use in my kitchen only to have them disintegrate after a few weeks. This is a step in the right direction that should be considered by other merchants.

Brian Greenhalgh

I can only laugh every time the SRT cries about how it loses money, and how financially broke it is. Most commuter rides are free. Even if the SRT charges a token five baht it would still make the cost of probably a half-tank of fuel for one of its outdated locomotives.

People appreciate things they pay for. Freebies are taken for granted and they are eventually thought of as a right, not a privilege.

Joob-Joob

With regard to the education problem in Thailand, I would like to make two points. The new minister in the portfolio should first clarify what he considers education to be about.

What it most definitely is not what many in the Thai education sector seem to consider it to be. That is the rote learning and recycling in tests of what are considered to be facts with a total absence of critical thinking.

I cannot see this changing much while any criticism of the content or challenging of the teacher is interpreted as causing the teacher to lose face — the cardinal sin.

My second point is more specific. It concerns the very low proficiency in English. It is impossible to believe that English-language teaching is taken seriously when the vast majority of students never, or rarely, hear the language spoken by native English speakers. Thai English teachers I have met themselves have only a limited facility with the language.

I am struggling to learn Thai and I know how important it is to listen to many Thai speakers with their different voices and accents. I have one suggestion which I believe would make a huge difference. Abolish the Thai film dubbing industry and use subtitles only.

Then, children and students would start to become familiar with the great variety of English accents and dialects. They would hear real English spoken and this would facilitate their understanding.

Keith Barlow

I hope British Ambassador Mark Kent will apply his democracy philosophy to his nation’s lousy visa application process adopted by his nation’s employed agency.

Lec Sicoravit

To political commentators and letter writers who lament the constant roundabout of Thai governments and prime ministers — Thaksin Shinawatra, Surayud Chulanont, Samak Sundarevej, Somchai Wongsawat, Abhisit Vejjajiva, Yingluck Shinawatra and now Prayut Chan-o-cha — take heart.

Yours is not the only so-called democracy in a whirlwind of political and social change.

Putting Italy aside, Australia is fast catching up with you.

Since John Howard was trashed at general elections in 2007, we have had Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd again, Tony Abbott, and now Malcolm Turnbull.

Of these Gillard, second-time Rudd and Turnbull achieved office through midnight political coups and not through the ballot box.

But as I am putting my money on Prime Minister Prayut, I am also putting money on Prime Minister Turnbull.

General elections and popular votes are not the be-all-and-end-all.

David Brown

Re: “Scientists kill pigs in blood-spatter study”, (BP, Sept 17).

The animals with whom we share this planet are not experimental “tools” and these pigs certainly did not deserve to be shot in the head for research purposes. Nor are they human “toys” to lock in cages for our amusement. And, given that we are not natural carnivores, they are definitely not human “food”. The non-human beings with whom we share this planet have their own things to do and their own lives to lead and they have a right to do this without interference from man.

To assume that the world revolves around human beings, and no other animals’ lives matter, is conceited and egotistical in the extreme.

Jenny Moxham

Michael Setter in his Sept 17 letter suggests, it’s “Time to get some help”, referring to the continual failure to provide the country with a constitution for democracy. He must be right.

For 67 years Thailand has been extremely fortunate in having His Majesty King as Head of State. Unfortunately, the country has not established a constitution worthy of such celebrated leadership. The most recent attempt which took a year to complete has been rejected.

Most developed countries share information and ideas in an effort to improve and advance and even use spy networks for the very purpose. In attempting originality while ignoring that which exists and not seeking advice is a retrogressive attitude. Xenophobia and pride do not allow for improvement as an open mind does with an all-embracing international perception.

Thailand is exemplary with its immigration policies, border control and protection of its sovereignty. In Europe, countries denied their nation status due to membership of the European Union (EU), are now forced to re-establish their borders while suffering irreparably due to the mass invasion of illegal migrants. They should learn from Thailand that a nation is not a nation if it has no defined borders.

The 28 member states of the EU have also lost their democracies, being increasingly governed from Brussels.

Thailand has nothing to lose by seeking help in achieving a concise constitution which will establish true democracy. Would it not be of some irony were Thailand to be recognised internationally as an individual sovereign state with true democracy as its form of government, but above all, with its monarch the most celebrated, longest-serving in the world?

The only thing missing is a constitution for democracy. Establishing that would render Thailand to a position of recognition worldwide as a free, independent, advanced nation. It would be envied by the EU member states who’ve thrown away their identities.

JC Wilcox

The prime minister is trying to encourage more tourists to visit Thailand, but I can assure him that while there is rampant economical racial discrimination the tourist numbers will continue to fall. What Thai nationals do not know, or perhaps do not want to know, is that in countries such as Australia, America and Great Britain it is extremely expensive to live. Hence the huge differences in salaries between us and Thai nationals but that does not give Thais the reason/excuse to see us as mobile ATMs.

We are constantly overcharged at all tourist venues by all manner of people and it has got to the stage where many are staying in their pre-booked and paid resorts to evade the constant economic harassment.

If a Thai national were to visit Australia they would be treated the same as an Australian citizen. Look at us as human beings and not as sources to sate your economic lust.

Brian Forlonge

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