Re: "World Bank hails Thai development", (Business, Dec 8).
The recent encouraging World Bank report on Thailand will be seen by those who view the current government in a favourable light as evidence that they have backed the right team, and of course everyone should welcome this good news.
However, how much credit for the progress highlighted in this report does the government, and its economic advisers, actually deserve? Some, no doubt, but Thailand's sustained economic growth since the 1960s has been truly remarkable, despite periodic political unrest and violence, several military coups and a succession of military and civilian governments of varying levels of competence.
The economy has also quickly recovered from shocks in the international economy, not least the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Some businesses have fallen by the wayside, but the adaptability, resilience and astuteness of the majority of business leaders has surely played the major part in keeping economic growth more or less on track during difficult times.
If the current government is really to prove its worth, then leaving aside its long declared but much delayed objective of returning the country to a form of democracy, much needs to be done.
A previous World Bank report showed that poverty levels in Thailand improved from 67% in 1986 to only 7% in 2015. That's another great achievement, but it still leaves around five million people below the poverty line, and nearly seven million more just above it, and the "income gap" is increasing.
The education system is failing, hospitals are reported to be facing shortages of resources, and inadequate provisions have so far been made for welfare support for the poor, the sick and the elderly.
Minds need to be concentrated on these and other pressing issues, and not distracted by yearnings for more military hardware of questionable strategic value, or by the discovery of a few bits of military ordnance in muddy fields.
Robin Grant
The Israel issue
Over the last few days, the Bangkok Post published two main articles and one letter by the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok on how rightful it was of Donald Trump to declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
One article, "Thais urged to recognise Jerusalem as Israeli capital", (BP, Dec 9), citing the Israeli ambassador to Thailand, Meir Shlomo, who even asked Thailand to promptly declare his government's stance that indeed Jerusalem is Israel's capital.
It is quite disrespectful for a guest in this country to interfere in national politics. Thailand fully supports the United Nations secretary-general's efforts in encouraging Palestine and Israel to return to negotiations over the Jerusalem controversy.
May I further remind the ambassador that four successive presidents of the US deferred their signature to a waiver that would have made the illegitimate sanction of Congress and Senate effective?
Only President Trump, probably hard-pressed by local US religious influences, conceded with his insensitive proclamation.
All former presidents kept the Jerusalem issue as a possible bargaining chip in Middle East discussions, hopefully leading to a two state solution. That is now gone with the irresponsible action of the Chief US Tweeter.
Harry na Klongtoey
Hypocrisy on sex work
Re: "Sex campaign set to backfire", (PostBag, Dec 10).
I see a letter by RH Suga that alerts me to a Thai anti-sex campaign that I was unaware of. This is apparently separate from America's War on Sex and America's Trafficking in Persons Report. Thailand can make a difference on their own.
Maybe any Thai campaign against sex work should backfire. There is a huge potential for harm in it. In Thailand, tourism is important and remittances to poorer village areas are also important, yet hypocrisy abounds. Bars which are obviously places to meet sex workers are licensed and legal but prostitution itself is technically illegal.
Sex work should be decriminalised. Germany, Holland, New Zealand,and other places where sex work is decriminalised are also great family tourist destinations -- without hypocrisy.
John Kane
Contact: Bangkok Post Building
136 Na Ranong Road Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110
fax: +02 6164000 Email: postbag@bangkokpost.co.th
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