Re: "Plastic reduction efforts a success", (BP, June 6).
I scratched my head in wonder at what criteria Suwanna Tiasuwan proclaimed that the Pollution Control Department's efforts to reduce plastic waste were a success.
I would like to invite Khun Suwanna to come with me on my early morning walks along Rayong's Mae Ram Phueng beach, as we tiptoe around plastic and polystyrene waste littering the beach from one end to the other, not to mention being careful not to step on broken glass, hypodermic syringes, or other unmentionables.
After that I'd invite her to come shopping with me at Tesco Lotus to buy some grapes. The grapes are already packaged in a sealed plastic bag but when we take it to the weigh station, it is stuffed into another plastic bag before the price tag is stuck on.
Then when we go to pay for the grapes at the check out counter we will see the doubly-plastic-packaged grapes being put into a third plastic carry bag.
Three plastic bags for the price of one!
You crowing success was premature, Khun Suwanna.
David Brown
Immigration earful
Re: "Immigration blues", (PostBag, June 6).
I have had an earful of expats' complaints about Immigration, especially the 800,000-baht "deposit" to live here. Here's what you all can do.
Set up a kind of a legitimate entity for expats, you know, like the Expats Organisation of Thailand or so and uncritically support the Palang Pracharath Party and constantly praise PM Prayut Chan-o-cha for bringing peace, prosperity and stability to the country. No more sarcastic comments and letters criticising and ridiculing PM Prayut's administration, only flattering ones will be sent to English-language newspapers and blogs. And yes, letters and posts that viciously attack Thaksin, Yingluck, the red shirts, and the Pheu Thai and Future Forward parties are encouraged.
I'm sure it will help loosen up visa rules and make life easy for expats. Who knows, they might even give you a quota in the Senate.
Somsak Pola
Heels of discomfort
Japan's labour minister says high heels at work are "necessary". I think the chauvinistic labour minister should himself appear at his desk wearing high heels. I'm sure he'd change his mind after an hour or two. High heels are responsible for not only accidents but spinal deformities in many instances, not to mention the discomfort, the price paid for looking elegant and fashionable.
Buttercup
Chalk and cheese
Another nail in the tourism coffin. I recently passed through both Hong Kong duty free and Suvarnabhumi. Chalk and cheese anybody? The Thai prices are a joke compared with Hong Kong. I urge everyone to vote with their feet and shop elsewhere. Most airports have duty free on arrival, so no need to support the monopoly at Bangkok.
P Kelly
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