Re: "Ex-PM's passport delay", (BP, Sept 4).
The head of the Democrat Party's legal team is complaining that if the government does not take away Yingluck Shinawatra's Thai and diplomatic passports she will be able to move freely to other countries.
Well, hello, she has already done that! Furthermore does anyone here in Thailand really believe that a hugely wealthy person cannot readily get another passport from a "friendly" country as her brother, Thaksin, is believed to have done?
Martin R
Victims of Thaksin
It's always amazed me seeing people closely associated to ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra ending up in a "sorry state" one after another, and it's never-ending.
Actually, I've stopped counting the victims of Mr Thaksin. Even his own sister did not escape from being used by this most insincere man.
Well, there's a saying "suckers born every minute" so Thaksin has enough stock until he fades away from the political scene of Thailand.
Bystander
Tackle the root cause
Re: "Mangrove-planting drones ready for mission", (BP, Aug 27).
Environmentalists should enthusiastically embrace modern technology -- such as drones -- to support forest management. At the same time, however, resource managers must not be blind to the real issues constraining forest conservation. Drones and other high-tech tools are not "silver bullet" solutions to bypass the difficult challenges of managing mangroves and other forest resources.
Mangroves have been severely depleted in Myanmar, Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia, as investors have converted millions of hectares to fish and shrimp ponds, local people have overused mangrove trees for fuelwood and charcoal, and so-called development banks and organisations have perversely encouraged expansion of rice production in mangrove-covered river deltas.
Undoubtedly, major efforts are needed to restore dwindling mangrove forests wherever feasible. These endeavours could potentially include use of drones and other technology, but unless the underlying causes of forest loss and destruction are addressed, all the drones in the world will not result in restored mangrove forests.
Samanea Saman
Rapid railway win
Re: "Rapid rail link to Rayong set for 2023", (BP, Sept 4).
Of so many railway development plans all over Thailand, this route seems the most simple and practical. Hope its a rapid success.
RH Suga
World of sell-outs
Re: "Emotions come first" (PostBag, Sept 4).
Jack Gilead simply doesn't know what he's talking about. My letter was referring to the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories who have no rights, not the Israeli Arab citizens. The horrible persecution of the Palestinians have been well documented by just about every reputable international human rights group as well as by Israeli human rights activists.
As for the unidentified "happy" Arab-Israeli citizens Jack refers to I question if even their situation is so rosy. I urge everyone to google: "Not All Israeli Citizens are Equal" and learn about the plight of a lifelong Arab-Israeli citizen who is married to a Palestinian from Nablus.
I'm sure there are some Arabs who like Israel just as there are blacks who voted for Donald Trump. There are sell-outs in everything.
Eric Bahrt
Keep on running
The fatal hit and run involving a member of one of the richest clans in Thailand who can dodge justice has gained attention from the international media. It explains the statute of limitations in Thailand. There is a simple remedy actually. The prime minister needs to use Section 44 to change the statute of limitations, especially for vehicular homicide, to "indefinite", meaning there will be no statute of limitations ever. If you run, you run for the duration of your life.
Jack Gilead
Indebted to Big Brother
As a foreigner living here I find it amazing that this government encourages poor people to take on more debt (Business, Sept 5). Household debt in Thailand is almost 80% of GDP and recently much was made of the GDP increase. Poor farmers will shortly be encouraged to store their harvested rice and at the same time increase their debt burden by taking on more loans from governments banks.
Can anyone explain to me the sense in this or is it that the more government debt poor people have, the more control the government has over their daily lives?
Brian Corrigan
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