Re: "Taking Cambodia's bogus election to task", (Opinion, Aug 3).
Prof Thitinan surely can save this article for later use, ie after the Thai election.
All he needs is some minor changes; for example, Cambodia to Thailand, Hun Sen to you-know-who (later identified as X), Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) to Pheu Thai, plus some cosmetic touch ups here and there and, voila!, he can reuse the article after our next election.
The only difference is Hun Sen is a no-nonsense leader. He sweeps all 125 parliamentary seats with a poker face, no blushing, no mortifying. At least the constitution designers, whom he appointed, have tailored the law to fit him, virtually guaranteed him as next legitimate PM for at least eight years. (I think he's already finished his acceptance speech).
Meanwhile, I was flummoxed when Ajarn Thitinan mentioned (in the paragraph next to last) something about "human rights standards (for which Thailand used to be world renowned)". I tried to think when that was. Hmm, must be under King Ramkhamhaeng the Great who reigned from 1279 to 1298.
Somsak Pola
Trust is earned, PM
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has explained that the government's 20-year reform plan is necessary since reform must start at the primary school level. I fully concur and hope there will be teachers trained to implement that educational reform rather than baby-sitting while young and impressionable minds are fed mind-numbing (and violent) cartoons. His second major aspiration is to be the PM we can trust. We therefore hope to see him going down in the annals as the person whom those primary school pupils will remember doing something decisive about the appalling corruption afflicting their society and their jewel of a country: we are still waiting for action on both the Prawit watch and "Red Bull scion" scandals.
Warner
A ghostly warning
Re: "Addicted to helping", (BP, Aug 1).
In 1991, I was one of the 38.5 million Thai smokers cited in the referred article.
On Aug 19, 1991, I quit smoking and this has now lasted for 27 years, the same period I was addicted to cigarettes. My rather uncertain decision was shared with a colleague and led to his quitting a few months later.
The credit of that decision must be given to Yul Brynner, a Russian-born film star, who, in an anti-smoking TV commercial, said: "Now that I'm gone, I'll tell you 'don't smoke'." That commercial was filmed before he passed away in 1985. As a human being, one makes a few "good" decisions in his lifetime. That quit-smoking decision was one of mine and my colleague's.
Could Yul Brynner's anti-smoking commercial campaign be followed in Thailand? To help even one smoker to quit is worth trying out.
CK
Immigrants are assets
Re: "Minority report", (PostBag, Aug 1).
No, Khun Somsak, I will not call you a racist because you are largely quoting statistics that are on the public record. But you let yourself down with your sadly ill-informed closing comments: "It would be nice if the immigrants could adapt to the new culture and contribute to the economy of the host countries, but here we are talking about immigrants who are flooding Europe and Australia, and who are uneducated, having no special skills, and being burden (sic) to the host country."
Wrong on all counts, Khun Somsak, as far as Australia is concerned.
The stated aim of Australia's migration policy is "to build the economy, shape society, support the labour market and reunite family".
Far from a flood of immigrants, in 2016-2017 (the latest dates for which statistics are available), 262,489 migrants were admitted under strictly controlled government programmes. Of these, 68% were skilled and 32% were for family reunions.
Even if they were all totally uneducated, it was a pity you did not read or take notice of Felix Qui's July 31 letter, in which he provided a long list of official statistics showing that in a drive to establish themselves in their new country, immigrant children are better and higher educated than the children of Australians.
Far from seeing migrants as a burden, the Australian government clearly sees them as an asset.
David Brown
Free lunch? Yay!
Re: "Splitting heirs," (PostBag, Aug 1).
David Brown should have a good delve into where the refugees have gone -- almost 99.9% to countries with government assistance, or as we call it, the dole. Do your research and you will be surprised.
Barry Wallace
Thailand for Thais
Re: "Racism rules", (PostBag, Aug 1).
Mr Bahrt, there is a bit of racism in each of us, one way or another. What you call racism, I call xenophobia. Yes, the Brits want their country for Brits, the Japanese want Japan for the Japanese, and the Americans in the "great American melting pot" want to reclaim America for Americans. Even Canada, one of the most tolerant countries in the world, is chafing at the bit. Notice Thailand, the country where you choose to live. Thailand for Thais. Renewal of retirement visas becomes more difficult yearly, as more and more obstacles are tossed into the deal, and, did you ever try for Thai citizenship? Don't bother. It would take you a lifetime to get it, if at all.
Sweet Smelling Mango
No racist rant
I made no complaint as mentioned by Martin R in his July 30 letter, "Glass houses". I merely stated the fact that the "white, British" (which is how I and others like myself were classified and counted in the UK 2011 census) are now a minority in London, and used that fact as an example to show how mass immigration in such a relatively short space of time can profoundly affect a country. I mentioned my own circumstances only to give an idea of the timescale.
Martin says that I used "the old race card by referring to some immigrants as being illiterate and uneducated with no work skills". Apparently, to Martin, pointing out facts makes me a racist! Yes, I mentioned that some immigrants are illiterate, uneducated and have no work skills. That's a fact. In my letter I wrote not only about some of the benefits and advantages of immigration, but also mentioned some of the drawbacks and disadvantages. In other words I gave what I believe to be a fair, but brief opinion on both sides of the debate.
As for his claim that the NHS in the UK is "largely staffed" by immigrants, he is factually wrong. The NHS is largely staffed by Britons. Approximately 87.5% of NHS staff are British, meaning only a minority are immigrants, but no doubt do a wonderful job and make a valuable contribution to the NHS. But I don't know why Martin mentioned the NHS. I was aware that the NHS employed immigrants and I never said all immigrants were illiterate, uneducated with no work skills.
Martin ended his letter with a proverb, so let me end my letter with a quote, which has been attributed to Thomas Sowell (an American economist):
Racism is not dead, but it is on life support -- kept alive by politicians, race hustlers and people who get a sense of superiority by denouncing others as "racists".
Peter Atkinson
Belt up and panic
Re: "Belt tightening" and "Road to nowhere", (BP, July 30).
The experiences of country after country that have signed on to the Chinese "Belt and Road Initiative" should serve as flashing red warning lights to Thailand and others. The downsides of these costly infrastructure programmes are now clearly coming into focus in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Laos, Montenegro, Indonesia, and a host of African nations.
The projects typically employ mostly Chinese construction workers (belying the claims of local job creation), utilise Chinese materials and equipment, and are largely financed with Chinese loans. Proponents regularly exaggerate the future benefits of the projects and cook financial projections to secure project approvals. When the projects prove financially unviable (more often the case than not), Chinese creditors demand deep-cutting additional concessions in lieu of loan repayment.
Countries around the globe need to be cognisant of the risks of these debt traps that will ultimately render many of them de facto colonies of China. Thailand is to be commended for resisting -- to date, at least -- the temptation of foreign loans to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative. We can be sure that pressure to sign on to these dubious projects will continue, however, and Thais would be wise to remain sceptical and cautious.
Samanea Saman
Philosophical vacuum
In "Inscrutable Thais" (PostBag, Aug 2) the author suggests Thainess is an ideology which can "never be understood by Westerners". Ideology refers to a system of ideas, the study of which belongs to the subject of philosophy. A conference held by Thai university-level teachers of philosophy concluded that there was no Thai philosophy, nor have there ever been any Thai philosophers.
Thus, Thainess is a term inherently incomprehensible to Thais and can only be understood by Westerners to be the nonsense that it is.
Michael Setter
Good Khao San news
Well done the BMA for sticking to its guns and committing itself to enforcing the ban on street vendors occupying the pavements on the Khao San Road, (BP, Aug 1). It is long overdue.
I last went there maybe four years ago when you couldn't move for vendors cooking all over the place. They weren't just occupying the sidewalks -- they were right in the middle of the road itself. I had to squeeze through a crowded two-metre gap between huge basins of hot oil and charcoal fires. It was downright dangerous. Then there were the touts for bars, shoving adverts for drink promotions right in my face. I have not been back since.
Enforce the ban, BMA, and I'll be back right away!
Andy Phillips
Obama scandals
Re: "Playing the Trumpette", (PostBag, Aug 2).
Obama's so-called recovery included the longest period since the Great Depression with unemployment above 8% -- 43 months from February 2009, when Obama's stimulus costing nearly $1 trillion was passed, until August 2012. It also included the longest period since the Great Depression with unemployment at 9.0% or above -- 30 months from April 2009 until Sept 2011.
Then there was that nasty scandal of Solyndra where the Obama administration funded and promoted its poster boy for green energy despite warning signs the company was headed for bankruptcy. The administration also allegedly pressed Solyndra to delay layoff announcements until after the 2010 midterm elections.
If space permitted I would included the top 20 Obama scandals, so I will be merciful to the Obamette's out there in whackadoodle land and cut it short.
Theodore Carl Soderberg
Rogue transport
Re: "Bidding date set for 2020 for Phuket's new tram network", (BP, July 17).
Phuket could do well to have a look at Fethiye and Oludinez in Turkey where transport authorities look after tourists with service and honesty and a well-run system.
They have council-operated buses that are running every five minutes to many local destinations at a fair price and they are full of tourists. Tourists feel safe and valued and not at the control of rogues.
Taxis are great as well and available.
Stuart
Australia
Dubbed in English
I have spent a lot of time in Thailand over the past decade and often go to the cinema to see films in English. While at the film I see the coming attractions of Thai films … some of which are hysterically clever and funny.
I often wished they were also in English so I could understand the dialogue. English versions would be good for Thailand and the industry.
The world is multicultural now and so there would be a huge appreciation for the talent I see on offer in the clips that are screened at the theatre.
Growing such a great industry is worth double shooting films.
Tim Devlin
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