OPINION

PM on right track

Re: "SRT chief, board get the chop", (BP, Feb 24).

What took the prime minister so long in purging the State Railway of Thailand's management? The PM is on the right track. Better late than never.

The SRT has been running backward, not forward, for so many years that I don't think anyone could tell the difference between the front or back of any SRT train.

Now, let's see whether the replacement executives know how to run a railroad. And they'd better realise that if they too do not produce, they'll be joining their predecessors on the inactive list.

Re: "Sugar tax cap of 20% eyed", (Business, Feb 18).

The Excise Department's measure to cap the levy on sugary drinks at 20% is unlikely to be effective in reducing the consumption of sugary drinks. Consumers are more addicted to sweetness than any other flavour.

Even assuming the sugar tax works, consumers' lifestyles involve many other choices that let them fill their stomachs with sugar, from desserts to snacks, sweets to candies, all of which can be easily and conveniently purchased in markets.

Although the new taxation is aimed at improving public health, it will be at least two years before the law takes effect. So during this time what can we do to help prevent and reduce cases of obesity and diabetes?

If the government gives priority to people's health and wants to avoid the possibility of them becoming obese or contracting diabetes, it should hold a national campaign for at least two years using non-tax measures to promote basic health care.

People should be encouraged to exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet containing nutritious foods from the five main food groups and avoid consuming sweet, fatty and salty foods. The government should also urge the public to avoid stress and refrain from smoking and drinking.

Such measures are more effective as they can help reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes and lower the possibility of having non-communicable diseases.

Re: "Fingerprints needed for phone users", (BP, Feb 25).

After a decade or more, our security forces have made no progress in bringing safety and peace to the violence-prone southern provinces. What they have been doing is resorting to negative and indirect measures to evict or arrest militants. The use of phone controls is one such typical measure.

During the past years, haven't they screened all houses and residents in villages where violence has taken place? Why don't they build security observation posts in each village to observe the movement of people around the clock? They can check all phone use records of these villagers periodically, if they have a will to do it.

Re: "Debilitated democracy", (PostBag, Feb 25).

I find it somewhat astounding that someone who admits to never having voted finds a moral standpoint to condemn election results if less than a 100% of the electorate vote.

In some countries it is compulsory to vote, Australia is one I believe, and those who don't, or consider they want to abstain, or just plain can't be bothered, are liable to prosecution.

The UK has a postal vote service so if it is inconvenient to vote you can apply for that and there is no need to leave the house. Given that opportunity, I can see no reason not to make voting compulsory in the UK, that with one proviso: there is a "none of the above" box to tick on the ballot paper.

Anyone who believes it is possible to make opinion polls accurate has never seen Sir Humphrey Appleby of Yes Minister describe how they are conducted and manipulated.

I do agree with Mr Ash on one point, the UK should have left the EU 20 years ago.