OPINION

Underwhelming taxis

Re: "B5 minimum taxi fare hike needed, TDRI finds", (BP, May 1). I approve of the TDRI's suggestion for a five-baht rise in the minimum fare and a surcharge for traffic delays, as proposed by the TDRI's Sumet Ongkittikul, who found that taxi drivers earn just about the minimum wage.

A city resident tries to hail down a taxi on a road in the capital. photo by Bangkok Post

However, perhaps riders are avoiding regular taxis, resulting in low incomes. Ride-hailing Grab Car is doing well enough to turn a profit, both collectively and at the individual driver level, and All-Thai Taxis has 500 cars giving a far superior service to regular taxis while adhering to the same fare schedule.

Khun Sumet said that the increased fare must also come with better regulations and severe penalties for unscrupulous drivers -- but given the Land Transport Department's underwhelming performance to date, I see no hope of that.

I suggest that taxis be allowed to increase their fares only when each one reaches the standards now followed by All-Thai Taxi and/or Grab Cars: GPS tracking, app-based hailing, 360-degree VDO camera always on, all cars with working rear seat belts; and rider ratings of drivers posted before riders accept a given driver.

The taxi service in Bangkok is infamous and one cause of this is the low fare. I believe average commodity prices have been raised by three times over the past 20 years. The suggested five-baht rise is still too low. Fair rates should be mulled as it would inspire taxi drivers to provide a better service.

Re: "Asean tackles organised crime", (BP, May 3).

Suriya Chindawongse, director-general for Asean Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that "We are looking at a framework that will help address cross-border flows of illicit activity in the region."

Obviously, it takes more than "looking at" to effectively address the problem of transnational crime and clearly measures to increase border security are not sufficient. The primary root of this enormous problem is not the presence of foreign criminals in Thailand and it is not porous borders.

It is Thai criminals, corrupt police and government officials who all work together in well-organised groups that are primarily responsible for the scourge of drugs, human trafficking, sex trafficking, extortion of foreign workers, the sale of counterfeit goods, the proliferation of fake medicine and cosmetics, and fraud.

I suggest "looking at" a way to put these people in jail for a very long time would be a good beginning.

If it wasn't for Sanitsuda Ekachai's May 3 article, "It's time to end land rights double standards", I wouldn't know about the government kicking indigenous people out of their land. She continues to be a national treasure.

If the Thai government isn't careful, it is going to turn proud, self-sufficient, productive people into people who are totally depressed, dispirited and completely dependent on the government for their sustenance like you can find today in many parts of America. Frankly, my impression is that most elephants are treated better than indigenous people in this country.

Sanitsuda Ekachai's column on land rights double standards is a tour de force of everything that is wrong with the country at the moment. I wish someone would translate it into Thai and put it in flyer form and hand it out to people all over the country.

Mathayom and university teachers should make it required reading and have discussions about it in their classes as well.

Re: "Might not right", (PostBag, May 2).

Samanea Saman said just because something is legal, it doesn't mean it is right. The Doi Suthep housing project is perfectly legal, but it is wrong, according to the citizens of Chiang Mai.

Similarly, just because something is illegal it doesn't mean it is wrong. The coup that topples an elected government is a treason, breaking every law of the land, but it is right, according to the coup maker. If I were laid off from work and had no money to feed my family, it's okay if I rob a bank, according to me. Is that it? We don't need laws after all.

What kind of country are we living in anyway and who is to say what is right or wrong? Those who are the loudest?

I'm always somewhat amused at the use of the government's term to "bring Thailand into the twenty-first century". In the field of medicine: The government wants Thailand to be a medical hub, (for wealthy Thais and wealthy non-Thais who bring in hard currency to private hospitals). Most Thai hospitals for Thai citizens are understaffed, have poor, outdated, diagnostic equipment, overworked doctors, and waits up to four hours per patient. In the field of finance: Most people, (including many Bangkokians), do not have the proverbial, "pot to pee in", let alone sufficient savings account balances, with personal debt higher than ever before. Yet there is an insane need to press for digital banking.

In the area of public transportation: Why the need for a high-speed rail system when regular trains are old, dilapidated, with most 50-year-old locomotives barely achieving a maximum speed of 60kph? In the area of education: Outdated teaching methods, a lack of highly skilled teachers, a gross neglect of many rural, upcountry schools, the same as in many southern provinces, the myopic failure to hire skilled language instructors to teach proper English and other languages so Thais can compete in international commerce and other international areas.

Sure, corporations such as breweries, department stores and hypermarket moguls can do it, but what about the rest of the country? This is just a bare mention of what it means for Thailand to be brought into the twenty-first century. How about concentrating on just updating Thailand to the twentieth century first?

Re: "Nobel Gullible Prize", (PostBag, May 4).

Eric Bahrt understandably casts doubt on North Korea's denuclearisation sincerity, but there are new features in play. China is a key participant this time and is currently enforcing economic sanctions against Pyongyang more strongly than ever before.

Meanwhile, Kim Jong-un, Xi Jinping and Donald Trump would all like US troops off the Korean Peninsula, albeit for very different reasons. It is not too difficult to envisage a deal which everyone can parade as a victory. How long the cheering will endure is another matter altogether.

Re: "Rich gain most from rising tide", (BP, May 4).

I hope when they hand out the Nobel Prize for Economics this year that the committee will consider Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha for his contribution in helping to make the richest Thais one third richer this last year and keeping the poor in the same place or worse during the last four. It seemed impossible, but he managed to do it.

Re: "Democracy, but not Thai style please", (Opinion, May 2).

I'd like to remind that Thai-style traffic flow is indeed a jam. Thai-style honesty is censorship of truth. Thai-style respect is forced grovelling. Thai-style justice is injustice. But, nevertheless, it is still Thai-style democracy, and other than the few who write their redundant comments over and over and over, by this time a bore to read, the writer should be thankful that this is neither Myanmar or Cambodia.

Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha is a pussycat by comparison to their leaders, and "Thai-style democracy" is better than Myanmar, Vietnamese or Cambodian-style democracy. The writer would be languishing in some prison in these countries for expressing his opinions. I'd be thankful that Thai-style democracy is where it is.

As the saying goes, a government of the military for the military by the military or, if you prefer, a government of the rich by the rich for the rich. Either way the Thai citizens, sad to say, will be the losers.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak in his May 4 article suggested Thailand's global standing may be at a low point. In whose eyes? Who is the academic talking for? I for one think that thanks to this military government Thailand has managed to retain its sovereignty and that there is a lot more peace than during the former democratically elected governments. Politicians unfortunately have nothing to offer to their constituents unless it benefits them first. As long as the democratically elected governments reform themselves, better keep PM Prayut Chan-o-cha in charge. I also happen to believe that majority of the Thai people think in the same way.

Earlier this week, you published an incorrect English Premier League table. For example, Crystal Palace have 38 points from 36 games, not 35 points from 35 games. Bangkok Post proofreaders kindly note and amend.

According to the May 1 article on the new "Data Protection Act", the goal is to ensure citizens' data privacy. This seems like a farce when the rules stipulate the "Data controllers and data processors must be permitted by data owners to use their data". How does allowing corporations to take and use (steal) private property without consent or compensation support the idea of "protection of rights"?

Imagine the same idea being applied elsewhere and the delusion is exposed. With this logic, when riding in a taxi the driver should be allowed to search your person and backpack or purse and use whatever you are carrying since the driver is transporting you just as an internet provider is carrying your message. Nobody would put up with such a transgression when riding a taxi -- nobody should accept such when surfing the internet or sending information.

How about drafting legislation that matches the description and declaring that nobody can use your data without specific permission for each act? The usage of data by controlling entities is not being done to help the citizen. It is being used as psychological warfare to target the citizen and manipulate them through profile algorithms.

Regarding the priority of emergency vehicles, there was a debate this week about the abuse of the emergency lane on expressways. I would be irritated if I died in an ambulance stuck in heavy traffic and a blocked emergency lane. It shouldn't be too difficult for the traffic police to stop this.

CONTACT: BANGKOK POST BUILDING 136 Na Ranong Road Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110 Fax: +02 6164000 email:

All letter writers must provide full name and address.

All published correspondence is subject to editing at our discretion.