OPINION

Poor meant to suffer

Re: "Ubon flood saga catches govt napping", (Opinion, Sept 20). The whole problem has many answers. Corruption, low education, but mostly the higher-ups just don't care about poor people and especially those from the North and Northeast even more so.

It's arrogance, but mostly, it's cultural, built over centuries to keep "them" in check, dependent, under control, and poor.

This was all created to control the masses as they have to look for jobs, build homes, and raise families leaving them no time to protest or give problems to the powers in charge.

It's also part of Thainess and mai pen rai.

Funds attract graft

Re: "PM vows to speed up relief funds dispersal", (BP, Sept 20).

Fortunately, Thailand doesn't experience serious earthquakes. I can just imagine the poor government response to such an event.

However, I do understand the need to be careful with the dispersal of funds because many civil servants and politicians will be licking their lips right now and checking out the latest Mercedes Benz cars.

PM doublespeak

Since Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was officially declared as "not a state official" as reported in the Sept 19 edition of the Bangkok Post, does that mean that any actions, decrees, major government procurements, policies and other such "official" acts that he instituted or was a party to will now be declared "null and void"?

Since when is a dictator not considered a state official?

My head is spinning trying to make sense of such spectacular doublespeak.

I guess all the government functions and diplomatic liaisons he conducted were then just efforts of a concerned citizen and need to be revisited.

Tourism drop normal

Re: "Killing the golden goose", (Editorial, Sept 19).

It is not the goose which is golden but the egg -- the saying is: Killing the goose that lays the golden egg.

In fairness, it is mostly external factors which have caused the current slight downturn in Thai tourism such as the state of other economies and the exchange rate etc but it must be remembered that tourism destinations have a lifespan.

After popularity of a destination rises, there will be a levelling off point and tourism may even decline as people search for or prefer to visit new places over the previous been there, done that destinations.

Bottom of barrel

Re: "NACC busts school kickbacks", (BP, Sept 19).

I have no sympathy for the ex-director of Samsenwittayalai School and two colleagues who took parents' money in exchange for enrolling their kids in the well-known school, especially if the money was for their personal benefit.

However, if the funds were used to enable the school to deliver better-quality education than what was expected, I would say that you get what you pay for. It's no secret that overall the Thai public education system is bottom-of-the-barrel quality.

Yet, Thailand is capable of churning out students who can hold their own against the world's best: look at the college-admission records of the top Thai internationally accredited institutions, which charge up to 100 times the fees of public schools -- with zero tolerance for corporal punishment. They produce students who know how to think, not what to think, and those who are motivated and curious, driven by the desire to learn.

Thai taxpayers spend massive amounts on education for an inferior product. I suggest that instead of starving schools of funds, we float school fees to what the market will bear -- but they must offer enough financial aid to totally fund half of each incoming class, awarded on a transparent, needs-based criteria.

School websites must show school average scores on PISA etc, including improvements made each year, and where their graduates go so parents know what they're paying for.

I asked the rector of a famous Thai university if my rough proposal seemed feasible and the rector thought it was, so I submit it for discussion.

Well done, Atiya

Re: "Thamanat saga reflects regime's failed crusade", (Opinion, Sept 17).

Good on you Khun Atiya, sock it to 'em.

What Thailand desperately needs is more courageous "no holds barred" journalism.

Very well done.

'Sign' of our times

My reaction to Old Crutch's Sept 15 column was about the same as Kuldeep Nagi's reaction in his letter, "Fountains of ink".

At least Khun Kuldeep and I can brag about having learned real handwriting, known by the now-forgotten and obsolete word, penmanship. I bet we both can write hand-written letters (although admittedly a computer and printer are easier especially if you have arthritis).

I still have a Waterman fountain pen which I use that dates back 65 years. I remember the traditional graduation gifts back in the 50s…a Parker 21 or Parker 51. I was gifted so many that I could have opened my own pen shop.

Today, it is a twenty-thousand baht mobile phone or tablet. Yes, writing with a wooden stylus with an embedded metal nib was quite the experience but these are cherished memories.

Today, most people do not know what a fountain pen is as it went the way of the typewriter and dial-up telephone. I probably will soon join them as well, though hopefully not too soon. As for a written signature, "wha dat"? You can scratch your name onto a mobile screen. A sign of our "now, instant gratification" times.

Savings = happiness

Mr Corrigan makes an interesting point in "Blame employers" (PostBag, Sept 18) when he suggests that wages/salaries are too low and cause the problem of excessive household debt. I have said for years an hourly wage is long overdue here as it will decrease the gap between the "haves and have nots".

Unfortunately, it will not solve the problem completely as the real bad boys would continue to exploit those who aspire to have more than their income will provide, namely the banks.

Anyone who can remember back 12 years or so will recall "sub-prime mortgage" lending in the US and other unsecured loans and dodgy investments being promoted by greedy, unsupervised, unscrupulous, deregulated bankers and their related market traders.

It caused Lehman Brothers, Barings, The Royal Bank of Scotland and many other banks to fold or resort to begging their respective governments for a bailout that cost trillions upon trillions of taxpayer money.

I remind everyone that only one individual, Nick Leeson, ever spent time in jail for what happened to many millions of people's lives and savings. Leeson just pushed over the first domino but it was already leaning at an alarming angle and the others were lined up to fall.

In the meantime, I believe Mr Micawber's advice in the Charles Dickens book David Copperfield, published in 1850, still reigns supreme.

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen and six results in happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six results in misery." And that calculation must include any loan repayments and lottery tickets.

I realise this is a vast oversimplification of world economics but it remains a good starting point for every household for good times and bad.

Irony at its best

Re: "Trump to put kibosh on car emission law", (BP, Sept 19).

How ironic that Donald Trump, as the leader of the US Republican party -- which used to firmly defend the rights of individual states to set their own policies -- is now leading the charge to revoke the authority of California to set its own auto emission standards.

Even more ironic is the fact that original push for California to set more stringent pollution standards than the federal government was made under the iconic Republican president, Ronald Reagan, when he was governor of California. Throw in the fact that US automakers have already agreed to meet the reduced emission standards set by California and one really has to wonder what foolishness goes through Donald Trump's mind.

Why would anyone willingly choose to have more air pollution instead of less? Why would any government leader implement such a ridiculous policy that causes unnecessary damage to the environment and people's health?

Change starts today

Today, Sept 21, is World Cleanup Day. This is the day we start to change Thailand with a simple action: Clean up.

If team Thailand, all of us, every single one of us, can clean up for just one hour and pick up 10 kilogrammes of trash, that would change Thailand. It would be amazing. Let's work together to make Thailand beautiful again!

When -- 21st September 2019 Who -- YOU, ME, EVERYONE What -- Clean up Thailand Time -- One hour anytime Where -- Wherever you are, everywhere Why -- Because we love Thailand How -- Bring your own gloves, bags and the city will coordinate rubbish collection.

Boy scouts vs govt

Re: "Be Prepared", (PostBag, Sept 20).

The big joke used to be that the only difference between the boy scouts and those who are in charge of defending, rescuing and planning flood control technology is that the boy scouts have mature adult leadership.

Hire an editor please

I recently escorted foreign visitors to a number of tourist sites including Rajabhakti Park in Hua Hin, Mrigadayavan Palace in Hua Hin, Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park in Phetchaburi, Chao Sam Phraya National Museum in Ayutthaya and the Royal Thai Airforce Museum at Don Muang.

They commented that where English-language signage existed, it was full of language errors, some quite basic.

Was it so difficult to get the texts edited, they wondered. I was at a loss to answer.