OPINION

Put Thais before THAI

I fully agree with Chartchai Parasuk in his June 18 article that "Thai Airways will require 100 billion baht to make up for past and future losses. Without an initial cash bailout, it is almost pointless to discuss business restructuring.

But who will provide such a large amount of cash to THAI? The company is no longer a state enterprise and asking for the government's help is out of the question (emphasis mine).

Before helping THAI, we should take care of the many million low-income Thais severely damaged by Covid-19, which "has hit Thailand's economy harder than any event in the last six decades, with ...10 million jobs lost" (source: University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce).

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's 1.9-trillion-baht relief package to stimulate our recovery will place a heavy burden on taxpayers like you and me -- and nobody's claiming that even this will make us competitive against, say, Vietnam, whose annual GDP growth has been at least double ours.

The article makes clear that there's no business case to be made for restructuring THAI. But there's no national interest case, either. In Wuhan, the UK, etc chartered private airlines to ferry their nationals out -- as we did, using Air Asia.

THAI has done non-profit-oriented service for Thailand before, as during the 2004 tsunami, THAI ferried foreign nationals, mostly passport-less, back home, without regard to ability to pay. That was indeed praiseworthy of THAI -- but we shouldn't use taxpayer money to sustain a costly carrier year after year for that.

Put Thais before THAI. Restore our poor countrymen back to economic prosperity first.

Re: "Govt continues to exploit pandemic", (Opinion, June 18).

Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to Sanitsuda Ekachai and the Bangkok Post for writing and publishing a definitive indictment of the present government and its reprehensible Covid control excuse for the draconian repression of Thai citizens.

"Everyone knows it -- the government needs the emergency law as a handy tool to suppress dissent" is a perfect bullseye.

Let's not pretend anymore.

There are now fears of a second wave of the coronavirus hitting the US. This is not surprising, considering all the "Black Lives Matter" protests going on now in the country.

Fortunately, the virus is only spreading in states which were not previously hit hard by the pandemic.

Nonetheless, the fact remains that now is hardly an optimal time for people to be protesting on the streets. When the virus first hit the world, governments locked down countries and informed the citizenry that they should doing things such as practising social distancing and washing their hands etc. So why should things be any different now?

Both the protesters and the police in America need to act more carefully in order to stop things from getting out of control.

Re: "'THAI tries to soothe anxious customers", (BP, June 16).

Noting the incredible salaries and allowances paid out to THAI executives, it is easy to how THAI has managed to dig itself into such a deep financial hole.

I wonder how executives can sleep at night after collecting as much as 700,000 baht salary, plus allowances, while delivering a nearly endless string of losses to the company's ledger.

Re: "Thailand's strategic path is rudderless", (Opinion, June 19).

Whilst Thitinan Pongsudhirak's analysis of the apparent threats to the nation from Thailand's lack of leadership is as sound as always, he might not fully appreciate what is being constructed in the post-2014 era, officially known as Thailand 4.0.

In fact, Thailand has a supremely well-plotted road map ahead that is being ruthlessly followed to ensure that the noble destination is reached. That the road is purpose built only for a chosen elect concerns them not as they steam roll ahead in sufficiently sublime indifference to the majority of the Thai people.

The smoothly paved road of publicly proclaimed good intentions is marred only by wilful potholes dug by rudely increasing numbers of Thais who have begun to understand Thai affairs as well as foreigners and those outside the domestic coconut shell have always been able to.

Caused by wanton free speech, this abomination of accurate knowledge concerning Thai leaders is being steamrolled as promptly as possible to keep to the sacred path plotted in the pre-2014 era.

Re: "Thailand poised to soar", (BP, June 19).

The front page of the Bangkok Post splashes the headline "Thailand poised to soar", and on page 9 Professor Thitinan says "Thailand strategic path is rudderless"? What a contrast? How any economy in the world can soar with borrowed money? Did we learn anything from the collapse of the US economy in 2008 or the Thai "Tom Yum Kung" financial crisis of 1997? Does borrowing money to sustain an ailing economy works? The lessons should be quite obvious. We can't spend money on a subjective or a faulty premise of change. It is like using a hollow lens in a desert to find our way out. The world economy is now looking like a mirage. The Thai economy is no different or special.

If the touted travel and export sector does not bounce in the coming months, we will see all Thai politicians riding the camels to find a water hole in the soaring heat of Covid-19.

In my opinion, one of the saddest things I have seen in the more than 40 years that I have been here is the Westernisation of the country. So even if I didn't have a personal interest in the destruction of the Bombay Burmah House, I would still be aghast that an architectural gem and potential tourist attraction like that was apparently so thoughtlessly destroyed. In my opinion at least some tourists come here to see architecture like that and not to see the latest Tesco Lotus, McDonalds or KFC. They can see those places or something similar in their own country or practically any country in the world now.

From what I have read, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is constantly looking for places that tourists might want to visit, so I am puzzled that the TAT seems to have taken little or no interest at all in this destruction. From what little I know this area was very important in the early history of the Forestry Department and it seems to me would be a lot more interesting place to visit because of the life and times buildings like this evoke than some dark and dank cave where some kids got lost for a few days even if their rescue captured international attention.

Hopefully, the TAT will leave off trying to think of some catchy slogan for a few days and look into the possibility of making places like this into a tourist attraction (if they haven't already) before more places of historical interest are mindlessly destroyed.

I've read a lot of articles about reopening borders to foreigners and it's always about tourists or those with work permits and now medical tourists. I've seen nothing regarding those who are on non-O and O-A visas and extensions of stay who are out of country waiting to come home to their friends and family.

Are we even included in the many meetings of government officials of relative departments?

Non Optimistic in his or her June 19 letter is correct when suggesting doing away with the piles of paper for so many applications here.

Yet one must consider what a streamlined immigration office would look like. Perhaps fewer civil servants working efficiently. (Did I erroneously use "efficiency"? Sorry).

The stupidity of the continual 90-day registrations forever, for those of us living in he same homes with the same people for years and years is mind boggling. The reams of paper, paper, paper, etc. keep the maximum people in work as their unions demand.

Imagine a modern application for a driver's licence renewal. In Toronto it is done by mail, taking no more than an application plus a postage stamp, if by now the system has not gone to computers. I have not been back for 25 years.

Everything here is maximised to provide for maximum employment, regardless of inefficiency or duplication. Why can the United States operate with a presidential cabinet of about 12 while a Thai cabinet operates with ministers, assistant ministers, assistant ministers to the ministers, and so forth. It employs more flunkies, keeps the government payroll high as well.

Why does the American military have a handful of generals, admirals and so forth? The Thai military has more generals, admirals, field marshals too if this rank exists, than any army known to man. The military is so top heavy that one day it might roll over on itself. There are more chiefs than Indians as the saying goes. It keeps the military happy, keeps golf courses full, and, it provides free batboys, servants, drivers and anything else these upper rankers can get away with.

It all rests on paper, paper, paper. So the next time you see one of those 18-wheelers with Aa printed on the sides in two-tone blue barreling toward the processing mill in the 304 Industrial Zone, think of all the joy soon to be produced to keep everyone happy … more reams of paper.

Daily charting of coronavirus impacts are very interesting. Keep up the good work.

However, I question the accuracy of many of these figures received from government sources in their countries I assume.

For instance, when China had its initial shutdown, its cases and death toll figures almost immediately levelled off. Is this really possible? Now cases are coming to light in Beijing!

From what I have read about Russia and the virus impact there, particularly in Siberia, it appears to me the their government is also playing games with their count.

Not Optimistic's June 19 letter highlighting the need to bring immigration into the 21st century and suggesting a digital option to the stacks of paper and copies of documents required to complete a visa request, has raised another question.

Yes, it's true many hours and countless trees could be saved by simply moving every visa request online. But here's the question. What would your friendly immigration officer use to replace his or her never-ending paper shuffle?

All suggestions are welcome.