OPINION

Roads to ruin

Re: "MPs plot while the people struggle", (BP, June 15).

It comes as no surprise that more than 10,000 projects proposed for funding under the government's social and economic rehabilitation programme relate to road construction and maintenance or digging artesian wells. Road construction projects are among the most abused and corruption-riddled around the world.

As Covid-19 restrictions have eased slightly, I've recently made several short forays outside Bangkok. Everywhere I go, I see new roads and bridges under construction, many of which seem unnecessary or illogically located. With the huge influx of stimulus money, it's likely we will see even more of these "roads and bridges to nowhere" and many cases of disappearing taxpayer money and shoddy road construction.

Re: "Lay of the land 'murky'", (BP, June 21).

This report reveals poor administration and enforcement of rules by the authorities. Request a court order to nullify all rental contracts by those occupants, seal off those lands and return them to the state.

Thai bureaucracies thrive not only on paper, but unnecessary harassment. It is like a display to show who is in charge. Immigration officers pass you down the line from No.5, to No.4, to No.3, to No.2, then to No.1. Then the head honcho at the office tells you your paperwork is no good, time to start all over again. Result? More immigration officers employed, more piles of applications to file, more this or that.

In the end, it is always the same old kee kwai. It all provides jobs, jobs, jobs. How would the civil service define itself without a top-heavy bureaucracy? It is unimaginable. Don't ever be optimistic. Things will go from bad to worse one day. It's just a matter of time.

Why is it that with the entire country suffering from an almost economic depression, employees in Thai Airways seem to think they are the cream of the Thai workforce and should be treated better than anyone else? Someone should remind them of what the late President JFK said about what you can do for your country, not what your country can do for you.

These employees are under the misguided impression that once travel restrictions are lifted, passengers will flock to board THAI again. With the airline's inability to compete and make a profit, and its high fares, these misfits should rethink their positions, perhaps even resign and seek employment elsewhere. Restaurant staff should be best considered for the job instead, perhaps staff who work in hotels, considering all the in-flight means served. Oh, and a word of good advice. Drop the arrogance. It's what got most of you into this situation at the onset.

Re: "Prayut launches new normal", (BP, June 18).

Prayut has a habit of giving lip service without the least care of having his "pledge" being followed or implemented. Take the example of his "allow the government a chance, Thais will have a better life" telecast daily since the day of his coup years ago. Look at where Thailand is heading now.

Despite the warning, the pandemic started because of his mismanagement by letting foreign tourists enter the country with the "visa-on-arrival" scheme ... and the boxing stadium incident. What happened to the promise of reprimanding the culprits? What happened to the plea to the 20 most rich to help Thailand with covid-19?

If Gen Prayut is serious, he must initiate reform of the entire political structure and amend the constitution to allow people to have a say.