OPINION

World Cup hopes

Re: "Fifa asked to drop its price," (BP, Nov 11).

I recall, over a decade ago, when the announcement was made that Qatar would be the venue for the 2022 World Cup. Many of us footy fans thought it was part of an elaborate joke.

We soon realised it wasn't and were left to figure out how such a thing might have come about.

The first indication came in 2010 when the Daily Telegraph referred to the agreement between Thailand and Qatar for the latter to supply liquid gas at a favourable price.

The assistance given by Worawi Makudi, FAT president at the time, to the Qatari World Cup bid, is thought to have got the ball rolling, so to speak.

With this in mind, one would hope Fifa will look sympathetically on the Sports Authority of Thailand's request to lower the broadcasting rights price from 1.6 billion baht.

After all, what's a billion baht here or there?

Take him at his word

Re: "Thamanat denies Chinese triad links," (BP, Nov 11).

Ex-agriculture deputy minister Thamanat Prompao, incessantly pestered by the media just because "Thailand court allows [Thammanat] to keep post despite drug conviction" (BBC Online, May 5, 2021), must want to clear his name.

News reports say he spent four years in Parklea prison, NSW, Australia, convicted of conspiring to import 3.2kg of heroin (worth 114 million baht) into Australia.

He claimed in parliament he was smuggling "flour", not drugs, yet many questioned his assertion.

Now, people are asking about his supposed connections with Chinese triads running illegal casinos and drug dens in Bangkok, which once again he has denied.

Capt Thamanat says he's ready to have his claims scrutinised.

Taking him at his word, he should sign a release waiving confidentiality, giving the media full access to the Australian court records relating to his case.

Let's see if he's really a misunderstood angel or heroin-smuggling devil.

Expats left out

Re: "Land solution," (PostBag, Nov 10).

I love Robert Exell's comments.

The government never gives any thought to permanent residents and long-term foreign residents.

I have been a permanent resident for 15 years.

Although I don't have a business here, I still spend money every day and when friends or relatives visit, they also spend money though not in the billions of baht.

But we are always left out of consideration. Think long-term, please.

Vaping ban won't work

Re: "Vaping ban fails to do its job," (Editorial, Oct 30).

Prohibiting e-cigarettes as Thailand has done, when e-cigarettes are regarded as an effective tool for smoking cessation in other countries, is a bad move.

The fact that we can see many people using them confirms the ineffectiveness of the ban.

Other countries across the world have decided to regulate the products to protect their people.

China recently permitted the use of tobacco-flavoured vapes and Switzerland imposes a higher tax on disposable e-cigarette as both countries aim to reduce the appeal of e-cigarettes to youth.

The government wants to pass the bill on cannabis to protect kids and children, yet they ban e-cigarettes which boosts the underground economy, corruption and can't really protect youth at all.

The government should adopt alternative solutions to solve this issue: to regulate, not to ban.

Drink-drive lessons

Re: "Drunk-driving victims slam push for 4am nightspot closing," (BP, Nov 11).

While I empathise with the campaigners who are opposed to extended drinking hours, I feel they are targeting the wrong group.

I am tired of trying to persuade drunk people not to get on their bikes/cars and drive home impaired.

It is considered perfectly acceptable behaviour in this country and the reason is there is negligible enforcement of drunk driving laws.

What is the point of stiffening the sentence for driving under the influence (as was done in September) if you do not enforce the law? Answer: none.

Traffic police patrols should be out every night pulling over suspected drunk drivers and testing them.

And the punishment for law breakers should follow the proscribed legal procedure every time.

Until this happens, and people realise there are consequences to breaking the law, the grim death toll caused by drunk drivers will continue -- regardless of closing times, which are not the issue.