OPINION

Peacetime frigate?

Re: "Sutin backs military modernisation", (BP, Nov 10).

Retired top officers who are free to talk call warships sitting ducks in today's war scenario with all kinds of advanced missiles. Remember the fate of the Russian warship and flagship, Moskva -- set on fire and sunk in the Black Sea by anti-ship missiles on April 14 last year.

Huge warships are intimidating but also vulnerable. So, can Thailand defend itself with a frigate, or is the ship only for showing muscle? Why not do what Iran is doing, defending their coast with a swarm of speedboats equipped with missiles?

These smaller boats are easier to maintain, repair and replace than a frigate. The numbers make the difference. It is like encountering a bee swarm; the swarm will overwhelm you and your waving arms by their numbers.

So, Thailand, how are you going to defend your coast in a real war, with big muscles or a swarm of missiles? Or is the frigate's mission only meant for peacetime?

Taxing damage

Re: "PM to outline digital handout", (BP, Nov 10) & "New tax rules need clarification", (Editorial, Oct 8).

Although financial analysts and rating agencies focus on the merits of the proposed stimulus and debate its enormity and whether or not it is funded, it is perhaps more useful to focus on the merits and sustainability of fiscal policies being pursued in the name of funding the stimulus.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has already announced that tax collection will form the backbone of the stimulus funding. A sweeping review of inheritance, land and building tax is underway, and a change to taxation on foreign income has been announced.

To many analysts and ratings agencies, such policies seem reasonable. Their concern is whether or not sufficient funds can be raised. It is for policymakers to debate and assess the long-term merits and dangers of the funding policies being proposed.

On close inspection, the proposed change to tax on foreign income does not appear to be a good policy for Thailand. It risks disrupting foreign currency inflows, the lifeblood of Thailand's export-based economy. Tax residents will no longer remit funds freely. They simply will not remit funds to avoid tax, or remit to take advantage of lower tax thresholds, etc.

More concerning, perhaps, is the damage the policy will likely cause to Thailand's long-stay visa programmes, which have taken decades to establish and are an important source of foreign currency inflows and foreign investment. If Thailand chooses to proceed with the tax change, the likelihood is that potential long-stay visitors will simply choose other destinations.

Those who do opt for a long stay are likely to remit fewer funds to avoid costly interactions with the Thai Revenue Department. Long-stay foreigners now residing in Thailand may choose to leave, together with their funds and spending. Not to mention the permanent damage that will be done to Thailand's reputation as a major retirement and mobility hub.

The obvious shortfalls of the policy to tax foreign income raise serious questions as to what the prime minister had in mind when he chose to move ahead with it. Had he carefully considered all the policy's impacts? Did he examine practices in neighbouring countries (Singapore and Hong Kong) and countries offering foreign residency schemes? Did he ask why many of these other countries explicitly exempt individuals from tax on foreign income? Did he consider whether it was in the national interest likewise to exempt individual taxpayers or at least long-stay foreigners with no work permits? Most importantly, did he take the time to debate these fully and other questions with independent experts and his cabinet colleagues to gain a clear consensus?

In moving ahead with a potentially flawed and harmful policy, it may raise the possibility the prime minister did so chiefly to improve the revenue projections needed for the proposed stimulus and not on the basis of good policy.

If funding policies for the stimulus are adopted on this basis, it may well be that revenue targets to fund the proposed stimulus are met. However, this may damage Thailand's economy and prosperity in the longer term.

What say Buddha?

Re: "Buddhist wisdom", (PostBag, Nov 10) & "Isoc's role in society", (PostBag, Nov 6).

Following the observations of Karl Reichstetter and J C Wilcox on authentic Buddhism's happy freedom from the traditional curse of religious dogma held as eternally infallible as it upholds witch trials, Hamas, sexism, holy war, homophobia and such evils, one must wonder what the Buddha would say of those highly amusing photos going round, allegedly created by AI, of Buddhist monks enjoying a few modern high jinks -- motorcycle racing, rock singing, and such.

Would he get his robes in a twist and start legal action to promptly suppress the sort of creativity that threatens to lead to actual soft power success? Or would he appreciate and welcome an update to his wisdom, otherwise in grave danger of terminal fossilization by arch-conservatives who find their officially approved incarnation of Buddhism as a religion a most useful political tool?

In their zeal to maintain the old ways so richly generous to themselves, they even elevate religion to the status of a pillar of the nation for Isoc to protect with the full force of the state, lest the old ways succumb to the threat of creative innovation leading to flourishing for all.

What would the Buddha say?

Abolish religions

Re "Buddhist wisdom", (PostBag, Nov 10).

Much has been written in PostBag about the Gaza war, but contributions seem to miss that this conflict is severely anchored in religion.

Let's first dispel some of the multiple myths propagated by religious believers that the idea that belief in a god prevents violence. This is a tragic, if not abyssal, absurdity. Not only is it not true, but it is contrary to what history teaches us.

Human history is a bloody saga of devout believers assassinating each other for believing in the wrong god or believing in the right god but worshipping it in the wrong way.

In Europe, hundreds of years ago, Catholics were fighting Protestants nonstop, Christians were against Muslims while everyone was killing and persecuting the Jews. Two sectarian branches of Islam have also clashed with each other.

Western nations have subjugated, colonised, enslaved and killed indigenous people from all over the world in the name of spreading their particular faith.

So, back to Gaza with the ongoing Israel-Hamas war: the atrocities that each side is ready to commit find their justifications because this is a struggle between two religious sects that both believe they have a God-given right to possess the same land.

As long as religions that claim to possess the "absolute truth" are not abolished or severely curtailed as China has been doing for most of the last 100 years, wars like the one in Gaza are unlikely to find an end.

Fearful love

Re: "Horses for courses", (PostBag, Nov 9).

I most sincerely thank Khun Songdej Praditsmanont for his very kind words of support. I confess that sometimes I fear for my safety in writing on controversial topics, yes.

But "evil will flourish where good men do nothing" (often attributed to Edmund Burke), and I love my country too much to do nothing.

A place for all

Re: "Horses for courses", (PostBag, Nov 9).

Actually, I agree with Songdej Praditsmanont's letter that Khun Burin's style of writing is more gentlemanly, and mine is more combative. And I think Songdej will agree that there is a place in PostBag for all people with such diverse styles.

My complaint is that people only complain about writers who get "too many" letters published when I get published. And that's because those fascists can't tolerate anyone they disagree with.

As for Khun Burin, although I don't always agree with him, I would never demand he be censored or write libellous letters accusing him of being on the Bangkok Post payroll!

Fantastic Roi Et

I would like to divert the attention from the dreadful wars to a wonderful event taking place here in Roi Et, also affectionately called LA (as in Los Angeles), in the heart of Isan.

Although the city is 800 kilometres from the nearest beach, it is hosting the world championship in Junior Beach Volleyball. It has brought in 35 teams from as far as Paraguay, Canada, Portugal, Norway and so on.

Roi Et has built eight great sand volleyball courts for the occasion, so you do not need to be on Copacabana or Ipanema beaches in Rio to see some fantastic action whilst the young people practise for the tournament, which started on Tuesday.

Not only are their skills and fitness amazing, but they all display a fantastic spirit of sportsmanship and friendship as they practise selflessly with their opponents.

The city is buzzing with excitement and a fabulous atmosphere of hospitality and international comradeship. Come to Roi Et and see it for yourself.

Let's have more sport, forget the war!