OPINION

Boom to bust

Re: "Analysts lament SET has lost its appeal", (Business, March 4).

The SET is a disaster now, not only down over five and 10 years but also over a period of 30 years. It is currently lower than what it was in 1994. The question is why the market is underperforming so much compared to other markets in other countries -- some of which with five to 10 higher in value.

The answer is short-term greed and inefficacy from SEC that has let a lot of overpriced lousy companies to list. These listed companies usually go down at least 50-70% after a week or two of fame. Together with lax regulations about insider trading and the questionable board members who obviously are not able to find answers nor able to move SET into the digital world. That said, you have the recipe for one of the worst markets in the world.

Narrative vs reality

Re: "Last woman standing: Nikki Haley for Potus", (Opinion, Feb 24).

This is simply not journalism but partisan fiction from Gwynne Dyer, who claims to be an independent journalist. Anyone familiar with Joe Biden's public appearances has seen countless demonstrations that he is feeble in body and mind due to age-related dementia.

Biden was just exonerated by a special council investigation because, to quote the prosecutor, he was "an old man with a poor memory". Yet while Donald Trump is allowed no such exemption from justice while being charged with exactly the same crime, Dyer says Trump is a "great deal less coherent"?

Imagine Biden holding an equivalent number of rallies as Trump. Trump makes huge crowds clap and laugh with him and for him. Biden makes people feel embarrassed and laugh at him. The whole world cringes when Biden confuses the names of world leaders, spews word salad, gets lost tottering about on stage, and falls down repeatedly.

Finally, the big money being poured into Haley's campaign is coming from Democrats' dark money sources and PACS -- this is on record -- it is not Republicans who are keeping Haley's sputtering comet flying in the limelight. Get a grip Mr Dyer, there is no way Nikki Haley is a viable candidate for POTUS.

THAI turnaround

Re: "THAI reports B28.1bn net profit", (BP, Feb 24).

Expats living in Thailand can choose whether or not to believe the following. As we know, Thai Airways has made a turnaround by coming up with a huge profit in 2023. The company is poised to succeed even further, looking forward.

Yet the story behind the airline's past failure and its successful rebound is still unknown to many people.

Thaksin Shinawatra was the first person responsible for Thai Airways' huge loss to the point of it becoming near-bankrupt. During 2002 and 2004, Thaksin ordered THAI to buy 10 A340-500 and A340-600 aircraft worth about 53.5 billion baht. That decision caused THAI to end up suffering 39.8 billion baht in losses. THAI slipped closer and closer to insolvency from then on.

Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, Progressive Movement founder and former leader of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party, later came out to adamantly warn the Prayut government not to support THAI's revival plan, saying it would be a waste of money. Thanathorn said if he were prime minister, he would absolutely not help THAI. Today, THAI has made a hugely successful turnaround thanks to the wise decision made by former PM Prayut. Billions have been made, as well as saved.