OPINION

No incentives

Re: "Panel unfazed by higher diesel cost", (Business, April 4).

If subsidised diesel is draining the government of funds why not take out the 7% palm oil?

Palm oil is over 50 baht per litre. Lowering interest rates will make the baht depreciate and oil will get more expensive. And 2.5% is not high.

Thailand is a price taker, not a price maker. Cheap diesel always gets taken across the border into Burma, Laos and Cambodia. These oil, LPG and electricity subsidies are the opposite of "sustainability" which seems to be everyone's favourite word these days.

Encouraging people to drive EVs and then having the government subsidise electrical tariffs makes the government's finances deplete further. If transport fuel is cheap, then the person taking the bus or train or sharing a ride isn't being rewarded.

If electricity is cheap then the person who has painted their roof white or installed solar panels isn't being rewarded. If electricity is expensive maybe people will keep that big shady tree standing by the side of the road. Where is the incentive to innovate? Government policy is a poor replacement for individual ingenuity.

High and dry

Re: "Beach road reopens after public outcry", (BP, March 12) & "Keep beaches public", (Editorial, March 5).

Hua Hin is kind of a strange beach and seaside town. There is no seafront there for public use; it's all occupied by rich people's properties, expensive hotels and resorts, who do not want to share with ordinary people.

After swimming and sunbathing on the beach, there is no beachfront to retreat to from the baking sun, no access to shading trees or green grass for a picnic, or just for enjoying the seaside atmosphere. You have to pack up and go home.

When strong onshore wind and high tides occur, especially during full-moon time, there is not even a beach there, and of course no beachfront to walk on for ordinary citizens or tourists.

And these people who want to have everything for themselves sometimes try to block alleys down to the beach with signs or other obstacles, claiming it is private. And maybe it is still going on.

And now recently, some people want to get rid of the simple restaurants on the piers, the only places where ordinary people can be near the sea for a meal or a drink.

Isn't it instead time for Hua Hin municipality to buy or expropriate beachfront land which is not in use, or for sale, and make public gardens or parks there for everybody's use?

If the people with money are to decide, soon the beach and the sea will be less and less accessible for the common man, when it should be the opposite!

Swords drawn

Re: "PostBag gladiators", (PostBag, April 5).

This time Eric Bahrt has really crossed the line.

He labelled me as a big supporter of the junta and a self-serving hypocrite.

Neither have I ever indicated in my past posts that I am close to the opinions of JC Wilcox or Vint Chavala.

As a lover of democracy, neither have I shown any inclination of liking a semi-or-full military government in our realm, though I refrain from trumpeting myself as a pure democrat.

In calling me a self-serving hypocrite, Eric Bahrt has defamed me and committed a criminal offence under section 326 of the Criminal Code.

Unless an apology is forthcoming, one has no choice but to proceed to Klong Toey police station.

Fighting his corner

Re: "Calling for civility", (PostBag, April 6) & "PostBag gladiators", (PostBag, April 5).

Burin accuses me of smearing Songdej as well as Vint Chavala and JC Wilcox for calling them hypocrites.

Yet they were all big supporters of the junta and now lecture us about democracy.

Why didn't Burin say anything about smearing people when Chavala and Songdej were constantly attacking me at a time when I was about the only Postbag writer who had the guts to oppose the junta.

These people were supporting a government that was enforcing the lese majeste law.

Daring new approach

Re: "Big parties 'abusing' Senate elections", (BP, April 6).

Senator Seree Suwanpanont complains that large parties aim to get absolute control over the new Senate. Well, I would say that is how democracy works.

I guess he prefers that coupmakers have absolute control over the Senate. That was how it was done last time around and how he was "elected".