OPINION

Who pays the price?

Re: "Clean air comes before animal feed", (Editorial, May 12).

PM's Office spokesman Chai Wacharonke said moves to boost animal feed production could earn more than 300 billion baht. As suggested by your editorial, the potential for increasing air pollution (over and above that caused by other burning) can only add to both deteriorating health outcomes and consequent lower productivity per capita for the majority of the population, never mind the contribution of burning to global greenhouse gas emissions.

But who would most benefit from the 300 billion baht? Surely not the peasants who eke out a subsistence growing corn on the vast landscape of hills already denuded for that purpose in districts like Mae Chaem (Chiang Mai) and Mae Sai (Chiang Rai).

Nor would this policy do anything to redress the non-sustainability at a global level of growing feed for livestock due to its inefficiency in creating protein for human consumption and the greenhouse gas emissions created by the meat industry as a whole. It is also unlikely to address the issue of dominance by a few large firms and state-owned enterprises that "limits competition and efficient resource allocation," according to the World Bank's "Thailand Systematic Country Diagnostic Update 2024" (SCDU).

To be sure it would enrich a minority in Bangkok, but as the SCDU points out regarding the crucial economic role played by Bangkok, this results in uneven development for secondary cities. Given Bangkok's dire vulnerability to climate change, it would seem utter folly not to distribute scarce investment capital more widely.

The other day, a neighbour cut down a large, healthy, and beautiful chamcha tree (raintree) that was leaning over a pond adjacent to our property. Perhaps he could be forgiven for not being able to see farther than the few thousand baht sale of the wood would bring him.

But can the same be said for our leaders? Are their actions aimed at creating a more economically sustainable, healthier, and happier nation for our grandchildren? Or do they assume they need not try too hard since privilege will always allow them to deal with disruption, whatever the cause?

Of course, steering the ship of state is not easy, but without good guidance, how can Thailand's people improve on poor learning outcomes and so think and act better?

The real polluters

Re: "Misplaced blame?", (PostBag, May 15) & "Clean air comes before animal feed", (BP, May 12).

I did have a chuckle at Duncan Riley's assertion that 97% of the North's smoke comes from lowly mushroom and ant egg hunters and the like. Perhaps he should read Greenpeace's 2023 report that said 4.7 million acres of land have been converted to maize farming since 2015, which is a major contributor to toxic smoke, much of it in forest areas. Or the fact that, as one of the top rice producers globally, Thailand burns approximately 4 million tonnes of rice straw annually. And don't even get me started on sugar cane biomass burning.

If Mr Riley thinks that less than 3% of Thailand's PM2.5 comes from large-scale contract farming, I'd suggest he does a little more than glance at Doi Suthep from his lofty perch and perhaps drive around the northern region during peak burning season. I would say it might open his eyes, although they might be streaming with tears by then. I know mine were when I read his letter, but that was from the content.

Advice for a minister

Re: "Old rice sale critics warned of legal action", (BP, May 14).

I have urgent and concerned advice for the mental health of Commerce Minister Phumtham. Do get your head examined by a trained medical practitioner before the damage is irreversible. Avoid those charlatans at the Police General Hospital. They are an international laughing stock after aiding in the development of "The Thaskin Model". It appears that eating all that toxin-polluted old rice has affected not only the logical side of your brain but also your memory retention.

Logically, you are unlikely to successfully sue the national and provincial Thai newspapers for quoting your ridiculous suggestions for sweeping this scandal under the proverbial mat. I imagine that if you keep this up, you will be forced to threaten the international press with sanctions as well.

As for your memory, I am afraid that very shortly, Yingluck will return in that same "model T" car. Once the dysfunctional Thai legal system works its "smoke and mirrors" trick, Thailand will not have any international reputation left to protect.

We want to know

Re: "Old rice sale critics warned of legal action", (BP, May 14).

This article in the Post today only reiterates the facts about what is happening with the rice and how it was stored. It does not mention why it was stored for 10 years. Which was my original question.

How can any government agency store this amount of rice for such a long period? Without any questions being raised.

Mideast history

Re: "Never a war", (PostBag, May 4) & "Netanyahu wows to invade Rafah", (World, May 2).

Responding to Colin Roth's letter that states Palestine is under Israeli occupation. The fact is contrary -- Palestine is not under Israeli occupation -- the fact is there is no occupied Palestinian territory.

In 1947, the UN divided the British mandate into two parts: one for Israel and one for the Palestinians. Israel accepted the start of the Israeli state, but the Arab countries refused and started a war with the just-born state of Israel, which they lost.

In 2005, Israel gave Gaza, conquered from Egypt, to the Palestinians its autonomy. The Jews living in Gaza were forcibly removed by the Israeli army. De facto Gaza became the first Palestine territory in history. In 2007 Hamas was voted in by the population.

Fatah supporters were killed, as were gays, by throwing them from high-rise buildings. Billions of dollars were pumped into Gaza, making Hamas rich. Instead of using the help for building Gaza, becoming the Singapore of the Middle East, Hamas squandered the money on building tunnels and manufacturing weapons, especially rockets, which were regularly shot into Israel.

Unnecessary death

Re: "Amnesty panel to mull inclusion of S112 cases", (BP, May 14), "Govt cops flak over death", (BP, May 16) & "King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A Life's Work", Grossman and Faulder (2012).

Young Netiporn Saneyasangkhom, aka Boong Thalu Wang, died because the Thai police and judiciary deliberately defied the clear wishes of our beloved national father. She was charged under our lese majeste law for non-violently carrying out an opinion survey on royal motorcades.

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great has long opposed our usage of LM laws. As quoted in the book King Bhumibol Adulyadej: A Life's Work, by Grossman and Faulder: "Charges against those accused of lèse-majesté should be dropped, and those held in jail for lèse-majesté should be released, (for) the use of the lèse-majesté law ultimately damages the monarchy".

Those who love and honour our national father must hold our government accountable for "ultimately damaging the monarchy". Boong's ultimate sacrifice would not have happened had we heeded His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great's wisdom.

Tale of two patients

Re: "Hunger strike tragedy" (Editorial, May 15).

The death of the 28-year-old political activist Netiporn Saneysangkhom, who was on pre-trial detention without bail for the charge of lese majeste Section 112, reflects on the problematic treatment of Thai justice. The court denied bail to the person despite the Thai constitution's dictates that a person is presumably innocent unless proven guilty and is granted bail before a verdict is passed. The treatment of Netiporn's case was in stark contrast to a political godfather who was immediately whisked into Police General Hospital upon the first sign of physical discomfort only after a few hours of being reported to the prison.

The official news release from the Justice Ministry was that such a person was in grave life danger and, accordingly, be allowed to be cared for in the VIP room at the hospital for many months before being released into the care of his family home. What happens with the health of this person afterwards is history.

On the other hand, in Netiporn's case, the Corrections Department hospital did not bother to reveal what happened during the intermediate five hours when Netiporn was being resuscitated. If there is any professional competency of the physicians in charge at the prison hospital, the medical staff should be able to sense the physical danger to the patient and take urgent proactive action, such as referring her to the experts in another hospital.

Why let the time go by? By the time Netiporn was referred to Thammasat Hospital, she had already expired. We all wonder what will happen to the other activists also on hunger strike. Will history repeat itself? The fact is so recorded that Netiporn is the first human sacrificed with the consequence of our lese majeste law enforcement. Time will tell if the Thai court ever has a good conscience, a moral commitment and be able to treat the law as just.

Thailand should be a country of the "rule of law" instead of the land of "rule by law".

Missing in action

Re: "Where is Eric?", (PostBag, May 14).

Much to my surprise, I, too, have had a concern over why Eric is suddenly MIA. Three possibilities presented themselves: a) he was prudently clocking up the 180 days out of Thailand needed to avoid paying tax under the confusing new tax regime and has found new pastimes; b) that the pollution in Chiang Mai had gotten to him; and c) that karma might have struck with a dose of Covid-19.

I certainly don't wish either b) or c) on him, and I'm sure he'll resurface in fine form. My bigger concern is that PostBag's editor seems to feel that the shortfall in Eric's passion for his favourite topics has to be replaced with a double dose of Michael Setter's bleak negativity about almost everything.

I know who I'd rather be stranded on a desert isle with.