OPINION

Litter legacy

Re: "Boat to lose licence for dumping waste", (BP, March 1).

Royal Galaxy Cruise has been caught dumping trash into the Chao Phraya River and hence into the Gulf of Thailand. Is the government going to prosecute the company...and others...for allowing this to happen? Or is everyone happy to dump trash anywhere in Thailand without shame or prosecution?

Houdini act

Re: "Thailand's tense dance of diplomacy", (Opinion, March 4).

Kavi Chongkitthavorn's discussion on recent diplomatic moves by Thailand zeroes in on the role of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatara's "Houdini Act" theory or protracted strategy.

It raises the question that, given the current economic stagflation in Thailand, and uncertainties surrounding US President Donald Trump's tariff imposition and destabilisation of global economies, is Thaksin's "Houdini act" in regional and global politics going to serve any purpose to bolster the three strongly needed pillars of Thailand: sound economics, principled politics and security and an alluring culture?

Thailand has long been considered a moderate and peace-loving Indo-Chinese and Asean heartland. Thailand's "middle-of-the-road" attitude to many global issues also makes it an attractive ally in negotiations and deal-making.

Now is the opportune moment for the hand-wringing to stop and decisiveness to take hold of Thailand's decisions to move forward. After all, you cannot catch two fish with two hands.

Murky machinations

Re: "D-Day looms for the Senate", (BP, March 6).

Is there any chance that someone at your company could put a bit of effort into helping the public understand what is behind some of the more recent strange happenings in Thai society?

First we had the top two policemen who were removed, with both intimating that the other was involved in corrupt takings from online betting. Was this just a personal feud or are there bigger influences behind this scandal?

Then there was the return of a long-silent issue regarding the Alpine Golf Course, gone but obviously not forgotten. Why now?

Then the issue of land which the Supreme Court ruled was owned by the SRT, at odds with the thinking of some government departments. The Interior Minister could hardly announce "unbiased" in this case. Just a few more weeks and suddenly another land dispute concerning proxy owners of land intended for a Chinese durian farm and further complications of it maybe being national park or Alro land.

And finally a decision to halt the Moto GP at a racetrack in Buri Ram at a time when every effort is being made to raise tourist numbers. Are we seeing independent events here or are we looking at a political spat between two sides who claim they are best of friends? What is going on?

Poor Phuket

Re: "Phuket 'needs new growth strategy'", (BP, March 4).

The Post reports on Phuket like it's a foreign country. Phuket is 65% the size of Singapore but the island doesn't have a single highway. Nor does Phuket have a single traffic flyover.

Despite Phuket's love of billboards, flyovers were deemed unsightly so Phuket got busy building tunnels. Tunnels use a lot more cement, cost a lot more, and take more time. The last tunnel was completed about 10 years ago.

Phuket doesn't need a study. We need a flyover going past Thalang (for starters). We need a second north-south road which has been proposed (from way back) to run the route of the power pylons that bring electricity in from far away Nakhon Si Thammarat. The PM's visit this year and her poorly informed suggestion of travelling by sea omits the fact that we get hit with two monsoons here on the island, one big, and one small.