OPINION

Women are slaves

Re: “PM’s gender equality stance stuck in the past”, (Opinion, Feb 3).

It is no surprise the prime minister has made his views clear on the role of women — to serve men and act as maids, lest “society disintegrate”. In fact, this seems to be the pervasive view of many foreigners in Thailand “rescuing” Thai women (Re: Sir Lance, “Barking madness”, PostBag, Feb 6). This so-called rescue is really all about having a personal body servant to procure, cook, serve and then clean up meals and who further is expected to sexually service men when they desire.

Middle-aged foreigners who flock to Thailand to procure Thai wives are, I suspect, really just wanting to perpetuate this servile role in their mates, a role in which Western women — at least the more attractive, younger women with lots of choices in mating — are not so likely to fulfil. The very act of going to a developing nation to seek out women with few economic choices who’ll fulfil this role is exploitation in any language.

One cannot really blame the men — who wouldn’t enjoy a low-waged servant, or a compliant woman? For this is what they have been taught.

The definition of women’s roles has gone backwards since the feminist zenith of the late 70s, which is reinforced in the most banal of media. I’ve observed that comic strips are full of female characters, who in a nod to liberation, now hold down jobs and careers but then still also cook and serve meals to the males.

Every Thai couple I have ever met has the woman scurrying about preparing food, which she has shopped for, and will clean up, while the male sits waiting to be served.

Counter to establishment propaganda, this is not a millennial-ingrained relationship, one can read Judith Flanders’ latest tome titled The Making of Home: 500 Years of History to see the industrial revolution in what really caused this inequity in gender roles. 

Until women finally realise they do not need to mate in traditional partnerships, which patriarchal religions prescribe as “normal”, until women realise they hold the real power in relationships, the sexual power that would have men and women as equal partners, they can expect to work as unpaid slaves their entire lives and raise daughters who will also suffer this life of drudgery.

Christy K Sweet

Re: “Cash in hand (video)", (Post Online, Feb 11). 

The following is quoted from the story.

“Pol Col Pornchai Chalordet, superintendent of Lumpini police station, later told reporters police will investigate whether the officer was taking a bribe, as it could be a misunderstanding.”

Yes, we are all sure it was a “misunderstanding”. Drivers hand police money every day as a donation to the Police Benevolent Association. Pol Col Pornchai is another top ranker who needs to be removed for his grossly stupid comment. He should be sent to Pattaya to raid old folks' bridge clubs and old age homes.

According to Mr Pornchai the following could have taken place: The traffic cop probably lent the van driver money for lunch and the driver was repaying the loan. Or, he was treating the policeman to lunch out of the generous goodness of his heart to make merit.

Laughing Mango

Re: “54% spike in tourist deaths sparks ministry response”, (BP, Business, Feb 11).

In this case, it is difficult to say if the number of deaths has increased or not without a comparison of the figures in the years 2014 and 2015. That’s because the number of tourists also increased in 2015 compared with 2014. Therefore, the chance of incidents occurring should also increase.

In this article, there isn’t a chart about the figures in 2015. We need data for the years 2014 and 2015 for a proper comparison.

RH Suga

Two recent Bangkok Post articles about the present drug legalisation campaign at the UN both make one critical error in referring repeatedly to drug abuse. Herein lies the great misunderstanding about so-called narcotics.

The vast majority partaking in banned drugs "use" them, but don’t abuse them. They do so mainly for recreation because the experience is enjoyable, and by empirical experience mostly harmless. This is no different from getting tipsy on a few glasses of wine, the occasional chocolate binge, or tucking into a plate of french fries.

We all realise that sensible "use" is not abusive to our minds or bodies. The main focus on legalisation is marijuana, classed as a narcotic for its intoxicating properties but not addictive and unlikely to cause serious health problems.

In Thailand, like many countries, an ill-informed public has a misplaced assumption of abuse among users. Furthermore, distinction isn’t fully made between harmful (highly addictive) and harmless drugs.

Policymakers and governments are unwilling to risk their political capital among the common voters by taking a sensible and rational approach. Thus, users are demonised and denied due to the exaggerated perceptions derived from the minority abusers.

Andrew

Thailand does have more than its share of educational payment defaulters who borrow at the high end. The government should be the only guarantor for education loans, and loans should be granted on very stringent terms. The borrower should be made to present a land deed or house deed.

If the applicant cannot post a bond, and if the government feels the person will repay in good faith, then a loan could be made, but not in the millions of baht. That is downright foolish.

As for coming to friends with requests to be guarantors, those asked should simply say “no”. If it breaks up friendships, so be it. It is better than declaring bankruptcy to pay off a friend’s default.

Caveat emptor, (let the buyer beware), should also be kept in mind by those who guarantee money to anyone for any reason — even members of their own families, unless they are the Shinawatras.

David James Wong

Re: “Police interrogators upset by order re-branding their job”, (Post Online, Feb 8). 

The headline should instead read “Police torturers”, not interrogators. Most confessions these “interrogators” obtain are through torture. No matter what their titles, they are still inept, lack real training, and have few ideas about what real interrogation is. All they want to do is to announce how quickly they can solve their cases and obtain confessions from arrested victims.

They are indeed a Thai Gestapo. The Koh Tao murder suspects’ confessions are just one example that has made world headlines. These investigators should be assigned to the Pattaya Bridge Raiders Brigade.

Charcoal Ridgeback

At the end of last month, my family went to Wat Ampawan in Sing Buri province to pay our respects to the late revered Luang Phor Charan who was well known for his strict meditation practices. 

The atmosphere was filled with the faith of tens of thousands of his followers. There was heavy traffic about one to two kilometres from the temple’s entrance.

So the paying of respects to Luang Phor Charan went smoothly. I also received pictures of Luang Phor Charan and a video teaching chanting to Buddha.

Before I travelled back home, I saw a book which made us think of Luang Phor Charan who had always devoted himself to teaching us about the “law of karma”, doing good deeds through praying and, especially, practising meditation.

Although Luang Phor Charan has already passed away, there will be good things in their lives for those who follow his teachings.

Sutipunt BongsununtKanchanaburi

Since Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is Jewish, I was wondering what his stance is on Israel. After doing some research on the internet, I found that although he supports Israel’s right, he’s highly critical of some of its policies and believes America should be evenhanded in its approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In 2004, Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean said the same thing and the Zionist lunatics in America went ballistic. But maybe times are changing.

How refreshing it would be to finally have a president who cares more about America and world peace than he does about the thugs who run Israel.

Eric Bahrt

The Thai police have been receiving their fair share of criticism lately (“Playing their cards wrong in Pattaya”, PostBag, Feb 7). However, the article in the Bangkok Post on Feb 11, “Pizza order leads to Iranian’s arrest” is like something out of an exciting detective story.

The masterful police investigation work led toward uncovering a passport forgery operation which might be connected to international terrorism and people smuggling. So, kudos to the boys in brown; they deserve it.

Martin R

Has anyone from the government or the Environment Protection Agency  looked out the window today? Kanchanaburi is covered by thick smoke with a visibility of about one kilometre.

When will these inconsiderate and thoughtless Thai sugar cane farmers stop burning their crops? The elderly and anyone with breathing problems must be suffering so much. Farmers have been asked to stop this practice but to no avail.

Maybe a large fine or jail could be considered to bring them out of this 1950s style of farming. Tourists to this country must be appalled at the air quality. Wake up Thailand.

Peter Sanderson

I would like to say what a great trip this has been — but I can’t. It all started when a group of old age pensioners in Pattaya invited me to a game of bridge one afternoon on Feb 1. Suddenly, a raid by armed soldiers, police and other officials was carried out at the room we were in.

I won’t bore you with the details of how we were hauled off to the police station and held overnight, as that has been published in newspapers all over the world. But I remember wondering if I’d lost a couple of months and it was April 1.

I had a few tablets in my pocket which at first the police apparently thought were ecstasy which I was dealing to the blue-rinse crowd I was in. By making raspberry noises and fanning my hand under my nose I finally convinced the cop they were my flatulence medications.

I now heard that contrary to police assurances following the fiasco that no further action would be taken against us, Pattaya’s District Chief will not only pursue our prosecution under the Playing Card Act of 1935 (yes, 1935!) but he will also ask the court to rule on whether a couple of us drinking a gin and tonic in private between the hours of 2pm and 5pm was also a criminal offence.

I guess Pattaya has a zero-tolerance policy against crimes committed there.

I’m now wondering if we’ll have to do one of those crime re-enactments that law enforcement here seem so fond of. We can all sit around tables staring at our hands while pretending to decide which card to play next, while the national press takes photographs of us surrounded by police anxious not to miss a splendid photo opportunity of their daring gang-busting activities.

I trust I’ll not be hunted down by Interpol if I try to leave Thailand before our case is resolved.

I hope not as I still think I may come here again in spite of the above, as next time I promised to buy the wife one of those classy Louis Vuitton handbags which I saw being sold on the beach for a mere fraction of what they cost back in the States. Anyway, we’ll see.

Ima LyerUtopia, USA

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