Showing 1 - 10 of 10
Don't tamper with Social Security Fund
Oped, Editorial, Published on 16/07/2024
» The Srettha government is considering various measures to resuscitate the country's economy, including reducing financial contributions to the Social Security Fund (SSF) -- the state pension and welfare fund for millions of workers and retirees.
Review 5-pill drug limit
Oped, Editorial, Published on 15/02/2024
» In response to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's pledge to review a policy that lowers the punishment for ya ba users found to have no more than five methamphetamine pills, the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) said it is considering reducing the limit to three.
The fight against drugs
Oped, Editorial, Published on 19/09/2023
» It should be good news that the Srettha government will make the fight against narcotics part of the national agenda. Announced on Sunday by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, the news has garnered mixed reactions, especially among human rights activists, which is understandable.
Clear Covid confusion
Oped, Editorial, Published on 07/07/2022
» If there's one thing that we can be sure of, it's that the Covid-19 pandemic is down, but not out.
Taxpayers get a raw deal
News, Editorial, Published on 25/01/2021
» Although the government believes that a cut in the employees' contribution to the Social Security Fund (SSF) from 3% to 0.5% is a valuable assistance measure to this vast group of people who are excluded from the latest relief scheme, the measure is still unsubstantiated and unfair.
No sign of drug reform
News, Editorial, Published on 16/01/2019
» The Ministry of Defence has weighed in on drug trafficking but in the most familiar manner. Briefed by his boss, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, ministry spokesman Kongcheep Tantravanich repeated an official litany that is no longer impressive. In short, drug seizures are up, drug arrests continue to increase. As a reporter for this newspaper wrote, this combination of factors "will pave the way for more arrests".
Double-faced drugs policy
News, Editorial, Published on 20/11/2018
» The government has become somewhat schizophrenic about its policies on banned drugs. It has sent mixed signals about the path to legalising medical marijuana. Providing a programme leading to the needed reform of law on illicit drugs is even less clear. In just the past few weeks, senior officials and ministers have indicated, rather, that they expect to renew and redoubled the "war on drugs" policies that have failed so badly.
Myanmar's shirked duty
News, Editorial, Published on 08/10/2018
» Last Thursday, police arrested two men in Ayutthaya for possession of drugs. They were driving a pickup with 700 one-kilogramme bags of crystal methamphetamine, a so-called recreational drug without medical or social value.
Drug reform gets a push
News, Editorial, Published on 24/04/2018
» New plans for treatment of drug addicts and abusers are a welcome step on the way to badly needed drug reform. The steps announced last week by the chief of the prime ministers Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) may make it possible to begin rehabilitation instead of criminal treatment. As welcome as the new programme is, it is still only a tentative step towards what is needed. It is time for bold steps and a new outlook on the problem.
Lack of unity in drug sweep
News, Editorial, Published on 28/02/2018
» The government has launched yet another series of anti-drugs sweep aimed at taming the North. They are part of the decades-old campaign to wipe out trafficking in illicit drugs. Authorities came up with reports to the public that had a very tired look and feel. A one-month "massive" suppression campaign resulted in the arrests of 63 suspects, the seizure of many kilogrammes of drugs and the unsurprising discovery of some 241 million baht of "assets" -- cash, gold, cars and motorcycles, up-scale homes, land and condominiums.