Showing 341 - 350 of 362
Overprune is overkill
News, Postbag, Published on 23/03/2016
» Soi Rang Nam, one of Bangkok's greenest streets, just became the victim of a shocking branch-cutting campaign by the BMA.
Liberalise lease laws
News, Postbag, Published on 29/01/2016
» An argument often heard in Thailand is that to extend leases or grant ownership rights to foreigners would betray sensitivity to the history of colonisation in Southeast Asia. But Thailand has not been subject to colonisation and is seldom seen to be overly sensitive to its neighbours' problems or transgressions, unless they directly impact the kingdom.
Rubbery figures
News, Postbag, Published on 22/01/2016
» Our goal is to help rubber farmers, not to buy their product. The most cost-efficient way to help them is to give them only the subsidy portion (about 15-20 baht/kg) while letting them freely sell their crop to the highest bidders in world markets. This will save taxpayers about 30 baht/kg, or 3 billion baht in total, equal to two thirds of the approved budget, plus 979 million baht to hire private parties to process, stock, and manage the crop, a total of almost 4 billion baht — while helping farmers as much as now planned.
Poor deserve the help
News, Postbag, Published on 14/01/2016
» The government will help rubber farmers by buying rubber at an above-market price. I suggest that instead of helping everybody in the rubber sector, which would be a next-to-impossible job, the government focus on the poorest.
Bowie in Bangkok
News, Postbag, Published on 13/01/2016
» David Bowie’s only appearance in Bangkok was at a concert on Dec 5, 1983, part of his “Serious Moonlight World Tour”. The concert took place at the Army Stadium on Vibhavadee Road (capacity 20,000), the only venue at that time big enough to hold a rock multitude.
Lessons for Thailand
News, Postbag, Published on 15/12/2015
» Re “Euphoria greets climate deal”, (BP, Dec 14).
Rights are universal
News, Postbag, Published on 07/12/2015
» I respectfully disagree with letter writers who claim that Americans have no practical knowledge of Thailand and criticise the recent comments of the US ambassador (“Bahrt misses the mark” and “Criticism of Davies is fair”, PostBag, Dec 6).
Free speech vs culture
News, Postbag, Published on 02/12/2015
» Re “Don’t trivialise censorship”, (PostBag, Nov 29)
Exceptions to our rights
News, Postbag, Published on 01/12/2015
» Scott A Hipsher (PostBag, Nov 30) notes that Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (not the "Declaration of Universal Rights" as he writes) has "no clauses listing exceptions".
BTS condones double pricing
News, Postbag, Published on 29/11/2015
» Re: “Foreigners ineligible” (PostBag, Nov 28).