Showing 51 - 60 of 148
Plundered budget
News, Postbag, Published on 17/05/2019
» Since the start of the coup and Thailand's dictatorial control, the national budget has been plundered by the military. With so many social pressures supposedly causing the need for a coup, the dictator and his underlings have seen it fit to purchase submarines, tanks, military aircraft, and now Stryker armoured vehicles. How do these expenditures truly serve the people?
Revamp the military
News, Postbag, Published on 23/02/2019
» Let's briefly consider local geopolitics and the Thai military. Thailand needs China like it needs another coup. However, China needs Thailand for a variety of reasons. The US has had a longstanding favourable relationship with Thailand and is its most powerful ally.
Need meds, not subs
News, Postbag, Published on 16/01/2019
» Re: "Prayut slams 'unrealistic' poll pledges", (BP, Jan 15).
The joke of law
News, Published on 01/12/2018
» The impressively slow progress on Premchai Karnasuta's case for alleged poaching in a national wildlife sanctuary can surprise no one (Editorial, Nov 30). It exemplifies perfectly why Thai people do not trust Thai justice, or rather, Thai rule of law posing as justice. Even when the law manages to be just, it is applied with seemingly blatant discrimination to protect corrupt hi-so types who are members in good standing of the old boys club while coming down mercilessly on the poor and powerless, who correctly see it as being created by traditional hi-so types to keep the masses in their place underfoot. We need not imagine where Premchai would be today had he been an aged peasant picking mushrooms illegally.
Stuck in the past
News, Postbag, Published on 24/11/2018
» I have been giving a lot of thought to the prime minister's Sept 13 claim that Thailand could become a "first world developed country". Although the PM gave no strict timetable for the metamorphosis, there are a few things that I feel will need strict attention. As he will have noticed during his travels, first world countries prohibit the burning of plastics and have an efficient refuse collection and disposal system to minimise pollution of the air and waterways. To be fair, whoever is responsible for -- or at least in charge of -- the cleaning of Klong Saen Seab has certainly made progress, but there is still a long way to go.
Noisy riders are relevant
News, Postbag, Published on 07/10/2018
» Re: "Summary execution", (PostBag, Oct 6). Unfortunately, my letter was cruelly edited to the point that it made little sense. In my original, I included photographs in support, and said that although a (very weak) argument could be made for motorcycles riding on the footpath against the flow of traffic, none can be made for those that ride on the footpath with the flow of traffic.
Thai-style reality
News, Postbag, Published on 12/08/2018
» I read, "Racist teacher policy," (PostBag, Aug 11) with great interest.
Racist teacher policy
News, Postbag, Published on 11/08/2018
» It is the time of the year when international schools in Thailand start recruiting teachers. Kris Wya, an African-American teacher with qualifications beyond the requirements, found getting a job in the country difficult. She said it was because of her skin colour and some "smart" schools wanted her photographs to be sent so that they would know who she was, an African.
Lets out-source the subs
News, Postbag, Published on 22/07/2018
» Re: "PM approves 'midget' subs for navy", (BP, July 18).
Killer app for humanity
News, Published on 30/06/2018
» Re: "Time to embrace the future", (BP, June 25).