What's the catch?

Re: "Military reshuffle in final stretch", (BP, Sept 5).

I have a question to which nobody has yet volunteered an answer. Why has the Boss assigned his right hand to the defence portfolio?

Normally, in our political world, one's most trusted lieutenant gets the most important, and juiciest, jobs. But the Ministry of Defence hardly ranks in either respect during this particular time. Military commanders are running their respective shows, budgets are all spoken for, and woe betide anyone who thinks of interfering.

So, what does the Boss have in mind? Surely not revenge, that would be suicidal. Honouring Pheu Thai's military reform promises? Sorry, those were abandoned in return for the jail-free return home.

Sad Optimist
Not assuring

Re: "No faulty engines, says THAI", and "Cathay halts flights for A350 checks", (BP, Sept 4).

Somehow, THAI's assurances about the safety of their A350 engines do little to instil confidence.

How is it that Cathay Pacific -- one of the world's best-run airlines -- deemed it necessary to ground its entire fleet of A350s for safety reasons and has "identified a number of the same [problematic] engine components that need to be replaced among its fleet", while THAI, operating the same planes with the same engines, has found no reason to be similarly concerned?

Samanea Saman
Follow the rules

Re: "Yes, let's reverse Brexit (just a bit) for Gen Z", (Opinion, Sept 7).

"...allow young Brits to live, study and work in the EU..."

I am English and have lived and worked and paid taxes in various Asian locations since 1995 under the required visas and work permits. I fail to see how Brexit undoes this simple premise.

Get a visa/WP and all is good. This is generally how the world spins. It reminds me of a frankly odd argument I had in Singapore with a young English gentleman who was working there at the time and who was ranting about Brexit.

His side of the coin was "bad", I asked if he really wanted to decamp to Albania [for the sake of argument], he could ... then I asked him how he was working in Singapore ... he replied that he had a work permit.

So that's okay, then.

Many people in Thailand will be acutely aware of, for example, the relationship Thailand has with Burmese economic migrants who pay for quick and easy work permits and everyone is quite happy with this arrangement.

Freedom of travel exists; just a few hoops through which to jump.

Chris in CNX
Closer to disaster

Re: "Department drafts law to tax income from overseas", (Business, Sept 7).

This government's desperation will ultimately lead to doom.

SJL

CONTACT: BANGKOK POST BUILDING 136 Na Ranong Road Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110 Fax: +02 6164000 email: postbag@bangkokpost.co.th

All letter writers must provide full name address.

All published correspondence is subject to editing at our discretion.

08 Sep 2024 08 Sep 2024
10 Sep 2024 10 Sep 2024

SUBMIT YOUR POSTBAG

All letter writers must provide a full name and address. All published correspondence is subject to editing and sharing at our discretion

SEND