Sort out systemic corruption
Re: "Negligence claims lives", (Editorial, Oct 4).
With reference to your editorial, while the Post highlighted various abnormalities and raised key questions relating to the tragic school bus fire accident which claimed so many young lives, I am surprised you have not raised the possibility of corruption in the process of licensing and inspections. It is difficult to believe how so many unauthorised gas tanks could have been ignored.
In the context of the prime minister's statement to Time Magazine that Thailand needs change, I believe dealing with systemic corruption should be high on the agenda. The Post would do a great service by publishing a summary of the inspection results of 13,000-plus buses when completed.
Making alcohol is tricky
Re: "Liquor fears fall flat", (PostBag, Oct 4) & "House rejects People's Party liquor liberalisation bill", (BP, Oct 3).
Distilling alcohol is tricky; if you get it wrong it will kill some consumers and blind others. Cases are reported regularly from India, and I think there was recently a case in Bangkok.
It's not a question of Thai people's sense of responsibility and self-control; it's a question of their knowledge and understanding, or lack of it, of a complicated bit of chemistry. If amateur distillers aiming at making a bit of extra money can get it so wrong, what hope is there for the less well-prepared householder?
In France for example, many small farmers like to produce brandy from their grapes, but the law requires them to hire a registered distiller to do it. I know of no country that relies on citizens' sense of responsibility to control production of this potentially lethal stuff.
Get your facts straight
Re: "Doctor urges One Health unity" (BP, Oct 3).
Soawapak Hinjoy, director of the Disease Control Department's Office of International Cooperation, said, "climate change is the origin of health problems."
Of course this is not true. It is an entirely new hypothesis in medicine, and there is no data to prove it. But there is extensive science which reveals drugs, doctors, certain vaccines, processed foods, lack of clean drinking water and clean air are killing people by the millions.
Medicine is the third leading cause of death in America; tobacco and alcohol are also well known killers. Climate change is not even on the list, though no doubt the fraudsters at the UN are looking for a way to put it there.
Artificial, pseudo-science
Re: "Seawall plan raises ire", (BP, Oct 2).
It takes no more than the most basic knowledge of water management to quickly realise the utter absurdity of the assertions that creating artificial islands in the Gulf of Thailand could somehow help to alleviate flooding risks in Bangkok.
Backers of the artificial island proposal seem unaware of the kindergarten-level principle of hydrology that water flows downhill. All major flooding events in Bangkok, such as that which occurred in 2011, result from massive water runoff from higher elevations upcountry that is unable to flow fast enough out to sea via the Gulf of Thailand.
By what twisted logic could anyone think that dumping millions of tonnes of fill into the Gulf, further constraining the flow of water out to sea, would somehow reduce the flood risk in the city?
The real not-so-hidden motive of the artificial island idea obviously lies with the anticipation of creating new waterfront properties for the privileged elite to develop for sale and rent to other rich fat cats. Meanwhile, ordinary Bangkokians will be subject to worse flooding than ever, local fishermen will see their fisheries fouled by silt and muck from island fill, and Gulf marine wildlife habitat and mangroves will be destroyed at a record pace.
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