OPINION

Out-sourced

Re: "Another Sriracha shortage may be on horizon in US", (BP, May 17 ).

You may have noticed Americans are getting desperate, but not only about the looming Trump ogre. Huy Fong Foods (HFF), which makes the most popular brand of Sriracha sauce in the US, recently declared it was halting production, until at least this September.

Culinary panic ensued. One competitor immediately set up srirachashortage.com

Established in 1975 in Los Angeles by a Vietnamese refugee, by 2022 HFF was using over 45 million kilogrammes of red jalapeno chillies for its version of sriracha sauce, which as we all know, courtesy of Wikipedia, is believed to have been invented by a Thai woman by the name of Thanom Chakkapak.

Herein lies the big question: Why is Sriracha sauce being made all over the world, and not just here in Thailand.

After all, it's by far the most famous Thai condiment, a trumpeter of Thai hot power. If champagne can only be made in Champagne, why can't our sauce only be sourced from here?

The Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), vaunted guardians of Thai GI (Geographical Indication), ought to have the answer.

After all, the DIP has already registered nearly 230 Thai products, mostly unknown to the world. Why not the one Thai product the world knows and loves, sriracha sauce?

Booze lament

Re: "Man charged with paying children to drink at ordination", (BP, June 12) and "Cabinet approves one-pill rule for meth users" (BP, June 11).

It is clear that the law regulating booze is unable to protect children from alcohol. That two 13-year-olds could access a sufficient quantity of the drug to vomit and black out, at a Buddhist ordination ceremony no less, shows that alcohol has corrupted society.

It is plainly readily available in all places, including temples, to destroy and debase Thai youth. A strong stand must be taken to protect both children and society.

Following the lead set for other more or less socially harmful drugs such as cannabis, ya ba, and the rest, the only solution is to list alcohol as a narcotic, criminalise its use and possession, and start throwing the dealers of this corrupting drug into prison for a few years each.

There, they can reflect on the corrupting influence their lucrative drug has inflicted as they mingle with their fellow drug traffickers guilty of supplying all those other drugs that pose a threat to the children who are Thailand's future.

Of course, all users found in possession of more than one bottle of the drug must also be arrested so they too can have time to reflect on their drug use along with the rest in those famously overcrowded cells.

No incentives, here

Re: "New overseas income rules", (Business, June 5).

I wonder if the powers that be have an economic death-wish? The rhetoric is that they want high-worth visitors and retirees, but their actions speak differently.

First, we have all cash bought into the country made taxable and now they want to tax foreign residents on worldwide income.

I wonder what the foreign currency inflow decline was in January when the tax on cash inflows was introduced? I had redirected my pension to go elsewhere.

Wealthy people have choices and are adept at minimising their tax obligations. They will simply reside elsewhere.

When these people decide to base themselves here, they spend tens of millions of baht on villas and the materials, pool equipment, kitchens, bathrooms, electrics, furniture and so on are all sourced locally, pouring cash into the local economy. They buy cars, eat in local restaurants and go to local shops.

Much of the property market in Bangkok, Phuket and Koh Samui depend on them.

Does the government really think that such people are going to choose Thailand as their home base?

When I was young we were told a story about killing the goose that lays the golden egg. It obviously doesn't translate.