OPINION

Fishy failures

Re: "Time to solve fish invasion", (Editorial, July 19) and "Really fishy business", (Editorial, July 6). The BP editorial highlights the problem created by an invasive species of freshwater fish called blackchin tilapia. Tilapia are the third world's salmon, a valuable food fish rich in protein and easy to cultivate.

Unfortunately, the Thai Fisheries Department was unable to contain them, a universal problem that inevitably occurs when non-native species are imported, no matter the purpose, and are capable of finding a suitable habitat upon escape.

Apparently, the Fisheries Department suffers from a common problem plaguing the Thai bureaucracy: their staff have insufficient education commensurate with their responsibilities. Other possible reasons for their failure are not the subject of this letter.

In seeking a solution for invasive freshwater fish, one should look to the US $300 billion (10.9 trillion baht) aquaculture industry. Great sophistication now characterises the cultivation of freshwater fish, with genomics being an integral part of the industry's growth in recent years.

The solution is to employ a company specialising in fish genomics to create a genetic variant that is incapable of reproducing, produce large numbers of fingerlings in captivity, and release them to breed in the affected waterways. This is no longer a novel idea. Those responsible for the import of the offending species should foot the bill, which, compared to the financial burden of the invasive fish, would be modest.

Drug war déjà vu

Re: "NSB vows to crush drug trade", (BP, July 17).

Ho hum! Here we go again: another vain promise to eradicate the drug trade.

I challenge your reporter, Wassayos Ngamkham. In exactly 90 days, interview NSB commissioner Pol Lt Gen Khirisak Tantinvachai again to see how successful he has been in eradicating drugs and trafficking in 25 of the country's worst-affected provinces in just three months.

And you must not just accept his word for what he has achieved. Demand to see the evidence, examine it critically and report accordingly. I look forward to reading the follow-up by mid-October when the three-month deadline for this drug crackdown is met.

Rice subsidy misfire

Re: "Beyond subsidies", (BP, July 18).

Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat's across-the-board fertiliser subsidy doesn't respond to farmers' needs and problems. The TDRI's article in September 2022 found that "2.59 mln. of the poorest rice farming households do not produce enough rice to join the government's (price guarantee) scheme (and) any subsidy which does not take into account farmers' income would only benefit those who are already well off...while those who are actually in need of a subsidy get nothing".

TDRI also found that if "cash subsidies continue, farmers will refuse to become competitive ... The government's uniform policies that apply to all farmers across the board do not and cannot work. Farmers are not a homogeneous population. Instead of making farmers reliant on financial aid, the government should facilitate small farmers' operations and access to credit. Instead of top-down measures, the authorities should support farmers' initiatives and cooperation with businesses, academia, and civil society."

Srettha, encourage farmers to work with other sectors to outline their needs. Revise financial aid until farmers have determined where funds are needed most, and for what.

Voting my values

Re: "Trump lauded by ex-rivals", (World, July 18) and "Biden campaign pitches softball questions to media", (World, July 14).

I've always argued that if you don't vote for the "lesser of the two evils", you're helping the greater of the two evils get elected. But although I believe Joe Biden is slightly less horrible than Donald Trump, I simply don't have the stomach to vote for Biden, who is responsible for the unspeakable atrocities that are being committed against Palestinian women and children on a daily basis. In my opinion, anyone who supports what Israel is doing is a sociopath.

It's also hypocritical for Biden to talk about climate change without telling the people that if they don't cut back on their consumption of meat and dairy, it'll be impossible to reverse climate change.

Although Green Party candidate Jill Stein has zero chance of getting elected, she's the only candidate who cares about the issues that are so important to me. I'd rather vote for Jill Stein and lose than vote for Joe Biden and win.

Give them hell, Jill!

Missing the mark

Re: "3 types of expats", "Tax racket", and "Pension pickle", (PostBag, July 10), & "The truth on tax", (PostBag, July 11).

As an expat, formally trained as an economist and tax lawyer, I cannot bring myself to agree on many of the points Songdej Praditsmanont makes in defence of new and proposed tax laws. That said, I do agree with Khun Songdej that comments of a personal nature made towards him and Thai political figures are insulting and have no place in a civilised policy debate.

I, for one, value Khun Songdej's comments even though I vehemently disagree with many things he says.

My disagreement with the new and proposed tax policy does not stem from my personal frustrations. Having to sever ties with a country I care deeply about, the inconvenience of selling assets, and the thought of having wasted money on a Thai visa. Taxing long-stay tourists and retirees, as well as being unfair, simply does not promote the national interest. I, together with many other economists, stand united in the view that these tax changes have the potential to cause serious long-term harm to the Thai economy.

Many affluent expats have the option to relocate. In my case, with the benefit of professional tax advice, it became quite obvious I would be better off just returning home or going to one of the many other long-stay destinations that offer greater policy certainty and no tax headaches. It is presumptuous of Khun Songdej to believe I am alone, or in a "microcosm" of expats, in coming to this conclusion. Most affluent expats with passive incomes beyond pensions will find themselves in the same position.

Micheal Lane's issue with untaxed Australian superannuation raises but one of the many issues, and in reality, even that issue will need to be settled through a formal tax ruling, and who needs that hassle as a long-stay tourist?

It is interesting, though, that Khun Songdej and myself, for all our disagreements, seem to arrive at the same conclusion, be it from very different positions. That is, it is pointless to tax expats. Perhaps the solution rests with a blanket tax exemption for those with no work permit in Thailand (tourists), irrespective of how long they stay per calendar year. After all, it is these expats and their capital that are in the interest of Thailand to attract and retain.

Super vs pension

Re: "Some tax advice", (PostBag, July 13).

I'm sure George Morgan has the best of intentions with his advice on the need or otherwise to declare Australian superannuation payments remitted to Thailand, but he is obviously confusing Super with the government age pension.

Superannuation is a mandatory scheme whereby every employer is obliged to contribute on a quarterly basis a fixed percentage of every employee's wage into one of a number of approved, commercially operated superannuation funds, which then invest those funds, with the interest after approved fees are deducted, accruing to the members' accounts. The current rate for super contributions is 11.5% of ordinary-time earnings and is in addition to, rather than a deduction from, an employee's full wage.

On retirement, the fund can be drawn on in lump sums subject to minimal taxation or paid out as an annuity tax-free to provide an income stream in later life. It is thus very much income derived from employment, and there is no situation in which someone who has never been employed is eligible for super payments, as Mr Morgan claims.

The age pension, on the other hand, is a payment made from government coffers, which is means-tested and designed to top up the income of those with no or too little super to meet the cost of living. As such, it is assessed on need rather than one's employment history.

In general terms, both super payments and the age pension are tax-free in Australia, and I'm afraid Mr Morgan's letter does little to dispel the uncertainty about how the Thai Revenue Department will treat them for tax when remitted to Thailand.

Expat tax fallout

Re: "Time not waisted", (PostBag, July 13).

The frequent readers of PostBag will undoubtedly recognise the perseverance and dedication of many contributors, including but not limited to the sometimes very assertive contributions of Eric Bahrt, the always polite and positive tones of Burin Kantabutra and the very persistent Songdej Pradismanont, just to name a few (apologies to all the others not mentioned).

This last writer has been very thorough with his recent contribution, avidly commenting on the recent ill-advised proposal by the lady in charge of the Thai Revenue Department to tax worldwide income, both citizens and non-citizens alike.

He divided his dissertation into five sections plus a conclusion covering: (1) do not take this proposal seriously before it becomes the law, (2) maybe some high-ranking Thais may also oppose to this idea, (3) "My dollar or pound inflow contributes significantly more to Thailand's economy than other people's dollars" (sorry I did get the meaning of this one, is my dollar worthless?) (4) a suggestion that my dislike for this proposal is understandable but that the disadvantages of being a non-citizen should already be known to me before setting foot in the country, (5) "no taxation without representation" shall be known to expatriates before deciding to live in Thailand, and finally his conclusion that "it is an overall choice" to live here or not.

With all due respect, all this is true, but picking up on items (4 and 5) there is another big elephant in Sondej's room that he avoids confronting, namely that all these parameters formed an integrated package deal when we long-term expatriates living in Siam considered living here or not and this package included the taxation system.

One cannot just claim that by only changing this extremely important factor, our decisions would have been the same. Very sorry, Songdej, but if 30 or 35 years ago, even 20 years ago, before we constructed our house in Nonthaburi, this proposal was put on the table, our luggage would have been ready in a few days and "sayonara Thailand".

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