OPINION

Virus outruns policy

Re: "Covid-19 cases top 53,500 a week, Bangkok most infected", (BP, May 26).

Here we go again. As we all discovered from months and sometimes even years of school closures, neither closed schools nor lockdowns, nor alcohol prohibition, nor masks, nor recent Covid vaccines can stop the spread of a highly contagious airborne virus.

This might be because there are around 55 zoonotic species, like cats, that carry Covid-19 anyway.

Additionally, the US government's CDC Covid Data Tracker shows minimal to low infections nationwide, with numbers so low in the US that three states are listed as zero or insufficient data.

So, as infections allegedly mainly pick up dramatically in Asia, but not in many tourist-originating countries, when foreigners thinking of tourism start reading headlines about closed Asian schools, containment attempts which failed last time, and even outdoor mask policies, does anyone really think Thailand's tourism slump will be over any time soon?

Rules get ignored

Re: "Blitz on helmetless riders", (BP, May 28).

Once again, a futile effort at road safety.

Your article says that both riders must wear a crash helmet.

So, what should be done when there are 3-4 riders on a motorcycle, sometimes with babes in arms? Do they actually make helmets to fit them?

While the Royal Thai Police are busy stopping and fining these offenders, many food delivery riders continue to ride using their mobile phones while they weave in and out between cars without consequence in terms of how the laws are enforced.

I could go on and on and on, but it would be a waste of time, similar to the RTP crackdown on riders without crash helmets.

Investor burnout

Re: "SMEs the saviour", (PostBag, May 27) & "SMEs look to each other for funding", (Business, May 21).

In a recent PostBag letter, Ninja Kun hit the nail right on the head with his dire observation on how the Thai stock market suffers from imbalances that have been ongoing for years. Yet his comments are incomplete.

The major continuing industry problem is the SET brokerage industry, as it views itself as obsessed with day-trading for commissions versus longer-term viable wealth creation for its participants.

Day trading is a form of speculation and is very different from responsible investing; the two must never be confused.

It has been amply shown, again and again through long studies, that most traders/speculators lose capital over time and then leave discouraged or worse, only to spread the word that they will never invest in stocks again.

Over time, most retail investors give up due to poor investor experiences or worse.

It's high time for brokers here to reinvent a more viable, longer-term business model.

Anything less will continue to result in the ongoing failure of this important industry, as Ninja rightly points out.

In the meantime, many viable listed companies here are investment bargains which go begging.