OPINION

Flat fare flaw

Re: "20-baht flat rate fare gets the nod", (BP, July 9).

The cabinet yesterday approved a flat-rate fare of 20 baht for all eight electric train lines in Bangkok. I use the short-distance ride nearly every day and pay 8 baht.

Why am I being penalised to pay 12 baht more? And why can the Transport Ministry not find out how to use one single card for all train rides?

House of cards

Re: "DPM says he can dissolve House", (BP, July 8).

Deputy PM Phumtham Wechayachai should dissolve the House immediately and call snap elections within 45-60 days, as we did on March 20, 2023, holding general elections 55 days later.

As it stands, the government is a house of cards, beset by numerous lawsuits and diplomatic and military border conflicts. It has a razor-thin majority in parliament, and the balance of power is held by a small party riven into two equal factions.

US President Donald Trump's "liberation" tariffs caught us flat-footed, and we have few sticks or carrots to negotiate with.

Dissolving the House and calling snap elections will allow the parties to win a clear mandate to handle these crises. Mr Phumtham, return power to the people now.

Aids fight isn't over

Re: "Stepping up HIV fight", (Editorial, June 30).

Finally, one last thing I can add is that there may be hope of getting Lenacapavir into the hands of Thai HIV patients a little sooner than later.

The standard antiviral HIV medications can total up to around US$1,000 (32,690 baht) a month in America, the last time I checked, but the same medications only cost about $100 a month here because Thailand uses an intellectual property exception and manufactures its own HIV antivirals.

Perhaps eventually something similar can happen with Lenacapavir, and if so, I fully support such a humane action to help eradicate HIV/Aids.

As for those of us who fought Aids in the 1990s when we were outgunned by a deadly virus and had no ammunition until later, I can only say that race, sexuality, and politics were thrown out the window and we fought back, hand-in-hand.

In our time, out of all time, we did what we could, and we mainly lost, but we did save a few. Judge us and our era however you will, but we did what we could in the face of 100% fatality if we got exposed to Aids then.

It might be wise if Thailand's MoE had a school-appropriate documentary crafted to teach a new generation of young people about that time and take HIV seriously.

Clarity on tariffs

Re: "Pichai 'bullish' on tariff talks", (BP, July 9).

With all the tariff talk and Thai import taxes levied, it has not been clear to the average observer here or elsewhere what exactly the import and duty taxes are on various products brought into Thailand.

Is it a mechanical device or an electronic part? Is peanut butter a form of jam or labelled as a (healthy) snack? The list goes on almost endlessly to nauseum, many seem to have been based on arbitrary judgements. Years ago, I imported a used carpet, which was alternatively called "household goods" and so had a higher import tax. In this way, it's a relief if, at last, some clarity emerges from all this tariff/duty arbitration.