OPINION

Who runs Red Line?

Re: "Red Line B40 daily fare cap starts", (BP, Dec 2, 2025). I'm just curious whether the Red Line commuter trains are under the jurisdiction of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) or the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).

In my 70-year-old memory, it's under the SRT.

Ninety-day riddle

Re: "90-day puzzle", (PostBag, Jan 15).

Ron Martin asks for a logical explanation of why expat retirees need to report every 90 days.

Now, Ron, dear Ron, you know the first rule here: anything remotely approaching the "L" word must be dismissed immediately.

It is what it is, and if, like me, you are old school, then just accept the three-monthly trip to your immigration centre, which gets you out of the house for a while anyway.

Kudos to you, though, for reporting online in your 90s, but as a 73-year-old Luddite, I still have to drive a near-200 km round trip when reporting and routinely kiss the ground when returning home safely, happy to have beaten the odds, still in one piece.

I think your wait for an explanation from the immigration chaps could be a long one.

Penpal suggestion

Re: "Tired of feuds", (PostBag, Jan 14).

I am sure many Bangkok Post readers would agree with Jerry Feldman that the endless squabbles between certain PostBag writers are exceedingly tiresome.

Here is a suggested solution.

The PostBag editor could arrange for those writers (we all know who they are) to exchange email addresses.

They can then continue on with their endless verbal sparring to their heart's content, leaving the rest of us in peace.

But perhaps their real agenda is more about seeing their name in print day after day.

Defence oversight

Re: "Defence seeks confidential 2026 budget", (BP, Jan 14).

I agree with our military that budget details must be kept confidential, but taxpayers deserve to know that their hard-earned funds are used for the nation's best interests. Also, the generals must be fully accountable for misuse.

Our current procedures have failed to instil confidence. Remember the GT200 fake bomb detectors, where we paid B1.13bn for 500 toys that performed no better than flipping a coin in rigorous scientific tests, killing our noble soldiers? Remember those observation balloons that couldn't sustain operational attitudes? It also cost the taxpayers. No generals were censured for either deal, let alone court-martialed.

We should adapt the classified oversight mechanisms of developed nations that balance secrecy, accountability, and prioritisation of national interests over military preferences.

These systems rely on civilian-led parliamentary and congressional committees with security-cleared members. Public disclosure is limited while detailed scrutiny occurs in secure settings, thus preventing leaks while enabling rigorous audits.

Let's get funding with accountability.