Out of action

Re: “Young oppose elitist rule: Somkid,” (BP, June 28).

Somkid Jatusripitak is quite correct in his analysis of the political changes that our youth want. I wish him all the best. However, having lived here nine years, I know that it is very unlikely those changes will happen in my lifetime.

Folks, talk is cheap. Actions, however, are very costly and freedom is paid for only with things we hold very dear. In Thailand, I think it would be fair to say that I hear nearly every younger Thai under about 45 years old talk about change and complain about how things are, but I see very few of them lift a meaningful finger to invoke change. Aside from an occasional rally, the action from society as a whole is usually to stand by silently as young people expressing alternate ideas are arrested, threatened, hit by their teachers or carted off to jail ... and all for just asking a question or expressing a new idea.

Moreover, rather than retool during the Covid years and broadly acquire new skills, I see the public preparing to run right back to tourism about as fast as an alcoholic can run to the next bottle of booze.

So, I wish Somkid all the best, but he needs to understand that as long as the public largely favours talk over action, nothing meaningful will change and Thailand’s best days really are little more than nice memories and pretty songs. So, play it again Somkid.