New visas worthless

Postbag

Published: 31 Dec 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

The new Cambodian and Thai visa arrangemen is a PR stunt to conceal the fact that seven years of negotiations over common Asean visas have yielded nothing except petty squabbles and internal fighting in Thailand about who gets to syphon off visa fees.

Virtually all of the nationalities listed can get a visa on arrival, free in Thailand and at a price in Cambodia, without the hassle of going to an embassy beforehand.

The visa is only of slight use to Chinese tourists who will still have to queue up and pay again at the second country they visit.

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loong
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Discussion 17 : 02 Jan 2013 at 09.5117
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Vint, appreciated your thought! Taki's ego is so big that your suggestion doesn't apply to him.
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DonAleman
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Discussion 16 : 01 Jan 2013 at 01.4416
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Re discussion 2 - You are 100% correct in that women would and already do most
things better than male Thais. I know they do most of the actual work now even
though they are victims of a chauvinistic, ( Thai ),male society. Recently some,
nurses, actually 17,000 of them, stood up to male management and, for a first
I believe, won their reasonable requests. If more female groups follow their lead
and "just say no ",a fairer,better,more mutual society will surely come to be.
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oldairman
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Discussion 15 : 31 Dec 2012 at 21.1115
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D13 A country where elections are free and fair and vote buyers go to jail whayever their political party. A country which is respected worldwide and not laughed at.
In short a country that my 8 year old son would be proud to say that he is Thai not the corrupt money grabbing "Face is the most important thing" country that it is now.
A country hwere ALL people are respected regardless of their loso/middleso/hiso origins.

Apart from my little arnt I wish all the readers of the comments pages a good and hopefully prosperous New Year.
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oldairman
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Discussion 14 : 31 Dec 2012 at 21.0314
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D13 Are you suggesting that Thaksins vision is the only one allowed and that NO-ONE else can voice an opinion, worthless though mine is to Thailand as I am a legal alien. My vision for Thailand is a far more equal society where ALL Thais are treated equally, where people are respected for what they are not for who they know. Where EVERY Thai has the chance of a good education and if you fail, then you fail, if you are caught cheating then you are dismissed. A Thailand where corruption no longer exists, where you gain promotion by merit and not cash or cronyism, where criminals are in jail where they belong.
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domdunnn
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Discussion 13 : 31 Dec 2012 at 16.3713
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oldairman D4.

Criticising TS for seeing only his version of the future has more than a hint of the pot calling the kettle black.
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lungstib
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Discussion 12 : 31 Dec 2012 at 14.3312
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Visas are and always have been a irritant for the traveler and nothing more than a cash imput for governments. Real bad people with evil intent always find ways into countries. These same bad people would probably still get visas through official embassies, the system being so useless.
Johnny, try GMM-Z, one simple payment, some half decent programs.
Vint, where did you find the 'again' in Thai prosperity.
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sibley
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Discussion 11 : 31 Dec 2012 at 10.3711
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Discussion 5

Yes your right mate, I agree.
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DonAleman
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Discussion 10 : 31 Dec 2012 at 10.3410
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Thai/Cambodian visa worthless ? Nay, author as it will create many new
jobs to unsnarl the mess, another group to create a new Thai/Cambodian
" Master Plan", fines, arrests, ( via police who have the same boss as Immigration ).
Rubber stamp companies,paper suppliers, photos and copiers,overtime pay for all.
The list is endless and a bonanza to Thai economy !
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barryw
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Discussion 9 : 31 Dec 2012 at 09.249
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Dis#3 - if someone has a one year visa, why should they even have to report to anyone at all? The rule is just something to remind us that we are not wanted in Thailand.
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bkkdave
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Discussion 8 : 31 Dec 2012 at 08.598
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Don't worry about True's new magazine, after May there won't be anyone interested once the EPL season has finished.
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New visas worthless | Bangkok Post: opinion