Not worth the wait
Re: "Visa wait could top 4 hours", (BP, Dec 27).
I found the article appalling! Two things caught my attention. The first being that the deputy immigration police spokesman asked for understanding about possible lengthy delays to process arriving passengers, most of whom will not have heard the statement or would not understand such intolerable delays. It is also likely they will boycott Thailand as a country professing to welcome tourists.
Secondly, I refer to the statement that the Immigration Bureau "is considering" opening more lanes for visa processing to reduce the lengthy queues. Well, duh! It is way overdue and such measures should have been taken ages ago as the debacle of unacceptable waiting times is well known.
I understand tough screening is necessary to catch undesirables trying to enter the kingdom, but a lack of an adequate number of lanes and staff and slow examination of passports is not the answer. Surely better intelligence and proper training of immigration police is. If matters do not improve soon, Thailand's US$50 billion tourism industry will be at risk.
Martin R
Highway madness
Re: "Lighting the way", (PostBag, Dec 27).
Like many others, Kim Johanson thinks that simple reasoning and logic can lower Thailand's road fatalities as they have in other countries. I wish that were true, but as someone who spends a lot of time on the road, I sadly disagree.
The video evidence of Janepob Veeraporn launching his Mercedes into another vehicle on an Ayutthaya highway is a perfect example of what I mean. We are discussing a mentality whereby on a straight two-lane highway with good visibility someone will pull out and attempt to overtake despite cars coming the other way leaving no possible room for the manoeuvre. They have seen you, they flash their lights at you to get out of their way, but they are still coming.
The crazy idiot who, unhappy with my overtaking o
f a truck at the maximum allowed speed of 80kph, passed me on the inside and tried to force his four-metre long car into a four metre gap at 90kph didn't have a vision problem -- his troubles were far greater than that. People who can ignore the thoughts of great pain and death and still put their whole family at risk are not influenced by simple traffic laws.
Something far greater is at work here and road markings, signs, speed limits and fines will not make much difference.
Lungstib
Waking up to history
Re: "China's creditor imperialism shackles poor countries", (Opinion, Dec 27).
How can Brahma Chellaney, (Professor of Strategic Studies at the New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research), forget how bitter his ancestors were made by Western imperialists and persist in imputing his neighbour?
The Chinese have been coming to Thailand to trade for a millennium -- without ever colonising our country. The French and British, meanwhile, arrived just a few centuries ago and promptly colonised India, Indochina, Burma and Malaya.
China and India can be competitors but should not be opponents. In this modern computer era, Chinese computer technology expertise can team up with Indian's software geniuses; this will leave the Western world obsolete. Wake up, professor!
Prasan StianrapapongsChon Buri
Shameful milksops
At the same time that my own country, Australia, refuses to condemn Myanmar's Tatmadaw (military) for its murderous butchering of Rohingya, the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday carried a report that Australia is continuing its defence engagement programme with Myanmar. This includes 22 Tatmadaw currently training or studying in Australia, paid for by Australian taxpayers.
An Australian Defence Force spokesperson was quoted as saying that "limited engagement with Myanmar is to encourage positive change through engagement", and added "the maintenance of lines of communication with Myanmar's military provides a mechanism as required to influence behaviour and address the challenging situation in Rakhine state".
What complete hogwash and a public relations whitewash. Shame on the Australian government for its milksop approach to the greatest humanitarian crisis of the 21st century.
David Brown
Contact: Bangkok Post Building 136 Na Ranong Road Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110 fax: +02 6164000 Email: postbag@bangkokpost.co.th
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