OPINION

Not neighbourly

Re: "China's no bully, Xi tells bloc," (BP, Nov 23).

"China was, is, and will always be a good neighbour, good friend, and good partner of Asean," Chinese president Xi Jinping is quoted as telling Asean.

This comforting assurance is immediately followed in your article by a reference to "China's assertion of sovereignty over the South China Sea" and its harassment of Philippine supply boats.

This does not sound like being a good neighbour to me.

In dealing with Mr Xi, Thailand would be well advised not to pay much attention to what he says, but to watch what he does.

Mr Xi's bland and imperturbable countenance resembles that of Bongo the Bear in an old Walt Disney film. Let's hope that Mr Xi's intentions, as with Bongo's, remain benign.

Re: "Cambodia jails critics deported by Thailand," (BP, Nov 22).

Can Cambodia's official apologist Chhay Kim Khoeun really believe that anyone will believe that he or what he represents is sincere when he asks of Thailand's deportation of political refugees to imprisonment in Cambodia: "How can this be a human rights violation when living in Thailand illegally? I don't understand. Thailand enforced its law and we enforce our law"?

Do Cambodia's masters therefore also hold that everything Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge did was right and proper because it was in accord with the law made up by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge? It sounds most like a coup leader lamely repeating the mantra: "It's the law," as if merely being the law could ever make anything just or right or morally acceptable.

Re: "Calls to resume animal fighting," (BP, Nov 16).

Since the purveyors of animal cruelty in the name of "sport" and their followers have obviously survived for the duration of the pandemic without their usual fix of blood and gore, perhaps now would be a good time to put an end to such barbaric activities in Thailand for good. While Thai cockfighting and bullfighting may not be quite as bloody as their counterparts in the Philippines and Spain, they are nonetheless brutal, stressful and traumatic for the animals involved -- if not fatal.

There are people who will argue that these merciless activities are part of centuries-old Thai tradition and culture. But cultures and traditions evolve and it's time for Thailand to move past these cruel, blood-thirsty habits.

With all the doubt and recent woes of Thailand tourism and international visitors, I would like to give credit where credit is due. Say what you want about vaccines, mask use, or inflation-crushing travel plans, the fact remains that travellers have returned to Thailand and the current entry system works. I just arrived via the Thailand Pass/Test & Go and my entry process was both smoother and faster than ever before. My inbound flight was only about half full, but the airport was buzzing with activity and it was very clear to me that immigration staff had a good plan in place and travellers were moving about expediently. Good job, Thailand! Keep it going!