OPINION

Bad coup role model

Re: "Time for Thailand to step in and lead Asean (again)", (Opinion, Aug 7).

In present circumstances, the historical events about Asean are not the best way to forecast the future. The only viable data about social change in Thailand pertains to military coups. Hence, it is quite impossible for Thailand to be a good leader or a role model​ as the region faces growing dangers of internal strife, religious radicalisation and the struggle between the forces of democratisation and authoritarianism. A governance model based on a bad combination of fear and servitude cannot be a leading light for Asean.

Would any Asean member like to follow Thailand's example? As they say, quality of governance in any country cannot exceed the quality of its leaders. We see a similar leadership crisis in the US, Europe and many other parts of the world.

​Although all politics is local, being a regional or world leader requires more than coups​.

I am not inclined to play the guessing game Mr M proposes in his Aug 6 letter, however I would like to point out to him that "DNW" is an abbreviation or an initialisation, not an acronym. Acronyms are abbreviations that can be pronounced (Unesco, Nato), and this most certainly cannot be pronounced.

Re: "Rabid about rabies", (PostBag, Aug 5).

Please tell us, Eric, who is going to pay for this multiple-phase solution to the stray dog problem that you suggest? Rounding up the dogs, getting them into shelters, vaccinating them, neutering them, and all the while feeding and caring for them while waiting for a potential owner is going to cost a heap.

If there is any merit in your suggestion it must be tempered with the reality of human nature and the relative chances a stray has of being adopted. Select the "cute" dogs, the puppies, and dogs with a sign of pedigree; they at least might find a new owner.

The rest should be euthanised immediately, freeing up scarce funds to perhaps rescue some of the others.

It took us 80 minutes to fly from Da Nang to Bangkok and four hours 20 minutes to clear immigration. Is this your idea of a joke? Never again, I will tell my friends to visit me but I will never come back.

Re: "It's all queue much", (BP, Aug 5).

I would like to make a few humble suggestions on how to help alleviate the horrendous immigration queues at both Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports as follows:

1. Abolish the need for the TM 6 arrival and departure cards for Thai citizens, Thai permanent residents, and all those holding a non-immigrant extension of stay. The national authorities and immigration department already have all the necessary information in existing data bases.

2. Abolish the issuance of re-entry permits and yearly endorsements for Thai permanent residents. It takes much longer for immigration officers to process permanent residents. They have to look for the yearly endorsement in the antiquated residence certificate booklet, then they have to search for the non-quota immigrant visa in the passport, then they have to issue entry stamps in both the residence certificate booklet and passport. Just issue permanent residents with a chip-enabled smart ID card similar to the Thai national ID card.

3. Combine both the yearly extension and re-entry permit into just one stamp (or sticker with a bar code) for all those with non-immigrant extensions of stay. This will help immigration officers at the airport as they will not need to look at multiple different stamps and expiry dates.

4. Thai permanent residents should use the auto gates at all airports along with Thai passport holders.

5. Add separate immigration booths for those with non-immigrant extensions of stay.

6. If the Ministry of Tourism still needs to gather statistics from tourists, they should develop with the help of the immigration department a simple one-page passport size TM 6 form for those with tourist visas and 30-day visa exemption stamps. There should be no need for a departure card.