OPINION

Monitor Thais too

N Parker in his Aug 17 letter has a point when he says that if the reason for the completion of the TM30 is national security, it should also be completed by Thais.

Why is it that only foreigners are seen as a threat, when most of them are retirees who have lived in Thailand for many years? The latest series of bombings in Bangkok were allegedly carried out by Thais from the South. If these Thais were obliged to have their movements monitored, could the bombings have been averted? The other point to bear in mind is that visas issued for long stays in Thailand are dependent on police clearance from a person's country of residence.

The sting can be taken out of the mandatory TM30 form by applying an even-handed approach and tracing all Thais' movements when they move from province to province. Anything less than this could be seen as a breach of the Human Rights Act, which makes it illegal to discriminate on a wide range of grounds.

Stuck in Thailand 0.4

Re: "More TM30 dramas", (PostBag, Aug 14).

Many long-term alien residents have suffered similar failed attempts to register and use the online TM30 system as described by Aeneid Walnut. Sadly, the supposed online system reflects the overall lack of progress of Thailand in moving toward a digital economy. Rather than "Thailand 4.0", the nation seems stuck in "Thailand 0.4".

Using relatively simple technology and software, Thailand could easily establish an online system that registers all incoming visitors and "alien" residents, records their residences and places of stay, and tracks their travels in and out of the country. There would be no need for separate tracking systems and the mountains of paper copies of TM6, TM30 and TM47 forms that are currently heaped in Immigration Bureau warehouses with no reasonable means of retrieval or use.

Bad old men

Re: "Hungry 'parasites' drool over weak coalition govt", (Opinion, Aug 17).

Like the dictator's new government, whose very legality is doubtful in view of its failure to comply with the constitutional requirement to take a precisely worded oath of allegiance, the PPRP was itself cobbled together from the bad old men of the bad old past. It is no surprise that the PPRP is driven by the screeching traditionalists of the worst kind in Thai politics, allied to the military as the motley parties that signed up on the pro-dictatorship side get their noses right up there with the other bad old men of the bad old ways of traditional Thainess, designed to "exploit benefits at the expense of the public".

Don't get steamed up

Re: "Public opinion sought on same sex unions", (BP, Aug 17).

Gay farang retirees should not be steamed up about reducing their annual floor-minimum of 800,000 baht to 400,000 baht if they switch from a retirement extension to a "married man" visa after a civil ceremony with a Thai partner. The bill is strictly for Thais only. More seriously, there is no exemption from the TM30.

No more 'land of smiles'

We have been served up here with a bevy of gripes by foreigners complaining about the travails that they have experienced with Thai immigration, most notably with regards to matters pertaining to the TM30 forms. But it should be noted that now even other foreign governments are getting to the act.

For example, about a week or so ago, the Canadian government issued a travel advisory to the kingdom, saying travellers should "exercise a high degree of caution in Thailand due to ongoing political tensions and sporadic demonstrations in Bangkok and elsewhere in the country".

The aforementioned government even goes as far as to warn people to stay away from Narathiwat, Yala, Pattani and Songkhla, including Hat Yai. Some of my European friends have told me that countries such as Belgium and Sweden issued travel warnings months before the Canadian government did. As I reflect on the chaotic situation that besets us all here, I cannot help but wonder what happened to the "land of smiles".

Try lorry rules out first

Re: "Saksayam vows daytime ban for lorries", (BP, Aug 16).

The authorities should launch a trial before making it a rule and also take into consideration how the plan may affect transport businesses. Midnight noise along main roads must also be considered.