OPINION

Thailand bureaucratic bother

What a great way for the Immigration Bureau to turn off tourists as well as long-time expats and residents, many of whom have worked here for many years and contributed to the Thai economy, with the tedious 90-day reporting requirement.

For retired foreigners the Immigration Bureau already has the following personal data in their computer records: Name, address, photograph, passport, age, banking details, dates of entry and exit, and even phone numbers. With very little effort using computer systems they could also access the Motor Vehicle Branch and obtain driving licence details as well as cars registered in an expat's name.

How hard can that be? And how relevant is this data in keeping tourists safe or addressing crime in Thailand? As for keeping data confidential I doubt many would accept that is remotely possible.

So that leaves whether a foreigner shops at Foodland, Big C, or elsewhere, who their email provider is and if they use Facebook or Twitter etc and their preferences for restaurants.

It's truly amazing that those who dreamed up this bureaucratic nonsense believe any of this is relevant to solving crimes or helping tourists. Foreigners are continually made to feel unwanted, except for their money, and these latest requirements will do nothing to boost either tourist numbers or Thailand's rapidly sagging worldwide image.

A positive boost for expats and residents would be to show a little appreciation to those who have worked here, or still currently work here under work permits that also require 90-day reporting, and eliminate much of the current hassle now worsened by these changes. Thais would do well to consider where Thailand would be today without the foreign technical expertise and knowledge transfer that gave Thailand its automotive, petrochemical and electronics industries.

But most foreigners know Thais do not like criticism or even help from foreigners unless it leads to financial gain, personal or otherwise.

I read your article "Intrusive form irks travellers, expats", April 22, and I disagree with most foreigners. I am a foreign student from America. I have been a student here for two years and I appreciate the Thai government's generosity in allowing me to study here. The Thai government already has my passport number, student ID number, as well as many other sensitive items about me.

Why should I care if they have my bank account number and social media passwords? I have nothing to hide. Why should I care if I tell them where I hang out? I respect their law enforcement. I think a fair number of foreigners need to realise that Thailand is very special, and keeping it safe requires more information.

The form is a clumsy first attempt at that, but the discussion should be about improving the form, not scrapping it. This is not our country. It is not our place to disrespect the government. Freedom should come with responsibility and if you want to stay here a long time this is hardly all that much to ask.

It may be a crumb of comfort to exasperated farang here to know that applicants for long-term visas in the Philippines used to be subject to even more scrutiny than the infamous Thai Immigration form currently being piloted in Bangkok. In Manila in the 1970s, we had to provide a stool sample to check for infectious diseases as well as being instructed which banks we could and couldn't use. During martial law, we also had to obtain a worthiness certificate from the local army boss to prove that we were not "unsuitable aliens".

So far as I could ascertain, this test involved producing a bottle of Johnny Black as well as offering a brown envelope with a Happy Birthday greeting.

Do you know how our government always says it wants to decrease the road death toll every New Year and Songkran?

Did you know that 100% of child deaths in car accidents in Thailand are from them not sitting in car seats?

If they are not going to make sitting in a baby car seat a legal requirement, at least they should make it easier for those of us who care to buy one.

I have just learned today that car seats are considered luxury goods here. The import tax on a car seat is 30% instead of 5%. It surprises me how the safety of my child is considered a luxury by my government. It also surprises me how little Thai people know about the importance of car seats, as the vitriol directed at a celebrity recently showed.

What doesn't surprise me is our second ranking in road toll deaths when our government is this careless.

Nepotism is a form of corruption. DJ Wong writes in favour of ignoring nepotism since it is widespread even though it "may or may not be wrong".

In California, where Mr Wong resides, the California Department of Human Resources provides the following guidelines: "Nepotism is expressly forbidden in the workplace because it is antithetical to California's merit based civil service."

I suggest the same rationale be firmly put into practice in Thailand.

Quite simply, it's wrong, Mr Wong.