Navy's abandonment of refugees is shocking, if true

It now seems that this incident has all the ingredients to be an international scandal. Thailand's reputation is in serious danger if the fallout from this is not handled correctly. It is important that the truth is established and made public. Any attempt at a cover-up or obfuscation would be disastrous.

Clearly there must be a policy with regards to dealing with such situations. What has to be established is what the policy in force was at the time, and was that policy carried out correctly by the Navy.

Towing refugees out into the high seas and abandoning them is an unacceptable policy. It is clear therefore that either the Navy obeyed its orders or it did not. If it was simply carrying out orders as per government policy then it is free from blame and the government must stand accountable. If it acted without policy then a Navy commander is responsible for this deplorable event.

Either way someone is responsible. Who that is must be established and they must be brought to account. A whitewash in this case would damn the Thai nation as a brutal and insensitive country not fit to be part of the modern world.

FRED MORRICE

BANGKOK

More visa trouble at Suvarnabhumi Airport

This week I went to drop my wife at Suvarnabhumi airport as she was heading for Mumbai. When she went to stamp her passport with a re-entry permit, she found that the re-entry counter was closed. There was a notice written boldly saying, "Please apply for your re-entry permit at the Immigration office at Soi Suan Plu."

It was 8am and she had already checked in her baggage. I asked at the information counter, but typically they didn't know anything. I asked other airport staff but to no avail. Then my wife went into the Immigration section and she contacted an officer inside, who was kind enough to give her an application form and stamped the passport. The re-entry problem was solved for the time being.

This is to warn all residents that if you are flying, apply for your re-entry permit before going to the airport.

YOGI

BANGKOK

What a bright idea |by Immigration!

The Immigration department has stopped doing re-entry stamping at Suvarnabhumi airport. Such an important decision has been taken without any prior information or debate. Who is responsible and why such a hasty decision? How come none of the embassies aren't responding?

Once again, this is causing untold hardship to all expats in the country.

GOPA VARMA

BANGKOK

Reduce visa fees |to attract tourists

A Thai tourist visa costs more than a Bt1,000 baht. A Malaysian visa costs just Bt200. Now the Thai government and tourism industry is bemoaning the fact that visitors are not coming to Thailand. Who is responsible for this? Thaksin Shinawatra? The former prime minister, who made life miserable for all expats living in Thailand by raising visa fees for everyone, is living the life of a vagabond. Now he has parked himself in India, a country that has given asylum to people from all walks of life from time immemorial. It was the same Thaksin who denied Indians a two-month tourist visa while giving it to countries like Latvia. Isn't this karma? The Democrat government must immediately bring down visa fees if PM Abhisit Vejjajiva doesn't want to meet the same fate as Thaksin.

LENCE

BANGKOK

It's never too |late to learn

As it is customary for incoming and outgoing US presidents to exchange gifts, I would suggest that President Obama wraps a couple of his children's old school books in his farewell package to George W Bush. Elementary geography and history might provide useful reading material as the former president goes into retirement. After all, it's never too late to learn, and better late than never.

A WARNER

BANGKOK