#Thailand and Big Joke roll out the red carpet for VIP tourists: they mean the Chinese
A special lane at Suvarnabhumi airport has been inaugurated - it is
for the ease and convenience of Chinese visitors.
Thailand's poster boy top cop Maj Gen "Big Joke" Surachet Hakpal -
deputy commissioner of the tourist police - and Pol Maj Gen Pritthipong
Prayoonsiri at Region 2 immigration have shaken hands on the deal that
provided the new lane.
Both major generals were at Suvarnabhumi yesterday evening for a PR
exercise assuring Chinese media that everything was all well and good in
Thailand for their nationals.
The TPB website said that Thailand did not want to be seen as taking advantage of the Chinese.
They said VIP measures were already in place to give them every
assistance from the plane to their waiting transport outside the
airport.
They said they were looking at short term and long term answers to problems faced by Chinese tourists.
Though they did not mention if this was in response to bad press
after the boat accident in Phuket recently that saw many Chinese cancel
their holidays.
Thaivisa notes that the accident claimed many lives and has had the
Thai authorities scurrying to repair the damage. Many will see the
latest gesture as part of that and ask the question:
"What about other nationalities?"
Source - TheNation
