Police paid Chon Buri’s immigration office a rather tense visit on Thursday to deliver a 9 point checklist to staff. Thai media reported that #8 on the list of demands was “Get off your phones and don’t take bribes”, as ordered by the lieutenant general leading the visit.
This news comes as Thailand prepares for an influx of tourists following the eased restrictions to Thailand Pass. The lieutenant general explained that Thai immigration needed to balance following rules to maintain order, and giving possible leeway and helping tourists. He added that staff should thoroughly check visa extensions, and check the paperwork of overstayers, people on warrants, and people from Myanmar.
Demand #7 was for the office to have contingency plans ready to cope with the upcoming influx. The lieutenant general stressed that immigration staff are many tourists’ first exposure to Thailand, and warned that they needed to put their best foot forward to boost Thailand’s standing with the rest of the world.
The liutenent general said that in order to do this, immigration staff need to develop a “service mind”. He said that service needed to be fast, so that visitors to Thailand aren’t stuck waiting in “long embarrassing queues” (this is what he meant by “get off your phones”).
The governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand says he remains hopeful that 20 million holidaymakers will travel to Thailand next year. Earlier this week, the Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, predicted that Thailand would welcome around 20 million international arrivals next year, provided Covid-19 has been declared endemic and there are no new threats to tourism.
SOURCE: Daily News