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.
The Tourist Police Bureau website referred to it as Lane 5.
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?”