Rethinking tourism
Re: "Illegal hotel woes plague Bangkok", (BP, March 4).
We must manage tourism much more proactively to produce win-win results for all. Rather than offering everything to everybody, we should identify our target market(s), design goods and services that provide excellent value for money, and constantly monitor consumer responses.
I suggest that our ultimate financial goal for tourism is to produce a gradually increasing and sustainable income stream from repeat long-stay visitors built upon deepening relationships, trust, and mutual benefit.
So, we might target visas for students, faculty, and practitioners of Asian arts, culture, business areas we're interested in, and retirees. We'd promote lodging services that long-stayers value, ie, fully-equipped kitchens, laundry facilities, options for socialising, etc.
We'd require that x% of accommodation stays be for guests staying seven nights or more.
Nevertheless, these visitors should be subject to the same reporting requirements as Thais, eg, reporting only changes in house registration instead of every 90 days. We may even have to limit headcount at some places.
Burin Kantabutra
Russia to profit
Re: "The empire wobbles", (PostBag, Feb 4).
David Brown is spot on. The time has come to let go of Nato and for Europe to frame a new self-defence structure. If Donald Trump is right about anything, it is that Europe has become complacent in its reliance on the US both financially and militarily.
The tragedy is that none of this can happen in time to save Ukraine. Vice President JD Vance has already confirmed Russia will not be required to relinquish any of the 20% of Ukrainian territory it now controls, and Mr Trump will have under his arm the memorandum of understanding allowing him to plunder US$500 billion (16.8 trillion baht) of the country's natural resources.
Rather conveniently, many of the largest deposits of rare earths and other critical minerals are in the eastern regions occupied by the Russians, so the aggressors also get their share of the action.
Ray Ban
Tale of 2 bus cards
Re: "New ticketing system 'may lower prices'", (BP, Feb 17).
I bought my Thai Smile Bus (TSB) HOP card online for 40 baht. Upon arrival, I scanned the QR code, put in an arbitrary sum of money, and went on my way. I can check the available balance on a TSB bus at any time. When low, I can top up by just using the QR code embedded in the card. Easy peasy!
I recently went to a BMTA kiosk to purchase a separate ride card for the BMTA system. The clerk presented me with multiple cards with specific time frames and amounts. In other words, I could buy a one-month card for 1,000 baht, a one-week card, a two-week card, or whatever. I'm not sure but I doubt these cards are reloadable. Of course, being 79 years old, I was ineligible for the senior card as I'm not a Thai citizen, even though I have been here for 14 years. Shades of the BTS!
Why do Thais continue to try to reinvent the wheel when simpler, less expensive, and more user-friendly options are already in use here?
Fred Prager
