OPINION

Target the young

Re: "Population shrinks to 65.8m", (BP, March 26).

My name is Alexander Rother, I am from Germany and a former graduate of Chulalongkorn University.

Allow me to share my opinion on the article "Population shrinks to 65.8m".

I live in Germany and work as a tax adviser. I have two half Thai-German boys, aged 11 years old.

I am interested in Thai politics and society, and as we all know, the Thai population is ageing fast.

In this regard, Thailand is following in the footsteps of other Asian nations.

For my boys, I hope that when they get older, they can find a way to live and work in Thailand because I consider the economic freedom of Thailand as very important, especially if compared to Germany and other Western countries.

However, the Thai government does not seem to understand the potential of the young people around the globe who have Thai identity, either through one of their parents, or because both are Thai and are living overseas.

I looked on the internet and there seems to be no programme encouraging this group to return to Thailand.

If these young adults grow older, their bonds with Thailand will weaken and their roots in their country of birth will get stronger. Many have a good education and work in good jobs.

As the population ages, and other economies in Asean strengthen, Thailand will have to rely on foreign expertise and workers, too.

So why not also target the group which I have mentioned above? Thailand needs young people who have various traits and skills and can adapt to Thai society easily.

At the same time, life in many Western countries has become more difficult.

Young people with good education/skills are an asset many countries will fight for. They are not a remedy to stop the ageing population, but they can bring many advantages to Thailand.

So don't waste it!

DTV visa lament

Re: "Tourism stimulus eyed to address slowdown', (Business, March 14).

If the TAT would like to attract and retain long-haul tourists, maybe they could ask how Thai immigration could make us more welcome.

I have been trying to apply for the five-year Destination Thailand (DTV) tourist visa since it launched, almost two years ago.

Precisely because I am "long-haul", I have tried to apply within Asean, rather than in my home country. I have tried calling and e-mailing the four nearest consulates, the MFA and countless Immigration offices.

Since the e-visa site went up, any phone calls that do reach people only result in being directed to the website.

It is too difficult to apply for without the help of the kind of agent who helps those who don't actually qualify.

In the meantime, I have been told by Immigration officers many times, quite aggressively, that I spend too much time in Thailand, and should get "a better visa" (but they always refuse to say which visa is acceptable).

The situation is no better for investment-promotion visas that I've asked about. It's hardly Thailand's biggest problem in attracting FDI, but a potential investor will be discouraged by unprofessional sites and call centres, outdated information, and hostile officers on entry.

Tourists have to show a statutory amount of cash on entry (10k or 20k baht)'; the figure is higher for other visa categories.

Supposedly this is to ensure the visitor can afford their stay without working in the kingdom. Following that logic, why not explicitly allow unlimited tourist-visa extensions and border runs for anyone who can demonstrate adequate funds, but isn't old enough to retire?

I wish the TAT good luck with their war room and subsidy for Nok and Smile.

I hope it helps attract the ideal tourist they want, because it doesn't do much for those of us who are being pushed away to friendlier countries.