Thais to blame for lack of visas to US
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For those who are angry at the US government for issuing fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra with a visa but denying one for ordinary Thai citizens, let me explain.
Between the 1960s and 80s, the US was easy on issuing visas to Thai citizens, but its generosity got abused. Tens of thousands of Thai opportunists saw this as a way to seek a better living in the US. They applied for a tourist or student visa, went there, and never returned. The US got stung by this, and that’s why it is extremely cautious about issuing visas to Thais. The US considers us a threat of breaking the law.
By contrast, Thaksin is not in any way a threat to the US. He has no incentive to seek refuge in the US. He has no reason to incite mobs to burn down Washington DC. Moreover, how can a man be a threat to society when he was convicted of wrongfully signing a legal paper? The rest of the accusations, all strewn with “alleged” or “allegedly”, are groundless and have never been proved. The notorious CTX bomb scanner charge has recently been dropped. The world knows he is a victim of political persecution.
Don’t blame the US for being tight-fisted on visas; blame those Thais who violated its trust.
Somsak Pola
Samut Prakan
