Border bullies...

One aspect of the faltering US economy that has not had much mention is tourism. It looks pretty dire, which is odd because the tourism industry worldwide has stood up pretty well to the recession. So what is it with America?

I am guessing that much of it is due to the appalling press which border security accumulates on almost a daily basis; 86 year-old given internal cavity search; searchers burst colostomy bag; and so it goes on. I am told that one of the worst is Miami, one of the main gateways to the US for tourists.

And they have never yet caught a terrorist.

As for visas, here is a complaint published in the Bangkok Post from an American married to a Thai woman, about her visa application to visit the US

‘The interviewer asked why she had married an old guy. Before she could answer, he said ‘Because of the money’. He asked her why she wanted a visa. She said for a holiday with her husband and to visit her sister who is married to an American in Hawaii. He then said ‘All Thai young ladies marry older men simply for the money’ and refused the visa!’

It is difficult to think of a more deeply offensive, sexist and racist remark. Had he made it in the US the writs would have been flying around.

I reckon that the cause is giving authority to understrappers, jobsworths and little jacks-in-office that they should never have but which they are only too eager to abuse. The worst tyrants in the army were Lance Corporal drill instructors who could chuck their weight around with impunity but who would never have to fight alongside anybody.

A case in point concerns the  cook at our hotel here in Chiang Mai.

She is 42, small, pretty with a limited command of English.

Last year she was due to accompany her mother to England to have a well-deserved holiday.

Her visa application took months and involved several expensive visits to Bangkok 400 miles away. (What the local British Consul here does if not issue visas I am at a loss to say).

The upshot of this was that her mother had to travel without her, leaving her to catch up a few days later. She had never been out of Thailand or on a plane, so the journey itself must have pretty stressful.

But when she arrived at Heathrow her troubles really began. Immigration ignored her visa and detained her for questioning for more than 3 hours before finally releasing her.

Why?

Could it have that she was female, small and vulnerable, and therefore good sport for bullies?