During the Easter holiday, many Hongkongers insisted on going to Bangkok even though the government's travel alert had been set on red since last month. Tourism sector lawmaker Paul Tse Wai-chun said more than 7,000 local residents were in Thailand at the time.
Although Tse opposed the rash behaviour of these travellers, he advised the government to monitor the situation closely and respond swiftly. He also reminded us that the government had to charter flights in 2008 to extricate Hongkongers stranded in Thailand.
The political situation there suddenly worsened late that year, when anti-Thaksin Shinawatra 'yellow shirt' protesters seized Bangkok's international airport, stranding many Hong Kong tourists.
The Hong Kong government was heavily criticised for its slow initial response; public pressure forced it to charter the flights. But because it took time to organise the service, many Hongkongers had already returned by the time the flights were ready.
Many who were evacuated still have not paid the fees for the charter flights. Surprisingly, the government doesn't seem too eager to be refunded: maybe it has succumbed to populist politics and given in to public pressure.
Despite the escalation in violence in Bangkok in the past week, many Hong Kong residents ignored government warnings and continued with their travel plans, disregarding personal safety. This kind of attitude is utterly irresponsible and should be condemned. The government should make it clear to them the risks involved and that they will have to shoulder all responsibilities in case of an emergency.
Nevertheless, if the situation worsens, the government still has an obligation to help them leave Thailand safely.
