Still no water

Editor;
In reply to your article in the Pattaya Mail 31, 2012 “City PWA meet on water shortage issue” we called the phone number you mentioned when experiencing water problems. The staff informed us that there is, at the moment (October 2012) a severe water problem that cannot be solved. We have in our house on Thepprasit Soi 12 NO water for 5 days now. We were informed, that due to the increasing number of visitors in Pattaya water supply is not sufficient.
Len Kneppers
 

Jet ski advice

Editor;
I agree that Koto is a farang, but he does give a good job by representing the farangs (in a good) way. I like his messages: don’t leave anything else at the beach beside your footprints. (I see you often even though you never have seen me walking in the morning my round down the beach).
The jet ski thugs are present (the worst ones are opposite Mike Shopping Mall). Sometimes I watch them ripping people off. Especially Indians seem to be for them a nice and easy picking. Here is their system: You rent the jet-ski and after you return they show you photos as proof that the damage never was before. Then a cop joins the scene and persuades the thugs to reduce the amount of baht asked for repair to the half, sometimes even some Indian blokes are ‘helpful’ with the translation, all part of the show.
Yes Koto, they are there and the keep ripping off tourists. Tip: If you see one of the (jest ski rental) beach boys who has an Iroquois haircut (Mohawk), you found the main gang, so just don’t rent there! Check before what is all broken on the jet ski before you start. Besides, there are also some guys who are focusing more on customer satisfaction where you can rent a jet ski without getting charged for a repair that is already paid 100 times.
Best is, keep your eyes open or just do not rent any jet ski. If the good rentals don’t get an income they might realize that these scams have to be forced to leave. But I guess the tourists are still too naive to gather pre information on what to do and what not. And for me, jet skis are a no go, as long nobody kicks Jacky the Lacky and his scams off the beach.
Will

Untrue!

Editor:
In regards to your paper printing my story last week I would like to respond that the reasons given by the PWA and Nongprue Sub-district are untrue!
Approximately two months ago I sent, and your paper printed, an article written by me regarding this issue at Fai Mi Add Kan Village and the constant water being turned off since I moved to the village in 2006. The article also pertained to water being turned off for nearly a week and the residents were so outraged that the fire department came to distribute water to the residents. This was and is the only weekend that they have ever come out to distribute water!
Since that article 2 months ago, there have been broken pipes throughout the neighborhood, the majority of which has happen in front of Soi 3, which the photo shows with all the standing water. It was mentioned by the PWA and Nongprue Sub-district that it was due to “Construction” in the area. There is currently only one small project under construction, which is in front of the road. This small project in no way contributed to the problem nor did they create it! The poorly plan road improvement and drainage nearby had no contribution either!
Over six times they came out and replaced the broken pipe. The problem is that the construction workers have no training or understanding of physics to understand one can’t replace a section of the pipe with clamps and sleeves on each end and not brace the new pipe so that when the dirt is placed back on top of the new pipe the weight doesn’t bend the pipe and cause sections of the old to break. I saw the workers do this first hand and pointed it out to them but they looked at me like “who is this farang?” But as soon as they turn on the water guess what happens. Over and over again broken pipes leak for a day or so until they could find the time to come back. Meantime the volume of water starts to damage the surrounding area.
The ditches to drain the water in the area are too small and not sloped enough to drain the water away so it sits. If one looks at the Permsub home project one could see at the entrance that the surface road slopes down to the main road. When it rains the volume is too great and along with the slope of the surface road the water overflows out of their drains into the road and ditch and floods the surrounding area and road. Currently the neighbors across from Permsub have dug a ditch so the excess water diverts into the empty land that is currently being developed instead of into their home. Currently, if one was to look, there is standing water in these ditches year round.
The officials say the work is completed at the entrance and it looks like it, but someone please tell me why the water continues to be turned off and back on in the late afternoon the last two weeks? Fix the problem instead of making excuses!
Jeff Chumuchi

Condo for sale - TIT

Editor;
Yesterday I went to one of the condominiums behind The Avenue to enquire about taking out a rental or purchase of a unit in the building in February 2013, my plan being to rent for 3-6 months before buying if I liked living there. I went to this place because I have a friend who is not currently in Thailand who lives in the building and recommended it, and you can still buy direct from the developer through the condo office. The attractive girl in the condo office who spoke very good English informed me that were no rental units available at this time but there would be in February.
I said that was fine, but could I see a condo anyway even it was only for sale, because if I liked it I could possibly forget about renting for a trial period and just buy it straight away. With a smile she told me that was not possible, even though I pointed out another friend had done just that while doing some research for me the previous week.
I then asked if I could at least see the swimming pool as that was an important consideration as to whether I would return to look again later. This was again met with a smile and “not possible” response.
I then asked her if she realised that a 3-5 million baht sale was about to walk out of the door and not return. Another smile as she pressed the buzzer to let me out of the secure office.
As I walked out of the door I was reminded of Bernard Trink who used to say many years ago in his weekly Night Owl column in the Bangkok Post, TIT - This Is Thailand. Some things never change, but it does make you wonder how the place has come as far as it has already.
Scottish George
Ardfern
UK

Time for a Malthusian comeback?

Editor;
It is amazing that 200 years after the death of Thomas Malthus, the great demographer, that scientists and politicians are strangely silent on the subject of overpopulation. Surely there is nothing more important than reducing population when the world is beginning to suffer from the burden of so many people. The chief insight of Malthus was that people were better at reproducing than feeding themselves. I’m sure this will reign true in 2050 when we can expect nine billion people on planet earth.
Malthus has presented two ways of looking at population reduction. He used the words misery and vice. Today we surely don’t want the misery of war, epidemics, disasters and famines to control population. That leaves only vice for consideration. Malthus was an Anglican minister and that is probably why is used the term vice for abortion and contraception. To this day the term is still used by the Republican party in the U.S., who seemingly want to turn the U.S. into a theocracy. The Democratic party opposes this maneuver, but has received much criticism from the Catholic Church for doing so. (A. Einstein has spoken of this Catholic opposition.) It is hard to see how this matter can be resolved, but it must be resolved in order to provide food, furnish living space, and have a reduction in environmental pollution. Perhaps in the future an edict will have to be proclaimed to make it illegal to oppose some birth control methods.
Malthus should be considered a great historical figure for his contribution to a very important aspect of demography. As I understand it, the world is set to make a Malthusian comeback.
Roy Standiford
 

Still no water

Jet ski advice

Untrue!

Condo for sale - TIT

Time for a Malthusian comeback?