HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Congrats from Rotary

Songkran - universal laughter and fun

Noticing the changes

Designer Clothes?

What’s in a name...

Congrats from Rotary

Dear Pattaya Mail,
On behalf of the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya, we would like to send the club’s warmest congratulations on your 5th Anniversary. Your assistance and help with the many projects that the Rotary Club has been involved with over the years has been much appreciated. The Pattaya Mail has been a major influence in the growth of the community in Pattaya, as well as the many charities that you have supported over the years. We wish much success and further growth in the next five years.

Yours in Rotary,

John Richards
President 1998-99 Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya

Songkran - universal laughter and fun

Dear Editor,
I became a fan of Pattaya Mail during my visit to your city in May of this year; and I am delighted that I have been able to continue my reading at home in Australia, via the world wide web. The news stories and features are written in a style that exudes intelligence, humour and a wit that can encourage the reader to continue. So thank you.

Even though it is old news, I wish to make some comments in reply to the griping about Songkran celebrations. I was fortunate enough to witness this spectacle in Koh Samui this year, and thoroughly enjoyed the buoyant energy created by the Thai people whilst celebrating. I have never seen such universal laughter and fun on display before, everybody seemed to be (and could be) involved and enjoying themselves with family friends and strangers alike. I witnessed an energy that could only have one outcome: the unifying of the Thai people as a whole, strengthening national culture through celebrating with joy. Anyone who could see this as anything but wonderful could maybe learn a great lesson.

In contrast, most, if not all Western celebrations are centred around commercial profit making ideals; and on the whole those with the most enjoy the most. In my opinion this form of celebration only accentuates the gap between those who have and those who have not; thus defeating the purpose of bringing unity to people as a whole.

So to those who seem to find rudeness, disrespect and inconvenience in Songkran: have a closer look - you just might find a smile on your face.

Thanks for the memories
Duane Lucas
Australia

Noticing the changes

Dear Sir,
Firstly, congratulations on your 5th Anniversary. As usual, the staff and customers at Jit’s Place enjoyed the issue, but we wonder how many of your readers noticed that you had reverted to your original logo for the front page heading, i.e., Pattaya Mail printed red on white rather than white on red as it has been for some time.

We noticed at once as Jit has a framed clipping hanging in the bar from an issue dated 24th October to 1st November 1994 entitled Dining Opportunities in Pattaya in which Jit’s Place was mentioned.

As it was our 5th Anniversary recently too, Jit would like to inform your readers that many improvements have been made to the premises since those early days, and a far wider menu of English and Thai food is now available. Our prices, however, remain as reasonable as ever and we are always happy to welcome new customers to add to our already and varied regular clientele.
Yours faithfully,
Nevill
Editor’s reply: Congratulations on your 5th anniversary. Funny you should mention our header. Although it is once again red on white, it is far from reverting back to our original logo. Look closely, there are many little changes that we wonder if your customers can identify. And although your letter is a thinly disguised advertisement for your restaurant, we thank you for noticing just the same.

Designer Clothes?

Editor,
I was in Pattaya in February, and bought Armani jeans, Versace shirts, Fila shirts, Nike, etc, etc. What I would like to know is-are these genuine, or fake? They look real, and yet were VERY cheap. For instance, Armani jeans in Canada - can’t even get them here - probably would cost $100 (I paid $15 for them). Versace shirt-$10. They look great and feel great, and have everything on them that should be there. Is it just the cheap labour, and if so, where are they made? Thanks, would appreciate a reply. I intend coming back next year. I love Pattaya.
Colin Bradley

What’s in a name...

Dear Pattaya Mail,
I would like to comment on your two articles published in No. 30 (dated 24 July...1997, but printed in 1998) entitled "How to spell our name" and "How Pattaya got her name".

About the first one, subtitled "Phattaya vs. Pattaya", I think neither the Roads Authority nor the City are right because any westerner reading and speaking Thai will tell you that the more accurate transliteration should be "Phath-iyaa", if you follow the exact phonetic (written and spoken). Yet, although the Roads Authority is closer to the correct spelling, the City is nevertheless wiser by following the natural tendency that is prevailing, because the spelling of "Pattaya" is already acknowledged worldwide. Take the name of "Khorat" for instance, it is the contraction of "khon Rach" from the original Pali name of Nakhon Rachasima (still in use and which, by the way, means "City Stateborder" as it was once the frontier with the Khmer kingdom) because shorter or easier names naturally find their way in the mind of the people. Another example is Bangkok being a contraction of the original name "Bang Makok" (i.e. place with olive-fruits). So, common usage decides, even if phonetically or grammatically wrong.

(Although, in certain cases, State Authorities impose the correction of city names which had been mispronounced and used by foreigners, such as colonialists: in India, 3 years ago, the newly elected government of Maharashtra, being right-wing-Hindu-nationalist, declared that the official name of Bombay was to be Mumbai, as it was her original name misspelled by the British for two centuries. Now if you watch the weather-report on CNN, you will read "Mumbai" instead of Bombay. That’s strong political will, isn’t it ?).

About the second article (How Pattaya got her name), I read somewhere that Ayuthaya (Pali name taken from the Indian city of Ayodhya, meaning "invincible" in Sanskrit) had been ransacked in 1767, not in 1769, but that’s not the point. The question is: in the time of Taksin, how could the name of "the nice ocean wind" be said "Pattaya" as they were yet no American GI’s around to mispronounce it? If you look in the dictionary (Thai-English or English-Thai), then you’ll see that the answer is... blowing in the wind: "Lom Phat" means "The wind blows", and "Phat Lom" means "ventilator, fan". "Phat Shoy" means "to blow lazily, to blow gently". In your article, you do not develop on "Thap Phraya": I think it could be also a possible origin of Pattaya’s name.

If this letter is published, I hope somebody will bring some more information on the subject, thus maintaining alive the "cultural trend" of our favorite local English newspaper, following its fifth anniversary: keep going and many returns of the day!
Raymond

Letters published in the Mailbag of Pattaya Mail
are also published here.