Responding to the responses

Dear editor,

First I want to thank some readers for their cute letters in response to my letter of 10 December headlined "Whining about non-whining." At least I managed to "inspire" some farangs to grab a pen take issue and express a kind of opinion. Stimulating! Refreshing!

Unfortunately, not much of the responses were really connecting to the main points- the essentials of the matter! So I think that it possibly would make sense to give a review of the complex.

It started with one letter (22/10 "non-whining-specie) that in essence asked why don’t farangs go home or somewhere else instead of complaining about things they experience in Thailand, and he wrote "This is not their country, it belongs to the Thai people" (etc). To that view, Thomas Moore (12/11) responded soberly and with judgment by pointing out the fact that Thailand actually consists of other people than ethnic Thais who have given very important contributions to the building of the nation. The implication was further, as I remember, that no ethnic culture is static but an object to influences - "a teamwork" - it’s a patchwork of assimilating, borrowing, stealing. etc., and the important outcome was that "outsiders" culture, lifestyle, set of values and opinion - whining/praising has been fundamental to form the wholeness. The implication was also that there is no need to feel guilty about complaining because of your racial or "cultural’ origin. Have you less right or is it less "proper" to express your opinion (whine) because you are a farang for instance?

There I connected to Tomas Moore’s letter by my own (10/12). Sure I made a mistake, and I regret that, because I outlined a model of a "non-whining farang" that was out of the point, not fair in its condemning nature, a wrong approach to the understanding of "whining-non whining" and certainly morally questionable. But my main object was to look at complaining from some very important angles. First from the individual psychological aspect - it is a very sound human reaction that one wants to contribute to a change - a betterment of one’s world or environment. Then I looked at the matter from one social/political aspect, implying that farangs living in Thailand do not have many alternatives to express their opinions or influence our local environment, and Pattaya Mail is one of the very few outlets. We should appreciate that possibility. Then I would like to complement this thought that the act to express an opinion openly and officially is constructive in itself. One letter in response to mine (17/12) "Frequent Farang") put forward the distinction between "complaining constructively" or "whining", but I object because that is too often a subjective exercise.

It is the principle and the possibility that matters. There is no general or tenable reason to discourage foreigners from expressing themselves publicly about how they feel and experience things in Thailand, or anywhere! On the contrary - respect their feelings, listen to them - what first seems to be "unimportant" more than often is not seen in a broader or deeper context.

A very transient tourist may like or dislike Thailand as a tourist destination and he may go home or somewhere else - he can judge for himself - it’s not necessary to point that out. But some and not so few foreigners are heavily established here with families, etc., and the choice is not that easy. Allow them to complain, when they feel that is justified!

With a view to two other letters (24/12 John N. Allen and 24/12 signed "Wuhilaer") I would say that it’s too easy to blame things on "cultural difference" or retort that the issue hinges upon condemning those with different morale and values. And I think that your letters are lacking impractical reason and positive argument and you even deteriorate to particular personal attacks and too much speculation about me as a person. Not so clever - the intelligent reader will notice - or judge for himself. Last but not least, I wish everybody a happy new year.

N.A. Ankelind

Rules of the road

Dear Sir,

Winter being rampant in the UK, I embarked on my Xmas and New Year sojourn, only to find it almost as cold here; especially as I have been banished forever to the provinces due to my misdemeanors in Pattaya. Surin to be precise. Still it’s not a bad place, in fact it’s nice and quiet. I still zoom around on my yellow peril, and find the rules of the road much the same in this neck of the woods as in Pattaya. A broken yellow line in the road means you can overtake when you like, while a broken yellow line with a continuous line means you can overtake any time you want, and a double yellow line means that you can overtake any time you want as well. Of course in the villages there are no lines, but the middle of the road is easily discernable by the row of sleeping dogs.

Also two things have been officially cleared up for me.

(1) The reason people do not switch their lights on until it is pitch black, or in turn do not use their indicators much, is to save on the electric bill.

(2) There are two sexes of motor bikes: Female versions, which are fitted with mirrors so the girls can adjust their make up, do their hair etc., while waiting at a red light (or green light), and the male bikes which do not. Mirrors on male bikes serve absolutely no practical purpose and are usually removed as unwanted items.

Lastly, I would like to thank you for sorting out my Thai font problem on my computer just a few hours after I E-mailed you from the U.K. A very happy and prosperous New Millenium to all your staff and readers. See you at the next one.

Martin J Knapp

Smokers need lessons on controlling their habit

Editor;

I just knew some Farang would add his two-cents to what I said about the ill effects of smoking. He actually wants the "Freedom" to blow smoke in my face. He also invited me to leave town and go back to where I came from. (Have you noticed that they always use this line when what you say hits them where it hurts or when they have no defense for their behavior?) I am returning to smoke free California soon, but certainly not at this Farangs’s invitation. He is the one that should be going to California. He needs a lesson or two on how to control his dirty habit and the effect that tobacco has on his health and the health of others.

Pattaya of late seems to be a magnet for some Marlborough types. It is like and old wild west scene with these crack-pots. When they hit town the first thing they do is rent a big Harley Davidson, roar down a soi 60 mph to the nearest salon, get a prostitute and an "attitude". They then want to shoot it out ok coral style when anyone refuses to put up with their smelly cloud of smoke.

Immigration is not going to escort these cowboys to the city line, mall managers are not going to do anything because they are in love with the almighty baht, and the town marshal has his hands full. So what can the health conscious person do? A few well directed barbs in the right direction would help. If you don’t want to do anything yourself, get a security to take a hand. Call their bluff. Stand your ground. Have the district chief sue the tobacco companies for health costs as they have done successfully in the U.S. and above all don’t let these inconsiderate slobs think that they are so much a part of the Farang scene that they can ask you to leave town.

A Californian

Impressed with Pattaya

Dear Pattaya Mail,

Having recently returned from holiday in amazing Thailand I would like to say that I was very impressed with Pattaya and the politeness of its citizens.

I still have yet to experience some form of misfortune which many of the writers to your column seem to have attracted. I shall be back to Pattaya again and can safely say it is a first class holiday destination.

Your web site is great and very informative - keep up the good work.

J Macdonald, Australia

Name changing to induce amnesia

Sir,

To answer John Cox’s letter in 31st Dec. issue, the answer is easy, just change the name of the hotel as reported on Page 4 of the same issue. People have short memories and will not associate the newly named hotel with the disaster. This has been a long established practice of big companies.

Two cases will illustrate the success of this policy: 1) Windscale Nuclear Power Plant in Cumbria, England had a disastrous leak of radiation a few years ago, the name of the establishment was promptly changed to Sellafield, very soon the general public forgot about the disaster and confidence in the Nuclear Industry was restored. 2). The ferry, "Herald of Free Enterprise" which sunk in the harbour of Zeebrugge a few years ago, was owned by Townsend Thorensen, the company itself changed its name to something like P&O ferries, effectively disassociating itself from the disaster in the public’s mind.

Robert Edward Creasey

Air pollution seeping into Pattaya

Dear Sir,

Recently arriving in Pattaya for a work interview, my lungs were in for a bit of a shock adjusting to the air pollution. Just riding a taxi down the street it was easy to witness the tour buses and small motorbikes spewing ridiculous amounts of raw sewage into the air. It does not cost that much to tune-up a vehicle and the fuel savings make it pay for itself. In America and many developed countries exhaust emissions checks are required yearly.

In 10 years this atmosphere will not be able to support a resort environment, please tell me things are being done to correct this problem while it can still easily be done?

Phil Lindlau

PS from last week...

Sir:

I sent a letter via e-mail to respond to the letter "20 Questions" written by an English tourist. In further response to Mr. Mac-Foggert’s big #11 asking why Thais always want money for something, I’d like to relate this incident. This afternoon a Canadian neighbor had either a mild heart attack or a stroke. The first person to respond was a Thai young man who took him to the hospital, stayed with him, talked to the doctor, and wrote down all the necessary information to relay to the Farang in the building. The young man refused any reimbursement and was practically embarrassed by all the thanks and fuss from the rest of us, including the stricken Canadian.

So there you have it again, Mr. Mac-Foggert. Should you need any verification, you are welcome to personally contact me in BKK. Again, I reiterate, if you look, and it does not have to be a hard search with a lantern like Socrates, you will find many, many kind, wonderful Thai people who would do the same deed as this youngster. I’m sure you will also find kind Englishmen in your own country who would do the same. (I’m not naive enough to say all people are wonderful. There are crooked bastards and self-gaining individuals among us all, no matter where we live.)

Jack Gilead

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