Pattaya Mail Letters

LETTERS

HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:
: A few points to make
Pale Rider “Shot by his own six shooter”; Clarification of new banking regulations; Pattaya Scond Road traffic management; Keeping the faith

A few points to make

Dear Editor,

Firstly, thank you for a much more amusing Mailbag than you have had in recent weeks: since the demise of Nightmarch the high points of the paper have sadly been reduced to Heart to Heart with Hillary, Grapevine and Mailbag. I’d just like to take up a few lines to comment on some of Mailbag’s recent letters.

The Tourist Authority of Thailand’s website announces that with immediate effect the Royal Parks Department has raised its entry fees in all National Parks, for “overseas visitors”, to 200 baht for adults and 100 baht for children... you have been warned.

Sir Lance could easily have evaded the “amusement park” activities of Hat Sai Kaew, Ao Phai, Ao Wong Duen or Ao Prao on Koh Samet... he should have stayed at either Ao Phudsa, Ao Nuan, Ao Cho, Ao Tian, Ao Wai or Ao Kiu Na Nok: I find these beaches as quiet and clean as they were 10 years ago. Hopefully the Royal Parks Department will use the extra revenue to keep them this way. Little bit of homework next time, Sir Lance!

To Mr. losing faith in Thailand: how bloody well dare you label the population of bar girls as “money hungry and pathetic”. Have you ever once stopped to consider the reason why so many girls have to enter the “trade”? Have you ever actually conversed with any of these “pathetic” girls? I happen to own a couple of bars with a workforce of 60, and I can absolutely guarantee you that the vast majority of the huge total monthly salary goes straight back up country to provide for the children and parents of the staff. There happens to be no social security safety net in this country, Mr. losing faith, and you will find that a large percentage of these “money hungry and pathetic” human beings are from poor villages in the North and North East where the families have precious little money for anything more than basic education, so more often than not the barely literate or educated girls drop out of school to start work at 14, get married at 15 or so, are mothers by the time they are 16 and at the same time find out the true nature of many Thai males, whereby many girls make the decision to, rather than support her husband’s gambling and drinking habits, she’d rather provide for her children and parents’ well being, move to the bright lights, big city and bar work, with the allure of a livable wage. And don’t counter with the old “well, these girls could get an ordinary job”... all you have to do is scan the Situations Vacant pages in the Bangkok Post or the Thai papers... most jobs will require a bachelors degree which means full time education until one is 21 or so.

So, the next time you decide to write a letter deriding someone in Thailand, Mr. losing faith, perhaps you should target certain ministerial and educational bodies, asking why the country does not provide adequately for its more unfortunate citizens. Also I would think long and hard before returning, as your kind of attitude is definitely not welcome.

Finally, to Rodtoon... I’d like to shake your hand! Maybe we should form an action group to picket the Town Hall and Police Station every morning at 02.00 to make sure the patrols are going out to ensure the bars do close at 2. I’d forgotten what it’s like to get a decent night’s sleep! However, this being Thailand, we all know that this will never happen, but wouldn’t it be nice if Pattaya’s finest actually forced bars to turn their music down to acceptable levels at a certain time.

Well, that’s all, guess I’d better avoid using any “motocy” taxis for a while!

Martin, Pattaya

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Pale Rider “Shot by his own six shooter”

Dear Sir,

In reply to “Pale Rider’s” extremely short, subjective and somewhat mysterious response to my letter - “Refined Sugar - is it so good” - Pattaya Mail 27 Oct - are we to assume from his nom de plume that he is none other than Clint Eastwood? A man with no name riding into town - getting rid of all the bad guys? Let me state straight away - your response of balderdash is like someone calling Einstein a cretin - NOT that I am equating myself with that genius. The indisputable facts that are contained in my letter have been acquired from books written by extremely qualified nutritionists. I have studied extensively on the subject of health and nutrition for over 30 years, and NOT ONCE has any author given any credence to the value of refined sugar as a food - in fact it has been deemed one of the many curses of modern man. Pale Rider, or shall I call him Clint fails to address the points that I have made, which are, for the benefit of readers who may not have read my letter:

1. Refined sugar contains no vitamins or minerals.

2. This deficiency means that precious vitamins have to be taken from internal sources for the process of fueling functions - resulting in vitamin depletion.

3. This “easy” energy source overrides other carbohydrates and gives rise to the creation of fat in many people, which in turn is responsible for many degenerative diseases to which man is prone.

4. Molasses and honey are superior sweetening agents because they contain valuable nutrients.

I suggest - to use his words “any free thinking, inquisitive person” would heed these facts and try very hard to avoid consuming refined sugar. I would like to know what “Clint “ means by “his agenda is glaring” and my “ideologue approach”.

Sorry “Clint” - I’m one of the good guys - don’t shot me - put your six shooters back in to their holster, find a real bad man. You fixed some shots - but missed by a mile - no make that a million miles!

B.W. Palmer

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Clarification of new banking regulations

To: Editor of Pattaya Mail,

The Bank of Thailand was informed that some foreigners wrote to pattayamail.com complaining about the new banking regulation regarding opening and maintaining deposit accounts in Thailand. After reading those letters, the Bank of Thailand found that there were misunderstandings and confusion. Therefore, the Bank of Thailand would like to clarify such regulation as follows:

The Bank of Thailand has issued a notification, re: the requirement for a commercial bank on the practice in accepting deposits on August 22nd, 2000. The main purpose of this notification is to improve supervisory regulations to meet with international best practice and to facilitate money-laundering detection. The regulation requires both Thai and non-Thai depositors to identify themselves and to submit identification documents to the banks in order to open or maintain all types of deposit accounts (resident accounts and non-resident accounts). For a non-Thai depositor, the identification document is a passport or an alien identification card or other identification evidence which is issued or certified by a credible agency or organization. This regulation has been effective since August 25th, 2000.

According to Mr. Leslie Wright’s letter regarding the new banking regulations, the Bank of Thailand would like to explain the following points. First, the Bank of Thailand discloses all banking regulations to the public by posting them on the Bank of Thailand website (www.bot.or.th). Because this regulation also affects foreigners, the Bank of Thailand translated the summary of this regulation into English and has posted it under the press release section since August 30th, 2000. Second, there was no notification of the Bank of Thailand issued on June 6th, 2000. Third, the Bank of Thailand never issues a banking regulation requiring a valid working permit in order to open a deposit account. Fourth, this new regulation applies to both residents and non-residents. Whoever fails to comply with this regulation cannot open or maintain any type of deposit account, including a non-resident account. Finally, this regulation also applies to existing accounts.

The Bank of Thailand believes that it is very important to disseminate accurate information concerning banking laws and regulations to the public and understands that foreigners still face difficulties and limitations in obtaining such information. Therefore, the Bank of Thailand would like to encourage all readers to contact the Bank of Thailand if they have any questions or need further information regarding banking laws and regulations for accurate information. Comments and suggestions are also welcomed. Thank you.

Please be informed.

Yours sincerely,

Mr. Samart Buranawatanachok

Director

Special Projects and Analysis Department,
Tel. (02) 283 6829

Financial Institutions Policy Group For Governor.

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Pattaya Second Road trafic management

Editor;

I read with horror about the proposed one-way system for Pattaya Second Road past Big C. Instead of making it one way the city planners should leave well alone and consider opening the lower, wider part of Second Road to two-way traffic again, before the season gets under way. Not only would this deter the motorbike madmen from using the road as a racetrack but it would also ease the deadly congestion on Beach Road at Walking Street Corner. I think it would take half of the traffic away from Beach Road easing that problem at the same time.

Also I would suggest consideration to the following. No parking or dropping off for taxis and baht busses for 100 yards on the approach to Walking Street corner, Beach Road and 50 yds after the corner on both sides of the road. This would have to be policed for a start! On the left side approach I would make a dropping off place only, say 50 yds out for baht busses before the exchange kiosk and a pick up point only round the corner about 50 yds out. Bike taxis should have a place, say 20 yds, just in Walking Street to drop off and pick up with access allowed out into Beach Road. Good lane marking on Beach Road would also help flow. These proposals would ease the chaotic traffic at the corner and let traffic flow; visitors would walk that bit more but would be safer at the crossing with clear views of the traffic.

When are the authorities going to start checking all busses and bikes for pollution? Until then visitors and locals will continue to sit in the traffic in open busses breathing in the belching fumes. Let’s get some proper traffic management then clear the jams and cut the fumes.

BW retiree

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Keeping the faith

Dear Sir,

In answer to the letter from “Losing faith in Thailand” in last week’s edition (volume 44), the answer is surely ‘Don’t fall for it!’

I, like this same gentleman, do not come to Pattaya for a sex vacation, and I have, in fact, a lot of very good Thai friends both within the bar industry and not.

I do admit, however, that I do sometimes succumb to the odd ‘bar girl’, but having been here 16 times I know exactly what to expect, and treat it, like them, purely as a business deal.

Surely it is ‘Losing faith’ that has the problem and not the girl who is merely trying to make a living in a country with no government assistance for unemployed people like ours.

Yours faithfully,

‘Never lost faith in Thailand’ (UK)

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It is noticed that the letters herein in no way reflect the opinions of the editor or writers for Pattaya Mail, but are unsolicited letters from our readers, expressing their own opinions. No anonymous letters or those without genuine addresses are printed, and, whilst we do not object to the use of a nom de plume, preference will be given to those signed.