Pattaya Mail Letters

LETTERS

HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:
: Keeping sexuality private
Pollution and the like; This is Thailand; Let’s have a bargirl festival instead; Fire Safety

Keeping sexuality private

Mailbag,

The lauding by gay resident Brian of a ‘gay’ festival epitomizes the hypocrisy that exists in the matter. In a land where sexuality is largely treated with indifference the eagerness of some gays to trumpet their sexual preference merely indicates that gay ‘equality’, so long demanded in the west is merely a smokescreen subject and something to shriek about. Whilst the imbalance of mind or gene that brings about the homosexual condition might be better tolerated and understood by the homophobic, an imbalance it is and most definitely not an ‘achievement’ to be celebrated. There is no anti-gay attitude here of any note that needs to be broken down so why the need to proclaim the state of being? Any sort of festival, particularly in the interests of a good cause is welcome and an opportunity to have fun. Why the need for it to be dedicated to disorientated sexuality? Can there be any doubt that with their proclivity for exhibitionism gays would be very predominant in any sort of festival that was held. Those same gays, along with any others, should remain content that their circumstance is disregarded and very, very wary about arousing the dormant resentment and disgust that exists in many Pattaya resident heterosexuals towards their ‘pink’ counterparts. Have a festival by all means but the gay tribute is now very old hat. Pattaya deserves a more original concept.

Signed,

Rory - A Pattaya resident who’s content to keep his sexuality private

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Pollution and the like

Dear Editor;

I have just returned to England after three weeks in Thailand - Bangkok, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai. I had the curious sensation of feeling that I was returning to a Third World Country when I landed in England. Everything in Thailand seemed to work more efficiently. There was no graffiti in Thailand, there was no litter. England was gloomy and wherever I looked there were marks and paint and words on the walls, meaningless and stupid words. Driving through Pattaya with a friend who lives there I saw my first Thai graffiti, I thought. My friend, who speaks and reads a little Thai, stared at it carefully and said, “No Parking”.

But there is one thing which is a problem and a threat to the good life and that is the foulness of fumes from your many vehicles which do not have restrictions on their emissions. London is a vast city with just as many vehicles as Bangkok - but the air was positively sweet compared even with the road running along Pattaya Beach. We in England have got pollution from vehicles in hand. You have a serious problem which will not go away, will get much worse, is already causing many premature deaths, damaging crops and is a menace. It is something which needs addressing at national level, but it needs local complaints to get things moving. But I shall still come back to the Land of Smiles, even if the smilers cough from time to time.

Michael Round

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This is Thailand

Editor

In response to A Californian in last week’s Letters (Complaint Department) section:

Thais who travel to Berlin, Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Paris, St. Louis, Tokyo, etc., comply with the local customs of these cities. They do not write letters to the local print media in an attempt to change local habits and laws. Why, they don’t even walk in the streets, for goodness sake!

Perhaps we should accommodate ourselves to the customs of Pattaya, rather than trying to make this beautiful place resemble the place we come here to get away from.

T. I. T. This Is Thailand.

Brad at LAX

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Let’s have a bargirl festival instead

Editor,

The ‘Gay Festival’ topic appears to be creating as much controversy as the American ‘mastodon’ who used a chap’s car-bonnet as a walkway some time back. To add my own baht’s worth I have to say Frank Lee’s letter (PM 23/2/01) sums up my own attitude as well as most other heteros I have heard talk about the issue.

Thais appear to have no aversion whatsoever to homosexuality which in itself is an admirable trait. Homosexuality is not an affliction to be ‘celebrated’. It is one usually brought about by either genetic disorder or traumatic experience with the opposite sex and those afflicted deserve to be left in peace. That is until they demand that those of us who do not so suffer bear having the burden of homosexuality rammed down our throats.

Like any other member of the community Gay Brian is entitled to have his views heard. I don’t, however, accept that his sexual preferences mark him as part of a “valuable group” any more than do my own such preferences.

As to his references to raising money for the HIV/Aids cause perhaps it should be borne in mind that it is no coincidence that it is a charity dear to the gay community’s heart. The truth about this condition has needed to be distorted for years on end to protect the gay community. It is first and foremost a disease that is primarily transmitted by males to whoever they copulate with and one which has curtailed homosexual activity worldwide.

As Brian correctly points out Pattaya owes a lot to the sex industry. Many in fact would say it owes everything to the sex industry and without which it would merely be just another ordinary seaside resort. As he also points out though the gay aspect of that sex industry is (thankfully) only a small part of it. If anyone is deserving of a festival isn’t it the many bar-girls who have attracted so many visitors? Now there would be an event to be appreciated.

Anton

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Fire Safety

Editor;

I wish to bring what I consider to be a serious matter to the attention of the Fire Department or Fire Marshall, but I have been unable to make contact.

Therefore I wish to address my concerns to you and request that you pass this information on to the proper parties.

I have no wish to cause problems or expense to owners of hotels and apartments in Pattaya, but surely after the terrible fire at Jomtien not long ago, with the massive loss of life, one could expect that building owners would be anxious to see that their buildings are safe, and that nothing like this could happen again. However, this appears not to be the case.

I want to mention just one building for the moment. It is an apartment on Soi 17, and the name is Four Men House. I have personally viewed all fire exit doors locked on the inside. This is just as bad as doors that are locked on the outside. This is unacceptable. In case of serious fire these doors cannot be opened without keys.

It is long past time that proper fire doors were in place on all buildings, but especially residential premises.

I ask you to take this matter to the attention of the proper authorities, and I will watch to see what happens.

I have other information, but I hesitate to take it to the international media, if the problem can be corrected by other means. However, I think that the media would have a heyday with this in lite of the previous bad press regarding the Jomtien fire.

Regards,

Firedoors2000

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