Thai woman not deemed ‘Thai’ enough

Editor;

I am a regular visitor of the Jomtien area near Pattaya as my family owns a condominium in the Ocean Marina Yacht Club, where I reside several days a month.

Recently I wanted to take my little boy to Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, just a few hundred metres away from my residence.

At the entrance, I inquired of the staff as to the range of prices for visitors, for those attending the shows and for those just passing through, specifying that I was a Thai national. The female employee that I questioned sent me to a male staff member. Feeling that there was something in the wind, I stressed that I was holding a Thai ID card.

But the Nong Nooch staff went on the attack and questioned, “Are you a Thai national?”

I said “yes”, showing him my ID card.

“Are you a luk khrueng [mixed race]?” he continued.

I answered “yes” thinking that this precise question was not at all relevant as my mixed origins - my father is Thai, my mother French - are actually a private matter.

But the unpleasant staff person concluded, “Thai prices were for Thai people, that meant ‘real’ Thais and not luk khruengs.”

I flared up. What does “real” Thai mean? Is Nong Nooch Tropical Garden an independent state that makes it own laws contrary to Thai laws? As far as I understand, according to Thai law, holding a Thai ID card precisely signifies that I am a Thai national, with equal rights compared to other citizens, no matter how farang (foreigner) I may look.

This racial discrimination is scandalous, not to mention the very backward system in our country of having two different prices for Thais and foreigners.

If all the so-called luk khruengs - including for example those Thai-Chinese who control up to around 80 percent of business trade in Thailand - were to boycott Nong Nooch, I guess their pretentiousness would take a slap in the face.

Wanphen

Note: Wanphen’s message was forwarded to Nong Nooch Tropical Garden’s Pattareeya Chaipundi, public relations manager, who replied as follows:

On behalf of Nong Nooch Tropical Garden I would like to offer the following explanation concerning Khun Wanphen’s complaint.

The staff who questioned Khun Wanphen about her nationality were new and did not know much about the Garden, so that created a misunderstanding.

I must admit that the way they talked to (her) was unsatisfactory. Please accept our apology. I am sure they did not mean to be rude to you.

We always treat all visitors equally, and the idea of racial discrimination never crosses our minds. Our system of having two different prices for Thai and foreigners is just the same as other tourist places in Thailand.

However, we did not ignore her situation, and have considered paying more attention to new staff.

Lastly, I would like to thank you for your suggestion. We will try our best to make our service better.

Editor;

I assume “Mr. Angry” was referring to a standard “buglight” that has a light surrounded by electrified wire that attracts bugs, and kills them as they come in contact with the wire. First, one should be aware that mosquitoes are attracted by carbon dioxide, not light, like most other bugs. Your skin continuously releases CO2, and on a still evening, it’s easy for mosquitoes to find you. So, if anybody is selling it as a “mosquito light”, it is a misrepresentation. I was always hoping that somebody would invent a buglight that would contain some sort of CO2 cartridge that would slowly release carbon dioxide from behind the wire, thereby attracting and killing mosquitoes. Small pieces of dry ice would also work, because they produce CO2 vapor, but that’s impractical.

If you want to ward off mosquitoes, bug sprays containing DEET, such as “OFF!” work very well. A fan also works, because it makes it difficult for the mosquito to find it’s CO2 producing host, and they don’t fly and land very well in wind conditions.

As for Mr. Angry’s experience at the store, it would have been wise for him to ask to have the light plugged in at the store to see if it worked, especially after the first one didn’t. It isn’t unusual for a customer to test out any electrical appliance at a store to check it before laying out any cash. Some stores even do it without being asked, to show the item was operational when the customer leaves the store with it. Buyer beware.

J Prell

Editor,

One day I went up to a hotel where a group of Swedish senior people had been staying for three months - just to say goodbye before they went home.

I was quite surprised, shocked, sad and disgusted to hear from them how many times they had been pestered, badgered, persecuted and threatened by some baht bus drivers when they demanded more than the regular standard fare. This never happened when these senior passengers stepped off from a car with other passengers, especially Thai people, but only when the drivers were alone with them. It was very abominable to notice that some of the drivers, obviously on a regular basis, seem to be inclined to attack older western tourists who are less inclined and able to defend themselves. Really disgusting behaviour! And I thought this was a problem belonging to the past?!

This is a serious problem damaging the image, goodwill, reputation and integrity of Pattaya as well as Thailand! For God’s, peoples and Thailand’s sake, let us have a reliable, foreseeable and safe public transportation system in Pattaya! Any small or middle-sized Thai towns have air-conditioned buses running on regular routes.

Sometimes I really wonder if the only one’s who want the baht bus monopoly just happen to be politicians of the corrupted sort who get corrupted money from companies who pay for the concessions including the black money from cheating, using and extorting money from innocent tourists - mostly westerners! Am I wrong? I look forward to any consistent and credible explanation of this matter.

Sign me,

NAD