HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Open letter to the Minister of Interior Purachai Piumsombun

Pedophiles should be prosecuted

Closing of Beach Road “insane”

Closing Beach Road on Saturday is strangling business

Hazards on Koh Samet

Perhaps they just don’t care

Similar incident to German couple attacked in Soi One

Open letter to the Minister of Interior Purachai Piumsombun

Dear Sir,

In your Pattaya Mall magazine Vol. X No.5 you wrote an article about the so-called “ Heimat” problems. (Berke and Porphen charged with swindling homebuyers out of B 28m). We, as the 10 homebuyers victims of the so called “Heimat” embezzlement (German-Asia T.C.S. Co., Ltd.) offered in person the Minister of Interior Purachai Piumsombun an open letter as gratitude for his exertion (as follows):

A lot is published (and still is) about the “Heimat” saga German-Asia-T.C.S. Co., Ltd versus homebuyers in different foreign newspapers.

We as the homebuyers of the so-called “Heimat” project want to express our great admiration and respect for Pol. Maj. Naradet Klomtuksing and his crew.

The last two years several inhabitants of “Heimat” became almost regular visitors at the Banglamung police station. Our cry for help was settled in most cases with comments such as: this is a civil case and nothing can be done. Only when German-Asia-T.C.S. Co., Ltd intended to make charges did this civil obstacle change suddenly like a bolt from the blue.

The why’s and the who’s are difficult to understand. Why this opposition (at least to us), but who are we (the farangs) to criticize Thai internal affairs? Let face the reality, we are guests in this fine country and therefore we have to mind our own business.

But nothing was lost yet until we were advised to contact the tourist police. Up front there was not too much spirit for this idea. Well, we all know better now.

This time no excuses, no misunderstandings, no communications problems; nothing from this at all: a new authority (Thai) was born. (At least for the house buyers of the “Heimat” project).

We did not believe our own eyes (and ears) what was going on. It took the tourist police several hours to investigate our case. The next day early in the morning an arrest was made (both managers of German-Asia-T.C.S. Co., Ltd) and we could start to bring our charges against them.

If this “newborn” authority now represents Thailand, with no doubt the right choice is made.

On behalf of all plaintiffs of the “Heimat” project we will thank these fine policemen with the highest of respect: Pol. Maj. Nardet Klomtuksing, Pol. Cap. Vasu Sangsuksai, Pol. Ser. Maj. Prakob Oumyad, Pol. Ser. Maj. Taweep Rueyphong, Pol. Ser. Maj. Korakock Yongyuen, Pol. Ser. Chalermchai Prasitkhulpaisan, Pol. Corp. Wichai Boonchop, Pol. Corp. Komsan Tookokgruad.

A great job was done, thanks!

Respectfully,

The homebuyers of the so-called “ Heimat “ project

Pedophiles should be prosecuted

Dear Editor,

I am glad to see the police finally doing something about the underage sex problem in Pattaya. I just wish they could (or would) arrest and prosecute some of the foreign pedophiles who will now just go elsewhere for their perverted pleasures. The only way to end child prostitution, male and female, is to eliminate the demand (customers). They should be prosecuted and locked up, as would happen in their home country.

Regards,

F. Borman

Closing of Beach Road “insane”

Dear Sir,

I do not know how to reach the Pattaya City Hall, or the governor’s office in Chonburi, so therefore I am asking you to help me forward this to the appropriate people.

I have lived in Pattaya 13 years, and have never complained. The closing of Beach Road on Saturday’s is complete insanity. The children do not need to chalk draw on the street in front of Royal Garden Plaza. The infrastructure here will not allow this to work. Please reconsider your decision to close Beach Road, and restore happiness to those that live here.

Thank You,

David Archer

Closing Beach Road on Saturday is strangling business

Editor;

The effect of closing Beach Road on Saturday afternoon is to strangle the businesses between Second Road and Beach Road because taxis, motorbikes and cars cannot get there.

Second Road becomes congested with cars moving slower than a walk. Ninety five percent of the businesses lose money. Beach Road businesses either have business at about the same and most have less business. The floating seafood restaurants business stops because customers cannot get there by bus, car, taxi or motorbike. Walking Street businesses are also cut off from customers.

The whole closing of Beach Road is not cost effective for the vast majority the way it is presently. It was nice to be able to walk on Beach Road where it was not so crowded with people, but maybe that is not such a good thing for the businesses. Maybe the solution is to have no parking on Beach Road but open one lane to vehicle traffic.

The lifeblood of the businesses is traffic. If you cut off or slow the traffic, you cut off or slow the business. Think about it.

John Langan

Hazards on Koh Samet

Dear Editor,

May I please by way of the Pattaya Mail inform your readers of a recent event which happened to a young English tourist whilst visiting the island of Koh Samet in Rayong?

I was informed by the British Embassy Bangkok that a British subject, Mr Jamie Thomas was being held by Ban Phe police. I went to the police station whereupon I was informed of the following:

Mr. Thomas had rented a bungalow at Naga Bungalows, Haad Sai Geow. Whilst Mr. Thomas was out of the bungalow an electrical fan caught fire and set part of the room alight. Other tourist residents raised the alarm but there was no response from any staff at Naga, they were not there! As the Bungalow was on the 4th level of the hillside there was no water available to put out the fire. Some residents did, however, manage to enter the room and put the fire out. On the return of Mr. Thomas to the bungalow he was approached by the owner and 4 un-uniformed policemen who insisted Mr. Thomas pay 80,000 baht for property damage. Mr. Thomas was then taken to the police station, from where he called the embassy. During my meetings with Mr. Thomas, he did not appear to be a ‘drinker or substance user’.

After an inspection of the damaged room, the following points were noted:

1. There was no safety cut device for short circuits.

2. There was no water or fire extinguishers on the premises.

3. The bungalow was not insured.

4. Naga do not have any operating licence as the bungalows are on national park land.

5. The electrical wiring in the room would never meet any reasonable safety standards.

The police at Ban Phe were very helpful and polite; they sympathised with Mr. Thomas and offered water and toilet facilities, but insisted they keep Mr. Thomas’s passport until the problem was resolved. After 3 days of negotiations with the owner of Naga a totally stressed out Mr. Thomas agreed to pay 25,000 baht. Although he lost his possessions Mr. Thomas was lucky that he had been out of the bungalow when the fan ignited, had he been sleeping he may not have lived to tell the tale.

When renting this type of accommodation you are held totally responsible for it!

Thanks and regards,

Barry Soanes

Consular Correspondent for British Embassy, Rayong Province

Perhaps they just don’t care

Dear Sir,

The letter about driving standards in Thailand in last week’s Mail from “a concerned driver” (why can’t people use their names?) was most impressive and, sadly, very true.

Last week I visited Bangkok and was amazed at the number of motorcyclists who wore helmets. To pass the time on the long, boring haul from the end of Sukhumvit to Ekamai bus station I counted one hundred motorcyclists just after noon on Friday. Only two (yes two) were not wearing helmets. On my journey back to Pattaya the following afternoon the tally was 3 helmetless riders out of 100 riders on the same stretch of Sukhumvit.

I repeated my census this week on Road 3 outside my estate (which is close to “The Village”). I stood close to the point where two motorcyclists have been killed in the past four weeks! The scores were 51 riders without helmets on the first count of 100, and 55 riders willing to risk serious head injuries on the second count. And, of course, all the riders without helmets were breaking the law of Thailand.

It is very curious that so many motorcycle riders in Bangkok obeyed the law and so many in Pattaya did not. Could it be anything to do with the fact that the standard of law enforcement in Pattaya is pathetically low? Another small example of Pattaya’s low standard of traffic control: count the number of bikers and even motorists who deliberately drive through when the lights are against them at the junction of North Road and Road 3. I use that junction frequently and I have never seen a policeman on duty there. One could add to the list of law infringements in Pattaya ad nauseum.

I despair every time I see a motorcyclist remove his or her helmet once they have safely passed the danger zone of the Central/Road 3 junction where the police often lurk to catch the helmetless. Don’t these people know that their lives could be saved in an accident if they are wearing helmets, or do they simply not care?

Yours faithfully,

Oliver Minto

Similar incident to German couple attacked in Soi One

To Pattaya Mail;

Regarding in your PM issue 15/2 about the German couple attacked in soi one, I am a resident of Pattaya, 40 years old, who had the same experience 3 weeks ago.

At 7.00 p.m. I was going on my motorbike up Pattaya Klang, turning into Soi Buakao. About 30 meters inside, another motorbike passed me as I was going slowly, and at the same time, the back seat passenger took my Ericsson telephone (A 2618) from my pocket (value 11,000 baht).

First I was in “shock”, couldn’t believe what just happened. Then I tried to follow these 2 young men (on an old unregistered motorbike) through the sois of Pattaya.

After 10 minutes I lost them, as their driving skills sure were better than mine. But at least I gave them a “run for their stolen object”.

I returned to my home and asked my Thai friends and foreigners too, if I should report the incident to the Pattaya police. They all said the same thing, “ a waste of time, you spend hours at the police station for nothing”.

Same as the German couple, I have spent all my holidays the last 10 years here in your beautiful country. I love Thailand and have many very good honest hard working Thai friends here.

But this incident makes me feel “unsafe” and sure gives me a lot of second thoughts about continuing living here in Pattaya or in Thailand, as this country is becoming more and more dangerous.

Many foreigners decide to live in Pattaya because we hope the police will protect us, and make Pattaya a safe town to live in. Sadly I realize that this is more a dream than real life. And the numbers of police officers don’t seem to follow the increasing “incidents”.

I see in the news that the Pattaya police have increased their work, and also have the “highest arrest numbers” in the area. But I politely ask the Pattaya police to put more police officers on active work - not only at daytime, sitting 3-4 men at the intersections only watching the traffic, or sitting outside Royal Garden on Beach Rd issuing traffic tickets only to the foreigners who don’t use a safety helmet, but also patrol / move around all over Pattaya.

Sign me,

“A foreigner with second thoughts about Thailand”

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