HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

KW Billy nearly chokes on his false teeth

Adopted as a child, looking for parents

A doctor explains

What happens when nobody cares

Thailand needs to establish a proper driving instruction system

Don’t kill the messenger

KW Billy nearly chokes on his false teeth

Dear Sir,

I nearly choked on my false teeth. Why? I was just reading your article, and the quote from Boonsom Yutithampinyo, head of Chonburi Irrigation Management and Development Bureau, who said there should be enough water to supply our needs for now.

What crap! You know why I say crap? Because that is what my toilets are full of. As I was reading your article, I was having another truckload of water delivered. These are not once a week, but every second day. The water is not treated, but it is water and keeps us clean. This is not the way though.

Before all you goodie-goodies start writing in and saying, "Well you should not be living there if you do not expect to rough it." Stop! I have roughed it, but that was not in a holiday resort.

Boonsom, how long have you lived in Pattaya? Where do you live now? I bet you, it is not in Thepprasit Road, where I live now.

Billy Sheal

PS. As for my false teeth, they are like all the promises made by mayors and MPs in Thailand.

Adopted as a child, looking for parents

To Whom It May Concern,

I’m sending this e-mail in search of finding my birth mother. My name is Anek Youngberg. Born November 15th 1974 to Mr. Somnuk Kongsup and Mrs. Anong Kongsup. I was adopted by a Dr. G.B. Youngberg in January 20th 1975. The last known address I have for my mother is 21/5 Moo Tambol Nernphra, Muang District, Rayong Prov.

Any help you may be able to assist me with would be great. Or if you could direct me into the right direction.

Thank You,

Anek Kongsup Youngberg

A doctor explains

Editor;

Refer: Columnist of Mailbag, page 21, Pattaya Mail Newspaper, on 25 April 2003.

My name is Dr. Punya Luenee, ear, nose, throat doctor, who the patient refers. I remember very well that my patient is a teacher who was worried about his throat and cough and some difficult to breath about 3 months ago. I have examined and order the medicine, the medicine’s name as the follows:

1. Symbicort turbuhaler, which is produced by Astra Zeneca, imported from Sweden, the capital price including VAT about 1,000 baht, this price will be sold in the Hospital 1,300 baht.

2. Nasacort, nasal spray, which produced by Rhone-poulenc, imported from United Kingdom, the capital price including VAT about 400 baht, this price will be sold in the hospital 580 baht.

3. Aerius (desloratadine) which it is not same loratadine which produced by Schering-Plough, imported from Belgium, the capital price including VAT about 38 baht (per tablet), this price will be sold in the hospital 57 baht (per tablet).

4. The other medicine which my patient has not mentioned. The editor can exam the truth price from the hospital as above mention. I hope that that the truth which I write to you will be announced in Pattaya Mail. I would like to thank you in advance for your truth explaining.

Yours Faithfully,

Dr. Punya Luenee

Ear, nose, throat doctor medical Clinic, 280/1, Soi Nernphlubwaan, Sukhumvit Road, Pattaya City 20260 tel. 09 - 833 6856, 01- 865 2218.

What happens when nobody cares

Editor;

Re: Mrs. A. Gaal’s letter. When I was in Thailand about 4 months ago I heard about this story. A man killed and nobody caring about it. The reason why I was in Thailand about 4 months ago was for a similar reason.

A distant relative was (so it turned out) employed by the local police-chief in a small city near Korat to be a drug-runner of the smallest possible size. Being himself addicted he ‘stole’ a small amount of whatever he was to sell, for his own use.

To punish him and teach others a lesson he was waited upon and killed by 2 men with handguns. Now he was dead - and that was that.

He was cremated 3 days after, without anyone asking any questions. No police, no coroner, nothing. Much to my disgust, not even his close relatives asked why or who. Fear was everywhere. He was dead, nothing could be gained by pointing out the suspected murderers.

On the contrary. I think Mrs Gaal is well advised never to come to Thailand and start asking "questions". Law and order and justice?! There is probably more of it in countries like Nigeria or Sierra Leone or Yemen then there is in Thailand.

Jeremias Hoogoven

Amsterdam

Thailand needs to establish a proper driving instruction system

Dear Sir:

Khai Khem’s recent social commentary on what needs to be done to improve the bad traffic habits of all too many Thais absolutely got it right. A proper, state-controlled traffic instruction program (for example as part of the regular school curriculum, as he suggested) would definitely help.

Traffic law enforcement alone simply won’t do the trick if drivers lack the basic traffic education or remain as ignorant and undisciplined as they currently are. In virtually all European countries the following scheme is established and has proven extremely successful to groom responsible and law-abiding drivers: Firstly, a driver aspirant must undergo a minimum amount of hours of active driving supervised by a licensed driving instructor. This goes along with an adequate number of traffic theory tuition where future drivers have to meticulously acquaint themselves with all traffic laws, the meaning of all traffic signs, etc.

Subsequently, a theory exam is taken under state supervision. If the aspirant answers only a handful of questions incorrectly, he won’t pass. After the theory test, an actual driving test, again under supervision by a state-appointed assessor, follows. Making more than a couple of even minor mistakes during that exercise, for example not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign, will result in the aspirant failing the test.

Both the theoretical and actual driving exams can be re-entered a maximum of three times. If the aspirant fails in either of them for three consecutive times he will be barred from driving a motor vehicle for life.

Only those who pass both tests flawlessly will receive a driving license. Do you get my point? Driver aspirants are actually forced to learn traffic laws by heart and develop law-abiding driving styles if they don’t want to risk being barred from driving altogether.

This method ingrains in every future motorist the basic driving skills as well as a natural sense of observing traffic laws. While Europe admittedly still has its fair amount of rogue drivers, the vast majority of motorists are disciplined, making it easier for the police to enforce traffic laws.

In Thailand, this seems almost impossible given the fact that almost everybody appears to drive as they please, and the constabulary simply might be overwhelmed if they really want to take to task every single traffic violator.

I do not understand why a proven method like the one I described has never been established in Thailand, particularly since the amount of vehicles has steadily and sharply increased over the past two decades; and continues to grow. In this country just about everybody swings themselves on a motorcycle as soon as they have reached their pre-teens without even knowing what that white, interrupted line in the middle of the road means.

Driving licenses are issued to practically everyone for payment of a mere 100 baht and without even trying to assess if the applicant is fit enough for plying the country’s road network. The cost of proper driving instruction might be too high for most future drivers? Oh well, if they are able to purchase a motorcycle I think an extra couple thousand baht won’t be too much of a burden for the sake of road safety. And I’ve heard that the cost for a funeral runs much higher.

Thomas Schmid

Bangkok

Don’t kill the messenger

Editor;

As an addendum to the insightful letter of last week ‘Politicians take note’, it may also be helpful to make these observations. I have people tell me often how safe Thailand is but the funny thing, I don’t often feel safe here anymore. Why is that?

In the last few years, there has been a very definite attitude of paradigm shift in Thai society towards foreigners. Crimes against foreigners are now somehow ‘less of an offence’, particularly where theft is concerned and the police reaction is indifference.

Violent attacks are on the increase, not only against their own countrymen but foreigners also. When you realize these thugs looking to snatch a bag, mobile phone, gold chain or whatever have no problem slashing or shooting their intended victim it is cause for worry.

Thai politicians and the media have a great fondness for portraying all foreigners as bad people. They find a foreigner with 3 capsules of an illegal substance and splash his picture in the paper for he is the cause of the drug problem in the kingdom. Another foreigner is caught with an underage girl so all foreigners are responsible for the pedophilia problems in Thailand. Well, it sells newspapers and helps win popularity contests and votes at the polls. Perhaps you could call it a dangerous stirring of nationalistic sentiment but it doesn’t really matter.

My point is not all Thai people have the advantage of travelling overseas to meet a range of foreigners. Some of them only know what they read in the newspapers or hear on the TV. The ‘fall-out’ or ‘aftereffects’ of this is that many have developed a negative perception before they have even encountered a foreigner, and when they do, these teachings are already ingrained in their mind. My evidence of this? If you understand spoken Thai, you can’t make it through the day without being called a bad name, from people you’ve never even seen before. Why is that?

Sign me,

Don’t kill the messenger

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