HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Social order campaign going in the wrong direction

Bt10 million better spent cleaning the beach

Correct change not a given

Father Ray deserves much recognition

Resident gets a break

Father Ray Brennan affected the lives of a lot of people

Best wishes sent by SMS

Thank you for a very moving and sincere report

Father Ray was my counsellor

Stays away from venues that practice double pricing

Looking for expatriate havens

Social order campaign going in the wrong direction

Editor;

Surprise! Surprise! Cause and effect does not seem to be appreciated by many of our lawmakers and law enforcement officers - as one closes down the nightspots and their hours of opening (the reason a large majority of tourists come to this fair land) the greater the number of ladies of the night will be found in public places, to the annoyance of some.

Add into this equation a lack of health controls, security and safety of employment and you are well on the way to the creation of the very social problems that they are supposedly combating, and going in the opposite direction to that of the western world.

Robert Anderson

Bt10 million better spent cleaning the beach

Editor;

As reported, Russian tennis star Anna Kournikova has been hired by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to appear in a promotional video promoting the Kingdom, and will collect a tidy Bt10 million in the process. (TAT) wants to promote Pattaya as a major beach resort...

Then I appeal to the city fathers to do something about the beach, not just the promenade! For exercise I myself regularly walk the beach, plastic bag in hand, starting from Soi 1 North Pattaya, picking up “only” beer bottles, broken glass and jagged metal cans in case some child cuts their foot on them.

I have never yet managed to reach Central Road before my bag is bursting to breaking point. It wouldn’t take Bt10 million, just a few hundred baht per day to hire some of these poor hardworking people whom I see fishing about in rubbish bins salvaging cans, glass and plastic. Hire them to walk the beach twice per day picking up all litter, as well as insisting that food vendors and deck chair owners finish each day with a cleanup of the area in front of their businesses as a condition of their operating licence. An inspector checks them randomly once per week.

As well as the armed forces and other organisations who have cleanups to honour their Majesties’ birthdays, which I applaud, perhaps some of the service clubs such as Lions or Rotary could help out by hiring a few daily beach cleaners. I am willing to pay for bright over jackets for the cleaners with a message in Thai and English on reverse sides, such as “We love Thailand. Please don’t litter”.

Philip Hamilton
N. Pattaya

Correct change not a given

Dear Pattaya Mail,

I live in an apartment which does not have cooking facilities and therefore I eat 100% of my meals at the local restaurants. Much to my dismay I have found on many occasions, I have been charged different prices than those advertised on the menu, found that the total has been added incorrectly, and on other occasions the change returned has been incorrect - always to my detriment. Consequently I refrain from returning to these shortsighted establishments. However, the list of restaurants where I do not go is becoming quite large.

My purpose in writing is twofold. First to warn the farangs of fun city to carefully examine their restaurant bills and to assume that even in “nice” restaurants often your bill is incorrect, and secondly to mention a clean well run Thai-European restaurant, the “Hua Lam Phong” on Pattaya Klang about one block east of Third Road on the south side of the street.

The prices are extremely reasonable, the restaurant is clean, the menu is filled with good Thai-European dishes and after going there 10+ times now, my bill has always been accurate.

RS

Father Ray deserves much recognition

Dear Editor:

I had opportunity to meet Father Brennan briefly a couple of years ago and am in disbelief at his passing. If not for the hard work and dedication of this fine man, many of the children of Pattaya would never know the opportunities of an education, a decent meal or a roof to keep them dry. Forty plus years of work was rewarded with an all too brief retirement on this earth. I suppose that he is now in a place that his Christian God feels is his just retirement.

This man of such good works deserves much recognition for all that he has accomplished for the children and people of Thailand. His presence will be missed but never forgotten. I hope the Pattaya community and the Kingdom of Thailand remember Father Brennan and all he gave to Thailand.

May God and Buddha bless him in eternity.
Sincerely,

Jim Gilmore
California, U.S.A.

Resident gets a break

Dear Editor,

Although resident in Pattaya for some time, I paid my first visit earlier this week to the Million Year Stone Park and Crocodile Farm, accompanied by my Thai wife and my teenage daughter who is on holiday here. Not noticing any details of admission charges at the entrance, I watched the two Thais in front of me pay 80 baht to get in. I was initially taken aback when I was asked to pay 530 baht for the three of us: 300 baht for myself, 150 baht for my daughter and 80 baht for my wife. When I explained that I was resident in Thailand and produced my Thai driver’s licence in confirmation, the charge was immediately reduced to the expected 200 baht. Another example of ‘double pricing’ if you will, but with consideration for those of us ‘farang’ who have made Pattaya our home.

Yours faithfully,
Robert Patnicroft

Father Ray Brennan affected the lives of a lot of people

Dear Editor,

Father Ray Brennan has certainly affected the lives of a lot of people by his words and actions. I was saddened to hear of his death.

The thousands of people that have been helped, and will continue to be helped, by the work done at the Pattaya Orphanage, Vocational School for the Disabled, Pattaya School for the Deaf & Blind Children, the Seniors Center and the Home for the Street Children, is amazing. Not only is the compassionate work that is going on at these institutions remarkable, but they have also established an international reputation for the quality of the people that have been influenced and educated by these institutions. The Pattaya institutions have become well respected by people across Canada, United States, Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, New Zealand and many other parts of the world. The people of Pattaya should feel very proud of the work that is going on in their community at these institutions.

That Father Ray had the foresight, determination and unfaltering work ethics to bring the institutions into existence is outstanding. Up to the very end he continued to perfect work which he had previously initiated.

In my last conversation with Father Ray, at an age when most of us are beginning to slow down, Father Ray was discussing plans of things which he would still like to do to assist others and better their lives. Although he was dealing with situations that would be enough to bring tears to the eyes of many, he always seemed to display optimism as to what could be accomplished in the future. Optimism, determination and a great sense of humour seemed to be his armour in life. Personally, I found Father Ray both inspirational and motivational.

I hope and pray that people touched by him will continue, in their own lives, to reach out and freely give assistance to others as Father Ray did.

In particular, I hope that the people of Pattaya will continue their outstanding support and efforts for these great institutions that are present in their community. The need is great and I am certain this humble, sincere, hard working man, with a big heart, would appreciate the smallest of effort which any one of us would make to assist others.

Dan Campbell,
Canada

Best wishes sent by SMS

Dear Dad,

It’s Dave here. Congratulations for your great success on this the 10th anniversary of the Pattaya Mail. From me as well as everybody here. Keep up the strength to go on and on.

With lots of love.
Your son Dave.
Captain, Cullen’s House
St. George’s College
Mussoorie
India

Thank you for a very moving and sincere report

Dear Sir,

I have just watched your report on Pattaya Mail TV News (on 19 August) of the arrival of Father Ray Brennan’s body back at his beloved Orphanage. Please let me thank you for a very moving and sincere report. Your tribute was accurate, generous and kind. It reflected the thoughts of many who knew, respected and loved Father Ray and all his works.

Yours sincerely,
Oliver Minto

Father Ray was my counsellor

Dear Editor;

I was so sad to hear about Father Brennan. He was my counsellor for my wedding and baptized my son. I started a fund with him for the orphanage in 1979. He was a good man, was “God send” for the orphanage. May he rest in peace.

Ivo Nekvapil
Former GM of the Hyatt Pattaya Palace Hotel
1976-80

Stays away from venues that practice double pricing

Dear Mailbag Editor;

In last week’s Pattaya Mail, Khai Khem provided us with a balanced and considered view of an aspect of life in Thailand as he tackled the issue of dual pricing.

I agree with his summary in that the best way to avoid the negative sentiments generated by paying the additional fee is to stay way from those places which operate the dual pricing system. However, unless someone has been to such a venue previously, they are unlikely to know of the extra charge for foreigners, until it is too late and they are standing at the ticket counter. The pressure to just ‘cough up’ and go inside can be considerable! Wouldn’t it be fairer if there were a list of the places where one can expect to find dual pricing? If this were available then the choice of whether or not to visit these places could be made prior to setting out on the journey.

Since the Pattaya Mail caters to the English speaking community it would seem the perfect vehicle to provide this information in English as a service to your customer base.

To help you get started, a list has been gathered by the contributors to the web newsgroup soc.culture.thai Perhaps the Pattaya Mail could send Thai and foreign reporters to these venues to verify the dual pricing quoted in the list.

Good luck, regards,
Pat

Looking for expatriate havens

Editor;

The new visa charges have created quite a stir and a number of people have indicated they may not stay in Thailand. It would be interesting if readers gave a short list of alternative expat havens of which they have personal knowledge. Or perhaps your newspaper might do some research on the subject. Many people would find this subject interesting.

John (a tourist)
Bayview Hotel, Pattaya

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