HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Try living for a day on what a baht bus driver takes home

Heartbroken by the news of Father Brennan’s death

One has to try

Baywatch worked

Stop the very noisy bikes

Raising a glass to Father Ray and Jimmy Mac

In Memory of Father Ray

Try living for a day on what a baht bus driver takes home

Editor;

In response to Michael McGovern and Plagued BB Traveler (Pattaya Mail 22nd August): Enough already!

Week after week of complaining about absolute triviality. There are rip offs everywhere and nothing to do with race. As to the difference between paying 5 baht or 10 for a ride along Beach Road, we are talking about the difference between 20 cents and 40 cents Australian when heading out on a night of carousing where the cost of the song taew pales into insignificance.

If people’s budget is that tight when on holidays or even when living in Pattaya then they should seriously question whether they should stay at home rather than come on a holiday or live in a place that they can’t afford. Try living for a day on what a baht bus driver takes home. That should put it in perspective.

I am a frequent visitor to Pattaya and I love your newspaper. Nothing will be changed by the constant reiteration of baht bus prices and differential pricing in the letters section so how about we have some sensible letters for a change.

Tom Pinder

Heartbroken by the news of Father Brennan’s death

Dearest Pattaya,

I am heartbroken by the news of Father Brennan’s death. As I sit here at my computer, I can recall the sound of his voice and imagine his face as we chatted in his office. My last visit with him before leaving Pattaya still brings a smile to my face. We were in his office at the orphanage and I kept hearing giggling noises but could not see anyone. Father Ray told me to look under the desk. There were three little children playing happily sitting around his feet. We continued talking and they continued their playful games both under his feet and in and around the room. He never sent them away as anyone could see he genuinely loved them so very much.

I left part of my heart and soul in Pattaya. I can not explain it. It is not because I miss Thailand (although I do...) but it is Pattaya itself ... as if this place is a living, breathing entity that I have bonded with. Father Brennan was very much a part of the landscape. He literally clawed and scraped together by whatever means were at his disposal, a hope and a future for those children physically and emotionally challenged to go forward in life. Through his efforts the needs of the orphans, blind, deaf, handicapped and homeless children were addressed and the playing field of life was made more level for them. I was privileged to hear his stories of his first years in Thailand and what he would do to provide for the feeding and clothing and sheltering of the children. He told me he was a young tough from the streets of Chicago who heard God’s call to be a soldier of Christ. I laughed as he told me of his own father’s response to learning Father Brennan was going to Thailand. He asked him why did he have to go so far, the neighbors next door hadn’t gone to church in years, he could work with them! He told me of his ingenious method of providing cooking gas to feed the first orphans he had taken under his wing. Necessity had forced him to find a fuel source because he had so much rice to cook; thus the pen with the pigs and the methane gas. He told me of the trips to the border of Burma and Lao and the adventures he had and the events he witnessed (some quite frightening) while buying silk to market in Bangkok. A fantastic legacy worthy of a best selling novel! God has taken a special soldier for Christ to heaven. With all the grief and horror in the world today, there are little ones arriving at heaven’s gate daily that need Father Brennan to level the playing field for them until they are united with their families once again.

Time and distance may separate us physically; however, I keep each of you very close within my heart. Please know that I have and continue to cherish every moment I spent in with you in Pattaya. A dear friend once told me that he always had two glasses of wine brought to him at table, one for him and one for Louie Fassbind. I adopted a version of his little ceremony so that at each and every New Year and other special occasions I make a toast to Pattaya, my dear friend and all of those I truly love in Pattaya.

I feel the urgency to return to Pattaya even stronger now. Please keep well and happy.

Love,
Catherine

One has to try

[email protected];

Thank you Pattaya Mailbag for printing so many of my letters. One you omitted was one giving details of who is responsible for the beach closures last Wednesday of every month.

Apparently about 4 years ago the Rabbit Resort and the mayor got together and decided that it would be a good idea to close the beaches one day a month for cleaning, the beach chair operators rallying around, doing the graft, no help from City Hall. After a few months the novelty wore off, surprise, surprise, and since then the beaches have continued to be closed, no cleaning done, none whatsoever by anyone! The dear mayor and his cronies have not found the time or had any desire to end the farce.

Now to the nitty gritty, if you are interested in trying to change their minds it would please me no end if you could voice your displeasure by trying to phone himself, Pairat Suthithamrongsawat, the mayor, at city hall 038 371 123, but you have as much chance of getting through to him as you have of being struck by lightning on a Thursday in Hyde Park, London if you live in Jomtien. You could also voice a protest by faxing on 039 428 405 or you could email at mayor@pattaya cityhall.do.ts or even write to him at city hall, I have done all of these, answer came there none!

I will try to organise a petition with a little local help, and a sit-in in September, if enough of us turn up to defy them they might just capitulate.

Apologies for being so naive as to think anything could influence the mayor at city hall, but hey, one has to try!

Richard Walton

Baywatch worked

Editor;

On the 05/07/2003 I wrote a piece for Baywatch about the new paved area at Pattaya Central and Sukhumvit. I have been away for a month so I don’t know if you published it, but if you did, the power of the press is indeed mighty; the water meters have gone.

Gwyn Parfitt

Stop the very noisy bikes

Editor;

I am very puzzled why people with no helmets are stopped by police and these extremely noisy bikes have a free range. Helmets are a choice, noise affects every one. I was walking down a soi the other day, when a very noisy one came passed me at speed, lost a few beats on the older ticker, and the shorts nearly changed color. A little girl playing outside a shop a few yards ahead of me got such a fright she ran in the shop crying. I am not anti-bike, but I cannot understand why they have to be so noisy. And I certainly do not want to see all sois with speed bumps. But like all laws/restrictions, they are made for the inconsiderate few.

M Anderson

Raising a glass to Father Ray and Jimmy Mac

Dear Sir,

My original email to you would have been to congratulate you on ten years of enjoyable reading, but this has been marred by the sad news of the passing of Father Ray. Pattaya and Thailand will be all the poorer with outthis wonderful man, he will be sadly missed. I will be in Pattaya in November and I always enjoy the carols on Christmas Eve on Soi 6. Last Christmas was very sad with the passing of Jimmy Mac who did a lot for the Pattaya children and would help anybody, both Thais and falang. I would like to think that they will be sat side by side in the great bar on Christmas Eve having a bottle of Singha or two.

I will be raising my glass to them.

Thank you,
Graham

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