HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Unfair to single out baht buses

Time to get real

Has anyone noticed?

Cause and effect

Shocked by bad treatment in Thailand

It happens in every country

Unfair to single out baht buses

Dear Pattaya Mail,
The subject of overcharging we farangs in Thailand has been very thoroughly highlighted in recent letters to the Mail. I have lived in Thailand for some ten years and I still find that on occasions it does upset me a great deal.

However; to single out or take as the main profile the good old Pattaya baht bus is not only unfair and petty but also hypocritical to an absurd degree. The baht bus is the local taxi service. To unleash anger at “taxi drivers worldwide” would have my support. Anybody wondered why there may be up to 1,000 taxis waiting for 4-5 hours at Heathrow? Is it to take Mr. Jones home to Ealing on a known route for a known fare? Of course not. They are there instead of plying their trade on the streets expecting to meet, you’ve guessed it, a foreigner. Someone who isn’t entirely conversant with the routes prices or language or his rights. One 250 fare to central London makes for a good start to the week. B17,000.

During my working career when I was traveling the world (at other people’s expense I am pleased to say) I have had considerable experience of international taxi drivers and the like, and believe me the Pattaya baht bus driver is not on my list for stoning. I wish the rest of the world had such ‘outrageous’ overcharging, would have saved many thousands of pounds, dollars, francs, marks, etc. It goes on in all international cities to a much higher degree than just double, and that’s double next to nothing anyway unless one comes from an even poorer country.

Let us debate the national amorality of government approved overcharging by all means, but why so much attention to the man near the bottom of the food chain? Ten times more to visit Koh Samet for instance. Pattaya Park. The crocodile farm.

Personally I love Thailand, can’t understand completely the Thai rationale, but it has been and hopefully will continue to be my home. I’ve tried many alternative countries and they are terrible countries to live in by comparison, and that includes the UK. I also think that this government is making a good fist of starting to bring Thailand into the 21st century. Many things are not yet right I agree, but directives come from the top down not from the bottom up, unless the peasants are revolting. Viva la baht bus as they say in Madrid.
Have a safe journey,
Ken Osborne

Time to get real

Dear Editor,
Re: the ongoing discussion regarding dual pricing. Is it not time to get real on this issue? If you were not born in Thailand and are in Thailand, you, by virtue of the fact that you are there, are richer than the majority of Thais. I adore Thailand and visit as often as I can afford. I live in New Zealand, am a grandmother and come with my husband, kids or grandchildren or in fact anyone who will go with me. The New Zealand exchange rate is currently 23.80 baht to the dollar, two years ago was 17 baht to the dollar.

In July I was in Jomtien with my English niece, who thoroughly enjoyed Thailand, 68 baht to the pound. I returned to England with her and was totally crippled by the cost of everything in England, to the point where I don’t want to go back, despite having family living there. Cigarettes in Thailand 38 baht a packet. In England they cost 5 pounds, $NZ 15.00, 360 baht and on and on it went. I was so pleased to get back to Thailand.

I visit Thailand because I love the climate, the lifestyle, and can afford to clothe myself for a fraction of what it would cost at home and am starting to learn about the people and the culture of Thailand. I am not so naive as to believe that I could do that if I earned 7000 baht a month. I understand that I am privileged as a visitor in the respect shown. I also believe that it is not an easy life for those born in Thailand, who have families to feed, rent to pay, children to educate, parents to support and perhaps are illiterate or/and in lowly paid jobs.

The biggest problem I have when I visit Thailand is my shame of my skin color when I see the lack of respect on just about every level known to ‘man’, shown by my fellow (Caucasian) travelers. I just hope we are not all “tarred with the same bush”. In fact I know we are not, by the respect shown to my family and myself.

Father Ray and the Pattaya Orphanage: I was privileged, in January, to meet Father Ray and have spent some hours on a number of visits playing with the babies in the nursery. I was saddened, on my visit in August, to hear of his passing. Keep up the good work, you are doing a wonderful job.

Pedestrians in Pattaya: When feeling ill, in the company of my 6 year old grandson, and needing to get up to the hospital where my 2 year old grandson was a patient and unable to cross the 4 lanes of Second Road in order to get a baht taxi (for fear of fainting and getting run over) I found the perfect solution. Burst into tears and sit on the footpath. The baht taxi came to me.

Pattaya Mail: I really enjoy your paper every Friday when I am in Jomtien. Thanks so much for having your paper on line. It enables me to keep up with the news, letters etc when I am not there.
Jenny (New Zealand)

Has anyone noticed?

Editor;
Has anyone noticed the increasing crime, both in Pattaya and Bangkok, and what do you think are the possible explanations? Do you think it is linked to the social order campaign? Do you think it is linked to the entertainment venues being closed at 2 a.m. (even staid Singapore opens later)? Do you think it is due to the lack of street lighting, especially in Pattaya where the majority of lighting did come from the bars and nightclubs, etc.? Do you think it is caused by the fact that people now have less money due to the fact that less tourists are able to spend less money in the limited time provided by the limited opening hours?

There certainly is a problem now and ordinary people feel neither safe nor secure. Any answers?
Curious

Cause and effect

Editor;
On our yearly visit to Thailand (Bangkok and Pattaya) my wife and I were disturbed by the large number of ‘ladies of the night’, some of questionable gender loitering the streets and causing us some embarrassment.

What happened to the much vaunted social clean up campaign? Or are they there for the very reason that the entertainment venues have been severely harassed, or is it perhaps because these unfortunates have failed the health standards of the recognized nightspots?

Either way, we shall be finding a new destination for our future holidays.
Mr. and Mrs. Palmer
Coventry, U.K.

Shocked by bad treatment in Thailand

Editor,
I am going through an unbelievable problem in my village in Pattaya. I love in this country. After coming to Thailand on vacations for 28 years I decided to retire here at the early age of 53.

I was lucky & made some money in America, my country of birth. I planned on living here until I died & then have my ashes spread here. Life was great until I became ill with stomach problems & spent 8 days in the hospital.

I was very touched that the owner of my house came to visit me in the hospital. Brought me expensive cakes & a drink. When I got out of the hospital I asked the owner’s husband permission to give his wife flowers. Didn’t want to confuse friendship with love. He said yes.

I returned with a 500 baht fantastic floral arrangement. She was in tears. I have always gone out of my way to be a liked person, especially by the Thai’s. Gratitude for being in their country.

Suddenly I noticed that my hellos in Thai were returned with the wrinkled up nose & avoidance. I understand this to be the Thai way of telling someone to go f*** themselves.

The owner’s 16-year-old son started to avoid me. Then his sister. Then every Thai in my village, except the owners. My lease is up & I’ve been staying month to month. He begged me not to move. Loves me like a son. I was told by 6 different Thai people it was the owner telling the people I have H.I.V. I don’t.

Went to my doctor at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. He was really angry. These people are crazy. Have no minds of their own & react the same way even to a Thai with H.I.V. Funny.

I went to my owner who couldn’t believe I would think she would do such a thing. Offered her 20,000 baht if she would take a lie detector test. Though she would do anything for money said she wouldn’t. This told me she did.

Even her maid does that nose thing & turns her back when I walk by.

I am busy packing. Leaving Thailand forever. Their loss. They sure enjoyed their two tier price system. Foreigners pay more.
Thank you,
Paul Goldberg

It happens in every country

Dear Sir,
I have holidayed in Pattaya several times and have become an avid reader of your publication on the internet. I read last week’s issue and note a letter from “Double plagued BB traveler” to which I would offer a response.

Double Plagued BB Traveler is very critical in his response to a letter from Mr. Tom Pinder concerning the charge made by baht bus drivers in the Pattaya area. Yes, “Double plagued” the matter is indeed trivial - five baht is about 12 cents in the US, 3 British Pence or 20 cents Australian. You have elected to live in Pattaya one would think, because you have a fondness for the place, its people, its beauty and its culture. Having moved there with your family and attendant responsibilities, it appears that you now wish to change Pattaya and its ways to suit your own comfort levels. This, in turn tells me much about your moral and intellectual standards. The very standards you criticize in Mr. Pinder.

Many of Pattaya’s residents are poor and struggle to earn an income (including many baht bus drivers). Why wouldn’t the locals try to make some extra money out of tourists? - It happens in every country I have ever visited.

In my own country, I am anything but wealthy, but I acknowledge that we in more developed countries enjoy a far better standard of living. If I could not afford to pay an extra 5 baht to a bus driver or offer a tip for good service or pay “double” in some establishments, I simply would not visit Pattaya, much less choose to live there. If you are truly unhappy with charges, you can negotiate (haggle), choose another merchant or call the tourist police. If your native country or other areas of Thailand are more to your liking and are of a higher standard, move there by all means - Pattaya will not suffer for your absence. Wake up “Double plagued” ... you are in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Tony Ashby - Australia

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