HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Thailand should shift its Visa position

Willing pair of hands

Another event causing people to leave town

Pattaya - A Beautiful City

High accident rate is Darwinian in nature

Condolences to Leslie Wright’s family

Thailand should shift its Visa position

Editor;
I echo the views of several of your readers and letter writers that Thailand does have to shift its position on Visa arrangements and the flow of capital in and out of the land if the government really is serious regarding the courting of modern economics and the notion of democracy.

Tourism is very important in helping a country’s finances - we in the UK welcome tourists, encourage them, and seduce them into spending their money and we have an incredible 427 visitors per 1000 residents per year, even the huge USA gets 170 per thousand, Thailand trails behind with 116 per 1000, despite all the publicity and effort.

All those tourists to the USA spend lots of $s - yet only account for 0.7 of the USA’s GDP. Interestingly in Thailand the tourists account for 1.8% of Thailand’s GDP. But when you really want to view the masters in the tourist chase check out the old UK where our welcome visitors account for 4.5% of the UK’s GDP.

Now if Thailand could pull in those figures they might be able to spend more on education and health than they do: 3.6% and 1.9%, compared with the UK’s 4.7% and 5.8% and the USA’s: 4.7% and 5.7%. Incidentally, the statistics I have uncovered for the world perception of corruption read: Highest out of 100: Bangladesh 8.8; lowest: Denmark 0.5 with the UK: 1.3. the USA 2.3 and Thailand 38th with a score of 6.8. There is something to learn there.

Then again I suppose the enraged farang writers really do have to get their head round the notion of culture difference (though, Khun ‘Golf Ball’, I have known some dreadful golf courses in the USA and the rest of Europe to say nothing of Morocco, one must rise to the challenge, like handling Thai beer.).

Surely the politicians listen and think, read the press, even the Pattaya Mail, and must note what a potential money spinner the happy tourist is. So, finally, dear government people, please leave the bar opening times alone and let the adults make their own decisions; stop making petty capital restrictions on ownership; and stop making it difficult for the tourist to stay indefinitely - in short: milk us with honour, rather than starve yourselves with restrictions (on reflection - not too many starving politicians).

And really finally: I find that if the price of an article/service/whatever goes up, you do not buy - just smile sweetly and walk away and the price will come down again, like as not.
Michael Round

Willing pair of hands

Dear Sir,
I am an English lady now living in Thailand after enjoying many years of happy holidays here. My husband and I have visited the orphanage a few times when on holiday and now we are retired here I thought I would like to help out and put in time with the young ones and the babies. I have worked in a day nursery when my children were little and am a grandmother of 5, so I have quite a lot of experience with the young and babies.

Yesterday I went along and called in to see the babies and was talking to one of the Thai ladies, telling her I wanted to help, she said they always need helpers, so after a while of settling 2 babies, I went to the office to see just what I had to do, if I had to register or what. After waiting for 20 mins while Derek finished his lunch, I explained to him that I would like to offer my help 2 afternoons a week. I couldn’t believe it when he said we don’t need any help, we have enough. It certainly didn’t look like it when I was in the nursery, it was lunch time, but babies don’t know you are all going for your lunch, they still cry and need a cuddle. I would have gone in over the lunchtime. What would Father Ray have said turning away another pair of hands?
Yours Upset and Bewildered,
Barbara Worrell
Derek replies: We at the Pattaya Orphanage are always grateful for the help that we receive from volunteers. At any one time, we have over forty volunteers helping at the orphanage and at our other social projects in Pattaya.
As we are now coming up to the school holidays, many of the volunteers who work at our schools for the deaf, blind and handicapped, will now be spending more time at the orphanage, mainly in the baby rooms.
When Mrs. Worrell visited us, I did explain that at present we have many volunteers but that many are soon to be leaving. I also mentioned that if she came back in a few weeks time there would almost certainly be work for her.
We have in the past had many volunteers who come to join us, realise that there are many volunteers, and decide that either the work is boring, or that there are enough volunteers that they feel unneeded and so they do not come back.
We have many volunteers who are living in Pattaya and come and spend time with us. We have for many years been helped by the members from the Pattaya International Ladies Group. We have several teachers at the Vocational School for the Disabled who teach English, and without whom there would be no English Department.
It is unfortunate that Mrs. Worrell feels that she was kept waiting for a long period of time, we all have to eat our lunch. Most visitors make arrangements by telephone before visiting, and then we can make sure that someone is here to meet them.
Without volunteers, our babies would not receive so much love and attention, the elderly would not receive their daily visits, the blind children would not be taken to the beach, the orphans would not receive their weekly football training, case histories would not get written and the disabled students would not receive English lessons. Volunteers are very important to us, Fr. Ray welcomed them and we continue to welcome them, but we want volunteers to come and enjoy the work, and if there are too many volunteers then people are inclined to think that help is not needed, when it is. We especially appreciate help from expats, as they give consistency to the lives of the children by being available on a long-term basis.
Derek Franklin
Volunteer Coordinator
Pattaya Orphanage

Another event causing people to leave town

Editor;
As for the Music Festival, it appeared to be a success if one judges it by the multitude of humanity that invaded Pattaya this past weekend. However, I’m sure there’s more than a few local residents who hope we’ve seen the last of it. Already, many people are talkin’ about leaving town during next year’s 4th edition, much like they do during Songkran. Although the city sanitation department did an outstanding job during and after the event by cleaning up the ugly mess left by all the visitors, the damage done to the plants along the footpaths will take weeks to repair. The biggest complaint would have to be the huge traffic jams caused by the influx of all the outsiders checkin’ out the event. It was much like being a Bangkok resident if you had to leave the house for anything.

While on the subject of traffic, somethin’ needs to be done about the 2nd Road returning to two-way as it was in the past. As I type, it’s 7 p.m. and just out front, there is an advert being filmed for the new Smart I.D. cards for Thailand. To set the scene, two of the nation’s finest have to pull over a lovely young actress drivin’ a Benz in order to check her I.D. The sad part is it’s taken almost two hours to do the shoot because of the bumper to bumper traffic on Beach Road. It’s obvious this wouldn’t be the case if the powers that be would give in to a two-way 2nd Road. There was a time when North Beach Road was a pleasant setting for filming scenes for any occasion. When will the city fathers wake up to fact that the ambience of the beach should be a top priority? Till then, I guess we’ll continue to breathe exhaust fumes from the gridlock on Beach Road.
BJ

Pattaya - A Beautiful City

There is a growing movement now
To make surroundings gay
In Pattaya City where we live and
Where we play and sometimes pray each day
To beautiful Beach Road and the downtown streets
And every neighborhood
And fashion that appearance which
Is clean and bright and good
And that is worthy in itself
And wonderful indeed
Provided, first of all, that we
Take care of those in need
Replacing slums with housing that
Will make living, fit to live
And furnishing ample food and water
We are obliged to give
To smoothed out traffic, and provide
Security and protection everywhere
These things are much prettier because
They prove we really care.
B. Phillip Webb Jr.

High accident rate is Darwinian in nature

Dear Sir,
One constantly reads of the high accident rate on Thailand’s roads. In fact, the lack of police intervention has resulted in the natural formation of a Darwinian system applied to those who drive in Thailand. The more stupid and unsafe drivers will die early and be removed from the breeding pool; however, the safer drivers, and those without suicidal tendencies, will have more chance of breeding, reaching old age, and passing their genes on to their offspring. As a double bonus, many of the stupid ones take their offspring to the grave with them; something Darwin never considered. Therefore, according to Darwin’s theory of natural selection, in the long term Thailand will evolve a race of safe, smart drivers.

Before anyone has any serious thoughts about reducing the accident rate, just think: Dead people do not contribute much to the economy; however, for every road death, there must be at least ten seriously injured; a considerable financial contribution to the medical industry. Intervening in the natural Darwinian system could be interpreted as tinkering with nature. In these days of conservation and eco-consciousness, do you think that’s wise?
Gwyn Parfitt

Condolences to Leslie Wright’s family

Dear Sir,
As a regular reader of Pattaya Mail on-line, I was sad to read Leslie Wright’s brave article some time ago when he announced that he was terminally ill.

I always read his column with interest (if not always with full understanding) and his reply to an e-mail enquiry was both prompt and helpful.

I’m sure this e-mail will be just one of many from people who never met Leslie Wright but felt they knew him through his column and wish to offer their condolences to his family.
Brian Riseam

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