HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

How did that get past the editor?

Independence Day get together

British-Japanese pride and shame

To Honor God

Encroaching on Pratamnak Beach

How did that get past the editor?

Hi There
I am emailing from Fremantle in Western Australia and as a regular visitor to Pattaya, once or twice a year for the last 15 years, I would like to congratulate the Pattaya Mail and your web site for the weekly edition.

I have many friends in Pattaya and the mail does give me the latest on the sports scene. In particular the golf info is great as I play all the great courses in Pattaya when I am holidaying. I have a good friend in Bjarne Neilson from Cafe Kronborg in Soi Dianna Inn and we always get with the expats and others for our golf games. His lovely wife Kran has been getting among the 200 club for bowling a lot lately.

I am a member of the Pattaya Sports Club and always look forward to seeing all results in the Mail, as well as the news of the day in Pattaya.

Now a little observation in this week’s Mail on the boxing; we all know it’s a “square ring”, how did that one get past the editor?

Congratulations and keep up the good work.
Robert (Bob) Bower
Fremantle Western Australia

Independence Day get together

Editor;
You may not know most of these people but after reading it I think my friend did a pretty good job describing the day. It was a lot of fun - Ken Crow

Hey Guys: Was a real nice get-together for the old IWCS FEC co-workers at the US Embassy’s Independence Day party. Was a nice party, with a real good band and dancing young honeys, with lots of food and drinks. American and Thai beer, hotdogs, hamburgers and BBQ ribs, to ruin anyone’s diet, mine too. Was happy to see Frank Lynch, his Thai wife, and 19-year-old son, now going to Penn State U. taking engineering. Also, Bill Schnetzler and his Thai wife; Jerry Holman, Bob Pugh and his Thai wife and son, Rick Lopez, and Arthur Key, and his Thai wife, and he is an old VFW Comrade. We were hoping to see others, like: Jim Contreras, John Lyall, Dave Ibberson, Bobby Cushman, Donald Maclachlan, Sam Bass, and Chicarelli, but evidently they could not make it, and we were sorry to miss seeing them. Was a real good reunion for most of us, and Ken Crow and son, and Al Scott and new cute girlfriend, both old TransAsia workers with us in those days were also there. Sorry that you other guys here missed it, for was a nice party, and we enjoyed seeing each other again and talking about the old days. I was happy to see you all and keep in touch.
Best wishes and Chok Dee to all,
Leroy and wife Tuanjai

British-Japanese pride and shame

Editor;
Your correspondent, Chris Henderson, despite his age and evident virility, qualifies in any case for our respect, since he is a VC. The Victoria Cross is the highest award given in Britain for bravery in battle.

We do not teach about the Japanese treatment of POW’s on “Death Railway” - or indeed the less known though similarly horrific (unofficial) treatment by the British of certain North Korean captives, some 15 years later. It is common nowadays to look analytically in appraising the qualities of fighting units on both/all sides. John Keagan, the Defence correspondent of the British “Daily Telegraph” newspaper and the historian Martin Gilbert have done this in a number of their books. They show that while war brings out acts of greatest heroism, it also results in the most deeply shameful behaviour.

During WW2 all kinds of barrack-room language inspired men to brave action. Many sensational movies have given an idea of the tension built up in the lead-up to a confrontation. However, using this kind of language in the 21st Century in order to insult present day Japanese citizens is patently offensive, racist and shameful.

My Dear Mr Henderson, in this new Millennium we do not keep the old hatreds and suspicions of the 1940s. The new heroism is no easier than yours was - to protect from danger anyone who may need our assistance. Countries are coming closer together, partly due to technology, but also because of a growing universal belief that it is better to communicate, understand and love than to cultivate distrust, etc., and fight. If you find you can think of the Japanese only negatively (as your personal experience probably suggests you should) - I would ask you to consider the profound gifts they have given to the world - Zen Meditation and Reiki Healing (You can join a Reiki group here in Pattaya!) and Karate to name but three.

And as a Brit, where else would you find anyone who actually likes OK Sauce?
Regards,
David Parsley

To Honor God

I love the Catholic Church because
I know that every day
Its doors are always open and
I may go in and pray

I know that I may enter there
Ad occupy a pew
To kneel or sit and fold my hands
The way all Catholic do

Or I may seek the alter rail
And light a candle there
And drop a little offering
To emphasize my prayer

The church is strangely silent when
I am in there alone
And yet it holds the greatest peace
That I have ever known

Because my everlasting God
Is present night and day
To read my thoughts and listen to
Whatever words I say.
B. Phillip Webb Jr.

Encroaching on Pratamnak Beach

To: Mailbag
I have been coming to Pattaya for years, but with the increase in beach congestion at Jomtien, I have come to prefer that small and quiet section of Pratamnak Beach north of Pattaya Park. The city recently made some attractive improvements there, but it has all been wasted and spoiled by a boat operator who has encroached on the public beach with the permanent storage of his boats, tractors and jet skis, that it’s impossible to now use this lovely beach for bathing.

I have included some photos of the area which show the extent to which this public beach has been illegally occupied by this operator. I understand from neighbors that he now stores over 20 jet skis and their trailers, 6 large boats, and one tractor on the beach day and night, with his own guards, gasoline cans, maintenance equipment, and other sundries, taking the beach over as if he owned it. When I complained to one of the workers at the beach washing boats, that it was impossible to enjoy the beach now, I was told to “go home farang.”

How can the city spend all that money to improve this public beach only to have some businessman take it over as his business facility, as if it belonged to him? I have been told that the Thai beaches are public property for the enjoyment of all. So what gives here?
Larry Lang

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