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Two tier pricing and traffic problems in Pattaya
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Thai people dislike being addressed in Thai by farangs?
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Take care of your belongings
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Drivers and scams
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Two tier pricing and traffic problems in Pattaya
Editor;
Hello to all at Pattaya Mail. I would like to wish you a Happy New Year.
It is the first time I have written to a newspaper, but alas, I have felt
the need to join the ranks of the complaining, moaning, and “getting all
freaked out” because of the two tier price system, which “starts from the
top down, most notably the National Parks. It never fails to amaze me on
entering any National Park the entrance price which can vary from 10/20thb
for a Thai to 200/400tbh for a foreigner.
And all down the line.
I have always felt that since I was raised in a country by a family who
taught us to respect all of God’s children equally that I or many of the
foreigners who visit Thailand are far from equal on a financial level with
40% of the Thais. It is also I believe safe to say that many well-off Thais
are paid well above my financial height.
Since I have a work permit, I have used it and have been charged the Thai
price. But this is not always the case, but I find it’s better to pay than
ruin my day or the day of anyone else in my company.
It is our choice to live or visit this beautiful country, which I feel very
privileged to do. We take the good with the bad and a little mai pen rai
On New Years Eve, I, like anyone who has friends, celebrated over a few
drinks, our choice was a bar in Walking Street. We spent some three hours
enjoying their hospitality. When I asked for my tab, when looking as I
always do, I noticed there was a drink that I nor any of my friends had
ordered. I showed the girl at which time an English man who was serving
drinks asked what was the problem.
I told him that I have been over charged, at which he looked at me with a
puzzled look, and said its only 135thb! Since the age of 13 I have worked in
hotels, restaurants, pubs, up to building and running one of the largest pub
& club complexes in Europe. This is a new one on me.
In a popular disco, on another evening, as I entered I went to the bar and
ordered one “Singha Beer”. The bar man took the bottle from the shelf,
opened it in front of me, I handed him 200thb and while waiting for my
change of this over priced beer I took a drink. As quickly as it had entered
my mouth it left back into the bottle from where it came.
I told the bar man that this bottle of beer was off. I asked him if he would
please change it for another Singha, and he’s reply was no. I asked to speak
with a manager, to which a foreign gent approached, and he told me this is
Thai beer and that’s the way it tastes. I told him that I have being
enjoying the taste off Singha Beer for nearly ten years and it does not
taste of a flat foul opened re-caped and left on the shelf beer.
Needless to say he point blank refused to exchange the beer or refund my
money. And needless to say I shan’t darken their door again.
I hope I do not bore you, but there is still one other point I would like to
make, with regards to traffic in Pattaya. In the Pattaya Mail it was
reported that a meeting had taken place on Dec 22nd with Mayor Niran
Wattanasartsathorn and the committee of the Pattaya Traffic Study Project.
As I was involved in a collision with a motorbike at the intersection of
South Pattaya Road and 2nd Road recently where a motorbike rider had run a
red light, I feel Pattaya City Hall has the responsibility and
accountability to protect its residents and tourists alike.
The streets of Pattaya are death traps; every road, pavement, intersection
and roundabout. Here are my thoughts to solve at least one Traffic problem.
Reverse, yes reverse Second Road and Beach Road.
What you ask?! Think about it, where are the delays? Beach Road towards
Walking Street, coming from Pratamnak Hill towards South Pattaya Road, and
Dolphin Roundabout. The problem is all the traffic has to cross itself,
hence congestion.
Sometimes the easiest solution of successfully dealing with a problem is not
always the most obvious.
The traffic from Naklua is now directed to North Pattaya Road and has to do
a life and death U turn to return to Dolphin roundabout. There would be no
need of this, and there would be no congestion for traffic coming from Beach
Road going in the direction of Naklua.
At South Pattaya Road, traffic from Jomtien and Pratamnak Hill could move
without delay toward Beach Road, taking a continuous left hand lane turn.
The traffic now traveling on 2nd Rd. could have a continuous left turn to
South Pattaya Road and a continuous right lane to Beach Road.
Traffic on 2nd Road that wishes to go in the direction of Jomtien would
share a traffic light with those who wish to travel from South Pattaya Road
towards Beach Road.
All other sois and streets off Beach Road and 2nd Road could remain as they
are.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. It is my belief that whatever
city hall does, sometime in the future this problem will have to be
addressed. After all, we do drive on the left and not the right.
Yours sincerely,
PR Pratamnak
Thai people dislike being addressed in Thai by farangs?
Editor;
So ‘Green Grass’ really believes that Thai people dislike being addressed in
Thai by farangs. What a load of rubbish. I worked in Thailand for several
years and from experience know that most Thai people really appreciate it
when a ‘farang’ speaks to them in Thai, even if it is only a few words.
Mr/Ms Green Grass should realise that he/she is in Thailand, and should not
be so ignorant as to expect Thais to be able to speak English in their
country (Thailand).
If a foreigner came to your own country would you expect them to speak your
own language? I think you would!
DKF
Take care of your belongings
Dear Sirs
I write this letter to you in the hope you may be able to publish its
contents, in the hope that it may serve as a reminder to all foreigners and
Thai alike of what can befall you in Pattaya/Jomtien or for that matter any
large city in the world.
If on reading it someone else is prevented from the same problem befalling
them it will have been worthwhile.
On the night of New Year my sister in law, a Thai national, was returning
home from the festivities on her motorcycle up Pattaya Klang. When suddenly
a motorcycle with two Thai on board pulled alongside and attempted to snatch
the shoulder bag she was carrying. Unable to cut the strap and obviously
angry at their failed attempt they proceeded to kick the motorcycle from
under her. This resulted in her losing control and hitting a car and another
motorcycle and sustaining considerable damage to her face, requiring
hospitalisation and what will be many months of treatment.
This, however, was not the end to her problems. Whilst laying injured and
awaiting assistance someone in the crowd decided to relieve her of the small
amount of finance that she had within her shoulder bag.
The original attack on the motorcycle was Thai against Thai. We often hear
of visitors getting into strife because of plain carelessness or stupidity.
But please be aware that these people do not care who they try and steal
from, Thai or visitor.
Please can I strongly remind all residents of this great city to please take
care. Do not ever carry a bag over your shoulder on a motorcycle at any
time. Never show large amounts of gold, either necklaces or bracelets in
public. It is asking for trouble.
I do not want anyone else to have the kind of start to the New Year that our
family is having.
Signed,
Baz H
Drivers and scams
Dear Pattaya Mail,
I have been over to your lovely country several times now & read your paper
regularly. I have a couple of points to make here. Firstly there seems to
always be a lot of venom meted out to baht bus drivers. I’m no expert here;
the first time I was in Pattaya I was picked up by a baht bus that had been
chartered by a Chinese family to go back to their hotel in the middle of
nowhere. Soon as I realised I tried to stop the driver but got the old “mai
cow chai” despite waving my arms about. I had been chatting away to the
Chinese father who kindly explained to the driver he should have said he
wasn’t going the normal route, and he kindly paid the man to drop me back.
When we got back the driver demanded 100B & went crazy when I refused. Baht
Bus Driver Type 1.
Type 2 Baht Bus Driver was a completely different story. I got lost on Soi
Buakao last Christmas & asked a group of youths which way to go. Further up
the road they took me by surprise by hitting me over the head & taking my
telephone & wallet. A driver going past saw the argument, stopped, shouted
at the youths to get lost, and dropped me back to my hotel for nothing - I
had no money but that was no problem - bleeding head and all. Whoever you
were Type 2, thank you very much for that - I have not forgotten.
So give them a break, they aren’t all just the sharks people make them out
to be.
On a different note, I have been reading letters from people who have been
scammed. Here is one to watch: I arrived home in January 2005 - I had
resorted to using an emergency credit card to draw cash over the counter
(see above). When my credit card bill came in in June, I also had a letter
from the company saying I was over limit. Impossible - I had not used it
since returning to Blighty. On checking, a money exchange booth in Pattaya
where I had drawn cash over the counter had drawn nearly £500 from my card
in May 2005! Eh? Naturally the money was refunded by the credit card firm,
but it would be worth making your readers aware that stuff like that goes on
(everywhere, not just Thailand) which they ought to be on the lookout for,
rather than moan about the extra 5B for being driven however far it is round
Pattaya!
I hope to get back in a few months, my feet are itching. May I wish you all
a Happy New Year from London where you’ll be amused to hear it’s presently
very cold & very wet!
Kind regards,
Martyn Philipp
London UK
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Letters published in the Mailbag of Pattaya Mail are also on our website.
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It is noticed that the letters herein in no way reflect the opinions of the editor or writers for Pattaya Mail, but are unsolicited letters from our readers, expressing their own opinions. No anonymous letters or those without genuine addresses are printed, and, whilst we do not object to the use of a nom de plume, preference will be
given to those signed.
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