HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Paradise lost

Anti farang?

Happy Birthday

Reminders everywhere

Happy Birthday

Paradise lost

Dear Sir,
Well it seems that Pattaya is finally receiving the tourists, and numbers, it deservers. We cannot complain that we had not been warned, reference the numerous letters to this column over the last five years or so.
After all, despite what some would wish, Pattaya was always a night time entertainment resort, and with the demise of the nightlife everything else has plummeted. And, furthermore it seems that every new law and regulation only makes things worse (if that were possible).
Full marks to those that were so blind ... but, our loss, Krabi’s, the South in general, and everyone else’s gain.
Bemused

Anti farang?

Dear Editor,
I would like you to publish as I would like to find out what people really: feel about us farang: In Sept 2005 I opened an account in a local bank with 700 baht. At the time I explained I would not use the account for a while until I had changed my banking in the UK or decided to buy a house in Thailand.
That time has arrived and I went to deposit 1.1 million baht today. After the transaction, I checked the book to see all was correct to find that they had deducted 50 baht/month because I had not used the account for 12 months. I complained but the manager just smiled and said read the terms in the book. I said they are in Thai and she took great pleasure in smiling and asking if I read Thai. How many expats read Thai? I don’t know any. Thus I closed my account; they obviously are not farang friendly. In the UK where banks fight for your business they would have refunded the paltry amount to keep the business!
I thought that the country was becoming more accepting of us, I feel differently now. It seems all they want is the tourist dollar, then bye-bye farang see you next time. Look at the visa changes, more difficult for us all the time. I have built my wife’s family a new house, like many, I pay for her 2 children for school, I support her and recently bought her brother a car and set him up to taxi drive (mainly farangs to Bangkok who tip well!). I also recently donated a large sum of money to an orphanage. No concessions, no thank you. What do others think?
Regards
Cambodia Bound Kris

Happy Birthday

Congratulations for your 14th birthday. Since 2002, after my first holiday in Pattaya, I look forward each week to read your news on the internet. Living in Tasmania, winter can be damned cold at this time of the year but I soon warm up reading your news. Keep up the good work and hopefully I will return for my 6th holiday in November. Again Happy Birthday.
Nick Linturn

Reminders everywhere

Dear Sir,
I thought you might be interested in the sign I saw under the “Disposable Gloves” whilst filling up my car here in England recently (at a cost of around 4000 baht by the way).
Now why did I think of Pattaya?
Regards,
Ian, London

Happy Birthday

Congratulations to Peter and Pattaya Mail on your 14th anniversary! On behalf of myself as and old friend and The Viking the Norwegian magazine on Internet from Pattaya, I wish you many more years of continuing success.
All the best for the future to come.
John A. Haerum
The Viking

Letters published in the Mailbag of Pattaya Mail
are also published here.