HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Reflecting badly on the less bigoted

Life’s not fair here

Proud of Karn

Why is this man roaming the streets?

Here we go round the mulberry bush again

Reflecting badly on the less bigoted

Editor,
I refer to a recent Mail Bag exchange of letters between two readers, who each in different ways perfectly exemplified what happens to farang in Pattaya. Letters over the years from one ‘Pattaya Bum’ (an unfortunate nom de plume but it is his choice) I have dismissed as typical farang self-superior expression. However, he told he was in Washington and revealed an apparent complete change in attitude. Driving deficiencies complained about by farang in Thailand, he said, were far worse in his home country, and he pointed out that Thai drivers are generally far more courteous than drivers ‘back home’, where road-rage is rampant and courtesy rare. Whereas I previously found holes in everything this guy had to say, I this time agreed wholeheartedly with everything he said.
Criticising Mr Bum was one Geoffrey Humphreys, who was very keen to tell what a goody-goody he was. Nothing wrong with so being, but why can’t he be content to leave others to their way? He suffers the western malaise, is why.
“After food, sex and rest, the chief desire of man is to tell others how to do something or everything,” as T. Tighe said.
“This is Thailand and these people haven’t come near to a western standard,” Mr Humphreys declared, and thereby displayed the typical farang arrogance that reflects badly on the less bigoted. I wonder if the 6-month old child he has is by one of “these people”, and because if he stuck to western standard he would be laughed or yawned at. I also wonder if he would be as free with slurs in a face to face debate as he was in a safe-from-a-distance missive. Isn’t it the case that his letter said nothing of note and was merely, as occurs so often, an excuse to air pompous self-superiority? One thing he did achieve was to earn his place in the Moaning Muppet Show that features in ‘The Butterfly Circus’ (in bookshops by mid-Dec).
Tony Crossley

Life’s not fair here

Editor;
An American senior ex-pat I have lived in Thailand for 3 years and, like all foreigners here, tourists and ex-pats alike, have permitted Thai officials and some Thai people (baht taxi drivers, restaurants, etc.) to charge us extra, and treat us as the “enemy”. TAT beckons foreigners to come to “paradise” and then, sometimes it turns into hell! The slightest error can cause fines (including official “commissions”), jail time and even deportation.
The “surcharge” deemed illegal by the government is being charged at numerous government institutions including the Phuket Aquarium and the new monorail at the Chang Mai Zoo. Some foreigners have been beaten, a few killed, arguing over taxi fares and, all of us are called “farangs” - insulting and discriminatory. I have traveled and lived in several countries and none, that I am aware of, treat visitors with such disdain. Often visitors, be they temporary or long term, are shown special consideration because they are not familiar with local custom.
Several tourists publications tell you outright that if you are involved in a traffic accident, regardless of the real facts, the foreigner will automatically be found at fault. The officer at the scene assesses the foreigner costs, medical fees, property damage, and, of course, usually, a commission.
Most of us spend a minimum of 1 million baht a year in, and on Thailand and some 3 - 4 times that much. Last week’s newspaper listed many separate donations of time, money, and expertise from foreign clubs, companies and individuals to the needy of Thailand and yet, if one of these is on the way home from giving a large donation, he may well have an accident (not uncommon in a country with no enforced traffic laws), be faultless but heavily fined or even jailed.
In many countries libraries are primarily used by students so who, in their right mind would locate a library on the notorious Soi 6 sandwiched amongst streetside bars populated by scantily dressed “people of the night”. The bars open about 3pm, just in time for the children to view after school! How does one, particularly a senior, maybe slower than a rabbit, cross the street after about 8pm on any given night? Why is the Pattaya Immigration office located in Jomtien and at the end of the street? Why can’t you name a beneficiary on your Thai bank account and, instead, have to make out an expensive will? Why don’t all buildings have a street number on them - how else can I, the police, an ambulance, pizza delivery man, find you? ‘Across the street from “Pizza, Pizza” is not precise enough. How about a city phone directory? Are these unreasonable? I think not.
What I do think is that we foreigners should walk more, eat more leftovers, avoid tipping, take “doggie bags” home from restaurant meals, patronize those places known for a fact to provide proper service at the proper price, avoid street beggars, buy a bigger refrigerator and eat in, shop stores that deliver free - yes, several do - buy more things out of country when making trips to other nearby countries or even if you return to your own country take 2 empty suitcases and fill them there - no expensive mailing charges. In simpler terms - stop being taken advantage of, say no more often and insist on reasonable treatment and, for my sake, more clean, public toilets - with paper!
Yes, I know there are many who will say, “If you don’t like it the way it is, go home!” and, as many have already done, I just may do that and leave my Thai family to fend, financially, for themselves, withdraw the several million baht from the bank, and leave. Yes, it will cost a lot more to live elsewhere but Pattaya will feel the pinch more than I. If enough people feel the same, Pattaya, Patong and other seaside tourist havens may well revert back to the sleepy fishing villages they were before the arrival of the “farangs”.
Don Aleman

Proud of Karn

Dear Editor;
I would like to refer back to Vol. XV No.43 Oct 26 - Nov 01. It featured Karn Lertchaipattanakul receiving his ‘Best in Thailand’ award for IGCSE Maths. I have also taught Karn and he really is a most dedicated and outstanding student that Thailand will one day be extremely proud of.
Two years ago Leo Pahl also won the ‘Best in Thailand’ award for Science. Both Leo and his teacher Nick Frost were featured in the Pattaya Mail, therefore I would like to add something that the author of this article in question ‘forgot’ to add. Karn also had a teacher called Stella McCracken who devoted all her free time in school to produce a string of A and A* grades in Maths that any school would be proud of. Stella, just like Nick Frost no longer works at St. Andrews and this mention in your Mail Bag would bring recognition to her that is truly deserved.
David

Why is this man roaming the streets?

Sir;
Regarding the 2 boxers who snatched a Russian woman’s handbag (Pattaya Mail 2nd November 2007). One, named Theerapong, 20 years old, had previously been charged with attempted murder, and had been released from prison two years ago.
Why was this man/youth roaming the streets, instead of serving at least 10 years imprisonment for his earlier crime?
These are the sort of questions asked by so many tourists to Thailand. Based on this and crime reports nearly everyday in the newspapers it is not surprising that foreigners, and no doubt most Thais too, consider Thailand to be a lawless country.
Providing bail, for often lengthy periods, allows the criminals to make good their escape in serious cases. And if they are found guilty and sentenced, punishment is usually minimal or they buy their way out of it. Lock ‘em up, and in some cases lock ‘em up forever!
Isaan Nick

Here we go round the mulberry bush again

Editor;
Hi there, far be it from me to be knocking Thailand. I love every minute of living here and have no wish for things to be like they were back where I came from, but I do find very strange the seeming complete lack of any sign of logic anywhere.
For instance a few years ago when the paving stones were being replaced on South Pattaya Road, all the old paving stones were taken up from 2nd Road to Sukhumvit Road before they started to put down the new tiles, weeks later. Common sense would have said do one stretch at a time, taking up old paving stones and putting new paving stones down. Needless to say without proper foundations they are sinking in places!
Seems the same thing is happening with the road widening program from the flyover in Pattaya to wherever it will end up in Jomtien, apparently the whole road widening project is being conducted in the same way, start at the beginning, cause as much disruption as possible and when the final destination is reached start back at the beginning again to finish the job.
Considering it has taken over ten years to upgrade Pattaya’s Beach Road are we in for the same scenario on what seems to be called Pattaya’s 2nd Road extension?
This leads onto another concern, apparently the contractors for the road widening of Sukhumvit Road in Pattaya, going south had their money up front, 500,000 million, they employed subcontractors who it would seem never got paid and everyone disappeared into the blue horizon.
One has only to drive in the left hand side lanes of the Sukhumvit motorway from the Thepprasit Road junction, south, to find out how the new extension is falling to bits. Shoddy foundations!
Let’s hope Pattaya 2nd Road doesn’t end up the same way but it probably will. There seems to be not much progress being made between the flyover and the so called ‘Hanuman Statue’ which it aint. It is in fact half sea monster, half Monkey. It aint ‘Hanuman’ but I digress.
Surely it is not beyond anyone in city hall to actually inspect the chaos and tell the contactors to get it sorted sooner rather than later, or are the contractors buddies of city hall officials, perish the thought.
Believe me I am not a winger. It’s just sometimes I am baffled by seemingly daft occurrences as I am sure most intelligent Thais and expats are. Thais accept it without question which we find hard to do.
Regards,
RW

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