HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Never No Buses

Doesn’t know real estate

Car hire troubles

Bar closing times

Take a baht bus home - or wear a “rob me” sign

Re: Sophon Cable TV and CNN International

Gold chain thieves

Never No Buses

Editor;
Written on a bus stop in my home town are the words “Never no buses”. Well the same goes for Pattaya, the bus service so publicised and prepared for never came to fruition. So why then are the bus stops so vigorously policed?
I was unfortunate enough to park in one of these unused bus stops on Beach Road, and within minutes, two young men with a pickup were lifting my motorcycle onto the back of it. The car also parked in the stop was ignored; I guess they’re too difficult to lift into a pickup! My protests fell on deaf ears, and so I asked for their ID and for a traffic violation ticket. Of course neither was produced, the young man just pointed to a nearby police officer, who in turn pointed towards Soi 9 and the police station.
Three hours later and B400 less well off, I managed to retrieve my motorcycle from a compound in South Pattaya.
A promise many months ago to give better access to Beach Road for visitors, by stopping the numerous motorcycle hire companies from taking all the available parking again comes to nothing.
From my frequent visits to Pattaya, I am beginning to understand that the words that come from the mouths of the administrators in city hall are cheap, and that they fall flat on any action.
Their motivation is not the improvement of the city to attract tourists, but the thousands in fines they make from visitors who fall foul of their revenue collecting boys in brown.
Speaking of the “Boys in Brown”, on a recent trip to Buriram to see the ancient temples, I was stopped no less than three times by them for the serious crime of ‘Farang driving a car’. The real reason, as we all know, is supplementing their wages with their share of the money we tourist bring in.
My enjoyment of this destination is waning, and so I contemplate spending my tourist dollar elsewhere in the future.
Jerry (disappointed frequent visitor)

Doesn’t know real estate

Editor;
Evidently Richard Franklin (Pattaya real estate, Sept. 26 to Oct. 2) doesn’t read the newspapers. Is he not seeing what is happening in America and does he not understand why it happens?
The purpose of real estate is to house either your business or your family. When it becomes an investment, everything begins to go awry. And unfortunately, with Westerners it has become an investment. An investment that they have run into the ground and which is now threatening worldwide economics.
Westerners coming here have two choices. If they stay single or marry and don’t have children, they can buy a condominium with no problem. If they marry and have children they can buy a house and put it in their wife’s name. When they declare how dangerous that is I have to laugh because if you have children and you break up, who should stay in the house?
Richard and other Westerners are pushing for Thailand to allow foreigners to buy property in Thailand for one reason and one reason only. They know the market will boom and they will make a bundle. In five years, when the market has already peaked and every average or poor Thai can no longer ever hope to own a home, they won’t care because they will have already taken their profit from what they consider a financial game but which to some people is survival.
Enough Richard. Life is not always about profit. Sometimes it is about survival.
It will be interesting to see what the people in Vietnam and the other countries that Richard cited have to say in five or ten years having listened to Westerners at a time when even a blind man can see where it all leads.
John Arnone,
Yasothon

Car hire troubles

Editor;
Something that may be of help to your readers: In September, after my daughter arrived from England, we went to Australia to visit friends. I pre-booked over the internet a hire car in Sydney from a local company. I was met at the airport, presented my Thai driving licence, collected the car and went on my way. Subsequently after moving on to Adelaide I went to another car hire company, where I had also pre-booked a car, giving all the information requested including my Thai address. They refused to accept a Thai driving licence. Even offering my daughter’s English licence as the hirer and me as the named seconded driver proved unacceptable. I moved to another counter, were the agent was much more helpful, advising that they could only accept driving licences printed in English; however, common sense prevailed and the car was hired against my daughter’s English licence with my Thai licence being photocopied and accepted as a second driver.
I have never had this trouble before in Australia or elsewhere; in fact I hired a car from a company I’ve used for 20 odd years, in Omaha, USA, using a Thai licence only a few months ago. Further investigation seems to show that any Thai, or Thai guest resident like me, using a Thai driving licence is banned from hiring a car from an American company. It would appear that one needs to go to a lawyer and obtain a certified, signed and sealed English translation of your Thai licence if you wish to hire. I suppose one answer is to boycott American rental companies.
Perhaps world governments should enact laws that Americans wishing to hire cars in their countries can only do so after presenting a translation of their American driving licence in the local language.
Roy Harris

Bar closing times

Dear Editor;
I know from experience that many bars close between 6 and 7 a.m. I walk early in the mornings to avoid the obnoxious suit salesmen that constantly harass farangs. I pass many closed door bars with music still blasting and young Thai patrons milling about before they roar off on motorbikes. These establishments are blatantly open and have no problem with police closures. Is it possible that Farang Observer’s friend’s bar doesn’t provide the local law enforcers with free refreshments or monetary tokens of gratitude as many Thai bars do? Next time before he is shut down, he should have an employee ask what it will take to stay open.
Regards,
Bill Turner
California

Take a baht bus home - or wear a “rob me” sign

Editor,
I read the Pattaya Mail every Friday, having not been back after two excellent holidays over December 2005 / Jan 2006 and Feb 2007 (spent the last number of years totally altering a property I purchased back in U.K.). Note that there was some thought in my mind about returning owing to the printed letters in Mail Bag, some of the items printed in News, Our Community, etc.
After reading Dr. Iain Corness’s column “Will we survive” in our community, on Pattaya, not the column talking about dickey ticker’s or dissecting your heart into 64 bits like a very large Sunday joint of beef in one of the many English theme pubs (which by the way are very good, and the column very informative), and some of the letters in Mail Bag, also the arrests or robberies (all with family photos), it occurred to me all these robberies occur on the wrong side of Beach Road or one of the Sois at 4 a.m. or around that time of the morning. Having been given a crash course by a now new friend and owner of Cheer’s Bar Soi Pattayaland 2, which is known for giving newcomers and old friends sound advice and information on enjoying their holiday, keeping the right side of the law, etc., also other do’s and don’ts to enjoy your stay in fun city. At that time of the morning if going back to your hotel take a baht bus direct - a couple of baht more and the driver will take you to the door. If not, and you choose to walk down the beach side of Beach Road that time of the morning, why not just wear a sign around your neck “please rob me I have gold watch, mbl phone, and fat wallet, etc.”
It’s no different to the U.K., Spain, or anywhere else for god sake. Given the opportunity there are bad guys or girls or half and half waiting to greet/rob you everywhere to feed their habit at that time of the morning in all towns/cities. So what have I concluded is to deprive myself of the happy smiling faces and helpful people and a long awaited break for my 60th in the sun with friends old and new, or go to Spain and just read about the winger’s on line who winge but don’t book a flight home? I wonder why? Yep got it now! See you in January 2009, can’t wait. I take it Dr. Iain is a Celt by the spelling? Like myself.
Welsh Brian

Re: Sophon Cable TV and CNN International

Dear Sir,
I agree with Mr. Mattingley on the addition to Sophon of CNN Intl., but I would like to correct misstatements regarding Fox News and CNN International. In the US, CNN is known for its biased reporting and its viewership is falling.
On the other hand, Fox has become the most viewed cable news channel in the US, recognized for its fair and balanced reporting and is clearly not a mouthpiece for any political party. Just last month, it was praised by leaders of both political parties for providing the best coverage of the US presidential campaign and party conventions. Watch any discussion on Fox and see free expression and passion from the entire political spectrum - watch any discussion on CNN and see the boring, unchallenged unanimity of opinion - all from the liberal end. Thank you for this opportunity.
A. Ferron,
Pattaya

Gold chain thieves

Editor;
When will something be done for the local and tourist police to show a little interest in arresting the Thai men stealing gold chains?
I’m back one day riding on motorcycle and one guy drives by to rip a chain off my girlfriend. The tourist police tell me to call the local police in Banglamung. I proceed to advise they speak little English and are no help. They say sorry; they can’t do anything. So what’s the point in having 300 more being trained by those who don’t care and do nothing?
Two months ago I had my 5 baht necklace ripped off in the same way from a bike. Calling the tourist police to explain the Banglamung police don’t speak English so I asked for a tourist police who can speak English. They insisted the local can help me.
I gave up at that point and asked what I can do once I catch this guy on his bike or find out where he lives. What is legal vs me tearing his head off and smashing his motorcycle? He says; just call the police. You have to give up!
Terry

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