HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

A simple solution to motorbike accidents on Buddha Hill?

Our experience

RE: recent letter about bar ownership

Simple solution

Problem with farang volunteer police

Not too early to change Songkran 09

A simple solution to motorbike accidents on Buddha Hill?

Editor:
While driving down the (Pattaya Heights) Buddha Hill road just 50 meters from the tourist police station I had the unpleasant experience of witnessing my 4th motorbike accident in the last 3 months. All of the crashes were in the same place. Now there are many factors causing these crashes that I can see - oil leaking from tour buses, pea gravel, rain, sharp corner, steep grade, speed, etc. Anyways, I decided I would do what I could to draw attention to the carnage with a solution, so I popped into the office of the tourist police station on the hill and spoke with a police officer at the front desk. I explained that I felt it necessary to offer a very inexpensive solution to this problem and that is 2 signs in both directions stating, Extreme Caution Sharp Corner, Slow 20kph, you get the point. The officers comment was no one will slow down, everyone speeds. I might as well have been speaking to the wall. I said I do read and believe signs as it involves my life and if I see a sign like that in Thailand I give it extra attention. Anyways my work is done, I just don’t need to see brain matter in the middle of road again. But odds are I will.
Concerned,
Peter

Our experience

Editor,
Our experience: Merrily we went down Sukhumvit Rd. Speed round about 50 kph, my wife driving with her seatbelt in place. I sitting in back with no seatbelt on. Right outside the tourist police station there was a policeman with what appeared to be binoculars. 30 meters further on a policeman stops us. He comes to the side of car, then seeing a farang sitting there (me) he turns to my wife and holds open his hand. My wife knew what he meant und put 100 baht in his outstretched hand. He turns around, goes. We too, are allowed to go. About opposite Lotus we’re stopped again. This time we are too fast. (!) A 100 baht note changes hands. Also this time, cash on the hand. No receipt!
Remark: Of course, as far as corruption is concerned they’ve had a good teacher. The big boss Thaksin himself. 200 baht within 10 minutes that was, even for my (Thai) wife, too much. My remark, we all have to eat and drink beer, caused her only to give me a bad look. Later she told me that she feels ashamed I’ve had to witness this. But this is Thailand. She added: I think it does not have to be like this.
A hopeful farang

RE: recent letter about bar ownership

Editor;
With regard to a recent letter in mail bag with regard to bar closing times and regulations. Pattaya is an international resort with many farangs owning businesses, most of which cater mostly for other farangs. It has been well documented in the past that such businesses are exposed to flying visits by various authorities to make sure that rules are upheld. This must be expected and should be supported.
However, what seems to be the case is that business owners, and particularly bar owners, are always in the dark as to exactly how they should operate. This is made worse by the sudden enforcement of whatever happens to be ‘the rule of the month’, quite often one that has blatantly been broken by everybody else, including Thai owners for ages.
It should be possible for bar owners to easily obtain and have in their possession, a list of exactly what the licensing and other bylaws are. They should also have access to translation of this into their own language, at least verbally available at city hall.
There should also be some sort of ‘right of appeal’, perhaps also an office that can be visited where the alleged offence can be documented and necessary fines paid. If this option is available then businesses can at least say that they know exactly where they stand, understand what the problem is and have a means to deal with it. Any need on the part of the Thai authorities to shut a business down can still go ahead, but at least there is a buffer between the owners and the rather threatening police and civil inspectors that engage in the initial visits.
This would also deal at a stroke with the situation described in the letter concerning any doubt the owner has about whether the visitors are legitimate or simply making things up to extort on the spot fines.
This will need a change of mindset on the part of the authorities but as I said at the top, Pattaya is an international resort and should act like it. The mayor should have a department who deals with problems that farang business owners have, one with clout and the ability to explain and control the management of rules, and indeed close down if necessary.
A short postscript: the bar owner mentioned in the letter should not expect that simply buying a DVD or CD in a local shop gives him the OK to play it in his bar. If he tried to do that in Europe, he would be fined very quickly. Try reading the small print that winds across your screen after a DVD film has finished.
However, he has my sympathy in all other respects.
Mike, a resident

Simple solution

Editor;
I have a simple solution to the growing problem of gold chain drive by thefts. Don’t wear gold chains when out walking or riding your motorbike around town. In my humble opinion, anyone who does so is just asking to get hurt. And with the price of gold nowadays, flashing your wealth for all to see is even more dangerous. Keep your gold at home in your safe where it belongs, and quit rubbing it in the faces of people much less fortunate than you.
Regards,
Paul Millard

Problem with farang volunteer police

Dear Editor ;
I was interested to read a letter in your mail bag on Friday September 19: “Let Thai police look after traffic”, as I too have had a problem with farang volunteer police. I was stopped by this force checking my licence. One person who seemed to be in charge said he thought I was speeding. My lady friend with me said that “many other bikes had passed us so why weren’t they stopped?” I was shocked to hear this officer reply, “You shut up - I don’t need a bar girl to tell me how to do my job.”
In fact the Thai lady with me is a nurse.
He then told me to get out of his sight before he arrested me. All the other members with him laughed.
I know I should have reported to the official police but I didn’t want any problems as I hope in the future to marry my lady and live in this beautiful country.
So I agree with the previous letter writer that Thai police should control traffic. They might fine us but never use insulting words.
I look forward to your paper every week.
Yours,
Phillip Taylor

Not too early to change Songkran 09

Editor;
Yes I know it’s that overdone topic yet again but hopefully with a different slant. If anything is to be done then we need action before it happens as opposed to complaining after. There is no doubt about it that there is a common thread of agreement on the subject overall.
Nobody is against Songkran. It is undoubtedly a beautiful festival full of gentleness and love and most appreciated by anybody who has experienced a correct Songkran blessing. It has huge symbolism recognising the changes of the seasons and is a deep part of Thai culture.
Times move on and the water fight aspect is now also important and huge fun for the majority of people, Thai and foreigner alike.
What is not acceptable and what most people, accept the few participants, abhor is the 8-10 day hijacking of this wonderful event by, I am sad to say, foreigners and unscrupulous bar owners. The bar owners at prominent positions in town, e.g. Soi 7 and 8 on Beach Rd. and close to the beginning of Jomtien Beach actually encourage brainless stripped to the waist foreigners by supplying water for the job at hand. Of course the only reason to do this is to lock them into drinking at that bar which results in them getting more intoxicated resulting in more outrageous assaults on innocent passing tourists, baht busses, motorcyclists, et-al.
Even the Phuket authorities who have been traditionally pretty good at controlling Songkran to one single day have appeared to have succumbed to the odd notion that more Songkran means more tourists.
Songkran in Phuket falls at the same time as the Phuket Bike Week. This is an international event that has either not coincided with the Songkran day or it was simply one day that bikers stayed in their hotels or joined in the fun. Now the whole thing is stretched to 2 and even 3 days as on Patong Beach and it is sure that bikers will simply not be there in April 09. Tragically this could be the beginning of the demise of this great event spanning 11 years.
No-one likes the extended water fight version of Songkran, not confused and shocked holidaymakers or hotels that see their bookings plummet not just for the week of Songkran but for the whole month!
Because of changes in the world climate both April and May have been relatively dry these last two years and should this continue then the tourism authority should recognise these months as potential high season and treat them accordingly. Believe me, October is no longer high season.
So why not promote Songkran as a wonderful one day or at absolute max a one weekend event.
Tourists will know what is going on and maybe come here just for that event but confident in the fact that they will not be drenched every night for a week prior. Promote it as the “Greatest Water Fight in the World” and put an exact date on it ... Done!
The police only need to be notified that any activity outside of this date amounts to common assault and the perpetrators can be arrested and charged plus the bar supplying and supporting this activity could also be charged. After all they are subject to a 2000 baht fine just for customers smoking let alone causing common assault! It would be easy to police this situation as it is not everywhere and the police could start at Sois 7 and 8 right next to the station at Soi 9.
If you feel strongly and the letters to Mailbag indicate this, then keep writing to as many places as possible including city hall and maybe, just maybe things can change.
Richy

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