HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Thank you Banglamung Police

Green walking man?

Image change

Trending towards meaner dogs

Re: problems in Pattaya

Please, get real

Thank you Pattaya Memorial Hospital

No chance I’m here for my family?

Problems along Beach Road, Jomtien

Re: Utapao airport goes international

Thank you Banglamung Police

Dear Editor,
Being a regular reader I have read on many occasions of people being burgled here and the lack of help from the local police.
I’ve lived here for almost five years now in the Mabprachan area and recently was the victim of a burglary. After waking up very early I soon realised we had been the victim of “visitors in the night”. I called the Banglamung Police right away and they came to my home within 15 minutes, were kind and considerate to the situation and returned later in the day to put our minds at rest. They even helped with the insurance loss adjuster.
So, many thanks to Banglamung Police and Lt. Choosak Pinaat and his team. Credit where credit is due.
Dave

Green walking man?

Editor;
Has anyone seen the green walking man at local traffic lights? Mr. Mayor, most civilized countries cater for the pedestrian, meaning he/she is allowed to cross the road. When all the lights go red, walking is allowed. As far as I can see, this is not the case in Pattaya. I’ve noticed the red stop walking man, but no green walking man.
I understand you are trying to encourage more families to come. Well you need to look at your traffic lights first, so the kids are safe. Because I am not, as I have already been knocked of my bicycle this month.
Matt Jomtien

Image change

Dear Editor,
So town hall wants to get rid of the ladies working Beach Rd. They want to change the image of the city. They want it to be a family resort. Well first why don’t they start with Beach Rd and 2nd Rd? Who on earth is going to bring their family to a city where you can’t cross the road?
Second: the police stopping you and making you pay a fine for going down a one way street the right way, taking your motorbike away for parking perfectly legally, and where are they when it gets dark?
3. The drug dealers on Beach Rd and Walking Street asking you if you want something.
4. The taxi drivers wanting 200 baht to take you from Soi 7 to Soi Post Office.
5. The stink coming from the drains.
I think you know I could go on. If city hall gets rid of the working girls they will finish Pattaya for sure. Why do 1 million more men than women come here every year? Not the food; not the sun. We can get that in Spain, Greece, etc. Only for the girls. Pure and simple as that. So get rid of them and see what happens. Closing the bars down earlier and earlier is a good start already.
Andrew Brand

Trending towards meaner dogs

Editor;
During my regular walks around Pattaya I have come to the conclusion that the next dog fad is not those fluffy and cute little things but a monster of a dog, bred purely for fighting. I have seen a number of pit bull dogs and, while at this stage they have all been tied up, it is only a matter of time before one gets loose and “integrates” with the local dogs.
In Australia this breed is responsible for mauling and killing a number of people including children. It will almost certainly beat and severely maul any other dog that has the misfortune to take it on.
My understanding is that the purebreds are not as dangerous as a mixed breed.
Hopefully the powers that be are alerted to the danger these dogs present and enforce some controls on their ownership before somebody is attacked.
Russ Newton
Australia

Re: problems in Pattaya

Dear Editor,
In reply to the letter from L. Mackin in your last issue about the correspondence to the Pattaya Mail complaining about problems in Pattaya, I would like to let him know that I agree with him 100%. This is not Europe or America or whatever - why come here if all you want to do is compare the country unfavourably with your own? As if the West has a good model to copy when the financial systems are collapsing around the globe.
I know I’m not alone being very happy to be allowed to live as a foreigner in Thailand and do not want to return to my home country to live despite any temporary political troubles in ‘the land of smiles’!
It’s quite understandable though - the people who write the complaining letters are the ‘glass half empty’ types always looking to criticise whereas people like myself and Mr Mackin are the optimistic and happy ‘glass half full’ types. Enjoy life and don’t complain about everything - you’ll be happier and live longer.
Bill
Pattaya

Please, get real

Editor;
In reply to “Mickeyfin” from Burnley, where on earth do you get the idea that all farangs want to come here to dabble in the property market? In my own (28 years) experience, many foreigners wish to retire here and have no intention of speculating on property, merely owning their own home. As for loving and trusting their wives, I know many who do. However, marriages do fail Mickey (even in Burnley), and whereas in many western nations you do at least have a chance to get some of your money back, here there is no chance.
I certainly don’t agree that foreigners are all trying to dictate to the Thais. Most with a little experience here beyond Walking Street would agree that that is as likely as convincing most Thais that not all farang are rich.
While allowing large foreign concerns to actively become involved in the property market here, I would agree, be a bad thing for locals, I see no issue with allowing a ‘one house per’ rule with a consequent limit on land size for genuine settlers.
As for pricing the Thais out of there own homes ... please, get real, how many of the millions of Thais do you think can afford a decent home in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket? They haven’t been priced out by foreigners but by the insane prices being charged by Thai property developers.
I think perhaps Mickeyfin you might read John’s letter and later reply a little more carefully. While he is against the speculation I think you will find he is a little more open on the limited ownership route.
Regards,
Freddie Clark

Thank you Pattaya Memorial Hospital

Editor;
I would like to take the opportunity to thank Pattaya Memorial Hospital for the care and professionalism they showed on the evening that our dear friend Steve Donovan was brought to them after his motorbike accident. In particular, the attending doctor at the emergency room showed enormous patience and compassion as a steady stream of Steve’s friends came to the hospital to see their friend.
A neurosurgeon who had diagnosed Steve after a CAT scan administered at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya drove up from Sriracha at 0200 hours and personally gave a group of us a detailed description of Steve’s internal injuries and the dire prognosis.
It is small consolation to us who lost such a great friend, but as someone who was there for a good portion of the evening, you can rest assured that Steve was attended to and cared for in a professional manner. As a layman I can only say that in my opinion, medically there was nothing more that could have been done.
Regards,
John McHugh

No chance I’m here for my family?

Editor;
I was in two minds whether to write a reply to the earlier letter of John Armone but when you published the letter from Mickyfin praising him, I couldn’t hold back anymore. So according to these two “a marriage is built on love and trust, if the house is in your Thai wife’s name, so what? Do you love and trust her? If you don’t, why marry in the first place?” What utter tripe!
Is that what happens in Burnley Mickyfin? Is property only in one partner’s name and everything else is built on trust? If that’s the case, why the need for divorce courts in the UK when sorting out who gets what?
Can Mickyfin and John Armone guarantee that every Thai/farang marriage will be a success and therefore no need to share property? What happens in the case where a wife dies before the husband? Do these two jokers guarantee that the relatives of the wife will not try to take over the property?
I’ve been married to my Thai wife for 24 years and have two great kids, but apparently, if I want to have a secure home in Thailand, according to these two it is for “purely selfish, profit making reasons that foreigners wish to buy land in Thailand.” So no chance that after all these years I might just actually want to live there with my family then?
Nahkit

Problems along Beach Road, Jomtien

Editor;
The police should look into the problem whereby organized teams of ‘Strange People’ or transvestites are intimidating early morning shoppers, joggers and late evening strollers on Jomtien Beach Road between Sois 7 and 9.
The motorcycle riding transvestites hang around the Seven/Eleven stores and Family Marts and usually pick on farangs shopping, walking or jogging alone. One of the team will confront the farang and then one or two others will join in offering their services.
This has been going on for years but in recent weeks, with the sliding economy and the lack or tourists to pick on, there has been a sharp increase in the reported occurrences just along this section of Jomtien Beach Road. But it can be presumed that the same things occur along the entire length of the road.
The Jomtien Vigilante

Re: Utapao airport goes international

Editor;
FYI: the US Air Force withdrew its troops from Utapao in 1975 not 1973. I was based at Utapao from 1971 to 1974. I am glad to see this airport going international. It is about time. The runway was always long enough.
Best Regards,
Richard Rayburn
Brooklet, GA USA

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