HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

How about a water bus?

Second hand smoke

Drunk on whine

Confusing the issue

Marine safety

Problems with exited new highway

How about a water bus?

Dear Editor,
Now that the Beach Road bus service between Jomtien and Pattaya seems to be virtually extinct in all its three colour codes, could there ever be enough demand for a walk on, walk off water bus service to take its place; to gently take you along the coastline from Jomtien to Bali Hai Pier?
I’d rather pay 100 baht (farang price) for a journey like this than sit in a baht bus in noisy, smelly traffic. Incidentally, one baht bus driver tried to charge me 150 baht to go from Beach Rd Jomtien to Tesco Lotus, a less than 10 minute journey; it’s no wonder they honk their horns every time they see a ‘farang’ walking.
Jomtien’s one and only shopping complex is still only in its steel frame stage. Will it ever get completed? Apart from water sports, sitting on the beach under an umbrella (I’m sure most visitors wish they weren’t there, the umbrellas that is ... tho’ maybe they do wish they weren’t there?), or sitting in bars or restaurants, there’s nothing to do in Jomtien. I actually saw a para-glider heading out to sea in order to escape the boredom and monotony of being here.
Mr Phil Fletcher-Stokes

Second hand smoke

Editor;
My thanks to the howlie/farang (white main lander / foreigner) at the Pollution Solution Group for informing me that I am not only indirectly responsible for hundred of thousands of second hand smoke deaths every year (smoking activists claims), but also for “contaminating water, killing seafood and sea life”, and last but not least; “killing unknowing babies”. I am not certain if that includes “knowing babies”, but that claim is probably yet to come.
I have also heard that it is a known fact that most harpooners and seal clubbers are also smokers and that smoking makes them want to eradicate innocent species of life, so I guess we can add whales and seals to our list of victims also.
I have followed the anti-smoking movement for the last twenty odd years and it is has been interesting to witness how smokers have grown from “unknowing” second hand smoke manslaughters, to the lofty position of destroyers of life on Earth. Even the Nazis were not accused of killing “unknowing babies” and “sea life”.
I would like whoever wrote the letter to know that whether they get rid of the butts at the Immigration Office or not, automobiles will continue to pollute the air (which I am certain the members of the P.S.G. have more than one of), industry will continue to pollute the air and waterways (which I am certain that one or more of the P.S.G. members are or have been employees of), and people will continue to throw plastic bags out of car windows. (I feel confident that the P.S.G. is pristine clean on that count). So my question is: If we smokers are the destroyers of life on Earth as we know it, then do you consider the above groups as the equivalent of “The Empire” in “Star Wars” and thus, potential destroyers of the Universe? If so, then I would like to see a letter condemning them for killing Clingons and Jeddi Knights and whatnot.
To the readers of this newspaper, I would like to apologize for rambling on as if I were in the “Twilight Zone” but when I read the letter from the P.S.G. I felt that I had irreversibly entered it. That is, assuming that our cigarette smoke hasn’t wiped it out also.
John Arnone
Yasothon

Drunk on whine

Dear Editor,
Pattaya to Thais is for the young, but not so are most farang here. However, it is not the years in your life that count but the life in your years. Why does 8 p.m. bedtime Ray Standiford choose to live by a day-night market, school and temple, all in a resort that is known the world over as lively & noisy, then moan about street noise, early sermons, 8 a.m. students’ assembly and other things relevant to pre-existing surroundings? His bad choice is not other people’s fault.
My English teacher taught our class this: “A reasonable man adapts to the world; an unreasonable one expects the world to adapt to him.” -George Bernard Shaw. Mr Ray can be drunk on whine and dump his unreasonable woes on us all, but some will say he does not represent all farang.
Teacher’s next task for us was to find more quotes to fit folk like Mr Ray, and sister Peachy found another by G.B. Shaw: “Feverish little clods of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making them happy.” She got a gold star and teacher told us that complaining is the drug of choice for some farang - what gives them a ‘high’. I learned that Mr Ray once gave this Mailbag advice about Thais: “Be less reverential and less positive,” which by definition means ‘be more disrespectful and negative’. Teacher said a foreigner with that attitude in Farangland would be in hospital all the time.
If anyone has a genuine grievance - not an ‘our way is best’ lecture or objection to monks’ sermons or school sounds - instead of ranting and getting all farang tarred as grumpy, a tactful ‘suggestion’ petition in Thai and English should be sent to city hall. The petition must be signed by more than 50% of a condo’s co-owners and Thais especially. If that doesn’t work and Mr Ray’s sour gripes would be seen as silly, best to move. A final note from teacher is that condo or partner, the moral of Mr Ray’s groans is caveat emptor - buyer beware! It applies anywhere.
[email protected]

Confusing the issue

Dear Editor,
Having read Isaan Nick’s letter about the 13 year old who was raped I feel compelled to write and express my disgust. He is confusing the issues - rape and road safety are two entirely different things and I am appalled that he would in some way blame the rape on the fact that the girl was riding around on a motorbike. It is the behaviour of the young men he should be concerned with.
‘’Jomtien Jill”

Marine safety

Editor;
A great and informative letter from Bob James about the appalling marine safety in Pattaya. During my frequent visits to Pattaya I always go to Koh Larn, but also always in dread at the lack of life vests on the boats. The fare of 20b is ridiculously cheap and I would rather pay a bit more and have enough life vests. But I am afraid like everything in Thailand, there are too many bribes and backhanders being paid to the officials to make any difference. One can live in hope I suppose - that you may survive long enough to see change for the better.
Cav
London UK

Problems with exited new highway

Dear Pattaya Mail,
We have an issue here that should be made as public as possible. Please help us! After the catastrophic wrong planning of the railway road this is the newest traffic planning stupidity.
We represent a huge number of locals and expats which are surprised to understand that there will be no exit / entry at the at the Soi Crocodile Farm (Chaiyapornwithi) crossing with the new highway coming from / going to Pattaya (Sukhumvit Road).
For all the people living in Pattaya East, the traffic to go to Pattaya West (west of Sukhumvit) and go back home is a major issue and growing problem.
There are basically five streets to go east from Sukhumvit and cross the railway, from North to South these are: Chaiyapornwithi (Soi Crocodile Farm), Soi Siam Country Club (Porn Praphanimit), Soi Nernplabwan (Soi Muslim), Soi Khaonoi and Soi Khaotalo. All these roads are traffic jammed with motorbikes and 3-wheelers and extremely dangerous to drive. All people living between Sukhumvit Road and Mabprachan Lake have to suffer from this bad situation.
Now they build a brand new highway between these roads, and we cannot use it. There is an entrance-exit where the highway crosses Chaiyapornwithi Road, but only from and to Bangkok. It is not useable from and to Sukhumvit Road. This is really incredible, as it would be a major traffic release for these mentioned roads.
If we all really want to experience the main benefit of this new bypass, than it should be mandatory to have an exit and entry at this point too; a huge number of cars and trucks and busses would use the opportunity to get directly to the Mabprachan Lake district as well as along the eastern part of the Chaiyapornwithi Road and its neighbouring areas as well as getting from there faster to the Sukhumvit Road.
Currently there will be only an exit / entry at this point coming from Bangkok heading towards Pattaya and vice versa.
The existence of mirrored exit / entry for cars going to or coming from Pattaya (Sukhumvit) would remarkably increase the benefit of this new Highway extension.
Please try to dig into this matter and find out why they do not provide the necessary entrance and exit to use the highway to go from Sukhumvit to Crocodile farm and back!
Thousand of people are concerned!
I tried to illustrate it on a Google map, the arrows to the right show the existing entrance/exit, the arrows to the left show the one that they forgot…and that would be so important for all of us living here!
Thanks a lot for your help, if you want to send a reporter team I would love to explain it again!
Best regards
Dr. Hans-Peter Mack

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