HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Thank you for the credit card lesson

Frozen pensions for UK expats - the other side of the argument

Shocked and appalled

A letter of thanks to City Hall

Serve me veggies

Tourism down

Change in tactics needed?

Thank you for the credit card lesson

Dear Editor,

I wish say “thank you” to Larry for his academic class (August 20). I have the feeling that he is working or was employed in a bank as a financial adviser.

I guess that, but I already know how business works in the credit card industry. Credit card companies charge retail stores, airlines, travel agencies, hotels and so on with a variable fee, determined by the issuing company and said charge is taken out by the retailer who made the sale. Possibly the sale couldn’t be finalized if the only payment accepted was cash. With that said, there is an advantage for any retailer to honor credit cards.

But Larry failed to explain why in the USA or Europe I can buy everything over $3.00, paying with my credit card only the amount shown on the invoice or receipt without any extra charge. That is the amount due and the option to pay cash or by credit card is up to the customer.

My last three purchases in Thailand reached a total of 62,000 baht. I used my credit card and in two cases I was charged 3% while in one no surcharge was requested. How come the discrepancy between retailers?

My feeling is that here in Thailand the 3% requested by some vendors is not related to the fixed charge applied by the credit card companies for the service. I see that extra charge of 3% and smell a rat.

Sorry, but I disagree to go around the city with a large amount of money to save, when applied, 3% on my purchases. Surely it is not very safe. After all credit cards were brought into the marketplace with the purpose of avoiding carrying cash.

I want to highlight that Thailand is anomalous from this point of view.
Concerned Farang

Frozen pensions for UK expats - the other side of the argument

Sir:

Your ongoing correspondence about frozen pensions for UK expats in Thailand and elsewhere has been rather one-sided so far. I hope you will allow me to add to the discussion from a UK-based perspective.

The UK state pension index is linked to national inflation levels so as to ensure that, as domestic prices rise, retired people living in the UK will be able to maintain their current standard of living.

But increases in the cost of living index within the UK do not necessarily relate to changes in foreign countries’ indices. Another country might, for example, be going through a period of inflation less than the UK rate - or even a deflationary period of falling prices. What possible justification could there then be for UK taxpayers to increase those expats’ standard of living while that of UK pensioners remains static?

The often-heard argument that “I’ve made my contributions for 40 years...” etc. does not, I’m afraid, hold water. When state pensions were originally introduced, the first generation of recipients had obviously never paid a penny into any sort of national insurance fund during their own working lives, so their new benefit had to be funded from the contributions of those who were then in work. That arrangement has continued, working generation after working generation, until the present day. Thus, those in work and contributing have never been paying into some sort of mythical “pot” for themselves but have been funding the benefits of the pensioners of the time. Indeed, the pension crisis that is developing as the proportion of workers to pensioners remains in steady decline would not be happening at all if pensioners were simply drawing on some sort of self-sufficient pot that they had built up over the years.

Meanwhile, savage government cuts are currently being imposed right across the board in the UK. At the same time, many “cast iron” pledges made in the May election (e.g. David Cameron’s that the current system of allocating council housing would remain unchanged) are being brought into question in current economic circumstances or even abandoned outright. There has also been widespread discussion about restricting some currently “universal” benefits such as Child Allowance or free TV licences for the elderly to those in genuine financial need. We are perhaps fortunate that no-one has yet extended that proposal to the state pension.

The British expats who are campaigning on this issue chose to move to Thailand knowing what the system was and is. They need to get real. Everyone in Great Britain is facing a decline in living standards for the next few years, so the expats’ special pleading is not, I suggest, likely to receive much in the way of a sympathetic response here in the home country.

Rob Maynard
U.K.

Shocked and appalled

Dear Editor,

I’m shocked appalled that I haven’t really got anything to complain about on my latest visit to Jomtien. It’s looking cleaner and less cluttered on the beachfront, possibly because it’s still low season. The one thing that I can’t fathom out at all is why would someone decide that building more apartments right on the edge of a busy road (Soi 11, just past the Grand Palace Hotel) is a good idea? They’d have been better employed finishing building the much needed shopping mall.
Jomtien Jim

A letter of thanks to City Hall

Editor;

We, the motorbike taxi drivers of Pattaya, would like to sincerely thank and congratulate the wonderful servants of our great city at City Hall for their ongoing efforts to line our pockets.

We have truly lost count of the number of times the entire road system has been thrown into complete chaos due to the ever increasing number of world class events, especially along Beach Road, being held in our world famous family holiday retreat. Our takings on these days are up by at least double the normal days as people realize the only way to navigate the city is on motorbike. Charging tourists one hundred and fifty baht to go along Beach Road: how wonderful for us!

Of course, we understand some selfish people who drive cars may take a little longer to get to their destination in traffic logjams as far as the eye can see, but their ongoing frustration and massive inconvenience is more than matched by our increased monetary takings, we are certain. We also understand that having more motorbikes on the road will directly increase the number of deaths and injuries on the roads, but those busy doctors will be delighted with their windfall also.

We were also thrilled to hear that dreadful monorail idea will remain but a dream for Pattaya’s residents after the latest meetings at City Hall. That will ensure plenty more fares for years to come! Our baht bus driving brothers will be equally grateful!

One word of concern, however. Despite our modest education levels, it is as clear as the extra money in our pockets that your ongoing efforts to re-position Pattaya’s image as a family destination is doomed to failure which will reduce tourist numbers and harm our livelihoods in the future. Still, the thought of changing Pattaya’s world-wide reputation as “Sin City” through your endless gimmicks allows ourselves to giggle ourselves to sleep each night.

With thanks!
PMD

Serve me veggies

Dear Editor:

I share the sentiments of fellow vegetarian Michael Nightingale (Mailbag, August 20) in regards to the fact that dead animals are often put into seemingly vegetarian foods and drinks. I, too, have noticed that fish sauce can be found in “100% fruit juice”. We vegetarians must learn to always read labels.

While I am often accused of “imposing” my vegetarian philosophy on others, it is we vegetarians who are imposed upon every day of our lives. For example, when I recently flew to the Philippines on Philippine Airlines (PAL), they told me they had no record of my request for a vegetarian meal despite the fact I had seen my travel agent make that request on the phone. But the women in charge of customer service on the airplane assured me they would have my vegetarian meal on the return flight. Guess what? On the return flight they again insisted they had no record of a request for a vegetarian meal! I regard such conduct as not only being apathetic but blatantly abusive!

A survey by the National Restaurant Association in America found that 20% of Americans order vegetarian meals when they eat out. Since I can’t appeal to peoples’ conscience - most people don’t have any - let me appeal to their pocketbook by saying with the growing demand for vegetarian food it is just plain stupid to continue to ignore the needs of vegetarians.

Eric Bahrt

Tourism down

Editor;

As long as the government continues to dictate what time tourists go to bed, 1-2 a.m. depending on where one is at, the blue collar folks, those who toil and grind for their money, who have in the past been responsible for the growth in tourism in Thailand, will look to other destinations where they can decide for themselves what time to get up, what time to go out, and what time to go home to bed.

I believe it will take years, maybe a decade for the type of tourist who visits Thailand to change. In the meantime, those who toil in the tourism industry will continue to suffer the consequences of the puritanical ones making these changes, while they sit in their comfy homes, and enjoy the life that all should be able too.

Wake up gov!
Regards,
Ron Haring

Change in tactics needed?

Editor;

With reference to Des Gillet’s letter of 13th August concerning frozen British pensions. This matter has been pursued for many years now. It has been through the British courts and failed, and more recently presented to the European courts, where last March a ruling was given against the plaintiff and in favour of the British government. Perhaps now a new direction would be the better course. I suggest lobbying the Thai government for a reciprocal agreement with the U.K. Surely this also would be in Thailand’s interest.

J.H.

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