Dear Editor,
Yesterday I went for a walk at the fitness park on
Pratamnak Hill. After 200 meters along the slope a heavy smoke hit me and
other walkers and joggers. We covered our noses and ran out of the smoke
filled area. I looked back and saw two men burning leaves and branches of
the trees. I don’t know if burnt trees are toxic or not, but our eyes and
noses stung badly and the odor was bad.
As it was very windy and dry, I also got concerned about
the spread of the fire, so I called Pattaya Call Center.
I: “There’s a huge branch burning on fitness park and the
smoke is disturbing the joggers and the wind is very strong right now, I’m
concerned about the fire spreading.”
Girl: “Yes, Ma’am, at the moment, it’s still burning.”
I: “Oh thank you for telling me what I’m telling you. My
call is for you to report to a concerned department.”
Girl: “I will ask my supervisor.”
I: “Just ask? Could you give me the tourist police number
please?”
Girl: “Sure Ma’am.”
She gave me a wrong number, a young child answered and
giggled. I called the call center again and another girl gave me a different
number this time.
Tourist Police: “This is Lt. Blah blah blah…”
I: “Hello sir, I want to report a wood burning on the
fitness hill.”
TP: Where is that?
I: “Fitness park right opposite your office, sir.”
TP: “I don’t see anything.”
(I to self, “If you’d get off you butt and look out the
window you might see a very heavy smoke blowing over the hill like a house
is on fire.”)
I: “The smoking hill just outside your door, sir.”
TP with a pleasant voice: “Well I’m not the fire
department, I don’t have a hose to extinguish the fire, you’ll have to call
the Call Center.”
I: “I just did and the girl there said she would ask
someone, but I just thought that you are right there and should be aware of
the situation and maybe liaise with the right person? The joggers, adults
and children alike are coughing, the weather is dry and the wind is strong,
the fire could spread...”
TP: “You’ll need to call the city call center, ma’am.”
I: “Ok, thank you so very much for you kind help.”
On my second lap to the same location about 20 minutes
later, the fire stopped, and the two burners were gone. Not sure if the TP
handled it, the Call Center handled it, or the burners just saw my camera
and stopped burning. No further comments.
Walker
