Editor;
It really doesn’t matter what time of day or your
location, you still have the potential to have your belongings stolen. It
seems a pity in the “land of smiles” that the few who are too idle to work
take to stealing as a means to provide for there lifestyle.
Some of these are trivial matters, like the hotel guest
who found it was too hot for his feet round the pool area at the 5* hotel,
so stole my sandals.
Of more concern was at 3.30 p.m. walking from the Dolphin
roundabout to the Amari, when a motorbike came up the sidewalk and snatched
my wife’s handbag. Thankfully no one was injured, and the bag contained
nothing of value (hope you like the make-up boys) and my wife’s medication,
which I can assure you will not make you any harder.
I’m sure you will be aware that this is not an uncommon
occurrence, or am I just very unlucky, having had an attempted mugging at 1
a.m. on 2nd Road between Soi 1 and the Dolphin roundabout, some 2 years ago.
Having seen the city try hard to entice the family
tourist by making major improvements to the beach area and large financial
commitments by major hotels and businesses, it seems a pity that this can be
spoilt by the lazy few. Although the city is not entirely to blame for this,
it has not helped matters by not enforcing some common laws which must be in
place. It is these laws which if they were enforced could start to make a
difference.
The local police effort seems to focus on bike riders who
do not wear a helmet. Although this is one of the many laws which are
constantly broken, my personal feeling on helmets is “up to you”. More
importantly motorbikes which can seemingly flout the law by riding on the
sidewalk; now everyone of these I see I will view as a potential thief. But
riding motorbikes up any paved areas is dangerous to the pedestrian but I
have yet to see anyone being stopped for this potentially dangerous habit.
Although I have yet to be mugged on Beach Road, I try to
avoid areas which have a reputation for dangerous situations. It is probably
here in the daytime that my wife and I feel most at risk. The walk from
Gulliver’s to Central on the beach side, probably saw us having to sidestep
speeding motorbikes at least half a dozen times, oh … and I’m sure none of
them were wearing helmets either.
I love Pattaya, my wife and family also, but for the
ladies it is so easy to be put off. So city officials, if you want some
honest feedback and if you want to make the city safer, uphold some of the
laws which protect the public, not the culprit.
DS
