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
