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Nuclear neighbors
Editor;
Re: Private sector opts for nuclear power (PM Friday, 01 March 2013) - I
regards to this in the story: “However, following Vietnam’s recently
announced plans to build 5 nuclear plants, Thailand’s risk levels for a
possible nuclear meltdown in close proximity to the country’s territory has
already been heightened.” You have a fine news organization in a lovely
country. My issue is why do people act as though a nuclear accident is
inevitable? We don’t think that way with oil and gas generation even though
on record they have far far more, and “fatal” accidents. The TNSC is
thinking with facts and stats, not fears and wild nightmares and your
country will be all the stronger for it.
Lance Rains
When an R is really an N - or an L
Editor;
Re: Double pricing not only in Thailand (PM Friday, 22 February 2013) - I
noticed that someone picked up Aussie Bill on his use of farang. Had he
studied the post he would have seen the word was used twice. Once with an
“L” and again with an “R”. There is no Golden Rule with phonetics. If an
educated Thai used an R then you should write as such. By the same token if
a person from Loei used an L it would be bad manners to correct them. It
seems this person is well versed in the Thai language. Perhaps he can
explain why Sawadee is written in Thai Script as SwaSdee, Why Homeland is
written Rkrha but pronounced as Rohk Raak. Why an R can change into an N, an
L used at the end of a word becomes an N. I could fill a book with these
changes but I suppose you know them all. I’ll go along with Andrew Biggs
when he said forget the phonetics and speak it as you hear it. (Who is
Andrew Biggs? Well you know everything.)
Bryan Patricks
Dangerous traffic stop
Editor:
On Tuesday at 11:00am I was riding southbound on Sukhumvit Highway, just
north of Pattaya Tai. A highway cop was standing in the middle of the
highway motioning for me to come across four lanes of traffic to a
motorcycle checkpoint at the Highway Police station. This is incredibly
dangerous to bikers and the cop as cars/trucks are speeding.
As a fire/safety/medic of 30 years I’ve seen officers and firefighters
killed merely standing on the side of the road. I would not heed their
orders to do it again and risk getting killed. The farang volunteers at this
checkpoint can’t possibly have any formal emergency services training and
are complicit in this death defying situation.
G. Schlotter
Fire-Safety Chief, Ret.
Sirens on busses
Editor;
An Open Letter to Highway Police Chonburi: I have always been under the
impression that only police, fire, certain military, and emergency vehicles
are allowed to use sirens. This obviously is not the case, at least in this
part of Thailand. The latest addition seems to be tour busses. Yesterday at
the traffic light in the center of Ban Amphur on Sukhumvit Rd. I was
approaching and about 100 meters away the light changed to red. As I was
slowing down to stop a tour bus turned on his sirens and flew through the
red light in excess of 80kph.
Today, again at the same intersection, 7 tour busses all with their sirens
on drove through the red light again on their way to Wat Yansangwararam.
Needless to say all were in excess of the speed limit in the center of town.
Directly across the street from the police box I might add.
It is only by extreme good luck that no one was killed or injured in both
situations. Normally the motorcycles “jump” the light on their side but
someone was watching over them.
The police would have to be deaf, blind, and sleeping in an AC office to not
be aware of this current use of sirens. Should a fatality or serious injury
occur would not the police be negligent in their duties now that they are
aware of this situation? I spoke to a policeman at the checkpoint in front
of the Ambassador Hotel about this and he just shrugged his shoulders,
smiled and walked away.
It is very obvious why drivers in Thailand do not yield the right of way to
sirens as they seldom are truly emergencies. Police cars leading tour groups
with lights flashing and sirens used, won’t be needed any longer, just give
the tour busses one more excuse to create mayhem on the roads. Care to know
who they are? Go to Wat Yan or Silverlake and follow the busses down
Sukhumvit but I would suggest using plain cars or pickups.
I will keep my name and address to myself for obvious reasons.
Boston Burglar
Chonburi
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Planning for Songkran
Editor;
Re: Pattaya officials begin Songkran planning (PM Friday, 01 March 2013) -
Having been here for many Songkran holidays the best planning will have no
effect on the behavior of farangs. I fully expect it to be another 10 days
of madness.
One solution which might help would be posting signs or handing out flyers
to bars outlining holiday etiquette. Not dousing people on their way to or
from work, people who are clearly not engaged in the water throwing, and
people who are injured or handicapped.
Having seen how it is celebrated all over Thailand it’s just shameful that
during this period here you cannot even go out to dinner and expect to
arrive there or home as you left it.
Until something serious is done there will be more road accidents, incidents
of violence, crime, and deaths to both Thais and farangs.
Change happens slow in Pattaya, regardless of the law. I don’t expect the
celebrating of Songkran to change in my lifetime. We will do as before -
either plan to stay home, or leave town.
Dill Pickles
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It’s illegal for a farang to buy a house
Editor;
Re: Brain lockers at the airport (PM Hillary Friday, 22 February 2013) - Hi,
here I give my own Senf (mustard) to this hot and controversial topic, but
slightly different. I also bought a little house in the bush for my holidays
(never can live in Thailand). It only cost 100,000 baht, but now I spent
300,000 baht making it. Now suddenly my holiday baby says the house has
changed owners and is now hers, and if I not send more money she is going to
bring many men from Pattaya to visit. Well, well, after that I gave her a
good fright. I told her that it is illegal that a farang buys a house 100%
and the government can impound it. I also told her that I come with my army
friends to stay there. Now she text’s me frantically to find out what I do.
Let her stew. Maybe Madam Hillary thinks we farang lost our mind somewhere,
but I can put my mind for good use anywhere. I can even bulldoze the house
and plant potatoes. Have a good day.
Werner
What a joke
Editor;
Thailand is trying to promote tourism - what a joke. Have you tried walking
on the so called pavement from Central Park 3 Homes to the pedestrian bridge
on Sukhumvit Road? There are cars and motorbikes being repaired. These are
cars, vans, etc., parked and now the police have erected a 3M X 3M poster
right across the pavement so its necessary to walk in the road to pass this
as well as all the other obstructions. Who ever authorized this never walks
anywhere and sees what problem they caused. Would tell my friends to come to
Thailand, but I don’t think so. I would suggest a country that has some
consideration for these visitors.
This may be the land of smiles but no one cares about the safety of others.
By the way, also look out for the holes in the pavement & oncoming
motorbikes.
Tom
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