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Leave the rest of us alone
Editor;
Re: Produce prices soar before Pattaya Vegetarian Festival (PM Friday, 11
October 2013) - If people want to be vegetarians then that is their right
and more power to them. But those who claim that they are doing it for
health reasons are defying science and evolution. Pandas will die if they
can’t eat bamboo. Why? Because the evolved with that as their diet and their
bodies now depend on it. Same with koala eating eucalyptus. Humans evolved
eating meat. We evolved as predators and scavengers. We evolved a partial
vegetarian diet to get us by when meat was scarce. But the high energy
content of meat was absolutely critical to evolving our energy hungry
brains. We evolved as meat eaters. Unless you think your are smarter than
God, Buddha and Darwin, don’t try to tell us that people shouldn’t eat meat.
If you don’t want to, don’t. But leave the rest of us alone.
John Nielson
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London Taxi
Editor;
With Australian vehicle manufacturers on their knees and propped up by the
government, one would imagine they could come up with a hybrid vehicle for
the taxi industry. Not so. A Perth company has purchased 50 used London
Taxis with another 90 to come from the revitalized “London Taxi Company”.
Melbourne may join in later.
Sydney trialed these cabs in the late 80s and it was a disaster. They did
not comply with the Australian design rules, and the hilly terrain soon made
meat of their transmissions, brakes, etc. Who wants to share the back seat
with her 2 kids, stroller and shopping? A cab with no boot (trunk), no
thanks.
However, Perth expats are ecstatic with the concept of a little of old
blighty showing up. They want to share in the servicing of both vehicle &
drivers. London cab drivers spend up to 2 years learning where everything
is, whereas our drivers are mostly migrants and use GPS to find their own
posteriors. They will get out and assist you, where London drivers are glued
to their seat.
I guess we will get used to “Luvly wevver we’re avin init”. As there is a
limit set by government as to how many cabs can operate in a city - for
every new one on the road means one must be taken off. There is also an age
limit on the vehicle so there will be a lot of used cabs for sale shortly.
There is a saying in Australia that when you cross into Queensland you wind
your watch back 20 years. When they hear of this scheme there will be a rush
on Thailand’s songthaews.
Aussie Bill
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Thanks for helping to break
negative stereotypes
Editor;
Re: Tiffany’s Show, Pattaya Mail support Ladyboy water-volleyball tournament
(PM Friday, 11 October 2013) - Congratulations to the organizers of this
charity event for helping to break the negative stereotypes and demonization
of Pattaya Ladyboys. A 750,000 baht pool of donations to help charities is
pretty phenomenal, and the fact that Ladyboys are the positive force that
drove the donations is a great story. I hope this annual event continues to
challenge the false narrative that Ladyboys cause all of Pattaya’s problems.
At least for this day, Pattaya’s Ladyboys will be heroes to those needy
citizens that will be helped.
Robman
Put your rubbish in a bin
Editor;
Re: Insurmountable trash washed up on Bang Saen beach reaching 10 tons per
day (PM Tuesday, 08 October 2013) - Wow, what a surprise. Everyone puts
their rubbish in the drain beside the road, or throws it out the window of
their car, and now it turns up on the beach. Where did you think the drains
would take it? Put your rubbish in a bin!
Scott
More on “Holds little Hope”
Editor;
Re: Holds little hope from the Pattaya Police (PM Mailbag Friday, 04 October
2013) - After over a year of going to see the officer in charge of my case
(and never received a call from him) I basically gave up on anything being
done about arresting this woman, even though he had her name, address, Thai
ID card number, bank account details and more. I’m still wondering why she
is not in jail. I would look for her every time I walked Beach Road. Then
one day there she was again, sitting and talking to an elderly man. Not
quite sure it was her, I walked past then came back. She recognized me and
raced across the road and disappeared into Mike Shopping Mall. Lost her.
Then a couple of hours later a woman that looked like her walked toward me.
Some of the cloths were different and the hair cut short. I grabbed her arm
and called for the police but by the time one arrived, I was not certain so
let her go. I regret that now, as I know it was her, and she is still on the
streets drugging others.
I saved one man that day but she could take a life one day. These 2 men and
a number of recent druggings in Pattaya have prompted me to write this in
the hope she and others are stopped.
Murray Greenfield
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Digital camera
with manual dials
Editor;
Re: Can manual cameras give better results? (PM Snap shots Friday, 27
September 2013) - The problem now is getting a digital camera with manual
dials (like my Panasonic Lumix). The other problem for action shots is the
“lead time” between “pressing the button” and the camera firing.
Chris Davison
Noise beyond all reason
Dear Editor;
Please, some help from someone. No one in this day and age should have to
tolerate the abhorrent racket emitted at a decibel level that surely exceeds
limitations, from a bar at the extension of Soi Jerapon, just off Soi
Buakaow. Is it called Korat? With the large signs out front of deer with
antlers.
In the still of night when one is trying (in vain) to get the rest we all
need for our health, we are kept awake until at least 4 a.m., and often much
later.
No apparent effort has been made to contain the noise, and the structure is
questionable to say the least. How could it possibly be approved?
We have tried calling 1337, so many times, all to no avail. It must be for
show only.
Why is this bar allowed to contravene laws, that so many others abide by? It
begs other questions: who owns it? Is it a case of when money talks the
truth is silent?
Maybe someone can enlighten us as to whether these rogue bars are warned,
then warned again, and at the 3rd warning fined 2,000 baht. What a joke.
Then simply open up again under a different name, and/or owner, only to
repeat the actions.
We have endeavored to combat the din, with ear plugs, or double glazing, and
closing up all door and windows, without success.
Again PLEASE, who can we turn to for help? No one suggests closing the
place, just act responsibly, and consider others, hundreds in fact.
Thank you,
Kittachai
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Hand to Hand
Editor
About a month ago, I started visiting the Hand to Hand foundation in Pattaya
and had one of my very first experiences with underprivileged children. As a
high school student at a prestigious international school, with a roof over
my head, loving parents, countless friends, and food constantly on the
dinner table, I had yet to consider and empathize with other who had a life
outside my own. The foundation positively impacts people’s lives by donating
food to poor slum areas, providing a free pre-school for those who cannot
afford to attend school or have proper documentation, and sponsoring
children so they could be sent to local Thai school. The majority of the
children’s parents are construction workers or garbage collectors who work
in the burning heat all day while their starving children stay home to look
after their unsecured shelters.
Hand to Hand embraces these children with open arms and takes care of them
during the day as a way to protect them from any dangers of the slums, fill
their hungry stomachs, and give them a taste of what education is like. It
is devastating that all over the world the cries for help from children at
risk like these go unheard. I believe that volunteering to help out at Hand
to Hand is my first step to accumulating small changes to create bigger
ones.
Whether you donate a 20 baht bill, or visit the children at the foundation,
it all counts as acts of love that can bring happiness into these kid’s
lives. As long as the care we give them is real, ever lasting, and
consistent, it will help to stop the cycle of child exploitation and make a
profound difference on the lives of Pattaya’s children. You can contact the
Hand to Hand at,
http://www.handtohandpattaya.com
Yerin Yoon
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