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Ban parking on Beach Road
Editor;
Re: Buses on Beach Road (PM Mailbag Friday, 22 August 2014) - One of the
attractions of Pattaya is its Beach. If you believe buses should be banned
from parking on Beach Road then why not ban all vehicles from parking there?
Erect “No Standing” signs and police the area. No standing means that unless
you are in a stalled line of traffic you must keep moving. Problem solved:
Songthaews can not stop to discharge people; motorbike pillion riders must
alight on the move and buses will need to turn into the sois to unload.
We now have a wide avenue with sea views and no bathers. Visit almost any
modern city and it will have some sort of mass road transport system. These
places have had many years to iron out their problems while Pattaya has had
little or no planning.
For instance, why were land owners allowed to claim their land started from
the road edge? No thought was given to wide roads with 12 foot sidewalks.
Even now, new buildings are built up to the existing line.
What far sighted planner once came up with the idea that when 2nd Road was
made one way, that if a songthaew painted the lower half of his windscreen
yellow he could travel against the traffic? There are still some of us who
remember this (All because Big C was losing customers.)
In most cities the kerb side lane is taken up with buses, etc., discharging
passengers. They then need to merge into the main stream to continue. Let’s
face it. With Pattaya, “It’s what you have you are stuck with.” City Hall
had a second chance with Jomtien but blew it.
If you are uncomfortable driving in these conditions I suggest you hand in
your license and attempt to cross Beach Road when it becomes a clearway.
Bill Neal
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Download your camera manual
Editor;
Re: Where did we put the instruction manual? (PM Snap Shots Friday, 08
August 2014) - If you are talking about modern cameras then just download
the PDF of the manual to your smartphone.
I know as least one iPhone app that charges for each manual you download but
that’s just plain silly since pretty much every manufacturer provides them
as free downloads on their support website. First thing I do BEFORE I enter
the shop to buy a new camera is to download and read the manual.
But don’t feel embarrassed about not knowing every page of your manual.
Cameras are so complex these days and we use a small fraction of their
capabilities and settings it very easy to knock the camera into a mode we
don’t recognise and then be completely flummoxed about what it’s doing.
BTW if you are hankering after an 800mm, IMHO the Sigma 300-800 is much
better than the Nikkor. Less faffing about trying to find the subject. 800mm
with a moving subject is like trying to spot a mosquito through a straw.
Neal Holland
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Support his views
Editor;
Re: You have to be an acrobat or bird (PM Mailbag Friday, 22 August 2014) -
As a pedestrian myself I support Mr Djevo’s views; you’re not even safe from
motor bikes on the promenade on Pattaya Beach Road.
Philip Fletcher
How to attract luxury tourism
Editor;
Re: Pattaya halts construction of view-blocking condominium tower (PM
Friday, 22 August 2014) - If the city wishes to attract luxury tourism (i.e.
yacht owners) they should start with infrastructure not buildings. Water
treatment, electric power delivery, flood abatement. Adding more tall
buildings before infrastructure adds more to the problems and nothing to any
solution.
Robert
Pattaya halts construction
Editor;
An interesting story about how Pattaya City Council and the builders of the
Waterfront condo hotel complex are in disagreement. The apparent objections
vary from changes to the original agreed plans to the more socially critical
aspects (sic). The defence is that apparently paperwork confirms the
legality of the structure.
What amazes me is that this is all in the open arena. Well done Pattaya Mail
for bringing our attention to the stop building order issued by Pattaya’s
mayor.
So can we detail the collateral damage? The people who have paid money for
space in the complex and the suppliers who fear they may not get paid. Then
the ripple effect: off-the-plan buyers of condos in other complexes who fear
last minute objections may hit their investments, potential buyers in
Pattaya who are now having second thoughts, people worldwide reviewing
advantages of Pattaya over other venues.
The inability of the various parties to resolve the problems in private
could create repercussions far beyond scoring in their own goals.
Amazing Thailand
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How can one tell?
Editor;
Re: Tour buses create fear, loathing in Pattaya (PM Friday, 01 August 2014)
- Last week PA published a photo of a bus “Roaring down” beach road. How one
can tell the speed of a vehicle from a still photograph is beyond me.
As these vehicles are low geared they have little chance to engage a high
gear and give the impression of speed. They travel no faster than the
conditions allow, being overtaken by motorcycles and nimbler vehicles.
Last year there was the sad case of an Irish national being killed on the
corner of Beach & Pattaya Tai roads. All comments blamed the bus driver. The
results of the autopsy were never aired and it was thought the farang walked
into the bus while drunk. This we will never be known. A driver must be
quite alert to negotiate this bend so also must the people on foot.
The size of these vehicles frightens some people whereas in actual fact
whilst much longer than the average SUV they are only a few foot wider & fit
into the marked lanes with little to spare.
Bryan Patricks
Ed’s note: “How one can tell the speed of a vehicle from a still
photograph is beyond me.” Simple, the staff photographer who took the photo
reported that there was no traffic in front of the bus and that it was
traveling at a dangerously high rate of speed. In case of emergency, these
buses are big and heavy and it takes them a long time to stop at that rate
of speed.
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