Image destroyers

Editor;
Being a long time resident in Pattaya, I have read many times in your publication about how Pattaya is trying to improve its image. I have a suggestion as to where they can start. Thai Airways bus from Don Muang and all baht buses and motorcycle taxis awaiting arriving passengers at bus terminals.
A case in point. After doing a visa run last week, my arrival time coincided with the departure time of the Thai Air bus service to Pattaya. While buying a ticket at the counter, I was asked which hotel I would like to be dropped off at. Living in an apartment, I chose the one on their list that was closest to where I lived.
While on the way to Pattaya, it turned out that one of the passengers was from my home town who was travelling to Thailand with her husband, both for the first time. Not knowing where to go, they booked a hotel through the Thai Air counter at the airport and bought a bus ticket at the same time. They were told that since they had booked their hotel through them, and paid a deposit, the bus would take them directly to their hotel. Since it was their first time in Thailand, and since they had no idea where the hotel was located, they felt secure in the fact that the bus would take them directly to their hotel, eliminating the need for them to try and find it on their own in a strange country with a strange language which they could not speak.
Little did any of us realise that once we reached North Pattaya Road where the Thai Air office is located, the bus driver would stop. We were approached by a woman who seemed to be some sort of manager and told, rather impolitely, to get off the bus. When my new found friends tried to explain that the people at the counter in Bangkok told them the bus would take them all the way to their hotel, the response was a rude, “No! Get off.”
Having no other choice, we disembarked and began to get hassled by a baht bus driver who wanted to take them to their hotel for 60 baht per person. When I told them it would normally cost 20 baht at most, they were left confused as to what to do. Since I was with them, I told them I would make sure they got to their hotel OK.
After we started to walk away, the original bus driver pulled up alongside us and told us he would take us the rest of the way - for a price. To shorten the story, we hailed another baht bus which delivered my friends to their hotel at a much reduced fare.
I had been extolling the virtues of Thailand and how friendly the people were only to have my new friends subject to this type of unsavoury behaviour in their very first contact with Pattaya, Thailand. It was embarrassing to say the least. It set the tone for what was supposed to be a fun visit to our resort. My friends left two days later.
I can only imagine how many thousands of first time tourists are subject to this same type of situation as their first contact with Thai people.
Something needs to be done.
Concerned about our image

Suspicious arrest

Dear Sir,
I have been a Pattaya businessman for over 6 years and now I am very concerned and scared to be a businessman in Pattaya. It’s a story about another businessman (friend of mine). One day my friend and I had a few drinks in my place, until a Thai citizen came in and asked, “Hey you,(to my friend) are you mister X?” Which my friend answered friendly, “Yes, Sir, that’s me.” The Thai citizen said he was an officer from immigration and asked my friend to come with him to the police station. My friend was surprised and followed the (officer?) Thai citizen to the police station. Over there they said that they saw him working a few days ago and he had to give 100,000 Baht for bail if he didn’t want to go to prison.
How could they see him working when his restaurant opened three days later and was not open yet? Not one of the (officers?) Thai citizens gave any identification or showed any papers of being police officers. My friend completely surprised asked them if they had any proof showing that he was working. The answer was “Yes”, and he said “Can you show me any proof, pictures or video’s or what ever?”
Answer: “We are not allowed to give you that information.” So they took his passport and he PAID 100,000 Baht, he spent one night in jail and waited to go to court.
So that means any person who is sitting drinking somewhere and who has a business in Pattaya, they can take him any time, anywhere, without proof, to the police station, make him afraid, threaten him and make him 100,000 Baht poorer? I understand that if you play with fire and they catch you while working without a permit, OK, then they have the right to do so, but while you are somewhere else, I don’t think this is following the law. Is this justice, corruption or a joke?
A very concerned citizen.

U.S. Embassy Consular Officer to visit Rayong and Pattaya

A Consular Officer from the American Embassy in Bangkok will visit Rayong and Pattaya on June 2 and 3. His visit will provide the opportunity for Americans residing in these areas to have passport, notary and other consular services taken care of.
The officer will be providing services at the following times and locations:
· June 2, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the lobby of the Star Hotel, 109 Rayong Trade Center Road, No. 4, Rayong.
· June 3, from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the lobby of the Merlin Pattaya Hotel, 429 Beach Road, Pattaya City.

The Consul has asked for all who read this notice to share the information with other Americans. The goal is to provide services to as many U.S. citizens as possible so that they can possibly avoid a trip to Bangkok. Below is a list of services which can be provided during this visit:
· accept passport applications (be advised, however, that the new passport must be picked up at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok - it cannot be sent via mail).
· insert extra pages in your passport.
· execute notarials, including affidavits required by the Thai government for driver’s licenses and certain types of visas.
· register you with the U.S. Embassy.
· provide information on application procedures for Thai citizens seeking U.S. visas.
For additional information please call the U.S. Embassy’s American Citizen Services office at 02-205-4049, 205-4000, fax: 02-205-4103.

Image destroyers

Suspicious arrest

U.S. Embassy Consular Officer to visit Rayong and Pattaya