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Early Anniversary wishes
Dear Sir,
...The main issue is to send you good wishes for your Fourth Anniversary.
I realise that I’m early, but they do say, “An early bird catches the worm”
& besides, my husband and I are visiting many Rotary club functions so can
only write between times!
With all the best wishes to you and your staff.
A Red Letter Day for Pattaya Mail
The “Pattaya Mail” knows how many beans make five,
And has broken new ground with success.
On its fourth Anniversary, it’s very alive
With the latest news - hot off the press:
Crime, intrigues, suicide, police policy,
Sports, mailbag, crossword to compete,
Social photos, horoscope, Dolf’s recipe
What’s the best buy and where to eat.
Thus on July twenty five, a “Red Letter Day”
May Pattaya Mail keep “Auguston Age”.
May kudos with Pattaya Mail stay
And may each edition be the rage!
Sincerely,
Mai Ben Arai
Clear BBC World
Dear Sir,
A very BIG thank you to Sophon Cable is owed now that they have a clear
signal for BBC World. I am sure that there are many other viewers besides
myself who have missed viewing BBC World since its picture quality decreased
after its change of satellites in April 1996.
Sincerely,
William A. Neville
Subscribing in Malta
Dear Sir,
I have been to Thailand for my holidays for the last 2 years now. I think
it’s a wonderful country. I also like Pattaya, especially the wide variety
of entertainment.
When I was in Pattaya last February I bought the Pattaya Mail and was really
impressed with the wide range of articles, sports and other information
contained in this newspaper.
I thought if it is possible to take a subscription to the newspaper from
here in Malta. Malta is a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean,
just 90 km away from Italy, but we are not Italians. We have our local
language, money and also an independent and democratically elected
government.
In front of me I have the Pattaya Mail of Friday, 14 February and I like it
a lot.
I really hope you will answer my letter so that I can enjoy and know more
about Pattaya although I am here in Malta. Till your answer, I remain,
Yours Faithfully,
M. Camilleri
Editor’s reply; Thank you for the informative letter about your home
country. To answer your question: yes, we can send subscriptions to anywhere
in the world. Subscription information is already on its way to you in
Malta.
For our other international and/or local readers, space permitting, we try
to print a subscription form in the mail market, usually on page 20. One
year of Pattaya Mail delivered to your door every week costs 780 baht in
Pattaya, 1,040 baht anywhere else in Thailand, and 3,500 baht (US$ 140) for
an overseas subscription. The information we need is your name, address,
phone or fax number, the date you wish to start your subscription and the
date you wish to end it. The information can be handed in to our offices at
370/8 Pattaya Second Road (next to Grand Sole Hotel), or mailed to Pattaya
Mail Subscription, P.O. Box 155, Pattaya, Thailand. Please do not send cash.
For our readers on the Internet, Pattaya Mail now has our own Web Page at
www.pattayamail.com.
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Following up on
Pattaya’s image
Dear Sir,
A short while ago one of your readers complained of an article in a foreign
newspaper describing the city as the biggest brothel in the world.
At the time I said I would be happy to take up his complaints with the FCCT
Ethics Committee if they had any substance. I have not been able to trace
the articles in the Ekstra Bladet as he described but did find a series of
articles published in January in the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet about
under-aged sex in Phuket which considerably stretched the imagination.
Rather than take the matter to the NUJ ethics committee I have gone direct
to the source.
The article was based on the derring do activities of two men in an
organisation called SOS - To Help the Children of the World. These two men
are now scurrying to their lawyers to defend themselves of allegations of
fraud - and of being sex tourists themselves.
The matter has also been raised with the Foreign Ministry here. The
newspaper in question has been happy to put matters right.
The system can work here if applied correctly.
All things are possible in Thailand. Details will follow.
Yours Sincerely,
Andrew Drummond
Foreign Correspondent.
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Mourning a legend
Dear Sir,
Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who spent a lifetime studying the mysteries of the
ocean and revealing them to the world, has died. He was 87. His foundation
announced Cousteau’s death in a statement that offered no details, saying
simply, “Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau has gone to the Silent World this
Wednesday, June 25, 1997.” “The Silent World” was the title of Cousteau’s
winning documentary at the Cannes film festival in 1956. French president
Jacques Chirac is mourning Cousteau’s death by praising him for “a life and
work in the service of a cause.” Cousteau became a crusader against marine
pollution and nuclear testing in the South Pacific and was regularly voted
one of France’s most popular men. He will be missed.
A fan
Kudos from the Internet
Sirs,
Thank you for providing us with an electronic version of the Pattaya Mail,
now I can stop nagging my friends to bring me a copy every time they pop
down to the coast.
I think the Pattaya Mail is by far the best English language publication in
the realm, the subject matter covered is of far more interest to the average
ex-pat and the writing style hits the mark (and the funny bone) every time.
Some may call it gossip, not I, I call it real life.
How about a book with some of the more unusual stories you have covered over
the years or perhaps an expansion to bring us Bangkokians some local news
Pattaya Mail style?
Well done, keep up the excellent work and once again thank you!
Steve Foster-Davis
Bangkok
Looking for a
pen-pal
Dear Sir,
I would like to ask your help in obtaining a lady penfriend from your area.
I have been twice to Pattaya and am fascinated with the Thai culture and
people. I am a lady of 59 years of age with many interests. I have just
retired from my job as a Real Estate Agent and would like to communicate
with a Thai lady with good English, as I do not speak much Thai. I would be
pleased if you could help me.
Yours Faithfully,
Pat Woodtli (pronounced Pat Wood Lee)
P.O. Box 576, Tweed Heads, Australia 2485
Editors reply; Over to you, readers.
Helmet logic?
Dear Sir:
This is in reply to Mr. Bjorn Falkenbrink’s letter regarding crash helmets.
I find Mr. Falkenbrink’s letter a bit illogical.
He complains that the driver and not the rider receives a fine for not
wearing a helmet. As with most motor vehicles, the person driving assumes
responsibility for the operation of the vehicle. If a motorcar drives
through a red light, in most countries the driver receives the fine and not
the passengers. The same rule is used for not fastening seat belts.
His citing of police for not wearing helmets seems to be illogical also.
Police may not be wearing them for a number of reasons. Police, as officers
of the law, are allowed to ignore certain laws if it necessary. If I used
Mr. Falkenbrink’s logic, I could ask ‘Why are the police allowed to carry
handguns whereas citizens are not?’
As to all the signs at the police station being in Thai, this is Thailand,
Mr. Falkenbrink. I assume you feel the signs should also be in English, as
it is considered the international language. If this was done, many tourists
who don’t speak English could rightly say it should be in their language
also. People of China, Russia, France and speakers of other official
languages of the United Nations would have a right to complain.
I am from an English speaking country, which has one of the highest rates of
tourism in the world. The signs in police stations are in English only and
the police don’t even attempt to speak foreign languages.
In most countries, ignorance of the law is not an excuse.
I’ll wager that the helmet laws are very strictly enforced in your country,
Mr, Falkenbrink and I’ll also wager that laws in police stations are not
posted in Thai or even Chinese, which is the most widely spoken language in
the world.
A Gainsayer
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