Pattaya Mail — Letters

It is noticed that the letters herein in no way reflect the opinions of the editor or writers for Pattaya Mail, but are unsolicited letters from our readers, expressing their own opinions. No anonymous letters or those without genuine addresses are printed, and, whilst we do not object to the use of a nom de plume, preference will be given to those signed.

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Stay away from baht-bus #285

Editor:

I just returned from a most delightful and informative six day trip north of Bangkok to the Uthai Thani area where I was hosted by a long time Thai friend at the homes of her parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, siblings and friends. The welcome and friendliness I felt was truly amazing. Most certainly these country folk exemplify the true Thai feeling for visitors to their country. To a person, they were patient and courteous with my meager attempts to speak and understand the Thai language. I think everyone enjoyed our conversations in Thai/English mix.

After a particularly grueling bus trip from Bangkok’s Ekamai station back to Pattaya this afternoon, I wearily got into a baht cab destined for my hotel at the invitation of the driver. He proceeded to cram 14 more luggage encumbered souls into the confines of his vehicle before careening crazily across oncoming traffic, everyone hanging on for dear life.

Owning a motorcycle both here and in Bangkok I am fairly familiar with routes and traffic patterns. Much to my dismay, for some reason known only to him and a supreme being, he chose a circuitous route to his first stop adding at least 3 Km to the trip. During this meandering he passed within 200 m of my hotel but did not stop. Having become a proponent of the ‘mai pen lai’ philosophy during my 13 months in Thailand in the past 2 years, I shrugged to myself and accepted the fact I would arrive at my destination eventually. Not true!

After another 3 or 4 Km and 15 minutes of stop and go whilst other bus passengers dismounted, the cab was ~ 3 Km from my hotel. At this juncture I was the sole occupant with my three pieces of luggage. The driver then proceeded to lazily cruise in the general direction of my hotel picking up and dropping off occasional customers. Finally, when we were about half a Km from my hotel he stopped for more people. Exasperated, I knocked on the rear window, thinking he had forgotten me, and asked him to go directly to my hotel. He leaped from the driver’s seat, pointed his index finger at me and in a loud voice commanded me in perfect English "You, get out, now!" Shocked at this unfamiliar behavior, I obliged. I refused to pay him and suffered a barrage of Thai verbiage as a result. I trudged the remaining half Km to my hotel fuming, sweating and dragging my luggage.

Writing this letter helps me deal with my anger and disappointment at this rare experience. After some thought and a cold shower, I came to the conclusion that everywhere there are disagreeable and unpredictable individuals. In the face of countless experiences to the contrary my feeling for the genuine friendliness of Thai people remains unshaken. In New York or San Francisco this behavior is expected. In Thailand it’s shocking.

I would advise, however, if any readers of this tale are tempted to mount Baht Cab #285, think twice and choose another vehicle. The driver obviously doesn’t comprehend public relations or the need for Thailand to attract tourists - not drive them away. I’ve seen some outrageously and embarrassingly rude behavior on the part of tourists, particularly in Pattaya. However, that doesn’t excuse this behavior from one dependent for his livelihood on tourist patronage.

Sincerely a Thailand supporter,

US Expat Robert

A letter to TT&T

Editor:

TT&T never fails to amaze me.

Dear TT&T, I have been your customer for 18 months and have so far been honored four times by the personal attention you seem to bestow on me.

1) When I applied for a phone line, your office on Naklua Road did not accept my application despite my permanent residency papers (immigration and police book and house paper with my name/address in it) and sent me away with the notorious: ‘can not do’. Only when the competitor instructed your people to accept my application did I get the enrollment underway.

2) Half a year into being a proud owner of an own phone line, my bill amount tripled without just cause (am a single phone user). It took me over 2 months to sort out the mess. 2 1/2) Middle of last year you switched from 16th - 15th billing period to 6th - 5th. That threw me off only because ever since the triple billing I am keeping a list of ALL my calls ( = big discrepancy again) and I can’t read Thai as I assume an appropriate notification had been sent to me at one stage.

3) Three months ago I was cross-linked with another line and had the honor to receive their phone bills. The international call bill is still under investigation. It took you about 3 weeks to solve this switchboard problem.

4) Your newest gag was to give my number to somebody else and cut me off completely - happened yesterday. This problem was the easiest to solve as I only had to call myself and get all the info from the new owner of my number who is also an unhappy TT&T customer - needless to say he had made calls on my account. I may add I have always paid my bills within 5 days of receipt.

I ask you, TT&T, what is your next move to keep me up on my toes and when will you be ready to launch it? You have succeeded in making me look at your billing envelope with definite strong feelings and I am in a state of pre-shock attention when I open it. Let me tell you that I haven’t stopped keeping track of my calls, refuse to pay more than is rightly due, and that I will not feel neglected if you stopped giving me that very special attention. TT&T, I wish you never-the-less a Happy and resourceful New Year.

Yours faithfully,
A somewhat disappointed customer

Never a borrower nor lender be...

Dear Editor,
(I submit this) After reading in the English newspapers of a man from Birmingham who committed suicide after bringing his life savings of forty five thousand pounds to set up a bar in Pattaya with his girlfriend he met at a bar, he entrusted her with the money and she spent the money of trucks and motorbikes for her family. I this summer came to Thailand with a Thai woman from Northamptonshire who was once a bar girl and had lived in England for some fifteen years and myself knowing her for three years, I lent her seven hundred and fifty pounds for her holiday to which she promised to pay me back on return to England, thinking that after fifteen years in the West she could be trusted. Forget it! Certainly not feeling suicidal and the money easily recoverable, I have not seen her or my money since returning. Let this be a warning to future Romeo’s, before you trust a bar girl with your heart or your money, tread the water carefully and remember, "You can take the lady from the bar, but you can never take the bar from the lady."

David Ellis
Coventry, England

Continual monetary crisis

Dear Editor;

Thanks for not raising the price of your paper even with the current money crisis. But, have you considered that these prices are continually rising and falling for the consumer? Right now tourists are being gouged by hotels raising prices because of a devalued baht, but we are always being gouged because of the season, hotel occupancies, fruit and flowers availability, foreign products, service girl availability, taxis, ignorance of prices, nationality, farang vs. Thai, drunkenness, gold prices, rip-offs, etc. You name it. I couldn’t even get an air ticket to visit Pattaya at Xmas, but if I was able to, the price would have been double. This ‘crisis’ happens ALL of the time!

Now is actually a good time as the tourist tends to take advantage of the situation and spends more buying those things he normally wouldn’t. Maybe, those European tourists (Germans, e.g.) and Asians (India, e.g.) might even be willing to leave a tip for waiters who are normally stiffed; now THAT would be something! Anyway, this situation will soon pass as America will soon stick their big, fat nose in Asian business and change this tourist windfall and the situation will revert back to the normal ebb and flow where the consumer will again be at the mercy of "normal" fluctuations of price.

Jerry E. Schlotter

Don't stress just one incident

Dear Editor:

I would like to respond to the letter of one of your readers. In his article, Mr. X wrote regarding to an unpleasant incident with some bus drivers in Pattaya: "This nasty little incident will have a number of consequences. First, I will rethink my plan to buy a condo in Jomtien as a weekend retreat - I just can’t take the risk of being assaulted again, especially as my young daughter often accompanies me on my motorcycle. Second, as a senior journalist who is often asked his opinion of Thailand, I will have only more negative aspects to relate. Third, it can only widen the "them" and "us" divide between Thai and farang."

OK on the condo in Jomtien, this is his personal opinion and consequence out of the incident.

But, as a senior journalist, as he describes himself, he should well make a difference between this incident and his opinion about Thailand. Nowadays too many people tell their personal opinion about Thailand based on any bad experience, which can happen in any place on the world. Same with "Them" and "Us"... I am sure your reader has some Thai friends and he should be intelligent enough not to judge all Thai people by this.

U. Stobbe, Germany