More on baht buses.

Dear Dr. Corness,

I was pleased to see your piece on how to handle the Baht Buses; it was entertaining and mainly to the point. There are, I’m sure you know, some aspects that you haven’t covered, and I would hope that some week you would put in another piece on "Advanced Baht Bussing".

One is that although I agree with the "No Speak" Rule, there are times when a bus is approaching a junction, and it is essential to know which way it will go. Such cases exist around the 2nd Road/Center Road lights. I often catch a bus outside the Thai Framers Bank in Center Road, and want to be sure it will go the way I want, either straight down to Beach Road for South Pattaya, or along 2nd Road towards Naklua: how do I do it? I point! As soon as the driver indicates with his direction light that he is going to stop, I point the way I want to go; similarly on 2nd Road, at the bottom of the Soi which contains the police apartments, opposite the back entrance to the Merlin Hotel. I want to know the same thing, left or right, for totally different places, and again, I point, as soon as I see he is willing to stop, which fewer of them are on that nice straight road, which way I want to go, if possible in time to avoid his stopping when he doesn’t want to and I don’t want him to either.

Another problem is the driver has kindly stopped to allow me to board his empty bus, and maybe has even seen my pointing finger! 100 metres along the road he is flagged down by a gaggle of teenage Thai ladies, who negotiate a party rate to some point right off my route, and within minutes he has turned down a Soi. What to do? Personally I get off, walk away and find another bus; I don’t think he should be paid, especially as I would only pay 5 baht, and the ladies will pay him more than that.

Not too different is the driver who short cuts, just because there is a lone Farang on board. This is very common with a bus coming along 2nd Road from South Pattaya and approaching the same lights, but from a different direction. He will often, without any dialogue, turn left, with the idea of getting rid of me so that he can come back to the South Pattaya area and pick up more than a solitary fare. What do I do? Get off and pay, and if needed get another bus? Get off and pay as it is only 300 metres home, walk it - after all he doesn’t know I only have this short distance to go? No. I do neither of these things, nor - now, having once been threatened with an iron bar, do I just walk away, as I used to. I go to him, and regardless of his knowledge of English (usually better than they will admit) I tell him that I wanted to go to Pattaya Nua, and that if he will do a U-turn and take me home properly, he will be paid, but I will not pay for one journey in two 5 baht coins! Then I walk off.

Sometimes, to avoid the boredom of waiting for the lights, the driver will turn off at the last Soi before the lights. I think this is a bit too blatant, so in such case I get off and find another bus, without any dialogue.

Happily the fourth alternative, which used to be, while waiting for the lights, for the driver to stick his head round and say, "Where you go?". I used a vague pointing in the general northerly direction for this case, whereupon a wicked grin would appear on the visage, and the words "Forty Baht, OK?" would be mouthed. There was no answer to that but to alight quickly and get on any nearby bus that seemed to be likely to go the right way. He then didn’t get 40 baht, he didn’t even get 5.

I think it is difficult to pick up a bus just anywhere and hope it will go to Jomtien for you, for just 10 baht, as "Where you go?" is likely to be asked somewhere with you actually on board, and then it is harder not to speak! In this context, I believe you to be right where the intention of the white stripe is concerned. Today I made a journey into Naklua, then one further along to the lights at Sawang Fa Road, and finally all the way to the bottom of my Soi, and not one had a white stripe.

It is therefore worth mentioning the small queue of buses which stands at all hours near the South Pattaya Road lights, just at the end of the school playground. These are happy to take you to Jomtien for 10 Baht, but you may have to wait a while until there is a full load. Coming back, they all seem to go along 2nd Road as far as you like and still only want 10 Baht.

The place where the system has so far defeated me completely is at the Air-Con Bus station in North Pattaya. I have had so much trouble here that I always go to and from on a motorbike taxi. They tell you the wrong bus, and finish up who knows where. They always start "Name Hotel?" as though we all lived in hotels, and then say they don’t go to apartments. I used to try to get them to take me to the bottom of my Soi opposite the Merlin, but even that was too much trouble. If you know all the answers here, too, do us a small piece and tell us all about it.

Lastly, I have it from a Pattaya Old Hand that, officially, the 5 Baht fare is applied all the way into Naklua, from South Pattaya Road lights through to the lights at Sawang Fa Road, but not beyond in either direction. I have made it stick, once or twice, but it all seems too much trouble and is not too unreasonable to pay 10 Baht for this quite big distance.

I enjoyed this article very much and I’m sure others will have done so too. I am no motorist, now that I have quitted the UK, as I swore that I would never, ever, drive among these lunatics, so most of your pieces go straight by me!

...By the way, one of the ways to enjoy real Thai kindness from these drivers is to carry a stick! I had to do so for a time and was tempted to do so for ever!

Best wishes.
Yours Sincerely,

John D. Blyth

Tiny dwelling?

Editor,

An excerpt from your online "Classifieds" which amused me: P620/31-32/ For rent: Studio, close to beach, 4 sqm. excellent furnished, European kitchen, marble, sea view, Baht 15,000/month. Call Winni 710 636, 01-630 1385.
A whole 4 sq.m.? I know small is beautiful, but...
Keep up the good work - I never miss an issue (apart from reading the real thing when I’m lucky enough to get to your part of the world).

Regards

Roy

Responding to Planet Pedophile.

Dear Editor,

I would be very glad if you could publish this letter in your next issue. It is not acceptable to let people like Mr. Bob, who do not mind having sex with 8 year old girls, live in this country and I am sure that this will not be the only letter in respond to this sick person! Thank you!

I can not believe that you really mean what you were writing, you should pray to god that the police will not locate you because you would go right to Chonburi Prison! It is a very serious crime to possess pornographic material of underage girls and I hope that your friend will receive the highest penalty for this crime! People like you should buy a ticket and get out of this country since you make it hard for all honest "Farangs" to live here!

You seem to have no idea about Thailand. I live in Bangkok since 16 years and I assure you that it is the most stupid thing I ever heard that most girls have their first experience with the other gender in form of a rape. You may not really know what you are talking about, but people like you are insane and sick anyway! Do you think that it is an excuse that the girl did allow to take the photos or to have sexual relations with a dirty old man? They do it for money since they see how sick some "Farangs" but also some Thais are, but I assure you that it has nothing to do with love or anything like that!

Coming to an end, I did make a copy of your letter and Fax it to a friend of my wife’s father who is a high-ranking police officer, one day they will find you and you will join your friend in jail for a long time. You said it yourself, you had sexual relations with 8 and 10 year old girls, that is a very serious crime! I am also sure that the Pattaya Mail will hand over your letter to the police since they are a respected newspaper and will not tolerate such a behavior!

Enjoy your jail term!

Mag. Peter Ellert, Bangkok

“Mr. Bob” should join friend Jeff

Dear Editor,

I write with reference to a letter "Planet Pedophilia" written by "Mr. Bob" in the Pattaya Mail last week. I must confess that I am disturbed and astonished by the fact you would see fit to print such a letter which has been written by such an obvious pervert as "Mr. Bob". It is hardly surprising that he uses a nom-de-plume.

Any normal being must agree that "Mr. Bob" is truly a sick person and it seems only a matter of time before he joins his friend Jeff behind bars. It would be gratifying to learn that the Pattaya Mail would cooperate with the Tourist Police to hasten his demise.

Mr. Bob’s letter content is without doubt twisted and deranged and one assumes compatible with his depraved character.

Pattaya and the rest of Thailand would be well rid of "Mr. Bob" and if he cares to submit his name and address then perhaps his visit to his chosen planet could be arranged.

What probably accentuates my anger and disgust is the fact that I have four young children in my care and I would feel much easier if "Mr. Bob" and his degenerate entourage were removed from the scene.

Free speech is sacrosanct but the Mail does not do itself credit by allowing such a creep space in your newspaper.

Yours faithfully,

John Hopkins

Need beach access

Dear Editor,

I go to the beach to relax and to swim. But it’s difficult for us to go down to the beach because we use wheelchairs. We can’t push our wheelchairs on the sand. I think they should have places for disabled people. Why doesn’t the city build a place for disabled people? Because in Pattaya City there are a lot of disabled people.

Thank you very much. Mr. Chamnan Rodreungrit

Get rid of police gangsters

Dear Sir,

I have just read your account on the brutality inflicted on the young Danish tourist by the Pattaya Police Department. How these people can destroy Thailand is beyond me. I would like to congratulate the Tourist Police on their timely assistance, "which may have saved the man and his girl friend their lives," and made the public aware of what was going on.

How many more similar cases happen that we never hear about? I just hope that the Police Commander has the clout to get rid of these bad apples and their fellow officers who did nothing but assist while the tourist was beaten up, his arm broken, forced to pay a large sum of money for spurious damages and almost immediately deported before the muck hit the fan.

Perhaps you will let us know through your columns the outcome of this case, and why were two prominent bar owners forced to leave Thailand quickly. Pattaya’s life’s blood is its tourists and entrepreneurs, they must be protected from these gangsters who use the power of the King’s uniform to threaten and extort.

Birmingham John

Cyprus

Happy 5th!

Pattaya Mail,

My warmest congratulations on your 5th anniversary. Allow me to extend my best wishes & continued success to you in your crusading efforts for a better Pattaya.

God bless & best regards,

Imtiaz Muqbil