Promotions in English needed

Dear PM,

As an expat living, working, and traveling in Thailand since 1992, I have been witness to quite a few changes, good and bad. One thing, however, that doesn’t seem to change is the lack of proper signage and advertising on behalf of local governments and organizers that could help tourists and expats to better enjoy a lot of what Thailand has to offer.

A few years back I had the pleasure of participating in the Songkran Festival in Chiang Mai. There were numerous parades, shows, fairs and markets on the schedule but the schedule was posted only in Thai language. Now, considering that the events were highly touted in advertisements in Bangkok and the airport, along with an invitation to come to Chiang Mia to enjoy them, upon arrival there is nothing in the city to help you to know what is what and when and where it is to be held. My friends and I had a great time but we could have seen and enjoyed much more if we didn’t have to keep "stumbling" around the city in search of the activities.

Now I see the same type of thing recurring here in Pattaya. For weeks I have seen the profusion of billboards, banners and posters go up around Pattaya regarding the Pattaya Festival. Other than the dates and something about beach volleyball I have no idea what is on this year’s much talked about schedule. Now I am sure that you folks will be printing something, but if I am a tourist who does not know to look in your publication how am I to know?

I know this is a Thai holiday but so much revenue is generated from the farang market that it seems that something should be posted in English to encourage and assist them. After all, they have been invited here to join. Are they to be left to their own devices to see what they can find? Or is it not better to give them choices and direction which will only serve to create better participation, which in turn will help the Festival to grow year by year, and create more revenue and put more money into local coffers and business for much needed infrastructure projects? Just an observation.

Best Regards,

A Concerned Local

Thai spoken at international school

Sir,

I have just moved my eldest child from a good Thai school to a well known international school in the Pattaya area in order for her to get a good international education and to be more comfortable with the English language.

Unfortunately, now it seems all of her classmates and friends are Thai. In the school yard only Thai is spoken, which may be quite understandable. However, she tells me that during class Thai is the spoken language among the students. Sometimes they will give a funny response in Thai to the teacher, leaving all the students laughing, and the farang teacher much bewildered. Sometimes they openly discuss the teacher’s physical shortcomings.

I feel that Thai should be banned from class altogether, and if possible also from the school yard.

Parents pay enormous school fees and should at least expect an improvement in the children’s ability to communicate in English. I hope that international schools will heed this advice, otherwise it may be the time to consider sending the children overseas.

Signed,
A Concerned Parent

Not liking the new TAT locale

Dear Editor,

I’ve been invited to speak to students in a large prestigious private school in Toronto during my visit home next week. The topic, of course, is Thailand. So I went to the TAT office on Beach Road. However, it was in a state of disarray, for, I was informed, the office had moved. Could I go to the new office in South Pattaya tomorrow, April 1st?

This I did, but the staff there were not really ready to give out any information, pamphlets, or posters. They were having lunch at their desks. (Thai Air was a bit more accommodating.)

My question is: "Why was the office moved to such a remote place where only clients with great determination, or having private transportation, can access it?"

A walk up that hill will certainly discourage anybody from wanting to learn about Thailand.

Talking about accessibility; a mobility disabled person can not possibly ascend the many steps up to the lofty office. I understood that the new constitution guaranteed equal opportunity for all. The people of the Tourist Authority of Thailand haven’t got around to learning about that yet.

Sincerely,

John Boysen,
Redemptorist Vocational School for the Disabled

Re: After losing your passport...

Dear Sirs,

After reading "After losing your passport..." in your letters section, I would like to thank the German Embassy and the immigration office in Bangkok for the fast issue of a new passport. I lost my passport in Pattaya between Jan. 20th and Jan 27th this year. I went to the tourist police and filed the report, got a copy and had to go to the German Embassy in Bangkok. I paid 380 Baht there, got a new passport within 30 minutes and went to the immigration office a few blocks down from the embassy. I was a bit nervous because I already had 3 days overstay but this was no problem. Within another 20 minutes I had a valid visa in my new passport.

This is what I call "Amazing Thailand".

Regards,
Christoph

More on pronouncing Pattaya

Dear Sir,

While I agree with the main thrust of George Blount’s dissertation on the pronunciation of Pattaya, I should like to comment on a few details. First, polysyllabic Thai words do not usually have an intrinsic stress (like French, rather than, say, Spanish - let’s leave English out of this!); written Thai divides phrases, not words, and the syllable stressed will be determined by the context. Second, while the formal length of a vowel is crucial for the tone, short vowels may be lengthened if stressed and long vowels shortened if unstressed. These may not be the best examples, but most readers will have heard them: compare "hong nam" (bathroom) and "nam som" (orange juice) or "dai yin" (hear) and "mai dai" (cannot).

To return to Pattaya, the first vowel is unquestionably short - usually transliterated as "a", but sometimes as "u", especially when a college of yours on the Bangkok Post chooses to refer to a particular vegetable properly written "fak". The second vowel is invisible in Thai and the third is long. As far as pronunciation goes, all my local Thai friends put the accent on "tai" (south) (sorry!). My first Thai acquaintance (a prince no less, but over-westernized) uses the standard farang "PattAYa", which grates on my ear; but I have noticed that newsreaders on Banglamung TV put a distinct stress on the final syllable. So, how many English natives could go round a map of England with complete certainty? A good pub quiz?

Yours faithfully,
PCB Mitchell

Wheelchair in the Royal Garden Plaza

Dear Editor,

I’m reacting on an earlier letter written to you about accessing the Royal Garden Plaza with a wheelchair.

For what I know, you can easily access the plaza with a wheelchair. If you go to the parking garage you can take the elevator to all the different floors. I know that not all the stores are big enough for a wheel chair, but at least you are in the plaza. I hope this will help the man who has a problem with this. I also like to say that you have a very good website. Maybe I can visit you once I’m in Pattaya.

Yours Faithfully,

John
Amsterdam/Kanchanburi

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