Expensive manicure

Dear Editor,

Having visited Pattaya many times in the past as a tourist, and always believing and seeing for myself the many attractions Pattaya holds for the adult tourist in particular, for myself the most important factor is value for money (being working middle class from England. Yes it is true not everybody is rich outside Asia). Some examples being, just naming a few amongst many, eating out, having a drink, the cinema, sporting activities, jewelry, fashion clothing, leather goods, accommodation, baht taxi, and motorcycle, etc., the list just goes on forever (apologies to any business or persons whom give value for money that I have failed to list).

Albeit, getting to the crux of this letter I and my girlfriend visited Jomtien Beach on Friday 16th April which I have done many times in the past on previous visits to Pattaya. Having us both sit down in a couple of deck chairs, going on to order food and drink from one of the many vendors who approached us. As usual the food was very good and of course the price was spot on (150 baht inclusive food and soft drink).

After eating, we were approached by two Thai ladies offering to give myself and my girlfriend a manicure. Being told that our nails needed attention (basically needed cutting, hands and toes). I myself not taking a lot of notice of the ladies gestures at the length of my nails (having my head stuck into the Pattaya Mail), I finally relinquished to their endeavors as a potential customer/customers. My girlfriend agreed to have her nails done also. Never having my nails cut by another person in the past, I had thought to myself it would cost between 50 and 100 baht each - maximum!

What a shock I was in for 25 minutes later when asking the robbers/thieves how much I owed for both nail cuts. It was gestured to me by way of fingers the number 8. I believed it must be (eighty) 80 baht each, 160 baht in total. Fair enough, I thought. Going to pay them what I believed I owed them, I was given a scouring look and told in no uncertain way, No! 400 baht each - 800 for 2! After a bit of conflict which was getting nowhere, I paid up, one telling me in pigeon English all lady charge 400 baht at Jomtien for manicure.

I know a lot of your readers, if not all, will be saying to themselves, I broke the golden rule, which is always ask for price first, no matter what. Well, for what it’s worth now, your readers would be and are 100% right. I broke the golden rule, but even with hindsight who would have ever dreamt a basic nail cut (manicure) would cost 400 baht per person?

When I think how hard with long hours Thai people have to work to make a living and survive, it angers me to learn that by cutting nails some are earning of £13 sterling per hour.

No, I won’t be getting mine or anybody else’s nails cut again. Certainly not at 400 baht a shot. As for spending a day down at Jomtien Beach, yes I will return in time, after a cooling down period, not wanting to miss the fun, enjoyment and value for money that Jomtien gives daily.

As for the 2 bad apples (manicurists?) go find some other mugs. Hopefully you won’t find any after this letter circulates! Who knows, one day they may have to make an honest living doing something else, like most of us!

Yours sincerely,
Garry Sak Dundee

Upset about restaurant’s seating practice

Dear Sir,

A bit out of the way, on the way to Jomtien, in the middle of a pleasant garden, you can find a rather exclusive restaurant. Twice before I was there and each time my way leading to the upstairs restaurant - 30 steps - was obstructed by a waiter asking the same question: "Did you reserve a table?" Yes or no reservation is not relevant; you are requested to go down again and wait in a dimly lit bar where you are supposed to order an expensive drink. No sooner than the drinks arrive, you are requested to climb the stairs - still 30 - to be seated in a totally empty restaurant.

This time, knowing what was coming, we refused to go down and wanted to take our seats in the as usual empty restaurant. A junior waiter, however, insisted in a rather direct manner that we should go down and wait. We had no intention of doing so and the waiter had no intention of changing his attitude. My guests, 5 in total, all well traveled westerners, where highly upset about this argument, originated by a minor.

We decided to leave and go to another, more hospitable restaurant - Food Fair in the Walking Street.

At that moment, out of the blue, a lady appeared asking what was the problem. We told her that the waiter was our problem. The youngster had the cheek to shout: If you don’t like it, you better go.

The lady then explained that this was Thai custom and culture!

No way, dear lady. Firstly, we are guests and like to be treated as such. Secondly, what has rude treatment to do with Thai culture? You are insulting the fantastically friendly Thai people. Thirdly, we’d like it to be known you missed approx. Baht 3,000 turnover.

Sawadee,
Hub Noldus
Netherlands

Extremely noisy neighbors

Dear Sir,

We are a couple from the U.K. making our second trip to Pattaya and it certainly will be our last. We stayed on Soi Buakhao in a guest house near the festival grounds. There was a giant set of speakers about 30 meters from our apartment door. The bass volume was turned up so loudly that everything shook in our apartment. We could not sleep even with ear plugs and under pillows. We called the police and city hall many times but no one would do anything. The tourist police even refused to come to our apartment to see how bad it really was.

The noise of the pounding bass would go on until 4 or 5 a.m. and began to make us ill. Many of our neighbors - Thai as well as tourists called to complain, but to no avail.

We finally checked out and went to Bang Saen which is far superior to Pattaya. We will never return to Pattaya again.

We have made or views known on the internet as have many others and I’m sure someday the Pattaya tourist authorities will wonder where all the real tourists went. We have never seen such inconsideration of the general public as we experienced in Pattaya and we travel a great deal.

Mr. & Mrs. M. Breckinridge,
U.K.

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