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LETTERS

  HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]: 
 
Empathy for baht bus drivers

Get a life out there

Unfair interest rates

Even more on baht buses

El Shaddai says a BIG thanks for the incredible efforts

Empathy for baht bus dirvers

Dear Editor,

It disappoints me when I read letters in Pattaya Mail complaining about baht bus drivers. I have stayed in Pattaya for the last six years and if I do not want to walk I ride on baht buses. For almost a year my leg was in a plaster cast from the foot to the top of my thigh and without the kindness of baht bus drivers I would not have been able to go anywhere. The drivers would if necessary ask other passengers to leave the front seat so I could get in and they would wait as long as necessary for me. I paid the going fare for a baht bus. They were and still are polite but it does not surprise me that they are nasty with people who try to treat them as inferior beings. Does it not occur to the people who think the baht bus drivers are cheats, or worse, that the feeling is mutual? The farang ‘Sickened’ and his superior snobbish Thai fianc้e should stay in Bangkok if they do not wish to lose face by coming into contact with normal Thai people who are trying to make ends meet by driving baht buses. They could then go any distance they wish for 31/2 baht on a BMTA bus, provided it was not painted white, purple or air-conditioned. They would probably have to risk life and limb dodging moving traffic to get on the bus third lane out, stand up for an hour or so and get off with filthy cloths.

In all the time I have been here, the fare has been five baht, but not for any distance. So here are some guidelines on fares. If one goes from Wat Chaimongkon market to the traffic lights on Pattaya Central Road the fare is five baht. If the ride is continued to the roundabout at Pattaya North Road the fare is ten baht and it goes to fifteen baht if one continues to Naklua. Other journeys of similar distance carry similar fares. However, these fares only apply when one stops a moving bus and gets straight in the back. By the way, no baht bus driver will ever give change to a farang, Thais yes, but farangs no, so collect five and ten baht coins for baht bus fares.

If one starts to ask about routes the driver will start to negotiate a taxi fare. The way to find out which way the bus is going is to hold out ones arm clearly showing the direction you want to go and if he or she (there are a few lady drivers) stops, the bus is going in the direction you want. Get in the back and go. If the bus does not stop, it does not mean that it is not going in the direction you want to go. The driver could have his own agenda. For instance, it could be Loy Krathong and he thinks it is only fair that he gets a taxi fare for working when his potential passengers are having a great time on the town. One time when I was in a taxi and ten drunken Russians on New Years Eve wanted to go to Ambassador City the answer was ‘not at any price’.

When my leg was freshly broken and my crutches were giving me hell, I had to go by taxi to my favourite Go-Go bar on Beach Road. The fare was 40 baht. It still is if I now do not want to walk for 15 minutes from the bar to my home, as forty baht is the minimum taxi fare. However, I pay only fifty baht from Wat Chaimongkon for a taxi to the bus station at the Sukhumvit end of Pattaya North Road, the fare agreed before I get in the taxi.

Most baht bus drivers rent their buses by the day. I think the rental is 300 baht and I believe they work for as long as it takes to make enough money to keep their families. There is no salary and if there are few passengers there is no food. If ‘Sickened’ had to work in similar circumstances he definitely wouldn’t be laughing, nor preaching Thai culture, Thai values and Thai honesty as these for any workman are secondary to the job being done. What he would be doing is hoping that people would treat him fairly and politely. He would be hoping that he could go home with enough money for housekeeping and not be so upset with farangs with bad attitudes that he couldn’t enjoy being with his family.

Yours sincerely,
Ivan Town

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Get a life out there

Editor;

I just cant believe it. Another baht bus letter. There must be somebody out there with a life...

Having arrived in Pattaya just 3 months ago, I now find myself an expert in the Baht Bus business. Mainly thanks to your wonderful and informative newspaper. But, enough is enough!

But hold on to your helmets (that should be strapped on) and watch out for those mangy stray dogs. I have the solution, in fact a number of them.

1) Don’t take the bloody bus if you don’t want to pay the thieving sods price. To hell with principles.

2) If your willing to pay 5 baht for bus fare, then surely walk the distance. It’s healthier, stress free and creates no problem to either driver or passenger. And after all, if the fare is only 5 baht, the distance cant be all that far.

3) Negotiate the fare before climbing on.

That’s one thing about Pattaya I have found since my arrival, very few talk about the weather, its Baht Bus, Baht Bus and maybe if your lucky a little more on the Baht Bus. Before we know it there is going to be a Baht Bus Complaints Department (or is that all handled through the Pattaya Mail?). Let’s go crazy and create a Baht Bus Commission of Enquiry. This will spend a lot of the tax payer’s money, create hundreds of jobs, and really fill the newspapers with the ongoing feud. This will really scare the hell out of visiting tourists.

As for “Sickened” in your last letters page, wow, he’s not coming back to Pattaya because of a 5 baht bus? All I can say is Getta Life, mate!

Who cares about the principle of it only being 5 baht. You either pay what they want or don’t jump on. It is as simple as that. Or am I missing something here? After all, and lets be honest here, if you had a bus, wouldn’t you do exactly the same?

Try getting on a mini bus in Africa. You would be lucky to have your watch when you got off.

So come on now, even I have fell into the trap of getting involved in this time consuming, holiday wrecking, soooooo stressful topic - the only bad thing about doing away with all these bus complaints - one will have to really think of something else in the “small talk department” when having drinks or dinner. Mind you there’s always the stray dogs or unhelmeted drivers.

I will send my solutions to these later. Till then,
Bob Lee, keeper of the 5 baht

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Unfair interest rates

Editor;

The following is a letter sent to Mr. Paul Mitchell, Representing the World Bank in South Asia:

Dear Mr. Mitchell,

On behalf of the many thousands of ex-pats working or retired in Thailand, I would like to bring to your attention the deplorable way we are being treated by the Thai Banks. For the past few months a common practice has been to pay “non-residents” an interest rate of only 0.5% or 1% on deposit accounts. Bangkok Bank advertised these rates on their website.

Due to currency controls it is very difficult to move money out of the country. In any case to renew a visa, proof of a large deposit account is required, and every day we watch our assets gradually eroding. We are financial prisoners.

When your bank helped Thailand through its financial crisis, I don’t think that it was expected that we ex-pats should make up the repayments. I am sure that this is illegal. I also think a condition of the loan was for foreigners to own property there. To my knowledge nothing has happened yet. Thailand needs investors, but who will invest at those rates?

We really would appreciate your views on the legality of this action and any help you can give us to recover our losses.

Yours sincerely,
Arthur Mason

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Even more on baht buses

Editor;

If you live in Pattaya for a long time, every day you will sit in the baht buses. Some drivers are very kind but many work like criminals, and the management do nothing. Everybody knows you pay in Pattaya 5 baht and to Jomtien 10 baht, but mostly they want more and are very angry if you not give more money.

After a long time staying here, they know me and don’t stop for me, because they know I will not give them more than 5 baht. I have many friends who have had problems - driving over their feet, not giving money back and they never have change, so you must always pay the exact price.

Sometimes I have problems. A baht bus will bring me to Jomtien, but will also have 2 boys (on board) who want to go to Bira Circuit, and at first he goes to the Bira Circuit. No problem but at the Bira Circuit he won’t go to Jomtien, only when I pay him 50 baht and that is mafia. Later I call the office, believe me I hear nothing again.

As a good service the Pattaya Mail made an announcement with telephone numbers so that if you have problems you can try all the numbers. But nobody can speak English, only Thai, so if you have problems, you call for nothing. If you have problems make a note of his car and go directly to the Tourist Police, that is the best way.

A. Deins

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El Shaddai says a BIG thanks for the incredible efforts

We are SO grateful!

Words seem very inadequate to express our appreciation to everyone who worked so hard on putting together the first ever “Canadian Jack-A-Lope Open” golf tournament. Never before has any group so taken on the task of helping provide for the needs of our special children’s homes with such vision, determination AND incredible results.

Our thanks to the organizers, corporate sponsors, personal contributors and golfers. Thanks also to Bob and Big Boy for providing a rare and much welcomed burger feast for all the El Shaddai kids.

The reports we’ve heard from others thus far about the Jack-A-Lope Open have put it as one of the best golf tournaments of the year and the sound of FIRST ANNUAL has a great ring. We look forward to working together with you toward a second event over this coming year.

El Shaddai Children’s Homes is a completely voluntary organization and depends on the personal “word of mouth promotion”. Your efforts have brought the needs of our children’s home to the attention of people we would have no other way of reaching and we’re hoping a ‘ripple effect’ will continue.

With deepest thanks,
Fred & Dianne Doell for Friends of El Shaddai

PS - If you would like more information on these unique children’s homes please contact: Fred & Dianne Doell at 249-491 or Al & Terry Purvis at 770-139.

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Copyright 1999 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand 
Tel.66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax:66-38 427 596; e-mail: [email protected]
Updated by Boonsiri Suansuk

Letters published in the Mailbag of Pattaya Mail will also be on our website.

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.