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LETTERS

  HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]: 
 
Every knew what they were doing

Major problem

Winebibber spot on

Retirees in Chonburi

Cleaning up South Pattaya

A tainted view of Pattaya

Reliving Pattaya through the Web

Complaints, complaints, complaints...

What’s the world coming to?

Everyone knew what they were doing

Editor;

The letter in the 18 August issue from “I am not a Ped” showed justifiable anger about what happened in Leo’s Palace. But at least part of the anger was misdirected. And he was completely mistaken about what the police did.

He said, “No arrest like this should ever stand up in a court of law. There are certain civilized rules to be followed in law enforcement. Anybody going into Leo’s with sex in mind would reasonably expect to not encounter a boy under the age of 18. Maybe there was an awful lot of temptation going on. A good lawyer would investigate this case thoroughly and demand fair treatment for their client.”

1) Of course the arrest would stand up. It had to be done this way. The police had been told (or for other reasons had suspicions) about illegal behavior. The police “cannot” make an arrest based on such suspicions. They did the proper thing and staked out the place until they observed the alleged violation and then made the arrest. This arrest is almost guaranteed to stick.

2) It is an unjustifiable assumption to say that the Brit didn’t expect to find an underage boy. First, Leo’s Palace had that “reputation” (according to Police and Pattaya Mail). Second, at least one other letter writer on 18 August had been approached outside Leo’s with an invitation for “young boys”. Third, there’s no way a 14 year old boy looked 18 to the Brit.

3) It’s true that Leo’s should be shut down and the proprietors prosecuted. But the Brit involved deserves absolutely zero sympathy. I hope he is prosecuted *IN THAILAND* and jailed *IN THAILAND* for a very long time.

Please sign me,

“Frequent Farang”

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Major problem

Dear Sir,

My word, my letter on the young hoodlums patrolling our streets seems to have created quite a stir, but if you leave these young tearaways to rule the streets then this is what will happen.

I am still shocked to find that nothing has been done to deal with these motorcycle riders. Just last night as I was on my way to have a tincure at my favorite watering hole (a marvellous place with such friendly barmaids, although I really do think they should have some sort of dress code for the staff, bathing costumes are fine for the beach but not really suitable for a gentleman’s club) I was approached by one of these fellows who seemed to want me to accompany him on his motorcycle for what purpose I refuse to speculate. A brisk tap with my walking stick soon dissuaded him, but how someone less experienced in intercultural relationships would have dealt with the matter I don’t know.

My dear wife, god rest her soul, would have given him short shrift. She had no time for scoundrels and wastrels, preferring to spend her free time offering solace and comfort to the other ranks and how they loved her for it. Many is the time she would return home with gifts of chocolates and nylons and her popularity with the men meant that there was always someone willing to buy me a drink at the club.

Happy days.

I remain, your obedient servant.

Major C. Petard

British Army (Ret)

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Winebibber spot on

Editor;

Winebibber’s quip about arts graduates and large amounts of money was spot on, except he was talking about liberal arts grads, not fine arts ones.

Liberal arts students learn about psychology, sociology, politics, etc., and are often doe-eyed and bleeding-hearted. Fine arts students study oil painting, sculpture and interior decoration and usually have a lot of money before they start because they know no one is going to pay them to do anything with what they learn after they graduate. They usually end up marrying wealthy patrons, watching “Style” and the art program on CNN and travelling to Paris to buy haute couture.

Regards,

Tony Kobine

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Retirees in Chonburi

Editor;

In your last issue, you mentioned Japanese retirees would need a million baht a year for twenty years to live in Chang Mai.

I have only lived in Pattaya for 2.5 months during a leave-of-absence, but unless you want to live like royalty, I thought you could do it for under 500,000 baht a year, easy!

Is it because of certain bank penalties and Gov’t tariffs (maybe both Japan’s and Thailand’s) that are coming into play in this scenario or what?

Thanks for your time...

Ken Clayton

Redondo Beach, California USA

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Cleaning up South Pattaya

Dear Sir,

I read with great interest your article concerning the arrest of Russia prostitutes in South Pattaya. Your paper seemed to indicate that the police are in the process of cleaning up South Pattaya. Are they really trying to curtail and stop prostitution in South Pattaya?

D. Haynes

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A tainted view of Pattaya

Editor;

I considered Peter Fernau’s letter for several days before drafting this letter. I can only conclude that his boundless enthusiasm for Pattaya and Thai people is at best naive and at worst downright dangerous. I would strongly recommend readers not to take his words too seriously!

Though good and bad people may be found anywhere, it should not be forgotten that for over 30 years Pattaya has been a world centre for sex tourism and prostitution. I am aware that many are working hard to change this image, but the fact remains that for decades Pattaya has been a magnet for single male tourists, desperate female Thais and a large number of unscrupulous business entrepreneurs. Make no mistake: Pattaya is about sex, money - and of course drugs.

From the superb shopping malls and top class hotels down to the small beer bars and restaurants, everyone’s income is derived from sex. Doesn’t this tell you something, Mr Fernau? Can you really believe that behind the facade of jolliness and frivolity lies true hospitality?

For the average 2 week tourist, as long as the cash keeps flowing, maybe. But step out of line Mr Fernau, and you will be taught some very harsh lessons indeed! Spend a little more time here, read the papers, open your eyes a little, speak to those with a little more experience than you then maybe you’ll begin to understand. I won’t even begin to say more as so much happens in Pattaya that you’ll never know about. Maybe it’s best that you live in ignorance.

So why are there so many tourists and permanent residents in Pattaya? Sure, they have weighed it up, decided what they want and found it right here. Like everywhere else, take the good with the bad. Thailand deservedly enjoys a worldwide reputation for its rich heritage and cultural traditions but this is hardly to be found here. Pattaya is a celebration of carnal delights. Do your thinking from above the waistline, Mr Fernau.

Finally, some of your observations are so outrageously wide of the mark that I can only surmise that you work for the tourist board.

David Rhodes, Liverpool UK

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Reliving Pattaya through the Web

Editor;

I just finished reading the latest notes on your web page. It was such a good moment to remember my old days in the Kingdom! For five years, I visited Pattaya at least once a month and stayed for one week each time. This was between 1987 and 1992. Those were the best, the happiest years of my career. At that time I was assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok.

Reading your articles brought many smiles to my face. I could almost smell the million smells of Pattaya in the night. I could almost hear the music, the motorcycles, the tuk tuks, the men and girls trying to get customers to enter the Baby a Go Go, and other bars; I could almost feel the smoke coming from the noodle stands; I could go on and on relating my emotions, but it would take too long.

I am so glad to have found you on the web. My earnest desire now is to return to Thailand once more before I leave this earth. I lived in many different countries, but only in Thailand did I find such great people and so much happiness.

Sawatdee Khrap

Oscar Tellez

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Complaints, complaints, complaints...

Sirs,

I think your newspaper is really good. The only disappointment is the letters’ page. All they do is complain. Don’t the lucky residents of Pattaya realise they are long term guests of Thailand and should accept that life is not run like at home? Pattaya is a great place and has a lot to offer everybody with their eyes open.

Regards

PD UK

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What’s the world coming to?

Dear Sir,

Thank you very much for printing the wonderful news that, according to the police, they are determined to keep South Pattaya a prostitute free zone. At first I thought this meant that South Pattaya was a zone for free prostitution and that the young Russian ladies had been arrested for daring to charge a fee, but I quickly realized that the absence of a hyphen between “prostitute” and “free” was merely a printing error. Or is it possible that the police want to maintain South Pattaya as foreign prostitute-free zone?

It was a relief to learn of the disappearance of prostitutes from South Pattaya because I was very concerned that I had encountered female, male and intermediate people of such dubious propriety during a short stroll I enjoyed two evenings ago along the Beach Road between Soi 13 and Soi Post Office. I was approached at lest twenty times by very friendly young (and not-so-young) persons who were anxious to attract my attention.

Thanks to the police statement, I now know that these were not ladies, gentlemen and others of the night but they were honest business folk who were probably trying to interest me in life insurance, or a timeshare condo or a new religion or something. Maybe they were freelance tour guides eager to show me the delights of the new squeaky clean South Pattaya?

On a totally different subject, I was astonished to see a car driver pull into the side of the road in order to use his mobile phone. What is the world coming to when people start to do stupid things like that?

Yours faithfully,

Oliver W. Minto

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