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In need of a baht bus southern route
Sir,
I have been visiting Pattaya for the last 10 years as I have an apartment in a condominium towards the southern end of Jomtien Beach. In the early days it
was a major undertaking to get a baht bus to take me to the condo and I was charged quite horrendous fares. Over the years and due to more people staying in this area, things
have improved somewhat except on holiday weekends.
However, it still becomes a major problem to get a bus to take me and local people south, from the northern end in the afternoons. Could I suggest to
overcome this problem, that some buses are assigned to provide a service to the southern end of the beach, on the same basis as the buses that stop outside the school in
Pratumnak Road. If necessary, charge a little more for this service but make the charge consistent. There is plenty of room for buses to stop just around the corner on the
Beach Road. I for one would welcome this service and I am sure the local people that live at the southern end would also.
J Graham
Consideration for others
Dear Editor;
Re. the leading article in your 4th May issue concerning yet again the entertainment business community in Pattaya pleading for consideration to an
extension of the entertainment licensing hours. May I first of all take this opportunity to thank Pattaya’s finest for their concerted efforts in controlling the noise
pollution emanating from the girlie bars and karaoke lounges along Soi Buakhow. Since their involvement the noise pollution has drastically been reduced and these officers
are to be congratulated on their control. Long may this continue.
This leads me onto the lead article (continued on Page 3) of 4th May edition of Pattaya Mail and the plea for consideration from Precha Sanguansak
(chairman of the 200 Businesses Committee and the Owner of ‘X-Zite’ Disco).
I in turn would like to extend this plea to Pol. Col. Phadungsak Ubekhanon, to the Chonburi Governor His Excellency Sujarit Pachimnan and to the Banglamung
District Chief Khun Vichien Chawalit: before even considering the plea for licensing extensions would these gentlemen like to visit this disco establishment for themselves
and listen to the noise pollution emanating there from?
My sympathies are extended to the many Thai families who find themselves living in the four apartment blocks abutting this disco and the affect this must
be having on their health. Even with all my doors and windows tightly closed and curtains drawn I am still invaded by the noise and I live over 200 metres away!
May I say to Precha Sanguansak that ‘consideration’ is a ‘two-way street’. Before you can expect to receive any mitigating consideration would you
PLEASE give due consideration to your neighbours who are continually, night after night, bombarded by your music!
I am fully conscious that Pattaya is a fine tourist resort and long may this continue to be so, and I am not even averse to a licensing hours extension,
but I would like the establishment owners to ‘turn down the music’ after midnight at least, so that those farangs and the many working Thai people and their children who
are not night owls can enjoy the peace they once enjoyed.
I would very much appreciate a response from Precha and find out what he feels he owes to his neighbours. I write this not only for myself but for all the
residents of Diana Estate whose nightly slumber is disturbed by the pollution caused by this establishment.
To the members of the M.I. and the local authorities, please give consideration to the local neighbourhood and refuse any pleas from these businesses until
they can give cast-iron guarantees that their businesses will not affect the local community. I thank you for allowing me the opportunity of expressing my views.
Rodtoon, Pattaya
Why did Gabfai players focus on farangs?
Sir,
After eating at the part of Nang Nual Restaurant (that according to yourselves should not have been there), I walked up the road and watched the fascinating
show about child sex awareness. Unfortunately, there are two things that I cannot reconcile.
1. The Gabfai play had some prominently placed posters that described in English that the majority of child sex offences were committed by locals. Why then
was the play totally directed against farangs? Don’t get me wrong, I have a 3 year old daughter and I am totally against child sex, and understand that some farangs come here
for that purpose. However, it seems that the play’s constructors had only focused on the farang side of the argument.
2. While watching this play I was constantly approached by children of the ages of 4-7 to buy flowers/chewing gum etc. I was under the misapprehension from
your own editorial pages that police/social workers were trying to prevent this. Can you then tell me why the 5 policemen who were also standing there totally ignored these
young children trying to sell sweets, etc.? The time was 21:30, and as it was Monday, which was supposed to be a Buddhist holiday. Why then were people drinking at every bar I
passed?
Just another Farang who wants to improve Pattaya’s image...
Freddie
Blood boiling over release of HSBC pedophile
Editor;
I was so surprised about this news article: a pedophile was caught in the act of molesting 3 underage boys but he was released for unknown reasons. I think
the reason is clear: this filthy rich “mofu” has money and the boys are dirt poor. If we let people get away with this kind of behavior it will just go on and on. Sooner or
later the victims will be our loved ones. Don’t you think it is time for us to do something to stop this from happening again? We can make so much noise to get justice for
the kids, and whoever ordered for his release must be out of his mind. It makes my blood boil. Can we do something please? I do love Thailand and her people.
Very sincerely,
Ray
Not everyone wants bars to stay open late
Editor,
The ‘Bar closing-time saga rages on’ report (PM 4th May) managed to sum up how Pattaya’s progress is held back. We are informed that the leader of the
‘entertainment lobby’ Precha Sangunsak spent 60 million baht on a new establishment recently. The basis of this huge investment? That existing Thai law could be flouted
(presumably either with impunity or by payoff).
We were also informed of a Spanish contingent visiting the resort. I wonder what they would have thought if they had to ‘rest-up’ next to Mr Precha’s disco
but were unable to do it until 3 or 4 in the morning because of the foundations being shaken by the noise created?
Actually this contingent wonders why Pattaya is making the same elementary mistakes the authorities in Spanish resorts put a stop to decades ago. Mr Precha would
be able to have his way there and stay open until whatever time he wants to. He would, however, also have needed to site his establishment a good few kilometres out of town and
definitely NOT adjacent to a large established condo-block and other existing residences.
TC
Return “Kanchanaburi treasure” to rightful owners
Editor,
Further to the letter ‘Kanchanaburi treasure hunt’ posted by Eddie. I too would like to see the vast haul of gold and valuables the Japanese looted from
throughout SE Asia as part of Operation Golden Lily, returned to their rightful owners. It is known that a Gold Buddha head (from Myanmar) of over one ton in weight is even now
languishing in a bank vault in Geneva Switzerland. Other pieces are known about. The question is, why have they not already been returned, when in many instances it is known where
they were looted from? A lot of Japanese loot has been found in the Philippines. Unfortunately it was found during the time of President Marcos, and we all know how much money he
ran away with. A lot was (and maybe still is) used by the Japanese themselves to help in the rebuilding of their country after the war. How else did they manage to rebuild quicker
and better than any other country after the war?
I have to disagree with Eddie however, in his assertion that because these items were looted when the British were ‘in charge’, that the present Queen of
England should be the rightful recipient. Seeing that a lot of what was looted were gold statues and other religious artifacts (of a Buddhist nature), and given that these items
already belonged to various Far Eastern countries long before the imposed and unwanted British rule began, the Queen of England or anyone else in Britain are the last people to
have a claim to these objects.
Return them to the countries they were looted from. It’s a pity the Japanese can’t be shamed into doing the same, assuming they have anything left.
Simon
London, England
Hey there, Mott!
Greetings from Bangkok!
I’m an old codger working at an embassy here since the early nineties. Just in case you don’t get much feedback, I wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your
column in the Pattaya Mail “forgotten classics”. I don’t get the Mail very often, but when I do I enjoy your reminders of the good old daze.
Thank god Napster is still hanging in there. I was able, for example, to go out and download a couple of cuts off the Pete Banks album you wrote about some
months ago, which certainly recalled the glorious early days of Brit rock for me.
I was always a rabid fan of late 60’s/early 70’s rock, and especially the Brit “art rock” gangs, like Yes, ELP, Tull, and especially Genesis. I remember
when “Flash” showed up on the scene. I was living in Detroit at the time, which had a booming rock scene. In fact, in all the zillions of concerts I’ve been to, that concert
(Flash) was one of the two that I can remember actually walking out on, being so disappointed with them live (the other was “Heart”). Nothing against Banks, but he couldn’t
carry the show by himself and the rest of the band just weren’t up to his standard (eh, maybe they were just having a bad night). On the other hand, like many of us, there are
many things I don’t remember about those days.
Speaking of your nom de plume - one of my best loved groups was Mott The Hoople. I was thrilled to read recently that good old Ian Hunter is, in fact, hitting
the road this summer in the states as part of the Ringo Starr “All Starr” band, which groups together a group of fab players from the old days, and where all the players get a
chance to step forward and belt a few of the snappy tunes that made their fame. Man, I’d like to see that show.
I saw Mott in concert many times at their peak, and still can get to leaping about when I turn up One Of The Boyz, or Crash Streets Kids, or any of their large
repertoire of good rockin. Bloody oxygen tank gets in the way sometimes, but the spirit is willin.
I’ll be retiring next year, and am building a house down in Jomtien with me Thai bride. Perhaps I’ll run into ya some day - be a pleasure to purchase a
refreshing brew for you and lift it up one time for our wasted youth!
Cheers/keep up the good work
Bill
Updated every Friday
Copyright 2001 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
Chinnaporn Sungwanlek, assisted by Boonsiri Suansuk.
E-Mail: [email protected]
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