Dear Mailbag, The current moral crusade by the Interior Ministry will have no effect on the moral welfare of Thai youth or on drug abuse. The main effect is to line the pockets of the police. A very good Thai friend of mine owns a gay go-go bar in Pattaya which is totally “respectable” i.e. all dancers over 20 yrs of age, dressed in shorts, no lewd sex-shows, etc., and the bar closes at 2 a.m. on the dot. He tells me that the regular kickback to the police has gone up by 100 percent from 4,000 to 8,000 baht a time. Multiply this by the number of gay bars alone in Pattaya and you can see that the police are making a fortune. Bar owners have to pay up for fear that the police will trump up false excuses to have the bar closed temporarily or permanently if they do not pay. The Interior Minister and the Government would be far better off tackling police corruption than dreaming up cosmetic schemes to make them appear to be defenders of Thai morals. (But what chance of that when corruption is rife and endemic at the highest levels in the Land of Smiles). Siam Lover
Editor; A couple of weeks ago you ran an article regarding forming Thai companies and referred to the requirements that a certain number of shareholders and directors must be Thai nationality, etc. The information that was provided in the article appears to be outdated, and may be being perpetuated by some local lawyers and others who stand to profit by pretending that the old law is still in effect. In fact it was repealed Nov 24, 1999 and the new act came into effect 90 days later. As far as I can determine the following appears to be correct: A. The is no mention in the new act of required numbers a shareholders Thai or Foreign for a Juristic person to be registered in Thailand. B. The only criteria mentioned for judging whether a company is Thai or Foreign for the purposes of this act is the number of shares held by each. 1. if more than 50% up to 100% of shares are foreign owned then it is a foreign or alien company and subject to all the restrictions. 2. if 49% or less of the shares are foreign owned then the company is classified as a Thai company and has no restrictions. 3. there is a restriction (in certain industries) where the number of directors must equal two thirds Thai. 4. some businesses on List 2 may be permitted with as low as 25% to 40% Thai ownership Conclusion: It appears that it is possible to register a company in Thailand with 100% foreign ownership, and to do business provided the business undertaken is open to foreigners, and proper licences are obtained. Some businesses may be undertaken without permission (See List 3), some require permission, (See List 2), some are closed to foreigners completely (See List 1.) I have not addressed the subject of capital requirements, which also must be taken into consideration when establishing a company in Thailand. The above is subject to any regulation to the contrary which I am unaware of at the time of writing. Local Businessman
Soi Khaotalo is a dangerous road Dear Editor; Soi Khaotalo, north side of Sukhumvit near Lotus, is one of the busiest roads in Pattaya, used by increasing volumes of residents from a mounting number of housing estates along its way, heavy goods vehicles and other services required by the shops etc., that have sprung up along the Soi and villages further on.
The road has deteriorated to such an extent that it has large holes which vehicles fall into and soil covers parts which have been pushed down the Soi by rain water. The road receives no attention at all from any city services, no repairs, no cleaning, etc. The road is left to deteriorate at a fast rate. It is dangerous to use motorbikes as you have to jump all over the road in order to miss the potholes. Why is the road being ignored by City Hall? With the amount of traffic using it now the road needs widening and replacing urgently. It’s become an absolute eyesore for residents on the estates, not only with the road conditions but also the squatters that have erected stalls along it, causing even more problems with the traffic. You are met at the bottom of the Soi by a furniture shop which has corrugated sheets hanging from it, a danger in itself and a complete eyesore which should never have been allowed to be built. Traveling up, if it has been raining, there will be floodwater to get through. As there is no drainage it has subsided here due to water damage. You cross the railway line further up and then you have subsidence on an enormous scale. Everyone is weaving all over the road to avoid the deep holes. What can be done? Who is in charge of roads in Pattaya? Why has this gone on so long? I think the residents whose safety is in jeopardy deserve some answers. Thank you, Angry Residents
Editor: Grapevine suggests that tourists will find Pattaya too much of a bargain to boycott. Think again. As tourism suffers worldwide, Thailand is cracking down on entertainment, one of its major draws. For Americans, Mexico is a viable alternative. One of the disadvantages to having Thai newspapers online, (outweighed by the advantages) is that we can read weekly about the crime in Pattaya, things that I never thought occurred there with such frequency, and we can note the anti-American sentiment in the Bangkok Post. Ken Cady, New York
Throw them back to fight another day Editor; Your reader who wrote highlighting unnecessary killing of immature fish for the sole purpose of having a photo taken is to be applauded and supported. Haven’t these people heard the fable of the killing of the golden goose? These days conservation is a household word around the world yet the Pattaya Sports Club seem not to have heard it at all, to the extent that they actually supplied at great expense electronic scales so that these sportsmen, and I use the word loosely, can have their photo taken to show mother what they have caught. What a waste of fine fish. With a little care they could have been de-hooked to fight another day. The only person to gain from this senseless killing is the bar owner (the president of the fishing section who should know better) who gets a little free publicity and sells a few more beers at the weighing of the fish. Perhaps Mr. Carl Engel, chairman of the Pattaya Sports Club will let us know in this column why they encourage this catch and kill policy, or better still that the electronic scales have been returned and that they now fully support the catch and release of all unwanted fish as now practiced throughout the rest of the world. I also hope that the Pattaya Mail will also endorse this policy by refusing to publish such photos that do absolutely nothing for Pattaya or game fishing. John Wilson
Safety not an issue, but drinking past 2 a.m. is Editor; I wholeheartedly agree with Jim Gilmore in last week’s mailbag. As a single traveller, personal safety is not an issue for me, as I have no family to be concerned over. A few terrorist attacks or a bit of war is not going to change my travel plans one bit. The 2 a.m. closing time is another story though. Quite frankly, I have no intention of travelling to a country that decides I am not responsible enough to have a beer at 3 a.m. because they have a domestic problem with drugs and vice. Don’t worry though, I am sure for every single carefree, free-spending person like me put off, there will be another 2 scrimping families attracted. Oh, that’s right, what responsible family person would consider taking his family overseas at a time like this? R Hardy, Brisbane, Australia
Amused by letters about closing hours Dear Sir, I have read with interest (and no small amount of amusement) all of the letters in the past few weeks bemoaning the enforcement of closing hours at bars. I agree that it’s a silly law. I also agree that the closing will not have a significant effect on drug use and similar problems. However, I also fail to see how it “threatens life on Earth as we know it”. One letter writer went so far as to say that the ONLY (my emphasis) reason he goes to Pattaya is so he can drink 24 hours a day. As an American I have a lot of things to be thankful for. I guess one of those is that I can have a life that has sufficient benefits that it will never be so shallow that I would fly 8,000 miles just so I can drink after 1:00 a.m. In her column, Hillary responded to a question about where someone can drink without being bothered by girls. I think that her answer can also be applied to those who need to drink 24 hours a day. Where can they do that? Home. Or in their hotels. I will continue to come to Pattaya several times a year. And if I feel the need to drink all night I’ll buy a bottle and sit in the lobby of my hotel with my buddies and welcome the sunrise. Life goes on. Some people need to get one. Please sign me, “Frequent Farang”
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