Editor;

In the ongoing improvement of Pattaya as a resort of international standard it sometimes is amusing to read the suggestions and comments made by the several interest groups in Pattaya’s society (i.e. beer bar owners, street vendors, beach vendors, PBTA, etc.). Everybody claims to know the answers to Pattaya’s problems, what is good and what is bad for the resort, what will bring tourists to Pattaya, and what will keep them away. They seem to know it all!

I wonder if the improvements and changes suggested by these groups are for the better of the resort or, in my opinion, only better for their own financial interests.

The recent front page story on the Jomtien residents and beach vendors protesting the improvements constructed along Jomtien Beach leads me to write this letter.

It is amazing to see what arguments they come up with. By creating proper walkways, a bicycle path and other improvements, in their opinion this is hurting tourism. Why? Because it is destroying the beach area’s natural beauty? Oh come on... Are the disgraceful plastic beach umbrellas natural? What happened a few years ago when the rather natural looking thatched beach umbrellas were replaced with the advertising-carrying plastic umbrellas? Was this not destroying the beach area’s natural beauty? As far as I remember, these beach vendors were all for it. Other resorts within the city, including the 5 star resort Royal Cliff Beach Resort, use the same thatched shelters to beautify their pool area, not to mention their great shadows used to protect sunbathers. Many tourists miss these thatched beach umbrellas on the beaches.

Maybe these vendors can see their own fate coming. By creating resting points, maybe there is a chance of enjoying a beautiful sunset, strolling along the promenade and utilizing the resting points instead of the awkward beach chairs provided by the beach vendors, without needing to pay anything. Something for free - that definitely has to hurt tourism and has to be campaigned against!

Congratulations to the Pattaya administration for building a promenade with resting points along Jomtien Beach. I look forward to strolling along it.

Yours faithfully,

Dear Editor,

We read James Donahue’s letter with interest and were at the time of the incident ourselves quite shocked that such an incident had taken place.

Rotarians in Pattaya are very proud of and dearly love the Rotary wheels that are displayed prominently at the roundabout. As a matter of fact we have been seriously trying to re-christen the circle to call it the Rotary roundabout. This would then be on everybody’s lips when they described the location.

As you already know, the management of the company that is dealing in crystals kindly offered to beautify the wheels with thousands of crystals, for which we were very thankful. This was something that was donated out of the goodness of their hearts and did in no way come from the clubs’ coffers.

We were also very shocked and sad when we discovered that one of the wheels had gone missing. We had to come to a decision and that was to remove them all for safekeeping.

But your letter awakened us to the fact that, yes we had ignored the situation for far too long and should have taken action much earlier. We traced the missing wheel to city hall. It may have been that the wheel fell off and some kindly person, realising it to be public property, delivered it to the Pattaya City Hall.

Rest assured that by the time this letter is published the Rotary wheels will be mounted back onto the ‘Rotary’ roundabout where they shall stay honourably and proudly as part of our community.

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to respond and clarify the matter.

Yours Sincerely,

Dear Editor,

Despite the few dissident comments voiced in these pages in the past, the Pattaya Gay Festival is in full swing and has already raised an appreciable amount of money for charity. In addition to the parade, which will take place at the end of this month, over the past few months there have been numerous fun-raising events, including tenpin bowling and football tournaments.

The original football competition was so popular that a second competition was organised and the finals were scheduled to be played on Sunday, 4th November. Sixteen teams competed in four groups (World Cup format) with the first and second placed teams from each group going forward to the sudden death quarterfinals. After losing their opening ‘group A’ match, the team from the Panorama Pub fought hard to finish second in their group and advance to the quarter final. When the full-time whistle blew, Panorama and Amor were locked in a 2-2 draw but Panorama’s determination helped them to a 2-1 penalty shoot-out victory: they were in the semi-finals.

The semi-finals were scheduled for Friday, 2nd November (Panorama v. Adam and Eve and Ambience v. Boyz, Boyz, Boyz). Just before 2 p.m. and an hour before the Panorama v. Adam & Eve game, Pattaya produced one of its notorious tropical rainstorms. Fortunately, the rain eased to a slow drizzle ten minutes before kick-off time. The Panorama team were there and ready to play but their opponents failed to show-up. By any normal rules of sporting competition, Adam & Eve would have automatically disqualified themselves and Panorama would advance to the final. However, it is reported that later that evening the owner of the Panorama Pub played host to a high ranking representative of Adam & Eve who apologised for his teams failure to turn-up for their scheduled match and asked that Panorama agree to the match being re-scheduled for Monday 5th November (the day after the scheduled final!).

The manager of the Panorama agreed to have the semi-final re-scheduled and his team, who had believed they were already in the final, were left wondering why they were playing for a bar whose manager did not support them.

It is true there was flooding on Sukhumvit after the rain, but as shown on TV, the traffic was still moving slowly. In any event, the flooding was, surely, ‘an act of God’. Perhaps the Panorama manager thought he was acting in the interesting of ‘fair play’, but fair play for whom - certainly not for his own team. After finishing nowhere in the first competition, the Panorama team fought hard to get to the semi-final. They did turn-up, despite the heavy rain. They deserved to be supported by their own bar management, just as Adam & Eve were supported by their manager who personally visited the Panorama Pub (not just a phone call), to apologise and ask for the re-scheduling.

Most importantly, there is (by bar worker standards) significant prize money at stake. (1st = 8,000 baht, 2nd = 5,000 baht, 3rd = 3,000 baht, 4th = 1,000 baht). As finalists, the Panorama team would have been guaranteed 5,000 baht and possibly 8,000 baht in winnings. Sadly, they have been demoralised by an unsupportive management. I hope that management will now do the right thing and guarantee (out of their own pockets) a minimum of 5,000 baht in prize money, win or lose.

Yours,

Dear Editor;

The temporary vegetarian restaurants which opened up during the vegetarian festival did great business. So why do they close down after the festival? Don’t they like to make money the rest of the year?

A few years ago the National Restaurant Association in America noted the growing demand for vegetarian food and urged restaurants to meet that demand.

While it seems a little progress has been made since I wrote my previous letters complaining about the lack of vegetarian food in Pattaya, most restaurants here have a long way to go. I guess they don’t like making money either.

Sincerely,