HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Thai youth problems

Happy New Year from the Pattaya Expats Club

Better traffic law enforcement

A miracle has happened

Watch for hidden costs when buying furniture for England

Butt what about business in Pattaya?

Thai youth problems

Editor;

In my two months in Pattaya, I have just had the most frightening experience of my life. Walking from the Sawadee Hotel on Soi Buakow to Central Road a ‘gang battle’ erupted right around me. One of these outdoor pool halls that stays open all night. These young Thai men 16-17 maybe 18 years old began yelling and beating each other with pool cues, then it escalated and a few of the boys were brandishing makeshift machetes. As it spilled out into the street, one boy about 10 feet from my face, pulled a ‘handgun’, drew and aimed at another youngster.

What is going on here? Why are these teenagers allowed to form gangs and race around on their motorbikes all night long? By the hundreds? Don’t they have a curfew? Where are their parents? This is not some back street slum in Bangkok but a major tourist location?

The roads here are ‘not safe’. If this is the best the police can do than I need to write a formal letter to my embassy explaining tourists are not safe travelling alone here. Also, travel advisories will be posted all over the internet. This is ‘Thais’ ruining ‘Thailand’ and nothing else.

Peter Rutkowski

Happy New Year from the Pattaya Expats Club

Dear Pattaya Expats:

We at the Pattaya Expats Club wish you the very happiest of holidays and our hope all of your prayers, wishes & dreams for a New Year come true!

All Pattaya Mail readers are invited to come to the Pattaya Expats Club meeting the first Sunday in the New Year at Henry J. Bean’s for a fun and entertaining program with a large breakfast buffet and many new friends waiting to meet fellow expats like you!

There are always useful, important announcements affecting expats living in Thailand! You do not have to be a member of the club to come to the Beach Road breakfast buffet and expat program from 10 a.m. on. Anyone can join if you want to later. Up to you.

I, Drew Noyes, will be your MC and ask that you bring either a smile, a joke, a friend, an announcement or a question for our open forum! Thais are always welcomed and we are honored to have your significant other attend with you.

The direction of the Pattaya Expats Club for 2003, any change of venue, program, speakers and an explanation of what our club really is and what is our stated purpose will all be discussed. Time will be set aside for you to chat with old friends and get to meet some new expats from your country or of other nationalities.

This club is for all of us in Pattaya. We want you to enjoy yourself, learn something and to contribute any knowledge you wish to share! Expats helping expats without any B.S. or commercialization!

Again, all the best for the New Year and until I see you next Sunday!

Sincerely,

Drew Noyes

Chairman

Pattaya Expats Club

Better traffic law enforcement

Editor:

In response to “Mark” who wrote in about better traffic law enforcement, I would like to raise a couple of points. I have lived here in Thailand for 22 years, and have seen the change from few private cars, to lots of pickups, to lots of private cars. Throughout this change there have always been lots of motorbikes. To blame motorcycle accidents on middle-aged foreigners trying to recapture their youth is probably the most insane statement I have heard for quite a while. Yes, I agree there are people hiring V-max/Virago/shadow/Harley, etc., that are way too powerful for them. I have witnessed it.

Lets take a look at that statement “getting on machines that are beyond them.” Ring a bell? This generally applies to 70-80% of Thai’s who get on any bike. In general the training they received for riding a machine that can propel them at up to 100 MPH is zero. They learned the way most people here did, by getting on it at age 10 and taking sister to school, (pop out to Banglamung and look at all the underage kids riding motorcycles).

What happens here is most farangs who stay a while observe Thai driving habits and follow them. They are not consciously breaking the rules they are just following the local trends. If Thai’s followed the road laws here (very familiar to most Brits as their laws are lifted from the British traffic laws almost verbatim) then maybe the tourists would.

In 22 years here I have seen 7 motorcycle accidents involving farangs and countless hundreds involving Thais. The simple fact is that there is virtually zero enforcement of the laws that are on the books. Helmets, merging with traffic, turning onto a major road, illegal U-turns, overtaking on the inside, making 5 lanes out of 2 at junctions, obeying traffic lights, conforming to clearly posted traffic symbols; we see this every day and watch the police do the same thing.

Instead of making a bit of money off the occasional no-helmet bust or driving in the left lane ploy (incidentally this is NOT illegal in Thailand), why don’t the police enforce the existing laws and make a small fortune? It’s simple, most policemen don’t really know what the laws are anyway.

Why do “most” foreigners break the rules? Because they know how to drive, they had to pass a test and after watching the chaos which is Chonburi traffic they generally go with the what’s good enough for the goose method of driving. Until Thailand enforces the existing laws (which are more than adequate) on its own population then you will not see a corresponding response from generally law-abiding foreign tourists.

To answer another of your uninformed comments there are strict speed limits in Thailand, for instance on a dual carriageway within city limits (i.e. Sukhumvit Road from Naklua all the way to (and past) Lotus south the speed limit is 60 KMH, pop out there tomorrow “Mark” and count the vehicles adhering to this, then count how many are overweight balding foreigners on powerful motorbikes with a 19 year old cutie on the back... Wow, surprised? You should be.

Regards,

Freddie Clark

A miracle has happened

Dear Sir

A miracle has happened! All along the top end of Jomtien Beach Road Soi 5, where formerly disgusting piles of discarded rubbish were to be found, someone has cleared the rubbish away and planted two magnificent lines of very attractive palm trees. Whoever did this should be given a gold medal and a letter of appreciation from the mayor of Pattaya, even if it was the work of our illustrious city council itself. Keep up the good work!

Now how about the rubbish, which is sometimes irresponsibly burnt, strewn around and down a well on the large plot of land to the left of the road from Jomtien Market up to Jomtien Hills Resort? Can someone turn this into a beautiful park or enclosed forested area, and stop the disorderly rubbish strewers, and moreover win a second gold medal? Let’s hope so.

Yours faithfully

Observer

Watch for hidden costs when buying furniture for England

Editor,

I visited Pattaya in July and enquired about a coffee table at (a local furniture export shop) as I had seen these tables on previous visits.

I was given a price which included insurance and shipping and told that it would be delivered to Manchester UK, where I would collect and pay any VAT and Duty required.

I eventually received another invoice from UK Agents for Port Duty for Southampton of ฃ291 for unloading the table in UK plus another ฃ160 for VAT and delivery to my home address.

I wish to point out to other tourists to be careful when purchasing such goods as to the hidden costs that they will not be told about when making a purchase as it could easily double the original price that may be paid in Thailand.

Thank You,

Tony Blaydes

Butt what about business in Pattaya?

Editor;

The Thailand Government has imposed a complete ban on smoking in indoor air-conditioned restaurants, under the 1992 Non-Smokers Health Protection Law. As of the 8th of November 2002, owners and managers nationwide have been forced to prohibit smoking in all air-conditioned sections of their restaurants. Stickers and signs must be put up around the premises, stating the law, and warning customers that they could face a 2,000 baht fine if found breaking the law. The establishment could also face a fine up to 20,000 baht, if a customer is found smoking. Hefty punishments, for a regulation that has not been clearly declared by the government.

There are mixed feelings regarding this new law within the local business community. Mixed feelings regarding the impact it’s going to have, on businesses and on tourism in general, whether it will be enforced, and what exactly the law states. Many unanswered questions still remain. The government has not officially notified any restaurants or pubs, as to what the rules consist of. The only source of this information is through television and newspapers. It has been more than a month since the regulation has come into effect, and not a single government or police official has inspected local businesses. No raids have been made, no checks have been done, and no fines have been issued, nothing! Is this another case of what Pattaya is becoming so famous for? Laws that are not being enforced. In March 2002, City Hall made it mandatory for riders as well as passengers on motorcycles to wear helmets. If you look around the city today, you will see many riders, including police, ignoring this law. There is no shortage of police to enforce it, but only a lack of concern on their behalf.

Similarly, many restaurants have decided to just disregard the smoking ban and allow smoking inside their premises. The police have not followed up this move by the government, so these restaurants can do so freely. The businesses that are following the rules are actually losing customers, because heavy smokers are choosing to dine where it is allowed. Is this any incentive to abide by the law?

Some restaurants were lucky to have the appropriate facilities to be able to adjust, and provide an outdoor section for people wishing to smoke. Others were unable to do so, and are forced to turn away customers wishing to have a cigarette with their meal.

Although many managers feel hard done by, many feel that this is a positive move for Pattaya. “I think this is a positive move by the government, it should be compulsory. It’s a good idea to divide smoking and meals”, said Jaap Klasema, manager of the Flamingo Hotel and August Renoir Restaurant. Once again, some restaurants have been able to cater for the sudden changes, because of existing facilities.

A restaurant manager in South Pattaya brought an incident to my attention. He said that early one morning, 4 gentlemen were seen smoking inside an air-conditioned coffee shop in the area. No-Smoking signs were clearly put up around the premises, but the staff couldn’t do anything about it. Why? The men sitting around smoking were uniformed police officers! What happened to the police leading from the front? It is pretty clear that the police are supposed to uphold the law, not break it.

Will tourism be affected in any way? Pattaya relies heavily on tourists; it’s the city’s major form of revenue. With ‘high-season’ in full swing, this law has left uncertainty in business operator’s minds. How will tourists react when they come to Pattaya for their holiday, and are not allowed to smoke inside any restaurants?

Nobody knows for sure what the impact will be and who will suffer the most. Some say that this smoking ban won’t affect tourism directly, but it will be “another restriction” to Pattaya’s name. Many foreigners have complained recently about issues such as bars closing at 2 a.m. and no alcohol being served on selected days of the year, such as election days. Will tourists decide to visit other South East Asian countries, where restrictions such as these do not exist? These questions will only be answered in time.

Akshay Singh

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