HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Double plagued

Hotel fire safety

Congratulations

Congrats on a fine paper

It’s not easy being a Pattaya pedestrian

Be cool and just roll with it

Jesters do it again

Double plagued

Editor!

May I respond to the letter from the sign “Tom Pinder”/Pattaya Mail, 5 Sept., where he is arguing in response to my letter of the 22 Aug., and Michael McGovern’s letter of the same date?

Even though this letter seems blurred and confused as to the relations between purpose, cause and reason I may reasonably take it as if this letter suggests that my letter or McGovern’s was about “absolute triviality”, as Mr. Pinder expressed it.

May I ask Mr. Pinder or anybody else who is confused in these matters if it is just an absolute triviality if in a society it prevails an attitude that it is right or less deprived morally or criminally to behave dishonestly to foreigners, on an assumption that they are all too rich and fair game to corrupt, criminal and immoral behavior? Is the difference between fair play, law and order, safety and simple universal honesty just “absolute trivialities” for Mr. Tom Pinder - if so, I hope that it may stand for him alone!

Mr. Pinder’s reasoning about the difference between paying 5 or 10 baht for the ride along Beach Road or anywhere else is definitely built upon his own prerequisites as being a wealthy tourist for one or two weeks. His ethnocentricity shines through by not knowing that it’s a BIG difference between 20 or 40 cents or 5 or 10 baht - namely double - for people in general and especially for all people living in this country. Most people living here are actually subjects to the relation between wages and prices - maybe unbelievable for Mr. Pinder? Has Mr. Pinder no conceptions about mathematics? Then, Pinder, there are actually westerners living here, burdened by relatively low incomes on the one side and a heavy situation on the expenses side. There are westerners here heavily settled down with responsibilities for their family - wife, children and grandchildren, like in my case. Can you tell me, Mr. Pinder, where we should go next?

Many of the letters like Mr. Pinder’s looks like they are founded on a presumption that everybody in this world is a vagabond! Mr. Pinder’s reasoning that if people’s budgets are that tight, they should seriously question whether they should stay at home or live in a place they can afford, tells - at least me - a lot of the intellectual and spiritual standard of Mr. Pinder.

Then Mr. Tom Pinder soars out like this: “try living for a day on what a baht bus driver takes home. That should put it in perspective.” I would suggest that it is Mr. Pinder’s perspectives that are grossly distorted. He needs new perspectives on these matters. Foreigners/westerners/farangs living here would for instance simply like to have a safe, reliable, foreseeable public transportation system. Just one where you pay for where you are going, get a receipt, you get there and you get off without somebody harassing you, cheating you, threatening you, insulting you, etc. - just like in Bangkok, Phitsanulok, Nakorn Ratchasima! Why is that so impossible just in Pattaya? Could you put that into your perspectives Mr. Pinder? Or is it just trivialities?
Thank you,
A Double Plagued BB Traveler

Hotel fire safety

To the Editor of Pattaya Mail and Suchada Tupchai;

I was very pleased to see the article in this week’s PM about the Grand Sole Hotel’s fire training seminar. As a retired fire department officer and frequent traveler, I am acutely aware of the lack of fire protection in most of the hotels in Asia and I applaud any hotel management who takes the safety of its guests into consideration.

I do understand that the protection systems that we take for granted in the US such as sprinklers, smoke detector alarm systems, enclosed stairways and exit lighting, come with high price tags. The emphasis on Asia hotels seems to be beauty at a low price. Materials that do not give off toxic fumes when burning, or carpeting that self extinguishes, definitely cost more than bargain materials.

In the late 1990’s there was a multiple fatality fire at the Royal Jomtien Hotel. I recently visited that refurbished hotel and was happy to see that they included fire sprinklers in the renovation project (at least in the common areas that I observed). Why is it that safety systems always seem like such a good idea after a tragedy?

City officials, hotel owners and managers need to take fire safety into consideration when designing or renovating a hotel. Guests should take it into consideration when making a reservation. Being trapped in an upper floor hotel room is not my idea of a vacation!
R. Riegel
Asst. Fire Chief (Retired)
Ohio, USA

Congratulations

Mr. Editor,

You have a wonderful publication and I and the Misses look forward to each edition. I enjoy the boxing reports very much. The wife and I really enjoyed your stories about Father Brennan and the poems by your staff were heart rending. Whoever write these poems has such a wonderful way with words.

Thanks again for such a wonderful newspaper.
Sincerely yours,
Bradley and Sue Watson

Congrats on a fine paper

Dear Editor,

After reviewing the September 12 edition I have reached the conclusion that your paper is the finest in the land of dreams. Also I enjoy the fine articles from the various reporters and especially I enjoyed the heart rendering poem “My Guiding Light”. It really touched my heart and the poet I have never heard of but he certainly has a way with words.

Keep on putting out a great newspaper.
Sincerely,
Frank Heath

It’s not easy being a Pattaya pedestrian

Editor;

The Thai people are a gentle race, well known for their friendly, glowing smiles, but put them in charge of a motor vehicle and they turn into impatient, dangerous monsters. It seems that these auto maniacs have a common enemy, the humble pedestrian.

It has never been easy being a Pattaya pedestrian, particularly if you frequent the vicinity of Second Road. Pattaya pedestrians need to have nerves of steel, good reflexes, eyes in the back of their head and be nimble on their feet.

The Thai kamikaze drivers and riders don’t see pedestrians as fellow human beings. They see them as moving targets, lining them up in their sights and driving full speed at them. Pedestrians brave enough to attempt crossing the road should ensure that their life insurance is fully paid and up to date.

Foot sloggers need to be aware that road rules mean nothing to these motoring madmen. They drive at break neck speed, against one way traffic, without headlights at night, disobey red traffic lights and don’t slow or give way to anyone walking in a painted road crossing.

Pedestrians are not even safe on the sidewalks. Those wheelchair ramps at each end of the footpath are ideal for motorcycle riders. Many times I have witnessed riders mount the paving stones and zoom full speed along the footpath, scattering unsuspecting tourists.

If all that isn’t bad enough, pedestrians also have to walk out onto the road in order to manoeuvre around large, compact groups of slow moving Chinese tourists who take up the whole of the footpath and don’t move aside for anyone.

Walking down a narrow soi with a fully laden tourist bus coming straight at you is not for the faint hearted either. The bigger the vehicle, the more aggressively they drive.

The Pattaya pedestrian needs to be aware and alert at all times. It’s a war zone out there.

Mick from Down Under

Be cool and just roll with it

Editor,

In response to the dual standards letter, and we are going to have to call a spade a spade on this one. Groups of people who have something in common look out for their people. This is very common in America with our black, Hispanic, Jewish, Indian, rich, poor, etc. How many times have you given someone a little more attention/effort/discount, after finding out you have something in common with them. Hell, I’ll give you a 60% discount for being from my neighborhood - and a part of what I hold near & dear.

Let’s be honest here, a good percentage of the people going to Pattaya are going there to have sex. If I was a worker there, I would have a double standard to. You’re here to spend more money in a night than I make in a year, pay my women to have sex with you, abuse my hospitality by not getting over our cultural differences, and then have the nerve to cry foul when I charge you extra money/get extorted?

The same would also have to go for treatment. Would you walk through South Central Los Angeles at night acting like plain old you? No, you would keep your head down - show some respect - and try to be cool. People take advantage because they feel they can get away with it, or can afford to by their way out of it ... but think twice when there’s a good chance of a beat down.

We are foreigners who are there to take advantage, and exploit Pattaya’s great wealth in the manners for which it is famous for. With that comes corruption, dishonesty, unfaithfulness, and being immoral.

As for the innocents caught up in all this, you need to be cool and just roll with it. You’re in a city where the moral barometer is higher in our inner city ghettos (America), and can’t be crying foul every time some nonsense goes down. Go to Disneyland, your local trustworthy brothel, and then throw on your DVD of “it’s a wonderful life” if you want to be treated how you want to be and pay what everyone else does.

What’s next? Whatever they want, it’s their city.
Jack
California

Jesters do it again

Editor;

Not much more can be said except once again (the Jesters Care 4 Kids Fair) was a great job and well organized with a perfect location, at the Diana Garden Lodge and Driving Range. Some of us may have worried a bit with all the rain on Saturday but we all lucked out on Sunday.

I’ve been attending Victory Family Church for over a year now. They sponsor the Mercy Care Center which cares for children who’s parents are in jail for various reasons. These little kids are really lonely and miss their parents. The current managers are a young couple from Bangkok with hearts of gold.

On Sunday after church services and a kid’s special meal at McDonalds we took six of them to the Jesters Children’s Fair. They loved it! I’ve never seen kids so happy and I don’t mean just the ones we brought. Truly the Jesters proved this is the Land of Smiles, miles and miles of smiles.

We bought them T-shirts, they painted a statue, had their faces painted, jumped on the air castle, rode the ponies and of course had some ice cream and plenty of water to cool them down between games. The reason I mention this is that these special kids have nothing and I mean nothing. If it wasn’t for the Victory Family Church and Khun Artit and his wife these kids would be orphans and or sitting in jail with their parents. It was a pleasure to give them their day.

We didn’t win any of the great prizes but we all went away winners. Very tired winners. My new friend Khun Artit said to me as I departed, “They will sleep good tonight.” I said, “Me too.”

Thanks again Jesters, nothing but smiles all day.
Sincerely,
Jess Salazar