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Not unfair, petty, or hypocritical to single out the “good old baht bus”
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Think about what country you are in
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Double assault on Pattaya streets
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Many “jack the lads” bring katoey attacks upon themselves
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Thank you Pattaya police
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Look at disposable income for comparison
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Not unfair, petty, or hypocritical to single out the “good old baht bus”
Editor,
The arguments offered up in the October 10th Mailbag by three apologists of
dual pricing are not very convincing, particularly with regard to cheating
baht bus drivers.
First, it is not unfair, petty, or hypocritical to single
out the “good old baht bus” for complaint, as the Olympian Mr. Osborne
would have it. We victims quite reasonably single out the man “near the
bottom of the food chain” because this bottom-feeder singles us out for
extortion perhaps twice daily if we depend on his service. And it is
insulting and most annoying that he does this on a racial basis. A driver
who will demand at least 10 baht from Bill Heineke, even though he is a
Thai, will nevertheless readily accept the normal and legitimate fare of 5
baht from any Malaysian, Filipino, or Indonesian who keeps his mouth shut.
(We leave another such bottom-feeder, the Thai hairdresser, as the subject
of another day.)
Mr. Osborne (and to a lesser extent Mr. Ashby) merely
asserts that such cheating of tourists “goes on in all international
cities.” Not only does this beg the question, but it simply isn’t true.
Tourists or resident gaijin are very seldom cheated by taxi drivers in
Tokyo, for example. Even Bangkok - of all places - is relatively honest now
with its metered taxis (though not its tuk-tuks, of course). And here such
cheating is done automatically on the basis of race, not Thai ID card or
income statement. Then, too, other cities offer realistic alternative means
of public transportation - trains, buses, competing taxis. In Pattaya, by
contrast, the baht bus enjoys a de facto monopoly on the taxi service. True,
as Mr. Osborne observes, the local tourist attractions also cheat tourists
by dual pricing. But, you see, the Crocodile Farm is hardly an essential
public service - even for its crocodiles.
And then we have the Robin Hoods. Ms. Jenny and Mr.
Ashby, like Mr. Osborne, also don’t mind being cheated out of small sums
by the locals. They, however, imagine that these sums are like noble
contributions to, say, the Baht Bus Driver Guaranteed Lifetime Employment
Association (BBDGLEA), conveniently ignoring that they are extorted under
threat of a beating and that they are racially discriminatory.
Mr. Ashby further invokes, if unconsciously, the Star
Trek Prime Directive about interfering with local cultures - but even if it
results in his own victimization. One can well imagine that had Trekkian
Ashby been a 19th century explorer encountering a tribe of cannibals in
Darkest Africa, he would have voluntarily leapt into the boiling pot
congratulating himself on his “moral and intellectual standards.”
Mr. Ashby’s proposed remedies are hardly efficacious
for dealing with baht bus drivers. One can’t “negotiate” with a baht
bus driver over the non-negotiable farang overcharge; one can’t
realistically “choose another merchant” in this monopoly environment;
and it’s rather late to call the tourist police when one is lying bleeding
on the ground.
And so Mr. Ashby fails to grasp the implications of the
glib phrase “do as the Romans do.” True, as Ms. Jenny says, we farang
are richer than most Thais, but she herself should get real: Thais who are
richer than we are will also certainly try to avoid being cheated even by
baht bus drivers. Any rich gold shop owner whose Benz is in the shop will
expect to pay only 5 baht to go from South Pattaya Road to Naklua. Nor will
a baht bus driver dare steal her change from a 10-baht coin: no, he normally
only steals change from poor Thais and farangs whom he can intimidate
without fear of reprisal. Local Thais who regularly use the baht buses soon
learn to carry a supply of 5-baht coins.
Hence local Thais would also welcome an end to baht bus
cheating. They would very much like it if a baht bus driver would always
return their change; would always take the route to their destination that
he had promised; and would not kick them off the bus for the sake of
better-paying passengers. The locals are also disgusted by the erratic
driving habits of baht bus drivers and the clogging of the streets with
empty buses constantly beeping at pedestrians. Taking half those empty buses
off the streets would mean a very substantial rise in the incomes of the
remaining drivers in addition to greatly improved traffic conditions in
Pattaya. As it stands, however, the whole mess is subsidized by the cheating
of farangs!
Anyway, as to what many of us farangs are upset about,
Mr. Osborne, Ms. Jenny, and Mr. Ashby have all missed the essential point.
In our farang case it is actually not the particular amount of money that we
are being cheated out of by baht bus drivers that we continue to protest.
Our issue is the physical intimidation, insult, degradation, racial
discrimination, and ill will that we victims suffer as a result of being
cheated out of any amount that is legally and rightfully ours.
The nasty dual pricing/baht bus cheating issue will not
go away until it is fairly resolved, that is, at no time soon, considering
in whose pockets most of the proceeds of farang overcharge really end up.
PTYrider
Think about what country you are in
Dear Editor,
I read your newspaper every Friday and time after time I can read about
people getting robbed.
Just read in this newspaper about an English tourist
getting robbed of 30,000 baht and I was wondering if I should laugh or cry.
I just think it’s stupid to have so much money in the wallet when you’re
doing the town at night.
I have been in Pattaya 5 times and will be soon going
back again and many times I have seen people flashing around money and
wearing big gold chains at night. How easy isn’t it to just drive by and
rip of the gold chain?
Not that I’m saying that the tourists shouldn’t buy
what they want but sometimes they have to think what country they are in and
be a little bit on guard for muggers and thieves.
I think that many people read Pattaya Mail abroad and I
think a good idea would be if the newspaper could have a column on what to
do and don’ts when they are on holiday in Pattaya.
Maybe that could prevent people from getting robbed (?)
and just have a good time in Pattaya on their holiday.
Best regards from Sweden
Double assault on Pattaya streets
Dear Editor;
My wife (A Thai medical doctor) and I (a retired American psychologist) live
in Bangkok and have spent a number of holiday weekends in Pattaya during the
past few years. On Sunday, October 19, 2003 we were the victims of crime in
Pattaya on two separate occasions.
At 10:00 a.m., while driving on a side street in North
Pattaya our rental car was forced to the side of the road by two middle-aged
Thai men on motorbikes, apparently intent on robbery. As they approached our
car shouting obscenities and brandishing knives I threw the transmission
into reverse, performed a quick 180ฐ turn and managed to escape from
this dangerous situation.
At 1 p.m., after returning the rental car my wife and I
decided to take a baht bus to Jomtien Beach for a last minute swim before
returning to Bangkok. Upon exiting the baht-bus and paying the normal fare
for two the driver demanded a double fare because it was the APEC weekend.
When I refused to pay more he jumped from his cab, slugged me in the face,
pushed my wife and attempted to grab her handbag. Two policemen standing at
the corner directing traffic did nothing.
When I first started visiting Pattaya in the 1990’s it
was a carefree place where you could get a good look and have a great time.
However, in the past twelve months the twin negative influences of the
‘new social order’ on the entertainment industry and over-building in
the real estate sector have upset the balance and have produced a situation
where Pattaya is now overrun with up-country and out-of-country thugs and
thieves.
My wife and I believe that Pattaya’s problems are now
endemic and will only go from bad to worse. Consequently, we have cancelled
our plans to purchase a new condominium in Pattaya, have advised our friends
and colleagues of the dangers, have filed a complaint with the tourist
advisory division of the U.S. Embassy and have vowed never to return to
Pattaya.
Regretfully,
John Thompson
Many “jack the lads” bring katoey attacks upon themselves
Dear Editor,
As a casual observer on events happening in Pattaya and a regular reader of
your paper, it is quite obvious that there is a problem with “women of the
second category” within the Pattaya nightlife. With attacks on
unsuspecting victims and them being relieved of their personal possessions,
it really is quite a worry.
The thing is that the majority of these victims probably
do bring it on themselves. I have witnessed countless times along Beach Road
these players joking around with katoeys, winding them up and when they have
had enough, carry on to wherever they are going. It is a bit of a disease in
funtown with the majority of the older visitors thinking they are a bit of a
“jack the lad”, whether it be in the bars, whilst shopping or whilst
walking the stretch of beach.
Another player I witnessed with great amusement was in
his element poking a katoey in the ribs. The katoey then gave chase for a
few steps then gave up, the player then was back again doing the same? This
went on for a good ten minutes until the katoey got angry and had to walk
away.
I make that player a lucky man, katoeys are well known to
take hormone replacement tablets which can affect their control of temper
along with whatever else they are putting into their system and is so
readily available within Thailand to make their breasts bigger and their
meat and two veg to shrivel. This I have had no first hand experience with
personally but after a search on the internet it was very clear.
So to all the “jack the lads” out there, I know they
say the majority of foreigners leave their brains at the airport whilst
checking their baggage but have a think about it, they may want to be women
but really all they are is a woman trapped inside a man’s body, with size
11 feet that could cause serious damage and the build most basketball
players would die for. You would seriously be crazy to want to play around
with their feelings ... wouldn’t you?
Michael Griller
Thank you Pattaya police
Gentlemen:
I have read a number of letters in your fine publication which seem to be of
a whiny nature. I have something affirmative to report.
Recently I was involved in a minor vehicular accident
which was investigated by Captain Satien of the Pattaya Police Department
and his staff from the Dongtan substation. This matter was concluded very
efficiently and professionally. The police staff were extremely professional
and courteous, far more so than in many, many places in the world where I
have lived and worked.
G. Scott,
Jomtien
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Look at disposable income for comparison
Dear Sir,
I refer to the ‘Pattaya Bum’ letter last week and his comparison of
prices with ‘home’. This way to compare is in my view pointless. For
example in England petrol is about 45 baht per litre. I rent my apartment in
England for approx 36,000 baht per month and for a one in Pattaya about the
same I pay 9000 baht!
The best way to see if Thailand is cheaper than home is
to look at one’s ‘disposable’ income - then after taking away
essential expenditures compare what you can get for what is left! Then you
will know if Thailand is a good deal.
Nigel,
England
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Letters published in the Mailbag of Pattaya Mail are also on our website.
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It is noticed that the letters herein in no way reflect the opinions of the editor or writers for Pattaya Mail, but are unsolicited letters from our readers, expressing their own opinions. No anonymous letters or those without genuine addresses are printed, and, whilst we do not object to the use of a nom de plume, preference will be
given to those signed.
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