LETTERS
HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Not unfair, petty, or hypocritical to single out the “good old baht bus”

Think about what country you are in

Double assault on Pattaya streets

Many “jack the lads” bring katoey attacks upon themselves

Thank you Pattaya police

Look at disposable income for comparison

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


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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