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Family Money: Clarifying the Currencies’ Conundrum - Part 1
By Leslie
Wright,
Managing director of Westminster Portfolio Services (Thailand) Ltd.
Many people avidly follow the
exchange rates wondering whether to arrange a remittance now or wait till
next week, in the hopes that their base currency will have strengthened in
the meantime, or the local currency weakened. They hope to make a windfall
profit on fluctuating exchange rates. Indeed, many investors follow rising
and falling currency movements as if they were the be-all and end-all of
investing.
In fact, trying to second-guess currency movements is
pure speculation, and more suitable for the likes of George Soros than Joe
Average.
The Universal Currency
Marker
People behave as if currency movements happened by
themselves, but of course they don’t. Nor are they fixed like stars in
the sky. But they do move around an arbitrary fixed point, which I like to
call the ‘Universal Currency Marker’ or ‘UCM’ for short – rather
like the stars seem to revolve around the Pole Star.
But Polaris doesn’t always appear to be in the same
place either, due to the slight wobble in the earth’s axis, called the
precession of the equinoxes, which brings the imaginary line through the
earth’s poles back in line with the same point every 10,000 years or so.
Thus a couple of decades ago we entered the Age of Aquarius whereby at
each equinox that imaginary line is now pointing towards the constellation
of Aquarius, and will do so for quite a few years to come.
But this article is about currency movements not
astronomical fluctuations – although sometimes currency fluctuations can
seem astronomical!
When it comes to currencies moving up or down against
each other, one should really be thinking of them moving against this
arbitrary fixed point – the UCM – whereby each currency moves
independently of all the others against the absolute – the UCM – and
only seems to be moving against other currencies.
Thus if Sterling and the US dollar were both
strengthening at the same time, it is highly unlikely that they would both
rise at the same rate. Hence Sterling might seem to be strengthening
against the dollar while the dollar would seem to be weakening (slightly)
against Sterling. Only by comparing the movements against a fixed point
(the UCM) can you see what is really happening.
Similarly with smaller more volatile currencies such as
the Thai Baht. If the dollar were weakening in absolute terms, the Baht
may not have moved, but would appear to have strengthened relative to the
dollar. Similarly, if the dollar were moving up against Sterling, but not
as much as Sterling against, say the Euro, the Baht’s movements – if
any – would be magnified. It all gets very complex when there are more
than two currencies involved, and why trying to second-guess currency
movements is rated as Risk Level 7 on the standard 1~10 risk scale (where
1 is cash in the bank in your base currency; 5 is emerging market equities
– e.g., Thailand, Korea, Mexico, Argentina – and 10 is setting up your
own business).
Volatile & Risky
So trying to second-guess which way any particular
currency is going to move is fraught with danger inasmuch as currencies
are both volatile and, as described above, risky to play with.
They are also subject to political and market
manipulations which are beyond the control of the average investor. A
government may wish for the local currency to strengthen to ease its
international balance of payments; or it may wish quite the opposite
depending on what currency the debt is in (dollars for example).
Rumours can be put out about government moves to
prevent speculation on the local currency, which may have the effect of
strengthening the currency at just the right time.
Then market forces come into play as well, forcing the
currency up or down depending on the tide of sentiment for strength or
weakness. Other currencies are strengthening or weakening all at the same
time, but relative to the UCM, although it seems to the average observer
that they’re moving against each other rather than to an arbitrary fixed
marker.
Your base and spending
currencies
You should therefore be thinking not of speculating but
safety when it comes to currencies. Basically, you should be thinking in
terms of just one or two currencies: the money you earn or get paid in
(your base currency) and the money you spend – e.g., Sterling and Thai
Baht. Any third currency should be pegged relative to one or the other of
these, not regarded as an entity moving on its own (although in reality it
is, in relation to the UCM.) Following – or trying to follow – the
daily fluctuations of three or four currencies is a game for high-risk
speculators and currency hedge fund operators who hope to make money by
arbitrage on tiny differences in currency exchange rates in different
locales noted to the third place of decimals. Not a game for
second-guessing by amateurs! If you guess right you can make a nice
windfall profit; get it wrong and you can lose a small fortune.
Next week we shall examine how currency movements affect your
investment funds – and why it is a fallacious argument that you should
have your investments denominated in a weak currency in the hopes of a
windfall profit if and when that currency strengthens against your base
currency. This unsound theory is behind many investors’ thinking when
choosing which currency to denominate their funds or portfolios in.
Snap Shots: Studio Portraits - without a studio!
by Harry Flashman
Taking portraits is fun for two reasons. When you have
produced a great shot it gives the photographer a lot of personal
satisfaction. The person whose portrait it is will also enjoy the end
result. A win-win situation.
 However,
and I’ve said this before - great pictures don’t just happen. Great
pictures are ‘made’. So let’s look at some pro tricks that can be
adapted for use by the amateur, who does not have banks of floods,
hairlights, backlights, cycloramas and the like.
To start with, let’s get some of the techo bits out
of the way. You should choose a lens of around 100 mm focal length (135 mm
is my preferred “portrait” lens) or set your zoom to around that focal
length. If you are using a wide angle lens (anything numerically less than
50 mm), then the end result will be disappointing, no matter what you do.
Unless you like making people look distorted with big noses!
The second important technical bit is to set your lens
aperture to around f 5.6. At that aperture you will get the face in focus
and the background will gently melt away - provided that you actually do
focus on the eyes!
Perhaps a word or two about focus here as it is very
important in portrait photos. I always use a split image focus screen and
focus on the lower eyelid. This makes sure that the eyes will be exactly
in focus. If you are using Autofocus (AF), then again you should make sure
you focus on the eyes and use the ‘focus lock’ function so you will
not lose it.
Next item is the pose itself. For some reason known
only to the village headmen, Thai people like to stand rigidly to
attention when having their photos taken. Do not do it! Please, please do
not even have your subject sitting directly square on to the camera. This
is not a passport photograph we are going to take. It is to be a
flattering portrait.
Here’s what to do. Sit the subject in a chair and
turn the chair at 45 degrees to the camera, so the subject is not facing
directly at the photographer. Now when you want to take the shot you get
the subject to slowly look towards you and take the shot that way. You can
also get a shot with them looking away from you.
Now let’s get down to the most important part - the
lighting. We need to do two things with our lighting. Firstly light the
face and secondly light the hair. Now the average weekend photographer
does not have studio lights and probably has an on-camera flash to work
with. Not to worry, we can get over all this! The answer is a mirror and a
large piece of black velvet.
Take the black velvet first. You will need a piece
around 2 metres square and the idea is to place the velvet close to one
side of the subject, but not actually in the photograph. You get as close
as possible and the black will absorb much of the light and allow no
reflection of light back onto that side of the subject’s face. Hang the
velvet over a clothes drying stand or similar to make life easy for
yourself.
Now the mirror. This device will give you the power of
having a second light source for no cost! Now since you are firing light
into the subject from the top of your camera, you position the mirror at
about 30-45 degrees tilted downwards, placed behind and to the side of the
subject, pointing basically at the sitters ear. The side you choose is the
side opposite the black velvet. Again, you must make sure that the mirror
is not in the viewfinder.
You now have a primary light source (the on-camera
flash), a secondary light source and a light absorber to give a gradation
of light across the subject’s face.
Experiment with the positions of each, but you will be surprised at how
much life this will give your portraits. Takes a little setting up, but it
is worth it.
Modern Medicine
by Dr Iain Corness, Consultant
One of our readers wrote from Chiang Mai with some
queries regarding antibiotics, the compounds that revolutionized the
delivery of medicine and lowered death rates all over the world. However,
like all powerful things, a degree of caution must be used.
She wrote, “My concern is multiple about antibiotic
use. First of all, there is general ‘folk wisdom’ that if you have a
GI upset for more than a couple of days you should take an antibiotic even
if the culture reveals that the cause is not bacterial. I can’t tell you
how many times I’ve been told that and so has my husband.
“Secondly, the local physicians tend to prescribe
antibiotics for everything! And sometimes more than one type for a given
illness. You have a cold? Six antibiotics. Well, not quite, of course, but
almost.
“Third, antibiotics act almost immediately. Take one,
you’re well.
“My husband was also advised to take Cipro as a
preventive whenever he travels.
“Another friend was advised by her tour company to
bring Cipro with her from the U.S. ‘in case of illness’. What illness,
they didn’t say.
“Finally, most folks quit taking the antibiotic as
soon as their symptoms are relieved.
“Could Dr. Iain explain a couple of things for lay
readers:
“1. How do antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria
develop?
“2. Why you should take antibiotics only for
bacterial infections, not viral infections, and how to tell the
difference.
“3. Should you take strong antibiotics such as Cipro
as a prophylactic measure?
“4. Why you should take all of the prescription and
not discontinue it as soon as your symptoms are alleviated.”
First off, thank you for your concerns, and concerned
you should be! Dealing with your questions - in order:
1. Antibiotic resistant strains develop when successive
colonies of a bacterium grow in a medium where small amounts of antibiotic
are evident. The concentration is not enough to kill the germs, so the
successive families grow up with resistance.
2. A virus is not checked by antibiotics, only
bacteria. It is difficult for non-medically trained people to know if
their ailment is bacterial or viral. It may even require blood tests to
show this.
3. You should not take strong antibiotics such as
Cipro(floxacin) as a prophylactic measure. All that you are doing is
promoting antibiotic resistance.
4. The reason that you should take the entire course,
is that until you have knocked every one of the blighters for six, you can
end up only partially eradicating them and producing an antibiotic
resistance, as per question number 1.
As you can see, the end result of indiscriminate
antibiotic use is to produce ‘superbugs’ that have become resistant.
This is why we began with penicillin that we thought would cure
everything, but quickly the bugs developed resistance. So then we
‘invented’ amoxycillin, but again resistance appeared. So we added
clavulanic acid to the amoxycillin, but the same thing happened again. So
we invented bigger and stronger antibiotics - but got bigger and stronger
bugs.
And that is where we are at present - growing
antibiotic resistant bugs. Non-medical advice to take Ciprofloxacin, for
example, as a preventative is totally wrong. Antibiotics should be taken
for specific bacterial infections. The antibiotic for one germ in not
necessarily the one that is used for another infecting organism.
While I know that you can buy antibiotics over the
counter in this country, this is not good medical policy, in my opinion.
The Message In The Moon: Sun in Sagittarius/Moon in Gemini
by
Anchalee Kaewmanee
Fire and Ice
This Sun-Moon combination is reckless, impulsive and
extravagant. However, these individuals are lucky and always get by - plus they
have nerves of steel. Adventure is what they seek and their cleverness and luck
allow them to squeak through incredibly hazardous situations with barely a
scratch. These natives can be hard to follow since they blow hot and cold
because they have a hard time making up their minds.
Sag-Gemini natives are nervous, highly strung and feel a need
to be constantly on the move. Travel is a vehicle for this restlessness and they
are likely to explore many lands, study exotic cultures and speak more than one
language.
Being non-conformists, these people do pretty much what they
want to do in life because freedom is what they crave most of all. For the most
part they are optimistic, and have a light, buoyant spirit towards others. But
they are all independent to the extreme, and become irritated when others try to
unduly influence them.
These individuals have vivid imaginations, love to weave
stories and tales, and are prone to exaggeration. Many live in a colorful world
of fantasy and the lines between truth and fiction are often blurred. This
doesn’t mean they are deceitful liars. Usually, the Sag-Gemini is an honorable
soul. A productive outlet and motivation by family and environment should be
provided to allow these attributes to achieve positive and fulfilling results.
In romance, this combination is no more consistent than in any other aspect
of life. Finding a loving partner who can live with those extreme moods and can
keep up with that frantic pace will be a daunting task. Although many
Sagittarius-Geminis settle down to a married life, they often settle down late
in life - if they settle down at all. This combo won’t wear the ‘ball and
chain’ for long. Placid devotion to home and hearth is not on their agenda. If
you fall in love with one of these natives be prepared for the unexpected.
 Heart to Heart with Hillary
Dear Hillary,
We are often in Thailand but the main thing that completely confuses me is the
subject of tipping - when and how much? If the establishment charges a
“service” charge, should you tip as well? What do you do, as someone living
there, for example? I believe that the wages are not high for most of the
people in bars and restaurants and they need the tips in addition to their
wages, but I do not want to throw money away either? What’s your tip about
tipping?
Penny
Dear Penny,
The first important consideration is Service Charge or no Service Charge. If
the establishment adds on 10 percent (the usual amount), then as far as Hillary
is concerned - that’s the tip. There are some places that no doubt pocket the
Service Charge, but that’s not anything of your doing, nor can you change it.
That is something between the employees and the owners to work out. However, if
Hillary feels that the waiter or service provider has gone well beyond that
which could be expected, then I reward that person with a little extra
something, irrespective of whether there is a service charge. You know the sort
of things - a little fawning, groveling and lots of compliments. In an
establishment that has no standard add on Service Charge, then it really is up
to you. Small change left over or up to 10 percent is quite normal. Thai
service people are grateful for anything you leave them. It all adds up by the
end of the day, but look after your pennies, Penny!
Dear Hillary,
You are often telling people that they should learn Thai if they are living
here for some time. I have retired here, but at my age (70), I find it very
difficult to learn a new language at my time in life. Is there any quick way of
doing this, or do you have any special tips for people trying to learn the Thai
language?
Linguistic Len
Dear Linguistic Len,
If it’s not tips about tipping, it’s tips about talking (Thai). What next?
Len, Petal, I know it is a problem I really do, but if you are retired and not
working, then there is one quick (but none of them are easy) way to learn.
It’s called Total Immersion and Hillary’s language teacher friends all tell
me it is the quickest. Go and stay in a village up country in a little local
hotel where they don’t speak English, so you are in the situation that you
have to speak Thai or starve! I am told that in six weeks you will have picked
up reasonable Thai and you are on your way to complete mastery of the tongue.
You will also probably have picked up a small language teacher. Lots of luck
and “Chok dee, Kha”.
Dear Hillary,
Some days when I read your column you really can be terribly bitchy. Why are
you like this? These people are only asking for help. They don’t need you to
bark at them.
Charles
Dear Charles,
Hillary get bitchy? What a terrible thing to say, Charlie boy! But I do get
bitchy when I have to answer ridiculous obvious questions like yours. I agree
though, you certainly do need help, but I doubt if you’d like the rubber room
and the funny sleeveless tight jacket. Best to steer clear of me till next
week.
Dear Hillary,
I am 17 years old and have just arrived from the great land Down Under and I
was wondering if you think there would be any jobs in the bar and entertainment
industry for someone like me? I have experience in bars and worked for a while
in McDonalds after school. I have met a young lady here and I would like to
stay here to go with her. Is this going to be easy, or should I look at
something else?
Adam
Dear Adam,
You certainly did come down in the last shower, didn’t you, my Petal. That
line of work is very hazardous for foreigners in this country, and experience
in asking someone if they’d like some ‘fries to go with that’ is just not
good enough, I’m afraid. I also think the romance will be a “to go” item
too. Never mind, you’ll soon be old enough to drink in Australia as well.
Better luck next year.
Dear Hillary,
They are doing alterations in my office building, and there is a little man
coming in every day with a jackhammer and it sounds as if he is drilling his
way through to Singapore. It is going on forever and it is giving me a giant
headache. What can I do about this? Who should I complain to? Is this normal in
this country?
Headache
Dear Headache,
You do have a bunch of questions, don’t you Petal. No it is not normal. Most
people when going to Singapore just catch a plane. Honestly, though, just talk
to whomever ordered the work. Can the alterations be done at night? Can you
take a week off work? In the meantime, wear ear muffs and smile a lot. Get a
perverse pleasure out of making them think you like it.
A Slice of Thai History: Pridi Banomyong: a Life of Controversy
Part Three 1936-1945
by Duncan steam
While still serving as Interior Minister, Pridi was
also appointed Foreign Minister on 12 February 1936. He relinquished the
Interior Ministry in August 1937, but remained Foreign Minister until 20
December 1938. During his tenure, he worked at revising a series of
unequal treaties signed by Thailand, sometimes under duress, with 12
nations. The most important among them were with Japan and Britain in
November 1937, France in December and later with the United States.
In December 1938, supported by Pibulsongkram, he ousted
Prime Minister Phahon. Pibulsongkram was appointed Prime Minister and
Defence Minister. Pridi again took the post of Interior Minister.
Pibulsongkram cemented his position with a coup on 29
January 1939, arresting members of the royal family, assemblymen and army
rivals on charges of plotting against the government. Eighteen people were
later executed.
Pridi, while fulfilling his political duties, also
founded Thammasat University, becoming its first Rector.
Following the Japanese invasion in December 1941 and
the subsequent alliance of the Pibulsongkram government with Tokyo, Pridi
resigned from politics and on 25 January 1942, he was appointed Regent for
the absent King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII). He remained Regent until
December 1945.
In 1943, Seni Pramoj, the Thai ambassador in
Washington, began to organise a resistance movement inside Thailand with
the aid of the US Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the British
Special Operations Executive (SOE).
The majority of Thai people were, at best, sluggish
allies of the Japanese and a Free Thai Movement was relatively easy to
organise. Pridi secretly took on the role as its leader.
With the war going badly for Japan, Pibulsongkram
resigned the premiership in July 1944. The respected Khuang Aphaiwong, one
of the original Promoters, became Prime Minister, although the most
influential figure in the new order was undoubtedly the strongly
anti-Japanese Pridi.
Allied fliers had been told that if they were ever shot
down over Thailand to surrender to the Thais, as they would protect them
from the Japanese. With the full knowledge and co-operation of Pridi and
members of the Thai armed forces opposed to Japan, a secret OSS post had
been set up under the noses of the Japanese in Bangkok.
Late in 1944, five British airmen were shot down near
Bangkok. Although injured in the crash they managed to surrender to Thai
troops, were brought into Bangkok and taken to the OSS headquarters,
located in a palace belonging to Pridi.
One of the men later wrote, “The Regents’ [Pridi]
elegant dining room table served as an operating table for the two Thai
doctors who worked for hours repairing our injuries. One had received his
training in England and the other in New York. We were obviously in very
good hands; however, there was not much in the way of first aid or medical
equipment. The food at the palace was remarkable. It was prepared at a
five star hotel about four miles away and brought on foot by servants
using shoulder yokes.
“After a few days the Regent, whose code name was
‘Ruth’, announced that he had arranged a few days of R & R for
everyone. A few months back an OSS agent stationed in Bangkok for several
months had gone off his rocker and there were tremendous difficulties
getting him out of the country. After some half dozen rendezvous with
Catalina flying boats and submarines in the Bay of Siam, he was finally
evacuated to India. The Regent didn’t want a repeat of this harrowing
incident. He believed that the reason for the agent’s difficulty was the
confinement and stress of the job and the lack of female companionship. He
was probably right but his idea of R & R was incredible. He had
apparently bought a house and stocked it with food, wine and of course
female companions.
“He also cordoned of the area with soldiers for a
mile on all four sides. However [the OSS officers] considered the plan too
dangerous. Anyway, it was clearly ‘above and beyond the call of duty.’
The Regent’s last plea was ‘but...even I can’t afford these
women’.”
Personal Directions: Change Your Negative Self-Conceptions to Improve Your Situation
by Christina Dodd
I have in the past drawn on the works of the Sri
Aurobindo – a great Indian visionary whose words cater as much to
mysticism as management theory. I always find it quite amazing when I get
emails saying that I have “gone off the track” – but the reality is
that by utilizing such other resources as this that I am giving you an
example – practical – of thinking outside the box. Today, I have
modified a very long article and put it into a perspective from which we
can all draw insight from whatever perspective you are reading it.
Today I will start with a fable:
There was a client that a consultant was doing work
for. The client seemed difficult and demanding to the consultant, though
true to his needs. As a result the consultant developed the idea in his
mind and emotions that the client was a difficult and demanding person.
From that point forward that client did in fact appear to act in a
difficult and demanding way to the consultant.
On the surface it seems like the consultant had the
right perspective of the situation. Yet, if we look a little deeper, we
will see that the consultant’s view was false. He had clung to his own
false self-conception. The more he believed it, the more it came about;
i.e. the more the client acted as the consultant perceived the client
would act. On the other hand if he shed that negative conception, the
client would have stopped such behavior. It is a subtle wonder truth of
life.
How can we prove that in this case? Well it turns out
there is a happy ending to this story. The consultant was advised to and,
in fact, did give up his negative self-conception of the client. He
decided not to view the client in an adversarial way. He decided to shed
any notion, whether a thought or a feeling, that the client was in any way
difficult to deal with. When the next meeting took place between the two,
the consultant was quite surprised when the client exhibited completely
the opposite behavior! The client was quite mellow, more relaxed, easy to
work with, even open-minded and fair. The interactions between the two
were so pleasant that they began to talk of other social-related things
related issues at work. The situation had been completely reversed. The
lesson was simple; give up your negative self-conception, and life will
respond positively in kind. It is a miraculous wonder of life that never
fails.
On the world scene a perfect example of negative
self-conception involves the two leaders at odds in the Middle East
crisis. Their negative self-conception of one another resulted in the
other person taking actions that precisely mirror the pre-conception of
the other leader. Again, despite any difficulties they might have had in
the past, if they were to give up their negative self-conceptions of one
another, life world respond positively in accordance with their higher
conception. The other person would have taken actions or otherwise acted
in a way that reflect the new higher conception. (By the way sometimes
it’s better to have NO self-conception of the other; enabling greater
possibilities in the field of life.)
One other example. A woman had a pushy, gossipy, and
insensitive boss. The more she saw this behaviour; the more she felt that
was just his nature and that was how he would always act. One day she
decided to give up this negative conception. The next time they were
together she was amazed when the boss suddenly turned completely sweet in
his behavior, showing concern about her work conditions, and even began to
act in a carefree and playful manner, so at odds with his seemingly normal
rigid nature. The reversal seemed like a miracle to her.
This connection between the inner and the outer is as
result of the underlying unity of consciousness that exists in the
universe; including between our inner beliefs and conceptions and the
outer world that manifests. When we change the inner, life on the outside
tends to respond positively in kind, in ways that mirror our higher inner
views, understandings, attitudes, and conceptions.
So we must each ask ourselves what are the negative
self-conceptions of others that we must shed?
Without too much difficulty each of us should easily be
able to come up with a few good ones! Once we have identified them, we
need to make a little experiment. We need to give up our predilection, and
then see what happens; how “life responds” to our changed view. It
will seem like a miracle when the other person suddenly becomes very
different than our original self-conception. To do this well we need to
shed not only our negative thought about the person, but also and
especially the negative feelings involved. That will the added power and
support to our endeavor at reversal.
By the way, this same idea of shedding one’s negative
self-conception applies just as much to situations and circumstances we
are involved with or relate to as they do with other people. Give up the
negative self-conception, and watch life respond in kind!
So what are we waiting for? Let’s start the
experiment now. You may be quite stunned by the instantaneous benefit that
results from your effort.
A few weeks ago I gave you some homework – here is
some more!
Before you go to sleep tonight make a commitment to
yourself – in the very quiet and deep chambers of your mind – to wake
up in the morning with an open and free view of someone around you whom
you have always seen in a negative light. It could be anyone in your life.
It could be the man who presses the elevator button, it could be the girl
in the convenience store, it could be your husband or it could be your
wife. Make a clear picture and imprint in your mind that today you will
think of only the good things about that person. You will be regarding
them for the very first time as if you are opening the door to a room that
has been locked and sealed off for an eternity. Look only for the good in
them – try to see them as if you are seeing them for the very first
time. Then begin to feel the results – but give this your utmost and
dedicated commitment!
For more information as to how we at Asia Training
Associates can help improve your personal or corporate communications,
contact me by email at christina.dodd@ asiatrainingassociates.com - and
until next time, have a great week!
Social Commentary by Khai Khem:
Mind your manners -
you’re not in Pattaya anymore!
Last week a group of us went to visit a
friend in Sriracha whose job is posting him back to Europe. Our party made
up a group of 8 and a buddy who has lived in Pattaya for more than a decade
owns a mini-van and offered to drive us to the farewell luncheon. As we
entered the city limits of Sriracha, the driver bellowed, “Everyone buckle
up their seatbelts.” What? Why? What for? The stern order caught some
passengers off guard.
As we approached the town, the driver slowed down to just
under 3 kilometers of the legal speed limit, kept in the left side lane and
drove as conservatively as a little old lady on her way to a Baptist church
in Georgia. So why the behavioral change? As he put it, “This is a
respectable city and the cops enforce the laws here, unlike Pattaya, where
anything goes.”
Just a few kilometers down the highway from Pattaya City
and we had entered into what seemed another planet. I wasn’t as surprised
as the rest of the passengers because I was more familiar with the area. But
the others had not lived anywhere else in Thailand except Pattaya and I
suppose they had come to assume that all of Thailand is like Fun City - out
of control.
Our lunch dragged on till dinnertime and was still in the
party-mode until midnight. Our intrepid driver drank nothing but orange
juice (since drunk driving is not tolerated in Sriracha) but the rest of us
had a roaring good time - even in Sriracha.
The point of this comparison is NOT that Sriracha is
devoid of ‘sanuk’ and populated with puckered sphincters with the
personalities of potted plants. The fact is - Pattaya is Thailand’s ugly
duckling with a ‘mixed’ reputation.
Pattaya, unlike Sriracha, is a famous international
holiday resort town. Of course our city is much more than that, but like it
or not, tourists and the money they spend here are our mainstay. To maintain
this status, we have to try to please everyone, or at least provide enough
flexibility to make everyone happy enough to stay longer and return more
often. That means laws and what is termed civilized behavior are subject to
interpretation, irregular enforcement and often, just tossed out the window
because it’s just too much trouble to do the work.
Party towns are pretty much the same all over the world
because ‘party people’ are all looking for the same thing - a good time
without too many restrictions. Laugh, love and be merry. They want to let
their hair down and raise hell. But someone (and some place) has to host
those parties. That’s where we come in. Our cash registers are ringing day
and night because we host those parties and charge for playtime.
What we need to keep in mind is that the quality and
essence of party cities are what makes a tourist town’s reputation. Good
or bad. Unfortunately, something has gone very wrong in Pattaya.
We’ve been nicknamed Fun City through the years. The
operative word here is FUN. A lot of the fun of living and vacationing in
Pattaya is gone. The rate of vicious crime and assaults on tourists and
residents is rising, not decreasing. The gun and drug culture which has
sprouted in our region over the past 2 years has raised international
concern among informed citizens of other countries. Massive city projects
have been undertaken to repair and upgrade Pattaya’s image but in truth,
the city and its environs are filthy and full of slums and garbage. Many
tourists and residents now say Pattaya has all the problems of Bangkok,
including unbearable traffic, ruthless overbuilding, pollution, rising
prices and immobility.
I’m not knocking Bangkok. It was recently voted one of
the most popular tourist cities in the world. And rightly so. It truly is a
fascinating city with some world’s most unique features to offer a
visitor. But there are also a number of tourists who seek out more peaceful
areas during their limited time of leisure. Pattaya used to be one of those
places. Now, even though we have so many more attractions, the region is
becoming a real hassle.
And the cold hard truth is that this is permanent. The
‘hassles’ will not be reduced. They can only grow. Fix one and ten more
appear. We simply do not have enough dedicated people who are willing to
stick their fingers in the ever-leaking dyke. This takes political will and
a committed community that pulls together. What we actually have is
‘political apathy’ and a huge floating population that pledges no
allegiance to our city because they are all ‘from somewhere else’.
In this instance, I’m referring to the Thai population
that has converged from every province in the kingdom, either looking for
work, or to cheat and steal from others because it’s easier than holding
down a menial job or to eek out a meager livelihood in a small, poorly run
business. These ‘fly-by-night’ floaters blow with the wind. When their
business fails, they close up shop and disappear. The street criminals are
even more elusive. Their hit-and run commando tactics have overwhelmed law
enforcement and they know they have the advantage. Pattaya in many ways is a
victim of its own success.
We have passed the point of no return in rapid growth.
That can’t be reversed. The only way out of this dilemma is to set rigid
priorities. Street crime, our scandalous gun-culture, lack of mobility due
to poor traffic planning and dangerous road conditions can be fixed if and
when authorities start to take sincere action and carry through on their
promises.
Think for a moment. Citizens and visitors care much more about their
personal safety than they do about 600 palm trees planted on beach roads. If
a Thai or foreigner can’t enjoy a day at the beach under the shade of a
swaying palm without being assaulted or robbed, how will they remember that
day? Will they return home happy that they avoided sunburn, or will they
anguish over their lost possessions or the night they spent in the hospital
getting treated for gunshot wounds?
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