HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

When it comes to water, some people are clueless

Dancing with the Devil

Sympathy from Skal International president

Re: Traffic misunderstandings

New road on the water?

Sympathy from Skal Internacional De Lisboa

We care

Help! No water

The Chase

When it comes to water, some people are clueless

Editor:

For the most part I find the Thai people to be delightful, especially those who live and work outside of Pattaya or Bangkok. Unfortunately, when it comes to water, some people are clueless.

A typical example was realized last week when we had some concrete work done. The community water supply was, let’s say, weak. So, the workers decided to take it upon themselves to modify my hosepipe by ‘cutting’ off the nozzle in order to increase water flow - I’m serious, this was their reasoning. Since they only needed about half the length of hose pipe to reach their work, they decided to cut the hosepipe in half - “Pattaya Logic” at work again! When cutting the hosepipe didn’t increase the water flow, they searched out and found a new source, a faucet fed by my pump and water tanks.

My water tank supply is filtered and treated by UV Lamp and chemicals to near U.S. standards. The system also recovers rainwater. In fact, the company replaced my water meter thinking that it was defective when our water usage went to near zero at the start of the rainy season. We don’t use this water for drinking as testing has indicated a high level of heavy metals, most notably lead, but we do reserve this water supply for bathing, cleaning, and replenishing the water in the fountain/waterfall. Each morning I check the tanks and make sure they are full each day when I wash down the back area to remove the incessant pollution now created around Pattaya.

Anyway back to the workers. They apparently connected the other half of the hosepipe to the water tank supply and cut it yet again to remove the nozzle, which was still attached to that half of the original hosepipe. I initially became aware of a problem upon hearing the water pump screaming for water, as the water tanks were pumped dry. At first, I thought I must have had a broken water pipe and began checking around the house after securing the pump. Upon going out front, I found the yard ‘flooded’ and was told that ‘nam was kaput’. One of the workers was eyeing the hosepipe that they had connected to the water tank supply, apparently thinking it was clogged since the water flow abruptly stopped. The concept that they had just emptied my water tanks and dumped over 1000 liters of treated water into the sewer was beyond their capacity to comprehend, even though only about 40 or 50 liters was more than enough for the amount of cement they mixed.

Ten years ago a Thai laborer would have asked before using another supply of water or electricity other than that supplied to him. Nowadays they just take what they want. Few have any tools, and most refuse to clean up after themselves. If you withhold final payment until the work is completed or they repair what was broken, workers will walk away from the project, threaten to call the police, or threaten you with harm. Somehow this is considered good business in Thailand nowadays.

With water being so important to Thai society, infrastructure, power generation, and folklore, you would think that Thais would be the best water managers in the world. What is amazing is that locally, people who have never left their homeland will tell westerns who come from places that have world class water management that we are wrong and don’t understand anything at all - about anything, not just water! Upcountry, a westerner’s opinion is given due consideration, probably because it is understood that we didn’t acquire our wealth by winning the lottery, having a relative in the army, or having a prominent family name. We acquired our wealth by education and hard work. We have learned about the economic shortcoming of the overuse of natural resources and the health risk of pollution.

Pattaya “Beach” Bum

Dancing with the Devil

Editor;

Have you noticed something different about Pattaya recently? There has been an increase of building activity of at least 1000% - every spare meter of land is being built on by Thai or farang builders.

And who is going to live in these thousands of new homes? We have already seen auctions and so called bargain buys, these are the words of the desperate.

Do we want to destroy the rest of Pattaya’s remaining natural beauty in order to create an ugly concrete jungle? For a few baht?

There is building everywhere - when in reality these builders can’t sell or rent their properties. I have seen for rent signs on all these hundreds of boutique style houses they built last year. I have seen business go bankrupt after being open for only 3 months. The same properties for sale in the Pattaya Mail week in week out.

Just look around at how many closed shutters there are.

Do we really want all the jungle destroyed? And housing estates that stretch for miles that just look ugly?

Pattaya is in trouble, why? Because the council have allowed huge over development without thinking about the supply and demand issues.

What will Pattaya look like if these hundreds of houses remain unsold? Boarded up properties, vandalized, graffiti ridden, the banks seizing the properties and auctioning them off at 15% of there building costs?

As for the over expansion of beer bars (the place to go for a fight), I believe that the council should bulldoze them all and build parks with trees and grass instead, somewhere nice to sit or walk.

We are sick of Pattaya being the world’s number one sex holiday centre, why can’t the council turn it into a normal resort? Some tough actions need to be made, come on Pattaya Council lets see what you are made of. Man? Or Mouse?
Amanda Roberts
(Long term resident)

Sympathy from Skal International president

Dear Friends,

We have been shocked at the terrible news of the earthquake followed by the tidal waves which have caused so much terrible destruction and loss of human life. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost loved ones and who have lost their homes and belongings.
Yours in Skal
Matanyah

Re: Traffic misunderstandings

Dear Sir,

There is also a problem with a left turn in Bangkok - probably more than one! Turning left from Suriwongse Road into Rama IV Road is a no-no unless the lights are green. Unsuspecting victims will find an army of police waiting for them if they disobey!

John Davis

New road on the water?

Editor;
Taking a quote from your recent article on the proposed new road over the water, “The initial cost of construction has been set at 684 million baht; however, this is without including other specific details, such as compensating landowners in the area.”

As the article states that all of the area covered by the project appears to be west of Beach Road, the beach walkway, the shoreline, and the parking lot-pier at the south end, which “landowners” will be compensated? The information provided by the government for the article did not state that any private land would be utilized. Is there something else that has not been told?

“ASDECON consultants have been hired to design the plan, survey the area and solicit opinions from the public, specifically Walking Street’s 101 business operators - the area that would be most affected by the project ...” ASDECON is asking for the opinions of the business owners illegally occupying property (although allowed to use it for many years), some of it over the water. Why should the public be concerned with the opinions of these lawbreakers, and how they would be affected? The practice of constructing a building, restaurant, or place of business over a public water area in order to avoid paying for land should have been condemned years ago. Instead, the city has allowed it to flourish.

Also, isn’t there a better way to spend 684 million baht in Pattaya?
Derek Sharron

Sympathy from Skal Internacional De Lisboa

Dear All,

At this moment of pain, tragedy and mourning, we, at Skal Internacional De Lisboa – Portugal – would like to convey to you, all Skalleagues and the People of Thailand our deepest sympathy and regret.

Our kind and sincere Skal greetings,

Antonio Pinto

We care

Editor;
With regard to the Black Sunday tragedy, we need to take note of the fact that the bodies of victims of the tsunami disaster are being disposed of in the most uncivilized manner. The world may not care for the poor of India but let us show them that we do. Let us give the deceased a proper, civil and indeed a dignified burial or cremation. The bereaved families need to be assured that God is in full control of the situation caused by the tsunami and that His children in India are there to render all possible help.
Omar Luther King
Delhi

Help! No water

Editor;

Could you use the power of the press to discover why some areas of Nongprue have been without running water for almost a week! Having phoned the number given in Pattaya Mail months ago for the Water Authority to ask, we are told - in Thai - tomorrow! However, as in Ronan Keating’s song ‘Tomorrow never comes’.

Thank you
Nigel Cannon

The Chase

Dear Sir,
I have attempted to capture, in rhyme, an episode I recently witnessed on Jomtien Beach.

The Chase
They watched the tourist hordes arrive,
And the beach awaken and come alive.
The vendors observed, they saw it all;
Such rich opportunities, they heard that call.

Like ants they roamed the deck chaired sands,
Carrying such wonders in their hands;
Sunglasses, hammocks, things of wood,
Clothes, drink, and lots of food.

Then the men from city hall appeared,
Those guys that all the vendors feared.
Arriving unannounced in a truck of red,
They hit the pavement and off they sped.

A cry went up, the vendors fled,
Off up the beach, the fittest led;
With shouldered trays they left that beach,
And crossed the road, outside their reach.

But a woman young hadn’t heard that call,
And now she ran, she gave her all;
Weaving and winding between the chairs,
Whilst the beach’s finest pursued like hares.

Her wares were carried on a tray of tin;
She had prawns and crabs in batter thin.
Some prawns flew off and hit the ground,
A source of food for some beach hound.

The chase was on and all did view,
Such exciting entertainment, and free too!
Some tourists smiled and appeared amused,
Whilst others stood and watched bemused.

Three officials smart had joined the fray,
And soon outflanked her and seized her tray.
While the victors conveyed their spoils to base,
The dejected vendor suffered loss of face.

Ian Frame
Jomtien

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