HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Please announce the fares

Hole in the law

Ode to Cheap Charlies

Garbage

A tainted view of Pattaya immigrants

Please announce the fares

Editor,

The flora of baht-bus-scandal-letters recently has, in my opinion, been quite narrow minded with a few exceptions. I would hereby gladly contribute with something more fact-oriented to some of the nonsense-stuff.

The 21st of April 2004 we could all read in the “Bangkok Post” under the headline: “Public Transport - Crackdown aimed at greedy bus operators” - something from where I may quote a few passages, namely: “The Land Transport Department plans to tighten its enforcement of price controls on bus fares especially at tourist attractions”....”Bus operators found guilty of illegally jacking up fares will face prosecution”...and lastly: “Bus operators are required by law to post signs clearly listing fares and the drivers personal data onboard their buses in both Thai and English. “Do I need new glasses or not - because I cannot see that the fares are listed clearly anywhere on any of the so-called “baht-buses” I mean the fares locally on rout-bounded blue pick-ups in Pattaya. How comes? Why is there such a pig-headed resistance all over the years to announce the fares on the local pick-ups going in regular routes? Hallo all righteous servants of the Transport Department on every level! Please do your duty! Thank you.

Naathe Rambo

Hole in the law

Dear Editor,

Perhaps someone can explain to the citizenry why the national no smoking laws are not being enforced in Pattaya.

Air-conditioned restaurants in Pattaya have openly placed ashtrays on their tables and are allowing customers to smoke in these establishments. Owners of the restaurants continue to allow this even though spoken to by customers.

Several weeks ago I called the tourist police and discussed these violations. The officer who answered the telephone said that he knew some businesses were not following the smoking law. His explanation was that in Pattaya there is, “a hole in the law”

Now I’m assuming that’s another way of saying police refuse to enforce the national no-smoking law! If so, such lack of enforcement has “major negative implications” (via second hand smoke) for the health and well being of customers, workers and owners in these establishments. It also says a great deal about the government and it’s failure to enforce laws on the health of our community.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Hewitt

Ode to Cheap Charlies

Dear Sir,

I wonder if you would consider publishing this ode to those among us who tend to cause friction with the locals.

Cheap Charlie,

A taxi he takes, as far as it goes
When fare is demanded, true spirit he shows
He offers 5 baht and then states his case
Its 5 baht per person no matter what race
But Charlie likes walking, the better to see,
All those coloured balloons that fill him with glee
Where he might buy a drink, but eat plenty for free
If you buy him a drink and expect he’ll buy more
What will you think as he makes for the door
When its Cheap Charlie’s round he’s thirsty no more
He sits on the beach wall, wont pay for a chair
And he’s found a poor barber, it doesn’t seem fair
50 baht only for cutting his hair
No tipping from our friend, that wouldn’t be right
It would spoil all his fun at the end of the night
When he goes to bed dreaming of some other way
For saving 5 baht on his cheap holiday.

Reluctant Spenders

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Dear Sir,

I dedicate the following poem to those folks I see spread out on the deckchairs of Jomtien Beach, and who are tempted by hotel buffets and local food delicacies.

Healthy Eating

How come the things which are so tasty,
Foods like chocolate, cake, and pastry,
Are just the things you shouldn’t eat,
As are butter, cream, and sweet?
Junk foods and fat do take their toll,
And divert you from your diet goal;
With plaque they do your arteries clog,
Detracting from that recent jog.
Soft drinks and beer it has been noted
Fill you up and make you bloated,
And when it comes the time to weigh,
You find more kilos to your dismay.
So go instead for veg’ and fruit,
A balanced diet with root and shoot;
Those foods having the texture of a rope
May not be tasty but hold out hope.
Ian Frame
Jomtien

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It’s quite obvious from the news reports that many people had a tremendous “will to live” during the Tsunami crises and fought desperately to survive the awful ordeal.

Our Will To Live

What is this thing called “ courage?”
How can it be defined?
And when and how in life can it
Be really underlined?

Well, physically, of course, it is
That certain bravery
Which risk the body and the heart
For all humanity

A crushing blow to any town
In time of peace or war
Inspires every human heart
To do a little more

But it takes mental courage to
Exist from day to day
And that is what we needed that Sunday
As Tsunami came our way

Courage was our will to live
A single minute longer
And with each minute of that day
We grew a little stronger.

B. Phillip Webb Jr.

Garbage

Dear Sir,

It dismays me to see garbage strewn over the Jomtien Beach pavements after weekend holidaymakers have departed, and I applaud those unsung heroes whose job it is to clean it up. I have attempted to capture this depressing situation in the following poem.

When the holidaymakers depart for home
The metal detectors start to comb,
And bottle collectors sift the trash
To uncover treasures to exchange for cash.
Of stinking garbage there is much to see
Spilled carelessly onto pavement free,
And folks rush past in such great haste,
Strong smells that one can almost taste.
Plastic and polystyrene lies around
With uneaten food on the ground,
And rats come out this fare to eat,
Be it chicken, rice or other treat.
This all lies waiting until the heroes come
To remove the rubbish left by some,
Who are much too lazy to use a bin,
An attitude which really is a sin.
Ian Frame
Jomtien

A tainted view of Pattaya immigrants

Dear Pattaya Mail;

Two letters interested me especially in the 21st January issue along with the “Officials search for a solution to Pattaya’s water problems” on the front page.

Firstly, poor Jonathan Hewitt was moaning about city hall’s desecration of the beach area to the north of the Dusit Hotel and suggesting there were more sensible pursuits for those bureaucrats to follow.

All was explained in the “Officials Search For” article; it went on to elucidate “Governor Pisit Ketphasook and provincial water authorities led a brainstorming session at city hall last Friday saying a solution must be delivered”! How’s about delivering the water city hall!

I looked up brainstorm in the dictionary and interestingly it says, 1 “A severe outburst of excitement often as the result of a transitory disturbance of cerebral activity”; 2 “Sudden mental aberration”, so take your pick.

How long has water shortage been a real problem in Pattaya and its environs?

The building boom continues at breakneck speed with no regard whatsoever to the infrastructure needed to cope with these developments. Helllloooo city planners, if there is such an authority!

Witness the partially or untreated sewerage pumped out into the sea at Jomtien Beach early in the morning before most people are up, Pattaya now seems to have a clean sea, Jomtien’s is filthy!

Then a letter from “Opinionist” praising “Ptyrider” for making a serious stab at complaining about the Baht Bus Scandal, or the Organized Cheating of Westerners, saying that such behavior is unworthy of Thailand and True Thai Values

Apologies to the “True Thais” but they are certainly very few in Pattaya, everyone knows that a lot, if not most of the Baht Bus Scandal is caused by influential people being in the driving seat so to speak.

Westerners are not the only targets for scams, the Thais are just as adept at cheating on their own fellow countrymen.

Quote from a book I read, “I have lived here for a few years now and whilst generally appreciating the Thai’s attitude towards life, and certainly couldn’t imagine or wouldn’t want to live anywhere else in the world, after witnessing more than a few farangs being done by scheming greedy Thais I think the phrase ‘The Thais are the nicest people money can buy’ is not strictly true, the ‘Black Widow Spider Syndrome’ would seem to be more accurate.”

Be they male or female, the average Thai in Pattaya seems inordinately adept and cunning at luring their victims into catastrophic situations with charm and sexual bait, injecting them with some kind of drug that renders them incapable of logical thought, sucking them dry, abandoning the now useless to them remains, and moving onto the next victim with no compunction whatsoever. “Get as much out of the rich bastards as you can” seems to be the general attitude towards foreigners, as one of my Thai friends calls us.

Luckily there are a few not rotten apples in the barrel, and they more than compensate for the baddies by being amongst the sweetest, most genuine, loving, kindest humans on this planet

RW

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