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Grateful to be back in Cambodia

An energy suggestion

Late arriving telephone bill

Grateful to be back in Cambodia

Editor;

I first came to Thailand more than 15 years ago and soon found myself returning as often as possible. After a few years I decided to move here. I married a Thai lady and even worked as an English teacher in a private school for a year. This indeed was the turning point for me.

Then, two years ago I discovered the best kept secret in Thailand: Cambodia.

During the 40 years that Thailand has benefited (?) from tourism Cambodia has suffered 3 decades of disaster. Yet the infrastructure where I live in Sihanoukville is comparable on a smaller scale to that of Pattaya’s. How is that possible? Perhaps the Thai Government can supply the answer. I’m sure that like all fairy stories it would be very entertaining.

It’s cheaper to live in Cambodia, the attitude of the people is much better and simply by buying a business visa at the border allows you to remain in the country indefinitely merely by paying to extend your visa.

I have returned from a visit to my friend in Pattaya. While I was there I learned of Pattaya’s water shortage. In fact during a visit to his apartment he complained to his landlady about the many occasions that the apartments had no water. Her reply summed up Thailand completely and would have been funny if it were not so serious. She said, “You want water all the time. You don’t understand. Cannot.”

Let me just explain to Thailand. Your economy is totally reliant on tourism. Countries that have a dirty water supply or lack of water end up with diseases like typhoid and cholera. If, or as looks more than likely, when this happens on Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard, you will have no tourists anywhere in Thailand. Unless Thailand opens its eyes there is no future for the vast majority of Thai people.

My Thai wife and I are both grateful to be back in Cambodia.
Michael Roberts

An energy suggestion

Dear Sir,

I see Thailand is looking for effective measures to save energy. Please allow me to suggest the following: If a national campaign was initiated to ask all drivers to turn off their engines at any stop light that will keep them sitting 30 seconds or longer, I feel there would be a huge national energy saving immediately. I have calculated with my motorcycle the savings to be as high as 10%. Turning off engines would be so simple at very little inconvenience to the public. This will make oil savings immediately and benefit the drivers as well as reduce polluting fumes. This is standard policy in some European countries where it has shown to work very well in energy savings.

Best Regards,
Rolfe Foxwell

Late arriving telephone bill

Dear Editor;

For several months we have been receiving our telephone bill around the 23rd. But the payment is due on the 17th, so the bill can’t be paid at the 7/11 stores. Every month we have to drive 20 km to pay the bill which is 18 km fuel down the drain. The same is true about the paper of the bill. Before it was 2 postcard size sheets, now it is 2 A4 size pages. All the trees down the drain also. Maybe this is the new fuel and tree saving policy of TOT?
Thank you,
H. Lubben

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