HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Beware of old hotels

Stop plugging storm drains

Appalling conditions

Cabbages and Kings

Geocaching

Misses the point

Volunteers needed

Expressway from Chonburi

Sad loss to Pattaya

Beware of old hotels

Dear Sir,
I recently stayed in an hotel in Bangkok, which was quite acceptable up until the time that I almost fell through a 15th floor window.
I was backing up taking photos of our friends in the bridal suite, when I tripped over a coffee table and almost went straight out of the window, which broke when my elbow hit it. I am certain that if it was not for the curtains I would not be here.
Apparently hotels built after 2535 (1992) have to have safety glass in all floors above the sixth. Hotels built before then (presumably the hotel I stayed in) do not.
So beware of older hotels.
Yours sincerely,
James. H. MacDonald

Stop plugging storm drains

Editor;
How many people do not know where “storm drains” end up? They are the people that dump cooking oil, motor oil, paint, sweep all the garbage in them. And they are not at fault, they just don’t know. Out of site out of mind.
If you don’t know what storm drains are: they are the big holes in the road, with the steel grates people steal so they can eat, and they leave very dangerous holes in the road. A few of the storm drains stop at a water treatment plant before going to the ocean, many don’t. And many get plugged up, due to all the waste that blocks the grate at the end of the pipe.
Storm drains are what take all the rain that we are having of late, so our homes and roads do not flood. Now is the time to wake up and tell the village to stencil all the storm drains with some lasting paint, in English and Thai, “Goes To Ocean No Garbage”, or “Save The Ocean”, along with a picture of a fish so children look and learn. We need your help. Carpe diem.
Mahalo and thank you,
[email protected]
PS: “Just Do It”

Appalling conditions

Good morning Ed,
I have been a resident of Chatkeaw 5 since its conception some eight years ago. I have patiently waited for what I thought was a temporary road surface to be completed in accordance with some link to a specification. I recall your “Dining Out” article re. the Dao Cafe where your reporter graphically described the awesome road conditions in and around the area. Nothing has changed. In the centre of the development a market structure was erected a few years ago, it failed, and was subsequently torn down. It has remained in an ever increasing slum, dump area for the past two years or so.
I just cannot understand why we have to “survive” (it isn’t living) with nobody concerned, in such appalling conditions of depravation.
M.K.W.

Cabbages and Kings

Hi there Editor;
Mr. Lloyd Bonafide in Pattaya Mail’s letters Friday Sept 1st, castigated me and demands some answers regarding a previous letter I wrote.
Sincere apologies for ruffling your feathers, Mr. Lloyd, you made some valid points which might apply IF we were not living in Pattaya and you did not throw in some complete nonsense.
I did not say you or I deserved to be rammed by a baht bus; it’s a fact of life in Pattaya. The comeuppance was hoped for in the baht bus driver’s future. I hope he will come back as a mangy dog, which I think Buddhists believe. I think the American term is ‘What goes around comes around’, which I suppose makes sense to them, bless them.
I am not quite certain what your reference to laying down a minefield for myself means unless it is your vitriolic attack or baht bus drivers queuing up to vent their anger at me.
Good luck to you if you really believe you can deal with (I presume you mean change) the fact that it’s always the Farang’s fault. Keep dreaming baby!
I presume you haven’t been living in Pattaya for very long, otherwise you would not have been writing in such strident (yes I looked it up in the dictionary thank you very much) terms about impartiality, fair play and justice for all.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating, Dear Sir, and many puddings have been eaten hereabouts and found to be missing more than quite a few ingredients in the recipe.
I hope you are never rudely awakened from your idealistic viewpoint; you seem to see things as they should be, not as they are.
My wife has promised to throw my laptop into the swimming pool if I do not desist from writing stupid letters to the press, perhaps yours should do the same!
If I manage somehow to continue to write stupid letters after this one, she promises to cut off my fingers - If I still persist, after that I hate to contemplate the consequences. So I shall capitulate whilst still in possession of my laptop, fingers and other parts of my body.
She is standing over me at the moment and has my assurances this is the last load of twaddle - wish me luck!
Best wishes,
Richard Walton

Geocaching

Editor,
I have been visiting Pattaya since 1999 and enjoy the area very much. Recently I have taken up a new hobby which is geocaching. I was very surprised and happy to find that Pattaya and Thailand have people that enjoy it also. My last trip was in April and I found several caches. I have noticed that new ones continue to be placed weekly. I did run into a guy named John that is really into it and I read an excellent article in your paper around 5 months ago. There are some really neat people in Pattaya hooked on geocaching.
Your paper is good. Keep up the good work.
Bob
USA

Misses the point

Dear Sir/Madam,
Nigel Oakes completely misses the point about the inappropriateness of his ‘bar girls’ donating money to a ‘private profit making’ company i.e., an English Football team.
It’s in the culture of Thai people to ‘keep face’ and donate money. Also, if Burnley FC were making a loss, I dare say they would close and be out of business! But no, the players still earn a reasonable £2,000 a week (a very, very conservative estimate) and the chairman probably drives a German made car! These football clubs in England always rely on the passive loyalty of (usually working class) people to keep the tills rolling but never seem to quite go out of business! They plead poverty and expect to be treated as a registered charity though.
Nevertheless, Nigel has my respect as a fellow marathon runner (my best is Las Vegas in 3 hrs 51 minutes) and I’ll gladly discuss things with him over a beer when I am next in Pattaya in Jan 2007. I’m sure we have a lot in common vis-à-vis shin splints, nipple rash and de-hydration!
Yours faithfully,
Andrew Owen
Bristol, England

Volunteers needed

Dear Editor,
There have been many discussions and arguments about education standards in Thailand, especially about the traveling English teachers. I believe it is important to check the qualifications of teachers before accepting them, not just the foreign ones, but also the local ones.
However, about the young, backpacker, college-aged students from various countries that pick up teaching jobs here and there to supplement finances for their travels, instead of barring these people from teaching while they are traveling, because of not having a degree, I have a suggestion.
I have just come back from Khao Lak Phanga, and I can tell you that more than one and half years after the tsunami, the town is still struggling with bad economy. There is a need for teachers and volunteers to teach and train the villagers and children some vocational skills so that they can get back into the work force and earn money for their families. There are several organizations down there offering their help, but teachers are still needed.
I went down to help with a training assessment at the Academy and Community Center that had been built recently. Villagers were very keen to receive any training to find jobs. They are especially interested to learn English and German languages and other hotel industry related skills.
So if anyone is interested in working and sharing your skills there as volunteers, receiving just enough compensation for your daily costs and food, and have a chance to learn about the country, the people and culture, they should contact: [email protected]
It is important to receive knowledge, but even more rewarding if you can share it with those in need.
Charity starts at home, but if you are traveling, charity starts anywhere.
Sally S.

Expressway from Chonburi

Editor;
The expressway from Chonburi to Pattaya should be available to big motorcycles over 125cc as deemed in many other countries. I understand that the over head express is too dangerous but I am talking about the express route on land! It is a long way to Pattaya by normal route with congestion and with many junctions dangerous! Please advise?
Be sure Thai police when getting confessions from a sick man you are sure not to make a mistake, like with the American man you sent back USA who is proved innocent!
From a Farang Expat

Sad loss to Pattaya

Dear Sirs;
Through the medium of your newspapers I should be pleased if you would print this letter to let everyone who knew him, that our great friend Rod ‘Song’ passed away peacefully in his sleep on Friday morning, Thai/Australia time.
Rod was a frequent visitor to these shores and adored Pattaya and Thailand and had made many many wonderful friends during his sojourns here.
Rod left here in July 2006 but collapsed when he got home to Melbourne and after a brief hospitalisation it was realised and Rod Song was aware, that there was nothing that could be done by way of cure. I was pleased to learn that my messages and prayers were passed onto Rod in the days preceding his passing so he was aware of the affection we all had for him and he had sent his thanks.
I have written, through his friends in Melbourne, to extend our condolences to his family on their sad loss. Rod Song was truly one of nature’s gentle men and he will be sadly missed by all his friends.
In Sadness,
Rodney M. Girvan

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