HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

British Pensioners beware

Rough God Goes Riding

No road sense

No Scrabble in Pattaya?

Plenty of room for improvement at new airport

Plans to clean beach at Ocean Marina

British Pensioners beware

Editor;
It’s been 4 years now since I left the “Land of Scowls” to retire and live in this wonderful country, were its senior citizens are treated with dignity and respect. A decision I’ve never regretted.
However, it does appear that the British authorities operate a policy of envy towards those of its citizens who have the get up and go to get up and go, particularly pensioners.
Firstly, if you are not ordinarily resident in the U.K. (i.e. spend a minimum of 91 days each year in the U.K.) and residing in Thailand, you will not get yearly incremental rises on your state pension.
Secondly, you can not claim the free qualifying years towards your state pension, between the ages of 60-65 if you are not resident in the U.K.
Thirdly, even if you have fully paid up national insurance contributions, as required, for at least 44 working years, your access to the National Health Service is restricted if you return to the U.K.
Fourthly, you are not entitled to contribute to tax free I.S.A. savings if you are not ordinarily resident in the U.K.
To add insult to injury, the British Tax Authorities require all income, pensions etc. from the U.K. to be taxed at source, whether you are resident in the U.K. or not.
Shame on you Gordon Brown, for pilfering from the weaker and poorer members of society, who are too far away to be able to protect their interests.
Name and address supplied.

Rough God Goes Riding

Editor;
“God the first garden made” Abraham Cowley (1618–1667)
A list of the world’s top gardens would have to include … of Eden, Covent, Madison Square, The Salley, The Hanging of Babylon…
Until recently, one of your local gardens was, if not quite in line for inclusion in the above list, at least worthy of a mention as a very fine and well managed example of what can be done in Thailand if you have a will, a vision and the right team. However, a recent return visit had me tearing my hair out by the roots.
Gardening (to grossly misquote Proust), requires a quiet mind and a subtle hand. What I saw when I last visited was not ‘a tropical paradise’, as a local guide (misguided?) would have it. Indeed no! Heavy-handed pruning and short-sighted planning have created little more than a show-piece weed patch. I have, to my dismay, seen strong blooms and impressive growth thrown down to make way for eye-sore office buildings and bi-lingual signs. What a travesty! The true bonus of having a beautiful garden is that it helps us all grow a little.
It can only be hoped that in the future, if this particular garden has a future, a steadier and a more professional hand will be at the helm (or should that be hoe?).
To quote an honest Irishman, “The best place to seek God is in a garden”, George Bernard Shaw.
Uprooted

No road sense

Editor;
Tony’s letter on the proposed archways is the best response so far and is just a logical way to view things. But he says it all when he says no road sense at all and that is what is lacking in Thailand. I have been in Thailand more than 20 years (not by choice but because of contractual commitment) and it only gets worse. The only other country that has such poor appalling standards is India, but I do not think it will ever change in Thailand because there is no profit to be made by improving the driving skills. After all, how would the people concerned supplement incomes? It is better for them to talk the talk with all the justifications rather than risk not having a very lucrative source of income. Making people better drivers would reduce death and suffering and also the opportunity for all the pay offs that take place with the accident scams.
Regards Michael

No Scrabble in Pattaya?

Dear Sirs;
It seems inconceivable that while there are literally hundreds of good level scrabble games (in Thailand called “crossword game” for reasons of copyright) and Thai as well as foreign children benefit from scrabble being on the curriculum at many schools, poor old Pattaya seems to be a vocabulary wasteland.
Isn’t anybody here interested in improving their word-skills and having fun at the same time? Thailand has several world-ranking scrabble players thanks to the tireless efforts of the students and staff at leading educational establishments and the fine achievements of Khun Amnuay and his friends in the Thailand Scrabble Club.
But it seems that Pattaya is only interested in beach, beer and skittles, whereas even Khon Kaen and Chiang Mai have active groups of players.
Would anyone like to play (or even learn to play!) in Pattaya? If so please, please contact me: Ralph Gibbs (“Jimmy”), mobile phone number 0860 148 657 or contact the expats clubs, who I am sure will be happy to pass on contact details.
Ralph Gibbs

Plenty of room for improvement at new airport

Editor;
I have a suggestion for the airport authority: move back to the old airport. I just used the new airport and want everyone to know that of all the airports I have used over 60 years of travel, this is the worst airport I have ever used and I still have to return. If they had 40 years to plan this then whoever is responsible should be sacked. There are few direction signs; you have to walk almost everywhere, and once you get to the boarding gates the only thing there is a rest room. If you get hungry or thirsty you have to walk back out to the main terminal and then return. It’s hot inside and the whole of the airport is very dirty. What a shame.
Bill

Plans to clean beach at Ocean Marina

Aloha Pattaya Mail,
Again I want to thank you, for putting me to print. I have had a few interested people that want to get involved in making a difference. They read the Pattaya Mail and care, Mahalo.
My next project will be at the beach next to the Ocean Marina. Here you have billions of baht worth of all kinds of boats and right next to them is a trashed beach. I’m looking for 10 people who care about Mother Nature to do some Waster-Sizing, bending at the waist to pick up the waste and get rid of both. The pay-back is the inner wealth, knowing that you gave of yourself. I will furnish the bags and the water, so anybody who wants to give back to Mother Nature, please let me know. Let’s set some examples, it’s our turn, do it for the children, Buddha, God, the wildlife, just do it!
Mahalo Nui Loa, (Thank You Very Much),
The Keeper of the Ocean:
Gerry, pollutionsolutionthailand @yahoo.com

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