HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Difficult to understand

Loves Pattaya dogs

Dog suggestion

Downright dangerous situation

Songkran not so much fun anymore

Canadian jackass tax

Songkran was a blast

American Embassy Consular Section to visit Pattaya May 25

Dave Lee

Difficult to understand

Dear Editor;
I cannot understand the letter from James Bridges in the 20th April edition of your newspaper. He claims to have been here every month for the last 12 years and has a 1-year multi-entry visa. I assume this must be an “O’ or “OA” (or even a “B” if he is working here). If this is the case there is no need to cross the border every 90 days. All he has to do is go to the Immigration office in Jomtien, fill in form TM.47 and when his turn comes, present it to the appropriate officer with his passport. The latter will complete the bottom part of the form, tear it off and staple it into the passport. This gives a further 90 days and quotes the expiry date when he should follow the same procedure - all at no cost at all. At the end of the 12 months he will have to complete form TM 8 and comply with certain requirements, such as 800,000 baht in his bank for at least 3 months or a certified income of not less than 40,000 baht a month and pay 1,900 baht for another 12 months. The personnel at Jomtien are very helpful these days.
As a matter of interest, I entered Thailand on the 3rd of December 2004 and have not been out of the country since.
Regarding the problem of those not having their passport with them, it has always been obligatory for farangs to carry theirs at all times and although at one time a photocopy was accepted, I believe this is no longer so.
I am sure that if Mr. Bridges acquaints himself more fully with the various rules and regulations, he will find life a lot easier and no reason to complain so much.
Yours sincerely,
Mike
Naklua

Loves Pattaya dogs

Dear Mr English,
I know I shouldn’t laugh at your dilemma with barking dogs, but bylaws in Pattaya? If there is one thing Pattaya is not run on, it’s bylaws; that is why we like it so much!
As of the dog problem, I visit Pattaya 5-6 times a year and have adopted many dogs, one in particular in Soi VC that has no hair and mange. I feed the dog. One of the reasons I love coming to Pattaya is for the dogs.
Maybe instead of complaining about the dogs, take a bit of time out and buy a bit of food for them. It’s amazing how quick they get to know you, and start coming to you. I may not see my adopted dog for 3 months, but I whistle and he comes running.
I must say though that in the last 4 years the stray dog population has gone down drastically, and no more is the day when you see dogs roaming Walking Street and main tourist areas. I think PAWS has a lot to do with this, so well done to them.
And Steve, you knew what Pattaya was like before you came, so you must have thought about this. I have been coming to Pattaya for 27 years and still can’t make up my mind if should live there!
Get an MP3 or a Great Dane like I have in England, that will quiet them down, but your food bill may go a tad.
All said in the best possible taste.
Robert
Nags head
UK

Dog suggestion

Editor;
May I suggest to Mr. Steve English that instead of moaning about the noise from his neighbour’s dogs, he and other residents get together and offer to exercise the animals. That way, the dogs will have a break, and regard those who take them for a walk with a great deal of affection, and the walkers will get some exercise and be able to consume more beer, as is their wont. I would think that if everybody walked two dogs a day, the problem would be much diminished.
Derek Doyle
Mabprachan

Downright dangerous situation

Editor;
When I’ve finished shopping at Tesco Lotus (the one near Jomtien) I use the overhead walkway to cross over Sukhumvit Road in order to catch the red beach road bus back to Jomtien; I sometimes have quite a long wait.
I’ve noticed an alarming increase in motorbike riders coming up on the wrong side of the road to get to a turnoff about 50 metres up on the right hand side, quite often they come onto the pavement. It’s a very busy spot just there with baht, and regular buses arriving all the time, as well as the beach road bus which I have to look vigilantly out for because I can’t see very well.
I make a mental note to ‘think bike’ before stepping out to board the bus when it comes, but invariably I forget, just wanting to get on it; I’m starting to think I might end up being seriously injured by one of these clowns on a motorbike materialising under the bridge as I’m stepping out.
I’d like to suggest that the police place a surveillance camera on the parapet of the walkway to get the licence plates of these traffic violators and fine them 2000b every time they’re caught on camera. This might deter these thoughtless morons.
Mr Phil Fletcher,
Jomtien

Songkran not so much fun anymore

Dear Editor,
I totally agree with Brian in regards to leaving Thailand, or delaying a holiday to Thailand during Songkran. I have made arrangements for my flight to be delayed until (after Songkran), to avoid similar circumstances as experienced last year, when I was singled out by three young foreign men letting out their aggressions on me. It is sad but expected, young men, alcohol and women are a recipe for disaster. Somehow they lose the plot, and spoil it for everyone.
Christian K.
Melbourne, Australia

Canadian jackass tax

Editor;
Believe me when I tell you that dual pricing is not only a practice in Thailand. It happens in Canada as well. We have a situation here where it is difficult to get anything done on time and at a reasonable price. The rich oilfields of Alberta have taken all of our tradesman, so we are lean in the service industry.
I have two businesses and am myself guilty of dual pricing. I have, however, found a neat loophole in which to hide it. It’s called a Jackass tax, and while it doesn’t show up on any invoice, believe me when I tell you that it is there.
You come into one of my stores, act like a Jackass because you want it done now, and at a reduced price, and BOOM, the Jackass tax comes into affect.
Walk in with attitude, BOOM, feel it.
I remember playing golf with a guy once in Pattaya, and he wasn’t having a very good round, and he seemed to think that it was his caddie’s fault. He verbally abused her to the point where he had made her cry.
After I tipped her some more money at the end of the round he came up to me and said that by me giving her some more money that I was just driving the price up for the expats that lived there. I told him politely that I was paying his Jackass tax, and because I didn’t live there full time, I didn’t care. He was smart enough to leave it at that.
When my Thai wife and I retire in Thailand, I will be darn sure I have enough money that if I do come across a couple of instances where I have to pay 10 extra baht for a bus, or the watermelon guy wants 30 baht for a watermelon, I will be able to handle it. To those that can’t, sucks to be you. Go back to work. We need good tradesmen.
Bodyshop Satebe

Songkran was a blast

Editor;
My wife and her cousin, both Thai and married to falangs, attended Songkran in Pattaya and had a blast! My wife described going down Walking Street playing with water and powder. Great fun! Someone in a truck was throwing copious amounts of water and someone in the crowd threw powder in the truck driver’s face, temporarily blinding him. A passenger sitting on the hood of the truck with a water gun had his leg crushed against a car with an audible crack. What fun. He was taken to the hospital.
He was not alone as many were taken in to treat stabbings and beatings caused by drunken revelers. Is this what the city fathers think will increase family tourism to Pattaya? If anything, this will become the Mecca of football hooligans that have been banned from traveling to matches. Hooliganism sanctioned by the government and the culture…
Yours,
Bill Turner
USA

American Embassy Consular Section to visit Pattaya May 25

Dear Pattaya Area American Citizens,
The Consular Section of the American Embassy in Bangkok is pleased to inform you of an upcoming Embassy consular visit to Pattaya. Please mark your calendars! Consular staff will be available to provide consular services on Friday, May 25, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon in the Dusit Resort on Beach Road.
For full details of the visit, including what services will, and will not, be provided, please consult the American Citizen Services page of the Embassy’s web site at http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/index.htm
If you have any questions, please e-mail: [email protected] or call the American Citizen Services Unit at: 02-205-4049.
We look forward to seeing you in Pattaya on May 25th.
Sincerely,
American Citizen Services

Dave Lee

Dear All,
It is my painful duty to inform you of Dave Lee’s recent death.
As you will all have been aware Dave had been suffering from an illness for some time and after recently spending time in hospital he succumbed on Saturday the 28th.
He leaves a son and daughter in England who will surely miss him, as we all will who had the pleasure of his company and the benefit of his witty and pithy comments in respect of his life time heroes West Ham, and the various National England sporting teams not least of which were latterly the Cricket, Soccer and Rugby ones.
For those in country, details of the cremation will be available shortly following the approval from his children and can be obtained from myself or Lumyai who are acting as a liaison point at this sad time.
It is hoped that it will be held at the Wat on Sukhumvit opposite the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital near to Mini Siam.
Stephen
The Haven Hotel
www.thehaven-hotel.com

Letters published in the Mailbag of Pattaya Mail
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