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What of the local environment?

An open letter to Pattaya’s mayor

After reading about another scam…

Thought I had seen it all in Thailand

In memory of Madam Phiengfun

What of the local environment?

Editor;
Regardless of the dramatic plunge of the property market which is sustained by no-one knowing what on earth is going on, the clearing and infilling of land inside the Sukhumvit goes on at a furious pace which daily appears to get faster. It is a case of flattening a hillside over the Sukhumvit to dump the residue in the marshes inside the Sukhumvit. Anyone who remembers Pattaya in about 1980 will recall that most of the land north of second road from Na Jomtien to Naklua and beyond was either marsh, rice field or arable, but particularly marsh.
There are people who live in Jomtien today who can recall even seeing tigers in the area. This area is home to a unique eco system which supports a variety of birds, e.g., the Ruddy Kingfisher that is only found in Jomtien and Yala in the extreme south. Every day particularly in Jomtien these areas are infiltrated by roads which are then used to fill the marshes. Is there any environmental control going on here or is it just a free for all? It would seem on the face of it that the whole area will be covered in concrete and exploited; that is till you look at the area directly behind the first go-kart track.
Here we find two lakes and over the road the beginnings of a fantastic wood containing dozens of different fully grown species that have been planted. The area this wood stands in is about 300 rai and contains lakes and ponds and natural landscapes. Apparently this project is the hobby of a well heeled German gentleman. This use of prime land must be making the developers dizzy with confusion and jealousy but will indeed be the saviour of Pattaya as virtually the only real green area; well, except for the park on Second Rd. hill! Sir, on behalf of the Ruddy Kingfisher and myself, we salute you.
Richy

An open letter to Pattaya’s mayor

Sir;
You regularly appear on TV and in the news and appear to be making great efforts to manage Pattaya as a beach resort. However, in my eyes you are failing badly when it comes to the beach areas. It seems you would like to model Pattaya as an international resort with full facilities yet when it comes to basic facilities you offer little or nothing.
The beach areas are filthy with sand that is never cleaned and no regular maintenance at all. The beach water is contaminated with effluent, bamboo, tyres, plastic bags and worse, and absolutely no effort by Pattaya to regularly clean this area. You respond by requesting school children to clean the beach, yet this should be in addition to what you as the mayor should be doing.
I am sorry to say I could never invite anyone to Pattaya Beach as I am afraid they would become sick if they entered the seawater. Please realise that new tourists want a clean beach that can be seen to be cleaned every day, not once every few months.
I wish you the best and hope you will think about these comments.
Regards,
P Davies

After reading about another scam…

Dear Editor
I am writing this letter after reading the letter from B.J. concerned tourist. I lived in Pattaya for 4 years and I left Pattaya and moved to the Philippines 9 months ago.
I was stopped at least 10 times for different reason and some time for no reason and each time I was told to pay 100 or 200 baht now or I will keep your driver license until you go to the police station on Soi 9 and pay 400 baht.
The police stop people and give them a ticket because they or their passenger does not have a helmet on, but you will see police driving on the street with another person on the back of their motor bike without a helmet on.
Most of the Thai people are the nicest, hardest working, and honest people in the world but the policeman are driving the tourist and people that have retired there away. I think I read or heard somewhere the tourist rate is dropping about 10 to 12 % each year for the last 3 years.
I have 4 friends here in the Philippines that are married to a Thai lady and now living in the Philippines and their wives say that if they did not have families in Thailand they would never go back, and that it is mainly because of the way they are treated by the police.
I still enjoy reading your paper on the internet each week and it makes me sad sometimes to see what is going on in Pattaya. You even had an article in last week’s paper where the city council were going to check into the things the police department were doing and I really hope that they do and not just saying this to make the tourists and retired people feel better.
Please keep up your good reporting and paper.
L. S.

Thought I had seen it all in Thailand

Dear Editor,
At 8 o’clock this morning (15/9) my wife and I were doing our daily shopping and travelling from Foodland to Friendship supermarket. On 3rd Road - near Excite Disco - we noticed a stationary motorbike by the kerb with a chunky Thai girl with a heavily tattooed right leg sitting on it. We carried on to the lights - (which were red) to turn right onto Pattaya Tai for Friendship. About 50 metres up on the left by the florist shop was the same girl in the same pose - she must have cut through the market to miss the lights. We travelled on to turn into Friendship and as I was turning a motorbike hit the car and to my amazement it was the same girl who was then complaining I didn’t give her enough space. The police were there in seconds. I said to call the insurance but the girl said she was in a hurry for an appointment and complained her wing mirror was broken and said it would cost 500 - 1000 baht to replace. My wife chose the better part of valour and paid her 1000 baht at which time she brushed herself off and sped away - she had not been wearing a helmet!
In my opinion it was a set up but what a way to earn a living. Beware the heavy tattooed right outside of the leg, the spiky hair and the tongue pin.
A friend of Amazing Thailand

In memory of Madam Phiengfun

It breaks my heart to inform you that Madam Phiengfun, my soul mate and right arm in life, who also played a major part in my quest in some of the solutions to pollution, was involved in a motorcycle accident with her 8 year old son, Game. The accident happened in Tha Tum Surin, the village where her children lived. She passed away at 9pm, 09/09/07. Her son Game will live.
Many of you know her by her doing tam boon on a daily basis with me, in the cleaning of Jomtien Beach, and the feeding of the beach dogs as well as giving them mange and tick medicine. She has been doing this for the past three years, starting at 6am and giving of herself for 3 to 4 hours a day. She also took care of her two beautiful children, Pukie 11, and Game 8, and also took care of her brother Mann 24, who was involved in a motorcycle accident 7 years ago which left him handicapped. She has earned her place with Buddha.
Madam Phiengfun set examples for many people to see, as she would pick up everything made by man that was polluting our ocean and beaches, making it a safe place for children to play, and saving the lives of many birds and much of our sea life. She will be remembered by all of the beach venders as they would watch her tirelessly waster-sizing, bending at the waist to pick up waste, getting rid of both.
I also hope that this can be converted to Thai so all of her friends will know that she has gone to that island in the sky to assist Buddha and to wait for me, her children and her brother, while doing whatever part she needs to do at the island in the sky. Her loss is a loss to Jomtien and to Thailand as Madam Phiengfun was one of a kind. Always let the people you love know it, as they can be taken away at any moment in time.
May health and happy be with you all.
KOTO - Keeper of the ocean

Letters published in the Mailbag of Pattaya Mail
are also published here.