HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

A Belgian replies

The Renaissance of Pattaya beaches

Beach Road closing

Noise pollution with added insult

A Belgian replies

Editor;

To the Belgian tourist who never comes back: I am a Belgian as well, and have worked and lived here for 17 years. I just want to react on your e-mail in English so my expat friends can understand the b*ll*t you’re talking about.

You said: 90% of what I saw here was on the ugly side. Only a few things that one does not find in Florida or Hawaii (my favored places to holiday). Answer: Go there and stay there.

You said: No public transport in the city. Answer: Check out the Blue, Green buses schedule and what with the 700 baht buses or you never saw one?

You said: The fear to be robbed or shot down by youngsters. Answer: I live here for 17 years and never been robbed or shoot at, maybe you try Brussels by night and let me know the difference.

You said: Traffic in a condition that I would not dare to hire a car and drive it. Answer: Any difference in Brussels traffic jams?

You said: The miserable tap-water quality. Answer: Nobody drinks tap water in Pattaya.

You said: The filth in the markets where restaurants get their kitchen supply. Answer: I get my supplies from Quality super markets, vegetables and fresh fish and seafood, you have that fresh in Brussels?

You said: Police who seem to stop almost only foreigners for a true or dreamed up violation (and take cash on the spot without receipt!). Answer: Never happened to me, I always paid my fine to the clerk at the police station, maybe you should send a complaint to the police station, oh and don’t forget to mention your name.

You said: Almost no footpaths for the tourists to walk on. (Am I spoiled here ‘cause in Florida they are 6-8 m. wide, as indeed in most countries in Europe.) Answer: I agree, but the next yearly budget will spend more on that issue as promised by our mayor.

You said: Hospitals that will not take an injured person if there are doubts he/she has money to spare for the saving of his life. Answer: Every foreigner who comes on holiday has an insurance, if you get hurt and go to an Hawaii hospital with no insurance, you think they gonna treat you? I don’t think so.

Finally: Please go back to your favourite places and don’t come back, we don’t need that moaning anymore!

Sir Frog

The Renaissance of Pattaya beaches

Editor;

It was with great interest I read the article regarding beach controls Dec 21st. Many of the issues mentioned were covered by my last letter “Beaches need updating”. I regard this as pure coincidence and applaud the governor of Chonburi for his attention to this long overdue requirement. I would like to also take this opportunity to humbly reiterate and enlarge on some of the topics.

It is without doubt a fact that sub-letting is rife on Jomtien and a beach bar unit that the city rents for 1000 baht per year eventually gets finally let to the end user for sums muted to be in the 100,000 baht region and more after going through a small chain of sub-lessees. Not only is this counter productive but they do not even pay the measly 1000 baht in the first place. This is the management that we have in place at the moment for what is Pattaya’s finest asset. The first new requirement of a lease is that only the lease holder can operate the bar.

If half of the Jomtien beach bars are closed to make way for public areas then it leaves around 230 units left. If these are put out for annual public tender with sealed bids then at least 20000 baht average per unit is easily achievable. This would give a revenue around 5 million baht. That could supply and finance the following comfortably:

1. Policing of the beach areas to ensure the control of unlicensed vendors. Two policemen in simple black and white uniform on bicycles could do this. They are pleasing to the eye of tourists and can be very effective. This method is used worldwide.

2. A clean up force to keep the common areas clean. Again, uniformed and with good equipment.

3. Enforce the requirement for all beach bar owners to keep the area around and in front of their areas immaculately clean all day long.

4. Strictly enforce controls on the activities of jet-skis and banana boats. Frankly these activities give fun to the few at the expense of the majority.

5. Strictly enforce the controls regarding dumping and effluent discharge with huge fines or imprisonment for offenders. The sea is still polluted and those that are responsible for this are literally pissing on the future of our beautiful city.

6. A hands on administration to control every aspect of the above. I am in business and the local and government control on me is absolute and rigid. There is no excuse for the laxities that seem to be rife regarding our beaches.

The beach bar owners who would pay a reasonable rent would be empowered to spend money on their bars. They could install sun beds both single and double and chairs and tables for elderly people that simple cannot sit in a Victorian deck chair. The bars could be tailored to the customer they wish to attract, e.g., comfortable facilities for the aged; something for the kids and families and something hip and up to the minute for the young. Competition would be rife and upgrading speedy.

If local government finds the above too much of a problem I know of a number of firms that would take on this management as the money to fund is sitting there waiting.

I wish the governor every success in implementing his new measures.

Richard Franklin

Beach Road closing

Hello,

I have just read the notice about closing Beach Road on the weekends starting 1 January.

With all due respect to the governor, he is certainly being ill advised if the solution to relieve the traffic problems in Pattaya is to close Beach Road to traffic and make Second Road open to two way traffic. I have been coming to Pattaya the past four years, so I’m well aware of the traffic problems in the area, having been one of the “inexperienced and unskilled drivers” who rented a motor bike previously.

However, in reading the article, the problems creating the traffic headaches are already stated in the article. 700 baht buses and motorcycle vendors taking up the roadway as well as the food vendors who plod along the inside traffic lane. As a friend stated, “If each baht bus is over 20 feet long - times the 700 buses, it would equal over 14000 feet if put end to end or almost 3 miles/5 km of baht buses on the road at any given time,” and as anyone can see a great majority of the baht buses are empty or have one or two people riding in them.

Maybe its time for the authorities to crack down on these offenders and open the streets to a free flow of traffic and to eliminate 50 percent of the baht buses. This would open up a couple of miles of roadway to alleviate the traffic and allow the baht buses that are working to make a reasonable profit as opposed to fighting each other by cutting in and out of traffic and driving slow to find customers.

Some Questions for the governor:

First, why not eliminate all parking on Beach Road including “motorbike vendors” and stop food vendors from walking and stopping along the roadway? This would at least allow the baht buses to pull over to discharge or pickup passengers without impeding the flow of traffic that now occurs when vehicles weave in and out of traffic lanes getting around stopped or slow moving baht buses.

Second, as most side streets (sois) are one way and traffic will not be allowed on Beach Road, what will the traffic going down one way sois toward Beach Road do when they reach Beach Road and can go no further? As the soi is “one way” they can NOT turn around and go back toward Second Road!

Third, how are all the businesses along Beach Road going to receive goods and supplies, as well as customers, if the road is closed to traffic?

So governor, please address the issues above before the wholesale closing of roads! Obviously something needs to be done to alleviate the traffic congestion but the closing of roads is not the answer. Maybe enforcement of the regulations already in place regarding parking and eliminating the number of baht buses on the roads at any given time would be a first and more effective step in dealing the this issue.

Lee Fox

Pattaya / Boston USA

Noise pollution with added insult

Dear Sir,

I am a long term “part-time” resident who although has a house in Pattaya, still works abroad. My wife is very open-minded and has the Thai virtues and spirituality which sustain her wherever we stay in the world.

We arrived back “home” on Monday evening for a three week vacation and after getting our shopping, banking and all the other necessities in order, settled down to what we consider as the best holiday of the year, the festive season in Pattaya.

We arranged to meet some friends at a beer bar in North Pattaya where the husbands could have a simple meal, a few beers and catch up on what has been happening; nothing unusual, it has been a custom for years.

Noise from the other “establishments” is not uncommon; however, it never reaches the point off pain, that was until the other evening.

There is a hotel nearby which is an old and established business in Pattaya and each year I notice changes to the exterior and its gradual encroachment onto the thoroughfare. No big deal, but the latest move with its entertainment facility appalled both myself and my wife.

There is now an elevated chrome pole outside the entrance and this was graced by some of the dancers, wearing outfits more appropriate to a BDSM website who cavorted on the pole in a manner that would not have been out of place in an XXX movie. I am no prude, but, my wife was, to say the least disapproving of the public coyote dancing. As a little light hearted fun this may have been acceptable, but, with families using the street to travel between 2nd Road and Beach Road I found it tasteless and tacky.

In itself, that would possibly not have been so bad, what ruined the evening was the noise. The mindless “boom, boom, boom” of the latest commercial trash was played at mind numbing volumes and the long awaited chat between friends almost became a shouting match. I noticed also that the owner had taken to wearing ear-plugs, a sign that all was not well in this little corner off Pattaya.

One gentleman attempted to make a complaint to the club’s manager regarding the situation, which fell on blatantly “deaf ears”. Shortly afterwards, the complainer was subjected to a hit and run bottle attack by a group off young Thai’s in the street, one speculates not an unrelated incident.

I, over the years have seen many changes; the city council has acted courageously in transforming Pattaya’s old seedy image into a new bright and vibrant family resort.

Incidents like this show that there is more change required. One of my favourite pastimes, meeting friends and watching the world amble past has been soured, hopefully not forever.

Yours truly, with suspected impending hearing difficulties

Rosko

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