HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

City hall inactivity

Still waiting for a serious accident?

New idea?

Death Street … A serious risk to your health

Paul’s a big hit

U.S. Ambassador’s statement to the media on lifting assistance restrictions to Thailand

Thailand remains one of the world’s favorite destinations

City hall inactivity

Dear Sir;
Readers with long memories may recall a post of mine from last year where I alerted city hall to the disappearance, possibly kidnap of one of their employees. The evidence for this was not the fact that the person was actually absent from their desk, but more due to the complete lack of work being done by their department. I refer, of course, to the person responsible for the upkeep of the beach front path at Wong Amat.
More recently, applying the same theory, I suggest that city hall needs to be worried about the whereabouts of the Media Relations Officer responsible for stopping the mayor making humorous statements (...and I intend to help relieve high season holiday pressure by turning Beach Road into a pedestrian only area and to making Second Road two way, but only for three days a week), and the traffic engineer in charge of the tragedy known as the Pattaya to Jomtien Road where work has ground to a halt leaving half finished surfaces and holes everywhere.
Of course, it might be true that the work is going exactly to plan (2007 dig up road, 2008 small break to allow rashly deported Cambodian workforce to return, 2009 finish new road). More likely though is the holding of the engineer by dark forces until a ransom demand is paid.
I fear that the criminals involved are not learning from their mistakes. Still being held and still awaiting a response to their plight from city hall are workers as diverse as the City Planner behind the scheme to demolish the seawards side buildings of Walking Street to enhance the view, the Appropriations Officer responsible for ensuring Bali Hai Pier is built with top quality materials, and the Disabled Citizen Watchdog scheduled to oversee the design of the new supermarket complex so as to enable easy wheelchair access. Surely city hall can at least employ temporary staff to take over these duties whilst negotiations proceed to free the officials.
Let us hope that 2008 proceeds with a full workforce of civil servants.
Regards,
Concerned Resident

Still waiting for a serious accident?

Editor;
“Are the responsible city departments waiting for a serious accident, with possible deaths of women and children to occur, before they do their job? Too late!” This is a Mailbag writer asking. He is of course talking about the new streets crossing Soi Nernplabwan.
I suggest that instead of silly “landmarks” the apparently available money is used to build a flyover. Starting at the market crossing the bridge and coming down on the other side. It would save lives, which I assume is also of importance for the people at city hall. If not, they should have the guts to say openly “we don’t care about people; live or die.”
The way the new streets are now they are more than useless. Nay, deadly dangerous.
I invite anyone to come any day at 6 pm and watch the chaos on the bridge. It seems to me the mayor of this fair city has other business calling for his attention.
John Baker, Tony Mulhony & Amporn P.

New idea?

Editor;
Last night, just after my weekly mugging and shortly before I was struck by a motorbike on the sidewalk (I apologized to the driver & paid him for a new mirror), I thought of something not common to these parts. Now, bear with me as, initially, this will sound crazy but it could work. Personally I have never seen a policeman walking about, except at the pre-designated, and Thai advertised, foreigner traffic stops. What if, hold on, policemen walked a small area daily thereby getting to know all the business people and long time residents? When something out of the ordinary happens they will know to inquire. Example: why is that guy running with a ski mask on, carrying a pink ladies hand bag? Does a motorbike belong on the sidewalk? What is a sidewalk?
Maybe, with the bad guys knowing a policeman might be just around the corner, this may delay or cancel their nefarious deed. Presence is at least half of crime prevention - see a cop = go away. After the fact is not crime prevention it is crime reporting which rarely, if ever, is any consolation to the victim. Someone, standing on a corner, in uniform and with a gun can have a sterilizing effect on no-gooders.
Don Aleman

Death Street … A serious risk to your health

Editor;
I am an English permanent resident here for over 10 years. I love this country and its people and am not a constant moaner. However, there are times as a business owner, taxpayer and responsible adult that one needs to speak up. There is one particular site that I do not relish and that is the site of a crowd of “rubber-neckers” crowding around the latest unfortunate road traffic fatality.
Every morning and evening my route to and from work takes me along Soi Chaiyapruk in Jomtien. Mayor Niran must have the full accident figures but I am sure that this, not especially busy road must have more fatalities than any other stretch in the Pattaya area. As you know, when we are off the highway there is no enforcement of seat-belt wearing; however, I now use one and instruct my wife and son to don theirs on what should be renamed “Death Street”.
In the past few years I have witnessed at least 10 major fatal accidents on both sides of Sukhumvit. Unfortunately this has included a 17 year old son of a friend, 3 customers in a roadside restaurant run by a long-time family friend, and the latest; the death of the Canadian motorcyclist pictured in the last edition.
Something needs to be done now! I am sure there are many suggestions; but how about proper markings and “Give-Way” signs on the side roads. Clearing obstructions around blind corners, enforcement of speed and parking regulations, etc. How many more Thais and falangs need to lose their lives?
David Cradduck

Paul’s a big hit

Hello Mailbag,
Just a quick note to let you know, that your TV man, Paul, is a big hit with the Russian women here in Pattaya. Not only is he good at his job, but very cute too. Is he married?
Cheers,
Alexei
P.S. Tell Paul, he has free drinks waiting for him at Pa Pa’s on Walking Street.

U.S. Ambassador’s statement to the media on lifting assistance restrictions to Thailand

Good afternoon,
Yesterday, the Department of State certified to the U.S. Congress that a democratically elected government is in place in Thailand. As Thailand is a valued ally and long-time friend, we are excited by this development and congratulate the people of Thailand on the re-establishment of an elected government. This notification to Congress allows us to re-instate complete funding for our cooperative military programs with the Thai military.
The United States will again be able to fund military assistance programs such as International Military Exchange Training (IMET) programs, Foreign Military Financing (FMF), and the Global Peacekeeping Operations Initiative (GPOI). With the reinstatement in funding for these programs, we look forward to building on the already close and mutually beneficial relationship that the U.S. has with Thailand. Resumption of these programs allows our two sides to work together to achieve our mutual goals, including peace and stability throughout the region.
As we confer with the Royal Thai Government to advance our relationship with a valued ally, one of the things I am happiest to announce is the upcoming visit at the end of this month by Ambassador Christopher Hill, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, as well as the visit by Admiral Timothy Keating, Commander of U.S. Pacific Command. This will launch a robust schedule of U.S. government officials who plan to visit Thailand this year. We intend to capitalize on these visits to discuss ways to enhance the wide range of engagement with a valued ally and friend.
A principal topic of discussions during the visits of Ambassador Hill and Admiral Keating will be avenues to enhance our military engagement with Thailand. Our engagement with Thailand is mutually beneficial, and I want to emphasize that the Thai government and Thai armed forces’ cooperation with the U.S. military is deeply valued by the United States. Indeed, the cooperation and assistance that the Thai armed forces have so generously provided is uniquely important to the strategic goals of the U.S. military.
Thailand is one of our closest friends and partners in Asia and we have enjoyed relations with Thailand longer than any other country in Asia. As such, we are especially pleased to restore the full range of relations, especially as we celebrate 175 years of U.S. - Thai relations this year.
Eric G. John, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand

Thailand remains one of the world’s favorite destinations

Kamolthep Malhotra
Thailand’s long-established slogan “The Land of Smiles” still helps draw inbound visitors and foreign revenue into the country, and the country remains in the top 10 international tourism destinations.
The latest annual survey by Travel & Leisure, the US magazine that is regarded as one of the yardsticks of the international tourism industry and which has been publishing its survey every year for 12 years now, points up just how successful Thailand is at attracting top-end visitors to the country.
The survey appears in the February issue of the magazine.
Bangkok was voted third in the world’s favorite cities, while Phuket was voted No 8 in the world’s favorite islands.
Narrowing the choice down to the Asia region, Thai hotels account for more than one in four of the properties selected as Asia’s best in the survey.
While the classics still reign - The Oriental Bangkok debuted at No 1 in 1996 and comes in at No 2 in Asia this year - the popularity of hotels in the Asia category such as Amanpuri, Banyan Tree, and Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai are proof that Travel & Leisure readers now eagerly venture beyond Thailand’s capital to beach resorts on Phuket and jungle retreats in the North.
Other elements that go into the tourism mix are undoubtedly Thai food, the weather, the culture, entertainment, and the warmth of the Thai people. It is a highly successful mix, and despite the intense efforts of competing nations around the region, all fighting hard for the tourism revenue, Thailand certainly has something to smile about.

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