HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Sterling drop sends some packing for home

Looking for long lost friends

Spare chickens a horrible death

Troubles at a bar in Jomtien

Reprimanded for helping a dog

Sterling drop sends some packing for home

Editor;
I can’t believe I actually agree somewhat with Mickey Finn. People who’ve left the UK moaning about it never looked at what happens if there’s a run / drop in the value of sterling. In Spain people are packing up and going back to the UK. Others can’t afford to go. But to go to a foreign country, live the high life, and when the going gets tough expect that country to bail you out is a joke.
Do as the people in Spain are doing: sell up and go back to the country that so many (not all) of you berate to anyone who listens. Then write in moaning about the country you’re in.
I never left Thailand because of finances but because there were things I still needed to do in England. So pack your bags, come back and expect us to carry you.
Wayne
Southampton

Looking for long lost friends

Editor;
My name is Patrick Jones and I live in Milwaukie, Oregon, USA. When I came to Pattaya Beach in 1970, I was on crutches and couldn’t walk on my own. It was there at the R&R Center that I met the Thai people I am trying to locate.
I have pictures of them as well as photos of an accident that I was involved in on the Friendship Highway on the 28th of December in 1969 at about 15:30 military time, three miles from the Phanom Province (I believe).
I am sending you this photograph that I have of the friends that I met at the R&R Center. I am trying to locate any of the people in those photos that may remember me or the fact that I was on crutches when I arrived at the Pattaya Beach R&R center. I was there for eight months.
If you know of anyone who might recognize them or how to contact any of them please let me know. I am also trying to contact the Police Station for Phanom province, because they have a photograph and log of me on crutches when I was taken to their jail in January of 1970. I would like to find out if they still have that photograph and log of me (Patrick Jones) and a way to contact them to get a copy of those items.
I would also appreciate any help you could give me in finding my good friend Dang. Dang is the one in the middle in the white shirt standing behind me in the photograph on the beach. Dang was the foreman of the crew that ran the R&R Center and became a true friend. I was honored to be present at his son’s birth and I hope that he and his family are doing well and still living in Pattaya Beach. It has been a long time since I last saw or spoke to him but I know that Dang would remember me.
I never wanted to leave your beautiful Pattaya Beach and their wonderful people but I was in the Army and they said it was time to go home.
I hope that you can help me to locate any of these people or the police reports and return any information that you may find to my email address. I need statements to the fact that I has badly injured in the accident.
Thank you very much for your consideration in this matter.
Sincerely,
Patrick Jones
1941 SE 29th Ave.
Milwaukie, Oregon 97222
USA
My phone number is:503-659-4583
Email: [email protected]

Spare chickens a horrible death

Dear Editor;
Often people tell me that they don’t think it’s immoral to eat animals as long as the animals didn’t have to suffer. Aside from the fact that it’s impossible to raise tens of billions of animals worldwide every year for slaughter (not to mention the billions of sea animals who are killed yearly for food) without causing suffering, I further question meat-eaters’ honesty when they eat at KFC, one of the worst animal abusers in the world. Such people care so little about the animals that they won’t even agree to eat chicken at a different place until KFC improves the conditions of their birds.
In America KFC chickens have their beaks burned off by hot irons without anesthesia, live in such overcrowded conditions that they can’t spread their wings, are systematically starved (that’s suppose to make them lay more eggs), are given growth hormones which ultimately cripple them and are often boiled alive in scalding water.
As if that’s not bad enough several years ago the whole world could see on television workers at Pilgrim’s Pride slaughterhouse - then a supplier to KFC - sadistically kicking and torturing the chickens.
KFC even ignores the recommendations of their own animal welfare advisory board and consequently five of their members resigned in disgust. KFC also removed from their website their claim that KFC chickens don’t suffer when People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals threatened them with a lawsuit. But if KFC is innocent wouldn’t such a lawsuit have provided them with an ideal opportunity to prove it?
But finally I have some good news in regards to KFC. Canada’s KFC has committed itself to phasing out all suppliers who don’t use “controlled atmosphere killing”, the most humane method of killing chickens. (This will spare millions of chickens from being boiled alive.) They will also improve audits to monitor their suppliers and try to reduce the number of broken bones and other injuries chickens suffer. They will urge their suppliers to phase out the use of growth promoting drugs and to give the chickens more space. Most KFC outlets in Canada will even start offering customers vegan “chicken” alternatives!
Unfortunately KFC in America continues to thumb their noses at the civilized world and were upset at Canada’s KFC for showing concern for animal welfare. Because KFC is an American corporation we will continue to pressure KFC everywhere in the world (including Thailand) outside of Canada.
So if any of you meat-eaters out there really care about animals remember that whenever you give business to KFC in Thailand you are helping KFC in America.
Eric Bahrt

Troubles at a bar in Jomtien

Editor;
This article may not be that relevant to those farangs who do not get over to Jomtien that often, but on reflection, it might well serve as an example for farangs everywhere. The article is also yet another glaring example of how short sighted some Thai bar operatives seem to be in these troubled economic times?
An acquaintance of mine, in the early hours of Friday, February 6, had the idea of visiting a bar in Jomtien with a friend, who for some reason or other was not able to remain there with him for long! The bar is - or so it appears at first impression - a reasonable and regular bar with the usual coterie of girls, pool table and music etc, that we unsuspecting farangs might look for on any regular evening out.
My friend who was by now unaccompanied, was approached by one of the girls in the bar, presumably for the purposes of the sale of a drink or perhaps some extra-curricular activity. When it transpired that my friend was not interested in another drink or the possibility of extra-curricular activity, the girl in question became obnoxiously aggressive and began to accuse him of assault. To reinforce her accusations, she then called upon the support of a Thai man who claimed to be her husband/boyfriend, and another Thai girl. This obviously trumped up scenario was patently a scam to extort money from this unsuspecting farang.
The police were called, my friend forcibly removed from the bar and transported to the police station against his will. He was released some considerable time later and before a considerable amount of cash had been paid to the police. He was not offered any legal support, and was presumed and found guilty and to all intents and purposes convicted without due process.
Now before the more “hardened” readers of this newspaper groan inwardly and complain of yet another hard luck story by a farang in Pattaya, consider this! Although we should be responsible for our actions when inebriated and should have a duty of care as to where and when we frequent some of the more, shall we say notorious hotspots in the city. In the relative quiet and safety of Jomtien, where it is not known for too many risqué events to occur, I venture to suggest that an unsuspecting farang going about his lawful business, should be able to do so unmolested, and safe from such underhanded conduct!
I can vouch for my friend who is renowned for his patience, intelligence, good manners and ability to retain control when inebriated. Contrast this with the hypocrisy of a girl and a bar, who are definitively, in the so-called “evening entertainment industry” and you have a recipe for chaos at best, and at worst, downright commercial failure.
Whether or not you the reader are inclined to agree with these sentiments, you should bear in mind that in these straightened economic times, you are now more likely than not to be a victim of such scams.
Yours sincerely,
BS, a long term resident and avid frequenter of Jomtien’s bars

Reprimanded for helping a dog

Dear Editor;
On the evening of Friday, February 13 at about 11 p.m., I was walking north along 2nd Road after purchasing groceries from Tops, when I noticed a dog in a collapsed state lying in the road narrowly missed by passing vehicles. Unwrapping part of my meat supper, I crouched on the pavement and tried to tempt the animal to safety, but suddenly became aware of middle-aged Western couple standing rigidly over me. “Ve want to valk!” demanded the woman.
Obligingly, I shifted myself into the gutter, where I’m sure they felt I belonged, allowing them to proceed in their stiff, uncourteous manner.
Many sarcastic retorts flashed through my mind, but the dog, who was of greater importance to me at that particular moment, decided against suicide for at least the time it took to devour my supper, thankfully on the pavement, allowed the couple, their great backsides wobbling away into the night, to escape the tongue lashing of a normally irenic cartoonist.
Back in my room, however, instead of smashing up somebody else’s furniture, I sat down and wrote this letter.
Yours,
Dorian Farmer

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