HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Improving Pattaya

Suffering because of those “right honourable” crooks

Please take notice

Agree with John Arnone

Ease life for the expats

Mainly motorbikes

Global Warming

Thai Proverbs for Farangs

Improving Pattaya

Dear Editor,
I feel obliged to meet the challenge for three suggestions for the improvement of our city; though I would have liked thirty three!
First, our ruined beach which ought to be the pride of Pattaya. No more than 25% should be appropriated by deck chair renters, etc. The beach and the sea water need a lot of improvement and access should not have to entail being solicited by prostitutes.
Second would be a park near the centre which has a small lake or pond with a fountain, walkways, trees, flowers and places to sit. It’s almost too late but still could be done.
My third suggestion is prohibiting the lighting of bonfires and the law properly enforced (joke).
Michael

Suffering because of those “right honourable” crooks

Dear Editor,
When I retired, I moved to Thailand and married a Thai national. My reason for leaving the UK is not important but, for thousands like me who have done the same, the reason could have been for the benefit of my health, family reunification, better weather, lower cost of living or even because of the breakdown in social values that is a growing feature of life in the UK.
I have lived in Thailand for nearly seventeen years and I am receiving a UK company pension and a UK state pension. My state pension is ‘frozen’ at the level equivalent to when I was sixty five years old. I receive no annual increases. Furthermore, although a British Citizen, I do not qualify for free health treatment from the National Health Service.
However, I have paid full National Insurance Payments (Class 1) and UK income tax throughout my working life and I am still paying UK income tax on both my pensions. My UK state pension is not taxed at source but my company pension incurs additional income tax to meet my income tax liability on my UK state pension. (Goodness knows why HM Revenue & Customs does it this way as both the HMRC and the UK Pension Service are government agencies and share data and personal information!)
Of course, living outside of the UK does bring many advantages but I resent the unfairness related to the loss of these increments and NHS free health care, for which I have paid for, and am still paying for through taxation.
Now, we all know what has been “front page” stuff for the last few weeks in the UK media and on the Internet. Cheating, thievish and “hands in the public till” MPs. Those far less than “honourable” people are the same people who, whilst blithely and, dare I say knowingly, steal from the British tax payer to feather their own nests, continue to endorse this unfair treatment of expatriate British tax payers. They defend their thieving natures as being “innocent mistakes”, “accountancy errors”, “oversights”, “forgetfulness” and all the other sloping-shoulder excuses. They are deceitful and unreliable scoundrels.
I hope that the UK police do examine these “innocent mistakes” thoroughly and closely and, if there is a case to answer, these “honourable” villains will get what they deserve. I hope that the people of the UK can achieve a government composed of honest men and women who are solely interested in the people who they represent and not their own shabby interests.
Disgruntled UK Expat
Jomtien

Please take notice

Editor;
I dare say the following sign should be posted in all conspicuous places for the benefit of visitors to Pattaya. Visitors to Pattaya please take notice: Please be observant at all times while you are here. Here in Pattaya we have ways of doing things that you might not encounter in your own country. For example:
1. We have very few traffic lights and posted speed limits.
2. Motorbikes are allowed to park and run on sidewalks. (They travel with impunity. They are always found on one-way streets going the wrong way.)
3. Intersections are extremely dangerous. Traffic comes from all directions.
4. Do not use zebra crossings. They are extremely dangerous. We don’t know why we go to all the trouble to paint them on our roads.
5. Pedestrian bridges are not provided at this time. (Business people have now agreed to subsidize their construction. They will be provided with observation platforms so people can observe the chaotic situation beneath them.)
6. We know that baht taxis may certainly be a problem with their crazy maneuvering. Motorbikes and baht taxis are certainly the cock-of-the walk in Pattaya.
7. We must provide for two-way traffic on narrow sois. Sorry, no sidewalks.
8. Be especially observant after sunset.
9. If you attempt to walk or drive don’t lose your cool!
10. Also, if you drive be careful of our dogs and cats.
Have a pleasant journey in Pattaya. Believe me you will begin to love it here.
Ray Standiford

Agree with John Arnone

Dear Editor;
Re John Arnone 26/6/09: this is one of the best letters I have read in a long time. It is so true of farang and Thai lady or wife. Me and my wife have been together for 6 years in Thailand and UK. We had 2 businesses in Pattaya and have a house, too. It’s been hard work but we worked together most of time. She puts more money into the pot than me.
Niramai

Ease life for the expats

Editor;
In reply to Mario’s questions (Pattaya Mail Letters): I would try and persuade the British educated PM to ease life a little for the expats. After all, he received benefits from my country with few regulations. Did he have to report every 90 days to immigration?
Meanwhile, immigration costs have doubled in the last few years, and I can’t see any change re law and order, but it’s their country.
A highway code would be nice.
No green man at traffic light junctions.
Vendors not allowed to take over the pavements/sidewalks.
More honesty.
The value of my property taken into consideration, for immigration proposes.
And the government does not look after its citizens very well.
Matt,
Jomtien

Mainly motorbikes

Editor;
How do you turn a tropical paradise into a tropical hell-hole? You open it up to mass tourism by giving developers and speculators a free hand, that’s how.
I’ve just spent 2 weeks living on Soi Welcome Plaza and my holiday was ruined by mainly motorbikes causing noise pollution by constantly coming up and down the street, announcing their presence either by a low ominous rumble or a sickening deafening roar during the day. Even with my radio turned up loud and with cotton wool in my ears I couldn’t block this evil racket out. I’d be left with a tension headache each evening; this racket going on in temperatures averaging 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the afternoon. There were also cars who liked destroying the peace and quiet, as well as street vendors in their homemade contraptions.
There was no respite from noise pollution on my balcony facing the rear of Soi 12, due to renovation work being carried out there, quite often up to 9 or 10 at night.
Even the traffic volume on Beach Road is on the increase for this time of year. Where do all these people keep coming from and where are they going to? When Jomtien was a sleepy fishing village where were they then? How are these motorbike riders supporting their machismo driven habits? They’re obviously not in regular work.
I’d like to see a toll bar and booth on both entrances to Soi Welcome, allowing through only essential vehicular traffic (delivery vehicles, etc) free of charge, and charging everyone else 10 baht a time for the privilege of causing noise and air pollution. I’d also like to see a total block on any further development on Beach Road, Jomtien. The town has already lost whatever local character it once might have had. When are these developers going to learn that the flocks of snow birds aren’t going to come and settle there? It’s too hot and humid for most of them, Europe is a softer option. I only continue to visit this glorified Blackpool because it’s more affordable for me than making a holiday in Europe.
Even if this letter is printed I know it won’t make any difference to anything, it’s probably far too late to stop the rot that’s already set in.
Phil Fletcher,
Now safely back in the UK.

Global Warming

Editor;
In reply to Bob. Try telling the people of the South Pacific who have lost their entire islands to rising sea levels, the Canadians who’s sea ways are open all year round or the native people of Alaska who have lost their hunting grounds and are seeing more and more polar bears coming into their towns that global warming is just a myth or just one big scare tactic. I think it’s people like you who should get their heads out off the clouds and see reality and then maybe we can reverse what we have done to planet Earth.
Wayne
Southampton, England

Thai Proverbs for Farangs

By Thai-lish
Are you interested in Thai culture, mentality, and language, but find it hard to understand and get to the hearts of the people?
Learn these Thai proverbs and you’ll have a deeper understanding of Thais and even impress a few.
Thai proverbs are centuries old, and are widely used among the Thai people to explain situations and matters so to give a clearer picture about what they are conveying.
Some of the proverbs have words that usually rhyme the end of the first clause with the beginning or the middle of the second clause.
It is an artistic and fun way to communicate. Try it!
Adage 8

ทำบุญร่วมชาติตักบาตรร่วมขัน (tam-boon-ruâm-chaâd…dtàk-baàd-ruâm-kãn)
tam-boon = to make merit
ruâm-chaâd = in the same life
dtàk-baàd = to offer food to monks
ruâm-kãn = from the same bowl
To make it rhyme in English: Make merit same life, give rice same bowl
Meaning: “Do good karma together in the previous life, and sharing the same bowl of rice when offering food to monks.”
It refers to loving couples who get to be together because of having done good karma together in the previous life.
Those not so loving couples probably make sin same life, have lice same bowl…or something…
Sawatdee

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