HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Same S different day

Police task force targets crime against tourists

One random act of kindness at a time

Happy birthday

The planet our home

Trams instead of monorail

Paid-for one-night-stand not the best

Same S different day

Editor:
It had appeared that someone in the political hierarchy here in Pattaya finally got off their collective duffs to do something about the horrendous traffic matters at the railway lines on the eastside of Sukhumvit Road. They installed traffic signals, posted signs that on such and such a day all traffic on the west of the tracks was one way north and those lanes on the east were one way south.
Well after less than one month, in effect someone has decided to put all the signals on flashing and go back to business as usual. So far the one way direction on opposite sides of the railway has remained in effect with little or no “What’s easy for me” traffic driving opposite direction. The main problem is that no one in this city seems to have the vaguest idea on how to properly time traffic signals. Just when I thought my faith in the city doing something correct, you dash my hopes one more time.
Thus, we have returned to SSDD...
J.G.
Nongprue (on the Dark Side)

Police task force targets crime against tourists

Dear Pattaya Mail,
I come to Pattaya every year for my winter months in Canada and totally love Thailand!
I have been a victim of gouging many times at bars, restaurants, motor bike taxis, hotel, condo I rent... Even the hospital! What do I look like to Thai people, a walking ATM? I do have some loyal Thai friends who help me get a fair price and they don’t understand why I have to be gouged every time.
The Thai banks are gouging farangs now with their 150 baht withdraw fee at ATMs, as it never use to be like that. Why the change? This I believe this must stop. It is only hurting the tourist from coming to Thailand.
My condo power every month was about 2000 baht, but the last month I stayed they charged me 3500 baht! But as a farang I have no ground to stand on and nowhere to turn for help.
If this kind of gouging keeps up there will be a lot more Thai people going through a very tough time.
I come to Thailand because it is affordable... but not any more!
Regards,
Ross

One random act of kindness at a time

Aloha Editor;
One random act of kindness at a time: If you would like to have a great day at the beach and check out Tony’s animal shelter, you should go to Hat Nang Ram Beach in Sattahip.
(It is) a great place to snorkel, swim, sun, and before or after, stop at Tony’s animal shelter, which is on the way back to Pattaya.
Over a thousand dogs, plus cats and maybe other animals (are there), making it a great place to adopt a homeless dog or cat and maybe a place that you might want to help. There are many different kinds of dogs, from puppies to a wonderful, lovable mature trained, abandoned or lost man’s best friend, longing to have a home to go to. Bring your camera, I’m sure from what we saw when we were there that donations of any kind would not only be needed but appreciated.
If you or your children love animals, this would be a place to visit not only to see what happens to the animals that aren’t put down, but also be a part of helping. If it’s only to visit, the homeless animals, they are lonely for visitors and it is a great day trip, costing nothing to visit.
To get there from Pattaya, take Sukhumvit (Highway 3) towards Sattahip. Just after Ban Sarae are big green highway signs; take a left turn there, towards Rayong; you are on Highway 332. Take this maybe 12 minutes until you get to a big intersection, which is Highway 331. Take a left here (heading back towards Pattaya) for maybe 3 minutes. There is a tiny sign for Tony’s animal shelter (but it’s facing the other way!); take that road/soi about 2 minutes; then there is a sign for Tony’s on the left, which is a dirt road. Take the dirt road about 2 minutes, make another right onto another dirt road, with another Tony’s sign, and it’s there. From Pattaya it takes about 35 minutes to get there.
We are all in this neighborhood together. Reach out for man’s best friend. Health and happiness to all living things.
Gerry Rasmus

Happy birthday

Dear Pattaya Mail,
Page 22 of issue July 24 it is written that “The Pattaya Mail has assisted businesses to continue”. I can only confirm this because of all the help I got from Pattaya Mail during the hard time I had last year when I had to move my clinic in a hurry. Thank you very much again for all this help and please keep on doing your good job for the community.
Happy Birthday!
Dr Olivier Meyer

The planet our home

Editor;
OK Mr Bob Pattaya, you don’t believe in Global Warming, quoting various scientists/committees/various groups, no doubt supported by the oil companies. If I was to look, I think I could find more supporting GW. I could also quote what I have seen with my own eyes. But I would prefer to talk in general. If GW is wrong no harm done in trying to clean up our old planet, our one and only home. If you are wrong then the consequence will be disastrous, not for you/me but generations to come.
My thoughts are, since this planet was formed it has remained the same size. Unfortunately the human population has not. It’s a question of mathematics, the wee planet can only sustain so many, and it looks to me if we are exceeding that now, or in the near future. Meanwhile we are pouring carbon dioxide into the air we breathe, billions in India & China are about to become car owners, coal burning power stations, de-forestation, dumping in the oceans, over fishing, plastic litters our world, planting crops to produce bio-diesel, instead of food. The present population should recognise its responsibility to the future population. This planet is the only one in our solar system capable of human life. We have nowhere to go, so we should take care of it. Have you not learned from the present global crisis what happens through greed and selfishness?
Matt Jomtien

Trams instead of monorail

Editor;
An elevated monorail transport system along Beach Road would probably be a waste of time and money. The nature of people is to use the existing baht buses because it is too much bother to climb the stairs to the monorail.
As a construction engineer, I would advise that the full length of the Beach Road be closed to all traffic and made into a promenade. Transport should be provided by San Francisco Style Trams, with operating cables below the road surface. Two trams from North to Centre Pattaya Road and two trams from South Pattaya to Centre Pattaya Road. Drivers and trams working 24/7. Drop 10 baht in a slot to open a turnstile to get on, ring the bell to get off.
All roads from Second Road to Beach Road will provide much needed parking and selected roads for baht buses to drop off and pick up passengers and openings for emergency services. If Pattaya Promenade is well decorate with trees and plants and safe for people to walk it will surely attract more tourists and Thai people to visit. The same system could be applied to Jomtien Beach Road. Novel note; the trams should play Thai music when on the move to warn the public, the same as Thai boxing.
Alan Stevens

Paid-for one-night-stand not the best

Editor,
Why do so many men in Pattaya think that everyone else has always relied on working girls? I assumed that Richard Franklin meant best sexual experience when he said one could achieve this on a paid-for one-night-stand, and my reply that although I appreciate the opportunity to have these but never would they come near to “the best” I’ve had also referred to such experiences.
I’ve never been with a Western ‘hooker’ so cannot make any comparison, but I have had encounters with non-working girls and how I wish they were still available to me. Mr Franklin’s comment that he considers Thai women, who are taught to suppress passion and the bedroom sort is a victim, are “the most sensual in the world” tells me that either I was very lucky in my younger days or he was unlucky. Still, it is good that he is enjoying himself. I emphasise that I have no aversion to Thai women whether bargirls or not, but do find most limited in their interests and rather bland. For me, the bedroom is the culmination of the experience, not the whole thing. I had to smile when I saw this in a quotes book about Thailand:
“Thailand lets a man do what he didn’t do enough when he should have done it.” If a man does form a relationship with a bargirl, what obligation does he have to reply honestly to a question that it serves no real purpose for someone to ask? Why do so many men have to bristle if another man chooses not to say he met his partner in a bar? One could rightfully say it is nothing to be ashamed of, but neither is it something to shout about. Why ask?
As to Rory UK’s ‘A Question of English’, my Thai national Thai language teacher found the poser interesting. She concluded that as in everyday use ‘Farang’ does refer to Caucasians, to be written correctly it should be capitalized and have no ‘s’ if plural.
To round off the very interesting 24th July PM Mailbag, I would advise Peter B. Williams to treat the anonymous and pesky ‘Bob, Pattaya’, who seeks attention with monologues attacking anyone’s opinion with rhetoric he acquires from some internet source, in the same way one treats those pests outside tailor shops. Pretend he doesn’t exist. Otherwise I guarantee he will repeat and re-repeat the same convoluted gobbledygook.
Jack Tighe

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