HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Living in the Pattaya bubble

Thai woman who moves to the West

Free language lessons?

2012 does not signal the destruction of earth

Pattaya English Consul is expensive

Living in the Pattaya bubble

Editor;
So by now I think we all know where Mr Tighe is coming from, (issue44). He thinks everyone wants to live in Pattaya, he thinks he knows everything about the social aspect of Thailand, when he clearly does not. Granted, he knows from Jomtien to Naklua, but nothing in between.
I suspect he thinks all bargirls are the same - they all have sex with men for money, in some cases marry them, and the marriage will be successful as long as the pennies stay rolling in.
Mr Tighe is right in one respect, there is no difference between the girl who works as a prostitute in order to secure her future and the woman who marries a foreign man compromising her integrity. That woman by the way would be a poor woman from a good family. Of course, then you have the other kind of Thai woman, from a good family, middle class, and no need to marry a foreigner (that’s me), but doing so out of love (that’s my marriage) not necessity (that I suspect would be Mr Tighe’s marriage), that doesn’t compromise my wife’s or my integrity, nor her family.
All in all Mr Tighe, you really are living in the Pattaya bubble, some Songkran (I know you love it) someone might burst that bubble and you will find a whole new life that you never new existed.
Sharks Fin

Thai woman who moves to the West

Editor;
John Rigg’s dire, stereotypical depiction of life for a Thai woman who moves to the West contrasts widely with the fact of many of the women happily settling there, often staying after a marriage has gone belly-up or the older husband has passed away.
Any man who travels around Europe in the building trade, and who visits Thailand, will tell that most places have a Thai community which usually includes girls from Pattaya. Standing out in a club at the weekend as referred to by ‘Fin’ however, is a gross exaggeration.
It is true that many men have lost out at home in both the love and property stakes, but the big difference is intent of women when entering a relationship. For all the faults that Western ways have, passion is the basis of most marriages there (same for all-Thai marriages but not Thai-Farang). The Welfare State means that few Western women seek a man they don’t admire, unless he is mega-rich, in which case some, but only some, will admire him.
Most Thai women on the other hand, find the prospects that a Western man offers far more alluring than his person. Does John actually think the girls he lectures in bars absorb or even understand his message? My experience is that the more girls are told about high cost of living in the West, the higher they think income must be and the better their prospects are. In truth, their prospects are greater, which older men with no enthusiasm beyond securing a partner tend to ignore.
Jack Tighe

Free language lessons?

Editor;
I would like to ask Wayne what college he got his wife free language lessons, as he quoted in Mail Bag Friday 30th Oct: “But I got her English lessons for free at the local college.”
All I have found in colleges here in the U.K. charge an arm and a leg.
Regards,
Aitch

2012 does not signal the destruction of earth

Editor;
The story about the destruction of earth in the year 2012 has nothing to do with another planet, but everything with the predictions of the Maya, made thousands of years ago.
2012 for the Mayans is the end of the fourth sun and the start of the fifth; in their point of view “the year zero.” The thing is they don’t talk about destruction, but about a big turnaround, because humanity lost all contact with nature. It is about a new beginning with a peaceful society after Mother Earth herself will make it a tough time for all people to survive.
This story is not only from the Maya, but from many Indian cultures.
For decades our leaders have been discussing our lifestyle, but until now they cannot find any solution, because it is all big money business.
According to the Mayans, it is not only climate change, but a combination of many disasters (viruses, wars about water for example) which bring us to the point of no return. (The year zero; this is also the name of the documentary from Dutch director Wiek Lenssen).
Maybe a good lesson for the human race, who have a lot to learn from the humble ancient people that were killed by millions for not believing in god but in nature.
Dutchie
Jomtien

Pattaya English Consul is expensive

Editor;
The Aussie embassy in Bangkok is on land that is worth billions of baht. The building is also worth billions. There is a staff of hundreds. Aussies are charged less than 600 baht for a letter confirming their income for a retirement visa (extension). Poms in Pattaya pay nearly 2000 baht for the same letter from a crummy office in a back street.
Regards,
Col West

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