HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Pollution Solution Group says thanks

Water supply troubles

Talk about overkill

Volunteers seeking donations on Walking Street?

Looking for Dolf Riks’ recipe

Dog farming in Jomtien

Too many stray dogs

Smoking law being ignored again

Pollution Solution Group says thanks

Editor;
We here at the Pollution Solution Group would like to thank the Michael Nightingale’s and the Al Collinge’s out there, from the last issue in your great paper, that have come forward and expressed what so many of us non-smokers feel. Also concerned smokers who handle their habit in a way that does not affect other people, wildlife and waterways. We also hope that more of you stand up and express your feelings on this subject.

All we need are a few more letters and the Pollution Solution Group will take them to Pattaya City Hall to change the rules of people that flick or leave their butts or trash behind, to impose fines on the uncaring people be they farang or Thai.

Earth is not an ashtray or garbage dump, we all must learn how to leave only footprints behind, leaving earth a safe place for our children, wildlife and waterways.

Have respect for ourselves, others and be responsible for all our actions.

The Pollution Solution Group want to thank the people that care and do something about taking care of mother nature and beware the uncaring waste of skin that destroy our precious earth.

We are talking to the John’s out there that don’t care.
Thanks,
Gerry Rasmus
The Pollution Solution Group

Water supply troubles

Dear Mailbag;
I was amused to read recently of City Hall’s declaration that Pattaya had adequate water supply for the next 6 months with reservoirs full, and that water supply was not an issue. Having lived in Thepprasit Road for 3 years, I am now forced to buy water every week due to the dismal supply. The supply is only turned on at 1 a.m. for a few hours at best. Although I appreciate it does keep many Thai businessmen busy, filling my neighbour’s and my water tanks, in these time of trying to sell Pattaya as a modern metropolis, with stunning shopping centres, dynamic nightlife and [giggle] great beaches, maybe getting the basics right like a regular water supply might improve people’s desire to stay here. I live in hope.
Another disgruntled expat

Talk about overkill

Dear Editor,
I’m due to return to the UK shortly after having spent the last 12 weeks in Jomtien/Pattaya in order to escape the worst excesses of a Northern English winter. It will probably still be very cold when I go back there. One of the highlights of my stay here has been to pick up my copy of the Pattaya Mail each Friday. As far as I’m concerned it’s still the best weekly newspaper on the Eastern Seaboard.

The lowest point for me was on New Year’s Eve, being subjected to a 7-hour bombardment of high intensity explosions on Soi Welcome, Jomtien, from 6:30pm onwards. Talk about overkill! (I renamed it Soi ‘Hell Come.’)

I was walking on the promenade in Pattaya yesterday afternoon (dodging the anti social motor bike riders who have absolutely no right to be there and who should be dealt with by the traffic police) noticing all the developments there, including the three shopping malls and comparing it with Jomtien which doesn’t even have one shopping mall, let alone a decent sized supermarket. It doesn’t seem fair that all the money gets spent on Pattaya and none on Jomtien. Holiday makers on a budget get a raw deal in Jomtien (try living out of a 7-11 for 3 months like I’ve just done).

As for improving the traffic flow in Pattaya, if they got rid of half the traffic that would help, and why don’t they install ‘green man’ or ‘walk, don’t walk’ crossing points on Beach Road, Pattaya at strategic points? Is it because they suspect that motorists wouldn’t stop even if they did? You take your life in your hands every time you venture to cross the quite narrow road there.
Phil Fletcher-Stokes

Volunteers seeking donations on Walking Street?

Hello,
I was going through Walking Street on my way home when I saw one of the foreign police volunteers taking out a large donation box full of money from inside their van.

I was curious to see what the charity was that tourists and residents could donate to when they placed the donation box on their table and to my amazement, the donation box was for themselves!

I did not realise that:

1) The foreign police volunteers have a license to be able to raise cash for themselves in Thailand - are they registered as a licensed entity to be able to do this?

2) Have they got the permit from the relevant authorities in Pattaya to raise money on Walking Street?

3) If they have the permits to do this then I presume that the foreign police volunteers are a registered organisation with accounts so that monies donated are strictly audited so donors know exactly where and for what such money is being used for.

Point 3) by implication means that foreign police volunteers similar to charity workers are employed by such a registered organisation in which case according to Thai law, they have to secure work permits approved by the government of Thailand to be able to act in such roles irrespective of whether they are “volunteers”.

If the foreign police volunteers use the donations to pay for their own personal items or for themselves, this would be an illegal act so I presume the new police chief who is looking to crack down on foreign criminal activity will be reviewing this development in his overall review of their behaviour.
Kind Regards,
Billy

Looking for Dolf Riks’ recipe

Sir,
May I request through the Mailbag, anyone who may have the recipe for Dolf Riks’ special raquim madras? I know Dolf use to have a page in Pattaya Mail and he use to publish his recipes every week. Dolf was one of the best chefs ever to work in Pattaya, and I was lucky to have met him quite a few times. His rickety specials board, he would wheel around to the table. Then he would also have the Indonesian Ristafael (spelling) which was 25 different dishes. Oh how sadly he is missed.
Robert P Splaine
Manchester

Dog farming in Jomtien

Dear Editor;
As to the views expressed here March 5th regarding the dogs in Jomtien I fully agree. I love to bicycle but the dogs chasing my bones is a nightmare. Understanding the risk I still only managed to have 2 pre-injections before being bitten, meaning I needed 5 post-exposure injections in addition. After travelling around in Thailand I really feel this is a more severe problem in Jomtien than other places. I guess what the best thing we farangs can do is to never give any food to the dogs whatsoever.

There is actually an old farang feeding the stray dogs in Jomtien. He has 8 feeding places here, and has been seeking staff here in this paper this year! Of course a new wealthy life gives birth to so many more stray dogs. He is severely worsening the rabies risk situation.
Tom

Too many stray dogs

Editor;
I feel I have to add to the comments made by “concerned resident” in the March 5 to 11 issue. This is not my country but I am trying to live here and the people seem friendly, clean and sensible, for the most part. And yet they allow this disgrace of what can only be described as packs of mangy stray dogs with the ability to maim or kill, roam the streets with impunity. It’s not just Jomtien or Bangkok. On a recent visit to Korat I noticed similar stray dogs there. I live near Naklua and will not go out at night without my Thai lady (safety in numbers). It only takes one bite and you could be in serious trouble.

You mention the voluntary jabs, etc., at Nong Yai Temple but I think this is futile. This “national” problem needs drastic action. I cannot believe that children have not been hurt or killed and that rabies is not rife! We do not have a car and have to walk a lot which I would enjoy if it were not for running the gauntlet of these intimidating dangerous animals.

I just hope something can be done.
Thanking you,
Peter Vincelli

Smoking law being ignored again

Dear Editor,
Being a life long non smoker, I was sceptical but hopeful things would change in the bars in Pattaya when the no smoking law came into force almost two years ago.

As it happens, I was very surprised at the change, not that the air in the bars was fresher and lacked the killer fumes or that my clothes didn’t have that disgusting stale smoke smell when I get home after a night out, but surprised that there has been absolutely no change at all!

I have lived in Pattaya for five years now and am a regular visitor to the many ago go bars around town and I know of only two bars which actually enforce the law. In all the others it is business as usual with many of the staff and managers smoking, ash trays set out to encourage the smokers to light up, break the law and spoil the enjoyment of the non smokers.

I see the problem as twofold, firstly being the local police force who do nothing to enforce the law (not a surprise there really) as I have not heard of any anyone actually being prosecuted for smoking in the bars or allowing people to smoke in the bars.

Secondly, it is the bar owners/managers, many of whom are smokers themselves have the fear that if they enforce the no smoking law they will drive away the already dwindling customers. This of course is complete nonsense as people go to the ago go bars for one thing and that is to watch the many scantily clad ladies cavorting round the chrome poles, something you don’t see in any open air bars here.

If all the ago go bars enforced the law, the customers would not go running off to enjoy an fag with their beer in one of the many open air beer bars where smoking is allowed, they would stay to watch what they enjoy, the ladies dancing around chrome poles.

So come on Pattaya police and ago go bar owners, lets see you do something right for a change. Start enforcing the law and let me, my friends and many of the non smokers who frequent the bars enjoy our nights out without risk of contracting passive smoking related diseases or going home stinking like a stale ash tray.

Yours sincerely,
A disgruntled non smoker

Letters published in the Mailbag of Pattaya Mail
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