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Just plain inconsiderate

Who would take any notice?

Long time Jomtien resident

Loving kindness

Violence on the street

Just plain inconsiderate

Editor;

Regarding the 14 May ‘Nanny Government’ excellent letter By Dr. M in response to the 7 May diatribe by John Arnone: In the last paragraph Dr. M questions why smokers cannot comprehend that secondhand smoke is a problem for nonsmokers. I would like to answer that question based on the many negative and hostile confrontations I have had with smokers.

Some are actually just uneducated and oblivious. Some deny and rationalize that second hand smoke is not harmful, and if outside, the wind will blow it away. Most are just plain inconsiderate and do not care.

And finally, anyone who smokes in the first place would not be expected to comprehend the problem.

Lawrence Remington
Bangkok

Who would take any notice?

Sir,

It was very good to read that HRH Princess Chulabhorn has reminded Thai physicians about the dangers of air pollution; particularly the much less appreciated carcinogenic effect of smoke from joss sticks.

The point that needs to be made, and made forcibly, is that all smoke is carcinogenic and dangerous whether it be from cigarettes, joss sticks, incense, cooking or bonfires. Many perfumes, too, are dangerous; so only those made entirely from natural ingredients should be used.

It seems strange that we are bombarded with information about the dangers of sunlight, much of it misplaced, yet we scarcely ever hear or read about the dangers of smoke apart from tobacco. The common practice of igniting bonfires, often containing tyres and plastic material is particularly obnoxious and should be made illegal. But if that were done, who would take any notice?

Dr. M.

Long time Jomtien resident

Editor;

I know I am only a farang living happily in Thailand and as such have no right to voice any opinion. An Afghan living in the UK has more rights there than I do here, despite bringing in millions of baht into Thailand over the years.

I think and hope I am not stupid but when I read about low levels of water in Mabprachan reservoir again. I am confused why after so many years of water shortages in Thailand in general, and Pattaya in particular, nothing ever changes. I believe there is an authority to oversee the conservation of water; if there is they seem to be useless, no surprise there!

Pattaya City Hall keeps granting building permission for condo after condo and housing projects without any regard for the infrastructure to support these developments, roads, drainage, water electricity, telephone and internet connections. The least said about the latter the better. Cambodia is light years ahead in that field whilst Thailand wallows in vacillating. It would seem the beloved of the red shirts tied up the communications system in knots to further his own interests, whilst he was running his own personal fiefdom here in Thailand, and untying the knots is beyond the present authorities capabilities without the help of Big Daddy.

Mabprachan water level is reported to be at a dangerously low level again and Pattaya residents are suffering from lack of water. There are water delivery trucks everywhere. Are they all owned by City Hall officials I wonder?

RW

Loving kindness

Editor;

I’ve been watching the news as many of us have the last few weeks because of all the turmoil in Bangkok. What I’m about to tell all you good Thai people may shock you, but it’s just an opinion from an American. I don’t vote here and I really have nothing to do with politics, even though I still vote in US elections.

I’m going to paint a very dark picture for you, so get ready. In the USA if you want to protest or even have a parade for some good cause, first you must go to the local city hall (ampur office) and seek permission from the city leaders and get a written permit. Then and only then you and your team are allowed to have your show for the public in the locations and times stated in the permit.

Now listen carefully, if you fail to do this and continue some type of action without the permit the police will arrive. First they will ask if you have a permit. If you answer ‘no’, they will ask you to leave. Now here it comes; if you refuse to leave, they will remove you on the very first day you took this action on you own.

Your removal and your health depends upon the very next decision you make. If it’s unruly you will be handcuffed and taken to jail. If you fight and or resist the police they will meet violence with violence. Now you may go to the hospital, but it’ll also be in handcuffs. If you continue your harsh actions and attempt to hurt and or injure any policeman you may be shot.

There’s not much else I can say, but what ever happened to the Thai way of ‘loving kindness?’ You must win your elections the right way and that’s by getting more good folks on your side and beat the other team with a sound election victory.

I pray for all of you,
Jesse Salazar

Violence on the street

Shana Kongmun

I won’t go into the politics of this entire thing because, while I do have an opinion, in light of all that’s happened, here (in Chiang Mai) and in Bangkok, it’s not appropriate to air. I think. I will, however, share my experiences of late.

Bullet holes next to the front door of the hotel in Bangkok, more than a little too close for anyone’s comfort.

My friend convinced me to fly down to Bangkok the weekend of the 15th for a girls night out. Sure, there were threats of an imminent crackdown but those have been ongoing for weeks. It seemed silly to put my life on hold for something that may or may not happen. Unfortunately for me and my friends, not only was that the weekend it did happen but we also chose to stay in a hotel that had been, prior to this, in a safe zone; Soi Ngam Duphli, just off Rama IV. The Kasikorn Bank that was torched was less than 20 meters away. The day I arrived, things seemed to be changing, but how were we to know that within an hour of my arrival bullets would start flying? Hindsight is a marvelous thing, and I would have told myself, “Get out now” had I realized.

I had gone to a friend’s place just down the soi, only to find myself trapped inside the apartment, watching soldiers advance down the road, Molotov cocktails being thrown, tires being burned. There were loud cheers from the red shirt side of the street and while not terrified at the time, it hit me later how really frightening it was, delayed shock my friends said.

When the shooting died down a few hours later, I ventured out in to the soi, to go back down, collect my trapped friend and get the heck out of Dodge. On my way, several men leaning against their motorcycles eyed me and said, “Hello, where you go?” I am used to the friendly, shouted version of this oft used phrase in Thailand. This was not that version. Perhaps they wondered what crazed farang woman would be walking down the soi and to the hotel, but it unsettled me as it felt to me as an implied threat of some kind. Perhaps it was the tear gas and flying bullets that made me suspicious but I was much relieved to enter the hotel, albeit via the back way since they had had to block off the now bullet riddled entrance. Red shirts had attempted to enter the hotel so staff had blocked off the main doors and someone had parked his truck across the car park entrance so they couldn’t enter.

Smoke rises from the burning tires on Rama IV.
Two days later the bank on the corner was torched.

As dusk approached and we frantically tried to figure out a way of getting out, the option of walking out was offered and rejected, I knew there was no way two single women were walking past those guys again, taxis couldn’t get in, and we couldn’t get out. So, we stayed the night. Waking up to the intermittent sounds of what could only have been some kind of bomb, and sporadic gunfire, the whole thing was surreal.

We got out the next morning with two gentlemen who shared their ride with us; they were headed to the airport, we to the higher numbers of Sukhumvit to find our other friend, who had been, thankfully, unable to return to the hotel after a day of shopping.

With a friend who was still trapped in his apartment on the very same soi we had just escaped, I fretted until I learned that he had finally managed to get out yesterday afternoon. Another friend was forced to remain in his apartment off Sukhumvit, hopefully both of their neighborhoods return to safety. Another Bangkok friend had had enough and left yesterday for the beach, only to find out that the Tesco Lotus that he shops at in On Nut had been attacked as the violence had branched out across the city.

Central World is destroyed, at the latest count, more than 39 buildings were torched, and the Channel 3 building was set alight with staff trapped inside, rescued by helicopters, thankfully. It seems the troubles have come to Chiang Mai as well, albeit so far, on a much smaller scale, with red shirts burning tires on Nawarat Bridge. A woman I know was stuck in traffic on Sunday when the motorcycles came through, with people pounding on car roofs and hoods. There are reports of attempts to enter the Imperial Mae Ping Hotel, before being chased off, banks being attacked and random fires during the night.

Curfew has been instituted in the province and an economy already suffering from a lack of tourists will shortly see itself buckle under if this continues much longer, for who wants to come to a city where you aren’t sure if violence can erupt at any time? And now, as many protestors return from Bangkok, what do we residents of Chiang Mai have to look forward to? Can peace be kept? Can some kind of reconciliation come about? Or will we see this city’s reputation as equally tarnished in the eyes of the travelling community as Bangkok’s is now?

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