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Regarding closing times
Editor;
Regarding “Closing times” by Peter Forrester, United
Kingdom: You say that closing the bars at 02.00 will increase tourism in
Pattaya? What a na๏ve person you are. Myself and many friends have been
visiting Thailand and in particular Pattaya for nearly 30 years. Since the
bars started to close at 02.00 many of my friends (including me for some
time), stopped visiting all together.
We use to really enjoy the nightlife and the freedom to
socialise without being told to stop at certain times; we never got “wasted”
or caused problems. Despite being out in the early hours of the morning and
spending some serious cash in the process!, we never “slept all day” and
enjoyed the freedom that Pattaya had to offer.
Now the opening hours seem to have relaxed a little, I
have seen more and more “ex regular” visitors returning to Pattaya together
with people who wouldn’t visit before because of such legislation. The last
thing Pattaya needs now is another clamp down on the times bars close. It
may have escaped your notice but Pattaya and Thailand as a whole needs to
entice the tourist not put them off. If you think it’s too noisy in the
town, then stay outside where it’s quieter, but please don’t ask for the
individual’s choice to be taken away again!
I am approaching my 50’s now but do not feel the need for
co-co and biscuits before bedtime just yet!
Just enjoy yours, somewhere quieter perhaps?
Glen
England
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Caveat Emptor
(buyer beware)
Hello Pattaya Mail,
I would like to send this along, and hopefully this will
be printed in an upcoming edition. This is a warning for future home buyers
that want to add a swimming pool. We, my wife (Thai) and I bought a home in
Pattaya, and wanted a swimming pool in the garden. We contacted several
companies in the area that do this type of work, and chose one that was
recommended by the builder of our village.
The pool company man, with his proposal, stated that we
would have a salt chlorinator, filter and pumps made in Australia installed.
The pool was completed in February 2010. I requested he provide when the
pool was completed, the owners and maintenance manuals for the equipment,
electrical schematics for the control box, and general layout of the piping
for the pool, and to date I am still waiting for these items.
I had been working out of Thailand, and have recently
retired, so I did not pay close attention to the people that came to do the
pool maintenance and cleaning. I had noticed the sand wash and tiles around
the pool were starting to discolor. I contacted the pool company to come and
look at this, as they have been contracted to maintain and clean the pool,
and after several broken appointments, I am still waiting for them to come,
and now they will not take any calls or answer any text messages from my
wife or I either.
I have recently found on the web, the owners and
maintenance manual for the salt chlorinator (made in Australia), but could
not find the pertinent information for the sand filter or pumps. I sent an
e-mail to a friend that lives in Australia, to help me source this
information, since I have stopped the pool people from coming to the house.
I received an e-mail recently with the information, and found out the filter
and pumps are made in China. Now I am stuck with inferior products that were
not in the proposal or to my wanting.
This is a warning to people to make sure they gather all
the facts before hiring anyone to do this type of contract work. Caveat
emptor, or buyer beware!
Robert (Bob) De Angel
Pattaya
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Goodbye garbage, for now
Dear Editor,
I must admit to being pleasantly surprised today while
heading in to Pattaya along the new section of the motorway between 36 and
Sukhumvit Rd; there on either side were small groups of persons, including
an officer in brown and a pickup truck with each group; harvesting some of
the plethora of garbage that has accumulated since the road opened not so
long ago; go for it please but it needs it every day. You can even see
rotten rubbish furniture dumped along there.
I was almost equally surprised to be welcomed to a green
light at a “right turn” onto Sukhumvit Rd; they have finally opened it;
wonder how long that lasts.
Keep up the good work.
Cheers,
Fallangpakwan
Human Rights - A central concern for the global HIV response
On World AIDS Day 2010, the global community focused
attention on protecting human rights of all people affected by HIV.
Health, HIV and human rights are inextricably linked.
HIV responses need to ensure that human rights are protected and
promoted. At the same time, the promotion and protection of human rights
reduces HIV risk and vulnerability and makes HIV programs more
effective. Those populations most vulnerable and at risk of HIV are
often the same populations prone to human rights violations. HIV
policies and programs in the health sector must promote human rights and
empower individuals to exercise their rights.
The right to health is central to the HIV response.
While we are encouraged by news that HIV epidemics are stabilizing in
most regions of the world, it is clear that too many people still do not
have access to essential HIV services that can prevent HIV infections
and save lives. Antiretroviral treatment is still only available to one
third of people in need. Even with the expansion of programs to prevent
mother-to-child transmission of HIV, in 2009 only 53% of pregnant women
living with HIV were able to access treatment to prevent their infants
from becoming infected.
Populations most at risk of HIV infection, including
injecting drug users, sex workers, men who have sex with men and
transgender people are also those populations who have the least access
to much needed HIV prevention, treatment and care services. For example,
coverage of harm reduction programs remained limited in 2009. Among 92
countries that reported, 36 had needle and syringe programs and 33
offered opioid substitution therapy.
People living with HIV should not only enjoy their
right to health but also their right to access crucial social services
such as education, employment, housing, social security and even asylum
in some cases. Ensuring the rights of people living with HIV is good
public health practice, by improving the health and well-being of those
affected and by making prevention efforts more effective. A wide range
of countries have enacted legislation to prevent discrimination against
people living with HIV. However, in many cases, there is poor
enforcements of such laws and stigmatization of people living with HIV
and most-at-risk populations persist.
HIV-related stigma and discrimination continue to
undermine HIV responses. The fear of being shunned by their families and
friends, marginalized in their communities or denied employment and
other services is often the reason why people do not present for HIV
testing or attend HIV services. All too often it is the negative
attitudes and behaviors of health workers that make health services
inaccessible and unacceptable to those people at greatest risk of HIV
infection and in greatest need of prevention, treatment and care
services. People living with HIV, drug users, sex workers and men who
have sex with men should be able to attend health services where they
feel safe and are ensured the best possible and non-judgmental care.
The failure to promote and protect human rights
increases vulnerability and can drive HIV epidemics. In sub-Saharan
Africa, women and girls are particularly vulnerable to HIV; 80% of all
women living with HIV are in this region. In Eastern Europe, over 50% of
HIV cases are among people who inject drugs. In France, Netherlands and
Spain, between 1/3 and 3/4 of new HIV infections are concentrated among
migrants.
On the eve of a new decade, we need to address laws,
policies, and regulations that increase HIV vulnerability and risk,
impede access to health services or infringe on human rights,
particularly for vulnerable and most-at-risk populations. In nearly 80
countries, same-sex sexual relations are criminalized, with 6 countries
applying the death penalty. In over 50 countries and territories, there
are restrictions on travel and residence for people living with HIV. In
many countries drug users are sent to prison or compulsory
rehabilitation programs rather than being provided with effective
treatment. The health sector has a critical role to play in promoting
public health approaches and arguments when laws are made and strategies
developed by other sectors.
Today, I call on all sectors to protect human rights,
including the right to health, and to combat discrimination. Working
with people living with HIV is critical for an effective HIV response
and Member States need to be mindful of the commitments made in the 2006
Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS to promote better legal and social
environments for people to access HIV testing, prevention and treatment.
WHO is firmly committed to the goal of achieving
universal access to key HIV services. However, this will not be possible
unless we make sure that the human rights of everyone, everywhere, are
protected and promoted.
Dr Margaret Chan,
Director-General, World Health Organization
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