Human life is more important than traffic congestion

Editor;

When the Police Department realizes that a human life is more important than traffic congestion perhaps Pattaya and Thailand will move from 3rd World status where they have been stuck for hundreds of years to where they should be today.

Shame on them and the mayor for continuing the carnage and deaths on Beach and Second Road that have been occurring for over 15 years because of the police attitude and the cities ineptitude.

The police should not be running the city, the mayor and government should. Most of the police are underpaid, under-trained and unfortunately, not always educated in matters of public safety as they should be. The pedestrian should have the right of way in all circumstances as it is in all 1st World countries; people should not be speeding and driving drunk as they continuously do; helmet laws should be 100% enforced and the police and Thailand’s drivers should realize a vehicle should not be used as a deadly weapon.

The primary purpose of traffic enforcement is education. Education that would stop the deaths and injuries that have persisted to tear apart the fabric of society in Pattaya and Thailand for too many years.

Paul Ian

Polio vaccination

Dear Sri,

Since Maria Cheng’s article (11th Feb) questioned the wisdom of widespread polio vaccination, I would like to add a few little known facts to the argument. First, it is necessary to understand that a virus needs living cells to survive; so it is not in its interest to cause the death of a host. To do so is indicative of maladaption, but the polio virus is well adapted since, for example, only about one in a thousand infections produces serious symptoms.

The next thing to realise is that vaccination is a medical dogma only differing from religious dogma in that it is subject to statistical analysis. Unfortunately, unfavourable statistics are seldom publicised outside our medical journals and others are frequently manipulated to support a fictional belief. Subsequent to widespread tonsillectomies being curtailed around 1949 in the UK, there was an 82% decline in mortality from paralytic polio over the following six years prior to the advent of vaccination. It was then discovered that the tonsils are the first line of defence against the virus. It was also found that the current diphtheria toxoid ‘immunisation’ was also a cause of paralytic polio!

However, it should be said that polio vaccination is the only physiologically sound vaccination and is relatively safe but as polio infections are largely asymptomatic, maybe it would be more sensible to find out why only about one in a thousand develops serious symptoms. Also, improved nutrition is far more important than vaccinations, but less attractive to the pharmaceutical industry.

Dr. Michael Nightingale

It’s still illegal to gamble

Dear Pattaya Mail,

I read something in Pattaya Mail about casinos in Thailand. I have a question. I am aware that Thailand is Buddhist country, and that it is considered evil to gamble in Thailand to some. I also take note that there are polls going around and in circulation giving people the choice to vote on whether or not they want a casino in Pattaya. 60,000 out of 80,000 would like to have casinos in Thailand. My question was simply in regard to private parties. I have my own chips and my own games and wish to run private parties at club events only. These events do have casino style games with gambling included. I would like to know if I fall under the same category of running a casino if I choose to invite only a strict amount of friends to a “private party” to do a little gambling. What would the law in Thailand allow me to do or not to do, when conducting a private affair?

Thank you for your time,

OC

Dear OC,

It is still illegal to gamble in Thailand, whether at a casino or in private. It is doubtful at this point that the law will ever be changed, but if it is, one of the provisions is that gambling will only be legal in licensed venues. Private gambling will remain illegal. Police raids of private gambling parties are still quite common here, and as a non-Thai, getting caught doing this would severely jeopardize your ability to remain in Thailand, once you are released from jail.

All the best,
Pattaya Mail Editorial Team

Human life is more important than traffic congestion

Polio vaccination

It’s still illegal to gamble