Don’t need to speak English to pick up trash

Editor;

The Pollution Solution Group met this very nice Russian lady, not speaking a word of English, letting us know she wanted to help us clean the beach. For 2 + hours she assisted us, removing many kilos of plastic, bottle caps, toxic cigarette butts, diapers, bar-b-q sticks, bits and pieces of rope and fishing nets, disposable lighters, broken swim buoy foam and plastic, bamboo poles full of razor sharp barnacles. Then helping us throw starfish, which were caught at low tide, back into the ocean to give them a chance to live for another day. We have seen her cleaning the beach before.

This caring lady from a place, far, far away from her home, as others also have, show us there are some very nice, environmentally concerned, pleasant Russians in all walks of life. We have met many before her, and I’m sure we will meet many more after.

The Pollution Solution Group thanks this caring Russian lady and all the Farangs and Thais that have concerns about the environment and have reached out to help make our Mother Earth a cleaner, safer place, for all.

Gerry Rasmus, aka KOTO

True Visions troubles

Dear Sir,

I am wondering if any other English speaking Farangs are experiencing the True Visions mayhem I have just experienced.

Monday morning did all the instructions.

No BBC; History Chanel; CNN; etc., in fact, no English channels.

I was lucky; I still had the Panda channel and Academy Fantasia. This is with the Gold Package.

Talked to an English speaking representative at True and he told me I could trade my old decoder (seven weeks old) for a new one, in Pattaya.

I contacted the Pattaya shop recommended to me by (un)True. Nope, they said it is no good to them. Wanted 3,900 baht for a new one. Plus 2,000 baht guarantee to service it.

The bottom line is I have now cancelled True Visions, which I have had for a long time, under the previous names of UBC etc.

If any of you out there can advise me about a TV service that will not rip me off, as has just happened to me, please post it on Pattaya Mail, because I am fed up with getting taken.

Even after living here a long time, you still meet serious scams that you think you are smart enough to avoid.

Rgds,

Billy Sheal

Why only Fox?

Editor;

I enjoy the stellar performances of O’Reilly, Hannity, Huck a bee, and Sarah Palin on Fox cable news, but I wonder why Fox with its faith basis social values, and conservative commentaries was chosen by Pattaya’s T.V. providers as the only political news channel of choice. Perhaps its because Fox does present some entertainment and advertises itself as fair and balanced. I for one fail to see that it is all that fair and balanced with all Republicans it has on board, but it does at times have as guests some liberals who are able to present an opposite view point to what Fox and friends have to say. And that is the way it should be. There should always be an opposite viewpoint to any political message. Politicians standing alone are able to convince people that they are the only show in town. Proselytizing takes place and people respond accordingly. They are sold a bill of goods. This should never happen. It is certainly against Democratic principles. In those troubled times people must hear from both sides and must be given the right to make up their own minds about what is politically right for them and what is wrong.

Ray Standiford

Locker room thief

Dear Editor;

I recently had my 66,000 THB watch stolen out of my locked locker at Khao Kheow Country Club (KKCC) while playing golf there. After two months of negotiations with the local manager at KKCC, the company’s general manager out of Bangkok and the company’s board, KKCC denied any and all responsibility for the theft and refused to compensate me in any form for the theft.

I am a member of the Olympic Club in San Francisco, the site of the 2012 U.S. Open and former board member of the club. If this had happened at my golf club we would have made sure the person who sustained a financial loss on our property receive reasonable compensation, even if there was some question as to the club’s liability. We do this in America because it is the moral and right thing to do, makes good business sense, and keeps the person satisfied because we do not want to lose that person’s future business.

KKCC appears to have little, if any notion, of fairness or good business practices. The worship of the almighty Thai baht appears to supersede any notion of assuming financial responsibility for a theft occurring on the premises of a business. Rather than make reasonable accommodations, KKCC would rather upset the customer and lose his business than to turn over a single baht in the name of fairness or morality. Welcome to the Land of Smiles where Thai businesses smile at another’s misfortune. I will no longer play golf at KKCC after having played there weekly since February. I will also ask my American friends not to play there anymore. KKCC will not get another Thai baht from me or my friends. That’s what we call payback. The sooner they understand this principle the sooner they will realize that saving one baht today will result in losing 100 baht tomorrow.

Jerry Langer

Don’t need to speak English to pick up trash

True Visions troubles

Why only Fox?

Locker room thief