Helping the needy

Editor;

The Pollution Solution Group is very happy to report that our wonderful mayor, Itthiphol Kunplome, signed our request and passed it on to Arunvasamee (Amee) from Pattaya City Hall’s Division of Social Welfare, to assist us in getting help for a lovely 42 year old girl who has had a very bad skin problem. Her loving father has been taking care of her, but she was in need of medical attention and financial help, to make her very uncomfortable life a little less painful.

We have known her for some time now, as we feed several dogs where she lives, going there everyday, we have become very good friends, holding her hand, walking with her, giving her some candy, crying on the inside, for her pain and smiling on the outside, to make her happy and excepted, counting our blessings, more then ever before.

We are so very happy to announce that she, we call her Sweetheart, will start getting some free medical attention, inspections on her living conditions and some financial help.

The Pollution Solution Group

Gerry Rasmus

No more long walks on the beach promenade

Editor;

Re: Vendors applaud beach tree trimming (PM Friday, 24 August 2012). I used to go for walks the full length of the beach under those trees, which gave a modicum sense of being in an exotic place and some shelter from the sun beating down on you in already 34C air temperatures. The temperature of the sidewalks will be unbearable, impossible for barefoot beachgoers.

Pattaya is no longer on my list of places to go as a result of this final straw that broke the camel’s back - the (*) who sanctioned this merely forced tourists off the sidewalks in the day, killing the daytime street-vendor sales, and forced the “night” trade onto an unlit beach at night creating a more violent scenario for out-of-towners that will be out of the sight of passing traffic and pedestrians. It also looks like total crap now. Ask us next time!

Fred

No left turn at red?

Dear Editor,

I am sure that every reader could send letters each week bemoaning the drawbacks of being a farang in Thailand but, for the love of the place, we all generally grin and bear it, as the positives generally far outweigh the negatives.

I don’t want to appear to be a constant moaner, as I generally love the place and am happily settled here, but, flushed with the success of seeing my letter of complaint re True Move being published last week, I felt that I must air my views on the subject of road traffic signs.

A few weeks ago someone at City Hall decided to have new traffic signs erected at various junctions, notably the intersections of Third Road with Pattaya Tai, Klang and Nua. Then some bright spark decided to have them written in both Thai and English - which is very commendable, had the instructions not become somewhat ambiguous in the translation.

I was travelling up Pattaya Klang on my motorcycle and reached the crossroads at Third Road, where the lights were on red. As I was heading North, up Third Road, I followed two other motorcycles and filtered left. Just around the corner, at the entrance to TOT, two police officers were stood, waiting to pounce. Inexplicably, they actually waved on the two motorcycles in front of me - ridden by Thais (and one without a helmet) - and pulled me in. They explained that I was no longer allowed to filter left and didn’t I see the new signs? Yes, I said, and went on to explain that I had followed the instructions, as, in English, they clearly state ‘TURN LEFT WAITING LIGHT’. This, to me, suggests that, at a waiting (red) light, one should turn left, giving due care and attention. To further complicate the situation, there is no green light for turning left, only for straight on and turning right. So, does that mean that there is, effectively, no left turn?

Alas, my complaints were in vain and they confiscated my license and sent me with a ticket to the police station along Beach Road. There were several other ‘criminals’ there, having been booked for the same offence, but strangely there appeared to be no Thais, only farangs. One Dutch guy that I met there had been waiting over an hour and couldn’t see what he had done wrong - after all, he said, he’d been turning left on red at that junction for over 15 years. I did make an official complaint, stating that this practice was tantamount to police entrapment, but the officer seemed to be quite amused as he noted my complaint on a very official - looking scrap of paper, which no doubt found the bin as soon as I went out of his office.

So, an hour or so later and relieved of 400 baht, I returned to Third Road to retrieve my license, but not without a few choice words, I can assure you.

If the powers that be want to change traffic systems then shouldn’t they ensure that any instructions given in English are clear to English reading motorists? Shouldn’t the traffic lights also comply with the new rules? And shouldn’t Thais also adhere to the rules, or face the same punishment as farangs? - especially when not wearing a crash helmet.

Subsequently, I have endured a lot of cars hooting their horns at me whilst I have been waiting in my car for the green light (well A green light, as there still is not one for turning left) at these junctions. Obviously, most motorists are either ignoring the instruction, or don’t understand the signage. One thing is for certain, the traffic moved a lot easier when “TURNING LEFT WAITING LIGHT” was allowed!

Phil Barker

Why do people hate trees?

Editor;

Re: Tree hacking continues under guise of ‘security’ (PM Friday, 24 August 2012). Why do some people hate trees so much? Not just Pattaya but the national parks too are being gradually destroyed helping to make flooding more likely; raising carbon omissions; reducing shade for pedestrians, etc. Let’s have more trees and fewer overhead electricity lines which make Pattaya look so untidy compared with seaside cities elsewhere. The city management should be ashamed.

Gino Bonetti

Diminishing natural beauty

Editor;

Re: Tree hacking continues under guise of ‘security’ (PM Friday, 24 August 2012). Crazy, the only natural beauty still on Pattaya Beach was the trees. But probably rich people that have sea view hotel rooms or condos want see the sea. Or they think they will have more value the properties... but will just convert Pattaya into a concrete jungle.

Trilobites

Reduce crime with police, not tree cutting

Editor;

Re: Tree hacking continues under guise of ‘security’ (PM Friday, 24 August 2012). Instead of getting to the root of the problem and properly enforcing the law (with real police), they chop down trees and pretend the light is going to solve their problem. As if anyone is watching the CCTV anyway. This will not reduce crime 1%.

Steve

How very sad

Editor;

Re: Tree hacking continues under guise of ‘security’ (PM Friday, 24 August 2012). How very sad:-)) The area is becoming a concrete ghetto. Who needs security for an area very few will want to visit? Regular security patrols with highly paid officers could have encouraged the nefarious activities to go elsewhere. Then again, I might be bias. I love trees.

Milton

Helping the needy

No more long walks on the beach promenade

No left turn at red?

Why do people hate trees?

Diminishing natural beauty

Reduce crime with police, not tree cutting

How very sad