- HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:
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Lost horizons
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Beach Road aggression
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Inter-galactic tourism?
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Sick and tired
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Recent murder
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Lost horizons
An open letter to the ‘City Fathers’;
Well, I think you have finally succeeded in turning a once renowned
international tourist destination into a less than average holiday
disappointment – tourist numbers / spending has fallen dramatically - crime has
become endemic and the place closes (such excitement as there is, and that’s
not much) at 1 a.m. - (Phuket opens till 4am+).
The ‘sanook’ factor has been all but extinguished - heavy handed official
harassment - and the whole city (why not ‘Beach Resort’) has an air of
hopelessness - and all this has been achieved in less than ten years - “Hearty
Congratulations”!
Dr. Leon Palmer - email
Sydney, Australia
Beach Road aggression
Editor;
Have you seen those middle-aged joggers huffing and puffing down the Beach
Road? Well I’m one of them and what’s making me huff and puff the most is
the lack of awareness and consideration exhibited by some other promenade
users.
If you’re reading this you are probably a farang so my problem isn’t with
you. Usually farangs see you coming and will step aside if required or I’ll
move over if that’s appropriate. A nod of appreciation, a breathless
‘Thanks’, a bit of give and take and it usually works out.
Thais are less decisive. They usually see you coming but don’t move or give
any indication of their intentions. That’s the ones moving up or down the
promenade. The ones crossing it into your path don’t look at all.
It’s the other Oriental groups I have a problem with. They congregate in
large groups completely blocking the path, never establish any eye contact
and absolutely refuse to move.
Cultural differences? Maybe, but what about some common sense please.
I’m not arrogant enough to think that everybody has to get out of my way.
Far from it, I’m constantly thinking ahead and taking avoiding action. I
don’t want to injure myself in a collision but it’s difficult to avoid an
immovable mass of tourists who seem to be in a world of their own.
Nigel Oakes
Pattaya
Inter-galactic tourism?
Dear Editor,
Like the thousands of others, I thoroughly enjoyed the Pattaya Carnival last
Friday! I couldn’t help noticing in the procession an extra-terrestrial. I
didn’t know that TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) was now sponsoring
inter-galactic tourism. I was very pleased to see this visitor to our planet
and delighted that this was another ‘first’ for Thailand. Does anyone have
any more information on this?
Regards,
Jomtien Hotpapa
Sick and tired
Editor;
I am sick and tired and fed up with people complaining about baht bus fares,
closing times, being charged extra for not being a Thai and many other things
that get complained about. The answer is very simple: don’t take the bus, rent
or buy a bike, rent or buy a car, or walk.
The vast majority of people don’t care about an extra few baht. On closing
times, if you haven’t had enough to drink by closing time you’re never going to
have enough. Many complaints about closing times start from the bar owners who
come here and think all they have to do is buy a bar and watch the money come
rolling in when in reality they have no idea how to operate this sort of
business and are looking for someone to blame for their failure.
There are many places in the world, why pick one where you are going to
complain all the time? I am only a normal person who likes to take a drink.
I’ve spent most of my working life going to sea. I have been everywhere in the
world. Nowhere is perfect but this will do for me.
Yours,
C Hoseason
Recent murder
Editor;
The recent horrific knifing to death of an American tourist was sadly only
to be expected - Pattaya’s finest have long targeted bars and nightclubs
(quite unfairly and often for dubious reasons) the engine of that fair city,
at the expense of adequate policing of the other 99.9% of the city - so who
really is to blame for this sad incident? Is it a question of Nero fiddling
while Rome (Pattaya) burns? (And as for clearing out the prostitutes from
Beach Road as promised ... well, there are more now than ever before...)
Leon Palmer
Cambridge, England
via email
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