Barack

Again folks, my section at Jomtien was packed yesterday and the public area had a dabbling of sunbathers and families playing in the water with children making their sandcastles. Good for them! My area was so busy they were bringing in more chairs and obviously going over their designated boundaries, couldn't tell where one started and another ended. I should have brought my sand wedge and a bucket of balls as I had enough room near Pattaya Park (free public area) to practice my golf game.

Just leave it to the military and the Bone Ranger to try to ruin tourism.

The tourists have voted. The open beach is very popular. Too crowded actually. Time to get rid of all the unused chairs.

If they set up chairs/umbrellas when requested, they would occupy less than 10% of the beach. That way everybody wins and the place wouldn't look like a slum.

The chair vendors will get all the customers they need, the tourists that want chairs can have them and the open space can be used.

As of now, they set up thousands of unused umbrellas under the shade trees and beach to keep tourists off that part of the beach. Not nice.

You are either a liar or blind, maybe both, as I sit in the in the my smaller beach concession which is packed with customers (like sardines) buying drinks, food, souvenirs, getting massage, manicures while the public areas are sparsely used. I am a tourist who has been coming regularly for many years and renting condos along Jomtien Beach. I spend easily over a thousand baht a day at the beach. I am not happy about the changes and me and my friends will reevaluate our future holiday plans. And yes it is about the people with power disregarding the wishes of the majority(and tourists) and forcing the poor, people without political clout into subservience.

Am I right in saying that there are now fines for littering in the beach areas--and the army are involved in the changes?

Not quite, there have always been fines for littering and have nothing to do with the changes or the Army. In fact, the dirtiest sections on the beach are the free public areas because nobody is responsible for maintaining the area and City lacks the resources to do so. The beach concessionaire as a condition of their license must main their area. My section of the beach is spotless. If you want trash go to the free area.

Yes ThaiBob, Jomtien. That's where I stay.

The city has evicted the illegal chair/umbrella people and the tourists are lovin it.

The newly open beach areas are very popular. Thousands of people using the open space today.

Strange you are bent on defending the criminals that commandeered the beach to prevent visitors from enjoying the sand.

I understand you like the chair setup. There still is plenty. Too many.

I went and redid my brief beach survey today with photos.

-Less than1% of the beach umbrella chairs are occupied today.

Maybe 1 tourists for every 300 chairs in reality.

Why do they set up like that without any customers?

chair empty 1.jpgchairs 3.jpgchairs 5.jpgchairs 6.jpg

beach open 2.jpgbeach open 5.jpgbeach open 6.jpg

Hey Kemosabe, I was at the beach today and there was rain and it is not a beach day. Yesterday was much busier and my section had 50 people in it and that was more than the free section. The loneranger speaks the truth but the boneranger doesn't. No one was evicted, the concessions were forced to move ultimately by order of the army, El General, El Duce. Their leases, licenses, permissions (whatever) are still in order, legal and valid. I am a tourist, my friends are tourists and you do not speak for tourists and are obviously antitourism or bitter about something.

Ever see a TAT brochure or promotion?

They show pristine beaches and not the shanty town slum setup but crooked city officials chose greed over tourist needs and illegally rented the designated open space to vendors. Looks like crap.

Around 90% of tourists like open space according to my brief survey.

Tourists expect to see what is in the brochure, not some junkyard.

If a tourist needs an umbrella and a stinky chair, fine, set one up...just don't illegally commandeer the entire beach because you are a greedy bastard.

Your brief survey (bs) is truly bs or crap. I would say your numbers are reversed. I am here on holiday with my friends and have been coming to the beach for 15 years. We come specifically for the umbrellas and chairs. If I wanted a "free" beach I would have stayed in America. A few days ago the big change was implemented and the beach is "free" (and little used) from the Rabbit Resort all the way north. A classic case of minority rules as all the beach customers (the vast majority) are squeezed in to a much smaller space. I never seen a country that can shoot itself in the foot and destroy tourism and the poor individuals who make a living from it must suffer. Of course, the people calling the shots now could care less for the common man. And yes I have signed one of the protest petitions and talked to those in uniform about these changes. Reply, big boss (army) want. And we all know to whom he refers.

It was 2-1. Italy has a far better cuisine too.

Fact check. The red shirts started violent public demonstrations in July of 2007Yes, in 2007 they were protesting against the military government

Indeed, the red shirts held violent demonstrations against the government in 2007 and again held violent demonstrations against the government in 2009 and once again held violent demonstrations against the government in 2010.

They are the undisputed champions of violence.

Do not necessarily agree with your wording but it is difficult to defend violence of any kind even if seemingly justified. I do not defend red shirt violence as I do not defend yellow shirt (PAD) violence as in 2008-9 with the seizure of the Government House and the forced closure and siege of airports throughout the country with the disruption of tourism and businesses. Of course, this orchestrated yellow shirt violence brought down another elected government, the PPP.

Speaking as someone who was physically in the airport at the time, I can assure you that there was no violence, and the atmosphere was jovial rather than tense, and for the departing passengers somewhat confusing. There was a severe shortage of reliable information after the airport and airline staff decamped.

I won't go into the tedious details, but suggesting (as you have done) that violence was involved in the occupation of the airport is inaccurate, it is an untruth - I know, because I was there!

You are a dissembler and a liar.

Have been watching this thread from a distance. What bunch of crap you just posted. You are lying. I was there to with my family and friends, like many of us we were all terrified. Outside it was like party or carnival atmosphere as the gutless police did nothing to help. Then some yellow shirt wai's me and tried to apologize. I was a hostage and so pissed if I was armed no telling what I would have done. In the distance later heard explosions as rumors circulated about bombs. So much for the yellow shirts and respect for tourists, tourism and private property.

To these yellow shirt, PAD, and PDRC supporters and sympathizers, understand that elections is about winning and losing. You win some and you lose some, but elections have consequences. You respect the right to vote. If you choose not to vote that is your choice but you can not deny others their right to vote. If you lose, consider your position was not popular with the electorate and if winning is that important to you then change your message. What you don't do is forcibly remove an elected government, takeover property and hold the public hostage. The right to vote and have elections is fundamental to democracy, one person, one vote and is more important than any person, ANY person.

Overuse...all the cheap charlie farangs saving the B150 foreign bank card ATM fee. Always a long line of disheveled farangs at the Bic C Extra one.

Your post(s) reek of arrogance and taking cheap shots at foreigners who might be less fortunate than you. Many of my friends use AEON ATM's because they realize over time the withdrawal surcharge is expensive and unnecessary. You must have a fundamental misunderstanding how an ATM network like VISA PLUS works. AEON makes money on our foreign withdrawals. Today I withdrew 60,000 baht (4 pulls) from the AEON ATM at Tesco North Pattaya. On Wednesday I will do the same. That is equivalent to 480 USD per year. It just so happens I use my Charles Schwab ATM card and all fees and charges are reimbursed. I use the AEON ATM out of PRINCIPLE and not line the pockets of bankers like Jaime Dimon or Thai bankers.

The Weather Channel calls it Mist, the Thais call it fog, I call it crappie air. We need some showers to clear the air.

Even the single gogo bar here has gone way downhill and needs new management.

Yes, this is due to the Russian cheap charlie influence.

That go go bar is in violation of zoning law and is police owned. Go go is not allowed in Jomtien only drinking bars. The neighborhood has been trying to get the dam thing closed for years as it plays loud base music to the early morning hours. Yes, those cheap charlie Russian families apparently don't want to patronize the place.

The topic wasn't focused on transport (for a change).

The get a good look, feel, and IMPRESSION around Jomtien directly you need to walk anyway.

The point is it is really, really DREARY and yes the Russian holidaymakers even though they dominate for the most part do not project JOY.

I imagine the mood (and supporting Thai flora and fauna) would be different if they were ITALIANS. But they're not.

Yes I have made the same long walk before.

It just seems to have gone downhill even more.

Look at this another way.

How many Jomtien residents (who aren't Russian) would actually suggest to a good friend in the west that they really must have a long stay in Jomtien (except to visit you)?

What kind of friend would that be?

You feel threatened by Iranians and dominated by Russians. Perhaps you were just feeling depression on your NY day walk and had to take it out on some group. I myself welcome diversity and experiencing other cultures (and that's more than just eating their food). Jomtien has always been dreary when compared to Pattaya, less of a party atmosphere, fewer bars, noise etc. Try to be more understanding, even the homophobic Russian families pushing their babies in strollers get along(or tolerate) the droves of young gay Russians that have also descended on Jomtien. Hate to see this degenerate in to a Russian bashing thread.

This is not unusual.It allows the developer to maintain control.As you have rightly stated their interests and the interested of the co- owners is usually polar opposites.How can you get the Jp to enforce issues against the developer if they are one of the same. Probably friendly with the auditor as well.Control the cash , lack of transparency, failure to rectify defects under warranty etc..Poor transparency .What your friend has to do, is work out on the committee how many members are the developers 'friends" and those who are just co- owners. I will guarantee that the majority will be with the developer. First of all find out who is the chairman..another relative/ close friend for sure..Had to kick our developer out..

The new board (3) is independent and the developer has no friends on this board. One of the first issues is for the developer to repair storm damage to her unsold units that happened 6 months ago.

Thanks for the reply. The project in question is here in Pattaya. The developer has completed many projects here and manages several of them using the developer's sister's management company. The sister sits in the developers office and they work together as a team. They are in fact the same. The wishes and interests of the developer and homeowners aren't always in harmony, there can naturally be conflicts. There should be legal way to prevent this obvious conflict of interest.

Where is the Juristic Person Manager in all this?

What was the process to select this management post ?

The juristic person /management company /manager/developer are for all practical purposes the same. At the board meetings, the juristic person will make recommendations such as the management company or the auditor. The homeowners then vote or should I say rubber stamp the recommendations at AGM. My buddy is very uncomfortable with this cosy arrangement.

Thanks for the reply. The project in question is here in Pattaya. The developer has completed many projects here and manages several of them using the developer's sister's management company. The sister sits in the developers office and they work together as a team. They are in fact the same. The wishes and interests of the developer and homeowners aren't always in harmony, there can naturally be conflicts. There should be legal way to prevent this obvious conflict of interest.

My friend has been elected to the condominium association board. He has learned the juristic person and management company is the sister of the project developer. His view is this is a direct conflict of interest. Is this legal? What can be done? The developer has a majority voting interest.

Barack

First off I apologize for saying he put on a temporary cap. It was actually a temp filling which was explained to me by the 2^nd dentist. Like I also said had it been done right the first time I wouldn't have had to go back. Today the 2^nd dentist removed the temp filling as I developed an infection because food was lodging between the filling and gums.

Bottom line is I was not attacking anyone, just stating my opinion of what I considered poor dental practice. Getting a second opinion on a questionable procedure to me is a prudent thing to do. As far as what you suspect, that is irrelevant. Unless you are a qualified dentist, your opinion regarding why the filling came out means squat. Dentistry last I heard was not hereditary. I had nothing to gain by voicing my opinion, it was just an opinion in answer to the original op looking for a fair dentist. Sorry if I offended your buddy.

Dr Tappasit is not my "buddy" but a highly respected dentist. Yes, he is on the higher side of the costs curve as no one is disputing. I am glad your dentist taught you the difference between a cap and a filling and you have found a cheap alternative. Now the OP has more choices Dr. Tappasit at Studiosmile and your buddy.

Jsixpack.You are one of the few people that ever posted in this thread who has ever seen any thing good in

the beach road redevelopment...As a matter of fact you insist that its wonderful....

Me Awohalitsiktoli and about 90-95% of the posters on this thread think the new beach road is a peice of crap..

No seating,No shade,Very few trees,Nothing artistic like water fountains, and no the one eye on a purple stick does not count as art in my book.pathetic water drainage with the new design.lots of beautiful sandbags ect....

Pattaya is pretty damm lucky the Russians are such undiscriminating people...

Jsixpack, strikes me as being a realist. Pattaya is a second class city (that's being kind) with limited resources and why cry and whine over something you have no control over? The primary object of improving traffic flow looks doable and as a driver I can personally attest to. Yes, at night there is still the construction bottleneck by WS with cars and pedestrians sharing the road but things should improve when construction is complete. So to the grumpy old men who post here, stop the sniveling about shade and trees for the prostitutes and their johns and welcome and embrace the new Pattaya.

That's exactly what I thought, but there is some truth. Go to sites like JDPower Assoc. or Consumer Reports and the Toyotas consistently top the list on quality, dependability etc., way ahead of Mitsubishi and Isuzu. I have an affinity to Isuzu though, many years ago I did 3 somersaults in the motorway median at 70mph/120kph after a blown tire and walked away unscathed.

Glad to hear you walked away from that! I, too, was involved in one of 'walk-away-from-it' type of experiences while driving my Isuzu (SUV) a few weeks ago ..... maybe we can get a new category started!

If I was driving a sedan I wouldn't have somersaulted but a sedan wouldn't have had the builtin roll-bar like the Isuzu Amigo had. That vintage SUV were known to be prone to rollover.

I can appreciate why the Fortuner is so popular and almost has a cult following here in Thailand. There are many parked in my condo garage along with the competition like the Pajero and MU7. The Fortuner is the standout when looking at the exterior design and quality of fittings in comparison. And the Toyota reliability is something the competition only can envy:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/10/28/consumer-reports-survey-reliability/3286915/

Spoken like a Toyota salesman.

That's exactly what I thought, but there is some truth. Go to sites like JDPower Assoc. or Consumer Reports and the Toyotas consistently top the list on quality, dependability etc., way ahead of Mitsubishi and Isuzu. I have an affinity to Isuzu tbough, many years ago I did 3 somersaults in the motorway median at 70mph/120kph after a blown tire and walked away unscathed.

Which model Toyota?

JDPower Assoc for the last 6-7 years on models like the Rav4,4runner, Land Cruiser, Camry. BTW, CR has dropped it's recommended rating on the Camry because it failed the new government offset crash tests.

I can appreciate why the Fortuner is so popular and almost has a cult following here in Thailand. There are many parked in my condo garage along with the competition like the Pajero and MU7. The Fortuner is the standout when looking at the exterior design and quality of fittings in comparison. And the Toyota reliability is something the competition only can envy:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/10/28/consumer-reports-survey-reliability/3286915/

Spoken like a Toyota salesman.

That's exactly what I thought, but there is some truth. Go to sites like JDPower Assoc. or Consumer Reports and the Toyotas consistently top the list on quality, dependability etc., way ahead of Mitsubishi and Isuzu. I have an affinity to Isuzu tbough, many years ago I did 3 somersaults in the motorway median at 70mph/120kph after a blown tire and walked away unscathed.

At this point we do not even know what kind of coffee machine we are talking about. Is it a Bon Cafe Vienna that every idiot can operate (press THIS button AFTER you put the cup HERE) or a rather complex pro machine that costs also pro money.

or even if there is a coffee machine, many Thais like instant Nescafe.

Pay decent wage as said and get decent workers.Pay crap and receive the same.Ask in Starbucks. Pay someone more than they get and headhunter them. They'll be fully trained, be able to speak English, make coffee and do everything but make sure you pay them enough and treat them well. If so they'll stay. If you pay them a little more but work them like a dog they'll be back at Starbuck the next day.

Staff at Starbucks speak English ??? That's at first

You do know they are on a minimum wAge right?

They also have 5 people doing the job of 2, not exactly a role model

I do not know what Starbucks you go to , but the two I have been to in Pattaya (Central and the one near Tuk Com) have excellent workers who are well trained (with people skills) and speak English. I have never asked them how much they make but I would bet that they get more than the minimum wage.

I never see them on their cell phones, looking at their zits in the mirror, or ignoring customers...

So what conversations did you have with them? you mean you ordered coffee and they made it? Because according to you they well trained and hence would not be involved in conversations with 1 customer while making all others wait.

People skills? you mean they said welcome to starbucks what would you like, instead of what you want?

You never seen them on cell phones, so you spent entire day in the shop watching the staff?

You assume they get more than the minimum and i assumed everyone with uni degree would speak English, so no point trying to prove your point without knowing the facts.

A Thai friend applied for a Starbucks barista job in Bangkok. The starting wage was 12,500 baht/month. Yes, I know this is not Bangkok. He was not accepted as he was given an informal English test by the interviewer. If a business wants wants foreigners for clientele having friendly staff that can communicate can make or break a business.

We all know Pattaya's reputation as a party town and some people sleep late and businesses tend to open later here, but coffee drinkers need their morning caffeine fix early in the day. I believe a coffee shop business opening early, serving really good coffee with a pastry or a bagel or an egg/cheese/bacon muffin sandwich could be successful. My home town Starbucks in California opened at 0530; do people really buy coffee and pastries at 1 o'clock in the morning?

Thai's love 10 baht street coffee, foreigners in Pattaya do not get out of bed at 7 am to have a coffee, not to mention a huge number of hotels have cafe's internally.

True that, Iam out of bed by 5.30am and in the car by 7.00am heading to work............... would be awesome to have a joint that sold decent coffee and an egg and Bacon sandwich at that time.

au bon pain at bangkok pattaya hospital does exactly that

bacon and egg bagel and coffee breakfast set

Macca's do a bacon and egg muffin with coffee........... it rates about the same as au bon.

I believe the McDonald's on Sukumvit is 24/7, can't say I like their coffee but the concept is one that Stockholm should consider. Open much earlier with free wifi and also close much earlier; pastries in that neighborhood at 1 o'clock in the morning?

We all know Pattaya's reputation as a party town and some people sleep late and businesses tend to open later here, but coffee drinkers need their morning caffeine fix early in the day. I believe a coffee shop business opening early, serving really good coffee with a pastry or a bagel or an egg/cheese/bacon muffin sandwich could be successful. My home town Starbucks in California opened at 0530; do people really buy coffee and pastries at 1 o'clock in the morning?

Thai's love 10 baht street coffee, foreigners in Pattaya do not get out of bed at 7 am to have a coffee, not to mention a huge number of hotels have cafe's internally.

True that, Iam out of bed by 5.30am and in the car by 7.00am heading to work............... would be awesome to have a joint that sold decent coffee and an egg and Bacon sandwich at that time.

You are not alone. I think there is an untapped market for a business like this, not the junk they sell at a 7-11 but a place that caters to expat tastes. All my friends are up and about long before 0700.

Some. More details would be helpful , location? , working hours?, starting salary then maybe someone could help you.

Location: Pattaya klang

Working hours: 16:00-00:00

Starting salary: 300 baht/day ( for rookies )

Out of curiosity what are your business hours?