A Pattaya Taxi "Meter" Driver Speaks

[Jingthing]

I have always refused to drive a vehicle myself in this country for obvious safety reasons, however, those criminals driving the bahtbuses in Pattaya and the unshamed support they get from the BiB & volounteers have succeded in let me buy my own means of transportation, no more bahtbuses for me, ever !

They are indeed often very rude or worse but for me still prefer using them to running a vehicle. But I have no doubt that many residents, Thai and foreign, run a vehicle because of the lack of a comprehensive public transport system here.

[NanLaew]

I have always refused to drive a vehicle myself in this country for obvious safety reasons, however, those criminals driving the bahtbuses in Pattaya and the unshamed support they get from the BiB & volounteers have succeded in let me buy my own means of transportation, no more bahtbuses for me, ever !

They are indeed often very rude or worse but for me still prefer using them to running a vehicle. But I have no doubt that many residents, Thai and foreign, run a vehicle because of the lack of a comprehensive public transport system here.

That's a bit of a stretch considering the high price and running costs of a vehicle. Only farangs with more money than sense would use the lack of decent public transport as an excuse to buy a car and try and drive around in this madness. Now motorcycles are a different matter and probably they better fit your assertion. But kudos to you for still riding song taews despite their less than stellar customer relations performance.

If I may bring up your assertion that the baht bus cooperative set up the taxi-meter operation primarily to stop any other enterprise starting a competing transport service. Seems like a large investment with cars and drivers doing mostly no business just to stop anyone else setting up a rival service but this is LOS after all.

Not to labour my point. My contention is that right now, Pattaya's demographics are far too different from Bangkok's to see those useless buggers ever turning on their meters in Pattaya. They will forever 'stalk' the sidewalk outside Villa and Central where the picking are rich and easy! That was why I stated their behaviour is identical to the less ardent Bangkok taxi driver; the ones that chose to park along (for example) Soi 6 or Soi 18, conveniently near to hotels where tourists stay. Meanwhile, the greater percentage of Bangkok taxi's ply routes depending on where their fare dictates and use the meter. Not only do Pattaya's taxi-meters not compete with the baht bus, they pretty much ignore any money earning opportunities unless the customer wants to pay the 200 or 300 they ask.

Now 20-odd years ago, Bangkok taxi's had meters but NEVER used them. Everyone had to negotiate a price before the hire started. Some time between 1991 when I left Thailand and 2005 when I returned, something was done or an ordinance passed to make the Bangkok taxi fleet change from 'mafia' to public service and use their meters. I recall asking on a similar Pattaya taxi-meter thread, possibly one of yours, does anyone know what triggered this change? Was it a pretty sudden change or benign and gradual realization that meters are easier? Maybe it will give us a clue when 'normal' service will start in Pattaya.

No disagreement that EVENTUALLY song taews and taxi-meters can coexist in Pattaya but a minimum flag-fall would need to be established with the latter to prevent ugliness when a drunk farang is refused a hire because he has finished shooting on Soi 6 and wants to carry on hunting on Soi 8.

Maybe, instead of these guys sitting mostly idle at the usual 'honey pot' locations, they would better serve those who need such a service by parking up in Jomtien or Naklua and taking residents, shoppers, tourists and drunk INTO Pattaya. But that sounds way too logical.

[janverbeem]

If I may bring up your assertion that the baht bus cooperative set up the taxi-meter operation primarily to stop any other enterprise starting a competing transport service. Seems like a large investment with cars and drivers doing mostly no business just to stop anyone else setting up a rival service but this is LOS after all.

And why do you think that just buying a couple of cars stops someone else from starting a similar business,after all it's a free market as far as I know.

As you said,many years ago the Bangkok taxis refused to use their meters.Only because at that time there was only 1 taxi company,and that was the yellow/green taxis.Why should they use their meter if there are no competitors.

Nowadays there are dozens of taxi company's roaming Bangkok and they use their meters since otherwise they will lose a customer.

So probably it is a good , notice I don't say healthy,business idea to start a competing company and use the meter from the first day.

Edited May 7, 2011 by janverbeem

[manarak]

If I may bring up your assertion that the baht bus cooperative set up the taxi-meter operation primarily to stop any other enterprise starting a competing transport service. Seems like a large investment with cars and drivers doing mostly no business just to stop anyone else setting up a rival service but this is LOS after all.

And why do you think that just buying a couple of cars stops someone else from starting a similar business,after all it's a free market as far as I know.

As you said,many years ago the Bangkok taxis refused to use their meters.Only because at that time there was only 1 taxi company,and that was the yellow/green taxis.Why should they use their meter if there are no competitors.

Nowadays there are dozens of taxi company's roaming Bangkok and they use their meters since otherwise they will lose a customer.

So probably it is a good , notice I don't say healthy,business idea to start a competing company and use the meter from the first day.

and these taxis would clearly set themselves apart by prominently displaying a sign on their roof "meter taxi".

That's a good idea, isn't it?

[janverbeem]

If I may bring up your assertion that the baht bus cooperative set up the taxi-meter operation primarily to stop any other enterprise starting a competing transport service. Seems like a large investment with cars and drivers doing mostly no business just to stop anyone else setting up a rival service but this is LOS after all.

And why do you think that just buying a couple of cars stops someone else from starting a similar business,after all it's a free market as far as I know.

As you said,many years ago the Bangkok taxis refused to use their meters.Only because at that time there was only 1 taxi company,and that was the yellow/green taxis.Why should they use their meter if there are no competitors.

Nowadays there are dozens of taxi company's roaming Bangkok and they use their meters since otherwise they will lose a customer.

So probably it is a good , notice I don't say healthy,business idea to start a competing company and use the meter from the first day.

and these taxis would clearly set themselves apart by prominently displaying a sign on their roof "meter taxi".

That's a good idea, isn't it?

Maybe a different color of car would also come in handy

[NanLaew]

^^^ Not my assertion re- the baht bus cooperative setting up taxi-meters to stifle competition, that's the OP's idea. Having said that, your suggestion that 'anyone' can get the cars and start a competing product. I guess you didn't see much of the violence meted out by song taew drivers on the odd out-of-city taxi driver that comes in on a one-way fare from Bangkok or the airport and dares to try and get fare for the return trip. Funnily enough though, I have seen several locations around Pattaya where out-of-city taxi-meters, usually single, are parked up and legitimately wait for fares. Maybe someone else is getting another bung!

Thanks jvb for the explanation on how the Bangkok taxi market evolved. So the key is competition and as the OP asserts through his convo with one of the taxi-meter drivers, that's not why they are there.

Probably opens up the scenario that some prior City management decided that taxi-meters were a good idea and it either want out to tender and the baht bus cooperative 'won' the concession on which they now sit. Or it never went to tender, someone in City Hall was bunged good by the baht bus cooperative and life continued as normal with the proviso that the baht bus cooperative actually get the cars and drivers or else it would look totally fishy.

Edited May 7, 2011 by NanLaew

[Jingthing]

The change has to come from the government. A new company can't just start; that's impossible, would never be allowed by the mafia which of course includes the coop, etc. (figure it out). Allowing competition and enforcing meter use by law that is actually enforced enough that it sticks. They would also have to be prepared to arrest baht bus drivers trying to sabotage the change. This can be done many ways, such as complaints resulting in fines or loss of right to drive taxi. Personally, I think the order would have to come from ABOVE Pattaya City. A brave reform minded provincial governor at the least. I rate the chances of this happening -- VERY REMOTE. I also think that until changes like this happen, the BS of Pattaya becoming a "world class beach resort city" are pure puffery.

Edited May 7, 2011 by Jingthing

[jimmybkk]

I could be wrong, but my understanding of the situation was that it was "public pressure" that persuaded City Hall to bring a meter-taxi service into operation in Pattaya ("Hooray" went the crowd!). Having made the decision to do so they then had to decide who would be allowed the concession. Surprise surprise, the concession was awarded to the baht bus co-operative ("Boo" went the crowd!). The one group who could guarantee that the basic principles of a free market economy didn't come into play.

As a public bus service on designated routes I think the baht buses do a pretty good job and are very reasonably priced. For private hire, however, they are ridiculously over-priced in my opinion. The fact that they seem to have been told that they own the road, can stop anywhere they like with no consideration for other road users and cause ridiculous tailbacks while waiting for that one extra passenger (around Soi Buakhao market is a classic example) drives me crazy. But at the end of the day, it is what it is...

[Jingthing]

But at the end of the day, it is what it is...

Yeah, I'm afraid so.

I want to make it clear again I have almost no hope this will be improved for at least decades. Obviously, foreigners mean nothing. The Thais need to change this by pressuring for it, and Pattaya Thais aren't Bangkok Thais, nuff said.

BTW, if you want some historic humor, during the time of the launch of the Pattaya taxi meter no meters the official press releases announced these were meter cars and the fare structure would be similar to a Bangkok system. It took me above five minutes talking to some actual drivers to figure out that was a total falsehood.

Is it a coincidence that City Hall gave the taxis to the baht bus cooperative? Answer that one yourself. The same kind of thing happened in Chiang Mai and they are suffering as well with taxis that don't use meters. Total speculation here, but if another real competing company HAD got the concession, they would have to be very brave (as in risking their lives) to threaten the turf of the baht bus drivers (as charters). Again, see the OP. While we may never know what happened behind closed doors, the reality on the street makes things as clear as they need to be to glean the truth.

Edited May 7, 2011 by Jingthing

[janverbeem]

As a public bus service on designated routes I think the baht buses do a pretty good job and are very reasonably priced. For private hire, however, they are ridiculously over-priced in my opinion. ...

The reason for that is not greediness but simply stupidness.A Thai has no idea about distance if it is out of his regular route.

Let me give you an example.A few weeks ago I needed to pick up about 800 Kg of rocks in Bang saen right on the bypass road to Chonburi,Distance from Pattaya about 40 Km one way.Now I know I can rent a 1 tonne truck for a full day at around 1000 Baht.

As it would be only a trip of about maybe 3 hours altogether, and I didn't want the risk of damaging one of those near new rental trucks, I went around looking for an older truck with driver who would be interested to do the pick up.There are loads of them along sukhumvith.

You're not gonne believe what results I got. I asked at least 15 different company's located between Pattaya and Chonburi.

They prices ranged from 2000 Baht up to 4500 Baht. Some of them even calculated that it would take 2 trips to pick up a load of 800 kg with a 1 tonne truck.None of them had even the slightest idea what the distance was between Pattaya and Bang Saen,keep in mind that all those drivers I asked ran a transport business.

I ended up hiring a ten wheel truck ,one of those gasoline slurping monsters,with driver who did the job for 1300 Baht.

Edit to add: as a comparison I have had transports of 10 tonnes of rocks from the Pak Chong area to Pattaya several times by different company's,distance about 450 Km one way,they came with a 10 tonne truck with 4 people to load and unload the stones and the regular price for the transport is 4500 Baht.On most occassions I got it for 4000 Baht though.

Edited May 7, 2011 by janverbeem

[NanLaew]

^ Good point jvb... you ROCK!!

Even when you ask your favourite, friendly song taew driver (everyone should have one) about the cost of an outing to (say) Nong Nuch, there's the palaver of looking at the sun, at the watch, a quick deco at the passing traffic, the watch again, deep thoughts about where the decent somtahm is and then it's a number so far removed from the fare quoted and accepted for the same trip just a few weeks back, you wonder if this is indeed the same driver.

<deleted> man, it's in the same place as it's always been, traffic is the same and fuel prices haven't risen precipitously in the interim.... must be the bloody somtahm!!

[surayu]

Even when you ask your favourite, friendly song taew driver

Don't even think about opening your mouth with one of those drivers, that in soooo many ways can be described apart from being "friendly"!

There is an ongoing scam (yes that's what it is, a pure and simple SCAM) in Pattaya with the songtaews, not expansive as the "Jetsky" scam but still worth of being point at, as the police, including the foreigner police volounteers are on it .

Basically as soon as you say anything to the driver (and when i say "anything" i mean ANYTHING) even a "hello", leave alone asking him which direction he's going to or his last stop, etc..

then for the police and the driver, you will have to pay him as you are hiring the whole vehicle, this simply means you will be expected to pay 10 or 20 times the correct fare, nevermind if the songtaew is already full with other passengers and he's still stopping a million time and inciting other passer by on the road to jump in, these "men" have absolutely no problem in trying to extortionate you as the police play their game......Welcome to Pattaya!

[pauljones]

I could be wrong, but my understanding of the situation was that it was "public pressure" that persuaded City Hall to bring a meter-taxi service into operation in Pattaya ("Hooray" went the crowd!). Having made the decision to do so they then had to decide who would be allowed the concession. Surprise surprise, the concession was awarded to the baht bus co-operative ("Boo" went the crowd!). The one group who could guarantee that the basic principles of a free market economy didn't come into play.

As a public bus service on designated routes I think the baht buses do a pretty good job and are very reasonably priced. For private hire, however, they are ridiculously over-priced in my opinion. The fact that they seem to have been told that they own the road, can stop anywhere they like with no consideration for other road users and cause ridiculous tailbacks while waiting for that one extra passenger (around Soi Buakhao market is a classic example) drives me crazy. But at the end of the day, it is what it is...

Agreed Jimmy. The meter taxis were brought in after complaints of mafia pricing.

Unfortunately, City Hall colludes with the baht bus/ taxi service and the locals and business have to suffer.

[surayu]

does anyone know what triggered this change? .

Not sure, however a possible solution to the current problem might be bringing into the game all the Isaan "layabouts", even the fake taxi-meter drivers will lost it with them sleeping on top of their cars and scattering all their Lao Khao and somtam all over their cars if they are not moving

[NanLaew]

Don't even think about opening your mouth with one of those drivers, that in soooo many ways can be described apart from being "friendly"!

There is an ongoing scam (yes that's what it is, a pure and simple SCAM) in Pattaya with the songtaews, not expansive as the "Jetsky" scam but still worth of being point at, as the police, including the foreigner police volounteers are on it .

Basically as soon as you say anything to the driver (and when i say "anything" i mean ANYTHING) even a "hello", leave alone asking him which direction he's going to or his last stop, etc..

then for the police and the driver, you will have to pay him as you are hiring the whole vehicle, this simply means you will be expected to pay 10 or 20 times the correct fare, nevermind if the songtaew is already full with other passengers and he's still stopping a million time and inciting other passer by on the road to jump in, these "men" have absolutely no problem in trying to extortionate you as the police play their game......Welcome to Pattaya!

What a load of absolute rubbish.

Not sure, however a possible solution to the current problem might be bringing into the game all the Isaan "layabouts", even the fake taxi-meter drivers will lost it with them sleeping on top of their cars and scattering all their Lao Khao and somtam all over their cars if they are not moving

If you are pished up and posting, you should know better. If English isn't your first language... your still not forgiven.

[manarak]

my understanding of the situation was that it was "public pressure" that persuaded City Hall to bring a meter-taxi service into operation in Pattaya

Hmm... public pressure prompted them to do something, but they didn't bring in meter taxis.

Maybe public pressure again?

or... give the traffic police an opportunity to collect money from taxis not using their meter - same as in Bangkok?

[Jingthing]

I don't think it was public pressure that forced the fake taxi meters. I think it was a cynical move to continue to own the transport system and proactively choke out any potential competition before there was any chance to start it. There is nothing to be done by foreign residents who care. Tourists and sometimes desperate residents will continue to use the rip off charters, either chartered baht buses or chartered fake taxi meters owned by the same monopoly, so an attempted boycott of the taxis as they are is pointless. Tourists don't care, won't care, and frankly shouldn't care, as this situation is short term for them. So it's up to the Thais ... don't hold your breath.

Look, let's get real. This is like the Sicily of Thailand and look what it took the Italian government to deal with that, and here there isn't even the WILL to try.

Edited May 8, 2011 by Jingthing

[BugJackBaron]

I honestly don't see why we need meter taxis in Patters at all.

Hire a motorbike. Negotiate prices before you get on. Learn. The Baht buses are incredibly cheap.

Bangkok needs meter taxis because of its sizeand complexity. Meter taxis here will just add to the problem.

Edited May 9, 2011 by BugJackBaron

[BB1950]

I really don't see what this fuss is about over metered taxis. People seem to complain about the baht buses creating congestion. Think what it would be like if Pattaya switched over to metered taxis. Another Bangkok. Baht buses carry a lot more people than Taxis.

Last I remember the starting fare in Bangkok for turning on the meter in Bangkok was 40 baht. Here in Pattaya, you can make several trips on a Baht Bus for 40 baht.

What would make more sense is to increase the number of Baht Bus routes so they cover more of Pattaya, so taxis wouldn't be needed.

[surayu]

Baht buses carry a lot more people than Taxis.

Get rid complitely of the BahtBuses and put some real big buses, at least if the driver want to reverse because he don't want to follow the right route anymore, it's going to be more difficult, so maybe he will stick with it ...

[Jingthing]

I really don't see what this fuss is about over metered taxis. People seem to complain about the baht buses creating congestion. Think what it would be like if Pattaya switched over to metered taxis. Another Bangkok. Baht buses carry a lot more people than Taxis.

Last I remember the starting fare in Bangkok for turning on the meter in Bangkok was 40 baht. Here in Pattaya, you can make several trips on a Baht Bus for 40 baht.

What would make more sense is to increase the number of Baht Bus routes so they cover more of Pattaya, so taxis wouldn't be needed.

Bangkok has an extensive BUS system as well ...

I do agree in the context of the current system the baht buses should cover more routes, such as 3rd Road, and be required to FINISH their implied route (at least if they have riders).

Edited May 9, 2011 by Jingthing

[trisailer]

I think that the free market system dictates that we negotiate the price of any service and be clear that is all we will pay: upfront. I don't have a problem doing that. Before I purchased a car here I had a taxi that I used any time I needed one and he was reasonable because I was a regular customer. If people were not so timid about negotiating a fair price there wouldn't be a problem.

[PaulGiles]

I have always refused to drive a vehicle myself in this country for obvious safety reasons, however, those criminals driving the bahtbuses in Pattaya and the unshamed support they get from the BiB & volounteers have succeded in let me buy my own means of transportation, no more bahtbuses for me, ever !

They are indeed often very rude or worse but for me still prefer using them to running a vehicle. But I have no doubt that many residents, Thai and foreign, run a vehicle because of the lack of a comprehensive public transport system here.

That's a bit of a stretch considering the high price and running costs of a vehicle. Only farangs with more money than sense would use the lack of decent public transport as an excuse to buy a car and try and drive around in this madness. Now motorcycles are a different matter and probably they better fit your assertion. But kudos to you for still riding song taews despite their less than stellar customer relations performance.

If I may bring up your assertion that the baht bus cooperative set up the taxi-meter operation primarily to stop any other enterprise starting a competing transport service. Seems like a large investment with cars and drivers doing mostly no business just to stop anyone else setting up a rival service but this is LOS after all.

Not to labour my point. My contention is that right now, Pattaya's demographics are far too different from Bangkok's to see those useless buggers ever turning on their meters in Pattaya. They will forever 'stalk' the sidewalk outside Villa and Central where the picking are rich and easy! That was why I stated their behaviour is identical to the less ardent Bangkok taxi driver; the ones that chose to park along (for example) Soi 6 or Soi 18, conveniently near to hotels where tourists stay. Meanwhile, the greater percentage of Bangkok taxi's ply routes depending on where their fare dictates and use the meter. Not only do Pattaya's taxi-meters not compete with the baht bus, they pretty much ignore any money earning opportunities unless the customer wants to pay the 200 or 300 they ask.

Now 20-odd years ago, Bangkok taxi's had meters but NEVER used them. Everyone had to negotiate a price before the hire started. Some time between 1991 when I left Thailand and 2005 when I returned, something was done or an ordinance passed to make the Bangkok taxi fleet change from 'mafia' to public service and use their meters. I recall asking on a similar Pattaya taxi-meter thread, possibly one of yours, does anyone know what triggered this change? Was it a pretty sudden change or benign and gradual realization that meters are easier? Maybe it will give us a clue when 'normal' service will start in Pattaya.

No disagreement that EVENTUALLY song taews and taxi-meters can coexist in Pattaya but a minimum flag-fall would need to be established with the latter to prevent ugliness when a drunk farang is refused a hire because he has finished shooting on Soi 6 and wants to carry on hunting on Soi 8.

Maybe, instead of these guys sitting mostly idle at the usual 'honey pot' locations, they would better serve those who need such a service by parking up in Jomtien or Naklua and taking residents, shoppers, tourists and drunk INTO Pattaya. But that sounds way too logical.

Good post. I'm a little late to the conversation.

I believe taxi meters were first introduced to Bangkok in the 1950s. However, the mechanical meters fell out of use because of the following reasons: they were not mandated; the public was unfamiliar with the device; fares were not properly regulated; and the devices were few and far between. Flash forward to around 1993, and there were about 13k licensed taxis in Bangkok. Since market entry was controlled and no new licenses were being issued, the secondary market price for an existing taxi license had reached 1m baht. It was PM Anand who transformed the taxi markets between late 1993 and early 1995. Mainly, he liberalized the market and made licenses available to most anyone (angering license holders), but with several stipulations, one of which was that new licenses could only be issued to newer model vehicles equipped with a taxi meter. A clever move.

As for Pattaya taxis, when I first moved to Thailand many years ago, I considered introducing a taxi service to Pattaya, but was quickly informed of why it wouldn't work. As the author of this thread has spelled out, there is a tight group of rich and powerful people who own/control the entire transport sector in Pattaya, absolutely no one can move in on their territory. The group and the authorities are virtually one and the same.

But change will come sometime, and likely it will come unexpectedly and happen so fast that an outmoded syndicate won't have enough time to react. For example, Song Thaows and other forms of taxi vehicles might adopt taxi meters, and/or a portable taxi meter could revolutionize ride share by enabling anyone with a vehicle to make money.

Something to think about.

[JeffreyMcCollum]

"The Chamber of Commerce should be outraged.

With the current system, it make it very difficult to go about and do business.

I would use a meter taxi 3 or 4 times a day if they existed.

Instead, I might get one or two of these things done, especially in this oppressive we are having. . . .

I'm sorry I don't understand. I was told Pattaya was a family friendly city. Low traffic, easy parking everywhere, and plenty activities and things for me to bring my 10 year old daughter there to do. Many nice parks, green areas, and places I would want to fly half way around the world, let alone drive down from BKK, so my children can see and enjoys these wonderful kid friendly glistening beaches and other activites in Pattaya, the "Family friendly" city everyone is talking about !

[Tokay]

I'm sorry I don't understand. I was told Pattaya was a family friendly city. Low traffic, easy parking everywhere, and plenty activities and things for me to bring my 10 year old daughter there to do. Many nice parks, green areas, and places I would want to fly half way around the world, let alone drive down from BKK, so my children can see and enjoys these wonderful kid friendly glistening beaches and other activites in Pattaya, the "Family friendly" city everyone is talking about !

Pattaya, the family destination. Bring all the kids. Then show them what NOT to be when they grow up.

And watch out for broken glass on the beach. I sliced my big toe open last week and took 4 stitches.

[toenail]

In Pattaya, the frustration level hits me when I want to hire a taxi or a private "baht bus" to go somewhere and these creeps are asking me ridiculous prices compared to me riding in an air condition taxi in Bangkok. In Bangkok, I have never had problems using a taxi with its meter --- no fuss, just pay what is on the meter (and I give the guy a small tip for being honest). If the Pattaya mayor wishes to make Pattaya a "family destination" -- well, he better roll up his sleeve and take care of the various scams.

[jb5music]

Um - Buses. Just like Malaysia. Moved there after 4 years in Pattaya - no motorbike cabbies, No Song Thaew. don't miss em, Don't need em. Buy a motorbike for $300. Take the (all aluminum) air condition lowboy natural gas buses everywhere (airport?) - 20 miles for 60c/2RM just like my hometown LA but cheaper. Someday Pattaya will become sophisticated like LA and Penang and have real buses.

Edited June 14, 2011 by jb5music

[smedly]

for me this would not impact bahtbus at all, the most impacted would be the motorbike taxi drivers, they in my opinion are charging similar prices per journey distance as meter taxi in Bangkok, but in saying that traffic congestion is bad enough in pattaya, if metered taxi was introduced and equal number of baht buses would have to be decommissioned, as it stands now there are far too many baht buses when you consider that at peak times most of them are running around empty causing a hazzard looking for fares - a good start would be to reduce their numbers by at least 50% this would give the remaining bahtbuses better earnings and reduce congestion.

[Tokay]

Regardless of what system is put into place in Pattaya for traveling, it unfortunately will never escape Pattaya's mob mentality. They will find a way to corrupt, control, and exploit it.

[Tokay]

If the Pattaya mayor wishes to make Pattaya a "family destination" -- well, he better roll up his sleeve and take care of the various scams.

In 2008 he ran on these policy ideas:

· environmental improvement

· the implementation of an effective water supply for the city and Kho Larn

· a 12-year free education system

· low-cost housing for low income groups

· a new, improved traffic system

· a tramline transportation system

· flood prevention

· job opportunities to decrease poverty

· the eradication of Pattaya’s red-light venue Walking Street

· the establishment of a drug-observation and prevention centre

· the encouragement of ecotourism

· the construction of a sports centre

· the establishment of a tourism festival

· the encouragement of world-class entertainment

Fast forward to 2011, how many of those policy ideas were even put into motion?