Multi-Million Baht Pattaya Projects

[Pattaya28]

I notice once or twice a month City Hall announce enormous multi-million Baht projects for the Pattaya community.

In principle I welcome this with open arms.

But ..... what do Pattaya citizens actually get ??

I truly find it difficult to see what improvements are actually made.

When living in London, I could notice and appreciate upgrading of so many things around me, for the benefit of the local communities.

I know Pattaya isn't London, or any part of the "Western World", but I just wonder where the hair-brain ideas come from, let alone where the money goes, And, what is actually executed ??

I sadly feel that projects are dreamt up with one focus.

Nothing gets completed at the first attempt and / or within a reasonable time-span, let alone completed at all.

I mumble the above words to my Thai wife. She looks at me like I'm from another planet.

Ahhhh again I forgot, This Is Thailand !!!

[I Like Thai]

Why do you care ?

[ThaiBob]

Why not ask your wife the answers to your questions? When in America I paid for many services and improvements that I didn't personally benefit but I realized I benefited indirectly.

[WitawatWatawit]

little Itti bitty is the master of photo op technique. He needs to make a lot of announcements.

I too would like to know where the good is coming from - especially as it affects the darkside.

[toenail]

I will "fly off the cuff" with this one since I also ask the same question. What I say will create negative feed back but it is always to "stir the pot". I live in Pattaya and work near Pattaya for 9 years. Over 28% of my income goes towards taxes because my company I work for follows all the requirements (work visas, tax brackets...). And these regulations should be followed by all businesses and companies in Thailand--not just the "international" names. When I worked in Malaysia, and other countries, I could see where my tax money went and usually there was a "retirement fund" that I also benefitted from. Here???---nothing. --But this topic is really directed towards Pattaya City. --Though I am not Thai, everytime I purchase something at a shop, department store, or eating out my sales slip includes a tax. What I see my tax money going towards in Pattaya is sponsoring music festivals, bed race competition, Disney-like Dolphin street lights (Pattaya Nua). street crossing lights that drivers do not follow, and widening Beach Rd which is usually not that full (except on weekends). and other social events. As I walk around in the city (which the city officials evidently do not) I have to be in full alert not to injure myself stepping into a hole, or running into a vendor on the sidewalks. Most building ordances are not enforced and the lack of city police seem to enable one to do what they want (you're a poor motorbike driver and get pulled aside to pay a 150 baht fine while the SUV's , tour busses zoom by).

(MY Western observation:) The city officials can get by doing anything because with Thai culture, you are not brought up to question things... if you do , it looks like you are being rude or disrespectful. (Thais may look at us Westerners for complaining or questioning for being rude.)Next, there is this hidden understanding that if you "get out of line" & do question things, you may face some negative feed back from one of the city council members or others who do not like being asked such uncomfortable questions. Your shop/business may be "bullied" or worse, you face some threats from the "unknowns". The local Thais have learned to not question things and have this attitude, why bother?

I think many of us from the West have seen the benefits of a city being transparent with their spending and city officials not being afraid or uncomfortable being questioned about their bookkeeping. True, our big cities in the West do have dishonest people in office... but the smaller the city (such as Pattaya)the more successful they are in spending the tax payer's baht/dollar/yen/Euro more effectively.

In all respect, I have been in smaller cities in Thailand, and have seen more of a community effort in improving their cities/towns.

--And dispite the negatives with the lack of improvements and infrastructure, there are many positive things that Pattaya has to offer--and I am not talking about Walkingstreet.

[JSixpack]

I truly find it difficult to see what improvements are actually made.

Because you've become rather blind in your dotage. For example, the traffic on Beach Rd. has undergone an incredible improvement owing to the widening for the new promenade!

If you can't even see that, then you can't see anything, so no point in making a list for you. You're hopeless. Besides, every item on any such list just opens up countless attacks & sneers from our doomsayers.

Believe what you want, petal.

Nothing gets completed at the first attempt and / or within a reasonable time-span, let alone completed at all.

That's often good 'nuff, though. Thai standards and all that.

I mumble the above words to my Thai wife. She looks at me like I'm from another planet.

And she's quite right. Listen to your wife; adopt the Thai attitude; chill out. You just ain't in blighty anymore; deal w/ it.

Edited May 5, 2014 by JSixpack

[ARGUSEYE]

Sixpack,

your comments are again rude, arrogant and only ruled by your obsession with what you call "doomsayers".

Why do you call people "hopeless" if they don't mention your alleged improvemdent in beach road traffic??

Toenail had some very valid points in his post.

(And I meself also don't give a flying f... about if the traffic on beach road has improved or not. It's not really relevant if you don't drive a car and hardly ever go there)

[JSixpack]

Why do you call people "hopeless" if they don't mention your alleged improvemdent in beach road traffic??

Because that's a recent multi-million baht Pattaya project, highly visible, integral to Pattaya, that unquestionably did cause a welcome and much-needed improvement to traffic flow on Beach Rd. And as a doomsayer, you would of course nonsensically call it "alleged," when it is in fact quite real. Anyone such as myself who travels Beach Rd. regularly can attest the fact. Why pretend? Just makes you look silly. Shall we pretend there's no Third Rd as well?

To ignore it puts a post into the nonsensical whining category, so that the real purpose is just to start yet another general bash. Consciously or not, it's just trolling. Ergo, it deserves no respect.

Toenail had some very valid points in his post.

No, merely irrelevant or incorrect points. If you have a valid work permit, for example, you normally do pay into a social insurance program that does later pay benefits, including hospitalization. (Restrictions apply.) I know, because I once did exactly that and it's still paying off. It's not a "tax" per se anyway.

And any other amount of tax he and most other farangs except Bill Heinecke pay is such a minuscule amount that to expect Santa Barbara standards for those few satang is utterly absurd--and so the whining should stop. It's embarrassing.

I also feel sorry for a Thai wife married to a "superior" farang always whining about Thailand and Thais. What a hell. No wonder a Thai man on the side looks quite tempting: he's a relief from the misery and attacks if nothing else!

(And I meself also don't give a flying f... about if the traffic on beach road has improved or not. It's not really relevant if you don't drive a car and hardly ever go there)

Big news, but very sad, princess: everything isn't just about the all-important you. How old are you, BTW? And so the presumption that a multi-million baht Pattaya project must SEEM to you to benefit yourself directly and tangibly--and, moreover, often--or else it didn't happen is merely delusional egocentricism. The widening of Beach Rd. will certainly benefit millions over time, those whose aggregate in taxes paid is infinitely more than yours, and therefore it's quite relevant.

Edited May 6, 2014 by JSixpack

[Pattaya Pat]

Do you have to put every thought that comes into your head up on here, 28?

You come across as very tedious and a bit too busy.

[Pattaya28]

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Do you have to put every thought that comes into your head up on here, 28?

You come across as very tedious and a bit too busy.

If posters did not put their thoughts here, surely this message-board would be relatively empty.

Isn't the purpose of a message-board to portray ones thoughts ??

And if you find my comments "tedious" why bother to make that comment ?

If one does not agree with my comments, no problem, but to comment "tedious" serves absolutely no benefit to anyone.

[Tokay]

I can't even imagine how much of this money is going right into pockets. But that is how it works here, so I really don't care. It's just entertaining to talk about.

[Rimmer]

Libellous post and reply removed