OPINION

No class at all

I agree with Vint Chavala (there is a first time for everything!) in his April 16 letter that the conduct of people here in Chiang Mai during the Songkran festival was disgusting. Let me give just one example.

I was looking through my window and I saw seven tourists in front of the guest house across the street. Two of them were shirtless, repulsive fat slobs who were cursing out loud. One of the "ladies" was getting drunk and one of the men was lying down in the street in front of the guesthouse.

I ask the readers is this really what Songkran was supposed to be about?

And then the Tourism Authority complains Thailand attracts low-class tourists! I wonder whose fault that is.

Regarding the ugly Songkran, nobody is to blame but the previous and current governments and all tourism-related industries that are hungry for foreign currency.

If a person checked the internet, or the media, they would get the idea that foreigners bring all the weirdness and craziness to Songkran. However, anyone who has attended a celebration knows that the crazies are mostly Thai.

For every tourist acting out, there are a dozen Thais doing more. Remember a few young women going topless in 2011? The crowd had few, if any, foreigners. The entire crowd cheered their actions and everyone had a wonderful time -- until the law stepped in.

Here in Udon, the Songkran days were quieter, but I received reports of night activities that were much more fun than years past. On the first Songkran night, a main thoroughfare was blocked by revellers and police had to "man up" to clear the area -- temporarily. Yes, there were background reports of people running around naked and being seriously drunk.

There was a time, long ago, when the horrors of Songkran road accidents truly shocked me. A 10-year-old boy killed in an accident involving pickup trucks, a 14-year-old girl killed in an accident involving pickups again, and it goes on and on, a never-ending story, just a change of venue and victims.

Governments can pass all the safety laws they like. The problem is that few drivers understand safety, the consequences of drunk driving, tail-gating, (I don't know if there is a Thai term for tail-gating), speeding, especially on wet, slippery roads, and more. Driver education should be a mandatory course in all high schools throughout the country. It was mandatory for all students in the 1950s when I was a high school student in New York City. Those lessons are with me today. Perhaps this is why I'm still alive, ever alert when I drive.

Late on April 9 I wearily stumbled off a bus at the Ekkamai bus terminal after a long journey from Trat. A taxi driver found me and knew my destination. He declared the fee to be 350 baht. I ignored his first demand and put my bag in his boot. Some days earlier I paid 80 baht for the same journey.

I was tired and just wanted to get home so I jumped in and we set off.

As we approached I told him my money was in my bag in his boot. Jumping out I took a quick peek at the meter which read 102 baht. I had my phone camera ready when I rescued my bag and pretended to fumble about for my money. As I did so, the driver got out and posed ever-so-nicely next to his car.

Next thing ... Flash! I had his photograph. He was dumbfounded.

As a decent Scotsman I cut him a deal. "350 baht is far too much," I stated. "However, I am still willing to give you 200." He was still in shock as he accepted my money.

Suddenly his shock turned to anger, but before anything untoward happened, the owner of my hotel arrived to welcome me back and may have known what was going on. At that point the driver gave me back 100 baht, muttered something in Thai, stormed back into his taxi and sped off.