Kuwaitis back in Pattaya

[Gaybutton]

We have this conversation every year.

An annual ritual. You'll say it's all about money. I'll say there's more to it than that. We'll be doing that next year, the year after that, and every year ad infinitum.

[Jun]

I'll say there's more to it than that.

If you would like to explain this alternative hypothesis, perhaps we might understand it better & warm to the idea.

[Gaybutton]

If you would like to explain this alternative hypothesis, perhaps we might understand it better & warm to the idea.

We? As in you speaking for everybody else? I don't care if anybody warms to my hypothesis or not.

I thought I made my reasoning clear. I agree that money is probably behind it, but there is probably more to it than only money. I'm saying I want to know who is paying who - and how much - and this goes on year after year. Are you really going to try to convince me that the local authorities give a damn about Arab restaurants and motorbike rental shops?

Who paid who the first time the motorbike maniacs showed up - before anyone knew this kind of behavior was going to happen?

Explain that and then we might warm to the idea . . .

[Dodger]

The Bottom Line (the way I see it)

Sunee Plaza, with its corrupt underpinnings, received a lot of attention by the BIB back when the pink dollar (and tea money) was flowing...but those days are over. The demographics of the area have changed. Arabs can be credited for the area surrounding Sunee for becoming profitable again, and the local authorities obviously lack motivation to crack down on Arab tourists who violate the driving laws or businesses in the area, e.g., cafe's. hotels, restaurants, motorbike rentals, etc, because of the commissions (tea money) involved. I'm saying that because whenever you come across a situation in LOS that defies all logic and is totally unexplainable, you will very often find "corruption" as being the root cause.

Remember Sunee, when the gogo bars would flash their interior lights as a warning to staff and patrons that a police raid may be coming. Just too funny...

[Gaybutton]

whenever you come across a situation in LOS that defies all logic and is totally unexplainable, you will very often find "corruption" as being the root cause.

I agree. The very fact that the police do virtually nothing substantial to stop this activity is in itself corrupt. Simply condoning such wanton, reckless behavior regardless of how it affects others is corrupt. What I'd to know is why. I'm interested in what some are speculating, but I'm not so quick to accept it as fact or the full answer. If money is involved, again I ask who is paying it and who is receiving it. Attributing it to nothing other than payoffs and tea money is not enough of an explanation to satisfy me.

[Dodger]

....... If money is involved, again I ask who is paying it and who is receiving it.

Right or wrong I've always assumed that the motorbike rental shops in the area who are raking in the Arab dollars (Camel Bucks) - especially around the Arab holidays and school breaks that could be making BIB donations - seeing as they don't always rent bikes to renters who have proper drivers licenses, nor can a renter be insured as an unlicensed driver - both of which are illegal practices, as well as the renters themselves when they get caught driving recklessly, speeding, driving while impaired (drugs and/or alcohol), driving without a license, driving without a helmet, causing an accident, evading arrest, etc.

Pure speculation of course - but this seems logical all things considered.

[Jun]

I'm saying that because whenever you come across a situation in LOS that defies all logic and is totally unexplainable, you will very often find "corruption" as being the root cause.

Agreed.
A corruption hypothesis could explain every single poor policy in Thailand & particularly Pattaya.

Another potential explanation for poor policies could be a total lack of talent & common sense among the people attracted to politics. As we see in many western countries. Including some English speaking ones.

However, I'd be more inclined to blame the lazy bribe collecting culture for this police failure.

[Gaybutton]

Pure speculation of course - but this seems logical all things considered.

Exactly. That is my whole point. I don't deny the logic. I just think there is more to it.

[SP55]

So the cops did exactly what was expected. After the negative publicity in the press they wanted to show that "they are taking action". So they went in large numbers to soi Yensabai for one evening, stood around in big groups looking concerned and posed for the cameras. They even had signs with flashing lights placed out - no one should miss that here was the thai police taking care of the problem! And they gave out warnings to the racers.
Problem solved - big groups of police go home.

I was there the evening after - not a cop to be seen and the arabs were racing up and down the soi as usual, 2 or 3 on every bike and no helmets.

[Gaybutton]

One aspect of this that's on my "I Don't Get It" list is why these Kuwaitis are doing this in the first place. First, the problem is caused by all males. No Kuwaiti females in sight. They are spending a lot of money for their holiday. They have to pay for airfare, ground transportation, hotels, meals, motorbike rental, fuel, etc. And their idea of the ideal way to spend their holiday is to go to Thailand and do virtually nothing but speeding up and down the sois on rented motorbikes at all hours of the night.

I remember several years ago there might be one or two motorbike maniacs, but now the sois around Sunee Plaza are loaded with them. How did this get started?

From among all the ways they could spend their holidays, this is what they choose? That goes way beyond me.

In the USA, for many years Spring Break meant thousands of college students from all over the country descending upon Daytona Beach, Florida. That's what we did when I was in college and it still is like that today. We spent our days on the beach and nights partying. Plenty of beer 24/7. But that at least was a holiday. What these Kuwaitis are doing, I don't know what to call it, but "holiday" is not the term I would use.