Beware of English tourists and expats

Re: "Beware the often odd thinking of tourists", Guy Baker, Letters, January 14.

Guy Baker attacks Scandinavians, Americans and Brits, but specifically homes in on Americans. I find that strange, because if there is any group of people that think they "own" Thailand, it is the English. I have had no less than ten disagreements in Bangkok with Englishmen who insist that when you play pool, you play British "two-shot" rules, as opposed to international rules which offer only a one-shot, ball-in-hand reward for a foul by the opponent. No one in the entire world plays two shots except for the British, yet they insist that the world play by their rules. Which, by the way, also consider knocking your opponent's ball in a foul, even if you hit or made your own ball first. And we talk about presumptuousness. Their rules are tantamount to playing chess where the pawn can go anywhere it likes.

There are insufferable people from all countries travelling around the world, but the British have brought the practice to new heights in Thailand.

Further, if you check the Pattaya newspaper every Friday, you will find that all the bar fights and various other forms of mayhem occurring daily in Pattaya are perpetrated by Europeans.

I am not a great defender of America, as everyone knows, but I have to take exception when someone says they are causing the tourist problems in Thailand. More often than not, you don't even know Americans are here.

Lastly, read the English-language newspapers. The crosswords contain questions about cities in British counties, the one I love the best about baby carriages, for which I still can't remember the answer, and words such as labor and favor are spelled labour and favour.

John Arnone

Yasothon

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