C NTACT THE MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH WOMEN’S GROUP BANGKOK
January 2021
BRITISH WOMEN’S GROUP The aim of the Group is to enable its members to meet socially, to welcome its new members and associate members to Bangkok and to establish a programme of social, welfare and cultural activities.
Contents
Directory Page 2
Diary Page 3
Chairman’s message Page 4
Christmas Party photos Pages 6-7
Bookworms Page 10
Returning to Thailand Pages 12-14
Christmas Coffee Pages 16-19
Poppy Appeal Page 22
Positions on BWG Committee Page 23
THEP 2021 Pages 25-26
Editor contact@bwgbangkok.org Advertising advertising@bwgbangkok.org Please note that the deadline for advertisements is the 5th of the month prior to issue. Please contact advertising@bwgbangkok for more information. PLEASE NOTE : Contact is published as a service to our members to keep them informed of news and events within BWG. The accuracy of other information cannot be guaranteed and is not an endorsement by the group. This also applies to advertisements that are included in Contact in order to cover some of the production costs. Every effort is made to produce Contact in good time to reach members before the first scheduled meeting, but the editor cannot be held responsible for unavoidable delays caused by circumstance beyond their control. It is the members’ own responsibility to know when meetings are scheduled and to contact someone to check if any changes have been made. Members are also asked to bear in mind when booking actives that most venues are not deemed suitable for children over six months of age and to make appropriate child minding arrangements.
January Diary SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
1 New Years Day
2
3
4 Mah-jong
5 Bridge Golf
6 Mah-jong Art Group
7
8
9
10
11 Mah-jong
12 Bridge Golf
13 Mah-jong Art Group
14
15
16
17
18 Mah-jong
19 Bridge Golf
20 Bridge Art Group
21
22
23
24
25 Mah-jong
26
27
28
29
30
31
Weekly/Monthly Activities You are invited to join these groups, but final approval is at the discretion of individual group leaders
Monday Mah-jong - (beginners welcome) (10am - 1pm) Tuesday Bridge - Audrie Sill Golf - (morning) Sheona Jackson Bookworms - 1st Tuesday (10am) Jane Upperton Scottish Dancing - 1st Tuesday (7:30pm) Karen Burr Wednesday Mah-jong - (beginners welcome) (1pm - 4pm) Art Group - Bistro 33 Sukhumvit Soi 33 (10am -12:30pm) Karin Worthington
Chairman’s Message Happy New Year everyone. We have left 2020 at last and can only hope that the year ahead improves for us all. I hope you do not mind but I am going to repeat the beautiful words of Holy Father Pope Francis as they are exactly what I would wish to say, sum up the ethos of BWG and give us our thought for the month.
“Rivers do not drink their own water; trees do not eat their own fruit; the sun does not shine on itself and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves. Living for others is a rule of nature. We are all born to help each other. No matter how difficult it is. Life is good when you are much happier; but much better when others are happy because of you. Ailsa Kneath Let us all remember then that every changing colour of a leaf is beautiful and every changing situation of life is meaningful, both need very clear vision. So do not grumble or complain, let us instead remember that pain is a sign that we are alive, problems are a sign that we are strong and prayer is a sign we are not alone. If we can acknowledge these truths and condition our hearts and minds, our lives will be more meaningful, different and worthwhile.”
Stay safe, well and happy. See you soon.
Ailsa.x Welcome to the January issue of Contact Magazine and I hope that you are all keeping well wherever you are in the world. As we say goodbye to 2020 at last, here’s hoping that 2021 will provide better news for all of us. Some countries have already begun to roll out the vaccination programme and many others will follow as the year progresses. It would be lovely to think that we will be able to freely visit friends and loved ones and reconnect after a difficult past year. Do stay safe and well in the meantime. www.bwgbangkok.org
info@bwgbangkok.org
British Women’s Group Bangkok
Contact December 2020
Celebrating 60 Years A proud tradition of learning excellence
We oer a British-style education for an international community, from Nursery through to Graduation. Find out how our approach to learning and outstanding teaching sta develop global citizens who shape their world through independence, empathy, creativity and critical thinking. Contact us at admissions@patana.ac.th www.patana.ac.th | +66 (0) 2785 2200 | 643 Lasalle Road, Bangkok 10260
Bangkok Patana is a not-for-profit, IB World School, accredited by CIS and NEASC
Christmas Lunch by Gale Bailey (photographs kindly provided by Lisa Anaman)
Being unable to plan too far in advance, it was a completely ‘different to the usual’ BWG Christmas lunch at the Marriott Hotel on Sukhumvit 22 that was organised by Sylvia Knoss to ensure we had a festive gathering to end 2020 to which we are all pleased to bid goodbye and good riddance! Over 50 ladies gathered in a private room together with BWG Patron, Scott Chang and David Betts-Hollinrake where the decibels soared. The buffet offered a large selection of food from all corners of the globe which were delicious and well received along with a few glasses of fizz for some of the guests! As is tradition, a raffle was held which meant more coffers for the welfare fund. 12 days of Christmas’ was sung with much mirth as some were singing at a faster pace than others whilst doing all the actions! People were very generous with donations for Place of Grace who received a car full of goodies as well as cash donations (2000 Baht from Jackie Reynolds’ games afternoons) to provide poor people with food and treats for the children to have a to have a special party. A joyous end to a rather stressful year for BWG but we have survived – here’s to 2021.
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Bookworms - January This month’s bookclub was held at the British Club and afterwards we were joined by the Cracker ladies for lunch with a wide choice of food including a delicious Christmas lunch. Thank you to British Club members who enabled this to happen.
The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop This book is set in Cyprus in 1972 and the title of the book is the name of the hotel that a couple from a Greek Cypriot family is developing. The story is mostly centred around Famagusta- where the Sunrise hotel is being built -beginning when Famagusta was the most desirable resort in the Mediterranean; a city bathed in the glow of good fortune and a place where Greeks and Turks worked and lived together in harmony. Many of the residents of Famagusta moved there to escape the years of unrest and ethnic violence elsewhere on the island. The book rests its story on two neighbouring families — one Greek Cypriot and the other Turkish Cypriot. The paradise which was Famagusta abruptly ended when war erupted between Greece and Turkey. Victoria Hislop captures well the upheaval and disruption caused by the Greek/Turkish war which came to the island following a coup in Greece during which the President Makarious was deposed. Turkish forces invaded the island ostensibly to restore constitutional order but after a brief period of fruitless negotiation Famagusta was bombarded by the Turks and the Greeks. Cypriots fled in terror. The Turks drew a line across Cyprus that divided north from the south cutting off Famagusta and other towns from their Greek Cypriot populations. Famagusta still remains out of bounds and guarded - entirely sealed off by rusting barbed wire and there are still 40,000 Turkish Soldiers in the north of Cyprus. It is known as the ‘the ghost town’. It still has the best beaches on the island but behind it there are bombed hotels, restaurants and apartments. Planes can still not fly into Turkish Cyprus and there is a border between north and south. This book was well liked. One member found that it was interesting how the book changed so much. A few members had visited Cyprus and enjoyed it despite the continued conflict. We all enjoyed learning about the history of Cyprus.
Scores 2 - 7/10, 4 - 8/10
Next picks: Christmas is Murder by Val McDermid.
Books for consideration The Island by Victoria Hislop Factfulness by Hans Rosling
Returning to Thailand by Becky Adderley I just thought that it would be interesting to write about my experiences of the process of returning to Bangkok especially as many of you will have had friends or family who have done this recently or are planning to do so in the near future. As someone who is returning for work the visa application process was relatively straightforward and support was given for this from Human Resources at my place of work. After the issuing of the visa this seemed to lead seamlessly into the Certificate of Entry process, which although in two parts, was a relatively quick process. I know that the requirements for both of these documents will differ depending on the circumstances in which you re-enter Thailand though. Previously, I have entered Thailand on a Category O non-immigrant spouse visa and so the process this time required a different set of documentation than I had previously used. One point of note is that previously I had completed the visa process through the Royal Thai Consulate in Hull (so convenient and so quick) but due to travel restrictions and new rules this consulate has closed temporarily and so all applications go through the Thai Embassy in London. To add to this issue, applications can only be made online and passports need to be sent by post for them to issue the visa as the embassy itself is closed to visitors. I would recommend that you leave plenty of time for this process as I had a few issues with the documents that I had submitted online. The documentary evidence that you submit for each bullet point can only be 0.5MB and this did prove to be an issue because the file size of many of the documents that I had saved from previous visa applications was too large. In short, there is quite a lot of faffing around to get everything exactly right and in a format that is acceptable, so patience and perseverance is needed. I was fairly close to running out of both at certain points in time. The final parts of the process, which can only be completed 72 hours before your flight leaves, are the Covid 19 test and the Fit to Fly certificate. This was the major stress point for me and it would be worth consulting with anyone you know who has had these done for entry into Thailand, particularly if they live close to you so that you can use the same medical practice. I started from scratch with internet searches after being told by my local GP that this was something that they did not do. It seems the only options are private health practices and so I looked within my local area for practices that advertised the required RT-PCR test and found a number in the Hull area. I booked the test and after having explained what was required for entry into Thailand I felt reassured that they knew what was expected regarding the test and the ‘Fit to Fly’. The booking was made about 10 days ahead of the actual test because I was told that appointments disappear very quickly. My flight was due to take off on Thursday 10th December at 3pm meaning that all documents had to emailed to me by at least midnight on Wednesday 9th to ensure that I could print them and take them with me when I left on the train for London at 8:45am on the Thursday. This was when the stress levels began to rise for a number of different reasons. I rang the clinic to check that they were sure that they understood exactly what was required and from this second conversation it was clear that the information that I received was going to change slightly depending on who I spoke to.
There were two significant issues that arose before I left. The first of which was the fact that the private clinic believed that the test result certificate doubled as a Fit to Fly. It is likely to be the case that the test result is proof of fitness to fly in the view of most countries. However, anyone who has ever entered into Thailand before will know, beyond any doubt, that when two bullet points are listed on ‘documents that you must submit at immigration’, then producing one document to cover both is not an option. As a result of this, I contacted an online doctor who issued Fit to Fly certificates. This in itself was a lottery because I needed to have submitted my negative Covid test result onto their online platform before the consultation. As such I booked their last appointment block between 8pm and 11pm on the Wednesday night, before flying on the Thursday, as this was the only option that I felt was available to me in the circumstances. The second issue was when to have the test to ensure that the results were back with me on the Wednesday. I was told that there was no point in having the test on the Monday because it would have to be done after 3pm (to meet the requirement of 72 hours) and wouldn’t be sent to the lab until the Tuesday anyway. Hence the option to have the test on Tuesday in the morning before the samples were sent to the lab. However, even when I arrived for the test on the Tuesday, this remained an issue because I was then told that there was a chance that they would not be able to turn the results around within 24 hours. At that point there was no option but to go ahead and hope that everything would fall into place. I was provided with an online link to an App which confirmed that I had had the test and I was told to keep monitoring that App and wait for the blue dot to turn either green or red. Green for negative and red for positive. Once the result had been gained there would be a certificate for me to download or a ‘you must isolate’ notice. I knew at that point that the clinic had absolved themselves of all responsibility regarding what happened next. They had fulfilled their part of the deal to administer the test and now it was the responsibility of the lab to gain the result. The clinic and the lab had no physical connection and I had no connection with the lab other than through the App. 24 hours had passed at 11am on the Wednesday and my whole existence revolved around monitoring the blue dot. It seemed an elongated version of watching a pregnancy test. Can I see a second blue line? It that dot still blue or does it have a green tinge? I think every close member of my family felt like they were sitting on barbed wire at this point. There were numerous phone calls through the afternoon some despairing, some angry. Eventually at 5:15pm the dot turned green and there were tears of relief. I had a negative Covid test certificate and the one last hurdle of the online doctor. This, incidentally, was completely stress free and by 10pm on the Wednesday evening I was the proud owner of two certificates and ready for the journey back to Thailand. Would it all go smoothly on the Thursday? I had no reason to anticipate any issues at all. Afterall I had carefully ticked off every one of the requirements and checked and rechecked that I had all the necessary documentation. I made the familiar journey down to London on the train and then across London to Heathrow on the Piccadilly Line. All good so far. I was booked on a Qatar flight transiting through Dohar and the queue was significantly large enough to indicate a full flight, so check in was busy. The Qatar staff meticulously checked all documents for every passenger ensuring that they had everything needed to pass through immigration at their destination. You could not fault their attention to detail and I could see that some passengers ahead of me had clearly missed something important and were taken to one side. It was evident at this point that no-one would be allowed on
the flight if they did not meet the requirements of their destination. I still felt relaxed and happy that I had everything and, even though the time was passing very quickly, I wasn’t unduly worried. Eventually I reached the front of the queue at 2:30pm and had already been told that the 3pm flight had been delayed due to the time taken to complete all the necessary passenger checks. My documents were scrutinised carefully one by one and my only niggle at this point was a hope that I hadn’t gone over the baggage allowance with my suitcase as I’d crammed a few things in at the last minute. There was a pause as a supervisor was called over and he looked at the Covid test certificate. He looked at me and asked whether I knew what this ‘q’ stood for. I looked over his shoulder at the certificate and saw that it read that I had a negative result from an RT – qPCR test. I had been very clear with the private clinic about what test was required by Thai immigration and now I found myself in the position of having no idea at all what this random ‘q’ meant. Was it significant? Was it a typo? I have no medical understanding related to this and therefore had no suitable answer for them. Maybe others might have been able to explain but at this point I had no words and could only shake my head in disbelief. I then became one of the would-be passengers with documents that were not quite correct. I was told that they would have to email Thai immigration to gain an answer as to whether they would accept this test certificate. I was given a chair to sit in at the back of check in and told to wait. What I could see at this point was that the queue was rapidly diminishing and the Qatar staff said that the plane would not be able to wait for one person and would take off if they hadn’t heard back from Thai immigration. Well, the Christmas miracle did happen because an email came back to say that this test was acceptable and I could continue to check in. I knew I had security to negotiate and had no idea how far the gate would be for the flight. The airport staff were naturally unwilling to commit to whether I would make it in time for the flight. Ok, so running shoes on and the rest was a blur. The fact that I’m in quarantine at the moment is testament to the fact that I made it onto the flight. I’m now on Day 11 in quarantine and therefore on the slide towards release on Boxing Day. It is an unusual experience being in one room for such prolonged periods of time although since Day 7 (and the results of my first negative Covid test) I have been allowed 1 hour per day in the sunshine by the pool (although not in the pool). Its lovely being out in the sunshine, even for such a short time, and it makes you really appreciate the outdoors. Whilst being on my own for such long periods of time, its given me opportunity to reflect. I was worried about the two weeks being seemingly ‘locked away’ but the Thai staff here at the Westin have been very accommodating as far as their remit will allow. Looking at the news of the UK at the moment, I do feel that the seriousness in which Thailand have dealt with this situation is something that we in the UK could learn from. However, this is a personal account and in no way meant to be political so I will stop there. Suffice to say that I am very glad to be back in the sunshine and hopefully my husband will recognise me when he picks me up on Boxing Day – I haven’t seen him since the beginning of March 2020!! Has the journey to get here been worth it? Of course it has, but this article is to highlight that it has not been an easy journey back and there are many possible bumps along the way. If you are thinking of coming back any time soon, happy travelling and stay strong throughout the process.
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BWG Christmas Coffee Morning by Gale Bailey The BWG Christmas Coffee morning took place at the Ambassador's residence on the 2nd December 2020. A great time was had by all. Many thanks to Scott our awesome patron for hosting such a wonderful event. Also a huge thank you to Khun Gae, who organised the wonderful food, and the excellent staff who assisted her. Despite limited space, we managed to fit in four charity vendors who have suffered greatly this year from the lack of overseas volunteers and visitors who were delighted to be invited. They were CCD Christian Care Development for Disabled Children, Steps with Theera, RoyRak Creative and Good Shepherd Sisters who all seemed to be doing well selling their wares. We were entertained by the girls of the Fatima Centre (ably supervised by Sister Louise) who sang and danced to Christmas carols and songs - a joy to behold with a few teary-eyed ladies looking on. A really lovely ending to a really lovely morning.






Bangkok Poppy Appeal 2020
Together we raised
175,584 Baht In this unprecedented year it was amazing to see the support from you all, a truly fantastic effort all round. On behalf of everyone in the Royal British Legion I would like to thank all of you for your continued support. The Total above is only the Bangkok Area poppy Appeal, with Thailand as a whole raising around 600,000 baht. Once again a big thank you to you all and may we take this chance to wish you all a very Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year, keep safe and well and here's hoping for a brighter 2021. Certificates with your results will be emailed to you next week. Regards Duncan Diaper Poppy Appeal Organiser, Bangkok
Positions available on the BWG committee. Dear Members, Our Annual General Meeting is scheduled for March 2021 and we are currently looking for volunteers to fill a number of Committee positions. We would very much welcome any members who would like to be part of the team and willing to participate in helping run the BWG going forward. The Committee is vital to the continued work of the BWG in Bangkok and vital also to the provision of a social network that benefits us all - newcomers through to old timers who have been here for many decades. All Committee positions are available and include the following: Chairman Vice-Chairman Treasurer Vice-Treasurer Secretary Coffees Lunches Activities Raffles Membership Online Media Welfare Contact magazine If you would like more details on any of the above, please contact our Chairman, Ailsa who will be delighted to explain more of what is involved. Email: aokneath@gmail.com
nspiring ndividuals At KIS International School all students can shine. The midsize, caring community allows KIS students to be confident and to be appreciated as an individual, with unique dreams and strengths. The school is a full IB school, offering the International Baccalaureate Programmes for all age groups (IB Primary Years Programme, IB Middle Years Programme and IB Diploma), ensuring an academically rigorous curriculum that not only prepares students to be successful at university, but also teaches important life skills. KIS, it’s all about Knowledge, Inspiration and Spirit. Check out the students’ videos to learn more about their passion www.kis.ac.th
Tel: +66 (0) 2274 3444 Email: admissions@kis.ac.th
“With the power of imagination, characters can actually fly off the page” Jun, Grade 11.