Pattaya Mail - Friday Nov. 28 - Dec. 4, 2014 (Vol. XXII No. 48)

Established in 1993

VOL.XXII No. 48

Pattaya’s First English Language Newspaper

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28 - DECEMBER 4, 2014

21st Anniversary

30 BAHT

History comes alive at annual Pattaya Longboat races

History once again came alive at the 14th annual Pattaya Longboat Races held last weekend at Mabprachan Reservoir. Originally designed for battle against aggressors, this unique and beautifully crafted vessel is now used in races. Each year these races mark the end of the rainy season in Pattaya. Events over the weekend also included buffalo races, Thai Long Drum contest, a pig-catching competition, enduro motorcycle racing, and much more. (Full story and more photos on page 50.)

Pattaya International Fireworks Festival this weekend Details on page 5

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PATTAYA MAIL

Nearly 8,000 Pattaya-area motorbikes registered, but enforcement of rules lacking Urasin Khantaraphan & Surasak Huasoon Pattaya-area officials trying to overhaul the city’s motorcycle-taxi industry say they have registered 761 taxi stands serving 7,950 riders in Pattaya, Banglamung, Nongprue and Huay Yai. Banglamung District Chief Sakchai Taengho said soldiers, police and municipal officers were divided into three groups to investigate the jurisdictional areas under the responsibility of Pattaya, Banglamung, Nongprue and Huey Yai police stations.

The National Council for Peace and Order - which almost immediately after seizing power in the May 22 coup shook up Bangkok’s motorbike-taxi sector - on July 15 ordered Pattaya officials to do the same.

The plan is to register all the drivers, provide them numbered vests and enforce legal fares set by the Chonburi Transport Department.

Officials from five agencies said Oct. 2 they had surveyed the entire region, finding 925 motorbike-taxi stands and 11,127 riders. The next step was to register the riders and hand out new official vests.

Sakchai said officials now have registered 530 stands with 6,128 riders in Pattaya, 146 stands with 1,289 riders in Banglamung, 83 stands with 504 riders in Nongprue and two stands and 29 riders in Huay Yai. However, all four areas also have unregistered riders, many of them part time, and unofficial taxi stands. Sakchai said officials would take action against any unregistered riders found.

The registration, in theory, is supposed to result in radically lower fares and better behavior from the often unruly bands of motorcycle-taxi drivers.

Military officials said in July - and Sakchai reiterated this month - that motorbike taxis

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Highway Police propose drastic traffic-flow change for East Pattaya To alleviate Sukhumvit tunnel congestion Urasin Khantaraphan

Banglamung District Chief Sakchai Taengho presides over the latest meeting to address the motorcycle taxi situation in Pattaya. would have to adhere to existing, but currently ignored, Land Transport Department fare regulations, which state rides of two kilometers or less should not exceed 25 baht.

The third through fifth kilometer adds only 5 baht each to the fare. Distances of more than five kilometers would remain negotiable.

Currently, Pattaya motorbike taxis charge 40 baht for even the shortest rides.

Other changes required under the new program would mandate drivers treat customers politely, be properly dressed, wear the correct jersey and long pants, have a yellow public-transport license plate, have helmets for both driver and passenger, park unobtrusively, not use drugs or alcohol, and display a license at taxi stands with the names of all registered drivers.

He said any motorcycle-taxi passengers find riders to be overcharging or not acting in accordance with the program’s rules can report the rider to the 14th Military Circle at 038-276-171, the Chonburi Land Transport Department at 1584, the Pattaya Call Center at 1337 or a Banglamung District at 038-22-124.

The Highway Police have proposed drastically changing the way traffic flows through East Pattaya in order to mitigate the expected traffic nightmare that will unfold once construction begins on a bypass-tunnel under Sukhumvit Road.

Pattaya Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh chaired the Nov. 19 meeting with representatives from the Pattaya, Banglamung, Nongprue and Huay Yai police stations, plus Highway Police and Department of Transport officials.

The project is expected to break ground in January and take nearly three years. To begin, one lane on each side of Sukhumvit will be closed for 1.9 kilometers.

The Highway Police suggested running more traffic down the railway-parallel road and turning four sois - Siam Country Club, Nernplabwan, Khao Noi and Khao Talo - into one way thoroughfares.

Traffic would be allowed to turn off of Sukhumvit onto Siam Country Club and Nernplabwan and head toward the railway road. Sois Khao Noi and Khao Talo would run the opposite direction, with traffic running from the railway to Sukhumvit.

Community members debated the idea for three hours, with most local officials opposing the idea as confusing.

Pattaya City Councilman Sanit Boonmachai said the one-way idea seemed excessive and that properly regulating parking on both Sukhumvit and the railway road would be enough to offset construction-related congestion. He noted illegal parking also was rampant on the four sois proposed for one-way traffic.

Pattaya Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh has his hands full trying to come up with agreeable solutions to the impending traffic nightmare expected to unfold once construction begins on the Sukhumvit bypass-tunnel.

“If traffic police can just regulate parking on Sukhumvit Road while the road is under construction, then we don’t have to change the four sois, which are extremely busy already,” he said. “That would make locals in the area happy and let them use the roads as they normally do. We also wouldn’t have to use as many traffic police officers to control traffic and we don’t have to spend a huge budget to re-do road painting and put up one-way signs.

“It would be much easier to prevent people from parking on Sukhumvit Road as well as in the four sois concerned and we won’t have to go through all the hassle to confuse people,” Sanit said.

Ronakit disagreed with the suggestion that changing traffic flow was confusing and said authorities will meet again before making a decision.

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SOS Rice Campaign 2014 begins next week

The Father Ray Foundation feeds 850 children and students a day. Every day.

Derek Franklin Each year the Father Ray Foundation launches the SOS Rice Campaign to collect food donations to feed the 850 children and students under its care. This year the campaign will take place from the 4th to the 7th of December.

Your donation will ensure the blind students, the children with special needs and the vocational students with disabilities will have enough food so they can concentrate on their studies. It will also help feed the toddlers who attend the Father Ray Day Care Center and who receive a nutritious breakfast on arrival each morning. Your donation will also

mean the residents of the Father Ray Children’s Home, Children’s Village and the Drop-In Center never go to bed feeling hungry.

Each year the Father Ray Foundation uses 75,000kgs of rice, but this year they also need cooking oil, salt, sugar, fish sauce, canned fish, dried noodles and powdered milk for the toddlers at the Father Ray Day Care Center.

You can make a donation at all major supermarkets in the Pattaya area; Foodland, Makro, Tesco Lotus, Big C, Best, Tops, Villa Market and Central Festival Beach Road. You can also make a cash donation at 7-Eleven branches throughout Pattaya.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014 3

Pattaya Beach refill project set to begin early next year Jetsada Homklin The long-delayed rebuilding of Pattaya Beach is expected to begin early next year after the Marine Department approved a 430 million baht budget for the 18-month project.

The city already has spent 13 million baht on planning, and 60 million baht for the first phase of upgrading drainage.

Marine Department Region 6 Director Raewat Potriang said Marine Construction Joint Venture Co. Ltd. was awarded the contract to refill the beach with 360,000 cu. meters of sand from a Rayong estuary. The contract is expected to be signed before the end of the year with work to begin sometime between January and May, depending on the length of the National Council for Peace and Order’s anti-corruption review of the contract.

He said 80 percent of the work already has been mapped out and that the entire project should take 18 months to complete.

Sand will be transported from Rayong via barge and kept 1.5 kilometers off shore.

Barriers will be built 15 meters off shore to hold sand and two 50-meter-long breakwaters will be built at the end of the beach in North and South

The major concern with the beach refill project is the repeated damage to the beach that flood runoff has caused. In areas such as near Soi 6 and Beach Road, water repeatedly has cut large gouges out of the sand.

Pattaya to block sand from gouges out of the sand. The being swept away. installation of pumps along Refill sand also will be the beach failed to make any stored on land in a 6-8 rai area difference. near the Dusit Thani Hotel.

Earlier this month Pattaya Marine Department Deputy officials announced plans to Director-General Somchai use 170 million baht of Sumanushajonkul said the beach-refill project funds to Marine Department’s only install four new, larger drainconcern with the project was age pipelines at four points the repeated damage to the on Beach Road. The pipebeach that flood runoff has lines would be laid in two caused. In areas such as near phases, with a 60 million baht Soi 6 and Beach Road, water first-phase and 110 million to repeatedly has cut large complete the work.

Plans to rebuild Pattaya Beach began in 2011 when researche rs from Chulalongkorn University warned that the beach would disappear within five years if nothing was done to counter erosion.

Yet despite the urgent warnings, funding for the project - originally estimated at 600 million baht - was repeatedly delayed. Pattaya in 2012 performed stop-gap refill projects that managed to keep the beach’s life expectancy at five years.

Thanawat Jarupongsakul of Chulalongkorn’s Geology Department, who has acted as lead consultant on the project since 2011, said that in 1952, Pattaya Beach covered 96,128 sq. meters and was, on average, 35.6 meters wide. By 2011, the beach had shrunk to as little as 3.5 meters.

He warned that the massive beach-refill project would not permanently solve the problem. Erosion has carried away about 10,000 cu. meters of sand a year. If that continues, more would be added in the next decade, he said.

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Couple arrested with 6,500 ya ba tablets Patcharapol Panrak Sattahip police arrested a Rayong government worker and son of a wealthy local garage owner for allegedly trying to sell off their stock of 6,600 methamphetamine tablets.

Atthapol Pattsiri, 24, and Rayong municipal worker Jittima Yoosricharoen, 23, were captured in a Nov. 17 sting operation. Police set up a fake drug buy for 1,000 ya ba tablets on the side of Sukhumvit Road in front of Nem Maprok Temple in Ban Chang.

After the 1,000 pills were seized, police said Atthapol

Atthapol Pattsiri and Jittima Yoosricharoen have been arrested for trafficking narcotics. confessed that the couple been dealing drugs for the had another 5,600 tablets bur- past two months and delivied under a tree in Rayong. ering large supplies of pills The two reportedly had for a local dealer.

Teerarak Suthathiwong

An Indian tourist identified only as Anurag has been detained for losing control of a rented jet ski and injuring two swimmers.

for 30 minutes and was told emphatically to stay in the designated area. However, the Indian sped at high speed over the buoys separating the swimming zone and lost control.

He then hit Mahmoud, breaking his rib and cutting his face and shoulder. The jet ski clipped the American tourist in the leg before soaring onto shore and landing on the beach chair owned by Phanne Tanngar, 46.

The Indian was detained while police determine if charges will be filed against him.

German fined for threatening ex-girlfriend with BB gun Teerarak Suthathiwong A German expat was fined for allegedly threatening his ex-girlfriend with a BB gun.

Police found Stefan Guth, 38, sitting on his MercedesBenz at the side of Sukhumvit Road near Soi Praphanimit Nov. 22. With him was an angry and frightened Namthip Dankunchorn, 26, who had called police.

She told police that she had dated Guth for about two years, but had broken up.

The German had been trying to get back together and had picked her up and was driving her home.

However, she said, she

6 Cambodian monks arrested in Banglamung Teerarak Suthathiwong

2 hurt after Indian loses control of jet ski An Indian tourist was arrested after he lost control of a rented jet ski and injured two swimmers before crashing into a beach chair on the sand.

Identified only as Anurag, 30, the Indian was waiting for police after the 6:30 p.m. accident Nov. 19. Tourists Hesham Mahmoud, 55, and an unidentified American were hurt and transported to Pattaya Memorial Hospital.

Jet ski owner Chaleaw Phulsakit, 40, told police that Anurag had rented the watercraft

VOL. XXII No. 48

German expat Stefan Guth (left) was fined 500 baht for causing a public scare when he allegedly threatened his ex-girlfriend with a BB gun. needed to go to Bangkok They two got into an argument Pattaya Hospital. Guth refused and the Chanthaburi native to take her and told her to get kicked the door of his expenout on the side of the road. sive sedan, angering him.

In response, Guth allegedly pulled a BB gun and pointed it at her. An unnamed witness, thinking it a real gun, called police.

In the end, neither side pressed charges and police fined the German 500 baht for causing a public scare.

Six Cambodian monks were arrested on charges of illegally entering Thailand during a raid of makeshift shelters in a Banglamung District forest.

About 50 soldiers were dispatched to the Lamao forest Nov. 19 after reports that a number of illegal aliens were residing there. Soldiers entering the area found a number of permanent structures and residents scattered in all directions.

Only five of the six Cambodian monks captured had passports and only four had their Khmer birth certificates.

All were in the country illegally, due to expired passports for visas.

Police arrested six Cambodian monks on charges of illegally entering Thailand.

The monks were taken to Suthawas Temple where the abbot and Banglamung Monks Committee chairman Thummasarn defrocked the

six and turned them over to police.

They were then remanded to immigration officials who prepared to deport them.

Elderly Briton dies during massage Teerarak Suthathiwong An elderly British man died of an apparent heart attack while enjoying a traditional massage in Pattaya.

Adriano Santarelli, 81, was found shirtless at Aura Massage on Soi Buakaow Nov.

20. He’d been dead for about 10 minutes.

Masseuse Nattapasaorn Pladma, 50, said Santarelli had been a regular customer.

She was giving him a traditional Thai massage and was working on his arm when suddenly he started seizing.

She called authorities, but he had died by the time they arrived.

Police assumed the Briton had suffered a heart attack, but the body was sent to medical examiners to determine the official cause of death.

Chinese call center raided in Chonburi Boonlua Chatree Nine ethnic Chinese were arrested in Chonburi following a raid of a telephonescam call center.

Immigration and Technology Crime Suppression Division police with observers from a Chinese police task force stormed the Punya Resort Village in Muang District Nov. 21 after tracking the Internet address of computers making scam and extortion calls to China.

They arrested four men Mu Qing, Wang Wei, Sun Mao Sun and Wang Lipeng, and two women - Gu Yuanli and Yu Guanghui - from China. They also caught t w o Ta i w a n e s e m e n Lin Kun Chit and Hsieh

8 of the 9 ethnic Chinese who were arrested in Chonburi following a raid of a telephone-scam call center.

Tsang Kun - and a Taiwanese woman, Lin Hua Wen. Immigration authorities said all the alleged scam

artists, led by Mu, had entered the country on tourist visas. They were detained and prepared for deportation.

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Pattaya to mark World AIDS Day with parade

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014 5

International Fireworks Competition lights up Pattaya this weekend Urasin Khantaraphan

Officials and health care workers announce this year’s World AIDS Day activities will once again include a parade with the slogan “Getting to Zero”.

Jetsada Homklin Pattaya will mark World AIDS with two events focusing on prevention and early detection.

City Councilman Choosak Sriwatjanapong and Public Health Department Director Supaporn Cherdchaipoom said students at Pattaya School No. 11 were the focus of a Nov. 27 event entitled “True love must care & loving safely means prevention.”

The city will then mark the annual event from 2-6 p.m.

Dec. 1 as Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome and Manaswin “Tik Shiro” Nanthawut will lead a parade from Central and Beach roads to Pattaya School No. 8, which will begin at 5 p.m.

In addition to the march, there will be quizzes and games for prizes, stage shows from students, and concerts from various artists.

The World Health Organization designated December 1st every year as World AIDS Day to raise awareness of the syndrome, and to inspire people to work

together to prevent further outbreaks, with the goal of meeting their slogan “Getting to Zero”.

With new medicines and treatments, HIV and AIDS are no longer a death sentence.

With the use of antiretroviral meds and changes in lifestyle, patients can often live long and healthy lives.

Therefore, the theme of this year’s event is “AIDS is treatable if detected early.” Participants will be giving away free condoms, lubricants and informational flyers.

Essilor Vision donates 700,000 baht in eyewear to Redemptorist School

Four new countries will compete to see who can put on the best pyrotechnics show as the Pattaya International Fireworks Competition returns for a fifth year this weekend.

Teams from Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom will dazzle Pattaya Beach with their rockets’ red glare Friday and Saturday night during a day-long street festival that also includes food, music and entertainment.

Friday’s festivities begin and 3:30 p.m. and run through 11 p.m. while Saturday runs from 5 p.m. until 1 a.m. Beach Road will be closed to traffic both days from 3:30-11 p.m. and all side streets from Second Road will be blocked.

The fireworks themselves begin at 9 p.m. each day with the show split into the parts. Two competitors will put on individual shows of 20-25 minutes each night beginning at 9 p.m. Then, at 10 p.m., the teams not competing that night will put on a short demonstration at 10 p.m.

VIP seating will be available and booths selling food and other souvenirs will be open around the Central Road intersection and along the beach.

Entertainment includes a parade, stage shows, concerts, magic and juggling acts and 3D painting photography starting at 5 p.m. both days.

A scene from last year’s exciting International Fireworks Festival.

At a Nov. 24 planning meeting, Deputy Mayor Wattana Chantanawaranon laid out plans for traffic, security and fire coverage. Fire trucks will be stationed at three locations between Central Road and Bali Hai Pier and four rescue boats will be waiting offshore in case of fires.

This year’s show marks the third year in a row in which host country Thailand will not participate. Last year saw teams from Japan, the Philippines, Switzerland and Taiwan paint the sky in a rainbow of colors.

Originally designed as a two-year Ministry of Defense competition to honor Their Majesties the King and Queen, the International Fireworks Competition kicked off in Thongthani in December 2009. Pattaya held two

rounds of the event, in August 2010 and, after a month’s delay due to the national flooding crisis, December 2011. Teams from Australia, China, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Philippines, the United Arab Emirates and the United States faced off against Thailand to see which country could put on the most dynamic and colorful exhibition.

After losing the Defense Ministry’s sponsorship, the festival continued in 2012 with only four teams and no participation from Thailand, other than the country donating celebrity “honorary captains” for teams from Canada, China, Singapore and the United States. Thailand will not participate in this year’s display as well.

Naklua ‘Walking Street’ market returns Nov. 30-Jan. 18 Urasin Khantaraphan

Opticians from the Essilor Vision Foundation make eye-glasses for the 300 Redemptorist students with eye problems.

Jetsada Homklin The Essilor Vision Foundation offered free eye exams to help the Redemptorist Vocational School for People with Disabilities mark the annual World Sight Day. Postponed from the actual World Sight Day Oct. 9, the Nov. 14 event was sponsored by

the foundation, as it realizes the importance of proper eye care.

Managing Director Tidsadee Doonyaanukit said his firm, which sells glasses and tests, donated pairs of spectacles to 300 students, a donation of 700,000 baht.

The foundation also provided lunch and organized fun activities for them.

The Naklua “Walking Street” market will open for the sixth year Nov. 30 with stage performances and a concert by one half of Girly Berry.

Pattaya Deputy Mayor Wattana Chantanawaranon presided over the Nov. 21 meeting to put the finishing touches on plans for the market, which will feature more than 100 booths and concerts each weekend through Jan. 18. The market was officially announced at a Nov. 24 press conference with Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome and Damrong Thongsom, deputy director-general of the Office of the National Culture Commission.

Themed “Sunset at Baan Naklua,” the market this year opens Sunday with a 4-10 p.m. event that begins with a ceremony in front of Government Savings Bank led by Itthiphol, former Culture Minister Sonthaya Kunplome and Nanthiya Sawangwuthitham, director-general of the Culture Promotion Department at the ministry.

The opening day also includes a performance of “Amazing Suvarnabhumi,”

Deputy Mayor Wattana Chantanawaranon presides over a planning meeting for the upcoming Naklua ‘Walking Street’ market. based on the wonders of Thailand and society, plus a concert from Gybzy of Girly Berry and Film Rattaphum.

Naklua Walking Street will be open each Saturday and Sunday through Jan. 18 and each weekend will have cultural shows sponsored by the Ministry of Culture.

The market is aimed at highlighting historical culture

and products in the Naklua area, harkening back to its days as a sleepy fishing village. It has been held each winter for the past five years.

At the planning meeting, Wattana reviewed security, parking, sanitation and other matters that have been the source of so many issues, hoping everything will go smoothly this year.

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School rallies kick off 2nd Pattaya White project Jetsada Homklin and Surasak Huasoon City officials kicked off the second year of its “Pattaya White” anti-drug campaign with rallies at Pattaya schools 2 and 8.

Public Health Department researcher Bubpa Songsakulchai lectured on the effects of drug use and methods to prevent it.

The goals of the meetings were to boost public participation in brainstorming to find ways to effectively tackle drug problems and encourage youths, business operators and community

members to stabilize the community and overcome the drug problem together.

The same event also will be held at schools 7 and 11 this month. Jutamas Beauty School also gave free haircuts at the event.

The goal of the “Pattaya White” project is to bring community members closer, strengthen families and encourage all residents to use their free time productively, learn the value of education and develop a balanced and sustainable community. Started amid political upheaval, the focus has now turned to quashing drug use among youths.

VOL. XXII No. 48

Foreign doctors hand out 6,500 pairs of free glasses Urasin Khantaraphan

Public Health Department researcher Bubpa Songsakulchai gives a lecture on the effects of drug use and methods to prevent it.

This year’s slogan is “work hard, work fast and work creatively” and organizers have planned activities along that those themes.

Disabled information?

There’s an app for that

More than 50 foreign ophthalmologists began handing out more than 6,500 pairs of glasses to Chonburi residents at a Gift of Sight Foundation event at Pattaya School No. 7.

Bandit Siritanyong, vice president of the Thai-Chinese Cultural and Economic Association, Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome and former Culture Minister Sonthaya Kunplome directed the first day of the Nov. 11-20 project, with city council members.

On the first day, 1,350 people from Phanat Nikhom lined up starting at 7 a.m. to receive their glasses.

Twelve localities and organizations nominated recipients for the free glasses.

This year, Pattaya was allotted 850 slots while the Pattaya Police could nominate 250 people and Father Ray Foundation another 300.

Opticians from OneSight Foundation in America provide free eye checkups during the event.

Laem Chabang was given The Gift of Sight project was 600 nominations and the begun with the intention to Pattaya Press Club 50. The help the poor obtain free eye rest were split between six exams and glasses. Since other Chonburi districts.

1999, the group has helped “The Gift of Sight” is a col- more than 350,000 people. laboration with the Public In addition, doctors offered Health Ministry and One advice on maintaining good Sight Foundation, which or- eye health and preventing ganized a team of eye doc- eye diseases. Those at risk tors from 40 countries to of blindness were sent to a perform checkups and pre- hospital or nursing center for scribe glasses. further care.

Macau police visit Pattaya Boonlua Chatree

The Father Ray Foundation introduced the “1479 App Hotline for the Disabled” to provide information about rights, jobs, education, news and other information.

Jetsada Homklin Disabled Thais looking to find jobs and learn about human rights and education can now say “there’s an app for that.”

The Father Ray Foundation Nov. 14 rolled out a smartphone application serving as a front-end for its

1479 telephone hotline. Rev. Michael Picharn Jaiseri, vice president of Father Ray Foundation and Pattaya City Councilman Rattanachai Sutidechanai debuted the app developed by RIS at the Redemptorist School for Persons with Disabilities.

Jaiseri said the “1479 App Hotline for the Disabled” will

provide another avenue of service from the foundation to publicize news about development of the disabled and those who are interested. The app will provide information about rights, jobs, education, news and other information.

New features exclusive to the software will be a Q&A function and registration for volunteer activities.

Macau police were given a lesson on how local cops fight crime during a visit to Pattaya.

Chonburi police deputy commander Supathee Bungkhrong and Pattaya police superintendent Col. Suthat Pumpunmuang welcomed Macau Chief Superintendent Paul Leong Hon San and Superintendent Cho Song Un along with five other officers to the Soi 9 police headquarters Nov. 19.

Supathee told the visitors that the Pattaya Police Station has fully prepared for the ASEAN Economic Community by providing interpreters for every Southeast Asian language and recruiting foreign and local police volunteers to

Local police welcome the delegation from Macau at Pattaya police station. help police monitor for drugs and terrorists.

He showed the Chinese police a slideshow of the crime-suppression operations and tourist facilitation, including the patrol, marine and land project, as well as

Koh Larn’s operations.

After the meeting, Cho presented their Pattaya counterparts with gifts and they posed for photographs before local authorities gave them a demonstration of hostage-rescue strategies.

Pattaya cyclists set Loei trek for Father’s Day Thanachot Anuwan Thirty-five Pattaya cyclists will trek 800 kilometers to Loei Province to celebrate HM the King’s 87th birthday and promote cycling in the city.

City hall and Tourism Authority of Thailand officials joined representatives of the Pattaya Bicycle Association to announce the Nov. 28 Dec. 3 journey that will take riders to Phu Taep Buek Mountain in Loei’s Dan Sai District and on to Chiang Khan District.

“This is an amazing project because Pattaya is entering its high season, attracting a large number of tourists to cycle in the city,” said TAT Pattaya Director Suladda Sarutilavan. “Pattaya has many beautiful routes for pedaling, including a cycling project around the

Thirty-five Pattaya cyclists will trek 800 kilometers to Loei Province Nov. 28 Dec. 3 to celebrate HM the King’s 87th birthday.

Mabprachan Reservoir totaling 12 kilometers that is awaiting a construction budget and will become another tourist attraction.”

Manoj Nongyai, vice managing director of Minor International, which operates Royal Garden Plaza where the press conference took

place, said the 35 bikes will have royal flags mounted on their handlebars.

The trek, he said, also will raise money to purchase computer and sports equipment for impoverished schools in Chiang Khan District.

“The cycling project on the

auspicious occasion of HM the King’s 87th birthday will be organized for the public to pay their respects, protect and uphold the monarchy as the center of all hearts, love and unity, plus to campaign and promote cycling for good health,” said Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome.

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A Portuguese military fighter jet, left, and a Canadian military fighter jet participating in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing Mission operate in Lithuanian airspace, Thursday, Nov. 20. NATO, which has 16 fighter jets in the region monitoring Baltic airspace, said it regularly launches jets to identify “unknown or potentially hostile aircraft” in the proximity of national airspace. (AP Photo/ Mindaugas Kulbis)

Buddhist monks holding bowls sit on chairs before civilians drop dried food into the bowls in Bangkok, Sunday, Nov. 23. Thousands of Buddhist monks took part in the event co-organized by government and private sectors aimed at collecting supplies and dried foods for Buddhist monks and civil servants working in the troubled southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkla. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

A protester dressed in an Aztec costume walks during a massive march in Mexico City, Thursday, Nov. 20. Protesters marched to demand authorities find 43 missing college students, trying to step up pressure on the government on a day traditionally reserved for the celebration of the 1910-17 Revolution. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

A surfer rides a wave during a tow-in surfing session at the Praia do Norte or North Beach, in Nazare, Portugal, Thursday, Nov. 20. A tow-in is a surf technique in which the athlete is towed into a large wave by a partner driving a jet-ski or other watercraft with an attached tow-line. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A lone bicyclist rides Black Otter Trail, Wednesday Nov. 19, in Billings, Mont.

(AP Photo/The Billings Gazette, Bob Zeller)

A couple takes a selfie in front of an illuminated Christmas moose decoration at Nybroplan in central Stockholm, Sweden, Saturday Nov. 22, when some 710,708 different LED lights for the season, arranged by the city council, were switched on. (AP photo / TT News Agency / Jessica Gow)

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014 7

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VOL. XXII No. 48

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014 9

PATTAYA MAIL

Welcome to Pattaya Urasin Khantaraphan Pattaya has come a long way from when it was a sleepy fishing village known as Thappraya. With goals to draw 10 million tourists in 2015, Pattaya has become a sprawling city of resorts, attractions, restaurants and festivals.

The 100 American soldiers who trekked to the area on June 29, 1962 likely never imagined how it would grow.

They were on leave from the American base in Nakon Ratchasima and rented the resort home of Phraya Sunthorn at the southern end of the current Jomtien Beach.

It would mark the beginning of tourism in future Pattaya.

Nature, beaches, islands, natural parks, arts, culture and tradition surround the city. It’s a city of film, music and sports with hotels, resorts and leading vacation destinations plus international-standard seminar halls equipped with world-class services and facilities, including health services and international spas, beach games and activities, adventures and exciting water, land

and air sports ideal for all ages and sexes.

The city’s calendar boasts continuous festivals and international tourism events throughout the entire year and various relaxing activities to fulfill tourists’ vacation needs.

The ambience of the city is perfect for weddings in temples of various religions, followed the ultimate romantic honeymoon. Moreover,

the seaside city is lined with department stores and leading shops for tourists to enjoy shopping during vacations.

Tourists also can enjoy sumptuous and fresh seafood straight from fishing villages, local and international food, and can enjoy their meals surrounded by music and entrainment, providing a unique, memorable and creative experience.

Pattaya is divided into four

Jomtien Beach is a huge attraction for sun worshippers.

Perhaps the future site for a huge public park.

Pattaya Beach from atop Pratamnak Hill.

main zones: north, central, south and Jomtien Beach.

There are also two groups of islands, called the Near and Far Islands. The Near Islands consist of Koh Larn, Koh Krok, and Koh Sak. The Far Islands - under the control of the Royal Thai Navy are not legally open to tourists, although scuba divers and snorkelers can enjoy their reefs.

Combined with Koh Larn, Pattaya has a registered

Agoda.com announces 2014 Gold Circle Awards winners Singapore (17 November 2014) - Agoda.com, one of Asia’s leading hotel booking sites and part of Nasdaqlisted Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), has announced the winners of its prestigious 2014 Gold Circle Awards, given to accommodations around the world that embody the best qualities of the online hospitality industry.

Now in its sixth year, the Gold Circle Awards are presented to properties based on aggregate customer reviews, competitiveness of pricing, utilization of Agoda. com’s custom-built Yield Control System (YCS), and a deep understanding of the complexities of the online booking industry.

“We are very pleased to announce winners of the 2014 Gold Circle Awards,” said Errol Cooke, Vice President Global Hotels at Agoda. com. “In an extremely competitive industry, these

population of more than 200,000 and an unofficial population of 750,000. Most of Pattaya’s underlying population is made up of business owners and retailers.

Pattaya Beach is known worldwide. In 2012, Pattaya was visited by almost nine million tourists. Unfortunately, some of these were foreign criminals posing as tourists. Pattaya also plays host to Thai criminals and

properties have shown an outstanding level of commitment to the intersection of cutting-edge technology and world-class service.

“As an established indicator of industry excellence,

guests can rest assured knowing that when they see the award displayed in the lobby, they are staying at a highly-rated property at the forefront of the online hospitality industry. We very much look forward to expanding our relationship with these properties in the future.”

For a full list of winners broken down by country and city, please see the Agoda.com Media Room http://press.agoda.com/news /2014/11/12/agodacom-announces-winners-of-the2014-gold-circle-awards.html Local winners included: Pattaya: Amari Nova Suites Pattaya, Cape Dara Resort, Flipper Lodge, Grand Bella Hotel, LK The Empress, Long Beach Garden Hotel & Spa, Pattaya Marriott Resort & Spa, Sea Two Pool Villa, Sunshine Hotel & Residences.

Rayong: Bandara On Sea Rayong, Rayong Marriott Resort & Spa.

alien laborers committing crimes. Hence, Pattaya many times has been perceived in a negative manner and as the center for foreign organized crime and human traffickers.

In 2011, CNNGo.com rated Pattaya as No. 2 on its list of world beaches to avoid.

The public sector has taken serious action to accommodate tourists by integrating police, administrative, local governments and relevant units to help prevent crimes against tourists in order for Pattaya to grow. If the plan succeeds, Pattaya could become the leading tourist destination in Thailand; moreover, the plan could be implemented at other tourism destinations such as Koh Samui, Phuket and other cities.

Currently, all sectors are rushing to set up the Tourist Service and Aid Center run by Pattaya police and

administrative officers, Marine Police, and immigration officials at the site of the city’s original pier near Walking Street.

Pattaya Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh said the Center will open as a ‘onestop service’ since the city has already been allotted 3.5 million baht for its operation and is currently in the process of approving the design and contractor. The service center will most likely be finished within three months and will open for use before New Year’s to accommodate the on-going high-season tourists.

Sakchai Taengho, Banglamung’s district chief, stated that the district has collaborated with Pattaya and police officers to solve issues faced by tourists, including requiring speedboats operators to have accident insurance and offering expedited cases for tourists at the Pattaya Courthouse.

Regarding crime, there are policies being implemented for all sectors to work together. Currently, local, tourism, marine, and Immigration police are coordinating.

Once the Pattaya Tourist Service and Aid Center opens, visitors with visa issues, injuries from accidents or even trials can ask for help and make inquiries. It will be equipped with officers from various sectors to help solve problems as fast as possible.

“The Marine Police will be stationed at Pattaya Bay and from now on, there will be patrol boats in high-risk areas to prevent crimes against tourists on water,” Ronakit said. “Pattaya has been assigned the responsibility of water transport, therefore, it is vital that the city regulate the boat operators systematically.”

Most of Pattaya’s tourists are from Russia and China these days. “They come for entertainment, beaches and the islands and the government is developing convenient travel to the city to prepare for future growth,” he said.

Improvements underway include the 810 million baht subterranean bypass under Sukhumvit Road, a 430 million baht project to refill and expand Pattaya Beach, and 490 million baht plan to bring water to Koh Larn.

While Pattaya City is implementing these various projects, the city’s real estate is booming, leading to an increase in population.

Nevertheless, with the high season starting, Pattaya is planning a number of events and festivals.

The Pattaya International Fireworks Festival will be Nov. 29-30 and the Walk-Eat Naklua event later. The year will end with the annual Pattaya Countdown week of concerts and fireworks.

Pattaya is world-renowned for her exciting nightlife.

10 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXII No. 48

Reflecting on our past can help improve our future Paul Gambles Co-founder of MBMG Group November is a time of year when many Europeans and Americans reflect on Armistice Day, a commemoration of the end of the First World War. Having grown up in the UK, I have a childhood memory of the autumn turning to winter and putting on my overcoat on a frosty morning, poppy firmly attached to the lapel.

2014 is of course especially poignant as we commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of that dreadful war. It seems that every modern historian has his/her own theory as to why it all began, what the implicated governments’ motives were.

That debate will never be resolved, yet a few times since the centenary commemorations began in July, it has crossed my mind what the world was like before

declare war on Germany and without its intervention, the Germans could have quickly won the war and created a European union, without the catastrophic loss of life on all sides. Whilst this may seem like mere speculation, it’s worth considering that part of the German government’s war aims was to create a European economic association, dominated by Germany of course.2 Had that become a reality, there may not have been the level of resentment, which pulled the delegates at the resulting Paris Peace Conference away from the task of creating a new peaceful world, back to the demons of the recent past. In his excellent eyewitness account of the peace talks John Maynard Keynes’ observed that the French delegation was out for revenge for defeats in 1871 and 1914 - led by the crusty Tigre, Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau.3 Keynes became dismayed about the future, commenting: “The proceedings of Paris all had this air of extraordinary importance and

Source: FRED and US Department of Commerce war broke in 1914, and how the future would have looked if the peace had been kept.

One interesting theory, from Scottish-born Harvard professor Niall Ferguson,1 is that if the British government had said no to war, at that fateful cabinet meeting on 4th August 1914, the outcome would have been different - even if all the other powers had mobilized troops.

Ferguson points out that Britain was not obliged to

unimportance at the same time. The decisions seemed charged with consequences to the future of human society; yet the air whispered that the word was not flesh, that it was futile, insignificant, of no effect, dissociated from events; and one felt most strongly the impression, described by Tolstoy in War and Peace or by Hardy in The Dynasts, of events marching on to their fated conclusion uninfluenced

and unaffected by the cerebrations of Statesmen in Council.”

It makes you realize how tragic the two world wars really were when considering where we are today. Just like in the summer of 1914, the global economy is struggling - a look at US trade, employment and the number of people requiring food stamps shows the current situation.

Back in 1914, the Austrian ultimatum to Serbia caused global financial panic and a liquidity crisis on, amongst others, the London Stock

abandoning its Quantitative Easing money-printing programme, the Federal Reserve is yet to come up with a credible solution to, or even recognition of, the debt crisis. Like Keynes in 1919, there are some highly credible economists shouting from the rooftops that this is an opportunity and a necessity to start a fresh approach to the world before we hit another crisis. Among them are Steve Keene, Ann Pettifor, James K. Galbraith and Michael Hudson who are part of IDEA Economics8, an institute of which I

Source: FRED and US Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics Exchange as investors rushed to turn cash into gold.4 As for the US, the economy was in recession.5 Just as in 1939, economic woe relieved demand for American goods after the outbreak of war.

A century later, we find ourselves in a global economic downturn with no end in sight. Not only that, Europe is relying heavily on Germany to help out6, while analysts call for it to reduce its intervention.7 Not only that but today, as in 1919, policy leaders appear to be carrying on regardless of the reality in front of their eyes, with a dismissive air of inevitability. In spite of finally

am an advisory board member.

Given that economics failed to predict the Global Financial Crisis - the biggest economic event in generations, failed to repair the damage and still fails to provide relief to real businesses and real people in the aftermath, IDEA has based its approach on three basic principles: debt matters, money matters and the economy is dynamic.

‘Debt matters’ means that stagnation and decline will continue until we actually deal with the debt. ‘Money matters’ is the point that credit creates money, not a

Source: USDA central bank: continued unmanaged money creation by banks (e.g. when lending) will continue crises and instability. ‘The economy is dynamic’ principle is the observation that the economic theory of equilibrium (i.e. the automatic return to normal) is not supported by either logic or evidence.

We cannot rely on equilibrium or a third world war to solve the next economic crisis. It’s time to change our perspective and use 2008 as a lesson of how not to structure our modern economy.

We can’t afford to let the opportunity slip through our fingers this time.

There’s a cyclicality in debt

and inequality that has tended to result in war for as long as mankind has organized itself into competing societies - a global conflict in the coming decades would be cyclically consistent with this. We therefore need to break this cycle if war is to be avoided - the proliferation implications of nuclear holocaust by themselves probably only amount to a limited not an absolute deterrent.

For the deterrent to be absolute we need to combine a version of nuclear horror with a healthy respect and remembrance for all those who put their lives on the line in the belief that they were fighting wars to end all wars.

Footnotes: 1 N. Ferguson, Virtual History: Alternatives and Counterfactuals (1997).

2 B. Tuchman, The Guns of August (1962), p.315 3 J M Keynes, The Economic Consequences of the Peace (1919) 4 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/investing/11113621/Edward-Bonham-Carter-The-forgottenfinancial-crisis-of-1914-has-parallels-100-years-on.html 5 http://www.nber.org/digest/jan05/w10580.html 6 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/germaneconomic-growth-helps-move-euro-zone-out-of-recessiona-916553.html 7 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11160944 /Eurozone-in-crisis-Germany-could-enter-third-recessionin-six-years.html 8 http://www.ideaeconomics.org/

Please Note: While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained herein is correct, MBMG Group cannot be held responsible for any errors that may occur. The views of the contributors may not necessarily reflect the house view of MBMG Group. Views and opinions expressed herein may change with market conditions and should not be used in isolation.

MBMG Group is an advisory firm that assists expatriates and locals within the South East Asia Region with services ranging from Investment Advisory, Personal Advisory, Tax Advisory, Corporate Advisory, Insurance Services, Accounting & Auditing Services, Legal Services, Estate Planning and Property Solutions. For more information: Tel: +66 2665 2536; e-mail: info@mbmg-group.com; Linkedin: MBMG Group; Twitter: @MBMGIntl; Facebook: /MBMGGroup

Exporters given AEC advice at Pattaya seminar Surasak Huasoon Government trade officials offered advice for companies hoping to expand export opportunities at an ASEAN Economic Community-focused seminar in Pattaya.

Jaras Kittisomboonsuk, director of the Bureau of Foreign Trade Services, and Boochita Intaratat, an expert from the Department of Foreign Trade, were the lead speakers at the Nov. 13 seminar sponsored by Pattaya,

the Ministry of Commerce and the Department of Foreign Trade at the Montien Hotel.

The lecturers said it was a well-known fact that competition in the global market is growing intense and Thailand has to rely more on international trading. Thus, they said, free-trade agreements are important tools for expanding the value of trade and investment, as well as maintaining old markets and extending trade to new ones.

They will help the country increase its potential in exporting goods and services and be able to lure more foreign investors to invest in the country.

The ASEAN Free Trade Agreement preceded the start of the AEC next year.

ASEAN also signed freetrade agreements with countries from other regions to support ever-changing global trade and to increase ASEAN’s leverage in global negotiations, they said.

Currently, ASEAN has signed free-trade agreements with six nations: China, Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.

Jaras said the amount of benefit Thai business operators will gain from FTAs depends on their knowledge and understanding of it, especially of the Rules of Origin, which lowers to zero tariffs on products proven to be grown, produced or manufactured entirely in the country. Another variable is

their awareness of how to seek new market opportunities, he said.

Boochita Intaratat, an expert from the Department of Foreign Trade, tells the seminar that free-trade agreements are important tools for expanding the value of trade and investment, as well as for maintaining old markets and extending trade to new ones.

VOL. XXII No. 48

PATTAYA MAIL

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014 11

Top banker warns populist policies Marks & Spencer opens in Pattaya must be implemented with care Thailand’s Board of Investment (BoI) admits that foreign investment is declining, and a top banker warns that the government’s economic stimulus policies will fail if its populist policies cause a rise in household debt.

Kosit Panpiemras, Bangkok Bank executive chairman, said the government’s economic stimulation efforts through monetary and fiscal policies would not bear fruit if it continued to implement populist policies in the way that prevents household debt from falling.

He suggested that the government cooperate with the private sector to catch up with the changes of global markets.

Thai exports are declining despite the global economic expansion.

Kosit Panpiemras, Bangkok Bank executive chairman.

Kosit urged the government to closely supervise production. Thailand’s economic growth rate is predicted at 3-4 percent next year due to its low base this year, he said, noting that previous populist policies and

household debt continue to heavily affect the Thai economy and prevent its growth from reflecting the real potential of the country.

Chokedee Kaewsang, BoI deputy secretary-general said foreign investment in the first 10 months of this year dropped by 10 percent compared with the same period last year because Thailand could not support the investment projects that turned to use higher technologies.

He estimated the overall value of projects seeking BoI promotional privileges at Bt700 billion this year, lower than the corresponding figure last year.

The projects center on the automotive, electrical, electronic and machinery industries. (MCOT)

FPO projects 4 percent GDP growth next year Thailand’s Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) projects that the Thai economy will expand by 4 percent next year due to rising consumption in the private sector, and government spending.

FPO Deputy Director-General Ekniti Nitithanprapas said in a seminar on the Thai economic and industrial outlook in the year ahead, that the growth rate would result from increasing consumption in the private sector that should likely continue in the first quarter of next year, starting from the very low growth rate basis this year.

Additionally, he said, oil prices were declining partly because of Thailand’s domestic energy price restructuring.

This will strengthen the public’s purchasing power, which is also strengthened

by the low unemployment rate of only 0.8 percent.

Ekniti warned that household debt caused installment burdens and that lower prices of farm products including natural rubber were negatively affecting the Thai economy.

What he thinks is driving the economy is government spending. He said that only 89 percent of the 2014 bud-

get had been disbursed due to past political problems.

The disbursement of the remaining budget in the present fiscal year and the spending of state enterprises would create considerable economic activity, Ekniti said.

Energy expert Manoon Siriwan said the energy price restructuring would limit price reduction in only gasoline and gasohol. (MCOT)

Thailand eyes becoming regional trade centre The Thai government is amending laws aimed at persuading foreign businesses to set up their regional operating headquarters in Thailand, a move which would enable the kingdom to become a regional trading centre like Singapore, Deputy Prime Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula said on Friday.

He told participants attending a seminar that the amended law would be forwarded to the cabinet for its approval early next year.

It would help boost Thailand’s gross domestic product to between 5-6 percent in the next two years and would not cause a bubble economy in the country, he said.

The law would also help increase the role of Thailand’s economy with neighboring countries and is also designed to encourage Thai businesses to invest internationally, said Pridiyathorn.

Development in Thailand in the past resulted from private investment which has now reached its saturation point due to the shortage of labor and land for investment, causing an investment slowdown since 2010

Deputy Prime Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula. and eventually affecting the country’s GDP which only grew between 3-4 percent, he said.

Therefore, there is a need for amending the tax system to facilitate foreign businesses to set up regional operating headquarters in Thailand and to also encourage Thai businesses to invest in abroad, Pridiyathorn said.

The government will invest in major infrastructure projects to cater to the “digital economy,” such as establishing a massive broadband to assist businesses, he added. (MCOT)

Local officials join Marks & Spencer Thailand Managing Director Panagiotis Dimitroulopoulos to cut the ribbon to officially open the new store.

Jetsada Homklin International retailer Marks & Spencer brought its British fashion, home décor and luxury food sense to Pattaya with the opening of its 15th Thailand location in Central Festival Pattaya Beach.

Pattaya City Councilman Rattanachai Sutidechanai

and M&S Thailand Managing Director Panagiotis Dimitroulopoulos hosted the Nov. 15 grand opening at the beachfront mall with YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya Center Chairwoman Praichit Jetapai and other community leaders.

The party included a fashion show, highlighting fall and winter styles, a concert

by Bel Supol and cooking demonstration by Praichit using goods on sale at the Mark & Spencer branch.

The retailer, which has worked with mall developer Central Pattana for 19 years, also introduced grand opening promotions of up to 30 percent on men’s and women’s clothing.

AoT invests Bt93 billion to upgrade three airports The Airports of Thailand (AoT) plans to spend Bt93 billion on improving Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and Phuket airports to serve increasing traffic.

During a visit to AoT headquarters on Thursday, Transport Minister Air Chief Marshal Prajin said the plan was aimed at increasing public convenience.

For example, queuing time in front of immigration booths would be reduced from an hour to 15-30 minutes, the minister said.

Under the airport improvement project, Suvarnabhumi Airport would have another runway, renovation, higher cargo handling capacity and better safety systems for clients, ACM Prajin said.

AoT Chairman Prasong

Poontaneat said Bt85 billion would be spent on Suvarnabhumi airport including Bt20 billion for a satellite terminal.

Don Mueang Airport improvements will cost Bt3 billion to raise its passenger-handling capacity to 30 million annually.

Terminal construction at Phuket Airport is estimated at Bt5 billion.

AoT must borrow to fund part of the investment.

Meanwhile, it was calculating a budget to improve duty-free zones at airports to attract travelers, Prasong said. (MCOT)

PM presents awards on energy conservation Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha recently presented awards to corporations doing outstanding work on energy conservation and development of alternative energy, which could help lower Thailand’s reliance on imported oil.

Chairing the ‘Thailand Energy Awards 2014’ on Friday, November 21, Gen Prayut presented awards to the winners of the program where some 290 works competed in five categories, namely: alternative energy, energy conservation, energy personnel, creativity of energy, and support for energy conservation and alternative energy.

The objectives of organizing the program were to encourage firms and bank owners, and both the public and the private sector to help in reducing the country’s imported

energy bill, which now stands at Bt14 trillion yearly, and to reduce carbon dioxide by over 181,000 tonnes annually.

It also wants the private sector to continue energy conservation and an educational institution to open new curriculum aimed at providing knowledge to students so that they would not be left unemployed after graduation.

As many as 50 percent of graduates are now jobless after graduation.

Energy Minister Narongchai Akrasanee said Thailand received 13 awards from the ‘ASEAN Energy Award 2014’ and has been the energy conservation leader in the region for nine consecutive years.

The country has displayed leadership in the field for the ASEAN Community, which

is scheduled to be implemented at end-2015, said Narongchai.

He said the prime minister has appointed Deputy Prime Minister Pridiyathorn Devaluation as chairman of an energy conservation program and a study is being prepared on how to conserve energy over the next five to 10 years.

Both the public and the private sector will be encouraged to use LED bulbs, aimed at conserving energy, while cooperation is being given by the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry encouraging agriculturists to grow sugarcane, cassava and palm oil for use in the production of more biodiesel and ethanol for domestic consumption, Narongchai said.

A fund will be supported by the Energy Conservation Fund, he added. (MCOT)

12 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Odds and Ends The Associated Press

Ireland’s gay bull Benjy saved from slaughterhouse Dublin (AP) - He faced execution for failure to perform.

But Benjy, the gay bull of Ireland, has been saved following a worldwide appeal backed by “The Simpsons” co-creator Sam Simon. Ireland’s Animal Rights Action Network said Tuesday that Simon is paying for Benjy’s transportation to an animal sanctuary in England. Simon, who is battling colon cancer, has been giving away much of the fortune from his television career and is a leading donor to animal welfare causes. Benjy, a Charlerois bull, failed this year to impregnate any heifers at a County Mayo farm in western Ireland. Veterinarians determined he was fertile, but was more attracted to the bull that replaced him. After the farmer announced he planned to send Benjy to an abattoir, activists last week launched a social media campaign seeking 5,000 pounds to send the bull to the Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Norfolk, England, which is home for about 2,000 unwanted farm animals and horses. About 300 donors contributed 4,000 British pounds to an ongoing fundraising drive organized by the British online magazine TheGayUK. Simon, who funds a Malibu dog shelter and many other animal rights projects, said he heard about Benjy’s case through friends at the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals pressure group. He said he was happy to donate the full original cash target to buy Benjy and ship him to England. “All animals have a dire destiny in the meat trade, but to kill this bull because he’s gay would’ve been a double tragedy,” Simon said in a statement. “It thrills me to help PETA and ARAN make Benjy’s fate a sanctuary rather than a sandwich.” ARAN campaigns director John Carmody said Simon and other donors were buying the bull “a one-way ticket to freedom.”

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXII No. 48

Weird skull from Madagascar reveals ancient mammal Malcolm Ritter New York (AP) - During the dinosaur age most mammals were puny, generally weighing less than a pound.

Now a bizarre fossil skull from Madagascar has revealed a comparative giant, one that clocked in at maybe 20 pounds (9 kilograms).

“It was a monster,” said David Krause of Stony Brook University in New York, who led the discovery team. “It looks like a big groundhog.”

It’s the second heaviest mammal known from the dinosaur era, which ran roughly from 250 million years ago to 65 million years ago, and the most massive of that time from Southern Hemisphere.

Krause said his best guess is that the creature might have measured 20 inches (51 centimeters) to 24 inches (61 centimeters) from nose to rump. It lived sometime between 66 million and 72 million years ago.

In a paper released Wednesday, Nov. 5, by the journal Nature, Krause and colleagues named the creature Vintana sertichi. The first

This undated image provided by the journal Nature shows an artist’s reconstruction of an ancient mammal Vintana sertichi. The skull of the previously unknown mammal was found in Madagascar. (AP Photo/Nature, Luci Betti-Nash) name, which means “luck” in the Malagasy language of Madagascar, was chosen because the skull appeared unexpectedly. When scientists did a CT scan of a large sandstone block to look for fish fossils, “we saw this thing staring back at us,” Krause said. “We were just amazed.”

The second name honors Joseph Sertich, now a curator at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, who collected the sandstone

block in 2010.

The 5-inch-long skull gives scientists their first good window into a poorly understood group of ancient Southern Hemisphere mammals that had been known only from isolated teeth and bits of jaw. They went extinct long ago, without leaving any descendants today.

Now researchers can see a face, and it is bizarre, Krause said. The skull is very tall in comparison to its length. The

eye sockets are huge. Weird flanges by the bottom jaw once anchored chewing muscles.

The skull also revealed that the brain was tilted at a strange angle not seen in other animals. And it displayed an odd mix of primitive characteristics with more advanced ones.

Analysis suggests Vintana was an agile plant-eater with good eyesight in low light and a good sense of smell.

Such abilities probably came in handy to avoid the predatory dinosaurs and other beasts that shared its environment, Krause said.

“It would have been a very fine hors d’oeuvre” for a dinosaur, Krause said.

John Flynn, an expert in fossil mammals at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, who didn’t participate in the discovery, called the find “fantastic” because of its good preservation and relative completeness, compared to fossils of other Southern Hemisphere mammals of the time.

Online: Journal Nature: http:// www.nature.com/nature

NASA test flight still on track despite accidents Marcia Dunn (AP Photo/Joanna McNicholas)

TV anchor’s fashion sense gets attention, finally Sydney (AP) - The male co-host of an Australian TV program is finally getting some attention for his fashion sense. And that’s his point. Karl Stefanovic wore the same blue suit every day for a year on Channel Nine’s “Today” program. And no one noticed until he went public with his hidden-in-plain-sight experiment. He told Australia’s Fairfax Media that while no one asked about his suit, people regularly commented about and criticized the outfits worn by co-host Lisa Wilkinson. Stefanovic says, “I’m judged on my interviews, my appalling sense of humor - on how I do my job, basically. Whereas women are quite often judged on what they’re wearing or how their hair is.” The Age newspaper says he’s still wearing the same blue suit, and only Wilkinson and another “Today” colleague knew about his experiment. “They often remark that it’s getting a bit stinky,” he said in the paper’s weekend edition. “I’m hoping to get it into the dry cleaners at the end of the year.”

Police: Chain saw stolen in US thief’s pants Port St. Lucie, Florida (AP) - Police say a man stole a chain saw by sticking it down his pants. Surveillance video from Treasure Coast Lawn Equipment in Florida shows the man putting the tool worth more than $600 down his pants on Oct. 28. Police tell Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers that Anthony Ballard had come in asking for $1 worth of change. Police say employees chased Ballard, who ditched the tool in a wooded lot. The employees called police when they saw Ballard return to look for it. Ballard told police he stole the tool but had a change of heart and wanted to return it. He was held Thursday on grand theft and burglary charges. Bond was set at $28,750. Jail records didn’t show whether he had an attorney.

Cape Canaveral, Florida (AP) - NASA’s biggest test flight in years remains on track for next month, despite the recent space-related accidents.

Officials said Thursday, Nov. 6, everything looks good for the Dec. 4 launch of NASA’s new Orion capsule. This one will not carry a crew. Future Orions are meant to carry astronauts on missions of deep-space exploration, including, one day, trips to Mars.

The spacecraft will blast off atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The four-hour flight will send it on two laps around Earth - and as far as 3,600 miles (5,793 kilometers) into space - before parachuting into the Pacific, Apollo style.

William Hill, who helps run exploration systems development for NASA, said the test flight systems have nothing in common with either the Orbital Sciences rocket that blew up at liftoff on Oct. 28 or the Virgin Galactic SpaceShip Two destroyed in flight Oct. 31. So no reviews were needed, and

In this Sept. 11, 2014 photo, NASA’s Orion spacecraft, preparing for it’s first flight, departs the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building on its way to the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Officials said Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014, that everything looks good for the Dec. 4 launch of NASA’s new Orion capsule. (AP Photo/ John Raoux, File) no plans have been changed.

“Space operations is hard, and they proved that last week,” Hill told reporters. “It was a tough week. It’s a tough business we’re in.”

Mark Geyer, Orion’s program manager for NASA, said even before the backto-back accidents, everyone involved with the upcoming test flight recognized just how difficult it is to send up spacecraft, especially those designed for humans. The

two events serve as an important reminder more than anything, he said.

The whole idea of the test flight, Geyer said, is “to learn about where the challenges are so we can minimize the risk when we actually put people on board.” The capsule will be equipped with 1,200 sensors to measure vibration, heat and noise, among other things.

The flight test readiness review a couple weeks ago

already was “very thorough,” Geyer noted, and the NASA-Lockheed Martin Corp. team is going into it with “our eyes wide open and making sure that we all understand the risks.”

NASA is paying Lockheed Martin to carry out this mission, which is valued at $370 million, excluding the Orion capsule itself. The space agency plans to reuse the capsule in a practice launch abort around 2019, a year after the second Orion flight.

That second unmanned flight will be with NASA’s new megarocket that’s still under development, called SLS for Space Launch System.

Astronauts are expected to start flying on Orion in 2021.

The capsules are built for four passengers, one more than the old Apollo spacecraft.

Orion is intended for true outer-space exploration; the crew capsules under development by two U.S. companies for NASA are intended solely for transporting astronauts to the International Space Station.

Online: NASA: http://www.nasa. gov/exploration/systems/ orion/index.html

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Review: Adapting to new Google email is a chore

take long to get mine at http:/ /inbox.google.com. You need a Gmail account to use it.

The rest go to Primary.

Inbox goes further and calls these categories “bundles”: Travel, Purchases, Finance, Social, Updates, Forums and Promos. You can also create your own labels - mine include Pics, Work, Links and Taxes - to supposedly sort future emails automatically.

Problem: The distinctions between Google’s bundles are subtle, and it doesn’t always sort emails as I would like them.

And for my own labels, forget it. I often have to move emails manually to their proper place, although that could improve as Inbox learns my preferences.

One feature lets you hide messages from certain bundles so you’re not inundated all day. For instance, I could set Promos to appear only once a day at 7 a.m., or even just Mondays at 7 a.m.

However, that 7 a.m. reveal time can’t be changed. I also ended up missing emails I would have liked to see right away because I restricted some bundles too much. Yes, you can manually check all your bundles, but that defeats the purpose of this feature.

Organization

Message management

My Gmail app already sorts my email into categories: Bills, travel reservations and appointments typically wind up in Updates, while mailinglist items go to Promotions.

There’s “pinning,” ‘’sweeping,” ‘’done” and “snoozing” functions for every email. (Eyes cross.)

Done, a check mark, is like archiving in Gmail. “Done”

Tali Arbel New York (AP) - My first reactions to Google’s new email app, Inbox, boiled down to one part frustration, one part irritation. It’s meant to make your life easier, but it’s more complicated to use than Google’s Gmail app.

With Inbox, you keep your Gmail email address and contacts. The Inbox app adds organizational tools.

For many people, email is a place to store information. I rely on it for bills, shoppingdelivery updates and travel plans. Inbox aims to improve on Gmail’s information warehouse by automatically categorizing messages by subject and making them available to you at a time you prefer. It’s also meant to help you search more easily on your phone.

Problem is, understanding how to use Inbox isn’t intuitive. I spent hours fiddling with it and had assistance from Google that most people wouldn’t have. Even after a few weeks, I still spend more time managing my email than I did with the Gmail app.

Nonetheless, I do plan on using Inbox as my primary email app because it is better at searching through emails.

Inbox is available on Apple and Android phones and Google’s Chrome browser on traditional computers.

The free app is technically by invite only, but it didn’t

This file product image provided by Google shows the iPhone version of the company’s Inbox app. The application is designed to make it easier for its Gmail users to find and manage important information that can often become buried in their inboxes.

(AP Photo/Google, File)

messages are arranged in the order you marked them Done, rather than the order you received them.

Sweeping sends a bunch of emails to Done. I accidentally shuttled my entire inbox to Done (which was alarmingly easy to do) and then found myself with a Done list topped by my oldest emails, from 2005. My Done list is now a mishmash, although I can still search for specific items. Items can be moved back to the main inbox, though.

Pinning keeps a message in your inbox. I pinned messages that contained upcoming dinner plans or needed immediate replies from me. If you receive masses of new emails, you can press a blue button up top to look at only the items you pinned.

Snooze hides an email and brings it back at a time you pick.

So what’s the benefit?

Creating labels that separate out photos from dinner plans is nice, but I usually have to manually sort them.

Plus, I can already add my own label in the Gmail app.

As for auto-sorting, I prefer the Primary, Updates and Promotions tabs that already exist within Gmail. If there’s a sorting error, it’s easier to drag-and-drop emails in Gmail than change the bundle in Inbox.

I also like seeing precise time elements for all emails, which Inbox wipes out.

Reminders Google thinks that writing yourself reminder posts is better than emailing yourself about things you need to do.

Reminders are easy to create, but can get lost. I would prefer that reminders float to the top of my inbox, but they drift lower as other emails come in. You can pin a reminder to prioritize it.

I ended up emailing myself the information I had in a reminder anyway to connect it to the actions I had taken for that task. I also have a simple note-taking app on my phone that I find more convenient as a to-do list.

Search This is Inbox’s selling point. It’s easier and faster at finding stuff.

With Gmail, a search of one

friend’s name and “phone” brings up 51 emails, with subject lines including “Thanks,” ‘’hiya” and “Itinerary for your upcoming trip.” I have to open one email after another looking for her phone number. With Inbox, the same search terms gets you the phone number right away. You can dial the number right then.

It’s the same with flights.

Upcoming and past airline reservations pop up in boxes of their own, with their flight numbers, destinations and flight times.

In Inbox, attachments and photos also pop out, and keywords are highlighted without having to open emails. I can use Inbox to easily find username information that I’ve emailed myself for various online accounts.

I haven’t found that Inbox manages my incoming messages better than Gmail did. But given how often I search my emails, the time I save not having to open thousands of them when looking for nuggets of information makes Inbox worthwhile.

Microsoft drops Nokia name with newest Lumia phone

Feds say Web privacy firm deceived consumers Brandon Bailey San Francisco (AP) - Federal regulators said a respected Internet privacy company gave its seal of approval to commercial websites and mobile apps but failed to check whether they were indeed meeting standards for safeguarding customers’ data.

The company known as TRUSTe describes itself as a leading independent authority on consumer privacy.

But the Federal Trade Commission said it deceived consumers by not following through on annual reviews of websites and apps that carried its privacy seal. The FTC also said the San Francisco-based company let websites describe TRUSTe as a nonprofit service, even after it became a for-profit business in 2008.

“Seals and certifications are persuasive to consumers,” the FTC said in a blog post, after announcing Monday that TRUSTe had agreed to a legal settlement in the case.

“So it’s important that representations conveyed by those remarks are truthful.”

TRUSTe agreed to a legal settlement without admitting wrongdoing. It will pay $200,000 to the FTC and file detailed reports on some of its practices in the future. In a company blog post, CEO Chris Babel said TRUSTe regrets not living up to “our own standards” but characterized the problems as isolated. He said the company conducted compliance reviews in a majority of cases.

The company’s privacy seal is displayed by a variety of popular websites and mobile apps, from NFL.com to the messaging service WeChat. TRUSTe also certifies such products as downloadable software and cloud computing services.

But from 2006 to early 2013, according to the FTC, the company failed to conduct more than 1,000 annual reviews of companies to which it had already granted a TRUSTe seal, even though TRUSTe promised in its literature that it checks every year for continued compliance with its standards.

“TRUSTe promised to hold companies accountable for protecting consumer privacy,

but it fell short of that pledge,” FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez said in a statement.

While TRUSTe told clients that it was no longer a nonprofit, she added, it did not ensure that clients changed the way they described TRUSTe’s service.

Babel said the failure to conduct follow-up reviews involved companies that had signed multi-year contracts with TRUSTe. He said “the vast majority” were reviewed every other year.

TRUSTe now requires companies to remove any reference to TRUSTe’s former nonprofit status before they can be re-certified, Babel said.

Under the settlement, the FTC said future violations could be subject to civil penalties. TRUSTe is also required to make detailed annual reports to the FTC about the steps it takes to make sure clients comply with standards for a special certification that TRUSTe offers for websites and apps that collect data from children under 13. The FTC considers children to be especially in need of protection online.

This product image provided by Microsoft shows the Lumia 535 smartphone.

The phone is the first Lumia phone under the Microsoft brand name, as the software company dropped the Nokia brand. (AP Photo/Microsoft) New York (AP) - Microsoft has unveiled a cheaper smartphone, costing about 110 euros ($135), as it eyes emerging and other low-cost markets for growth.

The new model is the first Lumia smartphone under Microsoft’s own brand name.

The company has released a few Lumia models since it bought Nokia’s phone business this year, but those models still carried the Nokia brand.

The Lumia 535 Windows smartphone will have a 5inch screen, as measured diagonally. It comes with

5-megapixel front and rear cameras, which should snap sharper selfies than typical smartphones.

Microsoft is trying to expand its small market share worldwide with cheaper devices. To do that, it has cut manufacturing costs. For instance, camera and control buttons on many models can now be tapped on the screen rather than being physical buttons on the frame.

Despite the low cost, Microsoft said the new phone will offer the same Microsoft services that high-end phones

do. That includes Skype video calls, Office apps and the virtual assistant Cortana.

As is common with phones for emerging markets, Microsoft is making a version with slots for two SIM cards so that people can switch between service providers more easily. In such markets, rates vary so much that many people have multiple accounts to take advantage of the best deals.

The Lumia 535 is expected to go on sale this month.

Microsoft didn’t announce any U.S. plans.

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VOL. XXII No. 48

Will Melanoma get you?

Shock, horror headlines in the Aussie media last year claiming that tanning beds kill 43 Australians a year through melanoma alone and are responsible for another 2600 annual skin cancer diagnoses. That is certainly attention grabbing news.

Some basis for this also comes from a team at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research that has estimated sun beds are responsible for 281 cases of melanoma each year, the deadliest skin cancer. Overall, 43 of those patients died.

While researching an item on the cancers of women, I came across the also somewhat disquieting figures that Malignant Melanoma has the second fastest increasing incidence of cancer for women. In fact, the age-standardized rates have risen by 46 percent in the last decade.

Some of the apparent increase may be due to increased surveillance and early detection as well as improved diagnosis, but most is considered to be real and linked to changes in recreational or holiday exposure to UV rays (including sunlight and sunbeds), and we do get the odd bit of sunshine here in Thailand.

I remember the first time I went to a beach in Thailand and saw all these people emerging from the sea fully clothed, that I thought the Thaitanic must have gone down offshore. However, I later realized that Thai people are not

silly when they go fully clothed to the beaches to swim! It is generally just the pale skinned farangs that go there to fry.

Having come from sub-tropical Queensland, I can tell you that the capital Brisbane is these days considered to be the melanoma capital of the world, and of all the skin cancers you can get, malignant melanoma is the worst. If ignored and not caught early, it spreads throughout the body and almost all of these sufferers die within 12 months. The generally accepted time between late diagnosis and death is 10 months. That is despite heroic (and expensive) treatment.

When we first began to keep statistics on the incidence of melanoma in Australia, it became quickly evident that the further north you went (towards the equator) the greater the numbers of melanomas. White skin and UV radiation did not go well together.

It did not need rocket science to see that perhaps the reason the indigenous native aboriginals did not have the same incidence of melanoma as the white settlers was linked to skin color.

However, human nature being as perverse as it is, the white folks want to be brown (which is why solariums are popular in Australia) and the brown folks want to be white (which is why whitening creams are the number one cosmetic cream sold in Thailand).

However, the Thai people, even with their naturally protective brown skin, do stay out of the sun as much as possible

(standing in a line in the shadow of the telephone pole for example), and have reduced their incidence of possible melanoma. That is while we farangs, with our totally unsuitable pink one-button birthday suits, stand in the sun’s rays as much as possible. Having myself emigrated from sunless Scotland to Australia as a young teenager, I can remember my Mum chasing me out of the house to get my shirt off and get a “healthy tan”! How times and our knowledge have changed! And we can thank all those medical professionals who have kept the statistics to be used by the epidemiologists who could then impart these findings to us all. Statistics which we hopefully take on board to take ourselves out of the danger.

The bad news about malignant melanoma you have already read above, but there is some good news. Protect yourself by covering up and using a very strong sun blocker of SPF 30 and above any time you are at the beach. And re-apply after swimming each time.

However, if you have any dark colored ‘spot’ that has changed shape, color, or become itchy you should get some expert advice from our specialist dermatologists. It is too dangerous to ‘wait and see’. Catch it early enough, before it begins to spread, and you can escape!

I get my spots and dots checked each year and have had a couple removed “just in case!” I suggest you do the same.

Worldwide action needed to address hidden crisis of violence against women and girls WHO Current efforts to prevent violence against women and girls are inadequate, according to a new series published in The Lancet. Estimates suggest that globally, 1 in 3 women has experienced either physical or sexual violence from their partner, and that 7% of women will experience sexual assault by a non-partner at some point in their lives.

Yet, despite increased global attention to violence perpetrated against women and girls, and recent advances in

knowledge about how to tackle these abuses, levels of violence against women including intimate partner violence, rape, female genital mutilation, trafficking, and forced marriages - remain unacceptably high, with serious consequences for victims’ physical and mental health. Conflict and other humanitarian crises may exacerbate ongoing violence.

Between 100 and 140 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM), with more than 3 million girls

at risk of the practice every year in Africa alone. Some 70 million girls worldwide have been married before their eighteenth birthday, many against their will.

Although many countries have made substantial progress towards criminalizing violence against women and promoting gender equality, the Series’ authors argue that governments and donors need to commit sufficient financial resources to ensure their verbal commitments translate into real change. Even where laws are progressive, many women and girls still suffer discrimination, experience violence, and lack access to vital health and legal services.

Importantly, reviewing the latest evidence, the authors show that not enough is being done to prevent violence against women and girls from occurring in the first place. Although resources have grown to support women and girls in the aftermath of violence (e.g., access to justice and emergency care), research suggests that actions to tackle gender inequity and other root causes of violence are needed to prevent all forms of abuse, and thereby reduce violence overall.

“Globally, one in three women will experience intimate partner and/or sexual violence by non-partners in their lifetime, which shows that more investment needs to be made in prevention. We definitely need to strengthen services for women experiencing

violence, but to make a real difference in the lives of women and girls, we must work towards achieving gender equality and preventing violence before it even starts,” explains Series co-lead Professor Charlotte Watts, founding director of the Gender Violence and Health Centre at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK. “No magic wand will eliminate violence against women and girls. But evidence tells us that changes in attitudes and behaviors are possible, and can be achieved within less than a generation.”

Ultimately, say the authors, working with both the perpetrators of violence (men and boys) and women and girls will be essential to achieve lasting change, by transforming deeply entrenched societal norms on gender relations and the insidious belief that women are inferior.

Violence is often seen as a social and criminal justice problem, and not as a clinical or public health issue, but the health system has a crucial part to play both in treating the consequences of violence, and in preventing it.

“Health-care providers are often the first point of contact for women and girls experiencing violence,” says Series co-lead Dr Claudia Garcia-Moreno, a physician at WHO, Geneva, who coordinates research and policy on violence against women.

“Health-care providers are often the first point of contact

for women and girls experiencing violence,” adds Dr Garcia-Moreno. “Early identification of women and children subjected to violence and a supportive and effective response can improve women’s lives and wellbeing, and help them to access vital services. Healthcare providers can send a powerful message - that violence is not only a social problem, but a dangerous, unhealthy, and harmful practice - and they can champion prevention efforts in the community. The health community is missing important opportunities to integrate violence programming meaningfully into public health initiatives on HIV/AIDS, adolescent health, maternal health, and mental health.”

The Series urges policy makers, health practitioners and donors worldwide to accelerate efforts to address violence against women and girls by taking five key actions. First, governments must allocate necessary resources to address violence against women as a priority, recognizing it as a barrier to health and development.

Second, they must change discriminatory structures (laws, policies, institutions) that perpetuate inequality between women and men and foster violence.

Third, they must invest in promoting equality, nonviolent behaviors and nonstigmatizing support for survivors.

Fourth, they must strengthen the role of health, security,

education, justice, and other relevant sectors by creating and implementing policies for prevention and response across these sectors, and integrating violence prevention and response into training efforts.

Finally, they must support research and programming to learn what interventions are effective and how to turn evidence into action.

According to Series coordinator, Dr Cathy Zimmerman, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK, “We now have some promising findings to show what works to prevent violence. Our upcoming challenge is to expand this evidence on prevention and support responses to many more settings and forms of violence. Most importantly, we urgently need to turn this evidence into genuine action so that women and girls can live violence-free lives.”

In a Comment accompanying the Series, former US President Jimmy Carter, founder of the Carter Center says, “It is my hope that political and religious leaders will step forward and use their influence to communicate clearly that violence against women and girls must stop, that we are failing our societies, and that the time for leadership is now.”

The Series was published ahead of the 16 days of Activism against Gender Violence (Nov 25–Dec 10, 2014).

For the full Series of papers, see: http://www.thelancet. com/series/violence-againstwomen-and-girls.

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FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014 15

Not so ‘smart’ phones To be honest, I think that ‘smartphone’ photography is reaching down into the bottom of the barrel. Creativity, which is why I take photographs, has not really been possible with the so-called ‘smartphones’. As a record shot showing a photo of someone somewhere they are probably excellent. However, seeing media photographers pointing their phones at a car during its press release makes me cringe. The prime function of these phones is still to allow you to speak to people in far away places. Full stop!

There is, however, a group of far-seeing technicians who are realizing the drawbacks and limitations of the smartphone, and are producing “add-ons” to improve on what in reality is a fairly primitive photo device.

Here are some of these.

Photojojo are selling clip-on

lenses for the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5. These are supposed to give your phone the choices of wide angle and macro capabilities. Undoubtedly, if you have either of those this expands the range of shots possible. The final result may be a compromise I imagine.

Tripods are certainly a great adjunct to good photography, and one that I promote for time-lapse, long exposures and landscapes, a tripod is a must-have.

There is now one for your phone called the Glif which apparently will fit in your pocket as well as anchoring your phone. There is another called the GorillaPod GripTight, which will let your phone cling to trees, doorknobs and handlebars.

Remote shutters have been part of the DSLR scenes for ever, but now this is being touted for phones as well, with the article mentioning this saying that it is “a wonder for taking selfies that don’t show your arm reaching toward the camera. It hooks up with your iPhone or Android phone wirelessly and

Dear Hillary, I need some advice here. My Thai GF (fairly recent) wants a motorcycle and I have no objection to that, as long as she wears a helmet. The problem is she wants to buy a motorcycle, instead of renting as I suggest. I understand a Thai person wanting something that has a value, but I’m not really ready to lash out for a motorcycle, and I wonder if I am being set up?

Valentino Dear Valentino, It isn’t every day I get a letter from a famous person like Valentino Rossi. You are THE Valentino Rossi, aren’t you, my Petal? Now getting real about your problem, honestly it isn’t a problem. I can understand you not wanting to spend around 40 thousand since you are unsure about the relationship, but here is the answer - buy the motorcycle on installments and put it in your name. No big spend, a few thousand baht a month and you keep control over the whole thing. There you are. Done and dusted!

Dear Hillary, How do you go about transferring some money to a girl in Thailand that I met on my holidays? Not much, but just a little amount that I would like to send to her each month, to make life a little easier for her in the bar, and not to forget me. Are the money exchange places reliable?

Ern

takes a picture when you hit the button.” OMG, it’s the “selfie” again!

The smart geeks have admitted that the flash on the phone is pretty worthless when it comes to lighting up dark scenes. “The iBlazr plugs into your headphone port and massively increases your flash power. If anything, it may be too bright - but that’s better than the alternative.” Welcome to the world of blown-out pictures.

One area of common

ground is the battery which can always fail just when you are about to take that award-winning shot. Smart people will use the cheap and portable Anker battery.

Better yet, they will buy a few and keep them where you know you’ll need them: in the car, in your purse, with your emergency supplies.

So those gadgets may improve your smartphone pictures, but here is a DSLR feature that the geeks haven’t managed to copy. Getting

Dear Ern, My initial advice is to lock up your wallet and change your email address. Ern, my Petal, why give away the money you “earn” (couldn’t resist that one). You met her on your holidays and obviously it was a financial transaction then, and to continue across the oceans will take more money, and then more money, and then even more money. Put something aside each week for your next holidays and spend it with her, or others like her. Don’t even start, Ern! Dear Hillary, I met Noi some 12 years ago. She had worked in Bangkok’s rag trade for 23 years but after making a claim on her employer’s insurance policy she was laid off. Moving on to Pattaya as she was past the used by date and not overly attractive, so she could only find work on day shift in a bar. I met Noi one afternoon when she remarked on the two lines ironed on my sleeves and offered to do my ironing. I put her on the pay roll and we have been together for over 12 years. As I am in my twilight years and semi invalided Noi has nursed me, bathed me and does all the chores associated with a marriage. I find it impossible to take the bar out of Noi, because it was never there.

Arnie Dear Arnie, Thank you for telling me your wonderful story, and you certainly found a real gem in your Noi. Looks aren’t everything, it is the “jai dee” (good heart) that is important, and you don’t find it in a bar too often. As you say, you didn’t

good photos it is often necessary to “bracket”. Most DSLR’s have this function.

With mine I have set it up to give me three automatically bracketed shots, each half a stop different. One below the presumed correct setting and one above.

This gives me three shots to review, and 99 times out of 100, one of those three will be the best exposure.

Another ‘pro’ tip is in the placement of the subject in the frame. We know that the most pleasant visual effect is when the subject is not bang in the middle, but off center. Simply make sure the subject is one third in from either edge of the viewfinder. This is the “Rule of Thirds.” Don’t have the horizon slap bang in the center of the picture

either. As a rough rule of thumb, if the sky is interesting put more of it in the picture, but if it is featureless blue or grey include less of it!

Now, many digital cameras have an optional grid you can have in the viewfinder, with just a push of a button and a selection from the digital menu. This grid automatically shows you whether your horizon is level and where it is in the photo - one third down from the top, or one third up from the bottom. The grid also shows you exactly where to place your subject - at the intersection of thirds. In my early digital days I would have to hand draw the grid on the focusing screen. Now the digital camera does it for me.

My phone doesn’t.

have to take the bar out of Noi “because it was never there.”

I hope your health is better.

Dear Hillary, I can’t believe it’s 2014 already. It seems like it’s just 2001, because that’s when I met my sweetheart, and even though you don’t like it, I found her in a bar and we’re still together 13 years later. We got married after a couple of years of living together, because I wanted her to get anything here after I die. I’ve taken everything out of the UK, where my first family lives. They’ve never done anything for me over the years, so I’m quite sure I’m not leaving them anything now. My Thai wife looks after me so well, it’s the least I can do is to look after her. Before I go to sleep she makes sure I’ve got water, gives me a back massage and sits there till I fall asleep. In the morning she’s already got the breakfast going before I get up. What western woman would do all that? None. I know there’s a risk with girls from the bar business, but I’ve got no complaints with mine. She wasn’t the best looking one, but inside she’s a little diamond.

Henry Dear Henry, I am so glad you are a Happy Henry, and you are correct in that there are some little diamonds that can be found behind the bar.

Unfortunately there’s a few cubic zirconias as well, so you have to be careful, which you were, waiting a couple of years before you got married. I cannot really comment on your family in the UK, Petal. They probably felt that you deserted them, while you think they’ve done nothing for you. Might be six of one and half a dozen of the other, I think. Whatever, they are still your family and you should keep in touch if nothing else. Enjoy your life with your wife, and do thank the spirits for the lucky choice.

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VOL. XXII No. 48

Growing old disgracefully “Don’t worry about old age. It doesn’t last that long,” quipped Dr. Iain Corness at the Sunday, November 16, meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club. Dr. Iain is a medical doctor who works as a consultant at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya.

He was speaking on the topic “Growing old disgracefully.” Dr. Iain has spoken to the club on numerous occasions. In addition to racing cars he has many interests, including writing several weekly columns for the Pattaya Mail covering restaurant reviews, photography, and automobiles. He has also written two books about Thailand entitled “Farang” and “Farang the Sequel.” He moved to Thailand in 1997.

He began by pointing out

that aging is a natural process. Further, as you grow older, you lose some elasticity in the tissues. As a result, your muscles don’t work as well, your ligaments toughen up and your skin tears more easily. You develop mechanical problems such as arthritis. The knees and hips are the first to go.

Dr. Iain says they have been genetically programmed to last about 70 years. And that’s just the physical dimension, Dr. Iain said. On the mental side, for example, you may search in vain for a word you know you should remember, only to have it suddenly resurface twenty minutes or several hours later.

What can be done about aging? You can’t reverse it, he said. But you can adapt to it. For example, he

remarked that old lions don’t race around catching animals for food; they leave that to the younger lions. Dr. Iain mentioned that he is in his 49th year of racing cars.

Whereas he used to work hard using a spanner getting the cars ready for racing and squeezing every last bit of speed he could from the

you do at a gym doesn’t help much after age 60.

Keeping mobile is a good idea. Taking long walks is okay, but it still wears out your joints. The best form of exercise is swimming because it is not weightbearing.

Regular check-ups are also a good idea, Dr. Iain ex-

A member takes advantage of the free blood pressure checks provided by a nurse from Bangkok Hospital Pattaya at the PCEC meeting on Sunday, November 16; a regular feature when the speaker is from the hospital.

MC Richard Silverberg introduces the PCEC’s guest speaker, Dr. Iain Corness and describes his many talents. Dr. Iain is well known to the Pattaya Expat community; not only as a consultant with Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, but as writer, race car driver, restaurant reviewer, and wine connoisseur.

motor, the tires and car body.

Now he just races; he leaves the preparatory work to others. “When I was young, racing cars was dangerous and sex was safe,” Dr Iain said. “Now…” Being overweight accelerates the wear and tear on the body, so losing weight is a good strategy, Dr. Iain explained. Some older people like to jog. “Have you ever seen a jogger who enjoys jogging?” he asked. “It just increases the strain on your joints.” Exercise bikes aren’t any better. Also, the stuff

Pratamnak Lions donate 15,000 baht to Father Ray Day Care Center

Children at the Father Ray Day Care Center say thank you to members of the Lions Club of Pratamnak for donating rice, food and supplies.

Jetsada Homklin The Lions Club of Pratamnak Pattaya donated 15,000 baht in rice, food and supplies to the Father Ray Day Care Center as part of its monthly charity outreach program.

President Rattana Pinthong presented the soap, toothpaste, shampoo, and clothing to Rapeepan Puangcharoen, manager of the center which cares for children ages 4-7.

Rattana said the club has a project to donate food to

help organizations every month. It’s also an opportunity for member to do charity activities together using the money raised from the donations of members.

Rapeepan welcomed the Lions along with children at the center.

plained, because they help you spot a problem in its early stages when it can still be treated. For example, having an elevated blood pressure can be a sign of kidney problems. Other warning signs include high blood sugar levels or arteries in which blockages are forming. Some people don’t want to know, but he said that’s a pretty short-sighted approach.

Some people go to the other extreme. Now that genetic profiling is available, you can find out if you might be a candidate for a particular condition. He mentioned that the actress Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy as a preventative measure after she found out that she has a mutated gene known to raise a woman’s risk of breast and ovarian cancers. Dr. Iain said that he thought this was an overreaction. The presence of marker genes only shows a tendency, not a certainty.

“My father was so impressed by what he read about smoking and lung cancer that he gave up reading,” Dr Iain joked.

Dr. Iain Corness explains to PCEC members how to grow old disgracefully. He asked what can be done about aging?

His answer was you can’t reverse it, but you can adapt to it.

When you grow older, the brain needs to be exercised just like the rest of your body, he stressed. The best

way to exercise your brain is to be passionate about something - a hobby or anything at all. People watching and drinking beer in a bar on Soi 6 doesn’t cut it, he added.

After the presentation, Dr. Iain was interviewed for a t e l e v i s i o n segment by Pattaya Mail TV. This interview is available on You Tube at: https://www.youtube .com/watch?v=CQHX5 qAlpH4&feature =youtu.be.

After the presentation, MC Richard Silverberg updated everyone on Club activities and upcoming events and then called on Roy Albiston to conduct the Open Forum where questions are asked and answered about Expat living in Thailand, especially Pattaya.

For more information on the PCEC’s many activities, visit their website at www. pcecclub.org.

MC Richard Silverberg gives Dr. Iain Corness a Certificate of Appreciation for his interesting and entertaining presentation to the PCEC.

After his presentation to the PCEC, Paul Strachan with Pattaya Mail TV interviews Dr. Iain Corness about his topic of “Growing old disgracefully”.

VOL. XXII No. 48

PATTAYA MAIL

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014 17

The Endless Summer Came to Mantra Dr. Iain Corness The Amari’s Mantra restaurant presented another of their tribute events last weekend, this time being a tribute to the Endless Summer. With Pattaya’s “Beach Boys” led

by Barry Upton on lead guitar, the diners were entertained with over 40 numbers relating to the heyday of the beach genre of music.

Starting off slowly, the audience was delighted to hear “The Warmth of the Sun”, a piece that even Barry admitted was much more difficult to play than would be expected for such a “simple” number. Also in the first set was the “classic” beach number “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot

Bikini” complete with interjections of “What did she wear?”

The menu which went with the evening’s musical theme was another of executive chef Leonard Faust’s tours de force. Starting with tuna carpaccio with king crab and avocado and black caviar the set menu went on to a foam veloute with a plump seared Alaskan scallop and then to a main course of either beef tenderloin or wok-fried snow fish. My partner had the beef and was highly complimentary, whilst I had the snow fish, which was superb.

The culinary treat continued, as the endless summer music rolled on with “Girl from Ipanema” (Beach Boys), and the “Summertime Blues” (Eddie Cochrane)

and more, while we enjoyed a cheese assortment and then into a dessert of Chocolate and red wine torte with fresh berry yoghurt and pistachio brittle.

By this time the band had warmed up to “hot” and the diners likewise, with a great surfer medley with “Wipe Out” and “Pipeline” and more. There was even the classic Chuck Berry number “Rock ‘n’ Roll Music” which had even more on the dance floor.

After two encores, the final part of the evening was GM Brendan Daly and new RM Richard Gamlin congratulating the band and thanking the audience. A wonderful evening of food, fun and fab music.

Let’s do it again, Mantra!

The Amari’s Mantra restaurant a tribute to the Endless Summer, with Pattaya’s “Beach Boys” led by Barry Upton on lead guitar.

The Monarch of the Glen comes to Pattaya Dr. Iain Corness Dicey Reilly’s Irish Pub was the venue for a most interesting tasting of whisky, distilled in the north of Scotland by a family company. This was Glenfiddich, from the grey granite distillery, and one of the world’s most popular tipples.

Glenfiddich is owned by William Grant & Sons, an independent family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886. Today, the luxury spirits company is run by the fifth generation of his family and distils some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s favorite single malt Glenfiddich®, The Balvenie® range of handcrafted single malts and the world’s third largest blended Scotch, Grant’s.

The facilitator for the Glenfiddich tasting was a fifth generation Australian Scot, Matthew FergussonStewart, the regional brand ambassador. Matthew turned out to be a very knowledgeable young man who not only educated the 30 thirsty souls, but also kept their attention with his witty delivery.

There were three ‘vintages’ of Glenfiddich to be appraised that evening, the 12 year old, the 15 year old and the 18 year old.

The highly informative presentations gave the guests a real insight into the processes involved in creating a Glenfiddich Single Malt and of the distillery itself.

Three single malt whiskies were served up for the tasting event, namely the Glenfiddich 12 year old, 15 year old and 18 year old.

What was previously not well understood was the fact that these three are completely separate types of whisky. For example, an 18 year old is not a 12 year old that has been stored for the past six years, each of the three is matured in different ways. This means that an 18 year old Glenfiddich has been matured for at least 18 years, and in fact could be sevAlthough this was a Whisky tasting, guests were eral years older, as opposed welcomed with a glass of award winning Hendricks to the aging of wine in the bottles.

Gin & Tonic.

Matthew took the tipplers through the simple origins of whisky with the three ingredients of water, malted barley and yeast and then on to how the different years 12, 15 and 18 become individual whiskies.

The 12 year old has its maturation in American and Spanish oak casks, the 15 year old is kept in sherry, bourbon and new oak and then left to marry in a Solero vat and the 18 year old matures in Spanish Oloroso casks and traditional American casks and then married in wooden tuns.

Matthew covered the sometimes contentious subject of adding water to his whiskies. He personally drinks them neat, though the addition of a small amount of water is sometimes claimed to release the flavors even more.

However, Matthew’s water addition was more like two or three drops administered using a straw as a pipette!

As to be expected, the drinkers that evening were divided in their appreciation of the three different scotches, but the majority went for the 15

Guests were taught how to distinguish the characteristics of the three whiskies on offer.

Brand Ambassador for Glenfiddich Matthew Fergusson-Stewart keeps the talk very interesting by interacting with the guests.

year old, and both Matthew and myself were in agreement with the 15.

Following the education, the whisky drinkers then went outside to the terrace

and continued sampling and enjoying the “uisge beatha”, the Gaelic for the “water of life”, otherwise known as “whisky”, and Glenfiddich in particular.

The chef at Dicey Riley’s complimented the tasting session with tasty snacks.

Inside Dicey Riley’s the table is set to welcome those with a keen interest in Single Malt Whisky.

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PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXII No. 48

GIS Remembers

A GIS student carries a wreath at a service in Kanchanaburi.

This clever Year 7 student made her own mini poppies to give to teachers.

Mark Beales Photos by Ritche Guisona and Egor (Year 10)

Several students from GIS went to Kanchanaburi for a special memorial service at the War Cemetery.

Students from Garden International School (GIS) paid respects to victims of war during a moving Remembrance Day service.

At GIS there was a special whole school assembly where a minute’s silence was observed and the Last Post was played on November 11. At 11.11am, students and staff stood for a minute’s silence to remember the fallen.

Students also read out several poems, including one by a Vietnamese poet to highlight the fact that

Students from GIS wore poppies to remember the victims of war.

Remembrance Day thinks about the victims of conflict from all around the globe.

A group of students from

near Pattaya travelled to Kanchanaburi to visit a War Cemetery and took part in a ceremony to lay wreaths.

GIS students read out anti-war poetry at a whole school assembly.

St Andrews Drama to perform “Holes” Douglas Heron

“The Boys” take a break from digging at Camp Greenlake.

St Andrews International Secondary Drama Department is getting ready for their production of “Holes”, the classic novel by Louis Sachar now brought to life on stage. It’s a story which will be familiar to most students at St Andrews as it’s part of the English curriculum and one of the students’ favourite texts.

The hero of the piece is Stanley Yelnats - a kid who is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-gooddirty-rotten-pig-stealinggreat-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Stanley is unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes the boys “build character” by spending all day, every day, digging holes five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on Madame Zeroni warns Elya about the “curse”.

at Camp Green Lake: the warden is looking for something. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous play of crime and punishment and redemption.

Come along on Tues 2nd December or Weds 3rd at 7.00pm at the St Andrews Performance Hall. Tickets are free and are available at the School Reception (Tel. 038 030 701). See you there.

A study in nastiness.

The Warden - do not cross her!

VOL. XXII No. 48

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014 19

PATTAYA MAIL

E-mail: comhaps@pattayamail.com

Fax: 038-427596

ATTENTION! Public Service Announcements in our Community Happenings pages are FREE! All Commercial promotions will be charged at a very reasonable rate of 10 Baht per word.

Please send your Community Happenings to:

comhaps@pattayamail.com, DEADLINE: Saturday 5:00 PM Please contact us by E-mail for any information that you may require.

Events The next meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC) will be on Sunday, November 30. Everyone is warmly welcome. Dr. Peter Lewis will be speaking on the benefits of Platelet Enriched Plasma (PRP) and cell therapy treatments. The Club meets every Sunday morning at The Tavern by the Sea Restaurant located on the north end of Beach Road (part of the Amari Orchid Resort). The program starts at 10:30 a.m. with a buffet breakfast available from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.

The Pattaya International Fireworks Festival 2014 will be held on Friday and Saturday 28th & 29th November. The festival typically features 45-minute shows by different nationalities and can sometimes start as late as 9 p.m. Together with the firework displays there will also be booths selling locally made products, a carnival-style parade, shows, concerts, magic and juggling acts and 3D painting photography along Beach Road.

The Bangkok Hospital Pattaya’s Christmas Charity Bazaar will be held on Saturday, November 29 in the lobby of the hospital’s E-building from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Shop for Thai souvenirs, delectable food, goodies and

even home entertainment and appliances from the charity stalls with an amazing range of inexpensive products. Bring your children to meet Santa and his helpers at 10.30 a.m. and take part in the prize draw. Entrance is free.

Green Pattaya’s next scheduled monthly clean-up will take place on Friday, November 28. For details of the time and location, check www. facebook.com/GreenPattaya.

The third annual Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show will take place from 27th to 30th November at Ocean Marina Yacht Club, Jomtien, Pattaya. Over 100 exhibitors and in excess of 6,000 visitors are expected at the show this year with its expanded four-day format. Leading luxury boat brands from around the world will be exhibiting as well as boat builders and accessories, boat services and technology, marine toys and gadgets, super bikes and cars, luxury real estate and resorts. There will also be an International Fishing Boat Competition (29th and 30th November) and the Boat & Yacht Thailand 2014 Conference (28th November). Other highlights include free yacht cruises, kayak and paddle boat experiences, an open-air drink and food festival with live

band, jetpack flying board and radio control power boat demonstrations, games and much more. For more information visit: www. facebook.com/oceanmarina pattayaboatshow.

Ploenchit Fair: Saturday 29 November, 10.00 a.m. 8.00 p.m. at Bangkok Patana School.

Rotary Club Eastern Seaboard invites all Rotarians, friends & guests to join an evening of fine food and excellent entertainment at the club’s annual Christmas party to be held at the Siam Bayshore Resort in South Pattaya from 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 6. Tickets cost 1,200 baht and can be reserved by calling Bob Denzel at 081-715 20 51 or email: secretary@rotaryes.org. Dress code for the event is formal or smart.

The annual Jet Ski King’s Cup-World Cup Grand Prix tournament will take place from December 3-7 at Jomtien Beach. The event will feature some of the biggest names in world jet-ski racing with participants coming from over 40 countries to take part.

Free practice takes place on Dec. 3 & 4 with the main completion starting Dec. 5 at 8 a.m. Admission is free to all spectators. For more information, go to website: http://jetski-worldcup.com.

TFI (Thai-Farang Initiative) will be holding its second Jolly Kids Xmas Party at Jameson’s Irish Pub & Restaurant on Sunday, Dec. 14

Quick breakfasts for kids If your mornings are anything like our school mornings, the first hurdle is to present nourishing breakfasts in under five minutes, and preferably items that can be held in the hand, when running to the car, with breakfast then completed while sitting on the back seat. Sound familiar?

Cooking Method

Ingredients Serves 4 4 Hard boil the eggs by placing in cold water, bringing English muffins to the boil, then remove from heat, leaving the eggs to Olive oil continue cooking for 10 minutes then remove from Tomato slices Hard-boiled eggs, sliced 2 the water.

Toast eight English-muffin halves and place on a Grated mozzarella Oregano cookie sheet.

Drizzle each with olive oil, then layer on tomato slices, Sea salt hard-boiled egg slices (one or two egg slices on each), and a little grated mozzarella. Sprinkle with oregano and salt. You can also sprinkle ground black pepper, provided that your children like it.

Now broil for five minutes or until the cheese melts. Alternatively pop in the microwave for around one minute at 600 watts.

from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Bring the kids as Santa will give every child a Christmas gift. The kids’ buffet will include chicken nuggets, fish fingers, mini burgers, French fries, jelly and ice cream plus soft drinks. Magic shows will be performed by Doc Penguin and there will also be face painting & a bouncy castle plus a Grand Raffle with a fantastic selection of prizes available. Admission is free for all children. Also, order any Jameson’s Sunday roast dinner and 50% of the price shall be donated to the TFI charity fund. For more information, email info @tfi-events.com or visit facebook.com/funcharityevents.

BCCT Christmas Luncheon: Friday 12 December, 11.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m. at Amari Watergate Bangkok.

Dining Amari Pattaya will host a French wine evening on Friday, November 28 in the Lobby Bar from 6.30 - 8.30 p.m. Enjoy a variety of carefully selected French wines accompanied by canapés and other culinary delights from Chef Leonard while listening to the duo live band.

Cost 950 baht per person with a free-flow of wine. For information or reservations, call 038 418 418.

Thai Garden Resort chef merrily cutting away at the roast pig. offers nightly dining presentations with different themed buffets! Happy Hours are from 17:00 - 18:00 with most drinks at 50% discount. The “All You Can Eat Buffet” starts at 18:00 until 21:00 hours and offers a wide variety of soups, salads, bread, cold cuts, smoked salmon, choices of hot food dishes, live cooking stations and of course a home-made desserts selection. All this for just 399 baht net for adults and 199 baht net for children under 12 years old. What you see is what you pay, no additional service charges or

Enjoy delicious Thai and International cuisine at Mata Hari restaurant.

As well as the excellent European food for which it is very well known in Pattaya (including some very rare Dutch items), Mata Hari restaurant also has a complete range of Thai cuisine, including Thai Isaan on request from Chef Jackie, herself coming from Isaan. Mata Hari restaurant is located at the top of the hill on Thappraya Road, and for reservations (strongly recommended) phone 038 259 799 or email louismatahari@gmail.com or go through the website at: www.mataharipattaya.com.

The Thai Garden Resort

VAT. For reservations call 038 370 614 or make your booking at www.thaigarden .com under “buffet reservation”. Thai Garden Resort is located on North Pattaya Road, 200 meters from the Dolphin roundabout and 200 meters before Tesco Lotus.

Saturday Night BBQ Buffet at The Bay Restaurant: Dine al fresco and enjoy a fantastic selection of meat and seafood BBQ items as well as international cuisine in the Saturday Night BBQ Buffet. Open from 6:30 p.m. 10 p.m. at The Bay Restaurant of Dusit Thani Pattaya.

Buffet price is THB 1,490++ per person (food only) - add a free flow of wine, beer, juice and soft drinks at an additional THB 599++ per person. For reservations, call 038 425 611-7 Ext 2149-50.

Havana Bar & Terrazzo at Holiday Inn Pattaya offers the following on a weekly basis: Monday - signature cocktail at just THB 180 net per glass; Tuesday - enjoy all traditional and signature pizzas at only THB 279; Wednesday - local draft beer at THB 119 net per glass; Thursday - enjoy a selection of pasta dishes with a glass of house wine or beer at only THB 450 net/person; Friday - enjoy a BBQ seafood platter with a variety of local seafood. Price starts from THB 1,200 net; Saturday - enjoy one of the best Mojitos in town at THB 159 net all night; Sunday - lucky draw, a chance to get 50% discount off your bill. Hi Club membership gets 10% discount. For more information or reservations, call 038 725 555 or email to: info@ holidayinn-pattaya.com.

Surf & Turf at Elements restaurant - Sheraton Pattaya Resort: Grilled Australian tenderloin, lobster & pumpkin hash, red wine sauce: THB 950++; Sautéed snow fish, braised beef cheek & mushroom ragout: THB 600++; Wok fried Szechuan lamb with sea scallops, Thai kale & Shaoxing wine: THB 450++; Tenderloin Carpaccio & crispy oysters, horseradish aioli: THB 425++; Crispy pork belly, blue crab & apple salad: THB 425++. For more information call 038 259 888 or email: info.pattaya@ sheraton.com.

Louis Restaurant is offering a new weekly set dinner menu alongside the regular a la carte menu items. The set menu includes a choice of starters, main courses and desserts. Louis Restaurant also offers a set lunch menu for THB 250-290. Louis is located on Naklua Soi 31 or North Pattaya Road Soi 6.

For reservations contact Vichai on mobile 081 001 3298 or email: alois.pattaya @gmail.com.

Continued on page 20

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VOL. XXII No. 48

E-mail: comhaps@pattayamail.com From page 19 Ruffino Restaurant offers Monday to Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. a homemade pizza “buy 1 get 1 free” promotion and Chef Luca has created a delicious rustic 3-course set dinner perfectly paired with a carafe of red or white wine for THB 888 net per person, only available on Thursday’s from 6 to 10 p.m. At Oceana Restaurant from 6:30 to 10 p.m. daily enjoy a 4-course Royal Thai Cuisine set dinner for THB 777 net, including a glass of red or white wine. A superb mid-week buffet featuring tasty European favourites is also available every Wednesday from 6.30 p.m. – 9.30 p.m. priced at THB 599 per person (add THB 400 for a free flow of beer). Afternoon Tea is also available daily from 3-5 p.m. at the Espresso Bar for THB 700++ per set for 2 persons, including scones and clotted cream, freshly made sandwiches, cakes, tea and coffee or try one of the 17 wines available starting at 190 baht per glass with a complimentary snack. All outlets are located at the Centara Grand Phratamnak Pattaya on Pratamnak Road, Soi 5. For more information and bookings call 038 306 337 or e-mail: supparatchpi @chr.co.th.

Halal international buffet dinner @ Harbour - only THB 420 net per person. The buffet dinner includes halal food, an international buffet line and many selections of dessert. The food is certified and cooked by a halal chef with 40 years experience.

Both indoor and outdoor dining options are available.

Harbour restaurant is located at the A-One Royal Cruise Hotel on Pattaya Beach Road (Soi 3), Open daily 6.00 pm - 10.00 pm. For more information, call 038 259

555 Ext 4236.

Sugar Hut Restaurant is open for lunch with set menu prices from 240 to 350 baht net/set. Menu items include chili fried rice, pork soup with tofu, noodles, fresh spring rolls, salad, fruit, desserts and more. For inquiries and reservations, call 038 364 186, 038 251 686.

Marco Polo Chinese Restaurant is famous for its authentic Shanghainese and Szechuan cuisines prepared to perfection by master Chinese chefs. Enjoy a dim sum lunch daily from 11.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. and dinner from 6.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. daily.

The Verandah Coffee Shop is also serving an international seafood BBQ buffet dinner every Saturday from 6.30 p.m. - 10.00 p.m. Price THB 995 net for adults and THB 550 net for children.

Also make sure to call in at the Montien Bakery Shop for freshly made cakes, pastries and breads plus a range of Thai desserts. Open daily from 9.00 a.m. - 7.00 p.m. (Every day). For more information, call the Montien Hotel, Pattaya, tel. 038 428 155, 038 361 340 ext. 1620, 1621, or email pattaya@montien.com.

Edge restaurant at Hilton Hotel Pattaya offers a Monday “Post weekend BBQ” featuring freshly grilled sausages, Korean style pork cuts and chorizo burritos while Tuesday’s “Mediterranean Fare” includes Middle Eastern dips and salads, pizza and pasta. On Wednesday, Edge presents “Burgers, Salads and Gourmet Sandwiches” where guests can create their perfect burger, toss a fresh salad or grab a gourmet sandwich. The tastes of Southeast Asia, India, China and Japan come together for Thursday’s “Extended Asia” followed by Friday’s “Seafood Pattaya” where the crystal waters

Fax: 038-427596 offer up fresh local prawns, crabs and lobsters served on ice or grilled. Saturday’s “Classics & Confectionaries” presents timeless favorites such as Greek salad, ovenbaked whole salmon, green curry and bouillabaisse and margherita pizza. In addition, guests will be able to indulge in traditional Thai desserts with a modern twist. Every Sunday, the chefs pull out all the stops and offer the hotel’s famous “Sunday Brunch” that brings together a wide selection from around the globe. Bookings are absolutely essential for this very popular event. Monday to Thursday @ THB 480 net; Friday and Saturday @ THB 540 net, Sunday Brunch @ THB 1400 net; Wine Buffet @ THB 1100 net. “Seven Days, Seven Themes” is available from Mondays to Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. and from 12 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. on Sundays. An International Buffet Dinner is also available 7 days a week priced at THB 920 net on Monday - Thursday and Saturday & Sunday, and THB 1100 net on Friday.

Edge restaurant is located on the 14th floor of the Hilton Hotel Pattaya. For bookings, please dial +66 (0)38 253 000.

hotline 038 418 419). Amari Pattaya, Beach Road, North Pattaya, Tel 038 418418.

Eat to the New Beat at Starz Diner located at the Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya between 2nd Road and Beach Road, Central Pattaya: A selection of Pan Asian and continental flavors, from the griddle, BBQ char-grill, pan, fryer, steamer, wok, and tandoori oven, as well as some really delicious desserts. Sat: THB 850++, SunFri: THB 750++ food only.

Sat: THB 1,080++, Sun-Fri: THB 980++ including free flow drinks. Children under 11 years of age eat for free.

Show time for live music is from 6:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. For more information call 038 428 755-9 or go to http:// pattaya.hardrockhotels.net.

Ginger & Lime presents a “Friday Night Thai Buffet” showcasing a wide variety of Thai cuisine, lots of live cooking stations and includes a vegetable carving show, flower arrangement demonstration, silver jewelry hand craft stall, fun games and traditional Thai live shows every Friday night from 6 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Price: THB 799++ (subject to 10% service charge and 7% VAT) per person. Ginger &

Mantra culinary team have selected the best oysters in the world: Flat Belon and Tsarskaya, Kumomoto, Majestic, Dutch Zeeland, Sydney Rock, Andaman and Eagle Rock oysters will all be on the menu. Enjoy oysters served fresh on the half shell with your favourite condiments or try creations like the Bloody Mary Oyster Shooter, the Samurai Oysters Poached in Sake or treat yourself with the Lobster & Oyster Omelette. Prices start from 100 THB for natural oysters, 290 THB for dressed Fine de Claire oysters and 390 THB for other dishes with oysters. Mantra’s superb wine selection also offers a vast choice of great names from France, Italy, Australia and Chile by the glass or by the bottle. For more information and reservations, call 038 429 591 or email@mantra-pattaya.com.

Throughout the entire month of December 2014, Oasis Restaurant invites you to come and enjoy “Festive Turkey” dishes including turkey club, turkey steak, turkey schnitzel and turkey skewers with spicy coconut green curry. Prices start at only THB 200++.

Oasis Restaurant is located at the lower Main Lobby near the water park at the Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya. Open daily from 06.00-23.00 hrs. For reservations call 038 714 981.

Promotions

Monday Curry Night at Tavern by the Sea. The Tavern by the Sea Restaurant introduces the following daily promotions: Monday Curry Night features the tastiest curries, naan bread and salad buffet for just THB 499 net per person. Wednesday is Ribs & Wings evening: finger licking good ribs and 6 different kinds of wings - all you can eat for THB 449 net per person. Thirsty Thursday Beer Buffet offers a Free Flow of all local draught beer including Chang, Tiger, Heineken and San Miguel. Price 699 THB net per person, starts from 18:00 – 21:00. Friday & Saturday Churrasco Nights offer prime meats and seafood, grilled to perfection on the fire and freshly skewered for you on the churrasco pens at the Tavern. All complemented by a full buffet of starters, side dishes and desserts. Only THB 749 net per person. Every buffet is open from 18.30 - 22.00 hrs.

There is also a daily happy hour from 11 am - 6 pm.

Watch all the premier live sports on one of the many widescreen TV’s or on the big projector screen (Sports

Lime Restaurant is located at the Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya. For more information and reservations, call 038 714 981.

This November at Mantra Restaurant & Bar, Executive Chef Leonard Faust and the

To welcome the upcoming year-end festivities, Amari Pattaya is providing special hampers to celebrate and share this holiday season.

Chose from three different styles of hampers, all containing a variety of goodies such as Christmas cookies, chocolate praline, AC fresh juice, jam, tea, Christmas teddy bears and much more.

Prices are 1,600, 3,500 and 6,000 THB and hampers are available from 15 December

Friday night Thai buffet at Ginger & Lime.

2014 until 5 January 2015.

Place advance orders by contacting Essence Restaurant at 038 418 418 or email to chanokchon.t@amari.com. eforea spa at Hilton Pattaya has announced its new special promotion package, “Relax, Renew and Emerge Brighter”.

Guests can book the package for only THB 3,500 and receive a 90-minute meditation massage, inspired by traditional Australian Aboriginal techniques, which focuses on instilling a deep sense of mental and physical relaxation. A choice of native aromatic oils is prescribed to suit your individual needs to rejuvenate, harmonize or detoxify. For an additional THB 500 guests can enjoy a 30-minute body scrub and receive an eforea music CD, which features soothing tunes that they can relax to in their own home.

For more information, call 038 253 000, email pattaya.info @hilton.com or visit eforeaspa.com.

Tea Tree Spa at Holiday Inn Pattaya is currently offering a special promotion for every two regular treatments purchased, receive 20% discount from normal price (terms and conditions apply). For more information and reservations, call 038 725 555 ext. 3902 or email: spa.reception@Holidayinnpattaya.com.

Spa Cenvaree at Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort, Pattaya is offering a “Heavenly Care Spa Membership” for an annual 12 month fee of THB 10,000 net, which enables each member to enjoy spa treatments up to the value of 35,000 baht. Membership also includes unlimited use of other spa facilities including the sauna for general detoxification, weight loss and stress relief, herbal steam room, cold & hot plunge pools, lap pool in front of the Fitness Center, spa lockers and Relaxation Lounge complete with juice and snacks. For more information, contact Spa Cenvaree on 038 301 234 ext. 4333 or email: spacenvareecmbr@ chr.co.th.

Now at Café Kantary Sriracha visitors can enjoy a happy hour, featuring savings on a host of refreshing beverages. Every Wednesday from 1pm to 3pm, every visitor who purchases a beverage will receive a free beverage of equal or less value. The offer is limited to 2 free beverages per visitor, and excludes alcoholic beverages. For more information, please contact Café Kantary, Sriracha: Tel. 03831-410, or visit www. cafekantary.com.

Indulge in luxurious honey with Breeze Spa’s two new products, the Almond Milk Continued on page 21

VOL. XXII No. 48

From page 20 Honey Body Scrub and the Oat Honey Cookie Body Mask. These invigorating spa treatments are perfect to help restore the skin after a long, hot summer. With a special promotion across all Breeze Spas, guests booking any 90-minute massages will enjoy a selection of one of the treatments from the honey collection. Valid from now until 30 November 2014. Breeze Spa is located at Amari Pattaya at the north end of Beach Road. For more information or to make a reservation visit, www.breeze-spa.com.

PATTAYA MAIL

at 600 baht at the door and are available to book in advance for early bird at 500 baht. For more information, send email to mongkolchayasirisobhon @gmail.com or call Mr. Mongkol 081 682 8000.

The Bangkok Community Theatre (BCT) will hold open auditions for the offBroadway musical, ‘Pageant’ on Monday, 15 December, starting at 6 p.m. at Creative Industries, M-Theater, 2884/ 2 New Petchaburi Road in Bangkok. All actors should be able to sing moderately well, move fluidly and possess strong comedy skills.

Performances are set for 19-

addition, the library also holds Yoga training every Tuesday from 1 - 2 p.m. at the Father Ray Foundation. Cost is 1200 baht for 6 sessions (first session free). For more information, call 081 575 4854 or email wan_nujan@yahoo.com Come and enjoy live music at the Jazz Pit Pub. Listen to great music by Thomas Reimer, one of the most famous European Jazz guitarists, playing live on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7.00 p.m. - 11.00 p.m. The Jazz Pit is located on Soi 5 off Pattaya Beach and 2nd Road. Tel: 038 428 374. And you can also catch Thomas performing on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday from 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. at the Sugar Hut restaurant on Thappraya Road, call 038 364 186 for details.

Groups & Associations Al-Anon Family Group: Are you bothered by someone else’s drinking? Maybe we can help. Sunday meeting at 2 p.m., Pattaya, Satree Pattaya Center, 519/56 Pattaya 2nd Road, Soi Skaw Beach near the Skaw Beach Hotel, Fresh oysters at Mantra.

Entertainment Regent’s School Family Pantomime will be “A Christmas Carol” staged in the Globe Theatre. Performances are on the 28th & 29th of November at 6:30 p.m. and a matinee performance at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday 29th just after the Regents Christmas Fair. Bar Humbug will open one hour before the performance selling mulled wine and mince pies among other refreshments. Tickets are 200 baht and are available from The Regents International School Pattaya. Call 038 418 777.

The ZHdK String Orchestra from Switzerland will be performing a concert at the Siam Bayshore Resort on Monday, December 15 at 7 p.m. The evening program will include works by Mozart, Vivaldi, Mendelssohn, Elgar and Grieg. Tickets are priced

28 March in Bangkok. Email: info@bangkokcommunitytheatre .com for more information.

Hard Rock Cafe Pattaya presents ‘Mix Tape’ every Friday night from 9 p.m. till 2 a.m. at the Moon Deck. A roster of four guest DJs play soulful funky sounds, deep house, tech and all manners of groovy tunes laced with rock & roll. For more information and/or reservations, call 038 426635, send e-mail to hrcpr.pty@hardrockhotels .net or go to www.facebook .com/HardRockCafePattaya.

The North Star Library on Sukhumvit Road, north Pattaya holds regular Thai language classes Mon - Fri from 10.30 till 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. till 2.30 p.m. Cost of admission is 100 baht per session for library members and 200 baht for non-members.

Private lessons are also available for 200 baht per hour. In

Turkey treats at Oasis in December. next door to Scandalia Restaurant. Thursday meeting is at 10:30 a.m. on the 4th floor of Jomtien Plaza Condotel.

For more information, call the Helpline 092 674 4109 or Richard 084 867 4138.

Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in Pattaya: The Pattaya Group meets Wednesday and Thursday at noon (open); Monday, Tuesday and Friday at 5 p.m. (closed) and Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. (closed) at the Satree Pattana Center,

Soi Skaw Beach (2nd Rd): contact Mick on 087 994 6224, Bob 087 939 2463 or Joe 082 715 2082. The Good Morning Pattaya Group meets 9 a.m. every morning.

All meetings are ‘open’: contact 084 564 8479. The Jomtien Group meets every day at noon at Jomtien Long Stay Hotel: contact: Warren on 086 158 9688, Andy 080 570 1404 or Henk 086 070 6684, Thai contact: Somchai 081 445 3302. The Scandinavian Group meets on Tuesdays and Fridays 6 p.m. at the Norwegian Seaman’s Church, Thappraya Road Soi 7: contact Hans 085 135 7755 or Rune (Rayong) 089 754 9515.

10.30 a.m. meetings every day at Satree Pattana Centre on Soi Skaw Beach off Second Road.

Call 084 564 8479.

For the past 28 years the Samaritans of Thailand have been providing confidential crisis intervention services over the telephone.

The English-speaking unit, Samaritans English Help Line operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide support to the expatriate community. English-speaking staff, trained in crisis intervention will provide active, nonjudgmental and empathetic listening services on the phone. All calls will be handled on an anonymous basis and are free of charge.

Please call (02) 713-6791 (24hrs a day, 7 days a week).

Overeaters Anonymous meetings in Pattaya/Jomtien - The ‘Up to You’ group meets Wednesdays at 9:3010:30 a.m. in the housing area just behind Pan Pan Restaurant in Jomtien on Thappraya Road. Call Steve at 038-364207(h) or 089-250-1359 (cell) for directions or more information.

Narcotics Anonymous Hotline: 082 811 2686. There are 3 English speaking meetings in Pattaya near Central Festival and 2 more in Jomtien each week. Also regular Thai speaking meetings at 12 Midday every Sunday and Persian Farsi speaking meetings at 5.30 pm on Thursdays. Please call the Hotline for details.

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VOL. XXII No. 48

by Colin Kaye

And Another Thing…

Yesterday I read in one of Britain’s wine trade magazines that most people are not interested in being educated about wine, but instead prefer little nuggets of information, or “dinner party one-liners” about the wines they’ve bought. This is according to Justin HowardSneyd who is the global consultant for one of the biggest wine companies in the UK. So ever eager to provide a useful service, here’s a selection of nuggets with which you can entertain and amaze your friends. If you learn enough of them, you might qualify for the coveted qualification of Wine Bore of the Year. * Wine is made on every continent except Antarctica. * The earliest traces of wine were discovered in the Middle East and date from the Neolithic period (85004000 BC). * In ancient Greece, it was expected that the host should drink the first cup of wine to demonstrate that it was not poisoned. * At the centre of Greek intellectual life was the symposium, which literally means “drinking together.” The symposium reflected the Greek fondness for mixing wine and intellectual discussion. * Hippocrates, considered the father of medicine, includes wine in almost every one of his recorded remedies.

He used it for cooling fevers, as a diuretic, as a general antiseptic, and to help convalescence. * In ancient Rome it was forbidden for women to drink wine. If a man found his wife drinking wine he would be allowed, by law, to kill her. * The colour of wine can often tell you where it’s from.

The darkest reds and the yellowiest whites invariably come from warm climates. * A crop of newly-planted vines takes four to five years before grapes can be harvested. * Almost all wine grapes produce colourless juice. Red wines get their colour from the skins, which are included in the mix when red wines are fermented. * It’s thought that red wines have many beneficial antioxidants such as polyphenol and resveratrol that could have cardio-protective effects and anti-cancer properties.

Grape skins are especially rich in antioxidants so red wines contain more than white wines. * The Chinese consumed a record 155 million cases of red wine in 2013 thereby beating the French, whose consumption fell to 150 million cases. However, many Chinese people mix red wines with Coca-Cola and Sprite to make them more palatable. * There are about 400 species of oak, though only about twenty are used in making oak barrels. The average age of a French oak tree harvested to make quality wine barrels is about a hundred and seventy years old. * Most wines taste of fruit. Only rarely does a wine taste like grapes or raisins and usually it’s made from Muscat grapes. * In Alabama, it’s illegal to buy any alcoholic beverages by telephone, fax or e-mail. * It’s illegal to send wine through the US Postal Service, and about half the states ban the shipping of wine even by private carriers. * Contrary to popular belief, few wines improve with age. Ninety percent of all wines should be consumed within two years. * It takes about two-and-a-half pounds of grapes to make one bottle of wine. * Wine is made from about 1,200 different grape varieties. * The majority of the wine grapes grown in the world are red, the top three being Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo. * Irish folklore has it that fairies are fond of good wine.

The proof lies in the fact that when a jug of wine is left out for them at night, it is always gone by the morning.

Wine-server at a Greek symposium, ca. 490-480 BC. * People often think of Chile as a relative newcomer to wine production but vines were first planted there in 1554.

And talking of which, Chilean wines continue to offer excellent value especially those from Viña Ventisquero which was established in 1998. The company is one of Chile’s most successful wine producers and during the last five years it has won many accolades. These wines are available at several different outlets, so the prices shown here are just a rough guide.

Ventisquero Clásico Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (white), Chile (Bt. 470 @ various outlets) This Sauvignon Blanc (SOH-vee-nyon BLAHN) is a greenish-yellow colour and has a lovely fresh, grassy aroma with hints of lemon and herbs. There’s even a suggestion of bananas and pineapples. Sauvignon Blanc generally has a bit more “bite” than Chardonnay, so if your palette is becoming jaded with the ever-present Chardonnay, give this one a try. The fresh taste comes as a pleasant surprise, because some Sauvignon Blancs are so astringent they can make you shudder. But not this one. At just 12.5% alcohol, it has a light smooth body and good fruit. It’s pretty dry of course, but the makers have gone easy on the acid, so that it doesn’t dominate the taste. There’s a good long lemony aftertaste, which makes me feel that the wine could partner some fish dishes or lightly prepared chicken. It would work well with some Thai dishes too, provided that they’re not too fiery. Drink it as cold as you dare.

Ventisquero Clásico Merlot 2012 (red), Chile (Bt. 470 @ various outlets) This full-bodied Merlot (mehr-LOH) is a deep red, with hints of purple. When you first sniff the wine, you might pick up the faint and pleasing hint of yeast. The aroma has rich, ripe berries with overtones of pepper and herbs.

Although the wine is dry, there’s a very fruity taste with the slightest hint of tannin and a long satisfying dry finish too. This wine would be excellent with red meat or assertive pasta dishes, but this is quite a full-bodied job and would almost certainly overpower light meals or chicken, both of which need a lighter - or whiter - wine.

Oh, and before I forget, another interesting nugget. Dark green wine bottles were invented by Sir Kenelm Digby, a seventeenth century English polymath and diplomat, who also managed his family’s coalfired gasworks. I bet you didn’t know that.

VOL. XXII No. 48

PATTAYA MAIL

Steak & Co. - an Enigma?

Pattaya is an amazing city.

New businesses seem to pop up overnight and new restaurants as well, but then close before their grand opening. However, there are some that will survive, and Steak & Co. is in that group.

Going now for three months, Steak & Co. is where the China Garden restaurant used to be in Soi Leng Kee, but the venue has been totally re-furbished in a bistro style.

Signage proclaims genuine imported Australian quality beef and even ‘Wagyu’ burgers, so between the name Steak & Co. and Australian beef, you know this is not a vegetarian restaurant! There was a bumper bar sticker many years ago in outback Australia which had the message “This is cattle country - eat beef you bastards!”

The venue has bench seating along the walls, with generous sized tables and comfortable chairs. At the front there is an open air section for smokers and people watchers, leading into the fully air-conditioned restaurant proper. There is an open kitchen at the back of the house, the lair of Scottish executive chef Gerry Graham, while the front of house is watched over by the Ukrainian manager Yuriy. The service personnel are in uniform, welcoming and obviously well trained.

When you are seated, you are presented with placemats showing the different cuts of meat from an Aberdeen Angus, and even suggestions as to how the steaks should be cooked.

The menu is quite substantial, and begins with a historical background showing just how animals from Aberdeen in Scotland came to be

roaming all over Australia, with 62,000 calves registered with Angus Australia in 2010. These can be traced back to “Old Granny” which was born in 1824, living to 35 years of age and producing 29 calves. A formidable Old Granny indeed!

The wine list is predominantly Australian and under B. 1,000 per bottle or around B. 220 per glass.

Sixteen starters (B. 195295) cover soups and salads and a crab and avocado which interested me.

The next section is steaks with 11 choices. Many give you the option of 200 gm or 400 gm, and come with a choice of sides and sauces.

The smaller steaks range between B. 495-695, while the larger cuts are B. 895-995.

There is another section called Mains (generally around B. 375), with pork, beef, chicken, lamb and even a steak and ale pie.

Burgers follow B. 295-365, Mussels (B. 395) and then six Thai favorites (B. 160).

We began with the crab and avocado starter for me, and the smoked duck with raspberry vinaigrette for Madame. We both enjoyed these and then we attacked

our steaks. A ‘blue’ Angus rib-eye for Madame and a med/rare fillet mignon for me.

Both presented exactly as ordered. Top marks again!

Scottish people are not renowned as being demonstrable in the Italian way; however, Chef Gerry is the

We found the portions very large, and unless you have a very large appetite, go for the smaller cuts of beef. The food was top class, and would hold its own in any of the fine dining restaurants in Pattaya.

We both decided that this restaurant was an enigma.

Bistro style venue but totally up-market food. The prices are reasonable and this restaurant gets a very high recommendation. Definitely worth the trip, though parking can be a problem. Best to park on Third Road and walk down Soi Leng Kee. On leaving Steak & Co. with its emphasis on Aussie beef, I walked up the road and couldn’t help dropping in to the Ned Kelly bar (Australia’s most remembered

exception to the rule, speaking passionately about his food and how it should be prepared, cooked and presented, right down to the need for warmed plates for his steaks. When it came to desserts, it was apparent that chef Gerry was not going to let us out without trying his tiramisu, which was excellent.

bush ranger) and listening to AC/DC numbers (Australia’s most remembered rock and roll band). It was that kind of Aussie night!

Steak & Co., 312/53-54 Moo 9 Soi Leng Kee, telephone 038 425 001, mobile (chef Gerry) 098 738 7453), hours 12 noon until 11 p.m., seven days, on-street parking.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014 23

24

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

“THE WEEK” RUNS FROM NOVEMBER 28, 2014 - DECEMBER 4, 2014

Aries 21 March - 20 April It can be hard to be told what you can or can’t do.

So your challenge this week may be to find constructive ways to overcome rather than rebel. Although any form of escapism may appeal, you’ll find that arranging your schedule to include more fun and relaxation might prove better.

Taurus 21 April - 21 May The Mercury/Saturn conjunction may coincide with someone’s stubborn mood, which could scupper things if you were hoping for their support. Yet, once Mercury edges into Sagittarius on Friday, you’ll find this opposition melts away, and pooling resources and talents makes sense.

Gemini 22 May - 21 June Be patient with complications at work or delays in your day-to-day affairs. People will seem only too willing to lend a helping hand where necessary, including your romantic partner, if you’re hitched, making this a good time to collaborate with others on projects and plans Gemini.

Cancer 22 June - 23 July Avoid overreacting or speaking before you’ve really thought something through, as this week’s alignments suggests it’s better to rise above an initially provocative comment. Meanwhile, you’re likely to be a mine of information and inspiration, and keen to share what you know.

Leo 24 July - 23 August Whether you’re at home or travelling, delays can get in the way of plans. Curb any tendency to force issues and opt to go with the flow. As Mercury speeds into Sagittarius, a sense of fun can revive and ideas for a short break with a loved one, or to make the most of your talents will arise.

Virgo 24 August - 23 September You may find it hard to keep an open mind where a key matter is concerned, but it can be to your benefit to be cautious. Mercury conjoining with Saturn, will see you exceptionally thorough. Yet, if there is someone on your astral radar that you like, a more homely kind of date could appeal.

Libra 24 September - 23 October This can be one of those weeks when if you want something done you should do it yourself.

Others, in spite of good intentions, may not be able to meet your expectations. Yet, the line-up of planets clustering in Sagittarius also prompts you to mean what you say and say what you mean.

Scorpio 24 October - 22 November The week ahead may get off to a slow start, but then your inner engines are likely to roar back into life from midweek onwards and pace speed up. However, you might be tempted to make one or two impulsive purchases. You could even think about buying a time saving device or gadget.

PATTAYA MAIL

Crossword No 1113

Classic Tailor

1 Smart (6) 4 Large prawns (6) 8 Eject (5) 9 Moved (7) 10 Emblem of royalty (7) 11 Glowed (5) 12 Abbreviated (9) 17 Head of a community of monks (5) 19 Lean cut of beef (7) 21 Wine seller (7) 22 Nimble, spry (5) 23 Evaluate (6) 24 Tight-fitting undergarment (6)

Down 1 Mark made by folding (6) 2 Female ruler (7) 3 Splendid success (5) 5 Deep red (7) 6 Paris underground (5) 7 In fact, truly (6) 9 Onlooker (9) 13 Excursions (7) 14 Gods and goddesses (7) 15 Baltic country (6) 16 Become less severe (6) 18 Financial institutions (5) 20 Instrument with 88 keys (5)

Answer to 1112 Across: 1 Tick, 3 Passable, 9 Reigned, 10 Aging, 11 Irene, 12 Calico, 14 Inhale, 16 Scream, 19 Triple, 21 Pesto, 24 Wrong, 25 Present, 26 Stressed, 27 Idol.

Down: 1 Terrific, 2 Crime, 4 Abduct, 5 Shawl, 6 Brioche, 7 Eggs, 8 Unwell, 13 Immortal, 15 Harbour, 17 Copied, 18 People, 20 Pages, 22 Steed, 23 Owls.

Ten-Minute Sudoku An easy Sudoku puzzle that should not take long to complete.

The rules of Sudoku are simple. Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Each row must contain one of each digit. So must each column and each 3x3 box.

Answer next week.

Last week’s answers:

No. 016

Capricorn 22 December - 20 January The potential for a difficult conversation may hang over social interactions. Then again, you might find yourself preferring to be with more serious minded friends. However, shortly after midweek you can benefit from nurturing yourself with some quality alone time Capricorn.

Aquarius 21 January - 19 February Be careful what you commit to, and if in doubt get a friend or adviser to give you their take on things.

A conversation with such a person could inspire you or help you to clarify key targets. Meanwhile, a social focus gets stronger as the week unfolds and can keep you busy with events.

NEWLY LAUNCHED! Read your Daily - Weekly - Monthly Horoscope Log on to www.pattayamail.com/horoscope

sponsored by

Across

Sagittarius 23 November - 21 December Keep the lines of communication open and avoid dwelling on the past too much. Adopting an open and forgiving approach can pave the way for some positive vibes to enter your orbit. Indeed, if you’re keen to make progress, it would be a shame to let an old grudge hold you back.

Pisces 20 February - 20 March Go easy this week as a potential blind spot could put you at a disadvantage. However, if you’re also keen to make progress with a goal or personal ambition, this can be a fabulous time to research your options and gather inspiration for the adventure that lies ahead Pisces.

VOL. XXII No. 48

Answers next week.

VOL. XXII No. 48

Redemptorist school to send 219 students, staff to Korat Games

Father Ray Foundation Vice President Rev. Michael Picharn Jaiseri (center) presides over a planning meeting for school activities.

Jetsada Homklin The Redemptorist School for Persons with Disabilities plans to send 219 athletes and staff to the National Disabled Games Jan. 15-19 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Speaking at the school’s Nov. 20 board meeting, Father Ray Foundation Vice President Rev. Michael Picharn Jaiseri said athletes will compete in 14 sports at the “Korat Games,” including track,

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

PATTAYA MAIL

table tennis, boccia, badminton, petanque, weightlifting, archery, shooting, volleyball, swimming, wheelchair tennis, basketball and fencing.

Many of the athletes going to the national games recently participated in the ASEAN Para Games in South Korea, he said.

Fr. Michael told city and community leaders at the meeting that the school was working to develop its disabled student population

on both the academic and sports fronts.

The school has organized the Father Ray Awards for students to take part in academic competitions. It is also offering activities for students to help communities by coordinating with Pattaya and the Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organization for electrical repair services in the community and at Pattaya Remand Prison.

Pattaya School No. 8 joins YWCA mushroom-farming project

25

British pension worries Editor; Whilst discussing British pensions (Our Community, PM November 21) let’s not forget the very nasty surprise which could be in next year’s UK budget: the possibility that UK expats will lose their personal tax allowance and be taxed at pound one by the Inland Revenue!

The British Chancellor announced earlier this year he would be examining such a proposal in committee on the grounds that Britain is much more generous in its treatment of expats than most other EU countries.

If the proposal were introduced as crudely as that and the Chancellor said he wanted a simple-to-understand wholesale revision - all British expats with a UK tax code and allowance would promptly lose the cushion.

So a single guy would lose the benefit on his first 10,000 pounds of income - 20 percent of that sum is 2,000 pounds annually down the drain. Married couples would lose 4,000 pounds annually and better-off expat Brits with income in UK would start paying super-tax (40 percent) on less income than at present.

The Brits worst-affected, and there are hundreds in

Pattaya alone, would be those in receipt of UK state and public sector pensions (e.g., former teachers, social workers, police, etc.) who would see their income well and truly plummet. These pensions are taxed only in UK. If the worst-case scenario proves to be true, without special treatment for luckless public sector retirees, it is not unreasonable to expect an exodus back to

UK in a fit of self-protection.

These suggested reforms make the traditional concerns of the British expat community - that their old age state pensions are frozen - pale into insignificance.

That’s peanuts by comparison. Incidentally, the time limit for contacting the government committee has now expired, so it’s wait and see time until March 2015.

Barry Kenyon

Failure is shameful?

Editor; Re: Beach Road almost never flooded (PM Mailbag Friday, 14 November 2014) - Flooding issues: knowledge of gravity, pump placement and capacity, electrical connections, place to send

the water. The Romans mastered this without pumps or electricity. The success of Thai projects will only increase when the Thais identify failure as a shameful thing.

Dana

If Pattaya taxis would use their meters Editor; Re: More complaints, few solutions offered at 10th traffic meeting (PM Friday, 21 November 2014) - Maybe if Pattaya taxis would use their meters they could compete with Bangkok taxis returning

to BKK after dropping off fares from Bangkok to the Eastern Seaboard. 1200 baht Bangkok to Bangsare by metered taxi. 400 baht Pattaya to Bangsare by Pattaya Cab. Bazmcd

Pattaya School No. 8 has become the latest to take part in the YWCA Bangkok - Pattaya Center’s project to teach students how to grow and manage a mushroom farm. ground, the YWCA presented on cultivating mushroom Jetsada Homklin school officials with their spawn and how to process vegetarian mushroom snacks, The YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya mushroom-farming shed.

The 24 sq.-meter garden sour preserved mushrooms Center continued its series of workshops teaching stu- lets the school harvest mush- and jelly mushrooms.

Currently, the YWCA mushdents and social-welfare rooms to use in a variety of groups how to grow and meals from soup to veg- room project is in operation manage mushroom farms at etable stir-fry. Growing its at more than 30 schools in the own food also helps the greater Pattaya area. She Pattaya School No. 8. said the organization next YWCA Chairwoman Praichit school lower its expenses.

About 40 students and plans to form a cooperative Jetapai opened the Nov. 18 seminar. To get the school’s community leaders joined the to support all of those growmushroom project off the workshop, which focused ing mushrooms.

Pattaya Emergency Numbers Pattaya Call Center ................................ 1337 Police Station .......................................... 191 - Pattaya ................................................... 038 424 186 - Banglamung ......................................... 038 221 800-1 Highway Police ....................................... 038 392 001 Fire Brigade ............................................. 199 Pat. Int. Hopsital ..................................... 038 428 374-5 Bkk-Pat Hospital ..................................... 038 259 911 TAT Central Office: Region 3 Pattaya . 038 428 750 Tourist Police ......................................... 038 429 371, 1155 . .................................................................. 038 410 044 (FAX)

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26 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXII No. 48

Royal British Legion remembers fallen heroes

Wreath Layers.

Bert Elson

Wreaths at the River Kwai ready to lay.

The Pipe Band.

Students from Regents Pattaya play Last Post at Chung Kai War Cemetery.

November is of course a busy time of year for members of the Royal British Legion wherever they might be, including Thailand. Planning, however, starts many months before that. We were involved with three Remembrance Services this year and four events.

First, we attended Remembrance Services at the British Embassy on 4th August to commemorate 100 years since the start of WWI; then 9th November for Remembrance Sunday and on 11th November we held our own Service of Remembrance at Kanchanaburi War Graves, and we also held a Wreath Laying Ceremony at Chung Kai War Graves the same day.

As far as events go, we held our Annual Poppy Golf Tournament in aid of the Poppy Appeal and Thai Veterans on 7th November; we also held another Remembrance Tournament in Kanchanaburi on 10th November for the Poppy Appeal. Both days produced fine golf, fine weather and fine results for both the winners and the Poppy Appeal.

Many of you will be aware of the war graves in Kanchanaburi and the Thai/ Burma Railway, or Death Railway as many people refer to it. The history of the two war grave cemeteries in Kanchanaburi really starts south and north of there.

South to Singapore where most of the POWs forced to work on the Railway travelled from, and north up to Three Pagodas Pass where most of

Event Organiser Bert Elson Members arriving for the Kanchanaburi (left) with Head of Catering Service.

Greig Ritchie (right). those who died were initially buried in POW camps along the railway. They were moved to Kanchanaburi after the war (those killed on the Burma side of the railway are buried in Thanbyuzayat War Graves).

Over a period of 10 days before our service on 11th November, 3 members of the Royal British Legion Thailand Branch covered the length of the railway. Bruce Lancaster, a member of our Thailand Riders International, rode his motorbike from Pattaya to Singapore. He Four Ambassadors and the Governor of Kanthen travelled from Singapore chanaburi, the first event for Thailand’s new Irish through Malaysia, and South- Ambassador Brendan Rogers. ern Thailand following the at http://braveheartAll of these services and route of the railway wher- programme.com/death-rail- events need funding and we ever possible up to Three way-320km-challenge/ would like to thank the many Pagodas Pass, then travelThe rider and walkers did sponsors and individuals who ling back to Kanchanaburi, their respective challenges for helped us this year, including arriving in time for the Re- two reasons, respect for those MBMG, Pattaya Realty, Manmembrance Service on 11th who are buried in the two war power Group, Twinning’s Tea, November, a total distance graves in Kanchanaburi and Royal Bank of Scotland, Rollstravelled of around 5,100K. to raise funds for the Royal Royce, BAE Systems, Prime Starting from Three Pago- British Legion Poppy Appeal. Foods Pattaya, Singha, British das Pass, 2 former members As well as all the events, Embassy Bangkok, Defence of the Parachute Regiment, our Poppy teams have been International Security SerRichard Stacey and Gary out and about throughout vices, 1 More Bar and the Grant, walked, again along Thailand. We put boxes out Commonwealth War Graves the route of the railway during the last week of Octo- Team Kanchanaburi. We would wherever possible, to the ber and collected them in again also like the thank Rodney Bridge Over the River Kwai, from 12th November. Early re- Charman for taking all the phoa total of around 300K over ports are looking good. tos, and schools supporting some very hilly terrain. It All money raised from our WWI project, St Andrews was at time very hard going Poppy boxes and donations Green Valley, Regents Bangand they went through the goes to the Poppy Appeal, kok, Shrewsbury Academy, pain barrier a number of times. money raised through Harrow and Bromsgrove One of the guys had severe Poppy Golf is split between Bangkok. foot problems but would not the Poppy Appeal and Thai You still have time to dogive in. They arrived at the Veterans Hospital. Last year nate, there is always a Bridge bloodied but proud on we spent 826,822 baht on Poppy Box in Tropical Bar 10 November at 4.30pm. You UK veterans who were in Soi Khao Noi or Tropical can still donate to this event need in Thailand.

Bert’s Soi 6/1.

Poppy Shop doing brisk business.

International Schools with the British Ambassador.

Lone Rider Bruce Lancaster after his 5,000K ride.

The walkers Richard Stacey and Gary Grand finish at the Bridge over the River Kwai.

Rev’d Tim Eady arrives in style.

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10th anniversary event for Women With a Mission a great success

Beauties on the red carpet.

Bronwyn Carey Wow what a night. The Red Carpet Event 2014 was all glamour, from start to finish. The committee worked hard to achieve a smoothly run event that had guests digging deep in to their pockets between dancing, to amaze even themselves at the success of the funds raised for Women With a Mission. The raffle prizes and silent auction items were outstanding, so much so that the night raised a fabulous 888,000 baht.

Committee members Bea Grunwell and Jess Thakker introduced the night, thanked their workers Beatrice Walker, Michelle Brinker, Eguonor Brubaker, Caroline McMaster and Sharon Johnson, and

Oscar for the best dressed female was awarded to Janice Le Touzo, whilst Duane Bishop took the Oscar for the best-dressed male.

presented flowers to the Women With a Mission team, Kylie Grimmer, Rosanne Diamente and Bronwyn Carey.

Sarah Ball was the MC for the night, and performed the task with grace and elegance befitting the event.

The hot band Power Jam followed fabulous entertainment, commencing with a young team of lively dancers from the Russian Ballet School Roskinka, and the beautiful sexy Brazilian Ramona Neaga. DJ Henry Knowles filled in the gaps for some great music.

The diamond ring lucky door prize went to Samantha Lewis, and Oscar for the best dressed female was awarded to Janice Le Touzo, looking stunning in a white fitted dress with diamond

Hot Samba dancers entertain the guests.

accessories. Duane Bishop, looking fabulous in white jacket, black pants and black and white shoes took the Oscar for the best-dressed male, and Mr and Mrs Schelageter for best dressed couple. The 3 WWM girls received the Oscar for Philanthropy.

Some of the silent auction items that attracted attention included Cartoon Networks Family pass to the Water Park, Dive package from Mermaid Dive Centre, passes to Flight of the Gibbons, a wellness package including BPH voucher, Rasayana Resort voucher, 3 stunning original art pieces from Ingrid Van der Heyden, .59 Ct diamond broach donated by Ivy Schelageter, and many hotel vouchers from top resorts including Anantara, Rembrandt, and Holiday Inn. Rosanne, Kylie and Bronwyn certainly had a great celebration, and Kylie reflected on the past years, on the sadness that greeted them when they first started working post 2004 tsunami that devastated the western shores of Thailand, and the inspiration gained from the young scholarship students who are working so hard to achieve good school results. Rosanne thanked the wonderful volunteers who

It’s a night of gowns, suits and feathers.

Sarah Ball was the MC for the night, and performed the task with grace and elegance befitting the event. have sustained WWM and enabled them to continue their projects through skilled assistance with the young people with disabilities, manning stalls for fundraising, and taking time to visit the projects on the Burmese border. A final thank you to the corporate sponsors who supported the night, Caterpillar Thailand, Albatross Logistics, Titan VNS, Inergy, GAC, Hemaraj, and CEA, along with the media Pattaya Golfer, Inspire emagazine, Pattaya Mail media group, and Action Pictures who assisted with photography on the night.

From left - Bronwyn, Rosanne, Kylie, Jess, and Bea.

Ivy and Peter Schelageter receive the award for most charming couple.

The hot band Power Jam filled the dance floor with their music.

This young team of lively dancers from the Russian Roskinka Ballet School was part of the fabulous entertainment.

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VOL. XXII No. 48

Playing Hawking a complex equation for Redmayne Jake Coyle Toronto (AP) - Time is relative, especially for young actors tasked with playing brilliant theoretical physicists.

Eddie Redmayne estimates that the euphoria of being cast as Stephen Hawking for the film “The Theory of Everything” lasted a millisecond. Then came the overwhelming fear.

“And that fear remained the whole way through the process,” Redmayne said in an interview earlier this fall.

The gentle, freckled 32-yearold British actor was asked to not only lead a film for the first time, but to play a mathematical genius across decades of physical degeneration — all under the watchful gaze of said mathematical genius. Ahead of screening “The Theory of Everything,” Hawking ominously told Redmayne: “I’ll tell you want I think, good or otherwise.”

With such pressure, Redmayne could be forgiven for quietly slipping into the nearest black hole.

But in the year’s most technically complex role, Redmayne gives what’s surely the performance of his young career, one that seeks to capture not only the stepby-step disintegration of ALS that led Hawking from healthy youth to paralyzed adulthood, but (and more importantly) the scientist’s unvanquished spirit, the unimpeded expansion of his imagination.

“He was given a death sentence,” says Redmayne, referring to the diagnosis given Hawking as a 21-year-old, when he was expected to live only a few years more. Now 72, he went on to father three children, marry twice and author significant discoveries in cosmology as in the best-selling “A Brief History of Time.” ‘’So you live every single moment to the full, and that’s what I wanted an audience to leave with. That’s what I left this experience with.”

Director James Marsh (“Man on Wire”) remembers well his first meeting with Redmayne,

Eddie Redmayne.

(Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) a London native best known for his Tony-winning turn in John Logan’s “Red” and his tender revolutionary Marius in “Les Miserables.” One pint turned to five, the conversation going into the night.

“He was just full of ideas and passion for this,” says Marsh. “He knew somewhat what this might entail in terms of preparation and physicality. Eddie’s crazily ambitious.

He’s not ambitious for money or fame. He’s ambitious to do great work. He’s fearless,

too. It was a real leap into the dark for him.”

“The Theory of Everything” is based on Jane Wilde Hawking’s 2007 memoir “Traveling to Infinite: My Life With Stephen.” Aside from a biopic, it’s a portrait of an uncommon marriage. Felicity Jones pays Jane, whom Hawking met at Cambridge University in the early ’60s.

The film begins with their early courtship, which coincided with the discovery of a motor neuron disease in Hawking. Redmayne plays each stage of Hawking’s increasing disability, going from a lame leg to a walking stick, to two sticks, to a wheel chair. Gradually he loses his voice, his body language, his facial expressions.

“It felt like solving a puzzle,” says Redmayne.

Redmayne spent four months researching, working on the physicality and feebly studying Hawking’s physics. He trained with a choreographer, met with academics (Redmayne also went to Cambridge), visited

with many ALS sufferers and had an expert study old photos of Hawking to trace the disease’s effects.

“There were moments along the way where I know he felt really, really defeated,” says Marsh.

To guide him, Redmayne posted three photos in his trailer: Albert Einstein, James Dean (since Hawking was, Redmayne says, “a ladies man”), and a joker playing card, to capture Hawking’s playful side. “If you’re in a room with him, he’s definitely running the room,” says Redmayne.

But aside from all the technical challenges, Redmayne imbues Hawking with a sly mischievousness. Much of the performance is in a glint behind his eyes.

“What emanates from him when you meet him is this kind of wit and humor,” says Redmayne. “Even though he can move so few muscles, he has one of the most charismatic, expressive faces you’ve ever seen, which is a weird irony. There were

many things I found out from meeting with him, but one of the overall things I took away was finding he does not live a disease. He lives forward and has done since he was 21 years old.

There’s an unerring optimism to him. That meant every single scene, even when obstacles are being through, find the funny, find the glint.”

When Hawking saw the film a few weeks before its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, he judged it “broadly true.” But he offered a personal endorsement, giving Marsh his unique computer-generated voice to use in the film.

Redmayne, widely considered a lock for an Oscar nomination, has plans to star in the next film by Tom Hooper (“Les Miserables,” ‘’The King’s Speech”).

But he hasn’t worked since filming “The Theory of Everything.” The gravity of the part, for which he lost some 20 lbs., is slowly falling off him.

He sighs. “I had many glasses of wine after.”

Review: Revolution gathering in ‘Mockingjay Lindsey Bahr Los Angeles (AP) - All is not well in Panem. At the conclusion of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” Katniss’s (Jennifer Lawrence) force-field shattering arrow left the society in turmoil.

The desperate act was perceived as subversion, inciting populist uprisings and devastating counter attacks by the governing elite.

Thus, revolution is on the horizon in the franchise’s third installment, “Mockingjay Part 1,” and it all hinges on Katniss, the unwitting face and spirit of the movement.

You see, Katniss, much like the movie star actress who plays her, is just generally liked. Everything she does is slapped with meaning and significance, regardless of

her intentions. She has become the property of the people.

This has always been clear to Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who aims to use her as a propaganda machine. But there’s a problem: the girl on fire has flamed out.

In the chaos that followed the conclusion of the second film, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) was captured by the Capitol, District 12 was destroyed (though Katniss’ mother, sister and the steely jawed Gale (Liam Hemsworth) escaped alive), and Katniss was taken by the militaristic District 13. Their President, Alma Coin, (franchise newcomer Julianne Moore) needs her to be their poster girl.

“Mockingjay - Part 1” is, ultimately, a slow-burn

In this image Jennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss Everdeen in a scene from “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1.” (AP Photo/Lionsgate, Murray Close) portrait of the repeated rise and fall of dystopia’s most reluctant hero, nimbly told through its examination of the mechanics of propaganda. With the help of Plutarch, Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) and the toneddown (but still delightful) Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks), Katniss attempts to serve the cause in her own way.

But it’s not just a matter of convincing her to forget, or

at least shelve, her past traumas. Katniss’s confidence and devotion to the revolt is put to the test when she sees how the evil President Snow (Donald Sutherland) is manipulating Peeta and using him for his own propaganda needs.

In the Games, the goal was simple: Keep Peeta alive. Now, Katniss is powerless, just a tool of the machine. Charred and

fatally wounded bodies aside, “Mockingjay - Part 1” is not for the faint of heart when it comes to the relentless emotional torture of its heroine.

Director Francis Lawrence, in his second outing in the franchise, stays fairly true to the original text, carrying over the war-torn bleakness of “Catching Fire” without any of the disturbing thrill of the Games. He sprinkles in a handful of fairly exciting action sequences (one of which was not actually described in the book), but, he mostly allows the film to luxuriate in the quiet moments.

Yet too many involve Katniss tearing up while sitting on piles of rubble.

In its best moments, the movie has a tense, night before the battle feel. Only the battle is still a year away.

Ever since the “Harry Potter” juggernaut split their final story into two separate films, it’s become standard practice in Hollywood for every successful franchise,

regardless of whether or not the story is there.

“Mockingjay - Part 1” is a serviceable entry into the conclusion of Katniss’s saga.

It boasts some imaginative visuals, a few truly thrilling moments, and standout performances from Lawrence, Banks, Harrelson, and Hoffman, to whom the film is dedicated.

Still, even with Hoffman’s subtly brilliant reaction shots, it does not seem to be the type of movie that fans will revisit on its own.

This half is part of a whole in the most cynical way.

You say you want a revolution? They’ll get to that next year.

“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1,” a Lionsgate release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for “intense sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images and thematic material.” Running time: 123 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

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The Scottish influence I played Max Bruch’s first violin concerto when I was fourteen. Not the solo violin part you understand, because I cannot play the violin. No, I was a spotty teenage cellist and a rather inexperienced one at that, sitting at the back of the cello section of our local youth orchestra. But the concerto had a lasting impression.

Bruch actually wrote three violin concertos as well as several other pieces for violin and orchestra. It’s always seemed to me that he’s one of those composers who really aren’t fully appreciated.

In his day he was known for choral music, but he also wrote many orchestral works including three symphonies, his first at the age of fourteen. In later years he completed four operas, several concertos and a fair amount of chamber music including some string quartets. Sadly, these days, you hardly hear any of his music.

Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy was completed in 1880 and

Max Bruch (18381920): Scottish Fantasy Op. 48.

Stefan Jackiw (vln), Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia cond. Rumon Gamba. (Duration 33:12; Video 1080p HD)

Max Bruch. he dedicated it to the legendary virtuoso violinist Pablo de Sarasate. It’s a violin concerto in all but name, though I suppose it’s better described as a four-movement fantasy on Scottish folk melodies. Despite the fact that Bruch never visited Scotland, the work uses genuine Scottish folk songs and it was given its first performance in Liverpool in 1881 with Bruch himself conducting.

The soloist was the distinguished violinist Joseph

Joachim, but Bruch was unhappy with Joachim’s playing and accused him of “ruining” the performance.

History does not record what acidic comments must have been exchanged.

It’s quite coincidental that these two works – both inspired by Scotland and written by two German composers – are played by two orchestras from Galicia, which in case you had forgotten, is up in the extreme north-west corner of Spain on the Atlantic coast.

This is one of several pieces

by Bruch which are still widely performed today, along with his first violin concerto and the Kol Nidrei for cello and orchestra. Unusually, Bruch gives the harp a prominent role and in this superb recording the harp is placed well forward so that it can actually be heard. On some other recordings it is almost inaudible.

The work begins quietly with sustained chords on the brass but the mood gradually livens up and you might even recognise some of the melodies, especially the one that kicks off the sizzling last movement.

This excellent

Shakespeare on demand: Globe puts plays online

The Globe Theatre in London. (AP photo/pool, file)

London (AP) - Theater fans can now stream some Shakespeare, if they have the bandwidth for the Bard.

Shakespeare’s Globe, London’s reconstructed Elizabethan playhouse, is making its productions available for download through a video-on-demand service.

Globe Player will offer more than 50 filmed productions to rent or buy, including an acclaimed all-male “Twelfth Night” starring Mark Rylance, as well as interviews with Judi Dench, Ian

McKellen, Jude Law and others.

Artistic director Dominic Dromgoole said the Globe was “the first theater with its own dedicated video-on-demand platform.” He said it would help the company “take Shakespeare out into the world and share his astonishing plays with as many people as possible.”

The Internet is the latest frontier for theater companies, which have recently gained new audiences through live cinema broadcasts.

YouTube adds subscription service to music mix San Francisco (AP) Google is remixing the music on its YouTube video site with the addition of an adfree subscription service and a new format designed to make it easier to find millions

of songs that can still be played for free.

The overhaul includes “Music Key,” a subscription service that has been speculated about for months while Google Inc. wrangled over

the licensing terms with recording labels. After a promotional period, Music Key will cost $10 per month.

YouTube is also unveiling a new tab devoted exclusively to music on its mobile apps and

website. This option is meant to make it easier to find specific songs or entire albums, even without a subscription.

Music Key initially will be offered on an invitation-only basis.

performance is given by the Symphony Orchestra of Galicia conducted by Rumon Gamba, who despite his foreign-sounding name, is a very successful English conductor of the younger generation known for his interest in new music and classic film scores.

But the star of the show is undoubtedly the brilliant violinist, 29-year-old Stefan Jackiw.

He was born in Boston, Massachusetts to a Korean mother and a Ukrainian father. The Washington Post recently described him as having “talent that’s off the scale” and The Boston Globe described his playing as “striking for its intelligence and sensitivity”.

Stefan Jackiw has appeared as soloist with the world’s top orchestras and conductors and is much in demand.

His stunning performance of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with the YouTube Symphony Orchestra at Sydney Opera House was evidently watched by more than 30 million people worldwide.

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847): Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56 (“Scottish”).

Concierto de la Orquesta Joven de la OSG, dir.

Roberto González Monjas. (Duration 41:33; Video 1080p HD) Unlike Bruch, Felix Mendelssohn actually went to Scotland on an extensive walking tour as part of his

first visit to Britain in 1829.

Scotland must have had quite an impression on the composer because it also inspired The Hebrides overture, sometimes known less elegantly as Fingal’s Cave.

After this was completed he started sketches for the symphony, although progress on the work was difficult, so much so that he left it for ten years and didn’t complete it until 1842. Oddly enough, although it was the fifth and final symphony to be completed by Mendelssohn, it was the third to be published and has subsequently been known as Symphony No. 3.

It has an imposing first movement and unusually the second movement (at 15:49) is a fast one with a lovely, sunny theme which may strike you as familiar. This movement is meticulously played with splendid precision and articulation, especially by the brass. The last movement draws ideas from Scottish dance although unlike Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy, no genuine Scottish folk songs have been identified.

The Youth Symphony Orchestra of Galicia is in splendid form and the performance is directed by the orchestra’s leader. But because the work requires a relatively small number of players, a conductor is not entirely necessary.

Even so, it’s a bit disconcerting to see an empty space where the conductor usually stands.

Handy hint: If you are interested in following these links, either use your Smartphone to read the QR codes or go to this article online, click on the “live” links and go direct to the videos.

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VOL. XXII No. 48

PSC delivers new refrigerator and bicycles to orphanage William Macey

The staff treats the babies as their own.

The old fridge long past its sell by date.

Baby sitters and a qualified paediatric nurse are on site 24 hours per day at the Pattaya Orphanage to care for the 70 plus babies under the age of three. There are 25 children under the age of 6 months and when Pattaya Sports Club had an occasion to visit, there were twin girls that had just arrived and were 1 week old. They do not have the benefit of the mother’s milk or receive the love that every child deserves, but the staff cares for the children as if they were their own. The numbers rarely change for there is always a request from a hospital somewhere asking if they could accept another child. No child is ever turned away.

Cleanliness and health issues are paramount and anyone entering the nursery must wash with an antiseptic gel and have their temperature taken as a safeguard. Good quality and well preserved food is so important which was the subject of a conversation that Toy had with Pattaya Sports Club for they were given two second hand refrigerators, so long ago that they could not remember when, which were almost ready for that happy retirement home on the scrap metal site. One had given up completely and the other was not far away. It was obvious that a new refrigerator was essential.

Pattaya Sports Club never turns down the opportunity to help Toy and the Pattaya Orphanage so a new large refrigerator was ordered and delivered much to the excitement of the staff. The babies

The fridge from PSC and 5 bicycles donated by Rick Bevington. did not take too much notice but they will certainly benefit from food that will remain fresh and uncontaminated.

On the day the refrigerator was delivered, Rick Bevington just happened to have 5 bicycles that he had completely overhauled. He kindly donated these for the children to use around the centre.

The children who could ride or wanted to ride, appreciated the gift and there were smiles all around.

With 160 children at the orphanage they always welcome donations of food, clothes or money, so if you feel that you could help in any way please contact William on 0861522754 or Pattaya Sports Club on 038 361167. Rick is always looking for bicycles that are no longer being used and is happy to collect these from a local address if need be.

There are always babies to take care of.

The new fridge will make all the difference.

Tiring for the staff. The children want to play all day.

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Pattaya Soul Club celebrates 3rd anniversary

Hanging loose for another great night of Soul music. nd

Pattaya Soul Club founders Earl Brown (2 left) and Eva Johnson (centre) pose with the Riviera Group girls at the anniversary “Souled Out” party on November 8 at the Access Inn, Pattaya.

A very special “Souled away suddenly in July.

Earl and Eva were absoOut” party was held on the The night was, arguably, lutely delighted with the treevening of Saturday 8th the “best one yet” with a mendous atmosphere, the November at the Access Inn great crowd of regular and music and the dancing, on Pattaya 3rd Road.... spe- new supporters of Soul. The which lasted until 1.30 am on cial, because it was the “Souled Out” night is well Sunday, with Soul fans strutPattaya Soul Club’s 3rd an- known globally and attracts ting their stuff right to the niversary (seems hard to visitors from all around the end. All in all, a superb night! believe that it’s three years world, this time we had a The event was sponsored since the inaugural event at visit from Soul of Dubai by The Riviera Group, CEA Play Club) and a tribute to founder, Steve, who flew in Project Logistics, CSP ConClaudio Ghirardi, Souled Out’s especially for the event and struction and Coco’s Bistro resident DJ, who passed was suitably impressed. and Bar, and without this

William Boyd writes Land Rover-sponsored book

great support these charity events would not happen.

Over 51,000 baht was made on the night which will all be donated to “Take Care Kids”, a shelter for abused children (and in many cases also their mothers). It is a very deserving charity that works hard to put an end to child abuse and trafficking here in Thailand and particularly Pattaya.

The organisers wish to thank, once again, the sponsors, the supporters and especially to management and staff of the Access Inn. Watch out for details of the next “Souled Out” in March 2015.

Dr. Iain Corness (right) interviews Steve, from the Soul of Dubai, for PMTV.

Hillel Italie New York (AP) - Soon after turning out the latest James Bond novel, British author William Boyd agreed to write another thriller based on a world famous brand.

The Land Rover.

Boyd’s nearly 17,000-word story, “The Vanishing Game,” available as a free download through Amazon.com, Apple and www.thevanishinggame.com, tells of a 35year-old British actor named Alec Dunbar and the troubles he encounters when a pretty young woman convinces him to deliver a flask filled with clear liquid from London to Scotland. His transport is a certain four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Boyd, paid in the low six figures for the project, said he signed on because Land Rover made so few requests.

“They said they wanted an adventure and they said, ‘Somewhere in this adventure it would be good if a Land Rover appeared.’

But it was left entirely to me the extent I concentrated on that or made it fleeting and passing,” the 62-year-old author said during a recent telephone interview.

“I invented the story, I invented the characters, I invented the locations,” said Boyd, whose novels include “The New Confessions” and “Brazzaville Beach.”

Boyd’s story can be read as a traditional book, or as an interactive narrative through the dedicated website. An audio track features a voiceover and soundtrack music.

Photographs and moving images provide a backdrop to the words.

If “The Vanishing Game” itself cannot be called “a Land Rover story,” the company provides other reminders. The Land Rover logo appears at the top of the screen and the occasional word or phrase, such as “river” or “cross country,” links to a picture of a Land Rover or a real-life story about a Land Rover user.

Theodore Boone - The Accused

Author William Boyd. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) The literary community has mostly shunned commercial endorsements, although there are precedents for Boyd’s book. In 2001, Fay Weldon was commissioned by Bulgari to write “The Bulgari Connection,” in which she worked in references to the jewelry company. Julia Alvarez wrote a poem for Absolut vodka and several authors, including Elmore Leonard and Lisa Scottoline, contributed essays for a 1990s Coca-Cola campaign. A recent e-book, Hillary Carlip’s “Find Me I’m Yours,” was funded in part by the makers of Sweet’N Low. Ken Bracht, communications manager for Land Rover North America, said that Boyd was their preferred author early on, “given his popularity, reputation for adventure type stories” and the attention he was receiving at the time for his Bond novel, “Solo,” published in September 2013. Boyd, in turn, said that the Land Rover was an “almost mythic vehicle” when he was growing up in Africa and that he had actually referred to a Land Rover in a novel he had been working on before learning of the current project.

Something different this week. A John Grisham novel, the third in his Theodore Boone series, with the target audience being 10-15 year olds (eighth grade students in the USA).

The story revolves around Theo Boone, the 13 year old son of two lawyers, who has an all-consuming interest in the law, and for his age is exceptionally well versed in the legal world.

Theodore Boone - The Accused (ISBN 9781-444-72890-3, Hodder and Stoughton, 2013) has been very well received by the literary world with reviews constantly around 4.5/5.

The prose is aimed at the eighth grade level and descriptions of daily life for a young teenager are mostly believable. Young teenagers have different perspectives on life with different priorities. Despite his interest in the law, Theo is not averse to breaking local rules and regulations while riding his bicycle to school, for example. He is also ready to use secret corridors in the courthouse to be able to get himself a good seat during trials. Theo also breaks rules at school and sides with his protagonists when they are caught fighting. A fairly juvenile code of honor.

But a code nevertheless. Theo thus comes across as a very normal 13 year old.

The story revolves around a classic reversal of roles. The hunter becoming the hunted.

In this case the would be prosecutor becomes the accused in reality.

There are not many characters in the book, with Theo’s parents in a supporting role with his Uncle Ike, a disbarred lawyer being Theo’s confidante and advisor.

After being advised that he was to be indicted by the local police force, Theo has to turn detective in order to clear his own name, as circumstantial evidence would appear to be overwhelming.

In order to clear his name, Theo faces some ethical questions of whether the end justifies the means. The answer is known to his Uncle Ike which is revealed right towards the end of the book.

I was impressed by Grisham’s ability to stay within the bounds of early teenagers, both in speech and emotions.

At B. 310 this is a very inexpensive book, and an ideal Xmas gift for a boy between the ages of 10 and 15. We all agree that children should read more, and this is the type of book they should be reading, rather than the illustrated comic books. This was the third in the series, with the fourth out in the US already and the fifth due to be published in 2015.

Enough to keep any young boy thirsting for more of Theodore Boone.

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VOL. XXII No. 48

Relaxing or dull?

Pink Floyd, The Endless River (Parlophone) Syd Barrett was fired by Pink Floyd back in 1968, but his spirit stayed with the band to the very end. Roger Waters fired himself after “The Final Cut” (1983), or rather he tried to fire the whole band and bury its name, but didn’t succeed as they kept on rolling, recording a further two studio albums before their final tour in 1994. But it was not over yet.

The “Live 8” benefit concert in Hyde Park (2005) reunited Waters with Mason, Gilmour and Wright, healing old wounds. With the death of Syd Barrett (2006) and Rick Wright (2008) one would have thought that finally, the great Pink Floyd had been laid to rest.

Not so. David Gilmour and Nick Mason simply couldn’t resist the temptation to add one more title to the impressive and vast Pink Floyd catalogue of studio recordings.

It appears that they were doodling a lot during “The Division Bell”-sessions back in 1993-1994. They had 20 hours worth of instrumental music locked up in the vaults. Most of it apparently consisted of the interplay between Rick Wright and David Gilmour in slow, ambient pieces quite similar to the intros of classic Floyd songs like “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and “Echoes”. The difference being that these 1994-pieces didn’t evolve into anything, they were left hanging.

Rick Wright talked about the recordings back in 1994, suggesting that they might be edited down to a 90 minute piece of ambient music. That same year Floyd engineer Andy Jackson made a one hour edit which was named “The Big Spliff”.

But the group decided against releasing it.

Then in 2012 Gilmour and Mason went back to the original 20 hour tapes, and as a homage to Rick Wright, started creating what was to become “The Endless River”.

They asked Phil Manzanera to pick what sections to work with, and he spent six weeks with the “Division Bell”-outtakes and a Rick Wright rehearsal tape from 1969, assembling four 14-minute pieces. Then the project took off big time. Producer Youth got involved, and then a battalion of musicians. There was extensive overdubbing and re-recording taking place, and one of the tracks, “Louder Than Words”, even turned into a fully fledged song, Gilmour’s wife Polly

Samson providing the lyrics.

So that’s Pink Floyd’s swan song, four pieces of music spread over the four sides of a double album. It sounds very Floydish, no doubt about that, but as mentioned above, the music doesn’t really go anywhere.

It is as if one is stuck inside the “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”-intro, tension building up, very slowly, very delicate, but never reaching that wonderful moment when it all makes sense. You are waiting for a voice to take you by the hand and lead you into a towering crescendo. But it never arrives. Except for “Louder Than Words”, a nice and strong song, but it hardly

makes up for all the ambient tension building.

Because each piece is quite short on playing time, all between 12 and 15 minutes long, the vinyl-version actually is a bit annoying. The CD format is preferable on this occasion, not only because you don’t have to keep turning the records, but also because the music works best if it’s presented as a seamless whole.

There’s not much there to keep you alert, it is wall paper music for the brain, lay down, let the pictures flow.

As a companion piece to “The Division Bell” it might have something going for it.

But to me it sounds more like intro samples from epic songs that were never finished. It is unmistakably Pink Floyd, I’d say it is a very relaxing listening experience, a polite way of calling it boring, I guess. But as a swan song and epitaph it doesn’t hold up. “The Endless River” is more of a footnote, and a nice one as such.

Released: November 10, 2014 Produced by: David Gilmour, Youth, Andy Jackson and Phil Manzanera Contents: Side 1: Things Left Unsaid/ It’s What We Do/Ebb and Flow Side 2: Sum/Skins/Unsung/ Anisina Side 3: The Lost Art of Conversation/On Noodle Street/Night Ligh/Allons-y

(1)/Autumn ’68/Allons-y (2)/Talkin’ Hawkin’ Side 4: Calling/Eyes to Pearls/Surfacing/Louder than Words Personnel Pink Floyd: David Gilmour – guitars, vocals, keyboards, piano, EMS VCS 3, bass guitar, voice samples Nick Mason – drums, percussions, voice samples Richard Wright – Hammond organ, Farfisa organ, pipe organ, piano, Rhodes piano, keyboards, synthesiser, vibraphone, voice samples Additional Musicians: Guy Pratt – bass guitar Bob Ezrin – bass guitar, additional keyboards Andy Jackson - bass guitar, effects Jon Carin – synthesisers, percussion loop Damon Iddins – additional keyboards Anthony Moore – keyboards (“Calling”) Gilad Atzmon – tenor saxophone, clarinet Escala: Chantal Leverton – viola Victoria Lyon – violin Helen Nash – cello Honor Watson – violin Durga McBroom – backing vocals Louise Marshal – backing vocals Sarah Brown – backing vocals Stephen Hawking – voice sample

Hitler watercolor sold for $162,000 at auction Berlin (AP) - A watercolor of Munich’s old city hall believed to have been painted

by Adolf Hitler a century ago was sold for 130,000 euros (US$162,000) at an auction in Germany last weekend.

Kathrin Weidler, director of the Weider auction house in Nuremberg, said the work attracted bidders from four continents and went to a buyer from the Middle East.

She declined to elaborate.

The auction house said the painting is one some 2,000

by Hitler and is thought to be from about 1914, when he was struggling to make a living as an artist, almost two decades before rising to power as the Nazi dictator.

The painting, which had been expected to fetch at least 50,000 euros, was sold by a pair of elderly sisters whose grandfather purchased it in 1916.

Hitler’s paintings surface regularly, but the auction house said the 28-by-22 centimeter (11-by-8.5 inch) scene also includes the original bill of sale and a signed letter from Hitler’s adjutant, Albert Bormann, brother of the dictator’s private secretary Martin Bormann.

From the text of the undated Bormann letter, it appears the Nazi-era owner sent a photo of the painting to Hitler ’s office asking about its provenance.

Bormann wrote that it appears to be “one of the works of the Fuehrer.”

A picture titled “The Old City Hall” painted by Adolf Hitler is displayed at an auction house in Nuremberg, Germany. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

VOL. XXII No. 48

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014 33

PATTAYA MAIL

Grease was the word

CLUBS IN PATTAYA To be listed, please send your information to <admin@pattayamail.com>

Lions Club of Jomtien Pattaya English speaking Lions club meets 2nd Wednesday of the month. Call President Peter Smith 081 805 6717, 038 303 072 email: <lions@aacondo.com> Website: www. jomtienpattaya.lionwap.org

Lions Club of Naklua Pattaya Meets at Green Park Resort, 4th Tuesday of the month. For information. President Jakapan Pintanon Tel. 090 985 0146

Lions Club of Pattaya Banglamung Meets every 16th of the month at 7.00pm at Ruen Thai Restaurant on Pattaya 2nd Road. President Sasithorn Kleetiang Tel. 086 392 0838

Lions Club of Pratumnak Pattaya ‘You’re the One That I Want’!

Patty wonders if Roger really does like her.

Report: Mark Beales/ Photos: Ritche Guisona The classic musical Grease roared into Garden International School (GIS) this month with its famous

songs, Fifties’ style costumes and spectacular dances.

Grease was staged at GIS from November 5-7 in the school’s main hall. The musical tells the story of how Sandy, a new girl at Rydell

High, struggles to be accepted by her new classmates, while also having a crush on the school pin-up Danny Zuko. Danny tries to retain his cool image among his friends, while Sandy feels she has to change in order to be popular. Eventually the pair realise they just need to be themselves to be happy and not worry about their

friends or their image.

The show featured some great performances from the school’s talented array of dancers, and also some amazing singing performances as the cast sang ‘Summer Lovin’, ‘Greased Lightning’ and ‘You’re the One That I Want’.

The show’s platinum sponsor was Encounter Church while Thunder Cranes was the gold sponsor.

GIS is based in Ban Chang, near Pattaya. For more, visit www.gardenrayong.com.

Meets every 2nd Thursday of the month at 7.00pm at Ruen Thai Restaurant on Pattaya 2nd road. President Navin Khakhai Tel. 081 683 0056, 038 420 771

Pattaya Business and Tourism Association (PBTA) Meets every 2nd Thursday of the month. Call President Sinchai Wattanasartsathorn 038 426 357. Website: www.pattayatourism.org

Pattaya City Expat Club Meets every Sunday at Tavern by the Sea restaurant, Amari Hotel, Beach Road. Buffet Breakfast available from 9.30 a.m. Meeting starts at 10.30 a.m. and finishes about 12.00 noon. Website: www.pcecclub.org

Pattaya International Ladies Club The PILC organizes regular lunches and coffee mornings.

President Helle Rantsen. Tel. 085 8 71 2837, email: <presidentpilc@gmail.com> Website: www.pattaya-pilc.com

Pattaya Sports Club Clubhouse located on Pattaya 3rd Rd., next to Pattaya Driving Range. Open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. every day. Call President Peter Malhotra at 038 361 167, Fax 038 361 929. Email psc@cathinet.com See Pattaya Mail Sports Round Up for activities. Website: www.pattayasports.org

Rotary Club of Eastern Seaboard Meets every Thursday at 6 pm at Siam Bayshore Hotel Pattaya. President Russell Iffland. Tel. 086 089 0402 E-mail: <russelliffland@gmail.com> Website: www.rotary-es.org

Rotary Club of Pattaya Meets every Monday at 6.30 pm at Town in Town Hotel, President Satienpong Kumnon. E-mail: <juristic@ksc.th.com> Website: www.rotarypattaya.com

Looking good! An energy-packed number during Grease.

Betty Rizzo belts out a song as part of GIS’s Grease production.

Paddington Bear film gets parental guidance rating Sylvia Hui London (AP) - British film authorities have managed to find dangerous behavior and sexual innuendo in a film about Paddington Bear - a development that the bear’s 88-year-old creator says leaves him “totally amazed.”

The British Board of Film Classification gave “Paddington” a parental guidance rating, saying it contains “dangerous behavior, mild threat, mild sex references and mild bad language.” The rating means the film is suitable for general viewing but some scenes may be unsuitable for children under 8 years old.

The board said the film’s scenes of dangerous behavior include Paddington hiding inside a refrigerator.

Michael Bond, the author who created the much-beloved children’s book character, said

British actor Hugh Bonneville poses next to a statue of Paddington Bear near Tower Bridge in London, Monday, Nov. 3. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

he had not yet seen the family film, which follows the adventures of the talking bear from Peru who travels to London looking for a new home. Still, Bond told Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper that he couldn’t imagine what the sex references were.

The film authority changed its guidance from “mild sex references” to “innuendo” after the movie’s distributor objected. The description refers to a comic scene of flirtation involving a man played by British actor Hugh Bonneville who cross-dresses as a cleaning lady.

Bonneville said it was “slightly odd” for the scene to be described as containing sexual content. “(It was) frightening maybe, but not entirely sexual,” he told the BBC. “I challenge any viewer ... who has been offended by the film to get in touch.”

Rotary Club of Phoenix Pattaya Meets every Tuesday at 6.30pm at Holiday Inn Hotel Pattaya. President Ingo Raeuber. Tel. 081 949 9433 Email: <ingoraeuber@hotmail.com> Website: rotaryphoenix-pattaya.org

Rotary Club of Pattaya Marina Réunion tous les vendredi à 19 h, Hôtel MERCURE, Pattaya 2nd road, Soï 15, Contacter Président Joseph Roy 085 436 2402, E-mail: joseph.roy@hotmail.com Website: www.rotarypattayamarina.org

Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya Dinner meeting every Wednesday 6.30 pm at Royal Cliff Grand Hotel. President Vutikorn Kamolchote. Tel. 081 447 4152 E-mail: <vut@vnresidences.com> Website: www.rotaryjomtien pattaya.org

Royal Varuna Yacht Club Open every weekday from 8am to 8pm. Weekend from 7.30 am to midnight. Call 038 250 116, 087 075 2194. Commodore Dave Littlejohn. Email: rvyc@loxinfo.co.th Website: www.varuna.org

Skål International Pattaya & East Thailand Meetings: Date and venue will be announced by email, Facebook and in the Pattaya Mail. President Tony Malhotra. E-mail: skalpattaya@gmail.com Website: www.facebook.com/skalpattaya

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9876 (VFW) Meets the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 1 p.m. at the Hog’s Breath Saloon on Soi 46/3. For information, call Quartermaster Eric Larsen at 038 423 462 or Email: <vfwpost9876@hotmail.com> www.vfwpost9876.org

Y.W.C.A. Meets as notified call Chairwoman Praichit ‘Nidnoi’ Jetpai 038 716 316. E-mail: <pattaya@ywcabangkok.com>

34 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXII No. 48

Tel. 038 411 240-1, 038 413 240-1 Fax. 038 411 833

E-Mail: mailmarket@pattayamail.com

Articles For Sale/Rent

Boats & Fishing Trips

As616/47-48/ Slazenger Golf set AGAN: 4,900 baht, 300 golf balls 2,800 baht. Tel. 087 100 5726 As615/47-51/ Stubby Holders: can & bottle coolers, high quality, digitally printed, neoprene, competitive prices, cheap delivery. info@coola-products. com, www.coola-products.com As614/22-52/ Space Saving Wall-Beds and Custom made furniture, Kitchens and Condo refurbishment. www.wallbed furnitureshop.asia.Tel: 089-003 6894 As611/27-52/ For Fans of M.J.B. the Cartoonist to Pattaya Mail, you can now buy Mike Baird‘s two new EBooks called “Life in Fun City” and “More of Life in Fun City” from www.bangkokbooks.com at $4-99 each. Both E-Books are the Best of his Pattaya Mail cartoons over 13 years in beautiful full colour. You can carry them around with you, show them to your friends, store them on your computer or give them as a unique gift. You never know - you might see yourself in them!

Bo/45-17/ High quality Fishing & Boat trips on private boats! Silverton 42-foot yacht or Yamaha 26-foot: Fishing, snorkelling, swimming in clear waters off the white sandy beaches. See more details: www.siamgreatadventures.com or facebook Siam Great Adventures Co.,Ltd. Booking contact siamgreatadventures@gmail.com, 087 137 6006 (Eng/Finn) or 087 137 0880 (Thai)

Articles/Services

Wanted

Aw01/26-52/ Missionary in Rayong sponsoring Little Duck Nursery needs help.

Please - Any unwanted items you have would be appreciated.

(Eng) Rev Stephen 086 600 5682, (Thai) 038-621343

Send your property related articles to

propertynews@pattayamail.com

Business Opportunities Bop03/47-48/ Fitness Gym/ Equipment For Sale: Located 7km west of Laem Mae Phim on the beach road. Equipment only, 490,000 baht (750k new): X-Trend and Xercore in superb condition. Buy the business: one year’s rent of 100,000 baht due Jan 31, 2015 (3-yr. lease available). Two-story bldg. has extra rooms for lessee or live-in staff; kitchen; space for a cafe in large reception area. Great small business opportunity.

Email je_christie@hotmail.com for info.

Bop02/47-51/ For Sale – Rent – Partner: Benelux – Resort Buriram (Kandong) 15 rooms – swimming pool – restaurant – Villa. Info 081 999 2217 Bop01/44-48/ Associate Business Brokers Pattaya – 580,000 baht LARGE EARNING POTENTAL! Operate your own business in the field of selling businesses and properties. Includes full businesses model and company set-up with visa and work permit, training and materials. Interested parties will have to complete a standard confidentiality agreement. Contract: phill@tsba. info www.tsba.info 087 034 0568

Pets Pets03/27-52/ Adorable homeless puppies available for adoption to warm and caring homes!

All puppies are healthy, vaccinated and acclimated to people.

If you are looking for a friend for life, just call 088 402 6772 or e-mail to karin@carefordogs.org.

VOL. XXII No. 48

PATTAYA MAIL

Tel. 038 411 240-1, 038 413 240-1 Fax. 038 411 833

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014 35 E-Mail: mailmarket@pattayamail.com

Prb15/48/ House for rent, swimming pool, Thepprasit Villa: 20,000 baht/month. Tel. 087 137 9460 Prb10/44-48/ 2-storey house on a ½ rai, in Soi 14 off NakluaPattaya Road, big balcony, 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, maidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s room, covered parking for 3 cars, needs some work: 20,000 baht/month (yearly contract).

Phone: 086 063 5848 Prb09/44-48/ CORNER TOWNHOUSE, Off Soi Khaotalo, Like new, quiet, safe, two bedroom, one bathroom, patio, carport, Thai kitchen, air-conditioned, FULLY FURNISHED, 10,000 Baht/Monthly, English 087 805 5276

Condos, Apartments Pets02/27-52/ **Free Cats and Kittens** We are still trying to find loving homes for over 40 cats and kittens. Please check the pictures on our website or ring Sandra. Call 085 287 5004 http:/ cats4youinpattaya.webs.com

Property for Rent Houses, Villas Prb/48/ A 3 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom 2 storey House in Jomtien available for 28,000 Baht per month. Ref: HR1436. Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081-996-2489 or email info@pattaya-property. net Check our website www. pattaya-property.net Prb/48/ A 2 Bedroom, 3 Bathroom 2storey House in East Pattaya available for 25,000 Baht per month. Ref: HR1985.

Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081-996-2489 or email info@pattaya-property. net, Check our website www. pattaya-property.net Prb/48/ A 3 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom single storey House in East Pattaya available for 35,000 Baht per month. Ref: HR2060. Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081996-2489 or email info@ pattaya-property.net, Check our website www.pattayaproperty.net Prb/48/ A 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom single storey House in East Pattaya available for 21,000 Baht per month. Ref: HR1813. Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081996-2489 or email info@ pattaya-property.net, Check our website www.pattayaproperty.net

Prb/48/ A 3 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom single storeyHouse in East Pattaya available for 20,000 Baht per month. Ref: HR1733. Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081996-2489 or email info@ pattaya-property.net, Check our website www.pattayaproperty.net Prb16/48/ Beautifully decorated townhouse, 2 floors, on Soi Siam Country Club, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, all rooms have A/C, gas stove, all doors teak, windows aluminium with dark glass, iron protection, 1st floor ceramic, 2nd floor teak, Euro kitchen with fridge, fully furnished, swimming pool in village, short way to golf course and city: 15,000 baht/month + 3 months deposit. Call: Jack 081 161 3270 Prb14/48-52/ A 2 and 4 bedroom terraced house on Soi 5 Pratamnak Rd. for rent. Phone 081 782 0206, www.rimtalay.com Prb13/48-52/ A beautiful 3bedroom villa with private pool and garden off Soi Chaiyapruk (beach side) Jomtien.

Phone 081 782 0206 www. rimtalay.com Prb12/46-51/ OCCASION! Beautiful townhouse (South Pattaya), 2 minutes to city or beach, peaceful and green environment, superbly fully furnished, 3 bedrooms, 2 televisions, ADSL, 4 air-conditioners, garage. Contact: 092 647 1521 Prb11/44-49/ Office space Office space Office space: Now available for rent. Great location in the Heart of Pattaya and Jomtien. ample parking in a garden setting. Already 60% full.

Available spaces from 575sqm.to 16sqm. Tel. 081 805 3849. Gary Email: lou997@hotmail.com

Prc/48/ 80sqm, 1 Bedroom Condominium in established development located in Pratumnak available for just 20,000 Baht per month .Ref CR1613.

Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081-996-2489 or email info@pattaya-property. net, Check our website www. pattaya-property.net Prc/48/ 79.5sqm, 1 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom Condominium in established Central Pattaya development available for just 19,500 Baht per month. Ref CR1225. Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081996-2489 or email info@ pattaya-property.net, Check our website www.pattayaproperty.net Prc/48/ 46sqm, 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom Condominium in this popular Central Pattaya development available for just 20,000 Baht per month. Ref CR2649 Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081996-2489 or e-mail info@ pattaya-property.net, Check our website www.pattayaproperty.net Prc07/40-03/ Furnished Studio For Rent: A/C, Hot Water, Cable, Swimming Pool 4,500 baht per month Nernplaubwon Soi 53 at Mapyaillia Soi 45, Tel 085 276 8457 (Eng).

089 931 4170 (Thai).

Prc/48/ 46sqm 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom Condominium in established development located in the city center available for just 18,000 Baht per month. Ref CR2461 Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081-996-2489 or e-mail info@pattaya-property. net, Check our website www. pattaya-property.net Prc/48/ 44sqm, 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom Condominium in this recently completed development located in Jomtien for just 24,000 Baht per month.

Ref: CR2800. Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081-996-2489 or email info@pattaya-property.net Check our website www. pattaya-property.net Prc/48/ 48sqm, Studio Condominium in established development located in Wong Amat available for 15,000 Baht per month. Ref: CR2663. Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081-996-2489 or email info@pattaya-property. net Check our website www. pattaya-property.net Prc08/41-50/ VIP Condo (Ban Amphur), studio for rent, 40sqm, flat screen TV, free Wifi, newly renovated, large swimming pool, tennis courts, good gym, on the beach, 1 month 15,000 baht/month, 1 year 13,000 baht/month. Tel 086 069 4399 and 083 687 1900

Prc/48/ 52sqm, 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom Condominium in abrand new development located on soi 1, Beach Road, North Pattaya available for 25,000 Baht per month. Ref: CR2969. Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081996-2489 or email info@ pattaya-property.net, Check our website www.pattayaproperty.net Prc11/47-51/ 51sqm, Porchland 2, Jomtien, 1 bedroom, 8th floor, new, sea view, free internet, TV, swimming pool, Gym, big balcony: 15,000 baht/month. Tel. 087 138 3523 Prc10/44-48/ Apartment for Rent: 2 minutes walking distance to Jomtien beach, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, fully furnished, separate kitchen, free WIFI, 500 baht/day utility included, 2 persons allowed in the room maximum, one month lease, for pictures email juanitareed@ hotmail.com or for appointment call 081 653 1950 and 083 578 6664 Prc02/34-48/ Condo 32sqm for rent: located near Big C Extra, Foodland, fully furnished, balcony, air-con, big swimming pool: 6,500 baht/month (ADSLconnection available) Call 082 973 9440/ 082 862 7964 Eng/ Ger (after 1 p.m.)

Property for Sale Houses, Villas Psb/48/ A substantial 3 Bedroom, 4 Bathroom Detached family House in East Pattaya on offer for 6,950,000 Baht.

Located in a well established village with all the facilities a family could ask for. Ref: HS3704. Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081996-2489 or email info@ pattaya-property.net Check our website www.pattayaproperty.net Psb/48/ A 4 Bedroom 4 Bathroom house with private pool in Naklua for only 11,100,000 Bath. A perfect family house in a fantastic location. Ref HS4115.

Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081-996-2489 or email info@pattaya-property. net, Check our website www. pattaya-property.net Psb/48/ A 3 Bedroom 2 Bathroom house with communal pool in East Pattaya. An ideal family home or rental investment for 3,400,000 Baht. Ref HS3866. Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081996-2489 or email info@ pattaya-property.net, Check our website www.pattayaproperty.net

36 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

PATTAYA MAIL

Tel. 038 411 240-1, 038 413 240-1 Fax. 038 411 833

VOL. XXII No. 48 E-Mail: mailmarket@pattayamail.com

Psb/48/ A 3 Bed, 4 Bath House in East Pattaya, located in an exclusive, secure village close to Mabprachan lake. On offer for just 5,000,000 Baht. Ref: HS3850.

Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081-9962489 or email info@ pattayaproperty.net, Check our website www.pattaya-property.net Psb/48/ A Brand New 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom House located just off the Highway 7 in East Pattaya on offer for 2,890,000 Baht. The owner is offering a finance scheme of 6-9 months.

Ref: HS3711. Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081-996-2489 or email info@pattaya-property.net, Check our website www. pattaya-property.net Psb/48/ A 5 Bedroom, 3 Bathroom House in Soi Nernplubwarn in East Pattaya on offer for only 3,850,000 Baht. A large, fully furnished house for a very low price! Ref: HS3851.

Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081-996-2489 or email info@pattayaproperty.net, Check our website www.pattaya-property.net

Psb03/45-49/ Stunning 5-bed, 7bath villa, near beach: 25 MB. www.facebook.com/beach villabangsaray, Tel: 092 472 5743 Psb02/45-49/ The Willows exclusive villas from 7.8 MB: www.willowbangsaray.com/ Tel: 092 472 5743 Psb01/43-05/ Rayong Ban-phe - near Mae Ramphung beach, new houses and villas for sale, 2-4 bedroom, private pool/land, partly furnished: Price 2.7 8.5M.baht. Tel (Thai) 081 863 6063, (Eng) 086 158 5667

Condos, Apartments Psc/48/ A 58 sqm 1 Bedroom 1 Bathroom Condominium right in the heat of the city.These unit make excellent rental investment in one of the most popular projects in Pattaya. Priced at only 3,400,000 be quick not miss out.

CS4431. Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081996-2489 or email info@pattayaproperty. net, Check our website www. pattaya-property.net Psc/48/ A 46.5sqm 1 Bedroom High Floor Condominium in the recently completed Nova Cliff development in Pratumnak, on offer for only 3,422,400 Baht. Stunning Sea, Koh Larn and Panoramic Views. Ref: CS4563. Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081996-2489 or email info@ pattaya-property.net, Check our website www.pattayaproperty.net Psc/48/ A 24.2sqm Studio Condominium in Central Pattaya on offer for 1,325,000 Baht. Be the first to own this property, 80% payment now and 20% in March 2014. Ref: CS4475. Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081-996-2489 or email info@ pattayaproperty.net, Check our website www.pattaya-property.net Psc/48/ A 75sqm Brand New Fully Furnished 1 Bedroom Condominium in Pratumnak, 5,990,000 Baht. A spacious condo ready to be lived in, enjoy the modern style, large balcony and pool view. Ref: CS4586.

Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081-996-2489 or email info@pattaya-property. net, Check our website www.pattaya-property.net

Psc/48/ A 25sqm 1 Bedroom Condominium in South Pattaya, 1,199,999 Baht! Due for completion in Q3 2016 this property offers exceptional investment value. Facilities include large pool and shopping centre. Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081996-2489 or email info@pattaya-property.net, Check our website www. pattaya-property.net Psc/48/ A 117sqm, 2 Bedroom 2 Bathroom, Sea View Condominium with large balcony for 14,300,000 Baht. This popular, well established development in Pattaya offers an unrivalled common area and is located on Beach Road. Ref: CS2984. Contact Alan Bolton Property Consultants on 081996-2489 or email info@ pattaya-property.net Check our website www.pattayaproperty.net Psc09/48/ Angket Condo, Soi Watboon Jomtien, 37sqm, 18th floor, farang name, European kitchen, washing machine, fully furnished: 1.6 Million baht.

Please call Tip 081-940-5181 or tippawan113@hotmail.com Psc08/48/ Investment opportunity! Rimhard Jomtien, 30sqm, 15th floor, farang name, rented long term, sale 1.4 Million baht.

Please call Tip 081-940-5181 or tippawan113@hotmail.com

Psc07/48/ Sri pitoon Condo, South Pattaya, 30sqm, fully furnished, farang name: 850,000 baht.

Please contact Tip 081-940-5181 or tippawan113@hotmail.com Psc06/48/ View Talay 5C, 6th floor Jomtien side, 48sqm, European kitchen, fully furnished, ready to move in: 2.6 Million baht. Please call Tip 081-940-5181 or tippawan113@hotmail.com Psc05/47-48/ 3 room, 2 bath apartment in Jomtien, 76sqm, EVT, with long term tenant: 1,990,000 baht. Tel. 087 100 5726 Psc04/47-51/ 38sqm Porchland 2, 1 bedroom, 8th floor, 2 years old, quality furniture, panoramic sea and Jomtien views, swimming pool, Gym, WIFI, 24/7 security, foreign name, owner sale: 1,750,000 baht. Tel. 087 138 3523 Psc03/47-51/ Condo 42sqm + balcony, Pratumnak Hill (200m to beach) swimming pool – fitness – security – conveniences: Price 1.3 million. Contact 080 772 7717 Psc01/43-50/ For Sale: 74sqm, 3-room condo, 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, balcony, swimming pool, First floor Majestic Condominium Jomtien, fully furnished, Farang name, Price 2,300,000 baht. Urgent Tel 087 485 3770 and 082 474 3154, email: josger8586@gmail.com

VOL. XXII No. 48

PATTAYA MAIL

Tel. 038 411 240-1, 038 413 240-1 Fax. 038 411 833

Services Provided Sp18/48/ Plans drawn for house condo shops: Tel: 085 083 4221.

Sp17/47-51/ Freelance Video Editor: I can edit your videos or teach you how to edit them. Also build you a custom PC Digital Edit Suite.

Call 089 776 2565

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014 37 E-Mail: mailmarket@pattayamail.com

Sp16/47-51/ Thai Massage, Thai-oil massage services, will visit you 24 hours. English speaking, call 083 745 6557 Sp14/44-48/ Service construction: Tiling, painting, electricity, water pipe, ceiling, art wall etc. Call 087 783 4015 or 087 136 7036 Sp11/08-52/ WWW.321CLEAN .COM – General home cleaning: Dynamic team and foreigner follow-up. Call now on 089 886 5445 (English), 080 091 2924 (Thai) or leave a message on our web site.

Sp04/26-52/ Magna Carta Law Office can assist you in securing loans from a minimum 700,000 up to a maximum of 50 Million Baht through various financial institutions with no credit checks or black marks and no penalty for a bad credit history. All loans are secured against either land or property and we are able to lend you up to 50% of the appraised valuation of your asset. The funds will be available around 10 days from the start of the application. Loans can be for a period of 6 months to 1 year and can be extended for longer if needed.

Call either 038-373735 or 0819833-620 for an appointment.

Sp01/26-52/ Magna Carta Law Office in South Pattaya offers One-Stop Quality Legal Services. Criminal, Civil, Family & Labor Law Consultancy, Full Accounting Service, Company Set-up, Visa and Work Permit, Notary Service, Real Estate Transactions, Last Will & Testament. You can visit our website www.magnacarta.co.th for the complete list of services.

Call us at 038 373 735 to 6 or email us at legal@magnacarta .co.th to set an appointment for a FREE NO OBLIGATION INITIAL CONSULTATION

Staff Wanted Sw03/48/ Wanted office worker/ listing agent for Real Estate Company: 7K plus commission.

Call Lorraine 061 505 2096 Sw02/48/ Wanted Thai sales person for Real Estate Company: 12K plus big commissions.

Call Lorraine 061 505 2096 Sw01/45-02/ Driver wanted for mini-van. Call: 081 146 1811

Vehicles for Rent Vr01/39-01/ Low season prices all through high season 100% insurance. New Honda City.

Tel: Nat 084 738 8812 Holiday Car Rent

Vr04/48-09/ SPS Car and Bike Rentals: Cars from 500 baht/day, Yamaha Nouvos and Mio from 80 baht/day, free delivery in Pattaya area. All cars with 1st class insurance. Tel 081 177 3307, 038 405 165, www.pattayacarhire.com Vr03/48-52/ Jay’s Rent A Car: Toyota’s & Honda’s. All top of the range, for your safety all serviced by Toyota/Honda, all have A.B.S./airbags + 1st class, rental Insurance, Rent the best, Please ring for details: (Thai) 084 865 5102 or (Eng) 085 283 4915.

Vr02/48/ Daily prices now flexible! - offers to fill our blank dates! Cars and 4-door pickups: 1,000 baht/day or 16,000/month; Class 1 Fortuners 1,500 baht/day. Top model pickups 24,000 baht/ month. Full insurance. Tel. 089 932 7965

Vehicles for Sale Vs02/47-48/ Kawasaki KLX 150 D-Tracker/Enduro 2012: 8,300km, 49,500 baht. Tel. 086 004 8072 Vs01/46-50/ Honda Accord 2.0: 2012. Automatic, black 10,500km: Price 950,000 baht, Norwegian owner Tel. 092 643 6595

38 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXII No. 48

Cadillac ATS-V goes head to head with sports sedans

Honda shows off its new FCV Honda has announced plans to build a new hydrogen-powered fuel-cell electric vehicle ahead of its debut at the 2014 Los Angeles motor show.

The Honda FCV Concept is set to be a successor to the FCX Clarity sedan, featuring improved efficiency in an aerodynamic package that follows lines pioneered by the original Honda Insight hybrid of 1997.

The manufacturer says the hydrogen-powered machine has 100 kW electric motor and a range of more than 700 kilometers from a new fuel stack that is 33 percent smaller than its previous efforts.

New packaging has made the FCV Concept the first car of its kind to combine all elements of its power train under the bonnet, leaving plenty of conventional space in the cabin and boot.

The car has room for five adults and is set to go on sale in Japan from March

Honda FCV 2016 before arriving in the US and Europe.

The car is unlikely to come to Thailand, which currently lacks hydrogen refuelling stations necessary to run the new FCV, though anything might happen.

It offers an additional dash of practicality through a separate power exporter that should allow owners to pump up to 9 kW of energy into their home or business, reducing greenhouse emissions through conventional

energy sources.

Honda says the car “can function as a small-sized mobile power plant that generates and provides electricity to the community in times of disaster or other events.”

Honda’s preview of its fuel cell car comes the same day that Toyota confirmed the name for its productionready, hydrogen-fuelled Mirai sedan which goes on sale in Japan, the US and Europe next year.

What did we learn from Yas Marina?

Well, we learned that Mercedes lost one car but won two championships, Williams secured two podiums and Daniel Ricciardo was the best of the rest.

After a magnificent start, it was obvious that Hamilton was never going to be headed, and the only question mark was going to be reliability, but it was title aspirant Rosberg whose car harvested the energy recovery gremlins, leaving him a woeful 14th at the finish.

“A great day for England,” I was told by one of the audience in Jameson’s Irish Pub, echoing Prince Harry’s, “Lewis, you are a legend.

Thanks for not making the British public sweat.” And so a second World Driver’s Championship (WDC) for Hamilton.

Afterwards the mass hysteria escalated in the postrace period, comparing Hamilton to the previous British double championship drivers Graham Hill, Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart (Our Nige, only won one WDC). So, did we learn something of Hamilton’s talent compared to those who went before? It is always difficult comparing drivers in different eras and in cars with different technologies. I suspect that the modern F1 cars are easier to drive than those from 30 years ago, as we see new faces in

Friday practice sessions immediately up to speed, with no apparent learning curve.

And let us not forget that the Mercedes cars this year have been one second a lap quicker than anything else, leaving Hamilton to only battle with one car - his team mate, who fell at the final hurdle.

However, Mercedes earned their Constructor’s championship and their WDC and are keeping their two drivers for 2015, there being no reason to change.

Surprise package for the race was Felipe Massa in the Williams, with a gritty drive to second place, besting team mate Valtteri Bottas again. Will the resurgent Williams continue as a threat in 2015? They certainly have the drivers if their designers can come up with the car.

Another satisfied driver was Daniel Ricciardo finishing fourth in his Red Bull in the race and third in the WDC, totally eclipsing Vettel who never got the opportunity to wave the finger aloft all year. He will be going to join Ferrari and have the dour Kimi Raikkonen as his partner. I cannot predict great things for that driver pairing.

The media was pushing hard to try and drum up enthusiasm for purported battles for seats for 2015, which would depend on the outcome of the Yas Marina

race. Prime was the seats at McLaren, with Alonso leaving Ferrari after five years and returning to McLaren according to the paddock gossip - and ex-King Carlos of Spain who said, “He’s going to McLaren!” Of the two incumbents Button and Magnussen there is much discussion, and whilst Button has been head and shoulders above Magnussen, what must not be forgotten is what salary does each expect? Button is an ex-driver’s champion and very well experienced - but my spies would suggest that he has to decrease his salary demands if he wishes to stay. Uncle Ronster is going to announce the line-up December 1. Expect Button out and Magnussen to remain.

Force India is hanging in there, despite financial worries for its owner Vijay Mallya, and its drivers are hanging in there as well. Hulkenberg can always be relied upon, but without money for development, they will continue to be just also-rans. Other drivers and teams continue to amaze. Not for results or uncovered talent, but for the fact that they are still there, and that covers “Lotus”, Sauber, Caterham, Marussia and Toro Rosso.

2015 will be a watershed year for F1, and I am not sure that Jean Todt’s FIA has any real idea of the crisis, or what to do about it!

The soon to be released Cadillac ATS-V will compete against vehicles such as the BMW M3/M4, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG and Audi RS 5.

The ATS-V for 2016, features rear-wheel drive and will go into production in the spring. It will be available in sedan and coupe styles. Cadillac says the ATS-V will include a 3.6 liter V-6 twin-turbocharged engine the first offered in a Cadillac V-Series car and new design and performance systems to boost performance. Cadillac says the car is track-ready from the factory floor and offers a sophisticated luxury driving experience on the road.

“Cadillac’s V-Series is the best example of Cadillac’s emerging product substance - and the purest expression of the passion at the core of the brand,” Cadillac’s new president Johan de Nysschen said.

GM’s luxury brand rolled out its highperformance V-Series in 2004, and the ATS-V is the first of the next-generation V-Series vehicles for the luxury brand.

Cadillac is expected to show a new CTS-V early next year.

Cadillac is offering the smaller V-Series as a niche product, but knows it is important as it works to attract younger and more-affluent buyers. CTS-V Series sales represent about eight percent of overall CTS sales.

The ATS-V’s twin-turbo is rated at 455 horsepower and 445 foot-pounds of torque.

Cadillac says the engine is tops in the segment for six cylinder output, traveling from zero to 100 km/h in around four seconds and has a top speed of more than 230 km/h.

The engine is mated to a six-speed manual or a paddle-shift eight-speed automatic.

Engineers redesigned the chassis, suspension and drivetrain for the ATS-V. The car includes Brembo high-performance brakes, third-generation Magnetic Ride Control and is stiffer structurally. It has touring, sport and track driving modes, an available track aerodynamic package and rides on specially developed Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.

The ATS-V will have GM’s performance data recorder available, allowing drivers to

Cadillac ATS-V record high-definition video, with data overlays of their driving performance.

Designers changed nearly all exterior panels of the car including fascias, fenders, the lightweight carbon fiber hood with vent and rear spoiler, to support capability and aerodynamics.

“All of the design elements have a purpose,” Andrew Smith, executive director of Cadillac global design, said. “They contribute to lift reduction, enhanced cooling, reduced mass or all of the above.”

The interior features available 16-way adjustable Recaro seats in the front and cutand-sew Cadillac elements throughout.

Analysts say the ATS could benefit from a special model to boost appeal. Cadillac rolled out its ATS compact luxury sedan in fall 2012 as a 2013 model and this fall began offering a Coupe version. But sales have stalled and are down nearly 19 percent this year through October.

“As the CTS and ATS struggle in sales, product clearly isn’t the issue,” Akshay Anand, a Kelley Blue Book analyst, said. “As Cadillac continues to undergo its brand transformation, staying in the limelight will be key as it attempts to take down German luxury marques. The ATS could really use a halo vehicle, especially since all its competitors have performance variations as well.”

On paper, this Cadillac concept looks as if it could be the halo vehicle required. My only misgivings lie with the fact that it looks too much like the Chevrolet Cruise.

Same Same but hardly different I really wonder about auto stylists. How much original thought and design do they put into new cars, or is the time spent driving round competitor’s design

studios to see what they are coming forward with? Remember the Bangle Bottom on the BMW’s? Everyone hated it, but it then appeared on the Toyota

Camry and others. The origin was then forgotten.

This year’s styling cue is the sculpted body line angling up from the front wheel arch and up to the rear. Boring!

Honda City.

Mercedes Benz B series

MB CLS

Hyundai Genesis

Autotrivia Quiz Last week I asked what car was this? Advertised as being for “the few who own the finest” these cars had owners such as Sir Stirling Moss, Fred Astaire and Picasso.

What was it? It was the Facel Vega, and correctly named

by Ivar Hoyem from Norway who has the world’s largest Google bill in the world!

So to this week. What car is this? It had a side valve engine which developed 10 bhp. It had a top speed of 42 mph (67 kph). It had 4 wheel

cable operated brakes. It sold over 375,000 and its designer was knighted. So what was it?

For the Automania free beer this week, be the first correct answer to email viacars@gmail.com.

VOL. XXII No. 48

Friday Darts League Results & Standings Nov. 14 (week 2) Team P W L F A B/L Pts. Londoner 2 2 0 18 8 2 4 Naughty Kangaroo 2 2 0 12 7 2 4 The Clinic 2 2 0 11 9 1 4 W. Tankies 2 2 0 10 7 1 4 Nervous Wreck 2 1 1 12 9 1 2 Yates’ Bar 2 1 1 12 13 0 2 Buffalo Jack’s 2 0 2 5 11 1 0 Cheers Bar 2 0 2 5 10 1 0 Palmer’s Bar 2 0 2 8 10 1 0 i-Rovers 2 0 2 7 16 0 0 Results: Cheers Bar (3-0)-(7-1) v Naughty Kangaroo, Londoner (9-1)-(1-0) v i-Rovers, Nervous Wreck (5-0)-(7-1) v W. Tankies, Palmer’s Bar (4-1)-(5-0) v Yates’ Bar, The Clinic (4-0)-(3-1) v Buffalo Jack’s

Asia Back Packer’s Monday Darts Super League Standings Nov. 17 (week 1) Team Legends Load Out Moonies i-Rovers ‘A’ Don’t Tell MaMa’s W. Tankies Oscar’s Sport Bar i-Rovers ‘B’

P 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

W 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

L 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1

F 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3

A 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6

B/L Pts. 1 2 Results: Don’t Tell 1 2 MaMa’s (4-1)-(5-0) v i1 2 Rovers ‘A’, Moonies (50 2 1)-(4-0) v W. Tankies, 1 0 Oscar’s Sport Bar (3-0)0 0 (6-1) v Legends, i-Rov0 0 ers ‘B’ (3-0)-(6-1) v Load 0 0 Out

Darkside Tuesday Darts League Standings Nov. 18 (week 12) Team Chill Bar PJ Pub Oscars Bar Load Out Double Dutch Moonies

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014 39

PATTAYA MAIL

P W 12 10 11 9 12 7 12 6 11 3 12 0

L 2 2 5 6 8 12

F 77 57 66 63 35 17

A 31 42 42 45 64 91

T/G Pts. 10 20 Results: Load Out (4-0)7 18 (5-1) v Chill Bar, Moonies 8 14 (0-0)-(9-1) v Double 3 12 Dutch, PJ Pub and Res3 6 taurant (5-0)-(4-1) v Os3 0 cars Bar

Tuesday Darts League Results & Standings Nov. 18 (week 20) Team Londoner Buffalo Jack’s Legends The Swan Naughty Kangaroo Yates’ Bar Crazy Eddie’s Nervous Wreck Shoot Pool i-Rovers Scandalic Bye W. Tankies Bye

P 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20

W 19 14 14 12 12 12 11 11 9 8 7 5 4 0

L 1 6 6 8 7 8 9 9 11 12 13 13 16 19

F 181 132 119 115 107 100 112 110 93 102 86 36 61 0

A B/legs 57 15 82 12 80 10 73 17 95 14 89 13 93 9 103 8 103 11 103 10 126 7 96 5 121 5 133 0

Pts. 38 28 28 24 24 24 22 22 18 16 14 10 8 0

Results: Bye (0-0)(7-1) v W. Tankies, Buffalo Jack’s (7-0)(5-1) v Naughty Kangaroo, Crazy Eddie’s (4-1)-(6-0) v Nervous Wreck, Legends (51)-(4-0) v The Swan, Londoner (11-1)-(1-0) v Yates’ Bar, Shoot Pool (7-1)-(6-0) v Scandalic, i-Rovers (7-1)-(0-0) v Bye

Wednesday Darts League Results & Standings Nov. 19 (week 11) Team P Buffalo Jack’s 11 Oscar’s Sports Bar 11 i-Rovers ‘A’ 11 W. Tankies 11 Moonies 11 Yates’ Bar 11 Bye 11 The Clinic 11 i-Rovers ‘B’ 11 Bye 11

W 9 3 8 7 7 4 4 3 3 2

L 2 8 3 4 4 7 7 8 8 9

For Against 71 28 3 71 69 30 63 36 53 46 43 56 41 58 37 62 32 67 15 84

Pts. 18 16 16 14 14 8 8 6 6 4

Results: Bye (0-0)-(9-1) v W. Tankies, Buffalo Jack’s (3-1)-(6-0) v Moonies, Oscar’s Sports Bar (9-1)-(00) v Bye, Yates’ Bar (6-1)(3-0) v i-Rovers ‘B’, i-Rovers ‘A’ (6-0)-(3-1) v The Clinic

Crumpton Oaks Cider Monday Pool League Standings Nov. 17 (week 13) Team Links Bar Legends Sweethearts Bar Rest Stop Nicky’s Bar Shoot Pool Cheers Bar Dean’s Bar Classroom Offshore Bar Wok ‘N’ Rok Two Dogs Mates Bar

P 13 13 13 13 12 13 13 13 13 12 13 13 12

W 10 10 10 9 9 7 7 6 5 5 4 1 0

L 3 3 3 4 3 6 6 7 8 7 9 12 12

+/34 29 18 24 21 5 -6 -6 -10 -7 -29 -54 -19

BP 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 3 2 1 1 1 0

Pts. 31 30 30 27 27 23 23 21 17 16 13 4 0

Results: Cheers Bar 10-7 Wok ‘N’ Rok, Classroom 10-6 Two Dogs, Dean’s Bar 910 Sweethearts Bar, Links Bar 10-5 Rest Stop, Shoot Pool 10-8 Legends

Pattaya 8-Ball Pool League Results & Standings Nov. 17 (week 13) Team Played Won Lost For Agst Diff Points Phimai Geordie 13 13 0 144 46 98 39 Smile Bar 13 12 1 135 60 75 37 Asian Nomads 13 7 6 91 104 -13 27 San Snack Bar 11 7 4 95 70 25 25 Funny Girl 13 6 7 98 92 6 25 Crazy Eddie’s 13 6 7 85 110 -25 25 Pom Bar 12 6 6 83 97 -14 24 Ta Bar 12 4 8 85 95 -10 20 Doggy Style 13 3 10 75 120 -45 19 Naughty Kangaroo 12 3 9 61 109 -48 16 Connections 11 1 10 58 107 -49 13 Results: Crazy Eddie’s 5 v 10 Smile Bar, Doggy Style 6 v 9 San Snack Bar, Funny Girl 6 v 9 Pom Bar, Bye 0 v 0 Connections, Naughty Kangaroo 7 v 8 Asian Nomads, Phimai Geordie 9 v 6 Ta Bar

King Factory Friday Night Pool League Results & Standings Nov. 21 (week 5) Team The Butchers Arms Shoot Pool The Rest Stop Sweethearts Bar Legends Pool Links Bar Pook’s Bar

P 5 5 5 5 4 3 4

W 4 4 3 3 2 1 1

L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

D 1 1 2 2 2 2 3

+/14 8 2 -12 10 -10 -12

Pts 12 12 9 9 6 3 3

Results: Bye A-W Sweethearts Bar, Legends Pool 9-11 The Butchers Arms, Links Bar P-P Pook’s Bar, The Rest Stop 9-11 Shoot Pool

Thursday Darts League Results & Standings Nov. 13 (week 7) Team The Swan Londoner Don’t Tell Mama’s Crazy Eddie’s 2 Dogs Bar Ta’s Bar The Clinic Naughty Kangaroo W. Tankies i-Rovers’ Casuals’ Buffalo Jack’s i-Rovers ‘A’

P 6 7 7 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 6 6

W 6 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2

D 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

L 0 1 2 0 2 3 3 4 4 4 4 4

F 46 41 41 40 42 28 35 19 27 22 17 17

A 10 19 21 17 25 36 26 36 37 34 32 23

Pts. 12 11 10 10 9 8 8 6 6 6 4 4

Results: 2 Dogs Bar 4-6 Naughty Kangaroo, Bye 04 Londoner, Don’t Tell Mama’s 4-0 A Bye, Ta’s Bar 3-10 W. Tankies, iRovers ‘Casuals’ 2-5 The Clinic

40 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXII No. 48

Caddies to the rescue Travellers Rest Golf Group Andy Rich

3rd Derek Thorogood (14) 33pts

My report this week centre’s around the unsung heroes of our golf experience in Thailand, the caddies.

This past week one of our lady golfers felt unwell half way through her round and asked to be taken back to the clubhouse. Not only the caddies but also other members of staff at Eastern Star ran around getting medical assistance and medicine to make her feel better - thank you to all at Eastern Star.

On Saturday at Mountain Shadow another of our ladies was stung quite badly by a hornet and her arm started to swell up but the caddies came to the rescue with ointments and ice to reduce the swelling.

Most caddies are hardworking ladies/guys who run around tending to our every need and the majority are very knowledgeable because they work the course seven days a week on wages that barely enable them to keep their families housed, fed and clothed. Most are absolute saints dealing with us grumpy old men who want to know the precise distance to the hazards awaiting us and then when they don’t give us the exact (and I mean the exact) line on our next putt to the hole they get bawled out as being no good.

Most of them try to make our golfing experience in

Saturday, Nov. 22, Mt. Shadow Stableford

Mike Rushant.

Thailand a happy one so next time you get a good caddie who has worked hard fetching and carrying for you, give her/him the best tip you can afford. I can guarantee they will appreciate it.

Monday, Nov. 17, The Emerald Stableford

Geoff Beckett. ride however as Ed Brubaker and Roger Wilkinson were breathing down his neck and finished just one point behind.

1st Mike Rushant (10) 36pts 2nd Ed Brubaker (12) 35pts 3rd Roger Wilkinson (12) 35pts

Tuesday, Nov. 18, Pattavia - Stableford

The week got underway for the TRGG with a trip to Emerald on Monday and it was a day to remember for the winner. The mighty Mike Rushant at last achieved his goal of becoming a single figure handicapper with another excellent round of golf.

He really is an example to us all when it comes down to fighting to achieve a level of consistency the rest of us mere mortals can only dream about. Well done Mike!

Mike did not get an easy

On Tuesday it was another visit over to everybody’s new favourite golf course at Pattavia Century. Unfortunately, since our last visit a couple of weeks ago, the greens have been taken over by demons on ice skates, they were downright evil and three and four putts were too numerous to mention. I can only assume that the winner of Division 1, Brian Beaupre, has signed a pact with the devil as he was the only golfer on the day to play to his handicap.

Ruam - one of the saintly caddies at Mountain Shadow.

Well done also to Lillian Cummins, winner of Division 2, who managed to keep the demons at bay.

Div. 1 (0-13) 1st Brian Beaupre (6) 36pts 2nd Ian Bell (6) 34pts 3rd Jim Cleaver (9) 33pts Div. 2 (14+) 1st Lillian Cummins (16) 34pts 2nd Seamus Farrell (30) 32pts 3rd Ted Senior (15) 32pts

honours in Division 2, just pipping Geoff Beckett to first place on count back.

Div. 1 (0-14) 1 st Fergus Brennan (13) 39pts 2nd Mike Sanders (6) 38pts 3rd Ed Brubaker (12) 37pts Div.2 (15+) 1st Joe Nagle (18) 37pts 2nd Geoff Beckett (28) 37pts 3 rd Paddy Murphy (15) 36pts

Thursday, Nov. 20, Green Valley Stableford

Friday, Nov. 21, Eastern Star Stableford

Our weekly visit to Green Valley on Thursday also proved to be the biggest turnout of the week. The old devil himself Fergus Brennan proved that you can’t keep a good man down for long and he produced the best round of golf on the day, amassing a remarkable 39 points. Joe Nagle took the

On Friday it was over to Eastern Star and it was Ken Grimes who showed that if you play to your handicap you won’t finish far from the prizes. Today was no exception where 36 points was good enough to take first place.

1st Ken Grimes (19) 36pts 2nd Len Commons (13) 34pts

It was off to Mountain Shadow on Saturday and it was another beautiful day in paradise, the weather was just perfect.

I started this report talking about caddies and at Mountain Shadow we had four of the best in my fourball. They all helped to make it a brilliant day and dealt with the hornet incident with great kindness and professionalism and I should like to say thank you ladies you were fantastic.

Certainly Geoff Beckett had a day to remember and I am sure he will recall it with great fondness when he returns to the winter in England. His 38 points was easily good enough for top spot 1st Geoff Beckett (28) 38pts 2nd Suresh Mehta (18) 35pts 3rd Andy Rich (20) 34pts Good luck to all you golfers for the coming week and if you would like to play a round of golf with the TRGG, please phone Fergus Brennan on 086 056 7019 or pop into the Ned Kelly Bar in Soi Lengkee and add your name to the weekly lists which are posted on the notice board.

Kae, Roy and Don blitz the field PSC Golf from The Growling Swan The Drut

Monday, Npv. 17, Pleasant Valley Stableford Prior to tee-off change room chatter included how one tormented soul had approached his local professional golfer mid week for a lesson. The aforementioned gent had a practice swing and asked “what do you see?” The response, “about fifteen mortgage payments”.

Welcomes were handed out today to Ken Coenen, Frank Riley, Rob Davis, Leo Slager, Graham Clark and Terry Dreirer. A Monday record of 28 players were sent on their way by the

starter under warm and sunny conditions.

With the inclement weather experienced in and around Pattaya over the last two months, many golf courses have struggled as expected to be in top condition. Pleasant Valley is no exception with the fairways being a bit soft and the greens, despite putting ok, may take some time for the texture to come up to scratch.

In the A grade Don Richardson handed in forty points to win easily from Bill McGarvie on thirty seven and John Davis’ thirty four.

The B grade saw lady golfer Kae win by a street with a stylish forty two points whilst Ted Morris and Mike

Wednesday, Nov. 19, Plutaluang Stableford

Left to right: Don Richardson, Kae, Roy Dayton and Ken Coenen.

Gosden both on thirty seven points filled out the minor placings.

C grade was won by Roy Dayton with forty points and John Anderson on thirty one and Patrick Poussier (30) both gained podium finishes.

A Flight (0–14) 1 st Don Richardson (14) 40pts 2nd Bill McGarvie (11) 37pts 3rd John Davis (14) 34pts B Flight (15–20) 1st Kae (17) 42pts 2nd Ted Morris (15) 37pts 3rd Mike Gosden (15) 37pts

C Flight (21+) 1st Roy Dayton (23) 40pts 2 nd John Anderson (31) 31pts 3rd Patrick Poussier (22) 30pts Near pins went to J.J. Harney on the eighth, Rob Davis, the thirteenth whilst Bill McGarvie cleaned up on the fifth and seventeenth.

Long first putts were won

by Kae on the ninth and Roy Dayton on eighteen.

The lucky draw went to Frank Riley and the coveted Compass Cap was won by Ken Coenen.

We ventured out on a Wednesday this week as opposed to the usual Thursday. Plutaluang was our destination on a beautiful sunny day and the track was in great nick and the greens played truly.

We farewelled Bill “Shooter” McGarvie and await his return, hoping it isn’t too soon so as to give we lesser players a chance of a near pin.

On the podium in first place was the evergreen Don Richardson with a good score of 40 points off his handicap of 14. All tied up on 36 points, the placegetters in no particular order were Roy Dayton (23), Mike Gosden (15) and Mark Stapleton (21) Near pins went to Bob Akapita on North 3 whilst Bill McGarvie picked up West 12 and 17, which isn’t bad for a guy who says that he can’t see! North 6 did not attract a regulation so a lucky draw was held and won by Ibby. Long first

putts on the 9th and 18th meanwhile went to Don Richardson.

The coveted Compass Cap was won by Colm Mullen and I would suggest a visit to the optometrist would appear imminent.

Note: The Growling Swan caters for and encourages all golfers male or female to have a hit at any of our weekly outings. We generally play Mondays and Thursdays at one of the many fine golf courses in and around Pattaya. Please contact Peter Grey if you are interested on 0861 503086.

The Growling Swan also caters to the bowls enthusiasts. Bus transport departs the GS on Wednesdays at 10 AM to play at Cocos on undercover synthetic greens and on Sundays at the same time for open grass bowling at The Retreat. Please contact Paul Rennison on 0843 454005 if you wish to partake. The cost including return bus transport, bowling fees and a hot lunch is less than 400 baht so great value for a day out

VOL. XXII No. 48

Friday DFiT, Dusit Thani Pattaya: Visitors using the group fitness membership can avail of the THB 2,000 offer for five visits to the gym after their membership has expired. The offer includes unlimited use of DFiT facilities including tennis courts. For more information, call 038-425611 ext. DFiT. 1:00 p.m. The Pattaya Bridge Club meets upstairs at Altos Restaurant, 144/99 Thappraya Road near flyover. Contact Jeremy Watson 085 818 2172, www.pattayabridge.org.

2:00 p.m. Pattaya Sports Club Bowling at PS Bowl on the top floor of Tops Supermarket at the junction of Central and Second Roads. Contact La at PS after 1:30 p.m.

Saturday Pattaya Archery Club meets between 10am and 12 midday every Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday at our dedicated shooting range within easy reach of Pattaya, near the new railway road. Beginners of all ages are welcome, and equipment and coaching are free. For more information call Eric, the club President , on 089 535 1193 or visit www.pattayaarcheryclub.com Ocean Marina Yacht Club invites experienced sailors and learners for racing weekends and funsail/training weekends. The club has 5 star clubhouse facilities and a fleet of 25' racing yachts available. www.omycsailing.com, phone Kev Scott 087 825 0011.

8:00 a.m. Diving with Mermaid’s Dive School. Contact Mermaid’s Dive Center, tel. 038 232 219 - 20, email: mermaids@loxinfo.co.th 8:00 a.m. - noon & 2 - 6 p.m. (Sat & Sun - Also Monday to Friday) Horseback riding at the Horseshoe Point Riding Academy, the biggest equestrian center in South-East Asia. Show jumping, hacking, trail, dressage and classical dressage. Training courses from beginners to advanced riders with English speaking instructors. Leisure trail riding, group and private classes. All levels of riders welcome. Over 100 horses and ponies available. Located on 1,500 acres of beautiful tropical garden land just outside Pattaya.

Free shuttle service available. For more information: phone (+66) 3873 - 5050 (ext. 4016-18), fax (+66) 3873 - 4973 or email: ridingschool@thehorseshoepoint.com 8:30 am. -10:00 am. International Players Academy meets every Sat. morning for Jr. Intermediate level Tennis at Ambassador City Tennis Courts. Visitors are welcome, just bring your tennis racket, ages range from 10-16. For more details call CJ on 086 086 2121

DATE:

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014 41

PATTAYA MAIL

Fri 28

Sat 29

Indoor Lawn Bowls Free at Coco Club every Saturday for school or college aged children from 11.00am - 2.00pm, with Male – English and Female Thai tutors. Parents can sit at the bar and watch. New champions needed! Call Sue on 087 135 8357 or pop in to the club at Baan Amphur - signposted behind Phoenix Golf.

3.00 pm - Pattaya Cricket Club practice nets at Horseshoe Point next to Siam Country Club. All ages and abilities welcome.

Please contact Simon at pattayacricketclub@gmail.com

Sunday

p.m. in Pattaya Third Road, in front of the Buffalo Bar close to soi Lengkee, and just down the road from the Boxing Roo. We depart at 3:30 p.m. sharp. More info at: www.pattayah3.com.

Tuesday Chess and Scrabble Club: every Tuesday 12pm - 5pm at Hoek-Van-Holland in Jomtien. Take Thappraya Road to intersection with Beach Road. Dong Tan Police sub-station is right there.

Walk back towards Pattaya 10 meters along walking path. HoekVan-Holland is on the right, before the parking lot. Bring your own chess set and/or scrabble board. For more information please see website www.hoek-van-holland.com - Everyone welcome.

The Pattaya Chess Club meets every Tuesday evening from 6:30 p.m. onwards at Brauhaus on 2nd Road between Soi 7 and Soi 8. Learners and anybody who would like to play chess are most welcome. Boards and clocks are provided.

Pattaya Ladies Netball Club: 7.30 pm every Tuesday at Fairtex Sports Club. All ages and abilities are welcome. 100 baht per person. Please email pattayanetballclub@gmail.com to confirm or find us on Facebook – ‘Pattaya Ladies Tuesday Night Netball’

Badminton players are invited to play 3 mornings a week at Xzyte Sports Club on Third Road. We play 10-12am Sunday, Tuesday and Friday with a mix of mostly 50+ farangs and younger Thai’s.

The Amazing Sunday Golfers are a friendly group of average index who welcome new players. Each Sunday they have friendly games on different courses with a meeting point at the course.

Contact Philippe at 082 546 0770 or email 2012tasg@gmail.com to be updated each week for the upcoming game.

8:00 a.m. Diving with Mermaid’s Dive School. Contact Mermaid’s Dive Center, tel. 038 232 219 - 20, email: mermaids@loxinfo.co.th 12:00 p.m. Pattaya Sports Club Softball plays slow pitch recreational pick-ups games at every Sunday at 12 noon. New players always welcome regardless of skill level, experience, age or time away from the game. For more information and directions see the softball page at the Pattaya Sports Club website www.pattayasports.org or contact John at scrabbleking @yahoo.com or call 089-932-5433 2:00 p.m. The Pattaya Backgammon League (PBL) meets every Sunday at B.G. House & Restaurant @ 2 p.m. For further details phone 081 664 9085 or email tournament@ pattayabackgammonleague.com 3:00 p.m. Pattaya Jungle H3 meets every 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month and departure is from the Lek Hotel on 2nd Rd at 3pm. For more info please call Kai on 01 863 5095.

1:00 p.m. The Pattaya Bridge Club meets upstairs at Altos Restaurant, 144/99 Thappraya Road near flyover. Contact Jeremy Watson 085 818 2172, www.pattayabridge.org.

3.00 pm - Pattaya Cricket Club practice nets at Horseshoe Point next to Siam Country Club. All ages and abilities welcome.

Please contact Simon at pattayacricketclub@gmail.com.

4.00 pm – Club Petanque Thailand plays Wednesdays and Saturdays from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. The court is open for groups every day. New and bigger surface. Very good drainage as well as better lighting. No membership fee. Find us at Soi Nernplabwan 100/2 Moo7, next to Sutawas Temple and small Banglamung Police station. Contact: 085 280 7182, fax 038 248 067, email: petanque.Th@gmail.com (English, French, German, Scandinavian); (Thai & Chinese: 080 618 2831.)

Monday

Thursday

1:00 p.m. The Pattaya Bridge Club meets upstairs at Altos Restaurant, 144/99 Thappraya Road near flyover. Contact Jeremy Watson 085 818 2172, www.pattayabridge.org.

3.15 p.m. Pattaya Hash House Harriers: The club for drinking people with a running problem meets every Monday at 3:15

7:00 p.m. Pattaya Panthers and Panties (mixed) Touch Rugby every Thursday night at Horseshoe Point next to Siam Country Club. New players are always welcome - we are a very sociable team! Please contact Paul Crouch on 089 902 6286 or pjcrouch@hotmail.com

Sun 30

Mon 01

Wednesday

Tue 02

Wed 03

Blue Moose Golf Bunker Boys

The Haven

Khao Kheow St.

Greenwood

Green Valley M.

Crystal Bay St.

Burapha

Khao Kheow

Green Valley

Treasure Hill St.

The Emerald St.

Greenwood St.

Plutaluang Green Valley

Green Valley

Khao Kheow M.

TBA

I-Rovers Kronborg Pattavia

Green Valley St.

The Links

Khao Kheow St.

TBA

Pattaya Golf Soc. Travellers Rest

Greenwood St.

TBA

.

TBA

Bangpakong St.

Bangpra

Plutaluang

TBA

Greenwood

Crystal Bay

Pattana

Donovan’s Golf

Green Valley St. Plutaluang

The Emerald

Green Valley

Khao Kheow

Rayong C.C.

Crystal Bay St.

Pleasant Valley St.

Green Valley St.

Pleasant Valley St.

.

Plutaluang

TBA Pattavia The Emerald

.

Green Valley St.

Green Valley St. Pattavia Crystal Bay

Pleasant Valley

TBA Greenwood

Eastern Star St.

Eastern Star

Greenwood Plutaluang

TBA

Greenwood St.

Pattavia

Bangpakong

Growling Swan

Beaver Bar

.

Mt. Shadow St.

Crystal Bay St.

Siam Country Rst

Witherspoons

Pattana St.

Greenwood

Eastern Star St.

Tara Court

Silky Oak St.

Green Valley

Jomtien Golf

Le Katai

Bangpra St.

Pattaya C.C.

The Emerald

Sugar Shack

Pattavia

Plutaluang Scr.

Tropical Golf

The Golf Club

TBA

Mt. Shadow

Lewiinski’s

Billabong Golf

Fri 05

TBA

RichmanPoorman Outback Golf Bar

Thu 04

Greenwood

Mt. Shadow

TBA Eastern Star

Treasure Hill The Emerald

Transportation leaves from Cafe Kronborg on Soi Diana Inn at 8:15 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays (call Dave 083 602 2117). Blue Moose golf plays on various days of the week, call Gay Wilanan 0811441054 for details. The Bunker meet at The Ranch on Pattaya 3rd Road. Please contact Buff on 086 046 5091 or 080 605 5663. The Haven departs from Soi Thirteen (Soi Pattaya 13) at 8:30 a.m. on its scheduled days (contact Stephen at 038- 710-988/9). The Pattaya Golf Society departs from the Elephant Bar on Soi Buakhao on its scheduled days (contact Len Jones 081 949 1468). Lewiinski’s departs from Soi Pattayaland One (Soi Pattaya 13/3) at 9:00 a.m. on its scheduled days of Sunday, Monday, Tuesday/Wednesday and Friday. Tropical Golf meet at The BJ Holiday Lodge on Pattya Soi 3, Beach Road at 8 a.m. on Tuesday’s and Friday’s for breakfast before leaving via minibus to the course (contact Derek on 089 034 0629 ).

Travellers Rest play Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday - please contact Fergus Brennan on 086 056 7019. The Outback Golf Bar is situated 6km from Sukhumvit Rd. along Siam Country Club Road. Telephone Jack on 081 578 1956. Donovan’s Golf Society plays at Green Valley Golf Club on Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Call Steve at 081 996-3026 for details. Jomtien Golf meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Siam Cats, Soi 5 Jomtien Beach Rd. at 8:30am for 10am Tee-off. Contact Glyn on 086 837 5464 for details. The Siam Country Group (Mabprachan) play golf every Tuesday & Thursday. Call Jeff on 089 094 1841. The Growling Swan (formerley The Bunker Bar in Soi Chaiyapoon) generally plays on Mondays & Thursdays. Please contact Peter on 086 150 3086 or email to petergrey@y7mail.com. The Billabong Golf Bar located at Mabprachan Lake play golf every Monday, Wednesday & Friday. Contact Bob Philp on 082 204 3411. The Tara Court Golf Group play every Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday. Call Joe on 089 249 1364 for details. Witherspoons Golf Group, Soi Buakhao, Contact Paul on 092 374 4276. The Beaver Bar & Grill in Ban Chang plays at Emerald Golf Course every Friday with first Tee at 8 a.m. All are welcome. Contact Larry on 087 147 8986. The Players Lounge - call Bob on 080 096 8232.

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VOL. XXII No. 48

Old dogs up to old tricks PSC Golf from Lewiinski’s Golf Society Sunday, Nov. 16, Green Valley – Stableford A Flight 1st Bill McGarvie (11) 42pts 2nd Aittola Petteri (7) 41pts 3 rd Barry Copestake (12) 41pts B Flight 1st Lou Szigligeti (21) 42pts 2nd Colin Davis (18) 39pts 3rd Christian Boysen (14) 37pts Silver Flight 1st William Peach (18) 40pts 2 nd Peter Henshaw (21) 39pts Near Pins: No 5 Sukh Jantiao, No 8 Peter Henshaw, No 12 Freddy Starbeck, No 16 Matt Doyle Well the first of our entitled ‘old dogs’ - Aussie ‘no nickname please’ Zig-zag - was co-man of the match and top in B Flight with an excellent 42 points. Lou has returned for one of his many vacations to the Land of Smiles and, as is usually the case, it takes a couple of weeks of acclimation and work on his swing to round into form. It appears that period of adjustment has been completed.

The Donkey followed Lou up the B Flight podium steps with39 points and was two strokes clear of Christian Boysen and Gerry ‘the Irish rover’ Roche, both tied on 37points with the scales of justice falling in Christians favour.

Bill McGarvie was the other co-man of the match and took the gold spot in A Flight with his 42 points. Second and third places needed a count back to separate Petteri Aittola and Barry ‘the boot’ Copestake that saw Petteri edge Barry 22-19.

As there were six players playing off the Silver tees the Donkey decided to introduce a separate flight for them. The fact that this then

moved him into second spot in B Flight was purely coincidental.

The winner of the Silver flight was Sir William Peach with a splendid 40 points while Peter Henshaw finished just a shot adrift. They also sunk a ‘2’ each and shared the pot with Petteri Aittola, Barry Copestake, Thierry Petrement, Hans Lemstra and Gerry Roche.

Monday, Nov. 17, Greenwood Stablefrod A Flight 1st Ken Hole (17) 40pts 2nd Andy Byrne (11) 36pts 3rd Bill Stewart (15) 36pts B Flight 1st Michael Stafford (21) 36pts 2nd Tim Shaw (24) 35pts 3rd Lou Szigligeti (21) 33pts A fair Monday crowd of golfers set out for the always popular Wolveridge and Thompson designed Greenwood course, which was found to be in fair condition and that suited Ken Hole down to the ground as he was tops in A Flight and man of the match with a sparkling 40 points.

Ken was followed into the barn by Co. Offaly man Andy Byrne and Bill Stewart who had to be separated by a count back as both returned even par rounds; Andy’s back nine managing to edge Bill for the silver.

The laurels in B Flight went to Michael Stafford with a solid 37 points. Tim Shaw, who once again appeared in the winners list even though he could not match his recent rounds, was two strokes adrift of Michael. Aussie Lou ‘no nickname please’ Zig zag was a further two strokes back as he closed the flight.

The belle of the bar Kim Crijns was the sole heir to the ‘2’s pot.

Lou Szigligeti (left) with Bill McGarvie.

Tuesday, Nov. 18, Pattana B & C Stableford A Flight 1ST Christian Boysen (14) 37pts 2 nd Francis Goyons (12) 35pts 3rd Barry Copestake 34pts B Flight 1st Pierre Zbinden (20) 41pts 2nd Gerry Cooney (18) 39pts 3rd Eddy Beilby (19) 35pts C Flight 1st Geoff Williams (22) 39pts 2nd Tim Shaw (24) 38pts 3rd Lou Szigligeti (21) 35pts It is always a pleasure to hold a competition at Pattana and the day’s play over the B+C courses proved to be no exception, even though the greens were rather slower than would normally be expected.

Pierre Zbinden showed real class to fire a excellent 41 points in windy conditions that resulted in hardly any run and therefore playing every inch of the yardage.

Pierre was two clear of B Flight compatriot Irishman Gerry Cooney, who was four clear of Eddy ‘the Eagle and Colin the Donkey, both with 35 points. When shove came to push in the count back it was the Donkey who fell off the podium.

Christian Boysen was the gold recipient in A Flight with a fine 37 points. Good mate Francis Goyons held the silver two shots back and three of Lewiinski’s best tied for the bronze on 34 points as Barry ‘the boot’ Copestake kicked both Ian Pickles and Scotland’s Reg McKay into touch.

Skipping down to C Flight we found Geoff Williams standing atop of the podium with a solid 39 points. Tim Shaw, who once again appeared in the winners’ list even though he could not match his recent rounds, was two strokes adrift of Michael, as Aussie Lou ‘no nickname please’ Zig zag rounded out the flight a further two off the pace.

Kim Crijns was again the sole heir to the ‘2’s pot.

Wednesday, Nov. 19, Silky Oak – Stableford A Flight 1st Michael Prideaux (12) 41pts 2nd Thierry Petrement (12) 37pts 3rd Roger Emery (10) 36pts B Flight 1st Gerry Roche (20) 39pts 2nd Peter Wallace (18) 37pts 3rd Pierre Zbinden (20) 36pts C Flight 1 st Michael Stafford (21) 41pts

2 nd Peter Henshaw (21) 40pts 3rd Richard Snelling (23) 37pts Michael Prideaux and Michael Stafford left little doubt about who were the men of the match today.

Michael Prideaux topped out A Flight and Michael Stafford C Flight, both with 41 points each; this was also Mr. Stafford’s second pay window visit of the week.

Nice Guy Thierry Petrement filled the A Flight silver spot with 37 points as Roger Emery on 36 points plus two ‘2’s took the bronze.

Peter ‘the silver surfer’ Henshaw with 40 points secured the C Flight silver place as Richard Snelling closed the flight with a steady 37 points.

Gerry ‘the Irish rover’ Roche topped out B Flight with a two point spread over Peter Wallace on 37 points. The man on form Pierre Zbinden made it a double win this week with an even par round.

Michael Stafford, JP Gasser, Matt Enslow, Craig Girling shared the ‘2’s pot with Roger.

Friday, Nov. 21, Mt. Shadow – Stableford A Flight 1st Matt Cronin (14) 38pts 2nd Thierry Petrement (12) 38pts 3rd Ed Wyckoff (13) 35pts B Flight 1st Christy Knight (23) 33pts 2nd Alistair Gall (18) 31pts 3rd Pierre Zbinden (20) 31pts Silver and Red Flight 1st Lou Szigligeti (22) 37pts 2 nd Eddie Henshaw (26) 34pts 3rd Jim Elphick (25) 33pts The sad story of the day was Trevor Gough and his 47 points off his 23 handicap. Sad because Trevor, not being a member, did not share in the prizes but he did get a bit of compensation as

he claimed a ‘2’ and was allowed to keep it.

There was no man of the match but not for the lack off effort. It was because the next highest score 39 points belonged to the lovely Marlene Prudden in the Red and Sliver flight.

Sir William Peach took the silver a shot in arrears and a group of three went to count back for the third spot on 33 points; Jim Proctor was the happiest while Peter Henshaw and Marlene’s other half Brian were the saddest.

It was down to count backs in the top flight as Irishman Matt Cronin edged Mr. nice guy Thierry Petrement for the gold, both on 38 points.

Ed Wyckoff with 25 points did the same to Co. Offaly gang man Andy Byrne.

Andy usually travels to Pattaya with his good mate Kevin McEntee but the latter could not make this trip because of a bad back. We at Lewiinski’s wish him a speedy recovery.

Bar for the magnificent 47 points from Trevor Gough, the middle flight was a bit tame by their standards as Christy ‘good’ Knight’s 33 points took the top podium spot. The calculator was out again to separate a couple of mid handicap vets, Alistair Gall and Pierre Zbinden, both on 31 points, with the scales of justice tipping in Alistair’s favour.

William Peach, Mike Jefferys, Andy Byrne, Thierry Petrement and Matt Cronin shared the 2’s pot with Trevor.

Note: Lewiinski’s is situated on Pattaya land Soi 1, Beach Rd Soi13/13 near Walking Street. Anyone wishing to play with us just pop in and add your name to the list or call Colin on 089 826 0764. Transport is provide.

Pattaya Sports Club Bowling League The new league is now underway and only 29 weeks to go. Bavaria started off with a bang by taking all four points from Brother D, led by Ooy Pluemkamon who bowled a 543 series. Hannu was best for Brother D with a 547 series.

Café Kronborg won three points from Green Tree; Noodle Russell bowled a 510

series for Green Tree.

La Montgomery bowled a 507 series to lead Indiana to a three point win over ARDEO while Canada took three points from Balloon in a low scoring contest.

Markku, bowling as a pacer, bowled a 210 game and 572 series and Mai Munsitha rolled a 519 series.

Results & Standings Nov. 21 (week 1) Pos. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Team Bavaria Café Kronborg Indiana Canada ARDEO Balloon Green Tree Brother D

Score 4-0 3–1 3–1 3–1 1–3 1–3 1–3 0–4

Standings 4-0 3-1 3-1 3-1 1-3 1-3 1-3 0-4

200 Bowler: Markku.

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Thompson takes the plaudits PSC Golf from The Outback Golf Bar Monday, Nov. 17, Burapha – Stableford 1 st Chris Thompson (26) 42pts 2nd Dennis Pelly (12) 38pts 3 rd Barney Clarkson (28) 37pts 4th Pete Stonebridge (18) 37pts 5th Tim Knight (24) 36pts Four groups played A & B from the whites which were very forward and combined with a lot of run made the course play very short. Chris Thompson continued his fine form to win with a great score of 42pts from Dennis Pelly on 38. Barney Clarkson beat Pete Stonebridge for fourth on c/b, both with 37pts and Tim Knight scraped into fifth with 36.

For the second Monday running there was only one ‘2’, this time by Barney Clarkson.

Outback Opinion: Weather - blue sky with a cool breeze; Check in - good, friendly and quick as usual’ Tee time 25min early; Fairways - hard with lots of run; Rough light!; Greens - fast and true; Value for money - reasonable for high season; Pace of play - less than 4 hours; Drink stations open - all 4.

Wednesday, Nov. 19, Phoenix Gold Stableford Div A (0-17) 1 st Geoff Stimpson (06) 37pts

2nd Kim Danboise (15) 34pts 3rd Peter Nixon (12) 33pts Div B (18+) Suzi Lawton (25) 34pts Phil Payne (20) 31pts Barney Clarkson (28) 30pts After a recent meeting with the new General Manager at Phoenix, our 17 players today were looking forward to giving Phoenix a renewed chance after an absence of more than three years. I think the course had been hyped up a bit but unfortunately in reality, there were very few apparent changes; the course was fine and a delight to play, looking very mature and verdant but I’m afraid it’s not going to attain the heady targets the management may have in mind, just yet.

Phoenix was always a good course and ranks among my personal favorites but the changing rooms have not been altered, remaining tired looking and in need of refurbishment and although there are plans in mind for the clubhouse, that too needs a wake-up call. It has a long way to go find its true potential which may be the lower end of the ‘A’ courses. In the meantime it should be content with a ‘B’ class rating and bring it’s green fees into line, particularly if the management wants the players back.

Khun Nat, the General Manager, is a very personable guy and speaks brilliant English, making everyone very welcome and if anyone

From left: Greg Hirst from DeVere with John Stafford, Eng & Tony Aslett. can bring this course back to life, then he’s the man to do it. Allowing the walkers back and cancelling the kiosk voucher scheme are a couple of big steps in the right direction.

Our winners today were Geoff Stimpson in Div A with 37pts; followed home by Kim Danboise (34) and Peter Nixon (33) and Div B was won by Suzi (34pts) from Phil Payne (31) and Barney (30).

There were no ‘2’s.

We are due back here on Weds 7th January, in the meantime just to let your know there is a Titleist demo event taking place at the Phoenix driving range on 28th & 29th November. Please call Pookie on 092 224 6320 or 084 873 5363 for further info.

Outback Opinion: Weather - Blue sky & sunny with a good breeze; Check

Dave times two PSC Golf from Café Kronborg Monday, Nov. 17, Plutaluang N & W – Stableford A Flight (0-19) 1st Dave Addison (14) 33pts 2nd Leif Kirkgaard (16) 32pts 3rd Mike Allidi (2) 31pts 4th Elias Magnusson (19) 31pts B Flight (20+) 1st Dave Richardson (27) 38pts 2 nd Richard Snellen (23) 28pts 3 rd Steen Habersaat (26) 28pts 4th Mike Winfield (22) 28pts Long Putts: N9 Dave Richardson, W9 Peter Bygballe Near Pins: N3 Dave Addison, N6 Jan Lovgreen, W8 Lottie Boskov The Navy course at Plutaluang was the game today and after a quick checkin we teed off 25 minutes early under coolish conditions, with sunny skies and a nice breeze all day.

The course was in tidy shape with the greens at a reasonable speed and

Dave Richardson (left) with Dave Addison. running true all day.

Back in the clubhouse after a round of 4 hours and 15 minutes, welcomes went out to Kaj Aabling, Max Chriatalli and Mike Allidi.

Two flights today with the cut at handicap 19 and all the pins to play for. Dave Addison turned his card in claiming he was an ‘alsoran’ but won the A Flight

with 33 points.

Leif Kirkgaard took second one point back and Mike Allidi was third on a count back from Elias Magnusson.

Dave Richardson won the B Flight by 2 country miles with 38 points as Richard Snellin settled for second on a count back from Steen Habersaat and Mike Winfield, all with 28 points.

in - ok & friendly; Tee time 15 mins early; Fairways – excellent; Rough - hard work; Greens - v fast (Ocean), varied (Mtn); Value for money - special but still high end; Pace of play - 3 hrs 40mins, course quiet; Drink stations open - 3

Friday, Nov. 21, Green Valley – Stableford 1st John Stafford 17 net 69 2nd Peter Nixon 12 net 69 3 rd Sunanta Cotterell 22 net 70 4 th C h r i s T h o m p s o n 26net 71 5th Peter LeNoury 10 net 71 6th Tony Aslett 24 net 71

Picking up the start sheet this morning from General Jack we were on Plan A with 35 players until the mobile rang to say that someone was sick; not to worry, we did a quick change and onto Plan B. All was well until I got into the car and received another phone call to say that somebody else couldn’t play, so Plan C was forming whilst I drove to Green Valley and all was confirmed in my head. However, nothing is ever that straightforward when it comes to golf; somebody else turned up at the course who wasn’t even on the sheet but no big deal as Plan D was quickly produced as we ended up with 34 players playing in the DeVere Monthly Medal.

Everybody had high expectations of themselves today as General Jack said that if anyone scored 67 or better, he would give them 500 baht to spend in the bar on the day.

Today was Paul Pedelty’s last game with us for 2014, so bon voyage and see you next year and welcome back to Angus who arrived on Thursday night.

Jack’s money was looking a bit shaky when a strong rumour circulated that a 12 handicapper had shot a net

62 but as the scores came in, the best of the day were two 69’s from John Stafford and Peter Nixon, and as we don’t do count backs in the Monthly Medals they shared first place, but there is only one trophy and that went to John Stafford who collected his second one this year.

In third place on her own with a net 70 was Eng Cotterell, so well done Eng and three players were tied for fourth all on 71; namely Chris Thompson, Peter LeNoury and Tony Aslett. The Low Gross went to John Cunningham for the second month in a row with 77.

There were seven ‘2’s from Wayne Cotterell, Tom Larsen & Peter Nixon (5th), David Davies, Murray Hart & Peter Nixon (8th) and Sugar on the 16th.

Outback Opinion: Weather – Sunny with a slight breeze; Check in – Good; Tee Time – 25 minutes early; Fairways – Good; Rough – Average; Greens – Average to Slow; Value for Money – Acceptable; Pace of Play – 4 Hours; Drinks Stations Open - 5 Note: The Outback Golf Bar is situated about 6km from Sukhumvit Road along Soi Siam Country. Call Jack on 081 578 1956.

Jonathan’s late charge seals podium spot PSC Golf from Siam Country Resort Tuesday, Nov. 18, Eastern Star Stableford Tuesday was normal SCR golf schedule, with the game at Eastern Star from the whites at around 6500 yards, as several tees were well forward. It was perfect golf weather, clear skies, with about a 1 club breeze to keep the humidity down, and the golf course in reasonably good condition.

The scores were much improved over recent outings, with Jeff Wylie (H/cap 8) returning to some form with a strong 40 points, while Jonathan Pratt (13), recently returned from a trip to the UK, enjoyed a spectacular 22-point back 9 to sign for 36 points. Jonathan edged out Kurt Erik Persson (25) on count back after K also had a good back 9 with 20 points.

Near pins went to Jeff & Mham.

Thursday, Nov. 20, Pattavia – PSC Tournament Thursday saw the PSC m o n t h l y t o u r n a m ent at

Mham, happy with her near pin at Eastern Star.

Pattavia scheduled for our normal SCR golf day (see page 46), so we put our regular game on hold, on this occasion. Regular SCR

golfers had some success, with Willem Lasonder (18) getting a near pin in “C” flight, while Jeff got second spot in “A” flight with net 71. The course was in good order, and it was pleasing to see the greens showing some of their past fire, with putts from above the hole presenting plenty of dramas for most.

Note: Siam Country Resort, Restaurant & Bar is located just off Siam Country Club Rd. Golf from here is generally played on Tuesday & Thursday and as a PSC affiliated venue we welcome ALL golfers, including ladies & seniors (>60s) who have opted for the “Silver” tee option. Call 089 094 1841 for scheduling or enquiries.

44 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

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VOL. XXII No. 48

High scores and two eagles at PCC PSC Golf from Tropical Golf Group Pattaya Country Club is a very playable layout and usually gives up some very good scores, and this day proved to be the same.

Back at BJ’s the counting took some extra time as we set some kind of record on count-backs with six people involved. When all the math was done it came to pass that the winner was also the PSC Golf Chairman, Mark West (H/cap 13) with 39 points. Mark has been on a

Friday’s winner Mark West (left) with Daryl Evans, Bill McGarvie and Cat from BJ’s Holiday Lodge.

Friday, Nov. 21, Pattaya Country Club – Stableford Last Friday the Tropical Golf Group headed out to the convenient Pattaya Country Club. A later than normal tee time meant some could sleep

in and others could have extra cups of coffee at the BJ Holiday Lodge. Transport was arranged and off we went for the short drive.

Nice!

Pattaya Country Club has been going through a lot lately. The quality of the

greens continues to go up and down, seemingly each month from very good to poor. We never know which will find. The rating this day was probably best described as a “playable work in progress”. The fairways were in overall good shape but surprisingly also a bit dry and hard, something we sure haven’t seen in a while.

It seems the rainy season is over at last and time to turn on the sprinklers, which were on as we left the course.

roll lately. In second place was Daryl Evans (21) with 38 points, winning on countback over Bill McGarvie (11).

Bill is heading home after a nice visit to Pattaya and we will miss him.

Next were the “35 pointers” and the Order of Merit showed Graham Buckingham (22), and Tom Cotton (24) in 4th and 5th places respectively.

Missing out with the same overall score were Ken Hole and Mashi Kanata. It sure

pays to finish strong.

It should be noted that this day also saw two eagles from the group!

Mike O’Brien holed out on the par 4, first hole with a 5 iron from 175 yards, and Bill McGarvie followed that on the par 4, fourth hole, holing a rescue approach from way out. Wow...!

Near pins were claimed by Graham Buckingham, Brian Parish, Peter Blackburn and Mike O’Brien.

Hot day at Emerald The Backyard Golf Society Well, the rainy season seems to be behind us so it was a hot day for The Backyard lads at Emerald last Friday, Nov. 21.

With reports of a 5 hour round from the players on the previous Wednesday we managed to get the players to the tee earlier than normal and got around in under 4 hours. We did lose a couple of the Aussie/Kiwi players who joined us for the day but they eventually found their way

back to the clubhouse to join the other pair who gave up after 12 holes.

The winner of the main competition today was Irish John, 76 gross giving him 40 points for the round. The near pin went to The Biss, who unfortunately missed the 4ft birdie putt on the 15th. The skins were won

by The Biss with 6, 5 to Danny “Beaker” Larsen, 4 to “Who Brought Him”, 2 to

Irish John and 1 to The Yak. We had the unusual situation on the 12th where the green-keepers decided to dig up all around the area where the flag was so players were confronted with a 2ft strip of soil trying to get at the flag?

Logic says they would move the hole and flag to the other end of the green but they then decided to dig up all the way around just to add to the challenge to the players.

The pace of play Freddie the Farang loves his golf. He takes it seriously too. He’s always watching the pros on TV, seeing if he can’t build something else into his pre-shot routine. Freddie, handicap 25, often copies other player’s routines, especially if they are low-markers.

According to the US National Golf Foundation, the number of rounds played in the US each year, in the ten year period ending 2011, went from 518,000,000 down to 463,000,000. The main reason for this significant fall in playing numbers was pace of play.

There’s nothing wrong with a 25-handicapper trying to emulate a 5-handicapper’s

pre-shot routine, unless that routine is abnormally long.

Similarly, average golfers imitating pros, in terms of pre-shot deliberations, need also be aware of the cost in time. The problem arises when the high-marker believes he is no slower than the low-marker simply because they have an identical pre-shot routine. What this assumption ignores is the 20 plus additional shots the high-marker will play.

Aggregate time spent playing 18 holes is the issue here.

The difference time-wise can be huge. This factor is often overlooked when pointing the slow-play finger.

Another reason for slow play, and it’s one we can do

nothing about, is playing behind five or six-balls.

Leaving aside the fact this is only an occasional event, and that some Thai fiveballs are faster than many Farang four-balls, the truth of the matter is that this is not the main reason for slow play. The real culprit lies within our own ranks. It is us, or at least those of us who for whatever reason are slow.

Having lost ground to the field, what can a four-ball do to pick up its pace? The trick here is to recommend actions that do not impact on existing pre-shot routines, so it’s not a big deal, yet. This is phase one. Phase two is best done over a beer.

1. If playing stableford, have players pick-up when their score on any one hole exceeds net one-over-par.

At this point their stableford score for that hole will be zero.

2. Introduce “ready golf”; a common term used to encourage whoever is ready to go ahead and play their shot, whether it’s their turn or not.

3. As soon as your group’s first player putts out, have them proceed to the next hole and tee off, immediately. For those of you who deem such

Pattaya golf needs to speed up. action as lacking in etiquette, realise this, the frustration the group behind you is experiencing, due to your group’s slow play, is a far greater breach of etiquette.

4. Encourage players not to mark their cards when it’s their honour. Have them tee-off first.

5. While waiting on the tee, or at any point through the green, work out what club you are going to play, and how. When it comes to your turn, you should be good to go.

6. If you need to read your putt from the other side of the hole, do so while waiting your turn.

7. Pay attention to the line of tee shots, not just your own.

8. If doubt exists over whether a ball is in play, or may be difficult to find, always play a provisional ball.

Please note if your ball is believed to be in a hazard, the Rules do not permit the playing of a provisional ball.

If you’re playing with a PSC group, however, your Local Rules state you must play a provisional ball, regardless.

9. If carting on a day when they are restricted to cart paths, please, please take more than one club with you when unsure of your lie or distance.

10. People sharing golf carts should use them as a way to play faster, not as a way to be lazy and selfish.

If four guys are playing in

two carts, it is not necessary to drive to everyone’s ball.

The player playing second can grab a few clubs and walk rather than wait.

Realise this, you could be a scratch or 30-handicapper, it matters not. In the minds of many golfers it is how long they perceive you take when it is your shot that will form their view – notwithstanding aggregate time taken. But also realise that a golfer has every right to a routine, even a meticulous one, if it means he increases the chance of keeping his ball in play. The same tolerance need not be applied around the greens.

Appreciate that the new golfer in your group may never have received tuition on pace of play. If this appears the case, then it is beholden upon the experienced golfer to pass on appropriate guidance. It is equally beholden on those receiving such advice to be prepared to amend their ways.

One great tip for saving time on putting greens – watch the world’s number one-ranked golfer next time he is on TV and copy his putting routine, his practise putting stroke in particular.

Happy golfing, Golfnutter

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Canadian class IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at the Elephant Bar The Pattaya Golf Society began the new week with a visit to Khao Kheow on a hot and humid Monday, 17th November, for a stableford competition on the B and A courses in two flights cut at 11.8 and under.

The course has survived the wet season relatively well but remedial work on the fairways has left many lightly sanded areas which absorb all the momentum from descending golf balls and yesterday limited the run expected. The greens were fine and consistent if no more than medium paced.

It was therefore surprising that scores were not higher across the field, but on reflection it was, after all, a Monday! In the second flight Jesper Hansen took the pot for the only birdie ‘2’, on A5, and also shared third place with Jim Ferris on 30 points.

The joint winners of the flight were Brian Talbot and Dave Edwards on 34 points and both obviously enjoying their brief inclusion in the higher handicapped flight.

The top division saw Brian Beaupre, Jon Batty and Peter Ditz all return birdie ‘2’s on A5 whilst newbie Paul Hubbard managed the feat on the Island Hole on his debut with the group. Alan Flynn finished third on 32 points and mark Lang put the horrors of his previous round behind him in recording 36 points for second. The winner with the only sub-par round of the day was Brian Beaupre and his gross 74 gave him 39 points for an astounding win. This was truly a class performance by the Canadian golfer.

Jon Batty’s status as almost “invincible” took a massive jolt when he received the Booby Bevy for recording a score of no more than Mr Len, thereby nosediving from hero to zero status and the bar’s free draw for the non winners was won by Simon Hirst on his first round with the group.

The week had started in fine style again.

Pattana to the rescue Not a good start to the golfing day – being told that your scheduled course is subject to a caddy strike. Yet that was the situation at Greenwood on Wednesday, 19 November. One of our members was contacted by his Greenwood caddie around 0830, who relayed the situation; that all caddies would be withdrawing their services in protest at management’s alleged “clean-out” programme – retiring all male and lady caddies over a certain age.

Luckily this gave us enough time to find an alternative. The fact that we got the first of our nine groups to Pattana, teeing off just prior to the original scheduled time, says a lot for that Pattaya Golf Society member and his Greenwood caddie – thank you Khun Wichai.

Pattana plays long, whatever the yardage, so it was decided to have a two-tee competition with A Flight (handicap 14 and under) going off the whites (6700 yards), and B Flight off the yellows (6300 yards). Our course today comprised B and C, which meant our starting hole was the muchfeared B1. The wind was up,

Scenic Khao Kheow G.C. suggesting this was going to be a tough day; it was.

The fairways were in excellent order, as were the front nine greens. The C nine greens were still recovering from recent coring, which meant some putts were thrown off line through no fault of the golfer. The bunker sand at Pattana is extremely fluffy, making the execution of a standard splash-shot impossible. The sand needs compacting.

Today was a hard test of golf, so it was no surprise that only one player from our nine groups broke par. In the B Flight there was one ‘2’, on B7 scored by John O’Sullivan, whilst onehandicapper Chris Smith’s ball-striking was very much in evidence as his overall score along with three ‘2’s proved.

Back at the Elephant Bar, welcome-backs were extended to Richard Dobson from the UK and John Chelo

from Canada. John Tallett won the lucky beer draw again, whilst the booby bevy was awarded to today’s real hero – the chap whose efforts ensured we had our day of golf – Wichai Tananusorn.

A Flight 1st Hisahiko Makino (12) 37pts 2nd Chris Smith (1) 36pts 3rd Alan Flynn (12) 34pts B Flight T1 st Jesper Hansen (16) 35pts T1st Garry Hookey (17) 35pts 3rd John O’Sullivan (20) 33pts Earning a podium place today was tough work; congratulations to the six who succeeded, and a special mention to the owner of today’s best score, the only one to break par – enjoy your trip home – Hisahiko San.

Pattavia’s greens – therein lies the challenge A Flight T1st Brian Beaupre (5) 36pts

T1 st Rich Schramm (10) 36pts T3 rd Tomas Nilsson (11) 33pts T3rd Alan Griffiths (11) 33pts B Flight 1st Jim Ferris (19) 36pts T2nd Larry Gibb (21) 35pts T2nd Murray Edwards (22) 35pts Friday 21 November saw the Pattaya Golf Society take seven groups up the 331 to Pattavia Century Golf Club.

The course was presented in a state we have become used to from this rejuvenated golf club – excellent. Some fairways on the front nine can offer the occasional tight lie, as grass growth recovers, but overall, these fairways are well presented.

Bunkers, the source of jokes in the past, are superb, with the well-tended and compacted sand offering every chance of a good escape.

Finally, the greens; herein lies the key to scoring well on this course. Putting surfaces are

very grain-dependant. When this is combined with slope, the challenge becomes marked, especially when above or side-on to the hole.

This course, despite the bumpy trip through the pineapple fields, is worth every bit of the 700 baht green-fee.

Our field comprised of two divisions, with the handicap split at 14.3 and under. There were three ‘2’s in B Flight; Ken Page on the 4th, Dave Lehane at 7 and Larry Gibb on 13. The scoring was tight at the top, with just one point separating the three podium place-getters. Interesting to note the winning scores in both flights were identical.

Those scoring ‘2’s in A Flight were Tony Campbell and David Thomas on 4, Brian Beaupre on 13 and Jon Batty on 17. This total of seven ‘2’s was in stark contrast to the number achieved on our last visit here, two weeks ago: none. Pin placements at this course make a huge difference.

Tony Campbell’s tee-shot on the 4th also earned him a bottle of whisky, kindly donated by Simon Hurst, for being closest to the pin.

Back at the Elephant Bar we welcomed our newest member, Paul Hunter from the UK, whilst welcome-backs were extended to Canadian Henry Mah and Toshihiro Aoki from Japan.

The lucky beer draw was won by Henry Mah while the booby bevy was awarded to recently returned Richard Dobson, in commiseration of having a ‘mare of a round – the worst of the day by some margin.

The Captain sets course for a double PSC Golf from The Billabong Golf Bar Monday, Nov. 17, Plutaluang Stableford We played Plutaluang today on the East and South loops in great weather with just a little high cloud and a nice breeze. The course was in great condition, even the greens were fast and true, and we got around in just over four hours. It was good to see the lake back up to the right level also.

George Barrie was back playing again after a week in bed with the flu and it did reflect in his score with him taking the NAGA award with a fantastic 15 points.

We had Don Walding and his good mate Dean Hart from Perth join us today and Don was a little worried he would take last place, but he didn’t plan on George being so sick.

It was a three-way count back for second, third and fourth on 35 points with Brian Maddox taking fourth spot, third going to Owen Walkley and second to Eng Cotterell. But it was a Captain Bob day today as he won by an 8 point margin with 43 points, his best round in a long time.

There were two ‘2’s, coming from Phil Waite and Bob Philp.

Wednesday, Nov. 19, Green Valley Stableford Green Valley was the place to be on Wednesday with the temperature just right for golf and the course in magnificent condition, all it really needs is to be put back the right way and it would be a pleasure to play instead of walking across 2 fairways to get to the first hole and 3

beaten on count back by John Locke, but once again it was Captain Bob’s day, taking the line honours with 43 points. The bell ring cost him though.

There were eight ‘2’s from Capt Bob, John Locke (2), Sa , George Barrie, William Macey, Auke and Richard Steadman.

Friday, Nov. 21, Burapha Stableford Capt. Bob (left) with Wayne Cotterell. fairways to get off the course.

The greens were as slippery as hell, which made for tricky putting all day. We had eight groups out here today and the scoring was very good indeed with count backs right down to 6th place, which was taken

by Wayne Cotterell on 36

points, beating his wife on a count back, not a good thing to do mate!

In fifth place was Jonathan Pratt with 37 points, being beaten by Peter LeNoury on the same score but with 20 points to Peter on the back nine. Third was Roger Ison with 38 points, also being

Burapha was not as busy as we would have thought it would be today and we played the round in just under 4 hours, which is great for this time of the year.

Playing A and B loops the layout was in fantastic condition with lightening fast green, as the scribe can attest with a few four putts and countless three putts, but that wasn’t the fault of the course.

We had one casualty today with one of the Aussie boys playing one shot only and doing his shoulder in so in the best of spirits he just went along for the ride and had a few beers.

There were only three players who scored in the 30s, everyone else was in the twenties although there was one player who scored a massive 18 points total.

Coming in at number three today was Don Walding with 32 points, second went to Mal Farquharson with 33 and taking top spot was John Locke with 36. There were five ‘2’s but as the field was a little light on there were no prizes for them.

Note: The Billabong is situated just off Siam Country Club Road looking straight down Lake Mabprachan.

Give Bob a call on 082 204 3411 if you are looking for a game.

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VOL. XXII No. 48

Watson edges Ruddle for low-gross honours PSC 138th Monthly Golf Tournament

Low-gross winner Bob Watson.

Report: Peter Blackburn/ Photos: Tom Herrington For the 113 players at the Pattaya Sports Club’s 138th monthly golf tournament on Thursday 20th November, it was a great day at Pattavia with terrific weather and the golf course in great shape, although the greens were a bit too slick for some. On this occasion it was a 2-tee start and even though there were a few stragglers we managed to get everyone

A Flight winner Kari Kuparinen.

away pretty much on time.

Once again PSC departed from the usual Friday tournament by holding it on a Thursday, which worked out well with good attendance and a quicker run back into Pattaya afterwards, missing the usual Friday Bangkok traffic exodus. Golf Chairman Mark West, together with Peter Blackburn, Dick Warberg, Andre Van Dyk & Gerd Reidler, arrived at the course early to prepare for the players arrival, along

with the Pattavia staff who were on hand and helpful.

With all flights except the Ladies/Seniors playing off the white tees there were some good scores and of course some fairly ordinary ones and in a tight finish at the top it was Bob Watson (H/cap 3) who had the best gross of 74 on a count back from Shane Ruddle (0), with Bob scoring 34 on the back nine to Shane’s 37 A Flight, playing medal, was well won by Kari

B Flight winner Gunnar Lund.

Kuparinen (8) with a fine net 68 while B Flight’s Stableford comp saw Gunnar Lund (10) in top spot with 36 points. C Flight produced the equal best Stableford score of the day from Gerard Cooney (18) on 40 points and D Flight winner was Bernard Green (29) with 36.

Chop Daprakhon (13) won the Seniors/Ladies with another great score of 40 points.

The presentation and prize giving was at the ever popular Lewiinski’s where once

C Flight winner Gerard Cooney.

again Colin and his team produced an excellent buffet and drink service appreciated by all.

Time for the presentation and Peter Blackburn welcomed all and introduced Golf Chairman Mark West.

Mark expressed his appreciation to the day’s players and those who assisted him at the course and to Colin for the buffet, the PSC office staff for the pre-tournament work and Kit and Jun who

D Flight winner Bernard Green.

sold the 50/50 lucky draw tickets. Mark also mentioned about slow play during these events and asked everyone to please be aware of keeping up with the group in front and also announced that the next tournament will be held at the much improved Pattaya Country Club on Tuesday, 23rd December.

Peter then announced the winners and Mark presented the prizes followed by the Lucky Draw and the 50/50 draw.

Ladies/Seniors winner Chop Daprakhon.

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Harris in hot form at the Hill PSC Golf Bunker Boys @ The Ranch Monday, Nov. 17, Treasure Hill – Stableford Thirty golfers today for our Stableford competition at Treasure Hill on another bright, sunny morning. The course was quiet and the leading two three-balls were soon heading off into the distance as the remainder of the field played a leisurely round in almost perfect conditions.

The course is in great shape apart from several greens which have suffered badly during the recent rainy season, and one suspects that they will need a lot of TLC if they are to recover.

Alan Harris produced the outstanding round of the day to win the A flight and finished six points clear of all other contestants in both flights. Annual visitor Neil Jones took second place in the A flight, beating Gordon Melia on a count back after Gordon missed a short putt on the 18 th green, which produced a rare show of frustration from a player who is normally one of golf’s gentlemen.

Last year’s Memorial Tournament winners all set to defend their title.

Tom McDowell was playing the first game of his annual visit and took the honours in the B flight ahead of Tore Eliassen and Geoff Williams.

A Flight 1st Alan Harris (10) 39pts 2nd Neil Jones (15) 33pts 3rd Gordon Melia (17) 33pts B Flight 1st Tom McDowell (22) 33pts 2nd Tore Eliassen (20) 31pts 3rd Geoff Williams (22) 31pts Near Pins: Keith Norman, Les Burns and Mike Staunton.

Wednesday, Nov. 19.

Bangprakong – Stableford A nice round number of thirty two golfers today set off down the 7 motorway for what is normally a straightforward run to Bangprakong, but today the trip was longer than usual due to severe roadworks on the exit road from the motorway to the course. The delay didn’t cause too many problems and our groups were

soon teeing off immediately after arrival, albeit a little later than scheduled.

As usual the course was in excellent condition although the lakes were so full that they were flooding their banks in places, and even a few bunkers (which are presumably lower than the water table) were flooded and marked as GUR. Once again the weather was ideal, with a stiff breeze keeping temperatures at a reasonable level, but causing some problems with high trajectory shots.

It’s usual for someone to card a high score whenever we play here, and today it was the turn of newcomer Brian Edwards, who scored 40 points to win the B flight by three clear points ahead of Steve Durey and Geoff Williams, who had to be separated on a count back.

Mike Lloyd won the A flight on only his second game back ahead of the ever-consistent Tony Scambler and newly arrived visitor Derek Stephenson.

A Flight 1st Mike Lloyd (14) 37pts

Tim tames the greens at Khao Kheow Jomtien Golf with the IPGC Monday, Nov. 17, Khao Kheow – Stableford Nine groups out today in three divisions and we were allocated the A and C nines, which made a nice change from recent games here. The almost equal cut came at 716, 17-20 and 21+ in the 3 flights.

Some of the flag placements today were wicked on these lightning greens and of the first 18 cards handed in later there was only score above 30 points. And it did not get a lot better after that with the exception of a couple of boys from Khao Yai who were down with us for a couple of weeks.

Tim Hake returned the best score to win division 2 with 38 points. Geoff Stubbs came in second with 29 after beating Kari Aarnio 10/8 on a back-six count back.

Pete Sumner was the winner in division 1 with 35 points and Mike Lewis beat Horst Starchl 15/14 on the back nine for second spot after they both came in with 31 points.

Roger De Jongh topped division 3 standings with just 30 points as Ali Dukoney took second two points behind and Leo Van Der Haeghen finished third with 27.

Near pins went to Mike Chatt, Lindsay Phillips (2), Pete Sumner, Frank Boudewyns,

Tim Hake.

Chris Reed.

Colin James, Leo Van Der Haeghen and John Walsh.

Lindsay Phillips, Pete Sumner and Chris Voller split the first division ‘2’s pot while in division 2 Countback Burnie was a happy chappy after securing sole rights to the pot.

winner in division 2, beating Tim Hake 20/15 on the back nine after they both came in with 35 points each and in third place was Andy Crabb with 34.

Ali Dukoney won division 3 with 35 points as well, as Leo Van Der Haeghen (34pts) and Jeff Van Uffelen (32) filled the minor places.

Near pins were claimed by Alan Hansen, Sandy Lundie, Pete Sumner, Seppo Toivenen, Jim Connelly, Colin James, Chris Reed and Countback Burnie.

There were three ‘2’s in division 1, with Dennis Scougall, Seppo Toivenen and Mika Viljakainen sharing the pot and Colin James birdied the 5th for the only ‘2’ in the second division.

The course here is still slowly improving and the majority of the group were quite happy to play it today.

Wednesday, Nov. 19, The Emerald – Stableford Another large group out today with a few more lower handicap players taking part so the cut came at 5-14, 1520 and 21+ in the 3 divisions.

We teed off 35 minutes ahead of schedule but soon caught up with a society in front of us and it was a painful five hour round.

Playing off 10, Seppo Toivenen topped division 1 with 40 points while Kari Kuparinen came in second with 39 and Mika Viljakainen took third on 35.

Alan Hansen was the

2nd Tony Scambler (10) 36pts 3rd Derek Stephenson (13) 35pts 4th Alan Harris (9) 34pts B Flight 1st Brian Edwards (26) 40pts 2nd Steve Durey (20) 37pts 3rd Geoff Williams (22) 37pts 4th Sid Hashem (21) 34pts Near Pins: John Graham, Mike LLoyd, Geoff Williams and Neil Hurst.

Friday, Nov. 21, Crystal Bay C & A – Stableford An organiser’s nightmare today as thirty eight golfers turned up at The Ranch, but somehow we were able to squeeze everyone into the transport and managed to get the two extra groups onto the course.

The weather was once again almost perfect as the leading groups set out on the C nine, and the fairways and greens are now in good condition, so everything was set for a great day’s golf.

There were no massive scores today, but almost two thirds of the field scored 30 points or more, so count backs were the order of the day. Alan Harris produced the best score of the day with 38 points to win the A flight one point clear of Gary Close who had a splendid back nine score of 23 points after spraying the ball around on the outward nine. There was a three-way tie on 36 points for third and fourth places with Mike Johns being the unlucky player to miss out on the prizes.

In the B flight, Gordon Melia continued his run of good form to finish two points clear of John Hughes and the resurgent PJ Redmond, who had to be separated on a count back.

The shot of the day was hit

by Derek Stephenson on the par three A8 hole where his ball finished two inches from the pin, which would have been an expensive round of drinks given the large field of golfers today.

A Flight 1st Alan Harris (9) 38pts 2nd Gary Close (15) 37pts 3rd Geoff Cox (14) 36pts 4th Keith Norman (14) 36pts B Flight 1st Gordon Melia (17) 36pts 2nd PJ Redmond (23) 34pts 3rd John Hughes (18) 34pts 4th Neil Griffin (24) 33pts Near Pins: Gordon Melia, Derek Stephenson, Keith Norman and Neil Jones.

Note: The Bunker Boys are a PSC affiliated golf society, who now play out of The Ranch bar on Pattaya 3 rd Road (in front of the fire station, and almost opposite the Buffalo Bar). We play on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, so if you enjoy a fun day out, and a friendly but competitive golf competition why not come and join us.

We meet at The Ranch at 9 a.m. for breakfast and transportation, and new players are always welcome. Contact “Buff” on 086 046 5091 or 080 605 5663 for all enquiries or check website: www.bunkersociety.com.

Mike Lewis.

Friday, Nov. 21, Eastern Star Stableford Eight groups out today and retired Aussie teacher Chris Reed came in with 39 points to win division 2, beating Tim Hake 24/21 on the back nine. The ‘organizer’ was third with a remarkable 37 points.

Mike Lewis topped the podium in division 1 with 38 points, three ahead of Mika Viljakainen in second who beat Timo Rautianen 3/2 on a back two holes count back. Kari Kuparinen and Khalifa Nasser both lost out with 17 points each on the back nine after also scoring 35 points in total.

Near pins went to Edward Bourne, Gerry Cooke, Pete Sumner, Chris Voller, Colin Aspinall, Mike Catt and Glyn Evans.

There were no ‘2’s in either division today.

Free Passes Available For PSC Members at Pattaya Sports Club & Pattaya Mail Offices

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VOL. XXII No. 48

Hamilton answers Rosberg in style to clinch F1 title Jerome Pugmire Abu Dhabi, UAE (AP) Lewis Hamilton answered Nico Rosberg’s pre-race goading in defiant style, winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last Sunday as he clinched a second Formula One title and denied his brash-talking Mercedes teammate his first.

The days leading up to the race saw an upbeat Rosberg talking openly about how he fully intended to make Hamilton crack under pressure.

That resulted in the onus to deliver falling on Rosberg — Hamilton’s childhood friend and teenage go-karting rival — and match his prerace fighting talk with equally aggressive driving.

It never happened, and the German driver’s dismal race saw him place a lowly 14th after he failed to recover from a poor start.

Hamilton, the 2008 F1 champion, entered the race with a 17-point lead over his rival, needing only a top-two

finish to guarantee the title.

But he was never even tested and the highly anticipated duel under floodlights never happened.

“It’s hard to soak all of this up. This has been an incredible year, so much pressure,” the 29-year-old Hamilton said afterwards. He kept his helmet on for several minutes, appearing to wipe away tears, as the emotion of his hard-fought championship win started to sink in.

Standing watching in the Mercedes garage, Britain’s Prince Harry told him he was a “legend” and the emotion got to Hamilton, who described how he sat on a beach the night before the race, texting his father, Anthony Hamilton, and urging him to attend the race.

The elder Hamilton responded to his son’s call.

“One thing I want to say is a big huge ‘Thank You’ to all the fans, to my family. I love you guys,” Hamilton said. “This is the greatest

day of my life — 2008 was a special day but this is way, way beyond that.”

As a dejected Rosberg climbed out of his car, Hamilton rushed over to hug his girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger, who was in tears as she gave him a kiss.

Rosberg started from pole position and, with double points on offer, could have won the title providing Hamilton finished third or lower.

“It is a pity it did not work out,” Rosberg said. “It’s been very intense, a very special weekend for me.”

Brazilian driver Felipe Massa crossed the line in second place ahead of his Williams teammate Valtteri Bottas, while Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo drove superbly to finish fourth despite starting from the back of the grid alongside teammate Sebastian Vettel, who finished eighth.

In total, Hamilton scored 384 points, with Rosberg notching 317 and Ricciardo third with 238.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton leads his teammate Nico Rosberg during the Emirates Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina racetrack in Abu Dhabi, Sunday, Nov. 23. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Lewis Hamilton celebrates being crowned 2014 Formula One world driving champion at the Yas Marina racetrack in Abu Dhabi. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) Although it was a one- Jackie Stewart ahead of him sided race, the season was a on three. welcome drivers’ contest afHe won 11 races to ter Vettel beat Fernando Rosberg’s five this season.

Alonso by 155 points last Tellingly, the German driver year. Mercedes, however, failed to make the most of pole crushed the competition out position, having bettered of sight, winning 16 of 19 Hamilton 11-7 in qualifying. races and securing 18 poles.

“We said way back in 1997 that it would be amazing if we were fighting for the title one day,” Hamilton said.

“He just came into the room just now, he was very professional. He said ‘Fantastic, you drove really well.’”

Hamilton joins British drivers Graham Hill and Jim Clark with two F1 titles, with only

Hamilton’s other title was also decided on the last day, when he did just enough to beat Massa by one point at the season-ending Brazilian GP six years ago.

A repeat scenario was squashed after three seconds.

While Rosberg seemed rooted to the spot, Hamilton showed phenomenal acceleration from the line.

“It was a good start, like a rocket,” Hamilton said.

Meanwhile, it was a tough end to Vettel’s Red Bull career.

The four-time F1 champion will join Ferrari next year on a three-year deal, replacing Fernando Alonso, who is touted to replace Jenson Button at McLaren.

The Red Bulls started last after race stewards nullified their qualifying results because of an illegal aerodynamic influence on the front wing flaps.

Although Red Bull placed a giant sticker on the garage floor that said “Danke Seb!” (“Thanks Seb!”) he was not quite the center of attention.

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell — engaged to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner — was in the team garage.

Note: For more on the season-ending F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, turn to Automania on page 38.

Pressure builds on Mayweather after Pacquiao win Tim Dahlberg Macau (AP) - Manny Pacquiao is done taking the high road, tired of pretending he doesn’t care.

At long last he has Floyd Mayweather Jr. right where he wants him. And this time he’s not about to let him slip away without a fight.

“I think it’s time to say something,” Pacquiao said last Sunday after dispatching Chris Algieri in convincing fashion in this Chinese casino town. “The fans deserve that fight. It’s time to make that fight happen.”

Whether it actually happens, of course, depends on Mayweather agreeing to sign on the bottom line. And for the better part of five years now, Mayweather has given one excuse after another when it comes to making the one fight boxing fans really want.

He thought Pacquiao might be on steroids, and refused

to deal with his promoter.

When Pacquiao got knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez, Mayweather said it wasn’t worth his time to even mention his name.

But now Mayweather may be boxed into a corner for a number of reasons and from a number of angles. The pressure will be on to make the fight sometime in the first half of next year or forever draw the wrath of the fans who contribute to his massive paychecks.

And suddenly the prospect of boxing’s richest fight ever doesn’t seem like such a far-fetched fantasy after all.

“Answer the telephone, it’s as simple as that,” promoter Bob Arum said when asked what it would take to make the fight. “If boxing is to be considered a major sport then the fight has to happen. The nonsense needs to cease. There are no excuses anymore.”

Mayweather opened the

WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines (right) throws a punch at WBO junior welterweight champion Chris Algieri of the U.S. during their title bout in Macau, Sunday, Nov. 23.

(AP Photo/Kin Cheung) door ever so slightly to the same answers. I call my t h e f i g h t a f t e r h i s w i n own shots.” over Marcos Maidana in There remain a number of September, saying that he obstacles to actually making might be open to the possi- a fight, though, not least is bility of a fight.

Mayweather’s willingness to “If the Pacquiao fight risk his unblemished mark happens, it happens,” May- near the end of his career. weather said. “You can ask There are issues with prothe same questions and get moters, TV contracts, purse

splits and even legacies.

But Arum has been in exploratory talks with Les Moonves, the head of CBS Corp., which owns the Showtime network that Mayweather is contractually obligated to for two more fights.

And the fact is that both fighters have pretty much run out of opponents that boxing fans will pay good money for pay-per-view to see. That wouldn’t be the case in a mega-fight that would break all records and make both fighters paydays far more than the $20 million to 30 million t h e y ’ v e r o u t i n e l y b een getting for fights.

Neither fighter is the same as he was five years ago, when the clamor first began for the fight. Age has taken a toll, if ever so slightly, on their reflexes and speed.

But they both have plenty left, as Pacquiao showed when he knocked Algieri down six times on his way

to a decision so lopsided that they were measuring it in terms of touchdowns and field goals.

“The man is exactly what he was billed as,” Algieri said after Pacquiao cut short his Rocky story in front of Sylvester Stallone himself. “He’s a great champion and one of the great fighters of his era.”

Algieri’s game plan was to weather the storm early against Pacquiao and try to win the fight late, but he did not implement it well. Algieri ran most of the fight and was unwilling to exchange with Pacquiao, and was out of the bout before it reached the fourth round.

It was a signature win for Pacquiao, one he needed badly. His own plan was to show he still has power after going five years without a knockout and he kept putting Algieri down even if he could not finally put him away.

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FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014 49

PATTAYA MAIL

Three top courses fill the week IPGC Golf from The Haven for his second placing of the week, with Peter Newham back in fourth after he won a count back over John Carlin with a very good 21 to 19 result, which left Mark Lang in sixth another shot behind them.

The pot for the first division 2’ was shared between Jon Yarrow and Shuichi Kodaka with the latter cursing his previous good play that had taken him up into the first division as once again there were none in the second division with that pot almost overflowing.

Monday, Nov. 17, Phoenix - Stableford CSS 71 1st Peter Newham (20) 41pts 2nd Markku Tynell (23) 39pts 3rd Yasuo Suzuki (13) 38pts 4th Lyle Blaw (11) 38pts 5th Russell Exley (9) 35pts 6th Frank Hughes (18) 34pts For the first time since March 2013 the group played Phoenix following a meeting with the new General Manager, Khun Nathawat Aksornchat (Nat) and his ensuing generous offer to try out the course once again. The venue proved to be very popular with the players and so a return has been scheduled for Friday the 19th December.

With the compulsory cart having been cancelled, the only problem may be the green fee which will be 1,500 baht, making the cost walking 1,850 baht, so in the end the players will decide whether, as the most expensive course on the schedule, it is worth supporting. But Nat seems determined to bring back both members and local groups to add to the steady flow of tour groups playing the three nines, so things may well be on the up and up again for Phoenix Gold as it is now known.

The course was in fairly good condition, following the redesign of some holes with the addition of a few extra sand traps, although there were signs that some

Peter Newham. areas needed to be considered as GUR although unmarked. The CSS for the day bore out the general good shape and playability.

Peter Newham took advantage of the generous fairways and the extra roll to return his best card in Thailand and easily run out the winner ahead of Markku Tynell, who is temporarily running the golf operation while Trevor remains away and Hal is on vacation. The extra responsibility seems to have improved Markku’s performance on the course as he finished the week on the podium three times.

Third place went to a count back which Yasuo Suzuki, making his swan song

Friday, Nov. 21, Khao Kheow A & B – Stableford

Phil Groves. appearance this trip, won with a better 13 to 11 to consign Lyle Blaw into fourth.

Russell Exley took fifth on his return to golf, having played just four times since the end of April, to leave Frank Hughes to take his first podium placement this trip in sixth.

Strangely, with the good conditions and the scoring, there were no ‘2’s in either division.

Wednesday, Nov. 19, Green Valley Stableford CSS 71 1st Phil Groves (9) 39pts 2nd Lyle Blaw (11) 39pts 3rd Markku Tynell (23) 38pts 4th Peter Newham (20) 35pts

th

5 John Carlin (18) 35pts 6th Mark Lang (6) 34pts Now Green Valley is permanently back on the schedule the players are beginning to get the better of the course, which today saw the CSS dropped to 71 following some good scoring by many of the hopefuls.

Phil Groves, who is finally getting back to his old form, took yet another win, this time at three under but he had to contend with Lyle Blaw who sadly lost a count back for the second time in a row. Phil took the top spot over the last three holes with a better 6 to 5 after he and Lyle had tied the nine at 18 and the six on 13.

Markku Tynell took third

CSS 72 1st Jon Yarrow (14) 37pts 2nd Phil Groves (9) 37pts 3rd Mark Lang (6) 37pts 4th Peter Skinner (12) 35pts 5th Markku Tynell (23) 34pts 6th Shuichi Kodaka (15) 32pts The third excellent condition course in a row was Khao Kheow over the A and B nines, where the scoring was a little harder to come by than on the two previous outings in the week.

Jon Yarrow won a threeway count back over two of the single figure handicappers in the field, with a stunning level par back nine off his 14 handicap to amass 25 points that easily saw off Phil Groves, in second, and Mark Lang, in third, as they could muster just 19 each.

Phil took second with a better 13 to 12 on the last six. It surely will not be long before Jon is amongst the single figure players in the group on this showing.

Peter Skinner has been toiling away recently in the lower sections of the field but did enough this time out to take fourth, two shots adrift of the top three. After a bright start at one under for the front nine he slipped slightly over the inward half, otherwise he would certainly have been in contention for the top step.

Markku Tynell made it to the podium for the third time in the week finishing in fifth, with Shuichi Kodaka taking sixth a couple behind him.

There were no 2’s in the second division, but the top three in the competition, Jon Yarrow, Phil Groves and Mark Lang, all had one each to share the first division pool.

Note: If you would like to play with The Haven group, you can contact 038 710 988 or call in to The Haven Hotel, at 185 Soi 13, between Beach Road and 2nd Road. All transportation to the course is arranged and you do not need to sign up prior to the day, but you should be there by 8.15 on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on the days that you wish to play. A schedule of courses to be played can be found on our web site at www.thehaven-hotel.com.

Billy bags an ‘Ace’ PSC Golf from The Golf Club Steve Ellison

Monday, Nov. 17, Green Valley (white tees) – Stableford 1st Mark Wood (7) 40pts 2nd Phil Smedley (11) 39pts 3rd Andy Makara (29) 39pts It has been awhile since we had a 40-pointer up on the board but today that number was reached. It was a very tight contest in fact, and there was some good golf played out at Green Valley today. The course was in super condition, some guys stating that this is the best they have ever seen it.

For those of you abroad reading this, the weather here has finally turned and our “rainy season” is over for the year. The Spin Doctors from Bangkok like to refer to this as the “green season” but they aren’t kidding anyone, and we are glad to see the back of it and the floods our hopeless drainage could not cope with.

Mark is a very experienced golfer who plays off 7 and has been here in the Pattaya golf scene for ages. Like

On yer bike, the girls of TGC help Billy Eyles celebrate the Ace! many oilfield workers, Pattaya is his base of operation so has played Green Valley countless times. Today was all his, as Phil and Andy could come close but no cigar (probably from Keith) to Mark Wood’s excellent 40 point round.

Let’s finish the day’s reporting with a happy ending.

Billy “The Hat” Eyles has been ‘round a golf course a good many years and finally achieved what we all would love to do, get that hole in one! He teed the ball up at the right place on the 8th hole today and 129 yards later the ball was 5 inches lower than he was expecting, at the bottom of the cup. Well done Wild Bill!

Bryan Carroll with the evidence!

Friday, Nov. 21, Pattaya C.C. (white tees) – Stableford 1st Bryan Carroll (17) 40pts 2nd Ian Brimble (7) 39pts 3rd Phil Smedley (11) 34pts And just like the proverbial London bus, another 40pointer shows up on the leaderboard after waiting

ages for one. As good as it was playing a course in great condition on Monday, just the opposite was true here today. This track needs some work, not just a nice new clubhouse. The front nine was in OK shape, but the back nine was still very sandy in the fairways as well as on the greens. The

caddies were enthusiastic but poorly trained and were not much help. It’s not their fault, management needs to sort this out for the high season as quickly as possible.

Those 40 points came from our good mate Bryan Carroll, as he continues to extend his purple patch. His handicap is slowly dropping, but not as fast as some lads would like. Bryan is playing some great golf and if it weren’t for his dodgy wrist it would be even better. Well done mate!

The English Texan, Ian Brimble, is also back and did very well to score 39 points off of this dry track. Captain Phil had a good week as well and was on the podium for both of our rounds.

Note: The Golf Club is located on Soi LK Metro. Just call 085 434 3377 or see our website www.golfclubpattaya .com and for more information mail us: pattaya4golf @gmail.com and see updates at www.facebook.com/ golfclubpattaya... all handicaps welcome!

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VOL. XXII No. 48

Long boats and buffalos race at Lake Mabprachan

Long boats compete head to head in a 30-oar category race on Lake Mabprachan, Sunday, November 23.

Jetsada Homklin

A motocross event was also held on the shore-side of the lake.

Twenty-four teams of rowers competed for 396,000 baht in prizes at the annual Pattaya Traditional Long Boat Tournament.

Thai teams competed in both 55- and 30-paddler long and short boats for the HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and HRH Princess Soamsawalee trophies.

The winning team in the final race was Chao Mae Pradoo Thong while Chao Mea Pradoo Ngern placed second, Porn Phra Kaew third and Thep

The trophy presentation was attended by Pattaya Mayor Itthipol Kunplome, Nongprue Municipality Mayor Mai Chaiyanit and many local civil servants.

Suriya came fourth. They won cash prizes of 100,000, 50,000, 30,000 and 10,000 baht respectively, as well as trophies.

Boats weren’t the only ones racing at the Nov. 23 Lake Mabprachan festival.

Buffalo races were also held in front of the Khao Phothong Temple with five categories of racing cattle.

Winners took home between 3,000-6,000 baht depending on the race.

Kamnan Suwit’s team took first in the big-buffalo race with Thongpian Mabpai finishing second, Thongpian Mabpai third and Mr. Precha’s team fourth.

In the “big small” buffalo race, Kamnan Suwit’s team also took first place, with Mr. Dam’s team second and Kamnan Suwit’s team also taking third and fourth.

The alcohol-free event broadcast on television also saw endure racing demonstrations and traditional long drum competitions for students and the general public.

More than 20 teams of students from Chonburi, Nakhon Nayok, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Chachoengsao participated and five public teams banged out performances.

Dancers in traditional costume accompanied the buffalos on a pre-race parade.

(Right) Buffalo racing took place at the adjacent allweather track.

Crowds packed the banks of the reservoir to enjoy the sporting spectacle and fine weather.

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FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014 51

Top sailing returns at Pattaya’s Varuna Cup

Winner of the monohull class Gareth Owen (centre) stands on the podium with Shin Suenaga (right) and Scott Montgomery.

Tim Browne skippers The Weasel to second place in the keelboat class.

weekend off with two wins.

But then Lennart Fahgren sailing Amanda started a fight back by winning the race home. In the Ocean Marina mulithulls, Scott Galle skippering Black Swan enjoyed the conditions to win all three races.

On Sunday, the Ocean Marina fleet again started off at the marina, this time with quite a long race around the

islands off Varuna and then a finish at the Varuna committee boat. They then followed this with a short race around the buoys before anchoring up to join the prize giving at Varuna.

Lennart and his crew were now finding their way around the waters off Varuna and took two more wins to confirm first place overall. David Wales and The Sting were giving Scott a hard time in the Ocean Marina multihulls and won both races. However the previous day’s hard work meant that Scott and Black Swan took the series win.

Many thanks go to the Tudor Group for sponsoring the weekend. All the sailors had some excellent racing and also a great barbecue at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club beach bar on Saturday night.

From page 52 The Ocean Marina keelboats and multihulls had an early start on Saturday, and sailed a race finishing at Varuna to start their weekend. They followed with a further race around the buoys off Varuna, and a race back to the marina.

In the keelboat class it was Tim Browne and his team on their Platu who started the

Frefel takes local Optimist title as storms brew

The JVK International Movers Eastern Seaboard Regatta top three stand on the podium, from left: Quentin Uhrich, Alex Frefel and Phomraphi Thapthim.

Earlier this month, the JVK International Movers Eastern Seaboard Regatta gave some very difficult conditions but also excellent racing for the Optimist sailors at Royal Varuna Yacht Club. On Saturday, November 1, the weather looked fairly good but experience said that there

Optimist sailors pose for a group photo at Royal Varuna Yacht Club in Pattaya. were storms around. The race team managed to get the first race away in light conditions and it was Quentin Uhrich who took full advantage to take a win and beat many of the older and more experienced sailors.

In the second race of the day, Alex Frefel was first across the line after a very eventful race, especially on the last leg. As the expected storm approached, the wind did just about everything!

Initially it was a light wind beat to the finish, then a reach, then a strong wind beat finally to the line. All the sailors made it back to the shore in good shape as the storm finally hit.

With a long delay and the weather finally improving, the race committee set a course to try to get another race in.

Unfortunately the wind died and racing had to be canceled for the day leaving Quentin and Alex tied on points at the head of the order.

On Sunday, November 2, conditions looked similar but with the earlier start there was hope to get some races in before the weather changed.

As it turned out the wind was better but also there were some tricky shifts. Four races were sailed and the key was to get consistent results.

Phomraphi Thapthim (Poom) managed to get two wins but his other places

were not as good. Quentin was also still very much in the hunt for the top spot, but two poor last races meant that he had to settle for third place overall. The last race was very much the championship decider and a third place was just enough for Alex to take the top spot from Poom by just one point.

It was again great to see all the young Optimist sailors on the water and they did a great job of competing in the difficult conditions. Many thanks again to JVK International Movers for their support - all the competitors were wearing their ‘JVK’ shirts and seemed to thoroughly enjoy the doughnuts afterwards!

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VOL. XXII No. 48

Top sailing returns at Pattaya’s Varuna Cup Chris Dando The Tudor Court Varuna Cup, held over the weekend of the 15th and 16th November, saw a return to some great sailing conditions in Pattaya. The sunshine was out and a fresh northerly wind gave some excellent sailing and racing.

On Saturday the monohulls sailed three races around the buoys, with Gareth Owen taking the first race win. However it turned out to be a terrific battle at the front of the fleet with Shin Suenaga taking a good win in the second race. With the wind up to full strength for the final race of the day, it was then the turn of Kevin Whitcraft to be first across the line. Kevin had a little to prove as his son Dylan had

previously shown him the way round the course in the first race!

On Sunday, Gareth was in full competitive mode and won the first two races. He also made sure with some clever tactics that his nearest rival, Shin, did not have great results. In the final race to decide the minor places, the fleet split between those who went inshore, out of the tide, and the those that went out to sea looking for wind. The outer route paid handsomely with not just more wind but also a nice shift. Shin eventually won the tight battle at the front as the wind caused a few thrills and spills around the final lap.

For the multihulls it was Aroon and Akkharawat who showed the fleet a clean pair of heels in the

Hamilton clinches F1 world title in Abu Dhabi Turn to page 48

three races they sailed on a windward-leeward course around the buoys on Saturday. Although the faster F17’s and F18’s had it mostly their own way, Bob and Judy Gardham did show that a well sailed Hobie 16 can still get to the top of the fleet by scoring a deserved second place in the middle race.

Sunday started with a race around the buoys, with Jerome Collin and Roch showing that Aroon’s F17 could be beaten by an F18. For their final race, the multihulls set off on a long distance race around Koh Larn and the islands. After a long but fast race, Aroon was back at the front to consolidate his overall win for the weekend.

Lennart Fahgren and the crew of Amanda sail to first place in the Ocean Marina keelboats class at the Tudor Court Varuna Cup. Continued on page 51

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