Pattaya Mail - FRIDAY JUNE 22 - JUNE 28, 2018 (Vol. XXVI No. 25) by Pattaya Mail Media Group

Established in 1993

VOL.XXVI No. 25

Pattaya’s First English Language Newspaper

FRIDAY JUNE 22 - JUNE 28, 2018

25th Year

30 BAHT

New meaning of “heavyweight opposition”

A student of Ayutthaya Wittayalai School controls a ball against elephants during a friendly soccer match between the students and elephant handlers in Ayutthaya. The school football team discovered a new meaning to “heavyweight opposition” on Tuesday when it played against a troop of elephants who were painted in the colors of sides competing in the World Cup. The idea was to raise awareness of the danger of betting on sport, which is illegal in Thailand, and which always spikes as major tournaments approach. (Full sports coverage begins on page 24.) (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

2 FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018

PATTAYA MAIL

Doctor shortage leaves Nongprue locals aching Warapun Jaikusol Nongprue residents are complaining that local clinics are suffering unscheduled closures due to a shortage of doctors. Mayor Mai Chaiyanit and sub-district council members met with representatives from the region’s 44 communities to discuss facilities such as the Mabprachan Medical Center, which now closes several days a week due to a shortage of doctors and nurses. Residents said many people prefer to use local clinics and walk-in centers, especially the elderly who cannot commute to city hospitals or wait all day in crowded waiting rooms. Sub-district officials offered little consolation, pointing out Mabprachan has never posted operating hours and

Nongprue residents are complaining that local clinics are suffering unscheduled closures due to a shortage of doctors. only operates when it can. Public Health Director Surapol Kruemprasert said that center has only three full-time staffers, one of whom is a clerk. They often leave the center to attend to

urgent cases and accidents. Mai made a vague promise to look into the issue and do what he can, saying the subdistrict will try to station two doctors at the Mabprachan center at all times.

Pattaya joins ASEAN Dengue Day campaign Jetsada Homklin A central Pattaya neighborhood did its part to commemorate ASEAN Dengue Day by leading residents and volunteers on a march to raise awareness and prevent spread of the potentially deadly virus. City Councilman Sinchai Wattanasartsathorn and Jirawat Plukjai, president of the Chumsai Community, led the parade of Surveillance and Rapid Response Team volunteers and residents on the march down Central Road, along Soi Buakhao and through its sidestreets to raise the alert about dengue fever in Pattaya, which has been declared a “red zone” for the disease. Volunteers handed out abate sand while SRRT members went around spraying pesticide. They also dropped abate in water sources and drains while public health workers distributed flyers about the dengue and how to prevent its spread. The campaign was one of hundreds organized across the country as part of the annual ASEAN Dengue Day, which this year has the theme of “ASEAN United

Volunteers and residents marched down Central Road, along Soi Buakhao and through its sidestreets to raise the alert about dengue fever in Pattaya, which has been declared a “red zone” for the disease. Against Dengue”. Similar flu-like illness that can poactivities were organized at tentially develop into severe the national level in 10 of the complications characterized 11 Association of Southeast by respiratory distress, seAsian Nations countries vere bleeding and organ imJune 15. pairment. It is one of the Campaigners in Pattaya fastest growing emerging urged residents, tourists and infectious diseases in the vendors to keep their property world that affects infants, tidy and dry to prevent dis- children and adults. Dengue ease-carrying mosquitos from does not only have public breeding. People also were health consequences but advised to wear long sleeves also has significant socioat night or when around trees economic impacts. It is gloand gardens. Repellant use bally estimated that there are also was advocated. 390 million dengue infections Dengue is a mosquito- per year, of which 96 million borne viral infection with have clinical symptoms.

VOL. XXVI No. 25

Multimillion-baht facelift washes away at neglected Yim Yom Beach Boonlua Chatree Four years after Pattaya poured tens of millions of baht into renovating Yim Yom Beach, the Pratamnak Hill shoreline is a mess again, a victim of neglected maintenance. A broken footpath, crumbling concrete walls, burned out streetlights and piles of trash have spoiled the beach once known as a bit of secluded nature. Pattaya in 2014 launched a renovation of Yim Yom Beach following a major storm in 2013 that heavily damaged a pavilion there. A new sala was built under the 600-million-baht refurbishment of Jomtien Beach while city workers paved a new sidewalk, filled in holes and built

Four years after Pattaya poured tens of millions of baht into renovating Yim Yom Beach, the Pratamnak Hill shoreline is a mess again, a victim of neglected maintenance. walls to block storm runoff. Local vendors said some concrete structures built and footpaths laid in 2014 were put in the wrong places, contributing to flooding that ate

away their foundations. Despite all the money poured into the initial facelift, apparently none has been spent in the ensuing years on maintenance.

Residents complain about 4 years of sewage overflow Warapun Jaikusol A group of Nongprue homeowners have turned to the media after sub-district officials have spent the past four years brushing off their complaints about sewage backups. Chaowali Klinklan, representing the homeowners in Moo 6 village, said she moved into her house in 2011, but for the past four years the nearby sewers have overflowed into her yard when it rains. The problem is obvious, she said: Neighborhood drains are clogged and when it rains they back up, taking sewage with them into the street. The road slopes, so the sewage

For the past four years the sewers in Moo 6 village have overflowed into nearby houses when it rains. then runs downhill into her yard and even the house. She and her neighbors have complained for years about the smelly, unsanitary condition, but all Nongprue

officials ever tell them is “we’re looking into it.” Exasperated, the homeowners turned to the press hoping to put pressure on the sub-district to finally fix the problem.

Pattaya installs pipe to relieve Floating Market-caused flooding Boonlua Chatree City hall has come to the rescue of residents near the Pattaya Floating Market, which has been flooding their neighborhood by improperly managing vacant land next door. A Pattaya Sanitation Department crew was on-site June 13 installing a pump to drain away flood water and dig a trench to install a pipe

A Pattaya Sanitation Department crew has come to the rescue of residents near the Pattaya Floating Market, installing a pump to drain away flood water and dig a trench to install a pipe that will be connected to the sewer system. that will be connected to the sewer system. Residents along Sukhumvit Soi 83 had complained that Floating Market management has continually filled property it owns near the park, raising it to a higher level than surrounding land. But because the land-filling has been uneven and sporadic, large lakes form after heavy rain. The lakes then overflow and all the water runs downhill into their yards.

Pattaya officials said they are investigating the Floating Market, its land deeds for what used to be public property in Huay Yai, and permits for its excavation. Meanwhile Pattaya has begun laying 40 meters of 60-centimeter-wide pipe to take flood waters to the main drainage pipe on Sukhumvit Road. Once active, the new drainage system should prevent neighbors’ yards from flooding.

VOL. XXVI No. 25

FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018 3

PATTAYA MAIL

Najomtien cleans up after tide of Roaches join rats, sewage on list of Pattaya Beach blemishes trash hits Baan Amphur Beach

Najomtien officials organized a big cleanup of Baan Amphur Beach after waves of rubbish forced swimmers and sunbathers off the sand. So much trash came in on the tide it took two days to remove it all.

Patcharapol Panrak Najomtien officials organized a big cleanup of Baan Amphur Beach after waves of rubbish forced swimmers and sunbathers off the sand. Mayor Sompong Sainapa led civil servants in sweeping up the garbage that washed ashore on the Sattahip

sub-district’s beach. Beach vendors had tried to pick up the trash, but were overwhelmed by the sheer amount of it. So much trash came in on the tide it took two days to remove it all. Until the plastic bags, foam boxes and glass bottles were cleaned up, residents and tourists were told to avoid the beach.

The trashy tide was the result of high seas and strong winds that kept boats ashore and stirred up the mountain of garbage floating in the Gulf of Thailand. A 20176 report by the nonprofit Ocean Conservancy found that Thailand is one of the world’s top-five worst plastic polluters of the seas.

Researchers test trolley buses on Pattaya routes

Thammasat University researchers tested electric trolley buses in Pattaya as part of the city’s flirtation with a new mass-transit system. Funded by the National Science and Technology Development Agency, the test was designed to collect capacity, route planning and economic benefit data. Thammasat University researchers tested electric trolley buses in Pattaya as part of the city’s flirtation with a new mass-transit system. Faculty of Architecture and Planning researchers ran the rubber-wheeled trollies on four routes between June 13 and 17. The cars ran from Naklua to central Pattaya,

North Pattaya to the city’s train station, North Pattaya to central and South Pattaya, and from central Pattaya to Jomtien Beach. Pattaya officials in 2016 proposed that a light-rail or tram system be built, with variations on the plan calling for a loop between North and South Pattaya on Beach and

Second roads, or just a single track on one of those streets. The trolley system is based on one already being built in Khon Kaen, hence the “Khon Kaen Model” moniker. The Northeast province has begun planning an integrated system of buses built around a central trolley line. Study on the project is now complete. The Pattaya test, funded by the National Science and Technology Development Agency, was designed to collect data for later analysis capacity, route planning and economic benefits. (PPRD)

Kanrapa Mukdasanit of the Disease Control Department is imploring tourists and locals to properly dispose of their leftover food, trash and other waste.

Jetsada Homklin The rats endemic on Pattaya Beach have new neighbors: cockroaches. Kanrapa Mukdasanit of the Disease Control Department on June 13 blamed tourists and locals for the insect scourge by improperly disposing of their food, trash and other waste. However, the cockroaches are nesting and swarming around putrid beach outflow pipes through which raw sewage has repeatedly spilled over

the past year, clearly showing that Pattaya City Hall, not beach-goers, shoulders most of the blame. Pattaya has battled in recent years against both an epidemic of rats and frequent sewage spills, both of which have spoiled the sand and sea and only amplified Pattaya’s long-running reputation for

having a filthy beach. The roaches are doing nothing to dispel that image. City officials, however, seem content to blame tourists for dropping food and litter. The Health Department said it plans to spread pesticide around the beach to bring the roach infestation under control.

4 FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018

PATTAYA MAIL

Teacher assaulted, robbed at Banglamung School

VOL. XXVI No. 25

Human remains found on Kledkaew Beach

Boonlua Chatree

Patcharapol Panrak

Police are searching for a man who assaulted and robbed a Banglamung School teacher in her classroom after classes ended. Kindergarten teacher Rungtiwa Lakkratok, 39, was doing extra work when a Thai man in his mid-30s appeared, assaulted her and stole her purse containing 5,600 baht and personal property. Fellow teacher Patcharang Ratpradit, 34, encountered the man earlier who claimed to be a parent of a Banglamung School student. However, she told police he acted

Sattahip police are investigating human bones found on Kledkaew Beach. Officers and Sawang Rojana Thammasathan volunteers responded to the rocky shoreline June 13 after local residents found a pile of remains of what was believe to be a man. Dead for at least a month, the corpse was reduced to a pile of bones and badly decomposed tissue. Police took the remains for a forensic examination in hopes of identifying them. Sattahip police are investigating human bones found on Kledkaew Beach.

Police are searching for a man who assaulted and robbed a Banglamung School teacher in her classroom after classes ended. strangely and suspected he security-camera footage of may be mentally ill. the attack to the press in Police are investigating, hopes of bringing the suspect but Patcharang provided to justice more quickly.

Neighbors built shelter for burned-out couple Jetsada Homklin Neighbors and police came to the aid of an impoverished couple whose shack burned down in the South Pattaya woods. Wirat Joyjinda, president of the Soi Khopai Community, Pol. Lt. Col. Saranyapong Maithongkultorn and volunteers from the “Water Drops Become a River” group joined June 13 to build a temporary shelter for Sompong Thathom, 56, and his wife. The group, joined by neighbors near the wooded area behind the Palladium football field on Soi Khopai 10, also donated cash, rice, dried food, drinking water and basic necessities. Sompong, whose shack burned to the ground two days earlier, admitted he had left something cooking on the stove before leaving home. He and his wife, who pick through garbage for recyclables for a living,

A Cambodian monk was arrested in Najomtien for alleged money laundering. Moo 1 Village Chief Supoj Inyaem and his deputy confronted a monk collecting alms around the neighborhood after complaints he was not Thai. Sure enough,

Boonlua Chatree Pattaya police seized nine kilograms of marijuana and thousands of methamphetamine tablets in an arrest of a wanted Chonburi drug suspect. Anusorn Kongkokkruad, 20, was captured in his apartment off Thepprasit Road June 12. Officers, tipped off to the alleged dealer’s location by young customers arrested previously, found him smoking weed when they busted into his room.

Pattaya police seized nine kilograms of marijuana and thousands of methamphetamine tablets in an arrest of a wanted Chonburi drug suspect. A search of the apartment and a kilogram of crystal meth, uncovered 5,780 ya ba tablets as well as the marijuana.

6 dealers, few drugs collected in arrests Teerarak Suthathiwong Neighbors and police came to the aid of Sompong Thathom and his wife who lost everything when their shack burned down in the South Pattaya woods. lost everything. The Soi Khopai Community learned of the couple’s distress and solicited donations from neighbors. However, the

couple still has more needs. Anyone wanting to assist can call Wirat at 087-7443647 or the Pattaya Mail office at 038-411-240-1.

Illegal Cambodian monk disrobed in Najomtien Patcharapol Panrak

Wanted drug suspect caught smoking weed

30-year-old Kongkum was found to be Cambodian. While he had documentation showing he was indeed an ordained monk, Kongkum didn’t have a passport or visa. The monk confessed he entered Thailand illegally from Aranyaprathet a month ago. He claimed that he was assigned to a temple in

Sriracha, but ended up in Moo 1 Najomtien to wander and collect alms, donations and others items from local residents. After he was arrested with 480 baht, the monk informed on two other Cambodian monks traveling with him. All were taken to the abbot of Najomtien Temple and disrobed.

Pattaya police scooped up six minor drug suspects found with fewer than 100 methamphetamine tablets between them. Police said June 15 that the arrests were significant – even if the amount of drugs seized wasn’t – because all six are connected to the same network. They also had few qualms about ratting out their partners. Prachak Thongkiew, 47 from Supanburi, and Weerapol Saenharn, 23, were arrested first in a sting operation at the Garden 3 apartment in on Naklua Soi 12. They had between them 33 ya ba tablets, 1.2 grams o f c r y s t a l m e t h

Pattaya police scooped up six minor drug suspects found with fewer than 100 methamphetamine tablets between them. and a 20-caliber handgun with a single bullet. Police didn’t need to twist their arms too hard for them to squeal on Thongchai SaeUeng, 47, and Nithiya Muenster, 49, who were nabbed in

a sting with 43 ya ba pills and two grams of crystal meth. They quickly coughed up the names of Sitichoke Boopthay, 23, and Piyaraj Seekena, 31, who were captured with 2.1 grams of ya ice.

VOL. XXVI No. 25

Chonburi, Pattaya aid fire victims Warapun Jaikusol The Chonburi Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office and Pattaya City Hall donated 33,000 baht to a family whose home burned down in April. Chonburi Permanent Secretary Waranon Yimmongkol presented the funds donated by the Royal Rajaprajanugroh Foundation to Wanna Kelly, whose Thepprasit Soi 8 house was heavily damaged by flames April 15. The family had not received any government aid for the fire previously. The money will be used to purchase materials to rebuild the house. In addition, the foundation, in the name of HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn, provided kitchenware and a

new bedroom set. Pattaya, meanwhile, dispatched engineers to examine the damaged home’s structure

and find a contractor to repair it at fair prices. They also presented the family a bag of basic necessities.

Banlue Kullavanijaya presents Nongprue police 50,000 baht for catching a fugitive convicted of writing him bad checks.

A former Pattaya City Council chairman rewarded Nongprue police 50,000 baht for catching a fugitive convicted of writing him bad checks. Banlue Kullavanijaya presented the cash to Nongprue police chief Pol. Col. Chiddecha Songhong, June 15, with instructions to distribute it to police who

worked on the case of Krittichai Kumkaew, 54, who was had been on the run since February from a conviction for failing to pay more than 3.2 million baht to cover bad checks he wrote for alcohol at Banlue’s Kitti Taveechai grocery store in Naklua. Krittichai, captured while hiding at a construction workers camp in Lopburi, repeatedly had ordered

booze from the warehouse seller, but paid with checks that bounced. When the debt piled up to 3.25 million baht, Banlue had Krittichai arrested. The court convicted him and ordered Krittichai to pay back the debt plus 7.5 percent interest. Rather than pay, Krittichai fled. An arrest warrant was issued in February and a reward was offered for his capture.

Health volunteers mobilize in Pattaya dengue ‘red zone’ Warapun Jaikusol The Banglamung Village Health Volunteer Club mobilized members to combat dengue fever in the Pattaya area, much of which has been declared a “red zone” for the disease. Nongprue, Nong Plalai, Takhiantia and Pong sub-districts all have been declared red zones for dengue with Huay Yai listed as a yellow zone. In all of Banglamung, 117 people have fallen in with dengue, 61 of them in Nongprue, which encompasses Pattaya, and 26 in Naklua. Another 13 patients became sick in Nong Plalai, five in Pong and five in Takhiantia. At a volunteer club meeting at Nong Pungkae Health Promotion Hospital June 9,

Police red card youth World Cup betting

The Wanna Kelly family, whose Thepprasit Soi 8 house was heavily damaged by flames April 15, receives funds and necessities donated by the Royal Rajaprajanugroh Foundation.

Ex-Pattaya councilman rewards Nongprue cops for arresting a swindler

Teerarak Suthathiwong

FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018 5

PATTAYA MAIL

The Banglamung Village Health Volunteer Club mobilized members to combat dengue fever in the Pattaya area. group president Wanchai Sanngam said the vast majority of victims are age 25 or younger. He urged club members to aggressively publicize the se v e r i t y o f t h e d e n g u e

outbreak in their villages and show people how to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds in stagnant water, plant pots, tires, buckets, puddles and other places with standing water.

Pattaya-area police reminded World Cup fans that gambling is illegal in Thailand and urged schools to step up supervision of football-crazed students.

Warapun Jaikusol Pattaya-area police reminded World Cup fans that gambling is illegal in Thailand and urged schools to step up supervision of footballcrazed students. Pol. Lt. Col. Daranpop Srathongyu from Banglamung Police Station and Police Commission member Pairoj Prawatlertudom kicked off their anti-gambling campaign at Photisampan Pittayakarn School June 11 with Principal Somsak Duangcharoen. The Office of the Basic Education Commission has ordered schools to be vigilant against student betting during

the global football tournament that runs through July 15. The initiative also covers teachers and school staff so that they set good examples for youths by not engaging in or romanticizing gambling on football. OBEC and police want schools to better supervise pupils to prevent football-related fights, promote football

in a healthy way, strictly scrutinize student absences or tardiness during televised matches, show recorded matches appropriately, warn or terminate teachers or employees caught gambling, and seek out police assistance when necessary. Authorities also called on parents to take extra care during the World Cup.

6 FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXVI No. 25

Injured former Cambodian PM Ranariddh sent to Thai hospital Sopheng Cheang Phnom Penh, Cambodia (AP) - A Cambodian prince who was a candidate in upcoming general elections was transferred early Monday to a hospital in Thailand after being injured in a road crash that killed his wife, said a fellow politician and a Cambodian news agency. Prince Norodom Ranariddh, 74, was in a convoy along with senior members of his FUNCINPEC party heading toward Sihanoukville in southwest Cambodia on Sunday morning when a taxi traveling in the opposite direction slammed into his SUV, said a senior party member in the group. Ranariddh’s wife also was standing as a candidate in Cambodia’s general election next month. His 39-year-old wife, Ouk Phalla, died in a hospital after the crash, and Ranariddh suffered head injuries and

In this Sunday, June 3, 2012, file photo, Cambodian Prince Norodom Ranariddh greets people before casting his ballot in a local elections at the Wat Than temple in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Ranariddh, 74, has been seriously injured in a road crash that killed his wife and injured at least seven other people early Sunday, June 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File) was transferred to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, for urgent treatment, Sihanoukville police chief Gen. Chuon Narin said. Ranariddh, who was originally reported severely

injured, suffered broken ribs, a politician familiar with his situation told The Associated Press. The politician, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release

Nong Plalai temple installs 7 Buddha statues

In this photo provided by Cambodia National Police, Cambodia’s Prince Norodom Ranariddh’s mangled car sits on the side of a road after a collision with another vehicle outside Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Sunday, June 17, 2018. (Cambodia National Police via AP) information, said Ranariddh was flown to Bangkok at 1 a.m. Monday for medical care on request from the country’s Royal Palace. Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni is Ranariddh’s half-brother. Fresh News, a news agency close to the government, also reported that Ranariddh had been taken to Thailand. Nhep Bun Chin, a FUNCINPEC spokesman, said Ranariddh’s condition had improved, but declined to confirm his evacuation to Bangkok. Health care in Cambodia has a poor reputation, and

senior officials, including Prime Minister Hun Sen, as well as the well-to-do, often go abroad for serious medical problems. Ranariddh was Cambodia’s co-prime minister for four years in an uneasy powersharing arrangement with Hun Sen after his party won a United Nations-organized election in 1993. His party’s popularity was largely due to its royalist credentials, although Ranariddh’s personal relations with his popular father, late King Norodom Sihanouk, were often strained. He was ousted in July 1997 and fled abroad when

long-simmering tensions between him and Hun Sen exploded into two days of bitter fighting in Phnom Penh between his forces and those loyal to Hun Sen. Ranariddh was allowed to return to contest elections the following year but failed to repeat his success at the ballot. He slid into political irrelevancy, as FUNCINPEC became co-opted by Hun Sen, a much savvier and tougher politician than Ranariddh. Ranariddh is currently president of FUNCINPEC. It holds 41 seats in the National Assembly, but only because seats held by the op p o s i t i o n C a m b o d i a National Rescue Party were redistributed after CNRP was dissolved. The dissolution was widely seen as a maneuver to ensure an easy victory for Hun Sen in the general election, with parties contesting the polls generally seen as hopelessly weak or fronting for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party so it can claim it ran a fair race by allowing opposition candidates. Ranariddh is also president of the Supreme Privy Advisory Council to King Norodom Sihamoni. Ouk Phalla, a classical Cambodian dancer reported to be descended from a separate royal family branch, was Ranariddh’s second wife.

Ex-‘Silk Road’ website adviser extradited from Thailand Nong Plalai’s Pasutipawan Temple unveiled seven new Buddha statues, a fourmeter-long sleeping Buddha and six life-size “Luang Poh” statues on either side of him, worth more than 2 million baht.

Jetsada Homklin Nong Plalai’s Pasutipawan Temple has unveiled seven new Buddha statues worth more than 2 million baht. Abbot Wiboondhammakij Pathumsiro presided over the official installation of the four-meter-long sleeping Buddha and six life-size “Luang Poh” statues June 11 with officials from other Pattaya-area temples attending.

Current and former Pattaya administrators joined in a morning merit-making ceremony and presented the monks with a morning meal after their chanting session. The statues were created on Dec. 5, the birthday of HM the late King Rama IX. The six lifesize statues were created in the styles of Luang Pho Man, Luang Thamahabua Yansampan, and Luang Poh Boonmee Akkapunno, Phra Phutkosajarn, Phra Yansangwan, and Phra Dhammawisutmongkol.

New York (AP) - A Canadian man who federal authorities say earned hundreds of thousands of dollars working for the notorious “Silk Road” drug-dealing website has been extradited from Thailand. Roger Thomas Clark, arrested in December 2015 in Thailand, arrived in New York on Friday, June 15. Clark, 56, awaited an appearance in Manhattan federal court to face an indictment charging him with playing a key role in the website by advising its founder, Ross Ulbricht. It

wasn’t immediately clear who would represent Clark. Ulbricht is serving life in prison after his conviction. He ran the site from January 2011 until October 2013. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said in a release that Clark was a trusted confidant of Ulbricht when he ran the secret online marketplace for illegal drugs, hacking services and other criminal activity. He said Clark advised him “on all aspects of this illegal business, including how to maximize profits and use

threats of violence to thwart law enforcement.” William F. Sweeney Jr., head of the New York FBI office, said Clark was “Ulbricht’s righthand man” and pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars while helping Ulbricht. “Today’s extradition of Roger Clark shows that despite alleged attempts to operate under the radar, he was never out of our reach,” Sweeney said. If convicted, Clark faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.

PATTAYA MAIL PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 62/284-286 Moo 12, Thepprasit Road, Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi 20150. Administration, Advertising and Editorial Offices: Tel: 038 411 240-1, 038 413 240-1 • Fax: 038 427 596 E-mail: ptymail@pattayamail.com • Website: http://www.pattayamail.com Managing Director Pratheep S. Malhotra e-mail: pratheep@pattayamail.com Executive Editor Daniel M. Dorothy e-mail: dan@pattayamail.com Kamolthep Malhotra e-mail: prince@pattayamail.com Deputy Managing Director Director-Business Development Suwanthep Malhotra e-mail: tony@pattayamail.com Editor Nopniwat Krailerg e-mail: editor@pattayamail.com Sports Editor Martin Bilsborrow e-mail: martin@pattayamail.com Executive Editor-Pattaya Blatt Elfi Seitz e-mail: elfi@pattayablatt.com Director of Communications Supa Kukarja e-mail: sue@pattayamail.com Senior Special Correspondent Peter Cummins e-mail: npetercummins@hotmail.com Newsroom Manager Marcus Souksi e-mail: marcus@pattayamail.com Advertising Department Nutsara Duangsri e-mail: nutsara@pattayamail.com News Department: Boonlua Chatree, Jetsada Homklin, Urasin Khantaraphan, Patcharapol Panrak, Tanachot Anuwan, Theerarak Suthathiwong (e-mail: newsdesk@pattayamail.com) © Copyright Pattaya Mail Publishing Co., Ltd.

Pattaya’s plastic beach Editor; Hi guys I’m over here on holiday with my Thai wife and we decided to go for a long walk along the beach and we couldn’t believe the state of the beach! Plastic bottles, combs, Write to the Editor:

E-mail: mailbag@pattayamail.com

spoons, knives, forks, dead fish, probably due to plastic, etc. I love this country but why is this council not doing anything about it? It seems as though people are using it for a dumping ground. It’s so

shameful to see this, why not put more bins on the beach or nearby. I just feel I wanted to say something. Please try and get something done. Kind Regards JD

Note: Letters printed herein in no way reflect the opinions of the editors or writers for Pattaya Mail, but are unsolicited letters from our readers, expressing their own opinions. No anonymous letters or those without genuine addresses are printed, and, whilst we do not object to the use of a nom de plume, preference will be given to those signed.

VOL. XXVI No. 25

PATTAYA MAIL

FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018 7

China hikes tariffs on US soybeans, electric cars, fish Joe McDonald Beijing (AP) - China fired back Saturday in a spiraling trade dispute with President Donald Trump by raising import duties on a $34 billion list of American goods including soybeans, electric cars and whiskey. The government said it was responding in “equal scale” to Trump’s tariff hike on Chinese goods in a conflict over Beijing’s trade surplus and technology policy that companies worry could quickly escalate and chill global economic growth. China “doesn’t want a trade war” but has to “fight back strongly,” said a Commerce Ministry statement. It said Beijing also was scrapping agreements to narrow its multibillion-dollar trade surplus with the United States by purchasing more American farm goods, natural gas and other products. The United States and China have the world’s biggest trading relationship but official ties are increasingly strained over complaints Beijing’s industry development tactics violate its free-trade pledges and hurt American companies. Europe, Japan and other trading partners raise similar complaints, but Trump has been unusually direct about challenging Beijing and threatening to disrupt such a large

volume of exports. “In this trade war, it’s the U.S. who is playing the role of provocateur, while China plays defense,” said the Global Times, a newspaper published by the ruling Communist Party. “China is a powerful guardian and has enough ammunition to defend existing trade rules and fairness.” Beijing will impose an additional 25 percent tariff starting July 6 on 545 products from the United States including soybeans, electric cars, orange juice, whiskey, lobsters, salmon and cigars, according to the Ministry of Finance. Most are food and other farm goods, hitting Trump’s rural supporters hardest. Beijing appeared to be trying to minimize the impact on its own economy by picking U.S. products that can be replaced by imports from other suppliers such as Brazil or Australia. Chinese regulators also are considering a tariff hike on an additional 114 products including medical equipment and energy products, the Finance Ministry said. It said a decision would be announced later. That mirrored the Trump administration’s announcement Friday of a tariff hike on $34 billion of Chinese goods, also due to take effect July 6, and plans to consider widening it to an additional $16 billion of other products.

China’s heavily regulated economy also gives the ruling Communist Party additional options for retaliation by withholding approval for business activity. Anti-monopoly regulators are believed to have delayed announcing a decision on U.S. tech giant Qualcomm’s proposed acquisition of semiconductor maker NXP in part due to the tariff conflict. Other companies say the approval process for licenses has slowed down. “China’s retaliation will remain calibrated and largely reciprocal, with President Xi Jinping ready to counter any move by Trump,” said Eurasia Group in a report. “Beijing has a freer hand for informal retaliation, which will now start to increase.” The American Chamber of Commerce had appealed to Washington to avoid a tariff hike but said Trump’s threat has prompted Beijing to engage in more intensive negotiations than it had in recent years. Companies also are watching the fate of ZTE Corp., a Chinese maker of telecoms gear that ran afoul of U.S. regulators after it violated restrictions on exports of American technology to Iran and North Korea. Washington rescinded a ban on sales of U.S. technology to ZTE after the company agreed to pay a $1 billion fine

Hotel Management Summit Bangkok 2018 Andrew J Wood The recently concluded Hotel Management Summit in Bangkok once again proved that this event has firmly established itself as a must-attend event. Well managed and well attended with 130 of the industry’s top hoteliers attending and supported by Skål Intl., AustCham, JFCCT and PATA, the format was quick and punchy with a superb line-up of speakers, panelists and moderators. With the help of Sli.do providing live digital feedback, audience questions were flashed up on screen at regular intervals - it was thoroughly engaging. Organised by Questex Asia Ltd., the event venue was perfect - the JW Marriott Bangkok, with seasoned Bangkok hotelier Peter Caprez on hand to ensure perfect delivery. 2017 was another banner year for tourism in Thailand. One of the world’s most visited countries. Thailand welcomed a record breaking thirty-five million visitors. With no disruptive events anticipated for 2018, hoteliers in Thailand are expecting a relatively smooth year ahead. There are, however, challenges, including an everincreasing hotel supply

The recently concluded Hotel Management Summit in Bangkok once again proved that this event has firmly established itself as a must-attend event. (CBRE forecast that by 2021 downtown Bangkok hotels will increase by a further 20 percent) With increased competition, an ever-changing distribution landscape and challenging talent recruitment, hotel managers are hungry for knowledge and tips. Information of latest developments is key to ensure profitable and sustainable growth. Not easy in a market with higher upstream supply and room rates expected to be constrained by the incoming new room supply. The panel discussions were lively and interesting - OTAs were a hot topic. Competition amongst various

distribution channels has intensified; requiring increased efforts for hoteliers to maintain rate parity. From the Bangkok discussions there is a question mark as to whether there is sufficient control. It is certain that the business model has to change before it breaks down. Another hot topic was on the F&B front, the first Michelin Guide in Thailand having been published, panelists discussed its impact on the fiercely competitive restaurant and bar scene. The Hotel Management Summit has firmly planted its feet as a must-attend events for hoteliers.

Women interact near a robot designed by Chinese robotics company Pangolin at the Consumer Electronics Show Asia 2018 in Shanghai, China on Friday, June 15. President Donald Trump is hiking the price of Chinese-made forklift trucks and X-ray machines for American buyers. They are part of a $50 billion list of Chinese exports targeted for a 25 percent tariff hike in response to complaints Beijing steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. (AP Photo/Sam McNeil) and hire American-picked include outright theft of foreign compliance managers. The technology and subsidies agreement allows Washing- and protection from competon to impose an additional tition for fledgling Chinese $400 million fine or other pen- industries. They say those alties if ZTE violates the deal. violate Chinese market-openTrump is pressing Beijing to ing commitments under the narrow its trade surplus with World Trade Organization. Tensions eased temporarily the United States and roll back its plans for state-led devel- after Chinese negotiators opment of Chinese global agreed at talks in Washingcompetitors in technology ton in May to buy more fields including electric cars, American farm goods, naturenewable energy, artificial in- ral gas and other products. American officials said they telligence and biotech. The U.S., Europe, Japan would suspend threatened and other trading partners tariff increases on up to $150 complain Beijing’s tactics billion of Chinese goods.

The dispute revived after the White House renewed its plan for a tariff hike on $50 billion of Chinese goods as part of the technology dispute. The Chinese government warned after another round of talks June 3 that it would discard those deals if the tariffs went ahead. Businesspeople and economists say Chinese leaders are less likely to compromise on technology. They view plans for state-led development of companies capable of competing globally in fields including electric cars, renewable energy and biotech as a route to prosperity and to restore China to its rightful role as a world leader. “There isn’t one country who would give up their rights to advance technology and make industrial upgrades,” said the Global Times editorial. Beijing also has announced plans to cut import duties on autos and some consumer goods and to ease limits on foreign ownership in auto manufacturing, insurance and some other industries, though those don’t directly address U.S. complaints. On Thursday, a Commerce Ministry spokesman said some exporters were rushing to fill orders due to concern trade conditions might change, but said they were “not the mainstream.” Online: Ministry of Finance of China (in Chinese): http:// gss.mof.gov.cn

8 FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXVI No. 25

Carry your bag, Mister?

Do you have a camera bag? Sooner or later, if you are a photography enthusiast, you will want to expand upon your current equipment. Even when just starting out you should have an eye to the future, as money spent wisely now can result in great savings later.

Photo shops have many different types and designs for you to choose from, but what should you, as an enthusiastic amateur, carry around with you? The following is what I would consider to be a good collection which will stand you in good stead for many years, and allow you to photograph almost anything. Firstly, (obviously) you need a good camera - an SLR (single lens reflex). The first pointer is to select a good brand. There are many to choose from, but if you look at the pros who are out every day shooting countless images, you will find

Dear Hillary, I’ve been with the same girl now for almost a year, everything OK till recently when I noticed the container I keep the change in was looking low. I quietly counted up the 10 baht coins, and sure enough there was quite a few missing. I asked the GF had she taken any coins and she said it must have been the maid. This woman comes once a week, and the missing money was not on a Wednesday, but any day. Just in case it was more than small change I began to keep a careful note of how much was in my wallet at night, and 20-30 baht is missing on a regular basis. Should I confront the maid, but she’s only here one day a week. Should I confront the GF who blames the maid? Or should I just ignore it altogether? Clark Dear Clark, If you ignore it, it will not get any better, it will just get worse. You have already confirmed it isn’t the maid, so is there anyone else in the house? Kids? Neighbors? Nothing is going to make this situation any better, Petal. Tell the GF that “someone” is stealing money, so you aren’t going to keep a change container any more. Don’t mention the notes out of the wallet, but keep following the amount of money you keep in your wallet. I have a feeling that your days with the GF are numbered. Sorry. Dear Hillary, My wife goes up to see her mother up-country every month. I give her money to catch the plane up every time. She has been doing this for a couple of years. And recently she is always later than planned, but has regular excuses like her dog got run over and she had to deal with the vet, an uncle

the same names on the camera cases. When actively running my studio I used Nikon for 35 mm work - bulletproof and quality lenses. Others such as Canon, Pentax, Olympus, etc., are also excellent brands, all of which have interchangeable lenses too, so your basic system can be enlarged upon over a period of time, and your original lenses will still be good. The SLR is the center of your equipment. It is this camera that will allow you to be creative in your shots. It is this camera that will win you awards and

recognition. It will be expensive, so choose wisely. For my money, the ideal “starter” SLR would still be a Nikon but look to the top of the line. Now you look at lenses. The “standard” lens that will come with your SLR will most likely be a 50 mm. Buy firstly a wide angle lens. Around 28 or 24 mm is good, or even 20 mm for very dramatic shots, but the distortion problem can be a little much at this wide angle. The next lens you should buy is around the focal length of 135 mm - the ideal lens for portraits.

passed away so she stayed on for the funeral, her mother was sick so she had to take her to the doctors. Last week she came home and I saw her air ticket stub which was to another city in the North East altogether. I asked her about this and she said that the ticketing girl got it wrong. I am beginning to think there are too many coincidences. What do you think Hillary? I smell a rodent. Jack Dear Jack, I smell a rodent too. And so do you. Why don’t you pop up and see how the old Mum in Law is doing, next time? Too many coincidences. I would guess that you have a ‘Gik’ problem. Dear Hillary, I’m sure you must have heard of similar cases, but please give this your attention. My live in girl looks after me 100 percent but she’s married to some chap in the France. She tells me that she married him 10 years ago and he went back to France two years later and there’s no contact now for five years. He doesn’t send her money or anything and they had no children together. We’ve been together now a bit over a year and she is making noises like she wants to get married and build a little house up-country. What’s involved in this? Jeremy Dear Jeremy, What’s involved? Paperwork, legal advice, paperwork and money, unless you’re handy with the hod and brickie’s trowel. And that’s not counting the cost of the little house up-country, which is a lot more than you think. Or lot more

No zooms? No, I personally do not like zoom lenses. The sharpness is not as good as “prime” lenses (though the manufacturers say they are much better these days), but even more importantly, zoom lenses make for lazy photographers. Instead of walking in to compose the subject, the photographer zooms in. The depth of field is lost, the flash is too far away and the chance of a perfect shot is lost. You don’t really need a zoom! The next item is ‘insurance’. You should have a small point and shoot to use if you have a problem with the SLR (it does happen). Again, stick to the better brands if you want to get something which will last, and even more importantly, one that will return crisp images. Olympus makes some very good small point and shooters with excellent lenses. This camera is also for those situations where you don’t want to lug all the gear, when you need something light and pocket portable. Get one with a 24 or 28 mm lens and built in flash which can be turned off.

The next important piece of equipment is the bag you carry your equipment around in. My choice is the soft padded camera bag with adjustable divisions. Waterproof in tropical rainstorms is important, so get one that has the zip fastener covered by a lip of material. Some exterior pockets to carry batteries, a spare pair of fold-up reading glasses (if you need them) and a pocket torch. Again, get a good one. My bag is quite battered and worn, but is now over 20 years old and has been round the world several times. It was money well spent. Other equipment includes filters, and I would refer you to previous articles on this subject - but do use adaptor rings to bring all the lenses to the same size. Again a cost saving later. And a good quality tripod, mentioned a couple of weeks ago. Finally, have some spare batteries there is nothing worse than running out of power just when you have come across Angelina Jolie sun-baking incognito on Jomtien Beach.

than she’s telling you. Really, my Petal, this is all very one-sided. She helps you with your socks in the morning and you buy her a house. Which, never forget, is in her name, not yours. Get the running shoes on. Dear Hillary, Is it usual for a Thai girl to join clubs and associations? My wife of 10 years attends meetings almost every night of the week. Service clubs, women’s groups and the like. Gets home late saying that she and a couple of the women stopped off for some noodles before coming home (late). As many of these clubs seem to be worthy causes I haven’t made too many noises at home. Should I? Will Dear Will, Sounds like she’s bored, and you too. Why don’t you join the clubs as well as her? Not even the same clubs as your wife (which I am sure will all be Thai language clubs). You need something to do, Will my Petal. And always remember that where there’s a will there’s a won’t. Dear Hillary, Where can I buy a kangaroo skin floor mat? A friend of mine has one and it is a great talking piece, as well as keeping the cold floor tiles off your feet. My friend won’t tell me where he got his, but I’m sure it was somewhere near here. Joe Dear Joe, Have you tried Melbourne airport? That’s fairly close to here. About 12 hours or so. They tell me that kangaroos breed like rabbits so the airport should have lots of skins as they try to keep the runways clear.

VOL. XXVI No. 25

FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018 9

PATTAYA MAIL

Is Mum still the best? In this, the new ages where we can clone sheep, develop blue tablets which can bring joy to all men over the age of 60 and other groundbreaking advances, what about breast feeding? Is Mum still the best? With infant formulas (“formulae” for the pedantic) being around for about 50 years, surely the need for breast feeding has stopped in our new technological and scientific age? In my medical school days, it used to be said that the three reasons breast milk was better than bottle were: 1. You didn’t have to look for the equipment in the middle of the night, 2. It was always at the correct temperature and 3. It came in such handy containers! However, forgetting the humorous aspects, there is no doubt about it that Mum still is best. There are still significant differences between formula and Mum, although the gap is narrowing every year. You see, Mum’s milk contains antibodies, enzymes and hormones - so far these are not available as freeze dried products, just add water and pop in the microwave to warm! Statistics are all on the side of Mum too. Did you know that bottle fed bubs are five times more likely to

be admitted to hospital compared to breast fed infants? An American study also found that bottle babies were more likely to suffer from diarrhoea, cough, wheeze, vomiting and all sorts of other ailments. Of course there will be those who will say that women with small breasts are unable to fully feed a baby. This is a total myth. Size, gentlemen, does not matter when it comes to milk production. Sure, the smaller breasted Mums may not have the same storage capacity as their more generously endowed sisters, but they will still produce enough quantity over a 24 hour period. They may have to feed the infant more often but the quantity (and quality) is still there. Even the old bugbear, cigarette smoking comes into the fray with the breast versus bottle arguments. We know that no one should smoke, but if a Mum continues (or can’t stop, usually) and she bottle feeds her children, they are seven times more likely to develop breathing problems, having had the bottle instead of the boob. Of course, some infant formula folk will say that you should use a soy formula, rather than one derived from cow’s milk. However, science does not bear this out. One noted College of Pediatrics has even gone so far as to say, “There is no evidence that soy formulae are nutritionally better than

cow’s milk formulae for normal infants.” It is also of interest to note that 40 percent of infants allergic to cow’s milk protein also develop soy milk allergy. There is also work going on right now that appears to show that use of soy milk formulae may impair immunity in the child. So much for soy! There are those who will say that breast milk, these days, is contaminated with pesticides, since these fat soluble environmental chemicals are everywhere. And the cows are not? Cow’s milk is just as likely to be contaminated with DDT and its derivatives, just the same as soy milk. How long should you breast feed? The World Health Organization and UNICEF have recommended that mothers breastfeed for at least two years. But most US women who nurse stop before their baby is six months old. My personal experience with my kids is that the baby will let you know, by pushing Mum away and showing a preference for something new. Banana is good, though too early yet for fish and chips. There was a famous TV advert in Australia many years ago for a deodorant called “Mum” and the catch line was, “I can get by without lots of things, but I can’t get by without my Mum.” For little babies, that line is even more important!

Cancer group says colon screening should start at 45, not 50 Mike Stobbe New York (AP) - New guidelines released Wednesday recommend U.S. adults start colon cancer screening earlier, at age 45 instead of 50. The American Cancer Society’s advice puts it out of sync with guidelines from an influential government advisory group, which kept the age at 50 in an update two years ago. Cancer society officials acknowledge the shift to 45 could cause confusion for doctors and patients but felt strongly that they needed to act now. The advocacy group was influenced by its study, published last year, that found rising rates of colon cancer and deaths in people younger than 50. Experts aren’t sure why there has been a 50 percent increase in cases since 1994.

The guidelines are for men and women ages 45 to 75 of average risk for colon cancer; recommendations are different for people with certain conditions, like Crohn’s disease, or a family history of colon cancer. The group endorses six kinds of screening exams, from inexpensive takehome stool tests performed every year to colonoscopies done every 10. “All of these tests are good tests, and the choice should be offered to patients,” said the cancer society’s Dr. Rich Wender. “The best test is the test that gets done.” The same tests are recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a panel that reviews evidence and issues advice for a variety of screenings and treatments. It updated its colon cancer guidelines in 2016 and its next review isn’t

This undated microscope image provided by the National Institutes of Health shows human colon cancer cells with the cell nuclei stained red. According to new American Cancer Society guidelines, most U.S. adults should begin getting screened for colon cancer when they turn 45. (NCI Center for Cancer Research/NIH via AP) expected until around 2021. That panel’s recommendations drive what screening is covered by insurance

under the Affordable Care Act, although 20 states have laws that link coverage to the cancer society guidelines.

US approves 1st drug developed to prevent chronic migraines Linda A. Johnson Trenton, N.J. (AP) - U.S. regulators Thursday approved the first drug designed to prevent chronic migraines. The Food and Drug Administration’s action clears the monthly shot Aimovig (AIM’-oh-vig) for sale. It’s the first in a new class of long-acting drugs for preventing migraines. Three other shots are expected to win approval by next year, and several pills for preventing migraines are being tested. Current prevention treatments include pills originally developed for epilepsy and other conditions and the wrinkle reducer Botox, but many patients abandon them because they don’t help much or cause serious side effects.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drug Aimovig, the first in a new class of longacting drugs designed to prevent chronic migraines, clearing the monthly shot for sale. (Amgen Inc. via AP) Amgen Inc. of Thousand Oaks, California, and Swiss drug giant Novartis AG developed Aimovig. Injected monthly just under the skin using a penlike device, the drug will cost $6,900 per year without insurance. Migraines can cause disabling

symptoms: throbbing headaches, nausea and vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. About 10 million Americans get them frequently. They’re most common in people in their 30s, mostly women, and can last for several hours or even days.

In one study, patients given Aimovig saw their migraine days cut from eight to four a month, on average. Those who got dummy shots had a reduction of two. Each patient group had similar minor side effects, mostly colds and respiratory infections. Some patients saw their migraines completely eliminated, said Sean Harper, Amgen’s research director. Aimovig and the migraine drugs in development target a substance called CGRP whose levels spike in the blood during a migraine, triggering symptoms. The long-term safety of Aimovig, also known as erenumab, hasn’t been tested, and Amgen plans to track outcomes in women who become pregnant while taking it.

It’s not uncommon for groups to have slightly different guidelines although those for colon cancer have been about the same for decades. Most colon cancer occurs in adults 55 and older, and the good news is rates of cases and deaths have been falling for decades. Colon cancer, combined with rectal cancer, is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. This year, more than 140,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with it, and about 50,000 will die from it. Doctors will probably look to specialty medical societies to sort out the different guidelines, said Dr. Marcus Plescia, of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. But it may take a little while before they offer clear advice.

Some experts have worried about pre-50 risks of colon cancer in some racial and ethnic groups, and at least one specialty society for gastroenterologists has urged screening of black adults starting at age 45. Others argue that instead of lowering the age for routine screening, more effort should be put into getting more people tested. Only about two-thirds of people 50 and older have been following screening guidelines. “It’s hard enough to get people to do it at all,” Plescia noted. Dr. Andrew Wolf, the lead author of the latest guidelines, said they considered and rejected that reasoning. “We should be able to do both,” said Wolf, a University of Virginia internist.

Read more news at pattayamail.com

Kenneth Johnson’s ‘The Darwin Variant’ is engaging novel Jeff Ayers When scientists calculate that a comet will impact Earth, chaos reigns, but the worst is yet to come in Kenneth Johnson’s sci-fi thriller, “The Darwin Variant.” The vast cast of characters ranges from scientists to high-school students, and all of them have a stake in the world-changing possibilities if the celestial body strikes Earth. Each character tells his or her individual story, providing depth in all of the players in this scenario. When calculations and some high-tech weaponry provide a solution to the dilemma, the world cheers as the comet breaks up. Except for some small pieces, the damage is visibly minimal. Unfortunately, a mysterious virus was encased inside the cold ice, and when this strange life form encounters the Earth’s atmosphere, it thrives. A young highschool couple is the first to discover the

strange substance. They become aggressive and ruthless at the expense of others. Soon animals start exhibiting signs of excessive violence, and plants exposed to this virus are invaded and overrun by a new genetic code. It quickly moves past isolation, and if the slow permutation isn’t stopped, everyone will become infected. Johnson takes the scenario of fear of collision with a rogue object from space and turns it on its head by making things worse after everything seems resolved. This approach turns the narrative into a contemporary version of the paranoid classic film “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and a dose of the propaganda film from World War II “Triumph of the Will” by alluding to the seeds of a new master race. Fans of Johnson will also see echoes of “V,” his television show from the 1980s. Johnson has written another engaging novel. (AP)

VOL. XXVI No. 25

FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018 15

PATTAYA MAIL

By-the-numbers ‘Ocean’s 8' covers familiar territory

Lindsey Bahr Los Angeles (AP) - Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s Eleven” remake is a hard movie to live up to. Its starry charm was backed by a breezy and deceptively dense script full of memorable characters, dizzyingly complex logistics and lively filmmaking that Soderbergh himself couldn’t even recreate in the two sequels. But it is undeniable that even the near-perfect “Eleven” was missing something pretty major: Women. You know, besides Julia Roberts, that blackjack dealer and the one exotic dancer. So why not, 17 years later, fix that egregious oversight by gathering up a few Oscar and Emmy winners and nominees, a Grammy-winner and a buzzy comedienne to keep that Ocean’s franchise going and acknowledge the other half of the human population? If only “Ocean’s 8 “ was as a fresh and smart as that first one. (Hint: It’s not

for lack of star charisma or talent.) Sandra Bullock anchors the cast as Debbie Ocean, the never-before-mentioned sister of George Clooney’s Danny Ocean, who has taken up the family business to varying degrees of success (we meet her in a parole hearing) and prefers to work without “hims.” ‘’Hers,” she later explains, can go unnoticed. And indeed, Debbie uses what could be a handicap very much to her advantage in a rollicking shoplifting spree at Bergdorf’s. It helps, of course, when you look like Sandra Bullock and you happen to have left jail in full hair, makeup and cocktail dress. But it’s still quite a bit of fun seeing her act the part of a wealthy and entitled shopper who tries to demand a refund for the items she’s literally just pinched from their shelves. 90 percent of her method is simply looking like she belongs and taking advantage of the privileges that affords her. Don’t expect this level of class or gender commentary from the rest of the film, however. “Ocean’s 8" suffers from a bit of tonal whiplash. Half the time it seems to be veering into

This image released by Warner Bros. shows Sarah Paulson (from left) Sandra Bullock and Rihanna in a scene from “Ocean’s 8.” (Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros. via AP) grotesque “Sex and the City” worship of brands and celebrity. Debbie’s plan is to steal a $150 million diamond necklace. In order to do so, she and her assembled team of savants have to first infiltrate the orbit of a vapid celeb, Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway), and convince her to wear said necklace to the Met Gala, where they’ll steal it and divide the earnings accordingly (a cool $16.5 million each). The team includes Lou (Cate Blanchett), who dresses like a glam rocker and spends her

time watering down well vodka for profit; Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter), a kooky pasther-prime fashion designer desperate for a comeback; a jeweler in a rut, Amita (Mindy Kaling); Nine Ball (Rihanna), a hacker in dreadlocks; Constance (Awkwafina), a pickpocket; and Tammy (Sarah Paulson), a suburban mom who can’t quite quit her white collar crime ways. While Blanchett and Bullock are predictably solid in their roles and get at least a few memorable moments of worthy banter, it’s Hathaway who really steals the film with

a wickedly on-point satiric turn a spoiled star. It is Hathaway’s Miranda Priestly moment, and could have only been made better had she gone full-meta and played a character named “Anne Hathaway.” The celebrity skewering is first-rate, but, for the most part, if you’ve seen Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s Eleven,” you’ve basically seen “Ocean’s 8" too. Director and co-writer Gary Ross (“The Hunger Games”) follows familiar story beats and attempts, unsuccessfully, to ape Soderbergh’s filmmaking style. And his glimpse inside the Met Gala makes that famously glamorous event look awfully pedestrian. It also doesn’t help that the stakes never seem all that real in “Ocean’s 8,”and when they do finally get an adversary, in a detective played by James Corden, it’s more for laughs. There was a danger to “Ocean’s Eleven” and a thrill

in seeing that team succeed. Here, none of the women seem to have any fallibility at all, and you never find yourself doubting whether or not they can pull it off. Perhaps there is something subversive to the idea that all Debbie has to do is social shame two security guys from entering a women’s restroom, but we’re there for a something more elaborate too. That’s kind of the overall problem of “Ocean’s 8.” It’s all predicated on the fact that women are often underestimated. But in making that point, it’s also somehow underestimated the audience who still should be entitled to a smart, fun heist, no matter who is pulling it off. “Ocean’s 8,” a Warner Bros. release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for “language, drug use, and some suggestive content.” Running time: 110 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

‘Star Wars’ Chewbacca actor fights for Venezuelan children Manuel Rueda Bogota, Colombia (AP) — He fought in epic battles against the galactic empire. Now an actor who portrayed “Star Wars” legend Chewbacca is fighting for Venezuela’s poor with an online fundraising campaign whose proceeds will benefit a charity feeding underprivileged children in the crisis-wracked South American nation. Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca in five “Star Wars” movies, has so far raised more than $10,000 through the sale of commemorative coins showing the Wookiee warrior’s hairy legs and a bullet belt slung around a map of Venezuela. The 74-year-old actor, who is retired, said that the idea emerged after he met Elisa Arguello, a Venezuelan actress and “Star Wars” fan who migrated three years ago to the Dallas-Fort Worth area where Mayhew also resides. “We follow her on Facebook, and were aware of the deteriorating situation in Venezuela,” Mayhew told The Associated Press. “It had been bothering us for a while and one night, my wife Angie picked up the phone and asked Elisa if there was any way we could get involved. She started crying and said yes.” The copper coins are being sold online for $10 by the Peter Mayhew Foundation. But proceeds will go to a small Texas charity called

This May 29, 2018 photo shows Elisa Arguello (left) dressed in a Princess Leia costume posing with actor Peter Mayhew in Houston Texas as they launch the Chewbacca Challenge Coin, a fundraising campaign for underprivileged children in Venezuela. (Elisa Arguello via AP) “Ponte en sus zapatos,” which is Spanish for “Put yourself in their shoes.” The charity has been working in Venezuela for over a year and says it feeds 100 needy children every day and donates supplies like diapers and baby formula to a hospital that treats children with cancer. Hospitals in Venezuela often cannot provide patients

with the most basic supplies due to widespread shortages and five-digit inflation. “This campaign has made us cry with gratitude,” says Antonieta Galvez, a Dallasbased businesswoman originally from Venezuela who runs the charity. Galvez said that with just $3, her partners in Venezuela are able to make lunch for 100 children. Arguello says that more

than 1,500 coins have been sold since the campaign started in late May, and a handmade Chewbacca mask went for $1,100 in an online auction. The commemorative coins have been mostly bought by members of the 501st legion, a “Star Wars” fan club that has dozens of chapters, or “garrisons,” around the world. Its Texas chapter, the Star Garrison, has more than 500 active members, and Mayhew hosts some events for the group at his home. The fan club also supports local charities, and members sometimes dress in galactic costumes and visit hospitalized children to cheer them up. “There is a lot of solidarity in the legion,” said Arguello, who regularly attends comic conventions dressed as Princess Leia or a Storm Trooper. As a lifelong fan of the space saga, she said that meeting Mayhew was a dream come true. “Wookiees are fierce creatures,” the 36-year-old Venezuelan joked. “But they have a big heart.” Lucasfilm Ltd., which owns the Chewbacca trademark, is not participating in the campaign, which doesn’t directly mention the Star Wars character. Mayhew was initially picked to play Chewbacca because of his outstanding height. The British-born actor, who became a U.S. citizen some years ago, stands at over 7 feet tall, the result

of a genetic disorder known as Marfan syndrome. But his towering height, which made him a shoo-in for the cult role of Chewie, has also been the source of endless health complications. Mayhew has suffered from respiratory problems and has difficulty walking. He attends comic conventions in a seated scooter but rarely provides media interviews due to speech limitations. He answered questions to

the AP via e-mail. Still, these problems have not stopped the gentle giant from contributing to a number of charitable causes and fighting for kids in a land far, far away. “Everyone seems to know something about Venezuela right now, but too many just don’t realize how bad things have become,” Mayhew said. “Chewbacca will not leave hungry children unfed. If he has the power to help.”

16 FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXVI No. 25

Rainbow: ‘Down To Earth’ mott@pattayamail.com After Rainbow’s first three albums with Ronnie James Dio as frontman, the band’s de facto leader Ritchie Blackmore decided drastic changes were needed to help achieve his ambition for mainline commercial success. So out went singer Dio, followed by bassist and songwriter Bob Daisley and keyboard player David Stone along with all the heavy metal epic songs of grandeur and mythical tales. Cozy Powell was the only one to keep his drum stool, but he too would leave after this album.

Rainbow in their entire career never made two consecutive albums with the same line-up. Since the first incarnation of group (altogether there have been three different time periods for the band) there have been 27 official members, plus the ‘Man in Black’ himself. Quite a record! During this time there have been eight studio albums plus uncountable live albums and compilations. So, following the drastic purge of the line-up new members had to be found for the album “Down to Earth” (1979). Recordings started with session musicians joining Blackmore and Powell in Connecticut, USA. After a chance meeting with Roger Glover, who Blackmore had fired from Deep Purple, he was brought in as producer. Glover, far from holding any

ill will just shrugged and said, “It was a great opportunity for me. Who am I to hold a grudge?” What a nice man. Roger Glover later took on the bass playing duties too while keyboard wizard Don Airey was brought in on the recommendation of Cozy Powell, as he had played in Powell’s solo projects.

Ritchie Blackmore.

Finding a singer was far more of a problem but Glover learned that Blackmore had been impressed by the

Russia’s Gulag museum: Prisoner data secretly destroyed Nataliya Vasilyeva Moscow (AP) - A museum studying Soviet prison camps said it has discovered a secret Russian order in 2014 instructing officials to destroy data on prisoners — a move it said “could have catastrophic consequences for studying the history of the camps.” Up to 17 million people were sent to the Gulag, the notorious Soviet prison camp system, in the 1930s and 1940s, and at least 5 million of them were convicted on false testimony. The prison population in the sprawling labor camps peaked at 2 million people. Case files of the Gulag prisoners were often destroyed but their personal data was kept on registration cards, which are still held by police and intelligence officials. Moscow’s Gulag History Museum said it has discovered a classified 2014 order that instructed Russian officials to destroy the registration cards of prisoners who had reached the age of 80 — which now would include almost all of them. The museum’s achieve expert, Alexander Makeyev,

Visitors look at an exposition at the Gulag history museum in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) told the Interfax agency they discovered that the cards had been destroyed in one region, the remote Magadan in the Far East, home to some of the Soviet Union’s biggest, deadly prison camps. Repressions perpetrated under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin left a profound scar on the Russian nation, destroying lives and displacing millions. But in recent years, under President Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have made efforts to play down Stalin’s terror, hailing the Soviet leader for building a new economy and

helping the Soviet Union win World War II. The Gulag History Museum said it has appealed to the Russian presidential human rights council to look into the classified order. The report has caused an outrage in the Russian historical community and beyond. V l a d i m i r Z h i r i n o v sky, leader of the nationalist Liberal Democrat Party, said on his social media account that historical “archives should be opened to public, not destroyed” and that Russians should be able to know the truth about their past.

singer for the Marbles, who had a big hit with the song “Only One Woman” in 1968, so Graham Bonnet was contacted and hired on the spot. Promoted from being a lower division rhythm and blues musician to lead singer of one of the biggest rock bands in the world he did remarkably well, although his short haircut and Mark Taylor styled shirts never sat well with the crowd. The first music heard from this album was the Russ Ballard penned “Since You’ve Been Gone” which shot to number six in the British charts and broke the American Billboard Top 100. It was just the commercial success Blackmore had been looking for. The album also contained the self-penned,

raunchy next hit single “All Night Long”. But these are really just two good tracks amongst a wealth of other good songs in the hard rock style. “Lost in Hollywood” and “Eyes of the World” would instantly become stage favorites. The playing throughout the album is nothing short of magical and Glover’s production work brings each song a clarity and sharpness sometimes missing from previous Rainbow offerings. The album reached number

6 in the British charts and cracked open the way for the band to be a major act in the United States. Of course, by the next album both Bonnet and Powell had gone, but the ‘Man in Black’ continued on his merry way. The deluxe edition available now is a two CD affair but quite honestly holds very little of interest, the extras are mostly rehearsals. Mott the Dog rating: 5 stars. Rainbow: Ritchie Blackmore - lead guitar Roger Glover – bass guitar Don Airey - keyboards Cozy Powell - drums Graham Bonnet- vocals Track List: All Night Long Eyes Of The World No Time to Lose Makin’ Love Since You’ve Been Gone Love’s No Friend Danger Zone Lost in Hollywood Note: Written By Mott the Dog and Hells Bells who can be found Down to Earth at Jameson’s The Irish Pub, Soi AR North Pattaya.

Doors biographer Jerry Hopkins dead at 82 New York (AP) — Jerry Hopkins, a prolific music journalist who co-wrote a million-selling biography of the Doors that Oliver Stone adapted into a feature film, died earlier this month at age 82. Hopkins died of heart failure June 3 in Bangkok, his longtime residence. Hopkins was an early contributor to Rolling Stone who interviewed Jim Morrison and developed a special affinity for the Doors. “No One Here Gets Out Alive,” written by Hopkins and Danny Sugarman, was published in 1980 and was the basis for Stone’s “The Doors.” The movie came out in 1991 and starred Val Kilmer as Morrison. Hopkins also wrote books about Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix and other rock stars. Books on his adopted country included Author Jerry Hopkins is shown in a “Thailand Confidential” and “Bangkok family photo from the early 2000s. Babylon.” (Photo/Facebook/Jerry Hopkins)

VOL. XXVI No. 25

PATTAYA MAIL

“Fiddlin’ Around” at PCEC meeting The PCEC meeting on June 10 had two presenters, one entertaining and the other informative. First up was a group of musicians who have named themselves the “Fiddlin’ Around” group. They explained that they love playing bluegrass, fiddle music, and traditional Irish tunes. They were followed by Patamaporn Klinkesorn who spoke about the benefits of the traditional medicinal plants Moringa and Chia. The Fiddlin’ Around group consisted of Craig Dudgeon (normally plays mandolin), Craig Thompson (normally plays guitar & mandolin) and Pete Airey (normally plays fiddle, guitar, guitar-ukulele hybrid, and performs vocals). After the initial formalities were out of the way - the guys got off to a quick start by playing & singing the following songs: 1) Angeline the Baker (fiddle tune); 2) Red Haired Boy (fiddle tune); 3) Lost Highway (song); 4) Jesse James (song); 5) St. Anne’s Reel (fiddle tune); 6) Arkansas Traveler (fiddle tune); 7) Cherokee Shuffle (fiddle tune); and 8) Tear in my Beer (song).

The “Fiddlin’ Around” group, Craig Dudgeon (left with mandolin), Peter Airey (center with fiddle), and Craig Thompson (right with guitar), provided an entertaining morning with folk and Irish music to the delight of their PCEC audience. The group gets together weekly with a number of other musicians - with no set schedule and with no set list of band members. Some of the guys are still working, some are retired, but all are enjoying living in Thailand. They come from very different backgrounds, some come from America and some from England or Ireland. Their love for the same type of music has been a great way

Thai herbalist Patamaporn Klinkesorn presents the nutritional and health benefits of the traditional medicinal plants Moringa and Chia.

for them to get to meet and become friends over the last couple of years. Former PCEC Board Member Stuart Saunders, in recommending the “Fiddlin’ Around” Group be invited to entertain the Club, had this to say: “I have been missing folk music since the early ‘80s when I left Australia; I loved going to bush dances and folk concerts around Brisbane. So it was a pleasant experience to come across Craig & friends in Bang Saray a few months ago. They get together occasionally for a folk music jam to play & stretch their vocal ‘chords’.” The next item on the agenda was a short presentation from Thai herbalist Patamaporn Klinkesorn, on the traditional medicinal plants Moringa and Chia. Patamaporn has a 12 year background in teaching chemistry & biology to high school students. She explained that the seeds of Moringa and Chia plants are widely available in Thailand and offer many health benefits. A slide presentation highlighted the benefits to be gained from these foods. These plants are cultivated throughout the tropics and marketed as superfoods, health foods, and medicinal plants. Moringa seeds, from the Moringa plant, are annually

harvested in Asia and Africa. They are highly valued for their nutritional benefit, just like the Moringa plant itself. Moringa benefits include providing antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, balancing hormones and slowing the effects of aging, improving digestive health, balancing blood sugar levels and helping fight diabetes, protecting and nourishing the skin, helping to stabilize mood, and protecting brain health. Chia seeds are among the healthiest foods on the planet. They are loaded with nutrients that can have important benefits for body and brain. They are high in vitamins, anti-oxidants, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus and fiber. After the presentation, MC Roy Albiston brought everyone up to date on upcoming events which was followed by the Open Forum where members and guests can ask questions or make comments about Expat living in Thailand. For more on the PCEC and their activities or to subscribe to their weekly newsletter, visit www.pcec.club. After the meeting, Ren Lexander interviewed Craig Dudgeon and Peter Airey https: //www.youtube.com/watch? v=YbFlupWXjDQ&feature= youtu.be and Patmaporn klinkesorn https://www. youtube .comwatch?v=GOlYsNvBvxI

Member Ren Lexander presents Patmaporn klinkesorn with the PCEC’s Certificate of Appreciation for her informative talk.

FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018 17

18 FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXVI No. 25

Pattaya celebrates Austrian cultu

Tiroler Burgermeisterkapelle Band and Si Elfi Seitz

Meet and greet before the big event. (l-r) Gerrit and Anselma Niehaus, Austrian Consul-General Gerhard Götz and his wife Rosie, Mayor Anan Charoenchasri and Dep. Mayor Apichart Virapal.

Elfi Seitz holding the Austrian flag shouts out a traditional yodel, supported by the ‘Silberplattler’ dancers.

Mayor Anan joins in the ‘Holzhacker’ song and dance, then carries the fruits of his labour off the stage.

Peter Malhotra holds up the traditional ‘Buschen’ before it was fastened high above the stage.

Austrian and German expats enjoyed an evening of new wine and Austrian entertainment at the Thai Garden Resort’s “Heurigen” Night. Gerhard Götz, ConsulGeneral of the Embassy of the Republic of Austria in Thailand, his wife Frosie and Honorary Consul Rudolf Hofer joined Pattaya Mayor Anan Charoenchasri, Deputy Mayor Apichart Virapal, Gerrit and Anselma Niehaus, owners of the Thai Garden Resort, Palisorn Noja, Director of Anti-Human Trafficking Center, and Nittaya Patimasongkroh, former president of the YWCA among the many government and business leaders at the packed June 7 event co-sponsored by Thai-Austrian Society. Many of the 200 people attending dressed in traditional Dirndl Austrian outfits while Austrian expats used the occasion to share the history of their homeland with other guests. Pattaya Mail MD Director Peter Malhotra, emceeing the evening, recounted the history of the Heurigen night. A tradition begun two centuries ago, Heuriger is the abbreviation of “Heuriger Wein” (this year’s wine) As part of the traditional play-acting, this fair maiden has to clean up the mess caused by the boys’ fun and games.

An Austrian lad prepares the ‘Kaiserschmarrn’, approved by Mayor Anan and fed to Gerrit Niehaus, much to Anselma’s delight.

The Tiroler Burgermeisterkapelle band played up a storm of Austrian folk music.

in Austrian and Bavarian German. The origins of the fest date back a couple of hundred years when several inn-owners in a small town in the county of Görz complained about their Lord, Count Delmetri, who wanted them to only serve wine from his own winery. Wine makers thus started selling their own wine and products in their own houses, often in order to present their latest wine creations to the public. On 17 August 1784 Austrian Emperor Joseph II issued a decree that permitted all residents to open establishments to sell and serve self-produced wine and juices. At first no food could be sold in order to prevent competition with restaurants, but over time these restrictions lessened. Peter went on to explain that a household indicated that they were open and guests were welcome to sample their Heuriger by displaying a handful of conifer or fir twigs bound in a circular Buschen hung above the entrance door. Having said that, he produced a Buschen, which was bound high above the stage to indicate that this house is now open to serve the new wine. Guest of honour Mayor Anan Charoenchasri delivered his welcome speech saying how happy and proud he was of the Austrian community in Pattaya and thanked them for bringing their unique culture and entertainment to our city. Austrian Consul General Gerhard Götz responded by speaking of the close historical ties between Thailand and Austria in both culture and commerce. He said, “The Heurigen tradition is one of the many ways in which Austria preserves and celebrates its rich and diverse cultural heritage. One of our most central and cherished values, the Gemütlichkeit, is nowhere more prevalent than in the

The Tiroler Silberplattler dance troupe wowed the crowd with their poise and beauty.

VOL. XXVI No. 25

FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018 19

PATTAYA MAIL

ural heritage at Heurigen Festival

Silberplattler rock the Thai Garden Resort

TSA-VP Gottfried Auer, thanks Anselma and Gerrit Niehaus and Elfi Seitz for organising a truly memorable event.

An Austrian couple joins Mayor Anan and Elfi on the dance floor. peaceful, convivial, and relishing atmosphere of an Austrian Heuriger” promising that the evening would be full of fun, music and happiness. The Thai Garden Resort doesn’t grow its own grapes, of course, but proudly showcased native Austrian wines for the evening, as well as some homespun music and dance from the Tyrol region of the Alps. Naturally, there also was food, as Thai Garden General Manager Rene Pisters opened the large buffet featuring Austrian, Thai and international specialties. Speeches wrapped, it was time for entertainment with the Tiroler Burgermeisterkapelle band and Tiroler Silberplattler dance troupe putting on their show by the pool, sparking dancing from many in attendance, including Pattaya’s mayor and deputy mayor. It was amazing to see Mayor Anan join in the traditional Austrian folk games and dance. He learned to do the Schuhplattler very fast and danced around the stage like a native. He also seemed quite at home performing the Holzhacker (wood cutter) song and dance. While all this was going on an Austrian buam (lad) was busy on stage cooking the Kaiserschmarrn (shredded VIP guests join the Austrian troupe on stage at the end of a most entertaining Tirolian evening.

pancake) inviting the mayor to assist him. When done the mayor walked around the tables feeding his masterpiece to the guests. Truly, Mayor Anan was the most popular guest star of the evening. To show his appreciation and gratitude to the management and the organizer, Thai Austrian Society vice president Gottfried Auer, presented flowers to Anselma Niehaus of the Thai Garden Resort and Elfi Seitz, “without whom this evening’s festivities would

Anselma (centre) smiles as Thomas Sack (right) presents the prize of a helicopter flight to the lucky winner.

Karl Mark (centre), leader of the Tiroler Burgermeisterkapelle, congratulates Elfi for a job well done. not have been possible.” The evening wrapped with a raffle, with proceeds going to the Anti-Human Trafficking Center. Thomas Sack provided the top prize, a helicopter tour above Pattaya that was won by a Swiss expat, and Bon Café chipped in with a coffeemaker won by a Thai guest.

Mayor Anan Charoenchasri and Deputy Mayor Apichart Virapal performed the ‘Schuhplattler’ dance to perfection.

Anselma and Peter, assisted by Khun Nutsara conduct the drawing of raffle prizes.

20 FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXVI No. 25

When will we see self-driving cars on our streets?

The Grand Prix circus returns to La Belle France I have enjoyed the aperitif Ricard all my adult life. In a small glass place one ice cube, cover with a small amount of cold water and sip and enjoy. What I had not known was that I was helping build an F1 circuit outside Marseilles. Monsieur Paul Ricard financed the building of the new track at Le Castellet, now called the Circuit Paul Ricard. The track is characterized by its long 1.8 km Mistral straight and elongated track design. The track is also unusual in that it is built on a plateau, and is very flat. However, the track’s elevation ranges from 408 to 441 m above sea level. In 1986 the track was modified to shorten the circuit, by adding a shortcut through to the middle of the Mistral

Straight. This shorter circuit is also known as the GP short circuit and is 3.813 km long. The track offers 167 possible configurations from 0.826 km to the full 5.861 km design. Its flexibility and mild winter weather mean that it is used for testing by several motorsport teams, including Formula One teams. The track is also known for its distinctive black and blue runoff areas known as the Blue Zone. The runoff surface consists of a mixture of asphalt and tungsten, used instead of gravel traps, as common at other circuits. A second, deeper run-off area is the Red Zone, with a more abrasive surface designed to maximize tyre grip and hence minimize braking distance, although at the cost

of extreme tyre wear. The final safeguard consists of Tecpro barriers, a modern improvement on tyre barriers. After another bore-fest in Canada, we are all hoping that the French GP brings out some competition between the drivers at the top. With the long straight, teams will need powerful and reliable engines, so you can get rid of the Renault engined teams and the Honda engined teams likewise. That leaves Ferrari and Mercedes together at the front again. That does not bode well for excitement; however, let us see. The telecast of the race is at 9.10 p.m. Thai time. I will have a late dinner in Jameson’s Pub then stay to watch the race if you would like to join me.

Porsche and the strange names department

A swift perusal of the internet shows that most pundits expect to see lots of driverless cars by 2022. Here are some forecasts: Fully autonomous vehicles will be on the road before 2022, says NVIDIA CEO: The CEO of the chipmaker NVIDIA, Jensen Huang, said that “It will take no more than four years to have fully autonomous cars on the road.” This refers to actual cars driving on the road (not just car models being ready technically) and assumes that the key legal issues will also have been resolved. Audi to introduce a selfdriving car by 2020: Scott Keogh, Head of Audi America announced at the CES 2017 that an Audio that really would drive itself would be available by 2020. NuTonomy to provide self-driving taxi services in Singapore by 2018, expand to 10 cities around the world by 2020: The company has just started trials of its self-driving taxis in Singapore’s 1 North District. It plans to deploy self-driving taxis commercially in Singapore by 2018 and aims to be operational with fleets of self-driving taxis in 10 cities of the world by 2020. Delphi and MobilEye to provide off-the-shelf selfdriving system by 2019: Both companies have announced that they will bring a fully self-driving (SAE level 4) system on the market for use in a variety of cars in 2019. Ford CEO announces fully autonomous vehicles for mobility services by 2021: Mark Fields, Ford’s CEO

Autonomy on wheels. announced that the company plans to offer fully selfdriving vehicles by 2021. The vehicles, which will come without steering wheel and pedals, will be targeted to fleets which provide autonomous mobility services. Fields expects that it will take several years longer until Ford will sell autonomous vehicles to the public. Volkswagen expects first self driving cars on the market by 2019: Johann Jungwirth, Volkswagen’s appointed head of Digitalization Strategy, expects the first self-driving cars to appear on the market by 2019. He did not claim that these would be Volkswagen models. GM: Autonomous cars could be deployed by 2020 or sooner: General Motor ’s head of foresight and trends Richard Holman said that most industry participants now think that self-driving cars will be on the road by 2020 or sooner. BMW to launch autonomous iNext in 2021: At their annual shareholder meeting, BMW CEO Harald Krueger said that BMW will launch a self-driving electric vehicle, the BMW iNext, in 2021.

Ford’s head of product development: autonomous vehicle on the market by 2020: Raj Nair, Ford’s head of product development, expects that autonomous vehicles of SAE level 4 (which means that the car needs no driver but may not be capable of driving everywhere) will hit the market by 2020. Baidu’s Chief Scientist expects large number of selfdriving cars on the road by 2019: In an interview session, Andrew Ng, the chief scientist of the Chinese search engine Baidu expects that a large number self-driving self-driving cars will be on the road within three years, and that mass-production will be in full swing by 2021. First autonomous Toyota to be available in 2020: Toyota is starting to overcome its long-standing reluctance with respect to autonomous driving: It plans to bring the first models capable of autonomous highway driving to the market by 2020. Taking a consensus, world opinion has autonomous cars on our streets by 2022. Look for one on a street corner near you.

Toyota grabs a taxi

Porsche Taycan. Porsche has done it again – another name that makes no sense. After the Macan, we are now going to get the Taycan. (What’s next? The Tincan?) Taycan is Porsche’s first battery electric vehicle (BEV) and will go into production next year badged as the Taycan, ahead of an arrival in the world markets in 2020. The announcement was made on the 70th anniversary of the first Porsche sports car – the 356 ‘No. 1’ Roadster – being registered. Oliver Blume, the Porsche AG chairman of the executive board said, “Our new electric sports car is strong and dependable. It’s a vehicle that can consistently cover long distances and

that epitomizes freedom.” Porsche is doing more than throwing its hat in the EV ring, it has also confirmed that it will double its investment in electro-mobility, to more than €6 billion by 2022. Of the additional €3 billion, €500 million will be spent on developing additional Taycan variants, while about €1 billion is set to be used for the electrification and hybridization of the existing Porsche model line-up. The four-door Taycan has two permanently-excited synchronous motors that produce a combined power output of more than 440 kW. Thanks to its instant thrust, the all-wheel-drive Taycan is claimed to sprint from standstill to 100 km/h in less than 3.5

seconds while on the way to 200 km/h in less than 12 seconds. Under NEDC standards, the four-seat Taycan is projected to have a maximum driving range of more than 500 km, while its 800 volt electrical system can recoup 100 km in just four minutes when using fast charging. (The 800 volt system would worry me a lot more than how far can it go?) Much has been said about ‘range anxiety’ with pure EV’s, forgetting that vehicles with ICE (internal combustion engines) also have a finite range, depending upon how large the fuel tank is, but no great publicity has been given to that simple fact.

Hot off the presses comes the news that Toyota Motor has just invested one billion dollars in cash into the taxi service Grab. This is a smart move by Toyota, as the new Grab taxis will now undoubtedly come from the family stable. Toyota is not the first to become involved in the taxi business, as General Motors has invested 500 million dollars in the ride sharing company Lyft. And guess whose cars will be used? What we are seeing is the death of the motor car as we know it. An autonomous car doesn’t care if it has three cup-holders or four. An autonomous car doesn’t care about feedback through the steering wheel. In fact, the cars of tomorrow won’t even have a steering wheel. With the revolution in full swing by 2022, will we see this in Thailand? I doubt it

Grab a Toyota. very much. I do have a MobilEye installed in my daily driver and it works very well in keeping me in my lane – where the lanes are clearly marked. However, with some

of the goat tracks around here, you are lucky to have any lane markings at all. An old proverb/curse goes, “May you live in interesting times.” Those times are here!

Autotrivia Quiz Last week I noted that both Genevieve and the Spyker from the 1953 movie were deemed ineligible for the London to Brighton run. I asked why? Both of them were dated as 1905 models and so were considered to be too “young” as the run that year was for cars built before 1905. So to this week. Who remembers the Leyland P76? A large car made in Australia and released at the wrong time. A 4.4 liter V8 engine was not popular as the country was going through a petrol crisis. Strikes by suppliers meant a backlog and eventually Leyland killed their own child. So, for this week, where did the hub caps come from on the first P76 used in promotional photography? For a free beer at the next car Club meeting (July 9 at Jamesons Irish Pub), be the first correct answer to email automania@pattayamail.com or viacars@gmail.com. And in addition, if you are a Pattaya resident, the closest correct answer will win a free voucher for Casa Pascal’s Breakfast BBQ. Good luck!

VOL. XXVI No. 25

FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018 21

PATTAYA MAIL

Articles For Sale/Rent

Articles/Services Wanted

As611/01-52/ Pattaya Mail Cartoonist Michael Baird (M.J.B.) has 3 brand new cartoon E-Books out. These and his other 10 cartoon E-Books can be bought from www. amazon.co.uk or www. booksmango.com. You will now be able to see all of Mike’s cartoons in FULL COLOUR. His 3 new Kindle E-Books are “Pattaya Cartoon Memories”, “Ladyboy Book 3” and “Pattaya Unforgettable Memories”. These cartoons are for grown-ups and would be unique gifts. You never know You might see yourself in them!

Aw01/01-52/ 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) 0875 381 586

Businesses for Sale or Rent Bop10/01-52/ House in Pratumnak, corner Soi 4, with 5 floors; 320sqm, 9 rooms, 8 bathrooms, entrance room, completely

restored 2016, garage; 7,500,000 THB; (Ref. 259) WWW.GOPROPERTY THAILAND .COM, 093- 161 5995. Bop04/01-52/ Exclusive Sale! Hotel Resort in Koh Samui with 71 rooms; 10,700sqm of land, perfect investment; one of the best hotels with the most beautiful beach on the island; rare opportunity; Price extremely reduced, owner wants to retire; details: GO PROPERTY THAILAND; 093- 161 5995 Bop03/01-52/ “Paradise for sale” on famous Phuket beach; breathtaking, beautiful resort on 1000-wah (4,000sqm) of land with 7 Thai- teak traditional style houses located directly on the beach; each house is a unique artwork with antique furniture & art; must see; only one of his kind in Thailand; very rare opportunity; details: GO PROPERTY THAILAND; 093- 161 5995 Bop01/01-52/ Hotel with “Hotel license” located 50m from Jomtien Beach, 45 guest rooms, lobby, bar, massage room, maiden rooms; one of the best

locations on Jomtien Beach: 75,000,000 THB. Go Property Thailand; 093- 161 5995; jo@gopropertythailand.com

Notices No01/21-25/ Looking for a game of snooker with a retired ex-professional UK snooker player? Tel. Mike on 089 152 3202

Pets Pets03/01-52/ 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. Pets02/01-52/ **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 Prb173/25-29/ White House Villa: Choice of 3 Apartments, 1/2 bedrooms, Sukhumvit 15 on by-pass train road, rent 1 bedroom + Euro Kitchen (FullyLoaded), Private swimming pool under renovation 8,000 baht month. Tel: 062 945 6645, 065487-4916 Eng. E-Mail: bangkoknok@hotmail.com

Prb171/22-26/ TOWNHOUSE, Off Soi Khaotalo, Like new, quiet, safe, two bedroom, one bathroom, patio, carport, Thai kitchen, air-conditioned, FULLY FURNUSHED, Guarded Subdivision, Communal Pool, One Year Lease, Bt.9,500. Monthly, Bt.19,000 Security Deposit. English, 087-805-5276 Prb170/21-25/ Beautiful House for Rent: 3 bed, 3 baths, fully furnished, private Pool. Near Jomtien beach. Start from 30,000 baht/month. Phone: 081-782-0206, 084-362-5920, www.rimtalay.com

22 FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018

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)

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXVI No. 25

Prb172/22-41/ House for Rent 7,500 baht: Soi Nernplabwan. Contact 0619645253 / 0983477786 Prb167/14-39/ HOUSES FOR RENT –Rattana Village and Udomsuk Village: 72-120m2, up to 7,000 Baht. Mr. Udom 082 2091452, Mr. Wirat 089 9354369

Condos, Apartments Prc207/19-38/ Royal Park Luxury Service Apartments and penthouse suite, Jomtien: starting at 15,000 baht/month. 56-70sqm, one bedroom, large living area with balcony and European kitchen, Free internet. Enjoy our rooftop swimming pool. Short walk to the beach. Monthly and daily rentals, Contact 086 111 7414 or check on our website www. royalparkjomtien.com to see why we are number 1 in Jomtien Prc210/24-28/ Pattaya Beach Rd. Soi 13, Large furnished studio, safe, poolside + seaview balcony, terrace, 12,500.Tel.091-504-1806 Prc209/23-27/ Studio Apartment for rent at Pattaya Hill Resort: 42sqm, fully furnished, sea views, situated in Soi 2 Pratamnak Hill: 12,000 per month plus electric. Free wifi, cable TV and water. Call Aoy 092-692-6395 Prc208/22-41/ Condo for Rent 8,500 baht: Studio 32sqm, in the city, fully furnished, big swimming pool. Contact 0619645253 / 0983477786

Prc206/25-29/ Markland Studio 48sqm, beach front balcony, refurbished, furnished, pool, fitness, minimum 12 months @ 15,000B/month by owner ian.thailand@hotmail.com, 087 137 1529 Prc202/14-52/ Seaview Studio, View Talay 1A, high floor, Pattaya side, Living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, Flat TV, ceiling fan, clean & nice furnished, air-condition, security door, parking, big pool, located on “10 Baht Taxi route: 9,500 THB/ monthly. Tel. 092- 753 9309 (available from 1 May 2018) Prc201/14-39/ Apartments for rent: 46m2, air-con, hot water, kitchen, in Nongprue area- 4,500 Baht. Tel. Mr. Udom 082 2091452, Mr. Heinz 089 989 0567 Prc199/14-52/ Seaview Studio, Jomtien Beach Road, between Soi 15 – 16: 43sqm, high floor, living-bedroom, kitchen, bath, terrace, office table, clean & nice furnished, air-condition, fitness gym, garage, 25m pool, direct on “10 Baht Taxi route”: 9,800 THB/monthly. Tel. 092753 9309

Prc191/01-52/ Pratumnak Seaview Studio with private access to the beach; Ref: 2016139; located directly on the beach, 3rd floor, no public streets, no buses, no traffic; totally peaceful, sea views from the terrace; living space 51sqm; fully furnished; direct access to the beach; 1 living/bedroom, 1 bathroom, full kitchen; WiFi; security 7/24h; community pool on beachfront; restaurant on pool side, supermarket, laundry; For Rent at 13,500 THB/ month; Go Property Thailand; 093- 161 5995; jo@gopropertythailand.com

Property for Sale Houses, Villas Psb31/22-26/ Beautiful 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, Private Pool House not far from Sukhumvit via Siam Country Club: 210m2 Interior and 400m2 Exterior. Spacious rooms Euro kitchen and quality furniture. Parking 2

cars covered port remote gate. Shops and restaurants close by. 4.9M option to buy as package with Toyota Hilux 2009 in A 1 Condition. 083-102-9293 Psb30/21-25/ Fully-furnished two-bedroom townhouse, quiet village of Siam Country Club Road: 475,000 THB. Contact (Thai) 085 641 560, (English) 093 785 2252 Psb29/13-52/ Semi-detached house in Central Park 2 (Sukkhumvit behind McDonald’s), 2 beds, 2 baths, office, living room, nicely furnished, terrace and “sala” (pergola) in the garden, end of cul-de-sac, nice little garden, quiet and and central location, reduced from 4.9 M Baht to only 3.5 M Baht. Heiner 081 861 19 07

Condos, Apartments Psc83/24-28/ PRATAMNAK, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Brand New! 3.5 MB High Floor. Includes furniture and appliances. Foreign name. Tel. 064 723-9972 Psc82/22-26/ New Price Down for my Condo Jomtien Porchland 2, 38m2, 1 bedroom 8 Floor, Foreign name, fully furnished, swimming pool, gym cable TV, internet, 5 Years old nice view, 1.50 MLN BHT. Rent: 8,500 baht per Month Tel: 087138-3523 Psc81/25-29/ Markland Studios, Pattaya Beach Road, finance available: 48sqm, beachfront balcony, furnished, refurbished, pool, fitness, foreign ownership,

VOL. XXVI No. 25

by owner, 3 MIO baht, 20% deposit + 120 months @ 25000. Other bespoke available. ian.thailand@hotmail.com, 0871371529 Psc74/03-52/ Sea-View Condo Tropicana Pratumnak, modern 2 bedroom apartment, 81sqm, Pattaya City South, beautiful sea and island views; 1 living room with dining area, 1 bedroom, 1 office room, 1 bathroom, 1 shower room, fully equipped European kitchen, fully furnished, high Speed WLAN/WiFi connection, Safe Box, air-con, ceiling fans, 2 swimming pools (roof and ground floor), Fitness Gym, Garage; medical Clinic; ZEN Beauty Clinic; located at the “10 Baht-Taxi route; For Sale at THB 4,500,000. Call 092753 9309 Psc59/01-52/ In the heart of Jomtien, 2 bedroom condo, (Ref: 2016- 259) 90sqm, 4th floor, big living room, 2 bathrooms, European kitchen, completely reformed, new furniture, 2 balconies, 3 air-cons, 2 pools, garage, private access to Jomtien Beach; 3,950,000 THB; WWW. GOPROPERTYTHAILAND .COM, 093- 161 5995. Psc24/01-52/ Studio in Pattaya City; Ref: 2016- 136; located close to BIG C EXTRA, Pattaya Central Road; living space 28sqm; fully furnished;1 living/bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1 kitchenette; WiFi; 2 community pools; restaurants,

FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018 23

PATTAYA MAIL

bars, supermarket, laundry; 699.000 THB; Go Property Thailand; 093- 161 5995; jo@gopropertythailand.com Psc20/01-52/ Beachfront Jomtien, Pattaya; Ref: 2016106; located at Jomtien Beach Road with stunning sea views, 26thfloor; living space 45sqm; direct access to the beach; fully furnished;1 living/bedroom; 1 bathroom, 1 kitchen; terrace; WiFi; security 7/24h; fitness gym; big community pool; garage; supermarket, laundry; 1,850,000 THB; Go Property Thailand; 093- 161 5995; jo@gopropertythailand.com Psc18/01-52/ Apartment Thappraya Road, Pattaya; Ref: 2016- 213; located on Thappraya Road with very nice sea and city views, 14th floor; living space 64sqm; 400m to the beach; fully furnished; living room with dining area, 1 bedroom/s, 1 bathroom/s, kitchen; terrace; internal blinds; 2 air-cons; ceiling fans; WiFi; security 7/24h; fitness gym; community pool; 10 Baht Taxi Route into City, free parking; restaurants, bars, 24hrs supermarket, laundry; 2,750,000 THB; Go Property Thailand; 093- 161 5995; jo@gopropertythailand.com Psc17/01-52/ Studio directly on the beach from Ban Amphur; Ref: 2016-181; new Studio on the 6th floor with stunning sea views; living space 35sqm; 1bathroom; air-condition; infinity pool on roof top;

very nice beach location with many small restaurants, windsurfing shops and much more; garage; security 7/24h; to Pattaya City 20 min; 2,998,000 THB; Go Property Thailand; 093- 161 5995; jo@gopropertythailand.com Psc16/01-52/ Luxury Apartments in Pattaya City; Ref: 2016- 187; 1 or 2 bedrooms in a high rise condominium with 29 floors; living space 26-79sqm; community pools; fitness gym; massage, laundry, children playground; parking; cafe; restaurant; security 7/24h; construction end approx. 4/2018; prices are starting with 3.168,989 THB; Go Property Thailand; 093- 161 5995; jo@gopropertythailand.com Psc15/01-52/ MARKLAND Studio, Pattaya Beach; Ref: 2016- 199; located on Pattaya Beach Road with very nice sea views, living space 45sqm; fully furnished; direct access to the beach; 1 living/bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1 kitchenette; WiFi; security 7/24h; fitness gym; community pool; restaurants, bars, supermarket, laundry; 3,495,000 THB; Go Property Thailand; 093- 161 5995; jo@gopropertythailand.com Psc14/01-52/ City Apartment, Central Road close BIG C EXTRA; Ref: 2016- 172; 2nd floor, living space 92,5sqm; fully furnished; city location; 1 living room, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms ensuite, 1 kitchen; terrace; WiFi; security 7/24h; fitness gym; community pool; parking; restaurants, bars, supermarket, laundry; 3,500,000 THB; Go Property Thailand; 093- 161 5995; jo@gopropertythailand.com Psc13/01-52/ Condo in Naklua; Ref: 2016- 224; new condo with 2 bedrooms, 3rdfloor; living space 54sqm; fully furnished; living room with dining area, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 European kitchen; WiFi; security 7/24h; fitness gym; community pool; garage; parking; restaurants, bars, supermarket “BIG C Extra”, laundry, 10 bath taxi route; 3,890,000 THB; Go Property Thailand; 093- 161 5995; jo@gopropertythailand.com Psc12/01-52/ Luxury Apartments in Pattaya Pratamnak; Ref: 2016- 188; 1 bedroom in a condominium with 5 floors; living space 33-77sqm; pool with jacuzzi; fitness gym; sauna, kids playground; parking;

security 7/24h; prices are starting with 4,296,530 THB; Go Property Thailand; 093- 161 5995; jo@gopropertythailand.com Psc10/01-52/ Beachfront Apartment Pattaya Beachroad; Ref: 2016- 193; 2 studios converted into a one bedroom apartment; re-division anytime possible (2 titles /chanots); it is located directly on Pattaya Beach Road in the heart of Pattaya Beach; living space 90sqm; 1 living room, 1 bedroom, 2 bathrooms, open kitchen; totally refurbished; community pool; fitness gym; garage; security 7/24h; access to the beach; restaurants; coffee shops; 7,500,000 THB; Go Property Thailand; 093- 161 5995; jo@gopropertythailand.com Psc7/01-52/ High floor condo at Jomtien Beach; Ref: 2016223; Sea view apartment with 3 bedrooms, located at Jomtien Beach Road with attached guest studio; breathtaking sea views, 22nd floor; living space 190sqm; short walking to the beach; fully furnished; 2 living rooms with dining areas, 3 bedroom/s, 3 bathrooms, 1 European kitchen; 1 kitchenette; terrace; WiFi; security 7/24h; fitness gym; sauna; spa; community pool; storage room; garage; parking; restaurants, bars, supermarket, laundry; located in the “Heart of Jomtien”; 9,950,000 THB; Go Property Thailand; 093- 161 5995; jo@gopropertythailand.com Psc6/01-52/ High floor beachfront Apartment in Naklua; Ref: 2016-192; Sea view apartment in a high rise condominium with 25 floors with direct access to the beach; living space 180sqm; fully furnished; community pool; fitness gym; sauna; laundry; garage; security 7/24h; 13,500,000 THB; Go Property Thailand; 093- 161 5995; jo@gopropertythailand.com Psc5/01-52/ BANGKOK Luxury high floor apartment; Ref: 2016- 201; Apartment in Bangkok; own mooring for speed boat; SKY TRAIN in front of the condo; breathtaking City views overlooking the royal Grand Palace; living space 350sqm; fully furnished with antique, Asian and European furniture; living room with dining area; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, jacuzzi; 1 European kitchen; laundry; huge terrace; WiFi; security 7/24h; fitness

gym; sauna; spa; 3 garage parking; 40,860,000 THB; Go Property Thailand; 093- 161 5995; jo@gopropertythailand.com Psc4/01-52/ Beachfront location, one of the very best luxury apartments in Pattaya in one of the best locations in Pattaya; Ref: 2016- 5995; breathtaking island and ocean views; living space 245sqm; fully furnished; living room with dining area; 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, guest toilet; full European kitchen; laundry; huge terrace; WiFi; security 7/24h; fitness gym; 2 garage parking; private access to the beach; 49,000,000 THB; Go Property Thailand; 093- 161 5995; jo@gopropertythailand.com

Land for Sale P22/14-52/ Bang Saray, close to GERMAN AUTO BMW, 10 Rai (1 Rai 2.8 mio): www. GOPROPERTYTHAILAND .com; Tel. 093-161 5995 P21/07-52/ Land on public, cozy beach, Pratumnak, with 850 Talang Wah (3,400sqm) at the bottom of Pratumnak Soi 5. The land is owned free and clear by a Thai company. Perfect for an exclusive residential development, serviced apartment or hotel project in the neighborhood of 5-star Centara Grand Pratumnak Hotel: 245,000,000 THB; GO PROPERTY THAILAND; call Khun Jo: 093- 161 5995 P18/01-52/ 6,700sqm Land on Pratumnak Road, Soi 1, in front of UNIX Condominium; can be divided in 3 units; unit A: 815 T-wah 146,700,000 THB; unit B: 860 T-wah 155,010,000 THB; unit C (total): 1,675 Twah 301,710,000 THB; WWW. GOPROPERTYTHAILAND .COM; please call Jo: 093- 161 5995

P16/01-52/ Jomtien Beach, 50 Rai at “km 1”: www. GOPROPERTYTHAILAND .com; Tel. 093-161 5995

Services Provided Sp02/25/ CONSTRUCTION: Condo Re-Fit, House, Shops, Additions, Tel. 094-927-6796 Sp01/25/ PLANS DRAWN Engineer designed 085-0834221

Staff Wanted Sw02/24-25/ A beverage import company is opening an office in Pattaya and is now looking to recruit office admin, drivers and sales persons. Interested candidates please call 0819338601 Sw01/21-25/ Freelance Business Researcher: Salary 20,000 per month, Two Month Contract (extendable). Duties include identifying data related to various global stock markets, which listed companies performed better than market averages. Looking through various listed companies in categories such as pharmaceutical or biotech. We will provide you with the basic search guidelines, topics and particular objectives, you find the published research. This position is ideal for male or female with a business background, interest in banking or investing. The successful candidate can work remotely from home with flexible and realistic deadlines. Editing and writing skills would receive consideration for additional compensation. Forward Contact details including mobile number to: Roger Mueller graycoastcapital@gmail.com or call 0955176906.

24 FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXVI No. 25

Roberts back with a bang PSC Golf Pattaya Links Golf Society Wednesday, June 13, Greenwood Stableford 1st Maurice Roberts (13) 40pts 2nd Kevin Rogers (11) 36pts 3rd Derek Phillips (20) 36pts 4th Colin Service (18) 35pts Seventeen golfers saddled up for the trip to attack yet another first class golf course. Once there the caddies informed us that it had rained heavily at Greenwood the night before and consequently it was carts on the path and ‘lift, clean and place’ in effect. There was virtually no run on the fairways, so when the ball came down, that’s where it stopped. The nice surprise was that the greens seemed unaffected by the rains and played as good as ever, even though the “A” course had been lightly sanded a couple of days before.

Wo r d m u s t h a v e b e e n relayed as, on our second nine (A) the caddies took to driving on the rough after never leaving the path on (C). Nine days previously, Maurice Roberts was only able to complete 6 holes due to an old back problem arising, causing much discomfort with every swing of the club. Seven days later at Royal Lakeside his comeback game produced 35 points and today he streaked away with a big 40 points to easily take first place. A great recovery! Kevin Rogers and Derek Phillips are good mates and playing partners. They both scored 36 points, which called for the count back and Kevin came out on top to take the second spot from Derek. Colin Service was right there again, this time with 35 points.

Greg Perfrement (right) with wig winner Selwyn Yates. Near pins on par 3s seem to have become very difficult lately. The past few games we have had only three of the four claimed but today only two of four were claimed, by Derek Phillips (C6) and Tom Herrington (A6). What’s happening here? The beat nines by nonwinners came from Nigel Harrison (front, 18pts) and Bryan Barrell (back, 18pts).

Friday, June 15, Eastern Star Stableford 1st Greg Perfrement (21) 38pts 2nd Tip Briney (23) 35pts 3rd Pete Seil (6) 34pts 4th Petr Petursen (6) 33pts Eastern Star has been in good condition for a long

Rees on fire at Crystal Bay PSC Golf from Siam Country Resort Pattaya Tuesday, June 12, Eastern Star Stableford On Tuesday we went to Eastern Star on a nice sunny day with an agreeable breeze. The course was in excellent condition with fair greens. Despite the good conditions we didn’t have top scores but it was a close finish between Willem Lasonder and Jonathan Pratt. Willem kept his head cool on the last few holes and won with 35 stableford points ahead of Jonathan in second with 34. The near pins went to Willem Lasonder and Paddy Devereux (3).

Thursday, June 14, Crystal Bay Stableford Crystal Bay was our venue on Thursday and we played

(From left) Neil Harvey, Stan Rees and Willem Lasonder. the C & B course. The course was in good condition with fast greens. It was again a nice sunny day with a strong cool breeze. Despite his third day of golf in a row and overcoming a cold, Stan Rees the man of

the day and played very solidly to win with 41 points. A good way back in second was Neil Harvey with 35 points. The near pins were claimed by Dave Smith, Willem Lasonder, Neil Harvey and Paddy Devereux.

while this year and the Pattaya Links Golf Society took a four-group playing

field there on Friday to play a stableford competition off the white tees. The day stayed fine allowing the group to complete the round with very few holdups. The course is a tough test of golf with the copious amounts of water to the right and the dreaded OB on the left of many holes, and only the most accurate of golfers will reach a good score. As it happened a full field average of 30 was a fair reflection of the day’s golf with a couple of excellent rounds rewarding the two six-handicappers in the field as Petur Petursen recorded 33 points for fourth place, just one behind Pete Seil’s fine best

gross effort (80) of 34 points which gave him third spot. In second was a resurgent Tip Briney, so often blowing either hot or cold, with a more than tepid 35 points rewarding his steady and focussed round. The day’s winner was Aussie Greg Perfrement who followed his big win at Burapha just a week previously with another fine performance giving him 38 points for the day’s best. The near pins were held back allowing consolation awards for the best front nine to Tommy Marshall (18 points) and a rare prize for Mike Firkin for his best back nine of 17 points.

Carter continues winning form PSC Golf from The Bunker Boys with thirty-five points. Near pins went to Frank Quinlan, Steve Durey, and two to Neil Carter. The general consensus was that even at today’s lower all in fee, this course is still overpriced for what is on offer, so it may be some time before we return.

Monday, June 11, Thana City C.C. – Stableford 1st Neil Carter (11) 38pts 2nd Keith Hemmings (21) 35pts 3rd Tony Robbins (23) 31pts Today was the first time the beautiful Thana City Country Club appeared on the Bunker Boys golf schedule and it didn’t disappoint. The course fee and distance may have put off a few regulars, nevertheless eleven players (a good number for low season) made the ninety-minute journey and enjoyed a special golf course in fine condition with the exception of the greens, which had recently been cored and sanded and proved tricky to putt on. A stiff breeze also played a part in the challenge offered by the course but otherwise the day was hot at times and pleasant at others. Neil Carter, who has been in fine form lately, continued on his merry way by taking first place with a score of thirty-eight points. Second went to Keith Hemmings with thirty-five points but he had an indifferent day with the putter, sinking some very long putts and also missing some easy short ones. Third spot was occupied by Tony Robbins, his first appearance in the winner’s circle since his return after a long layoff. Near pins went to Keith Hemmings and two to Neil Carter.

Friday, June 15, Bangpra – Stableford Les Hall.

Wednesday, June 13, Pattaya C.C. – Stableford 1st Steve Durey (21) 38pts 2nd Geoff Parker (13) 37pts 3rd Neil Carter (12) 35pts This was a rare visit to our closest course Pattaya Country Club for our mid-week game where a round dozen took part. The course was a bit shabby, possibly because of torrential overnight rain and strong winds but apart from being littered with leaves and tree branches it was ok. The pick, clean, and place rule was implemented due to the weather but as it turned out was rarely needed. We had a slower than expected round due to a tardy group out ahead of us, not what is expected in low season. Enjoying a rich vein of recent good form, Steve Durey took first place with a fine round of thirty-eight points. One stroke back Geoff Parker took second and Neil Carter rounded out the top three

1st Les Hall (24) 36pts 2nd Peter Allen (32) 31pts 3rd Steve Durey (21) 31pts 4th Michael Brett (15) 31pts Twelve seems to be our most common low season number as it was again today for the last game of the week at Bangpra. Unlike many days recently the weather was fine and sunny and the course in its usual good condition. Unusually there were no monkeys except for those with clubs in hand. The speed of play was pedestrian at best with our lead group held up by a very slow three-ball. After some very good scores in recent times today they were bang average, the exception being Les Hall who took first place with thirtysix points. Three players all ended up with thirty-one and had to be separated by countback with the diminutive Peter Allen taking second place and the not so diminutive Steve Durey in third. Newcomer Craig Dows took two near pins and a third went to Michael Brett, with the fourth unclaimed.

VOL. XXVI No. 25

FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018 25

PATTAYA MAIL

Anderson produces a gem at Treasure Hill

Sasicha stars at Phoenix PSC Golf from the Billabong Bar Monday, June 11, Phoenix Gold Stableford A blustery day greeted us at Phoenix today, but no rain even threatened us. The course was virtually empty as the management was getting both Ocean and Mountain ready for the ELPGA tournament and was in tremendous condition, but tough for some old golfers. We were only a small group today but even so out of three groups playing there were only 3 golfers that didn’t get over 30 points. The course was playing very short with some of the tees almost up with the ladies. There was a count-back between the (Little French General) Gerard Lambert and Lloyd Shuttleworth, both on 34 points, with Gerard being relegated to third and Lloyd taking second spot. We were all outshined by the very lovely Sasicha who played to handicap with 36 points. There were two ‘2’s, coming from Sasicha and Lloyd.

Wednesday, June 13, Green Valley – Stableford You could not wish for anything better following the professional tournament here the previous week; the course was in great shape and the greens were fast and good to putt on. The ladies had no problems with the course today and the consistent Miss May could only manage third place with her 37 points. Beating her on count-back

PSC Golf from the Tropical Golf Group Tuesday, June 12, Crystal Bay A & C – Stableford

Lloyd Shuttleworth (left) and Sasicha. was Miss Prae on the same score but moving up a gear to have 21 on the trip home. Miss Yen showed the course no respect with 42 points despite a double bogey on the 1 st hole and took the honours today. The men did not fare quite so well with Auk Engelkes returning 33 points for fourth place, one point behind Gary Ritchie in third. Tony Oaks thought he was in for a good day at the turn with 21 points but the wheels fell off from there and only 14 points in the inward half was the difference between him and the day’s winner, Peter Thomas on the same score but with 20 points on the back nine. Only two ‘2’s today and both went to Gary Ritchie who missed a hole in one by less than inch on the 8th hole.

Friday, June 15, Burapha - Stableford Burapha was in great condition and we had almost an empty course apart from a bus load of Korean golfers, but there were no holdups and a round under 4 hours kept everyone happy. We had 5 groups playing today and only 4 players didn’t score better than 30 points. In saying that, nobody took the course to the cleaners either and a count-back for the minors places saw Jack Beaumont edge Bob St Aubin for second place, both on 34 points. Taking first place was a fella we haven’t seen in the winner’s circle a long time, but today Ramsay Smith won the day with 35 points and broke 100 shots for first time in 6 months at least. There was only ‘2’, coming from Bob St Aubin.

It has been a bit wet of late so most of the courses are suffering, though it is true that some of them cope with the weather much better than others. Crystal Bay has always seemed to be one of the lucky ones when it comes to avoiding the worst of the weather, so we geared up to play there hoping for normal conditions, and touched wood. The book-in was quick and efficient and the changing room being empty we were soon through and onto the first tee, after being told we were to play the C nine first. This nine always seems the most rural as on most courses it is the one that is tacked on as an afterthought after the best 18 holes are dealt with. However it is still s a test. The C nine is usually the slowest to put on this course and so it proved on this day. The grass on the fairways was quite long and a strong wind made things more difficult. On the B nine the wind seemed to get stronger and as usual it was never behind but always straight into it or across. Round over and after a quick bite to eat it was back to BJ’s for the results. The winner on the day was Dick Warberg with 38 points ahead of a count-back on 36 points that saw Don Carmody in second and Eddie Kost third. A count-back on 34 points saw Barry Elphick

Butler bags a brace The Jomtien Golf Society Monday, June 11, Pattavia - Stableford There were probably half a dozen groups on the first tee upon arrival but after we checked in the marshall moved us to the tenth and this gave us no problems at all. Steven Cliff recorded the best score of the day, winning division 2 with 35 points while Peter Davies was in the frame again, coming in second with 32. In third place with a 17/14 back-nine count-back was Leo Adam who beat John Doyle after they both came in with 31 points each. Some lower scores in division 1 with Paul Butler winning with 30 points and Paul Young finishing second after beating Bill Kana on a 10/8 back-six count-back, both scoring 28 points overall. There were four nearest the pins in both divisions today and amazingly there was not one person on the green in

John Doyle. division 1. Ray Daws, John Doyle and Peter Thomas were the winners in division 2. There were no ‘2’s in division 1 but in division 2 Pete Thomas picked up two rollovers with his birdie on the 17th.

Wednesday, June 13, Green Valley Stableford This was our first round here for some considerable time and the weather and the

forecast looked promising. It was a tough test of golf out there and Peter Davies won division 2 with just 33 points. Leo Adam came in second behind Peter on 30 points and Steven Cliff was third with 28. Paul Butler was the winner in division 1 with 28 points and then there were two 27’s fighting for second, with Alan Bissell beating John Carlin on the back-nine. Near pins went to (Div 1) Paul Butler (2), and (Div 2) Alan Bissell, Peter Davies and Ray Daws. There were no ‘2’s in either division today.

Friday, June 15, Eastern Star Stableford The fairways here today were in very good condition and much improved from previous weeks while the greens here are still very slick.

An equal cut in the two divisions today of 10-19.0 and 19.2 + and on top of the podium in division 2 was Tony Thorne with 37 points. Steven Cliff took second on 35, John Doyle placed third with 34 and Glyn Evans finished fourth on 29. Colin Aspinall was the winner in division 1 with 36 points, Paul Young came second on 35 and then there were three 31-pointers scrambling for third place. A count-back saw Frank Kelly take the bronze, John Carlin finish fourth and Jerry Sweetnam just lose out. Near pins were claimed by (Div 1) Jerry Sweetnam (2), and (Div 2) Leo Adam, Steve Cohen and John Doyle (2). There were no ‘2’s in division 1 but with a birdie on the 6th with two rollovers in division 2, John Doyle and his lovely lady walked away a happy couple.

Eddie Kost (from left), Dick Warberg, Don Carmody and Barry Elphick.

John Anderson. take fourth and Mashi just miss out.

Friday, June 15, Treasure Hill – Stableford Fifteen Tropical golfers made a return visit Friday to take on the tough Treasure Hill course. There is no such thing as perfect weather here, but this came close and was mostly cloudy with no rain and a regular breeze. Most players opted to ride

carts as TH still had a good package deal. The course condition would be classified as good to excellent. It undoubtedly helped scores that ‘lift-nclean’ was called as a great many shots in the soft fairways gathered clumps of unwelcome debris. Treasure Hill is a tough course, but several golfers took advantage of the conditions to make it their own. John Anderson (c/h 31) had an awesome score on this tough course, posting a high 40 points, including a 25 point back nine! Gerd Riedler (11) nearly matched it with his much smaller handicap, showing good ball control with 38 points. Dick Warberg (22) and Eddie Kost (17) were in the thick of it also with 38 points, and Brian Parish (12) took a bow with his 36 points. Best 9s (non winning) went to Gordon Clegg and Mashi Kaneta.

Read more news at pattayamail.com

26 FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXVI No. 25

Harrison in hot form at PSC Monthly

Sunanta Duangwaw (left) receives her prize from PSC Golf Chairman Sandy Mackay.

Pattaya Sports Club held its Annual General Meeting on Saturday, June 9 where some senior management changes were made, including the appointment of Sandy Mackay as the new Golf Chairman. So to run the Club’s 165th monthly golf tournament at Pattana Golf Club & Resort just four days later was certainly a challenge, however everyone chipped in and did their bit to make sure things ran smoothly on the day. The competition started with a two tee start at 0900 and there had been much concern the night before when severe rain fell in most places around the venue. Fortunately by the time we started the weather was good and remained that way for the day. Attendance was better than could be expected considering the recent changes in management and it was good to see some old faces

PSC golfers enjoy the day at Pattana Golf Club & Resort. appearing again to boost the and the winner of an unconnumbers. Lady golfers were tested Ladies Flight was noted by their absence but Sunanta Duangwaw. this may have been a result In the Men’s A Flight, playof the ladies competition held ing a medal comp, Christian at Burapha the day before. Boysen took the honours We started the day with with a net 68 off his handionly two ladies taking part cap of 9. One shot behind

was Stephen Truelove (H/ C10) with a net 69. John Harrison (15) won the B Flight stableford comp with a whopping 46 points, three up on Jack Jackson (18) in second place. C Flight winner Thierry Temime (25) shot 43 points to finish one ahead of Thomas Ostle (25) who took second place with 42. Long Drives of the day went to Simon Spalding (A Flight), Jack Jackson (B Flight) and Brendon Core of (C Flight). Sunanta Duangwaw struck out for the ladies. Eddie Beilby picked up the prize for the Long Putt while near pins went to: (A Flight) Steve Rawlings, Christian Boysen (2) and Simon Spalding; (B Flight) Jerry Sweetnam, Mikael Andersson and Chaten Patel; and (C Flight) Thomas Ostle, Torben Lindgaard, Brendon Cope and Stanley Rees.

Daz does the double Traveller’s Rest Golf Group Thierry Temime (left) was the C Flight winner.

John Harrison (left) was the winner in B Flight.

Monday, June 11, The Emerald Stableford 1st Norman Cheetham (16) 35pts 2nd Richard Griffin (05) 34pts 3rd Peter Grant (08) 34pts The week started with twenty players making the trip to Emerald, however only eighteen departed from Pattaya as a couple of “Likely Lads” had decided to spend the previous night in Banchang and meet up on the course. Whatever nocturnal activities these two lads got up to remains a mystery but one of them, Norman, won the day and the other one who will remain anonymous finished stone motherless last! Sir Norman Cheetham, having cleared the tee box of spectators, smashed his first drive into the water right and wiped the first hole but undeterred he pulled himself together and posted 35 points, which was the best score of the day and earned him first place.

Tuesday, June 12, Green Valley – Stableford 1st Shigeki Toyoshima (17) 35pts 2nd Toshi Shiraiwa (23) 35pts 3rd Louis Flanagan (14) 33pts Tuesday we were back at Green Valley and with the course having recently hosted a major competition it was in excellent condition. It was a hard fought contest between two of our Japanese friends, Toshi and Shigeki to see who would emerge the victor. Both players finished on exactly the same score and it went down to the very last hole on a countback before a winner could be decided. Unfortunately

Darren Stanton.

Louis Flanagan.

Toshi had fallen on his sword and first place was awarded to Shigeki Toyoshima.

If you’re having a bad day then Laem Chabang is not the course to be having it on. After Wednesday’s 34 points your scribe thought his game was on the up, but that wasn’t the case as he hooked, sliced, topped and shanked his way to 14 points and the NAGA low score award. This was not so for Toshi Shiraiwa whose narrow defeat on Tuesday spurred him on to a fantastic round, and scoring 38 points he easily beat the rest of the field.

Wednesday, June 13, Greenwood – Stableford 1st Darren Stanton (15) 40pts 2nd Gary Bennett (18) 35pts 3rd Derek Thorogood (15) 34pts We ventured out to Greenwood on Wednesday where we were treated to millionaire’s golf. The Links Boys played B & A whilst the TRGG played A & C but other than these two societies there was no one else on the course. This really suited my playing partner Dazzling Daz who once again posted the best score of the week with 40 points. Credit should also go to Daz’s caddie who nurtured and pampered him for the entire eighteen holes. They looked like a match made in heaven as the sidled off the course together!

Thursday, June 14, Laem Chabang – Stableford 1st Toshi Shiraiwa (23) 38pts 2nd Louis Flanagan (14) 35pts 3rd Kim Sang-Kyu (22) 32pts

Friday, June 15, Burapha – Stableford Division 1 1st Jacob Cummings (7) 39pts 2nd Neil Wilkinson (14) 36pts 3rd Colin Smith (14) 36pts

Division 2 1st David Gray (19) 39pts 2nd Shigeki Toyoshima (17) 38pts 3rd Ho Jun-Yoon (24) 34pts One young Viking who hits a three-wood with the power of Thor’s hammer claimed his first victory with consummate ease today. Jacob (Yakob) Cummings smashed his way around Burapha, scoring 39 points to win division 1. In division 2 David Gray was proving that he is also a force to be reckoned with, scoring an equally impressive 39 points and taking first place.

Saturday, June 16, Crystal Bay – Stableford 1 st Louis Flanagan (14) 38pts 2nd Yoji Kanazawa (12) 35pts 3rd Billy Allan (18) 33pts On Saturday the boys headed off to Crystal Bay where Louis Flanagan finally secured a first place. Having scored well on Thursday with a very respectable 35 points at Laem Chabang, Louis was determined to capitalize on his good form. Today he negotiated the course with precision and left the rest of the field squabbling over the minor places.

VOL. XXVI No. 25

FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018 27

PATTAYA MAIL

Alex streets the field PSC Golf from The Growling Swan Monday, June 11, Eastern Star – Stableford 1st Alex Field (18) 34pts 2nd Mashi Kaneta (14) 32pts 3rd Lorraine Percy (36) 32pts 4th Denis Steele (15) 31pts We have been getting mixed reports about this course but from all reports on this day it was in good nick and worth another venture down that way. We a t t a c k e d f r o m t h e yellow tees (Lorraine from the red), the fairways were mowed, greens were good and bunkers had been raked. So we were set for a good day. Alex Field started well and came in 2 points clear of second and third, that being Mashi Kaneta and Lorraine Percy who were separated by the count-back system. Fourth past the post was Denis Steele one point behind second and third.

Thursday, june 14, Crystal Bay C & B Stableford 1st Bill Steinmann (13) 36pts 2nd Mashi Kaneta (15) 36pts 3rd Glenn Smith (25) 34pts 4th Alex Field (19) 33pts Near Pins: C7 Mashi Kaneta, B6 Glenn Smith. Long Putt: C9 Tony Cook, B9 Shane Young

DATE:

(From left) Mashi Kaneta, Lorraine Percy and Alex Field. A bus load and a couple of cars full of golfers set out to take on The Crystal Bay challenge. Well it probably seemed as if the day was on a downward spiral for one golfer, getting lost not once but twice on the way out. He must have been thinking as to how bad can this day get, well it did get better! The course was in good nick and generally held sway against the field. Crystal Bay is what it is, a good course that is maintained and never too busy, it is one of the Swan’s favorites. Bill Steinmann finally

FRI 22

Apple’s Irish

Mt. Shadow

Bunker Boys

Mt. Shadow

SAT 23

found the course, parked the car and his thoughts too as he was on song on the course. From the first tee box (as he sent one straight down the middle) he was heard muttering “I wish I had that luck in the car.” Anyway Bill ended the round with 36 points, tying for first spot but winning via the count-back system. Mashi was the unfortunate golfer that lost out but as always he was humble in defeat. Big hitter Glenn Smith came in third, with Alex Field a further point behind to take fourth spot.

SUN 24

MON 25

TUE 26

WED 27

THU 28

Treasure Hill

FRI 29 Khao Kheow

Pleasant Valley

Greenwood

Treasure Hill

Pattavia

Burapha

Mt. Shadow

Cafe Kronborg Colin’s Golf

Greenwood

Green Valley

Growling Swan Billabong Golf Le Katai Lewiinski’s The Links

Treasure Hill Burapha

Phoenix

Pleasant Valley

Greenwood

Siam Old Coures

Pattavia Green Valley Treasure Hill

Green Valley

Pattana

Bangpra

I Rovers Retox Game On

Eastern Star

Pleasant Valley

Crystal Bay

Siam Old Course

Siam Old Coures

Royal Lakeside

Treasure Hill

Green Valley Treasure Hill

Pattavia

Plutaluang

Siam Country Sugar Shack

Burapha

Khao Kheow Khao Kheow

Pattana

Treasure Hill

Greenwood

Plutaluang

Pattavia

Green Valley

Treasure Hill

Khao Kheow

Soi Diana Sports The Golf Club The Players Lounge

Green Valley

Tropical Golf Valley View Hackers

Bangpra Green Valley

Green Valley

Eastern Star Green Valley

The Bunker Boys meet at the M-Club off Pattaya 3rd Road for golf outings every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (www.bunkersociety.com). Transportation leaves from Cafe Kronborg on Soi Diana Inn at 8:15 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, (contact David on Tel. 083 602 2117). Colin’s Bar plays golf Sun/Mon/Wed & Fri (www.colinsbar.com). The Growling Swan plays golf on Monday & Thursday (www.thegrowlingswan.com). 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. The Pattaya Links Hotel Golf Society departs from Soi Buakhao on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Call Phil on 0625 933 380 or visit www.thelinkshotelpattaya.com. The Golf Club is located on Soij LK Metro. Call Phil on 090 769 3778. Tropical Golf meets at BJ’s Holiday Lodge at 8am on Tuesday’ & Friday. Call Derek on 089 034 0629

28 FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXVI No. 25

Brooks Koepka wins US Open, 1st repeat winner in 29 years Doug Ferguson Southampton, N.Y. (AP) — One was about power. The other was about patience. Brooks Koepka has a game for the U.S. Open no matter the course, no matter the test, no matter the circumstances. He never lost hope when he began his title defense with a 75 and was 7-over par midway through the second round. He didn’t lose his mind in the most punishing third round of a U.S. Open in nearly two decades. And with a cool head and a hot putter, he didn’t give anyone a chance down the stretch last Sunday at Shinnecock Hills. Koepka pulled away from a four-way tie for the lead with three birdies in five holes, held off Tommy Fleetwood and his record-tying 63 and closed with a 2-under 68 for a one-shot victory to become the first repeat U.S. Open champion in 29 years. “I don’t want to say I didn’t think I could do it,” Koepka said. “But I knew that it was going to be that much more difficult. And to finally do it, it’s much more gratifying the second time. I can really appreciate how

hard it is to win a major.” Koepka won with birdies on spacious Erin Hills last year. The signature moment from this U.S. Open was a trio of putts to escape trouble on the back nine — two for par, one for bogey. “I enjoy being pushed to the limit,” Koepka said. “Sometimes you feel like you are about to break mentally, but that’s what I enjoy. I enjoy hard golf courses. I enjoy playing about the toughest in golf you are ever going to play.” Shinnecock Hills was every bit of that, particularly on Saturday when conditions were so severe that the last 45 players to tee off shot over par. The USGA conceded the course was over the top and pledged to add water to slow it down. Fleetwood raced into U.S. Open history with a 63, without making birdie on the two par 5s and missing an 8-foot birdie putt on the final hole. That cost him more than the record. It cost him a chance in a playoff. Koepka took a two-shot lead with a wedge to 3½ feet for birdie on the par-5 16th, allowing him a safe bogey on the final hole to finish at 1over 281. It was the first time since 2013 at Merion that no

Brooks Koepka hits out of the rough on the sixth hole during the final round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship, Sunday, June 17, in Southampton, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) one broke par, and it was 13 shots more than his winning score at Erin Hills. Fleetwood was one shot behind when he finished, and Koepka still had 11 holes to play as Shinnecock Hills began to get crisp under another sunny sky. With a putting performance and calm demeanor reminiscent

of Retief Goosen when he won the previous U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, in 2004, the 28-year-old Koepka began the back nine with three pivotal putts — one for birdie, one for bogey, one for par. The biggest might have been his bogey on the nasty little par-3 11th.

Koepka pulled a pitching wedge to the left, down the slope and into thick grass. He chopped that up the slope with so much speed that it raced across the green and into the bunker. He blasted that out to 8 feet and made the putt to keep his lead at one shot. “I think that was like making a birdie, maybe even

making an eagle,” he said. “Because it could have been a big momentum shift there, and we could have been playing tennis just going back and forth. To make bogey there was pretty incredible and I think kind of the reason why we won.” Dustin Johnson, part of the four-way tie for the lead to start the final round, couldn’t keep up with one of his best friends. Johnson was one shot behind at the turn until a trio of three-putt bogeys on the back nine. A birdie on the final hole gave him an evenpar 70 to finish alone in third and remain No. 1 in the world. A year ago, Johnson called him on the eve of the final round to offer advice. On Sunday, they were playing side by side without exchanging words, each trying to play a course that was considerably softer than the previous day. “We didn’t really speak too much,” Koepka said. “He was busy grinding his tail off and I was busy grinding mine. We’re extremely close. I love the guy to death. It would have been fun to duel it out with him coming down the end, having to make some putts.”

Fernando Alonso wins on debut in 24 Hours Le Mans race Le Mans, France (AP) — Two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso won the 24 Hours Le Mans on his debut in the classic endurance race last Sunday to move closer to motorsport’s unofficial Triple Crown. The Spanish driver, together with teammates Kazuki Nakajima of Japan and Sebastien Buemi of Switzerland,

completed 388 laps in their Toyota hybrid car, two more than Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez in the other Toyota hybrid. Alonso is bidding to match British driver Graham Hill’s feat of completing the Triple Crown, including wins at the Monaco Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500. Alonso is a

Read Pattaya Mail Online Updated Daily www.pattayamail.com | Facebook/pattayamail Email: ptymail@pattayamail.com

two-time winner in Monaco. “Le Mans once a year is not enough! It needs to be every three weeks,” joked Alonso, who looked to be in trouble when Buemi was penalized for speeding in a caution zone late Saturday. Alonso’s car was left more than two minutes behind the other Toyota but the Spaniard managed to claw back the difference through the night, putting Nakajima in position to retake the lead from Kobayashi early on Sunday. “I felt great tonight,” Alonso said after his final stint driving. “I don’t know exactly how, but I managed to

Drivers of the Toyota TS050 Hybrid No8 of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team, Sebastien Buemi of Switzerland (right on the car) and Fernando Alonso of Spain celebrate after winning the 86th 24-hour Le Mans endurance race in Le Mans, western France, Sunday, June 17. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

make the tires work for us at the right time despite the cool air temp. Our pace has been good and I was lucky with the traffic as well.” It was Toyota’s first victory at the 20th attempt, and the first win for a Japanese manufacturer since Mazda’s success in 1991. Former Formula One champion Jenson Button raced for the private SMP team, but the Briton’s non-hybrid car faced early problems with engine trouble that forced its retirement in the final hour. Some 60 factory and private teams competed in the 86th edition of the race.

Lorenzo wins Catalonia GP ahead of Marquez Montmelo, Spain (AP) — Jorge Lorenzo won the Catalonia Grand Prix after starting from pole position ahead of MotoGP points leader Marc Marquez last Sunday. Marquez crossed second followed by Valentino Rossi at the Barcelona-Catalonia Circuit. It was the Spaniard’s second straight victory after the Italian GP two weeks ago. Those are his only two victories since joining Ducati in 2017. Lorenzo has announced that he will leave Ducati at the end of the season and join Honda next year, forming a formidable pairing with Marquez. Marquez jumped ahead of pole-sitting Lorenzo at the start of the race, but Lorenzo

Ducati rider Jorge Lorenzo leads Honda rider Marc Marquez, both of Spain, during the Catalunya Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday, June 17. (AP Photo/Eric Alonso) passed him on the second lap to take back the lead. “Winning two races in a row is incredible,” Lorenzo

said. “We were competitive and consistent all weekend. I didn’t have a good start, so I had to keep calm.”

It was the three-time former champion’s 46th career win in the top category. Marquez leads the standings with 115 points. Rossi is next with 88. Lorenzo is in seventh place with 66. After the race Marquez paid his respects to Andreas Perez, the 14-year-old motorbike rider who died last week after succumbing to injuries he received when he crashed during a race at the same track, by waving a flag with Perez’s No. 77. In Moto2, Fabio Quartararo got his first race win. Miguel Oliviera was second followed by Alex Marquez. Enea Bastiani won the Moto3 race ahead of point leader Marco Bezzecchi and Gabriel Rodrigio.

VOL. XXVI No. 25

FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018 29

PATTAYA MAIL

Spence keeps IBF title at home with quick knockout of Ocampo Schuyler Dixon Frisco, Texas (AP) — Errol Spence Jr. gave the home folks the knockout he figured they wanted. There just wasn’t much of the show he hoped would go with it. Spence stopped Carlos Ocampo to retain his IBF welterweight title, dropping the Mexican challenger with a right hand to the body as the first round was ending last Saturday night. Fighting at the Dallas Cowboys’ practice facility after growing up in the suburbs as a fan of America’s Team, Spence improved to 24-0 with his 11th straight knockout and 21st overall. The crowd might have

been left wanting more, as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones jokingly suggested after winking at the camera while celebrating with the 2012 U.S. Olympian in the ring. “He can fight again tonight if someone wants to step up and fight him,” Jones said. Ocampo crumpled to the canvas after taking the body shot. He tried to get up but went down to his knees and was counted out in the battle of unbeaten fighters. “I was a little disappointed,” Spence said. “I wanted to give the crowd their money’s worth. I wanted him to sustain a bit and give him some punishment, but the body shot got him and I dropped him.”

Carlos Ocampo (left) and Errol Spence Jr. fight during the first round of their IBF welterweight boxing bout Saturday, June 16, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez) The 28-year-old Spence was fighting in front of a sellout crowd in the 12,000-seat football stadium that doubles

Afghanistan lose maiden test to India by innings in 2 days

as the indoor practice facility for the Cowboys at their headquarters about 30 miles north of Dallas. It was the second defense of the 147-pound title that Spence won last summer in Englishman Kell Brook’s hometown. Ocampo (22-1) was fighting

professionally outside his home country for the first time. “l got a lot of experience out of fighting Errol,” Ocampo said. “It would have been a very difficult fight for me. I got overconfident at the end of the round and he caught me.” The buildup for the right was all the crowd got, with Spence taking the ring to big cheers with a big Cowboys star logo on the front of his robe. Earlier, Spence got a good roar when he was shown on camera alongside Jones near his locker room. “This moment is a dream,” Spence said. “I wanted to play for the Dallas Cowboys and now I’m fighting in front of the Dallas Cowboys and Jerry Jones.” Spence battered Lamont Peterson in his first title defense in New York in January, winning in the eighth round. Last summer in Sheffield, England, Spence broke Brook’s orbital bone and knocked him

down in the 10th round before the fight was stopped in the 11th. This was Spence’s first fight as a co-promoter, the other reason besides the hometown crowd that the show was part of the story line. “We’ll definitely be back after I unify some titles,” Spence said. “We’ll make this an annual thing where I fight here.” Spence’s victory came a week after Terence Crawford took the WBO crown from Jeff Horn, who had beaten Manny Pacquiao a year earlier. But Spence’s focus is on the expected August fight between Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter for the WBC title. “I definitely want to make that a unifying fight,” Spence said. “We both have the same management. Why not make that happen? I definitely want that fight whenever it’s available.”

Chetan Narula Bangalore, India (AP) — Afghanistan succumbed to top-ranked India by an innings and 262 runs inside two days of their maiden cricket test last week. India made a first innings score of 474 and then bowled out the Afghans for 109 and 103 for their biggest win by an innings. It was the fourth instance in test history of a team being bowled out twice in one day. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja took six wickets, including 4-17 in the second innings, and Ravichandran Ashwin claimed five, including 4-27 in the first. India stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane believed better days were ahead for Afghanistan. “Afghanistan have some good bowlers and in time they will be able to trouble the opposition more,” Rahane said. “The more matches they

The 20th Annual Canadian Jackalope Open Entry Form Burapha Golf & Country Club Stableford Format India’s Ravindra Jadeja (right) celebrates with teammate Cheteshwar Pujara (left) the dismissal of Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan (center) during the second day of the one-off cricket test match between the two nations in Bangalore, India, Friday, June 15. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) play, the more they will learn. This is just the beginning so you cannot really blame them. Test cricket is about

attitude and patience. If two or three batsmen can spend some more time in the middle, it will help their batting.”

Federer moves back to No. 1 in rankings, swapping with Nadal London (AP) — Roger Federer is back at No. 1 in the ATP rankings, once again swapping spots with Rafael Nadal. Federer’s title at the grass-court tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, last week pushed him up from No. 2 on Monday. Nadal dropped down from No. 1 after sitting out last week following his 11th French Open championship earlier in the month. This is the fifth time the top ranking has changed hands between Federer and Nadal. That’s the most switches at No. 1 in a single season since there were also five in 2003. The record for most changes at No. 1 is 10, set in 1983, when John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl all spent time there. This is Federer’s record-extending 310th week at No. 1. Federer defeated Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-6 (3) on Sunday to win his 18th grass-court title,

August 3rd 2018 Official Shotgun Start at 12:00

Entry Form Players’ Names (required)

Group Contact Phone / E-mail (required)

Handicaps (required) IPGC IPGC IPGC IPGC

PSC PSC PSC PSC

Entry Fee Entry fee(s) enclosed for _________ Player(s) at THB 3,500.00 Total _______________________ Date _________________ Entry fee includes: green fee, caddy fee, golf cart fee, 20th anniversary shirt, giveaways, and Canadian Caesars kick starters at sign up, on the course and the evening buffet. A limited open bar is once again offered this year, but BYOB is recommended, corkage and mixers are provided free of charge. For more photos and history of the tournament follow this link: www.jackalopeopen.com

General Information & Inquiries

Roger Federer celebrates after beating Milos Raonic in the final of the ATP Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Sunday June 17. (Marijan Murat//dpa via AP) his 98th title overall and third of the season after victories at the Australian Open and World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam.

1. Courses to be played are Augusta and Belfry with the field limited to 128 players 2. For handicap inquires and sign up details, contact John Emmerson at johnscotte@yahoo.com, Rob Kennedy at rkennedyconsulting@gmail.com or Mark Gorda marktgorda@gmail.com 3. Entry fee must be included with entry form unless prior arrangements have been made with one of the organizers. On completion of your entry form and fee, contact John Emerson at 089-095-8631 and one of the organizers will collect your entry; (payment on the day is acceptable). 4. Men and Rabbits play off WHITE tees, Ladies play off RED tees. 5. Local rules and technical prize hole details will be made available on the day. 6. Your spouse is welcome to attend the Buffet & Awards presentation, compliments of the Jackalope Open. Please inform the organizers when you sign up, so we can make sure of the numbers. Email : marktgorda@gmail.com 7. Website: www.jackalopeopen.com Contact RobKennedy John Emmerson Mark Gorda Numbers 0871270790 089-095-8631 087-141-7878

30 FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXVI No. 25

Andre Lotterer of Germany drives his damaged Rebellion R13 Gibson during the 86th 24-hour Le Mans endurance race, in Le Mans, western France, Saturday, June 16. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A Mexico soccer fan celebrates her team’s victory against Germany after the World Cup group F match at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, June 17. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Carlos Ocampo (left) goes down after taking a body shot from Errol Spence Jr. (right) during the first round of their welterweight boxing bout Saturday, June 16, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)

Afghanistan’s Hashmatullah Shahidi bats during the second day of the oneoff cricket test match against India in Bangalore, India, Friday, June 15. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Brooks Koepka kisses the trophy after winning the U.S. Open Golf Championship, Sunday, June 17, in Southampton, N.Y. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after the group B match between Portugal and Spain at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Fisht Stadium in Sochi, Russia, Friday, June 15. (AP Photo/ Francisco Seco)

MotoGP Ducati rider Jorge Lorenzo of Spain celebrates on the podium after winning the MotoGP Catalunya Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday, June 17. (AP Photo/Eric Alonso)

VOL. XXVI No. 25

FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018 31

PATTAYA MAIL

Panthers on the prowl in Phuket Georgia Welsh Twenty Pattaya Panther tourists embarked on a journey to Phuket on Friday, 25 May, to take part in the Phuket International 10’s rugby tournament. A quiet night settling in was then ordered as the troops prepared themselves for the battles to come. The appearance of the pink tourists the next morning received a cheer on arrival at the Phuket Rugby Stadium grounds as they swaggered (or more like staggered) onto the field in their glorious new pink kit, ready for their opening fixture against the Beaver Nomads. A close first game against the Nomads saw Panthers’ captain Chris Mander score his first try of the tournament and Joe Edama proudly notch his first of the season, however the Nomads got the final say and edged a close

encounter 12-10. Perhaps the Panthers got too much sleep before this 11am kick off? After a short break the Panthers next faced Old Man Mix, with the boys in pink running riot and winning the match 41-0. The food and beverage team had clearly energized the Panther squad as they ran through their opponents at will. The final fixture on Day 1 saw the Panthers brought back down to earth with a 26-0 loss against the reigning champions, the Phuket Vagabonds. Despite this, the Panthers were still in high spirits after an impressive first day of rugby. The following morning, The Rooster (Marc) kindly played music up and down the corridor for all guests staying in the vicinity at the early hour of 7:00 am as the Panthers readied themselves for their 9:00am kick-off on

Day 2. Their opponents, Old Man Mix once again, arrived sober and ready to compete but the Panthers proved too strong once more for the Old Man and prevailed by a score of 26-5. Tom Edwards stormed through and scored 2 tries for the Panthers alongside Marcus Large and Franco Vorster, using their strength and impulsive power to pierce through Old Man Mix’s defence to score 2 more tries. A win by default over the Dubai Wasps in The Bowl semi-final reinforced suspicions that the Panthers’ short robes and social antics on Bangla Road the previous night had intimidated their opponents into not showing up. The Bowl final was to be against the Gold Coast Barbarians, so the Panthers got strapped up and prepared for their final debut. Some strong runs from Andrea Bellato and Yuji Kitahara plus brute

The Pattaya Panthers pose with their Bowl runner-up trophy at the Phuket International 10’s rugby tournament in Phuket, Sunday, May 27. (Photo/Naratip Golf Srisupab/SEALs Sports Images) strength from Alex McInnes, dropped ball, with Tom had to prepare 10 of their Pongipat Pongsima and Edwards showing panther finest athletes but sadly Harrison Fletcher resulted in like speed to cross the line. they couldn’t compete with The Barbarians were wor- the Barbarians’ twisting a long term of Panther possession and saw Douglas thy finalist however and technique and the Bowl Bursill score a well-deserved also scored a brace of tries went to the Antipodeans to tie the game at 10-10. The as Panther captain Chris try in the corner. The Panthers continued to final score meant a ‘boat Mander proudly stepped up pile on the pressure and race’ was required to decide to accept the consolation gained a second try off a the winner. The Panthers silverware.

Youths kick away drugs at Palladium football tourney

A Panther puts a hard tackle on a Barbarian in the Bowl final. (Photo/Naratip Golf Srisupab/SEALs Sports Images)

No live chickens at the World Cup for Nigeria fans Kaliningrad, Russia (AP) — Chicken on plates, no problem. In the stadiums, not so much. A Russian official in the city of Kaliningrad says authorities forbade World Cup fans from bringing live chickens to matches. Some fans dye chickens in the national colors as a good luck symbol, including those from Nigeria, who play Argentina on Saturday in Kaliningrad. Russia’s Interfax news agency quotes regional culture and tourism minister Andrei Yermak as saying “fans from Nigeria asked whether they could bring a chicken to the stadium. It’s their symbol and people support the team with them at all the games. We told them they can’t bring a live chicken at all.” If Nigerian fans want to support their team elsew h e r e , Ye r m a k s a y s a

Young football stars came from far and wide to take part in the Palladium Cup Youth Football Tournament.

Jetsada Homklin

In this Feb. 10, 2013 file photo a Nigeria fan holds up a live chicken decorated in Nigeria’s colors of green and white during the African Cup of Nations tournament in Johannesburg, South Africa. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) government advice hotline can “advise them where to buy a chicken. We’re prepared to satisfy even the most eccentric requests.” Nigeria got a similar refusal at the 2010 World Cup, when the South African Press Association reported Nigerian fans were angered

their chicken wasn’t allowed into the stadium in Johannesburg. SAPA said the chicken on that occasion was dyed in the team’s colors and had its claws bound by black tape. The agency quoted fan John Okoro as calling the refusal “ridiculous.”

Pattaya youngsters vied for 30,000 baht in prize money at the Palladium Cup Youth Football Tournament recently. Pairat Chumpol, technical director of for the Thai national football team, handed out prizes at the June 10 tournament for kids ages 11-13 at the Palladium football field on Soi Khopai. The cash prizes were sponsored by the Pocari Sweat energy drink, Wittaya Laohakul and Chalermwith Sangapol. The tournament aimed to encourage kids to use their spare time playing sports and avoiding drugs. The single-elimination

tourney was split into brackets for kids ages 11, 12 and 13. Each top team took home 5,000 baht. Palladium bested Navy 3-1 for the 13-year-old

championship. Champion beat Navy Juniors in the 12-year-old bracket 1-0. And St. Louis beat Baan Tungkor on penalty shots 5-4 among 11-year-olds.

The football on show was of a high standard throughout.

32 FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018

PATTAYA MAIL

Bedsheet paintings garner 20,000 baht for charity

VOL. XXVI No. 25

Koh Larn, Pratamnak, Bali Hai images win at Pattaya photo contest

Jetsada Homklin

Founder of the Hand to Hand Foundation, Margaret Grainger thanks CEO and founder of The Art Floor, Dashmeet Singh, for the charitable donations.

Pattaya business leaders splashed paint around the Hotel Baraquda to raise funds for charity. Dashmeet Singh, founder of India’s The Art Floor organization, and General Manager Jagan Lacsher hosted the June 12 fundraiser for the Hand to Hand Foundation at the South Pattaya hotel. Guests at the invite-only event included a who’s who of Pattaya-area business leaders. Dashmeet led the guests in spraying water colors on white hotel sheets to create unique impressionistic paintings. The public then was let in and invited to join in on the auction. Artwork sales raised 20,000 baht for Hand to Hand.

(L to R) Professor Songkram Phowilai, Wanchai Suebsaman, Sawat Pathinpanprasert, Professor Saman Chetrakarn, and Pisit Senanansakul, the honorary judges pose with the winning photos.

Jetsada Homklin Creative images of Koh Larn, Pratamnak Hill and Bali Hai Pier won the top prizes in the 150,000-baht “Charm of Pattaya” photo contest. Sawat Pathinpanprasert, president of the Photography Association of Thailand, Professor Songkram Phowilai, art photographer Pisit Senanansakul and Wanchai Suebsamam chose three winners and 20 honorable

mentions from the 332 photographs submitted for the competition. The objective of the contest was to highlight Pattaya’s attractions, culture and nature for the world. The contest was open to everyone regardless of nationality, age or gender. Judges graded the photos on creativity, tradition and composition and awarded prizes for each. Sanchai Buasrong won the 50,000-baht first-place prize

for an aerial shot of Koh Larn showing a lot of detail of the resort islands nature and attractions. Second place and 30,000 baht went to Pollaklit Tithiritthinan for his “Land of Tradition” photo of Pratamnak Hill. Thanawat Thongchan won 20,000 baht for his shot of Bali Hai Pier he called “Pattaya by Night”. Twenty other photographers received 2,000 baht as honorable mention prizes.

The winning photo called “Go To Koh Larn” (center) with second place “Land of Tradition” and third place “Pattaya by Night”.

Guests enjoy their hands on experience with water colors.

Jesters Care For Kids Charity Drive How you cared for needy children in 2017 Thank you once again for helping us to raise 2,528,325 baht, or 90 %, of the net, which was distributed to children’s charities on the Eastern Seaboard and beyond. With your assistance, we can continue to help poor children from abuse and provide them educational opportunities, including for the disabled. The following projects were supported by your donations last year:

Our Target Charity The Fountain of Life Center in Naklua (1,898,908 baht): Under the auspices of the Good Shepherd Foundation (Registered Charity No. Tor 460/2543): children are provided with documentation, life orientation, education, meals, medical/dental care, and ultimately, scholarships for public schools. Next Step Program: children and young adults are provided with scholarships for kindergarten to vocational

colleges and universities. This spring, 7 children enrolled in kindergarten, 11 to primary, 10 to, secondary, 2 to vocational college and 3 to bachelor. Since 2009, there have been 15 university graduates, including one who completed his Masters in Law. Camillian Home in Lat Krabang (500,750 baht): With the Canadian Jackalope Open, provided 3 children with 24/7 care for two severely disabled and with HIV and one with cerebral palsy. Camillian Social Center in Rayong (31,645 baht): Along with CJO, sponsored children to go on a Christmas spree at Big C in Rayong. Share Love with Friends in Nong Prue (28,843 baht): provided a New Year’s rice distribution for poor families with disabled children, a wheelchair for a young adult and supported their annual Lion event. Ban Chang Hospital Outreach Program (13,179

baht): Provided poor children with school uniforms and supplies. YWCA (55,000 baht): Sponsored annual fundraiser ‘Run/Walk Event’ for needy children and helped build a dormitory for the Anti-Trafficking and Child Abuse (ATCC) in Nong Prue. The children who finished their Bachelor degrees through your donations from 2009 to the present: 1. Mr. Wason Muaengkaew - Car garage owner 2. Mr. Chaichana Areewijitwong - Company employee

3. Miss Yawwanee Klinpuang - Company employee 4. Miss Chonthicha Mokmanee – Hospital nurse 5. Mr. Rienchai Yoosabay Lawyer (also Master’s degree) 6. Miss Siriporn Rangsisopin - Kasikorn Bank employee 7. Miss Chodmaee Riewkol - Teacher 8. Miss Thidarat Ferngsawad - Company employee 9. Mr. PenTham Songprayson- Lawyer 10. Mr. Thanathip Sedtharak - Bank employee 11. Miss Athidtaya Klinpuang- King Power Pattaya employee 12. Mr. Komsun Piboonsri – Hospital employee 13. Miss Nathaphat Smerwet – Samitivetj Hospital employee in Sriracha 15. Miss Jantamanee Sarasad School teacher in Samudsakorn 16. Miss Aucharee Ridthikun – Company employee in Bangkok

VOL. XXVI No. 25

FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018 33

PATTAYA MAIL

E-mail: comhaps@pattayamail.com

Events The next meeting of Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC) will be on Sunday, June 24. Jakob Friis will speak about “How Virtual Reality Could Save Your Life”. The program starts at 10:30 a.m. with a buffet breakfast available from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. on the 4th floor of the Holiday Inn’s Executive Tower, located behind the Holiday Inn’s Bay Tower on Beach Road. A Joint Chambers Eastern Seaboard networking evening will be held at the Hotel Baraquda Pattaya on Friday, July 20 from 6.30 p.m. – 9 p.m. (last drinks at 8.30 p.m.). Entrance cost is THB 500 on the door for members and THB 1000 for non-members. Admission includes free-flow drinks and finger food. For more information send email to office@austchamthailand.com. The Pattaya International Ladies Club invites you to a Black & White Party at the Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya on Saturday, June 23 beginning at 19.00 hrs. Enjoy a bubbly reception, buffet, disco, raffle prizes and a free flow of wine, beer and soft drinks: Price 1500 baht per person. Dress code is Black & White. Email: specialeventspilc@gmail.com. Travel and taste local Thai dishes at the Thai Eat Art

Fax: 038-427596

Gastronomy festival being held at Laemthaen beach in Bangsaen from June 29 – July 1. Five different regions in Thailand will be offering their own unique cuisine accompanied by cooking displays from celebrity chefs and music concerts featuring famous artists. For more information check Thai Eat Art Gastronomy on Facebook or call TAT Pattaya on 038 482 750. The Royal British Legion Thailand will be holding an Armed Forces Day the Tropical Bar in east Pattaya on Saturday, June 30. The British Military Attache, Colonel Roger Lewis and his wife Kimberley will be in attendance and there will also be some fantastic entertainment, a buffet and refreshments. For more information visit: www.facebook.com/ royalbritishlegionthailand. The 2018 Pattaya Marathon will take place on Sunday, July 15 with a start and finish point on Pattaya Beach Road. The categories of competition include a full marathon (42.195km), half marathon (21km) quarter marathon (10km), wheelchair race and fun run. For registration details and more information call 038-253-127 or visit www.facebook/pattayamarathon. A Farmers’ Market takes place every 2nd Saturday of the month at the Holiday Inn

hotel on Pattaya Beach Road from 10.30 am - 3.30 p.m. Products range from wellness items, jewelry, freshly prepared food, organic vegetables and fruits. The next market will be held July 14. A stamp market is held every Sunday from 10.00 a.m. till 3.00 p.m.at Rahnpintang Moe Kata Restaurant, Panji Place, on Soi Ponphraphanimit 7 (200m from the Bangkok Highway underpass). Here can you exchange stamps from the whole world. Call 089 091 3418 for more information and directions.

Dining Benihana Terrace Bar offers a ‘Shushi High Tea’ with fresh sushi and nigiri, California rolls and Temaki, all served with beautiful sea views. High tea served daily from 2pm – 5pm. Price: THB 750++ per set (for two). Benihana is located at the AVANI Pattaya Resort & Spa. Call 038 412 120. Hard Rock’s Pattaya’s World Burger Tour is back and ready to take guests’ taste buds on an international flavor experience. In June, enjoy a choice of Aussie Burger from Australia, Olé Burger (Spain), Schnitzel Burger (Germany) and Whiskey Bacon Burger (Belgium). Hard Rock will also showcase the brand’s world-famous beverage menu made up of refreshing cocktails and non-alcoholic options. For more information on World Burger Tour and to contact Hard Rock Cafe Pattaya for menu details, call

038 426 635 or visit www. hardrock.com/cafes/pattaya. Special culinary nights at Persimmon restaurant, Pattana Golf Club & Resort: Pizza Pasta Night on Tuesday at only 299 Baht or 399 Baht including sangria or wine, customers can choose ingredients for their pasta and pizza. Seafood Night on Wednesday at only 399 Baht, customers can choose varieties of fresh seafood cooked to order in our open kitchen. Carnivore Night on Friday at only 499 Baht offers a free flow chicken, lamb, beef or pork BBQ direct from the charcoal grill. In addition, for only 100 Baht customers can choose or combine lots of ingredients and level of spiciness to create your own Som Tam, all day, every day. Call for reservation at 038 318 999 ext. 11212/11230 or email restaurant@pattana.co.th. Buffet Theme Nights @ Coast: Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya. All buffet nights priced at only THB 999 net per person! Wild Wild West Mondays buffet serves a wide variety of dishes including steak, polar fresh seafood, salad, desserts buffet and ice cream every Monday night from 18.30 – 22.45 hrs. Asian Seafood BBQ, served every Tuesday night from 18.3022.45 hrs, with a big selection. Enjoy a BBQ buffet specializing in Korean and Japanese cuisine every Wednesday night from 18.30 – 22.45 hrs. Hawaiian Seafood BBQ buffet spread includes a popular Hawaiian & Polynesian dance show

Food lovers set for a feast at Thai Eat Art Gastronomy festival The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s aim of creating a wide variety of attractions is focusing this month on culture and cuisine with the ‘Thai-Eat-ArtGastronomy’ festival, set to be held in Bangsaen, Chonburi from June 29 – July 1. The event will showcase traditional Thai cuisine to the world while providing a cultural experience to visitors and give insights into how the local foodstuffs are created and sourced. Over 100 booths will be available at Laem Taen in Bangsaen for visitors to fully indulge in traditional Thai goods from all around the region. Five regions will have their own quota of food-stalls offering a range of tasty goods while more with 60 local shops and vendors will be invited for the occasion to

display their goods and products. This exhibition of gastronomy tourism will offer visitors a better insight into the art of Thai food and culture and the activity zone, with Thai traditional music showcased and played, will host live cooking stations with experienced chefs offering tips and advice on food creation. It promises to be an opportunity not to be missed for those interested in the food, culture and tradition of Thailand all encompassed in one big event. The Thai-Eat-Art-Gastronomy is expected to attract a good number of tourists. For more information check Thai Eat Art Gastronomy on Facebook or call TAT Pattaya on 038 482 750 or the TAT Hotline at 1672.

every Thursday night from 18.30 – 22.45 hrs. Samba Night Fridays offer a Churrasco BBQ buffet and live Samba dance show every Friday night from 18.30 – 22.45 hrs. Coast Beach Club & Bistro is located on the beachfront of the hotel at Wong Amat Beach in North Pattaya. Call 038 301 234 for reservations. In June, Hilton Pattaya invites you to experience a variety of special menus featuring free range chicken. ‘Flare’ Restaurant presents slow cooked free range chicken with Thai herbs at THB 650 net; ‘Drift’ Lobby Lounge & Bar introduces appetizers including deep fried free range chicken with Thai seasoning and herbs at THB 350 net and chicken in massaman curry served with French fries at THB 350 net. ‘Horizon’ Rooftop Restaurant and Bar recommends roasted free range chicken with truffle oil served with riceberry and quinoa pilaf, baby carrots, Shimeji mushrooms, and asparagus at THB 850 net. For more information or reservations, call 038-253-000 or bkkhp_fb@hilton.com or pattaya.hilton.com.

Delicious free-range chicken dishes at Hilton Pattaya. The Bay Grill & Buffet at Dusit Thani Pattaya: Dine with a sea view and enjoy seafood and meat barbecue accompanied by Thai and international items from soup, appetizers and main courses to dessert for only THB 1200++ per person. Free flowing beverage for additional THB 599++ per person. The Bay is open daily from 18:30 22:00. Call 038 425 611-7 ext. 2149 0r 2150 for more information and reservations. Big Fish restaurant at Siam@Siam Design Hotel

Pattaya enhances its seafood buffet with a Thai marketplace theme: live stations offer traditional Thai cuisine in a unique atmosphere and include Thai salad, papaya salad, lemongrass & shrimp salad, Thai noodle served with beef/chicken and meat ball, pad Thai, fishcake served with chili-pickled cucumber and Thai dessert of mango with sticky rice, luk chub, woon bai toey, tup tim krob and more. All you can eat only at THB 400 net per person and enjoy a special welcome drink from the antique jar. Promotion daily from 12pm – 2.30pm. For more information and reservations call 038 930 600 or email to fbsec@siamatpattaya.com. The Thai Garden Terrace Restaurant offers nightly dining presentations with different themed “all you can eat” buffets at the resort poolside: Monday – Italian buffet; Tuesday – BBQ buffet; Wednesday – multi-cuisine buffet; Thursday – German buffet with roasted pig; Friday – Thai buffet; Saturday – international buffet; Sunday – steak & skewers buffet. The buffet starts from 6 p.m., runs until 9 p.m. All this for just 399 baht net per adult. What you see is what you pay, no additional service charges or VAT. For reservations call 038 370 614 or make your booking at www.thaigarden.com under “buffet reservation”. Thai Garden Resort is located on

The happy BBQ chef at Thai Garden. Continued on page 35

34 FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXVI No. 25

Dining with Vlad Flames restaurant at Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Sorry, did you think I was referring to the Russian leader? There are many Vladimirs in this world, and that includes some in Pattaya who long for food from their home country. This week we went to the Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort (get there via Soi 18 Naklua) which has introduced Russian food at their Flames restaurant. Yes, Russian standard food and if you look carefully at what you are ordering, you can even get a free bottle of Russian standard vodka to add to the Russian experience. However, let me begin with a gripe. The Centara Grand Mirage has the Lost World as its theme. It works, as every time I try to find a specific restaurant I get lost. Please Mr. Centara how about some signs to direct your guests to their destination. And while I am at it, a sign on the Indiana Jones rope bridge to advise no jumping, as I was

almost catapulted off by some adventurous young souls! So to Flames restaurant where we were met by the lovely PR lady Deta and the EAM Mario Mendis who selected a table for us with a view of the Bay of Siam and to enjoy the gentle sea breezes. We settled on the comfortable chairs with a bottle of Stonefish Cabernet Sauvignon, a very mellow and pleasant red, and perused the menu. Flames is a grill house Mario explained, with a large grill just around the corner from the central dining area. To also give us an idea of the different dishes, the ever smiling Mario arranged some small ‘tasting’ portions including a very enjoyable Chicken Kiev (B. 280 for full size) and a tomato salad with cheese and garlic. Getting a taste for the Russian Standard vodka, we ordered some Fine de Clair oysters which come with two shots per

six oysters. Sheer gluttony but I loved it. However, the prime item (and ready for the other Vlad) was a Tomahawk steak weighing in at 1.2 kg (huge) and enough to feed a small army of Genghis Khan’s raiders. Not cheap at B. 3,950, but by the time you divide your tomahawk by the number of guests it is quite reasonable. We were three and could not finish it, so go there hungry! The tomahawk cut comes with the rib attached and the meat was very tender, coming straight from the grill to our table.

Baked Alaska and I fell in love again. Spell it and it’s yours – a Trubochki.

Flames flame-proof interior.

An enormous Tomahawk steak as devoured by Genghis Khan.

Sauces? Yes, there’s a Jack Daniels or a mushroom or a bacon. Escoffier would be proud of the Flames kitchen. You are also eligible for a free bottle of Russian standard vodka. Be prepared to dine slowly and enjoy as Mario suggested! Being adventurous, we tried the Farshirovannye blinchiki, which is pancakes

filled with minced beef and served with sour cream. Like an educated Thai Larb without the chilli. Having proved to all and sundry that we were gluttons, a desserts course was brought to our table. A Baked Alaska, a Trubochki crispy wafers and a Syrniki cheese pancakes. These Russki’s certainly have a

sweet tooth! The Baked Alaska was just superb and I ate most of it, leaving a small remainder on the plate for the others in the review team. Of course Flames has more than just Russian items, and the menu states clearly which items are Russian or otherwise. For example there are four different types of Caesar salad. The menu also flags items that contain alcohol, contain nuts or contain pork. Seafood is well covered with everything from traditional fish and chips to a Tasmanian Salmon steak. Char grills feature Wagyu rib eye from Australia and even a free

range duck breast. There is also a photo page showing steak temperatures, great idea. As the Centara Grand Mirage is a five star property, it is not inexpensive, but not over the top. Flames is a restaurant to take visitors from overseas so they can get rid of the idea that we are living in a third world country. Flames is world class. Flames restaurant, Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort, 277 Moo 5, Naklua, telephone 038 301 234, email cmbr@ chr.co.th. Open 7 days, 6 p.m. until 11 p.m., secure parking in hotel grounds.

VOL. XXVI No. 25

FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018 35

PATTAYA MAIL

E-mail: comhaps@pattayamail.com From page 33 North Pattaya Road, 200 meters from the Dolphin roundabout and 200 meters before Tesco Lotus. Yupin’s Restaurant in Jomtien Complex offers some fabulous culinary options including slow roast soft pork stuffed with garlic and coriander, and served with an onion and red wine sauce, vegetables and a choice of potato at only 395 baht or delicious fresh from the sea, jumbo tiger prawns served with a cream, parmesan and Malibu sauce, and vegetables or a choice of potato at only 495 baht. Special promotions include two set menus plus a bottle of wine for only 1,295 baht or order a two course meal between 6-7 PM and get a free glass of red or white or rosé wine or 250 baht off a house bottle of wine at 545 baht. For more information or reservations, call 038 250394 or visit website: www.yupins.com.

Delicious menu options at Yupin’s Restaurant. Linda’s Restaurant is large with seating for 200 people, with a covered al fresco verandah outside for those who wish to smoke. Inside, in air-conditioned comfort, there are comfortable chairs and decent sized tables, with white starched napery. The menu is large and covers

northern European items, Scandinavian dishes and several pages covering Thai cuisine. Linda’s Restaurant, 315/177-180 Moo 12, opposite the Jomtien Complex. Thappraya Road, Jomtien. Open seven days from 7.30 a.m. until late. Tel: Reservations: 038 252 726, www. lindasrestaurant.com, streetside parking. Email linda@ lindasrestaurant.com . GPS 12.901655 N 100.869.

BBQ Pork Spare Ribs & Jasmine Rice for only 195 baht Jameson’s Irish Pub offers daily food specials from Mon-Sat as well as fabulous Sunday roast dinners with all the trimmings, priced from 340 baht – 400 baht. Jameson’s Irish Pub is located on Soi Sukrudee (Soi A.R.) in Central Pattaya. Call 038 361 874 for more information or visit website: www.jamesonspattaya.com. Yamato Restaurant located on Soi Yamato has been

Fax: 038-427596

around for more than 39 years and the soi was named after its oldest tenant. Just look for the Japanese characters on the blinds outside. You cannot miss it. The menu is pictorial, which is a must when trying a different cuisine/language. This is a restaurant to take a few people with you. The prices are certainly not over the top, and the quality is superb. Yamato Japanese restaurant, 219/51 Soi Yamato (13/1), close to Beach Road end, telephone 038 429 685 or 038 421 618. Open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for dinner. On street parking (or do some shopping in the Avenue or Royal Garden Plaza).

Entertainment

Yamato’s mixed sashimi plate which had octopus, salmon, tuna, crab sticks, sea bass, squid and mackerel.

Great menu options at Jameson’s.

Golden Indian Prawns This week’s recipe has its origin in India. Some of the ingredients may be difficult to source, but any Asian market should be able to supply them for you. Indian recipes tend to be very complex, which is why the tastes are quite different from other Asian dishes. The original recipe calls for the Japanese Ajinomoto seasoning, but I have substituted Asian Five Spice because of some reported allergy problems.

Cooking Method Take the large prawns and remove head and tails and shell. Remove vein from back of prawn. Wash and chop the prawns into pieces. Mix salt, wine, black pepper and prawns and leave this mixture for 20 minutes. Take a bowl and prepare a mixture of corn flour, white flour, egg whites, Five Spice, baking powder, water and oil. Stir it until the Ingredients Serves 4 mixture thickens. Prawns (king size) 8 Now dip the prawns Asian Five Spice ¼ tspn in this mixture. Fry prawns in Baking powder ½ tspn Corn flour 100 gm the wok. Black pepper ¼ tspn Golden Fried Oil 2 tspns Prawns are best White flour 50 gm c o m p l e m e n t e d Egg whites 2 with mint-corianRed wine or sherry 2 tspns der chutney. Oil for frying Salt and pepper to taste Water ½ cup

spa session. Priced at THB 2,800++ per person, the package includes a THB 300 retail voucher and is available throughout June. For reservations and more spa packages, call 038 301 234 ext 4333. Eforea spa on level 17 of Hilton Pattaya invites you to experience a ‘Relax, Renew and Emerge Brighter’ spa package for skin nourishment and ultimate relaxation from now until July 2018. Package priced at THB 4,300 net per person and THB 8,000 net per couple for 2 hours of luxurious pampering. Eforea spa is open from 10am – 10pm. For more information call 038-253-000 or pattaya.eforeaspa@hilton.com.

The legendary Somsakdi Restaurant has been in operation in Pattaya for more than 40 years. Proprietor and Chef Somsakdi is still cooking and running his amazing restaurant at 78 years of age. The menu is probably the largest in Pattaya, with 374 individual items. Each dish is in Thai with an English explanation underneath. Rather than be swamped by choices, let Somsakdi guide you. After all, who knows his dishes better than he? Somsakdi Restaurant, Pattaya Soi 1, tel. 038 428 987, 038 423 284, 038 429 869, limited parking plus onstreet parking in the soi. Hours 11 a.m. until 11 p.m., seven days.

Spa & Hotel Promotions The new Sawasdee ritual at Spa Cenvaree in Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya uses traditional Siamese massage with modern aromatherapy techniques and the uplifting properties of lime, lemongrass and plai for a completely refreshing all-in-one

Enjoy great music from Thomas Reimer, one of the most famous European Jazz guitarists, playing live every evening (except Tuesday) from 6.00 p.m. - 10 p.m. at the Sugar Hut restaurant on Thappraya Road, call 038 364 186 for details.

Community Services The North Star Library on Sukhumvit Road, north Pattaya holds regular Thai language classes Mon - Fri from 10.30 a.m. 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 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

Groups & Associations Post 12146 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States of America (Ban Chang – U-Tapao, Thailand) meets the second Saturday of each month at 13:00 on the second floor of the Camel Pub in Ban Chang. If you are interested, please contact Membership Chairman Dan Morgan at banchang vfw12146membership@gmail .com or visit website: www. banchangvfwpost12146.org.

The Royal British Legion Thailand meets the last Saturday of every month from 2 p.m. at the Tropical Bar on Soi Khao Noi (Watboonsampan near the Temple entrance) in East Pattaya. You do not need to have served in the Armed Forces to become a member and can join in the many social events arranged throughout the year. The Legion’s primary aim is the care and welfare of those who have served and/or their dependents. For general enquiries send email to secretary@rblthailand .org, www.rblthailand.org. Alcoholics Anonymous: The Pattaya Group meets Monday, Tuesday and Friday at 5 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. All meetings are closed (alcoholics only) and are held at Soi Skaw Beach (off Pattaya 2nd Rd). Contact Carl 08-456-31671. 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, Andrew 086 107 6631. 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. The Samaritans of Thailand 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. (02) 713-6791. Overeaters Anonymous The ‘Up to You’ group meets Wednesdays 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the housing area just behind Pan Pan Restaurant in Jomtien on Thappraya Road. Call Steve at 038-364-207(h) or 089-250-1359 (cell) for directions or more information. Narcotics Anonymous Hotline: 082 811 2686. 3 English speaking meetings in Pattaya near Central Festival and 2 in Jomtien each week. Also regular Thai speaking meetings at 12 noon every Sunday, and Persian Farsi speaking meetings at 5.30 pm on Thursdays. Please call the Hotline for details.

36 FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2018

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXVI No. 25

PATTAYA MAIL is edited by Nopniwat Krailerg for Pattaya Mail Publishing Co., Ltd. Printer, publisher and owner Offices: 62/284-286 Moo 12, Thepprasit Road, Pattaya City 20150. Advertising and Administration Office: Tel: 038 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax: 038 427 596, E-mail: ptymail@pattayamail.com www.pattayamail.com