26th Year
Pattaya’s First English Language Newspaper
Established in 1993
JUBILATION! VOL.XXVII No. 18
30 BAHT
FRIDAY MAY 3 - MAY 9, 2019
Thailand celebrates Coronation of His Majesty the King
The Kingdom is joyously celebrating the Royal Coronation of Rama X His Majesty King Maha Vaji ralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun. The three day event begins Saturday, May 4, 2019, and continues until Monday, May 6, 2019, followed by the Royal Barge ceremony to be
held in October. A schedule of events appears on page 17. Many tributes, as well as facts and history of this momentous event appear throughout this special edition. Pattaya Mail Media Group joins with the Kingdom of Thailand in jubilantly celebrating this historic occasion.
Royal Palace officials carry sacred water, collected from all the country's provinces and the Grand Palace, from the Interior Ministry to Wat Suthat Temple for consecration in Bangkok, Thailand, April 18, 2019. The sanctified water will be used for the Ablution and Anointment ceremonies of His Majesty King Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun at His Coronation on 4-6 May 2019. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, Rama X Full story on page 3
Coronation Ceremony reinforces stature of Kings of Thailand Full story on page 16
Three-Day Royal Coronation Ceremony Full story on page 17
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Inscribing the Royal Golden Plaques and Engraving the Royal Seal of State Admiral His Serene Highness Prince Pusan Sawasdiwat, the representative of His Majesty the King, presided over the Ceremony for the Inscription of the Royal Golden Plaques and the Engraving of the Royal Seal of State for the Coronation of King Rama X. The ceremony took place at the ubosot of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha on Tuesday, 23 April 2019. It was to make an inscription on the Royal Golden Plague of the official title of His Majesty the King and the Royal Golden Plague of His Majesty’s horoscope, as well as the engraving of the Royal Seal of State. On this occasion, the inscription of the Royal Golden Plagues, with the official titles of members of the Royal Family, was also made. The royal Augur inscribed the horoscope of His Majesty the King on the Royal Golden Plaque. The artisan to His Majesty engraved the Royal Seal of State, and the royal scribe inscribed the official title of His Majesty the King on the Royal Golden Plaque. While inscribing the Royal Golden Plaques and engraving
the Royal Seal of State, monks were chanting prayer, Brahmins were blowing conch shells, and the court officials of the Thai musical ensemble were playing their instruments. Thereafter, the Chief Brahmin poured consecrated water from the conch shell on the Royal Golden Plaques of the official title of the King and His Majesty’s horoscope, as well as the Royal Seal of State. Then the finished Royal Golden Plaques with the inscriptions of the official title of His Majesty the King and His Majesty’s horoscope, together with the finished carved Royal Seal of State, were set upon the stone pulpit in front of the Emerald Buddha, inside the
ubosot of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. After that, a candle-passing ceremony was performed. In this ceremony, the Prime Minister, the President of the National Assembly, the President of the Supreme Court, members of the Cabinet, and senior officials passed consecrated candles from one person to another three times. It is a form of blessing. The Royal Golden Plaques with the inscriptions of the official title of His Majesty the King and His Majesty’s horoscope and the finished carved Royal Seal of State will later be transferred to Baisal Daksin Throne Hall on 3 May 2019 for the coronation ceremony to be performed on 4 May 2019. (TPRD)
SAT receives teak sailboat for disabled The Sports Authority of Thailand took delivery of the first teak sailboat designed to be skippered by the disabled. SAT Gov. Kongsak Yodmanee presided over the April 20 ceremony at Ocean Marina Yacht Club with marine chief Scott Finsten and Chanat Naonarong, chairwoman of the marina’s sailboat club. The boat is outfitted with a high-tech control system that allows the physically disabled to pilot and steer the sailboat by themselves. The design was created by King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang and AUSTHAI Marine Co. with the SAT Gov. Kongsak Yodmanee presides over the support of the royal Plant Gehandover ceremony at Ocean Marina Yacht Club netic Conservation Project and for the first teak sailboat designed to be National Research Council of Thailand. (SAT-PR) skippered by the disabled.
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The Royal Regalia The major royal regalia, or the Five Royal Regalia, are regarded as the most important symbols of kingship presented to the new monarch at the coronation ceremony. They include (1) the Great Crown of Victory (Phra Maha Phichai Mongkut), (2) the Royal Sword of Victory (Phra Saeng Khan Chaisi), (3) the Royal Scepter (Than Phra Khon), (4) the Royal Fan and Fly Whisk (Walawichani), and (5) the Royal Slippers (Chalong Phrabat Choeng Ngon). The Great Crown of Victory is the royal regalia in the category of royal accessories presented to the monarch by the Chief Brahmin, Phra Maha Ratchakhru, in the coronation ceremony. This royal accessory was made during the reign of King Rama I. It is inlaid with gold and studded with nine precious gemstones; the biggest one, embedded on top, is named Maha Wichian Mani. In the past, the crown was no more significant than other regalia. But later, King Rama IV decided to follow the practice of the European royal households; the dignity of the king was recognized when he was wearing a crown. Since then, the Great Crown of Victory has become the most important item in the royal regalia. The Royal Sword of Victory is the royal regalia in the category of royal weapons, presented to the monarch by the Chief Brahmin in the coronation ceremony after the Great Crown of Victory. It represents wisdom in ruling the country. The story has been told that the sword was found in 1784 by a Cambodian fisherman at the very bottom of a lake in Siem Reap. The sword is believed to belong to the ancient Khmer Empire. The then ruler of Siem Reap presented the sword to King Rama I. The Royal Scepter is the royal regalia in the category of royal articles of use presented to the monarch by the Chief Brahmin in the coronation ceremony, following the Royal Sword of Victory. Also referred to as the Royal Staff, it is made of cassia wood, entirely gold plated. The head is in the shape of a young lotus flower, strengthened at the neck of the hand rest by steel, carved in vine and floral patterns.
The Royal Fan and Fly Whisk are the royal regalia in the category of royal articles of use presented to the monarch by the Chief Brahmin in the coronation ceremony, following the Royal Scepter. Walawichani has been used as the name for both a fan and a fly whisk. The Royal Fan is made of a palm leaf, with a gold frame. The original Fly Whisk was made of yak’s hair, set in a glass handle. In the reign of King Rama IV, yak’s hair was replaced with the hair from white elephant’s tail. Today, the Fly Whisk made of white elephant’s tail hair is used in the ceremony. The Royal Slippers are royal regalia in the category of royal articles of use put on the feet of the monarch by the Chief Brahmin in the coronation ceremony as the final items. They are made of enameled gold, decorated with precious gems. The soles are lined with red velvet. King Rama I had the up-turned slippers made as part of the royal regalia, following an ancient Indian belief. (TPRD)
Thai Embassies to Celebrate Coronation Ceremonies Thai embassies, consulates and Thai permanent missions are prepared to organize activities and exhibitions related to the coronation ceremonies for Thai people living overseas in May. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Bussadee Santipitaks said 98 embassies, consulates and permanent representatives of Thailand will organize related activities and religious ceremonies from May 3-4 to celebrate the coronation ceremonies.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Bussadee Santipitaks said 98 embassies, consulates and permanent representatives of Thailand will organize related activities and religious ceremonies from May 3-4 to celebrate the coronation ceremonies.
Volunteering activities and community service will be also held all month long. On May 6, Thai embassies and consulates worldwide will organize candle lighting ceremonies to offer blessing for His Majesty the King simultaneously with the rituals Thailand. The coronation ceremonies will be
broadcast live to Thai people attending the activities. Exhibitions on the coronation ceremonies will be held both in Thai and English overseas in May. In Bangkok, it is being held at the foreign ministry from April 24 to May 10 and at the Department of Consular Affairs on Chaeng Wattana Road from May 1-31. (TNA)
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His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, Rama X Photos courtesy Bureau of the Royal Household Somdet Phra Chao Yu Hua Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, King Rama X has reigned since 13 October 2017. He is the only son of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. According to the 2007 Constitution, the cabinet instructed the president of the National Assembly to invite Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn to the throne. He became the first monarch to be born in Thailand since Prajadhipok. After his father, Bhumibol Adulyadej, died on 13 October 2016, Vajiralongkorn was expected to succeed to the throne of Thailand but asked for time to mourn before taking the throne. On the night of 1 December 2016, the fiftieth day after the death of his father, Regent Prem Tinsulanonda led the heads of the country’s three branches of government to an audience with Vajiralongkorn to invite him to ascend to the throne as the tenth king of the Chakri dynasty. Vajiralongkorn accepted the invitation, saying in a televised statement: “I would like to accept in order to fulfil his majesty’s wishes and for the benefit of all Thais.” The government retroactively declared his reign to have begun upon his father’s death, but it would not crown him formally until after the cremation of his father. As the tenth monarch of the Chakri dynasty, he is also styled as Rama X. Aged 64 at that time, Vajiralongkorn became the oldest Thai monarch to ascend to the throne. His coronation is being held May 4 to 6, 2019. Born on 28 July 1952 at 5:45 p.m. in the Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall of the Dusit Palace in Bangkok, when the crown prince was one year old, Somdet Phra Sangkharat Chao Kromma Luang Wachirayanawong, the 13th Supreme Patriarch of Thailand of the Rattanakosin Era, gave the child his first name at birth, “Vajiralongkorn Borommachakkrayadisonsantatiwong Thewetthamrongsuboriban Aphikhunuprakanmahittaladunladet Phumiphonnaretwarangkun Kittisirisombunsawangkhawat Borommakhattiyaratchakuman”. HM the King began his education in 1956 when he entered kindergarten at
Udon Mansion in Dusit Palace. Soon after, he studied in primary and secondary education at the Chitralada School from 1956 – 1962. After completing Mathayom 1 (through grade seven), he was sent to study at public schools in the United Kingdom. First at King’s Mead School, Seaford, Sussex, and then at Millfield School, Somerset, where he completed his secondary education in July 1970. In August 1970, he attended a fiveweek military training course at The King’s School, in Sydney, Australia. On December 28, 1972, at the auspicious time of 12.23 p.m. in the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej conferred then Prince Vajiralongkorn with the title of “Somdech Phra Boroma Orasadhiraj Chao Fah Maha Vajiralongkorn Sayam Makutrajakuman” (His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn) making him the heir to the throne in accordance with the Palace Law on Succession B.E. 2467 (1924). On this occasion he took a solemn oath, “I, the Crown Prince, shall uphold with my life the dignity and royal title that His Majesty the King bestowed upon me. I shall be loyal to the country. I shall be honest to the people. I shall undertake sacrifices and perform all burdens and duties to the utmost of my ability, for the sake of progress, peace and stability of Thailand, until the end of my life.” In 1972, HM the King enrolled at the Royal Military College, Duntroon in Canberra, Australia. His education at Duntroon was divided into two parts: military training by the Australian Army and a bachelor’s degree course under the auspices of the University of New South Wales. He graduated in 1976 as a newly commissioned lieutenant with a liberal arts degree. In 1982 His Majesty completed a second bachelor’s degree in law and in 1987 he also completed a Master’s Degree of Laws at the Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University. In 1990, he studied at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. Aware of the importance of education, His Majesty established his scholarship program in 2009 with the aim
of improving children’s access to quality education and instilling the concept of lifelong learning. The scholarship program has been operating with His Majesty’s personal funds amounting to 42 million baht a year together with donated funds presented to him for charitable purposes. The funds have been used to support education for needy students on a continual basis. His Majesty has special ties to the Rajabhat University system of 40 institutions of higher learning. HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn has presided over commencement ceremonies at all Rajabhat Universities nationwide and personally handed out degrees to all Rajabhat university graduates every year since 1978. After completing his studies, His Majesty served as a career officer in the Royal Thai Army. He served as a staff officer in the Directorate of Army Intelligence, and attended the Command and General Staff College in 1977. His Majesty attended numerous military training courses in Australia and the United States, with observation tours in England, Belgium, Germany, France and the Netherlands. A long list of military courses attended by His Majesty includes helicopter and high performance aircraft flight training, special warfare training, demolition training, parachute training, and courses in small arms and other weapons used in modern warfare. He joined the Air Operation Special Unit in Advance Patrol and Navigation Course, Air Transportation Course December 1979 – January 1980. In addition, he studied the UH–1 H helicopter for general use and trained in the Bell AH-1H Cobra attack helicopter. He is an expert aviator. With his ability in aviation and knowledge in new technologies in both theory and practice, he completed air weapons training at the Arms Training Stadium, Chai Badan, Lopburi and won the competition on 1 April 1987. Moreover, he served as aviation instructor of the F-5 Freedom Fighter since 4 May 1994. HM the King’s achievements are the pride of the Thai Army and Thai people. In 1978 he became Commander of the King’s Own Bodyguard Battalion. Later
All hail His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun! Long Live the King!
that year on 6 November 1978 at age 26, His Majesty interrupted his military career to be ordained as a Buddhist monk at Wat Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram (Temple of the Emerald Buddha).
He was given the name ‘Vajiralongkornno’ and resided at Wat Bowon Niwet Wihan Ratchaworawihan for 15 days. His Majesty has continued the Royal Family’s assistance
programs to underdeveloped areas around the country and visited depressed urban areas around Bangkok distributing food and necessity items to people in need. His Majesty established “Crown Prince Hospitals” through funds donated by the public to serve as medical and health care centers for people living in remote areas. Crown Prince Hospitals had been set up in 21 locations in 1977. These hospitals had become major community hospitals providing services of international standard to the general public in 2011. His Majesty has been recognized for his tireless efforts to promote the well-being of Thai people by visiting people in various regions to listen to their problems. His Majesty has gained in-depth experiences in many fields and has provided his initiatives for the benefits and happiness of the people and prosperity and security to the country. Long live the King!
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Distracted Indian has gold chain snatched Boonlua Chatree An Indian distracted by the looks of a streetwalker realized only after she rode away that she’d taken his expensive gold necklace. Ashish Bajpai, 37, filed a police report April 25 saying his necklace, worth 41,000 baht, was taken from his neck on Naklua Soi 29/1. He said a woman with long hair rode up on a motorbike and propositioned him. He chatted with her and declined and she rode away. Only after she was gone did he realize his gold chain was too.
Ashish Bajpai (white shirt), distracted by the looks of a streetwalker realized only after she rode away that she’d taken his expensive gold necklace.
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Robbing prostitute arrested Boonlua Chatree A gay prostitute was arrested for allegedly stealing the wallet of his Pattaya customer. Talang Thamnao, 29, was taken into custody at his home in Phanat Nikhom District with the wallet of Belgian Luc Rapoye, 63, and 100 euros plus 1,500 baht. Rapoye said he was drinking in a bar April 24 when Talang approached him. They adjourned to the Belgian’s hotel room. Talang allegedly took the wallet and ran when his customer went to the restroom.
Talang Thamnao (center) was taken into custody at his home in Phanat Nikhom District with the Belgian’s wallet, 100 euros and 1,500 baht.
Kittens rescued from Najomtien grass fire
100 swept up in post-gang fight raid on Pattaya Beach Boonlua Chatree Police swept up street thugs and prostitutes after gangs brawled on Pattaya Beach. About 100 Pattaya, Tourist and Immigration police officers, soldiers and volunteers blanketed the Pattaya shoreline April 22 to restore order after four gang-bangers left one dead and three bleeding in the street the day before, causing panic among tourists. Chonburi’s police chief Pol. Maj. Gen. Nantachart Suppamongkol ordered a major crackdown on the Pattaya promenade, where female and transvestite prostitutes work largely unfettered, often overseen by pimps and street thugs.
No one was injured when a grass fire torched four shacks in a rural Najomtien area, although two newborn kittens (inset) were rescued from the smoldering ashes.
Patcharapol Panrak Police swept up street thugs and prostitutes after gangs brawled on Pattaya Beach.
The beach also has become a place for youth gangs to congregate and drink alcohol, which was the case when a rival gang started trouble April 21. Knives and clubs flew with two gang members on each side ending up in the hospital. One later died.
About 100 people were hauled in, their criminal records checked, DNA samples taken and fines issued.
A grass fire torched four shacks in a rural Najomtien area. No one was injured in the April 25 blaze that razed the wooden sheds erected near railroad shacks in Moo 1 village, although two newborn
20 robbed on Songkran finale
kittens were rescued from the smoldering ashes. It took about an hour for two Huay Yai fire trucks to extinguish the fire. Homeowner Jantra Klaysang, 36, said she was devastated to return home
to find her house burned down, but appreciated emergency workers’ efforts in rescuing her cats. Authorities said blazing temperatures sparked a grass fire that consumed the shacks.
Street gangs brawl on Pattaya Beach
Four gang members were hurt when rival factions brawled in the middle of Pattaya Beach. Pol. Col. Prawit Chorsang said April 20 that the previous day’s “wan lai” water-throwing day had blanket police coverage, which helped suppress crime.
Boonlua Chatree Pattaya’s police chief said only 12 tourists were robbed on Songkran’s biggest day. Pol. Col. Prawit Chorsang said April 20 that the previous day’s “wan lai” waterthrowing day had blanket police coverage, which helped suppress crime. In addition to the 12 foreigners,
eight Thais reported being pickpocketed or robbed. Most items stolen were mobile phones in waterproof pouches. The number of cases were less than reported last year, Prawit said, noting all of downtown Pattaya was a sea of bodies with hundreds of thousands of people out on the streets, yet still only 20 petty crimes.
Boonlua Chatree One gang member was killed and three other were hurt when rival factions brawled in the middle of Pattaya Beach. Paramedics and police scooped up four bloodied bangers from the ground at Soi 13/2 April 21, including one slashed on the leg and three others with head and other bludgeoning injuries. They were treated at
Banglamung and Pattaya hospitals. The injured equally represented the two rival gangs. One gang member told police he and his friends were drinking alcohol on the beach when their opposites rode up on motorbikes and started the fight. Tourists scattered as violence unfolded across the beachfront. Police vowed to prosecute all involved.
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Australia-Thailand naval Schedule set for International exercise begins in Sattahip Fireworks Festival The International Fireworks Festival returns to Pattaya Beach May 24-25 with music and pyrotechnics.
Royal Thai Fleet commander Adm. Noppadol Supakorn and Australian Ambassador Allan McKinnon kick off the war games.
Patcharapol Panrak
The International Fireworks Festival returns to Pattaya Beach May 24-25 with music and pyrotechnics. The effusively-named “Grand Magnificent Spectacular Celebration” will kick off each day at 5:30 p.m. with fireworks, refreshments booths and photography corners. The May 24 schedule calls for a fireworks display to honor HM the King at 8 p.m. followed by the “Living in
Color” show by the Russian Federation at 8:15 p.m. An hour-long concert intermission from Retrospect will proceed a “Color of Art” pyrotechnics display by the People’s Republic of China at 9:35 p.m. and “Over the Horizon” presented by the United States at 9:50 p.m. A 10:05 p.m. concert by Paradox will close the night. On May 25, the United
Kingdom will present its “Color Expression” display at 8 p.m. while Russia will repeat its show at 8:15 p.m. Boy band The Mousses will sing at 8:30 p.m. with the U.S. returning for a “Rhythm & Color” show at 9:35 p.m. and China displaying “Endless Happiness” at 9:50 p.m. The festival closes with a 10:05 p.m. concert by Instinct. (PCPR)
Millions spent, but central Pattaya roadworks fail to end flooding Jetsada Homklin Central Pattaya residents are complaining that nearly 3 million baht in roadwork has failed to alleviate the flooding it targeted. Nattapong Santaveesuk of the city’s Engineering Department toured two sidestreets in the Soi Arunothai Community with neighborhood representative Amnuay Muangthong on April 22. Residents living on Soi Charoensuk and Soi Udomsuk said their streets were ripped up, new drainage pipes laid and the road resurfaced all with the goal of ending years of chronic flooding. It didn’t work. Despite the 1.3 million baht spent on Soi Udomsuk and 1.6 million spent on Soi Charoensuk, both streets continue to flood and take a long time to
The Thai and Australian navies launched their joined AusThai exercise. Royal Thai Fleet commander Adm. Noppadol Supakorn and Australian Ambassador Allan McKinnon kicked off the war games April 22 at
Sattahip Naval Base. The exercise focuses on responses to threats in three dimensions, with drills covering anti-surface warfare, underwater warfare and air defense. The war games will play out in the upper Gulf of Thailand through April 28.
Thai ships involved include the HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej and Rattanakosin and two patrol boats. The Aussies have contributed frigate HMAS Parramatta, logistics ship HMAS Sirius, MH–60R helicopter and a P-8A patrol aircraft.
Hot season sends power consumption hitting record high Consumption of electricity during the current hot season has hit a record high in many provinces. Deputy Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand Governor Rerngchai Khongthong said the demands for electricity hit a
new high of 29,680.3 megawatts last Saturday night, during which Bangkok’s temperature was recorded at 32 degrees Celsius. Such peak consumption of electricity was largely attributed to many people running their air-conditioners
at full power. EGAT has prepared for the increased use of electricity, stepping up the generation and transmitting of power as well as fuel supplies so that the people’s domestic consumption will be least affected. (NNT)
Pattaya grave cleaners dig up 100,000 baht Warapun Jaikusol
Nattapong Santaveesuk of the city’s Engineering Department toured two sidestreets in the Soi Arunothai Community with neighborhood representative Amnuay Muangthong. Central Pattaya residents are complaining that nearly 3 million baht in roadwork has failed to alleviate the flooding it targeted.
drain, neighbors complained. Finished this month, both projects are under warranty for two more years,
so contractors may be sent back to rip up the roads again to fix what they failed to do the first time.
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 Deputy Managing Director Kamolthep Malhotra e-mail: prince@pattayamail.com 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 Advertising Department Nutsara Duangsri e-mail: nutsara@pattayamail.com News Department: Boonlua Chatree, Urasin Khantaraphan, Patcharapol Panrak, Theerarak Suthathiwong, Jetsada Homklin © Copyright Pattaya Mail Publishing Co., Ltd. (e-mail: newsdesk@pattayamail.com)
Sawang Boriboon members and volunteers cleaning graves and cremating those with no family members exhumed an unexpected surprise from one burial plot: 100,000 baht cash. The money – 98,000 in brand-new banknotes and 2,000 baht in rumpled bills – was discovered in the grave of Poon Korn, who died at age 60 in January 2017. The grave had been cemented over but opened to clean the bones and prepare the remains for cremation.
Sawang Boriboon members and volunteers cleaning graves and cremating those with no family members exhumed an unexpected surprise from one burial plot: 100,000 baht cash.
Sawang Boriboon rescue chief Prasit Thongtidcharoen said the money will be used for merit-making to dedicate
to the deceased and for hosting the day’s chanting for blessings of dead people and dedication to Poon.
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British cyber expert pleads guilty to creating malware Ivan Moreno Milwaukee (AP) — A British cybersecurity researcher credited with stopping a worldwide computer virus has pleaded guilty to developing malware to steal banking information. Federal prosecutors in Wisconsin and Marcus Hutchins’ attorneys said in a joint court filing last Friday that the 24-year-old agreed to plead guilty to developing malware called Kronos and conspiring to distribute it from 2012 to 2015. In exchange for his plea to those charges, prosecutors dismissed eight more. “As you may be aware, I’ve pleaded guilty to two charges related to writing malware in the years prior to my career in security,” Hutchins said in
a statement on his website. “I regret these actions and accept full responsibility for my mistakes. Having grown up, I’ve since been using the same skills that I misused several years ago for constructive purposes. I will continue to devote my time to keeping people safe from malware attacks.” Hutchins faces up 10 years in prison but could receive a more lenient sentence for accepting responsibility, the court filing said. Attorneys said Hutchins understands he could be deported. Sentencing has not been scheduled. Hutchins’ arrest in Las Vegas in August 2017, as he was about to board a flight to England, came as a shock; just months earlier he was hailed a hero for finding a “kill
This Monday, May 15, 2017, file photo shows Marcus Hutchins, a British cybersecurity expert during an interview in Ilfracombe, England. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)
switch” to the WannaCry virus that crippled computers worldwide. At the time, he told The Associated Press in an interview that he didn’t consider himself a hero but that he was combating malware
because “it’s the right thing to do.” Prosecutors said Hutchins made incriminating statements during a two-hour interrogation, and later during a jailhouse phone call that
Hutchins was told was being recorded, he told an unidentified person that he “used to write malware” years before. “I knew it was always going to come back,” Hutchins said on the call, but that he didn’t “think it would be so soon.” Prosecutors said in court filings that Hutchins sold the Kronos software to someone in Wisconsin and that he “personally delivered” the software to someone in California. The malware was designed “to intercept communications and collect personal information, including usernames, passwords, email addresses, and financial data” from computers, prosecutors said. Kronos was “used to infect numerous computers around the world and steal banking
information,” prosecutors said, without providing an exact number. It’s unclear how much Hutchins’ profited from creating the malware, but in online chats the FBI intercepted on November 2014, Hutchins’ lamented he had only made $8,000 from five sales. Hutchins said he thought he would be making around $100,000 annually by selling Kronos with one of his conspirators, who is not named in the indictment. Hutchins initially pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was scheduled to go on trial in July. While his case has been pending, prosecutors barred Hutchins from returning home. He has been living in California, working as a cybersecurity consultant.
Private cargo ship brings Easter feast to the space station Marcia Dunn Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP) — A private cargo ship brought the makings of an Easter feast to the International Space Station on Friday, April 19, along with mice and little flying robots. Space station astronaut Anne McClain used a robot arm to capture Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus capsule as they soared 258 miles (415 kilometers) above France. The Cygnus and its 7,600pound (3,450-kilogram) shipment rocketed from Wallops Island, Virginia, on Wednesday, April 17, completing the trip in a quick day and a half. It holds numerous science experiments, including 40 mice taking part in a tetanus vaccination study, and three boxy free-flying robots
designed to assist astronauts inside and out. NASA also packed more than 800 meals for the six station residents. Their holiday choices include pork chops with gravy, smoked turkey, potatoes au gratin, lemon meringue pudding and apricot cobbler. Northrop Grumman named this Cygnus the S.S. Roger Chaffee after the youngest of the three astronauts who died in the Apollo 1 spacecraft fire in 1967. Chaffee was the only one on the crew who never made it to space. “It’s great to have the S.S. Roger Chaffee officially on board,” McClain radioed. “We never forget that we stand on the shoulders of giants. Please know that every day we remember his sacrifice and that we will continue
to honor his legacy by pursuing his passion for exploration. To the S.S. Roger Chaffee, welcome aboard.” Two hours after its arrival, the capsule was anchored onto the space station by flight controllers working remotely from Houston. The Cygnus will remain there until July, when it is released with trash for a few months of solo orbiting in a test by Northrop Grumman. It ultimately will make a fiery re-entry. Besides McClain, there are two other Americans living on the space station, as well as two Russians and one Canadian. They will receive another shipment in just over a week from NASA’s other commercial supplier, SpaceX.
This photo provided by NASA shows a cargo ship arriving at the International Space Station, Friday, April 19, 2019. (NASA via AP)
SpaceX capsule suffers ‘anomaly,’ smoke seen for miles Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP) — Officials say SpaceX’s new capsule for astronauts suffered an “anomaly” during a routine engine test firing in Florida, causing smoke to be seen for miles. Forty-fifth Space Wing Spokesman Jim Williams told Florida Today that the anomaly happened Saturday, April 20, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station while the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule was undergoing a “static test fire.” Williams said no one was injured and the anomaly was contained. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon successfully flew without a crew to the International Space Station in March. Officials had previously said the first flight with astronauts could be as early as this summer, but the schedule is under review.
In this file photo provided by NASA, the SpaceX Crew Dragon is pictured about 20 meters (66 feet) away from the International Space Station’s Harmony module. (NASA via AP, File)
In a statement, SpaceX said it’s committed to ensuring that its systems “meet rigorous safety standards.” It says it is investigating why the anomaly occurred.
Read more news at pattayamail.com
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Suicide mozzies! Dengue fever is prevalent in tropical climates, so we have our fair share, as can be seen by the number of patients we see with Dengue Fever at the Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, including some with the potentially deadly Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever. Queensland in Australia has a similar climate and similarly has the dengue carrier, the mosquito. Up till now we do not have much defense against the dengue carrying breed of mosquito, but news has just come out about scientists in Townsville (Queensland) who say they have promising results from their bold trial designed to eradicate the deadly mosquito-borne disease. The trial has involved the release of millions of specially bred mosquitoes across the North Queensland city. These mozzies are specially bred mosquitoes and carry the wolbachia bacteria which makes them less likely to transmit the dengue virus. Scientists had hoped the mosquitoes being released would pass on the bacteria, leading to the eradication of the deadly virus - dengue kills more than 10,000 people every year worldwide. Over the past seven months, more than 2,000 Townsville residents have had a container placed in their backyards. One of those backyards belongs to one lady resident who said, “I’ve had kids growing up in North Queensland all their life and there’s always mosquitoes biting. You always have the fear that they’re going to get something
else along the line with dengue or Ross River or those sort of things. So anything that I can do to help to eliminate, I’m more than ready to do so.” The Eliminate Dengue project is being run by a team of international researchers, including scientists from James Cook University and Melbourne University and has the backing from the Australian and Brazilian governments as well as groups such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The latest results show the trial is working as planned. Dr Andrew Turley is the field trial manager for the Eliminate Dengue program who said, “So what we’re seeing at the moment is we’re seeing the spread of the wolbachia bacteria increase and we’re seeing the frequency, sorry how common this bacteria is in the local mosquito population increase over time.” It has now been reported that data shows that in the suburbs where the insects were initially released, up to 80 percent of mosquitoes now carry the bacteria. The local city council is excited about the interim results. Gary Eddiehausen is a local councilor and sits on the project’s reference group. “Dengue fever affects nearly 400 million people a year right throughout the world and if this trial is successful, it’s certainly very exciting for what can happen right across the world in the future and reduce and if not totally get rid of dengue fever across the world.”
This was backed up by Dr Turley from Eliminate Dengue who indicated that while there are still years of analysis and research that needs to be done, the results show the project can be replicated across the country and the world. Dr Turley said, “All our of previous field trials both in Australia and in different field sites around the world have always focused on sort of small individual suburb-wide trials whereas this is the first time where we’ve done a large chunk basically a city-wide, or a large, it’s basically the inner city area of Townsville we’ve done a release in within only a few months period. “So it’s really encouraging that potentially using wolbachia could be applied to some of these large cities around the world where the dengue version is much higher than what we have here in Australia.” Whilst this is encouraging, it reminds me of mxomatosis being used to control rabbits in Australia. A full-scale release was performed in 1950. It was devastatingly effective, reducing the estimated rabbit population from 600 million to 100 million in two years. However, the rabbits remaining alive were those least affected by the disease. Genetic resistance to myxomatosis was observed soon after the first release and most rabbits acquired partial immunity in the first two decades. Resistance has been increasing slowly since the 1970’s, and the disease now only kills about 50 percent of infected rabbits. Will wolbachia bacteria be the same?
Blankets, bed-sharing common in accidental baby suffocations Lindsey Tanner Chicago (AP) — Accidental suffocation is a leading cause of injury deaths in U.S. infants and common scenarios involve blankets, bedsharing with parents and other unsafe sleep practices, an analysis of government data found. These deaths “are entirely preventable. That’s the most important point,” said Dr. Fern Hauck, a co-author and University of Virginia expert in infant deaths. Among 250 suffocation deaths, roughly 70 percent involved blankets, pillows or other soft bedding that blocked infants’ airways. Half of these soft beddingrelated deaths occurred in an adult bed where most babies were sleeping on their stomachs. Almost 20 percent suffocated when someone in the bed accidentally moved against
In this March 22, 2012 file photo, a doctor demonstrates how an infant can die due to unsafe sleeping practices using a scene re-enactment doll in Norfolk, Va. Released on Monday, April 22, 2019, an analysis of five years of CDC data found most accidental suffocation deaths in U.S. infants occur when babies are sleeping on their stomachs in adult beds with blankets and pillows. (AP Photo/The Virginian-Pilot, Steve Earley)
or on top of them, and about 12 percent died when their faces were wedged against a wall or mattress. The authors studied 20112014 data from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention registry of deaths in 10 states. The results offer a
more detailed look at death circumstances than previous studies using vital records, said lead author Alexa Erck Lambert, a CDC researcher. The authors said anecdotal reports suggest there’s been little change in unsafe
sleep practices in more recent years. “It is very, very distressing that in the U.S. we’re just seeing this resistance, or persistence of these high numbers,” Hauck said. The study was published Monday in Pediatrics. For years, the U.S. government and the American Academy of Pediatrics have waged safe-sleep campaigns aimed at preventing accidental infant suffocations and strangulations and sudden infant death syndrome. These include “back to sleep” advice promoting having babies sleep on their backs, which experts believe contributed to a decline in SIDS deaths over nearly 30 years. But bed-sharing has increased, along with bedrelated accidental suffocations — from 6 deaths per 100,000 infants in 1999 to 23 per 100,000 in 2015, the researchers note.
Academics discuss future of medical cannabis in Thailand Eleven organizations have jointly discussed research that supports medical marijuana usage, finding ways for Thai medical marijuana pioneer Decha Siripat to be able to prescribe marijuana products for medical use. The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, held talks with organizations including public and private universities, the Department for Development of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, the Food and Drugs Administration, the Narcotics Control Board, and the President of Khao Kwan Foundation Decha Siripat, all groups that have long been studying medical marijuana.
Eleven organizations have jointly discussed research that supports medical marijuana usage and finding ways for Thai medical marijuana pioneer Decha Siripat to be able to prescribe marijuana products for medical use.
The meeting was held to discuss related research and find ways for indigenous medical practitioners to be able to prescribe marijuana
products, which requires cooperation with government agencies. There is currently no official certification of the effectiveness
of THC oil extracted from marijuana, used in the treatment of patients. The registration of Decha Siripat as an indigenous medical practitioner with Suphanburi Provincial Public Health Office will take 1-2 weeks to process, after which he can start the marijuana extract oil research. Officials will also be holding training with the Khao Kwan Foundation to enable foundation staff to keep track of the condition of patients. These processes could be completed in 2-3 weeks at the earliest, as the department is aware there are many patients waiting to try marijuana extract oil in their treatment of illnesses. (NNT)
Dr. Rachel Moon, a University of Virginia pediatrics professor not involved in the study, said the results are not surprising. “Every day I talk to parents who have lost babies. They thought they were doing the right thing, and it seems safe and it seems OK, until you lose a baby,” Moon said. Some studies have found bed-sharing increases breastfeeding and it’s common in some families because of cultural traditions. Others simply can’t afford a crib. Erika Moulton, a stay-athome mom in suburban New York, said bed-sharing was the only way her son, Hugo, would sleep as a newborn. Moulton struggled with
getting enough sleep herself for months, and while she knew doctors advise against it, bed-sharing seemed like the only option. Now 14 months old, “he’s still in our bed,” she said. “Trying to transition him out is a little difficult.” The pediatricians group recommends that infants sleep on firm mattresses in their own cribs or bassinets but in their parents’ room for the first year. A tight-fitting top sheet is the only crib bedding recommended, to avoid suffocation or strangulation. Young babies can’t easily move away from bedding or a sleeping parent; all of the study deaths were in infants younger than 8 months old.
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Odds and Ends The Associated Press
Snakes in office force Liberia’s president to work from home Monrovia, Liberia (AP) — A spokesman says Liberia’s president is working from home after two snakes were found in the building that contains his office. Deputy press secretary Smith Toby tells The Associated Press that former international soccer star and President George Weah was told to stay away until the Foreign Affairs building can be fumigated. He is expected back in the office on Monday. The black snakes were seen this week briefly emerging from a hole in a wall of the building’s reception area. Liberia is home to poisonous snakes and officials are not taking chances. The deputy press secretary says the fumigation has begun to take care of “crawling and creeping things.” Weah, who was FIFA’s 1995 player of the year, assumed the presidency in January 2018.
Judge: Animal shelter to keep tiger seized from Houston home Houston (AP) - A judge has ruled that an animal shelter can keep a tiger that was rescued from an abandoned Houston home. The Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison has looked after the tiger since February, when some people entered the house to smoke marijuana and found the big cat. Authorities say the 350 pound (160 kilogram) tiger was improperly secured in a small cage, and was sitting on hay and its own waste. Houston police believe Brittany Garza is the tiger’s owner and have filed a civil lawsuit accusing her of animal cruelty. She refuses to explain how she obtained the tiger. The Houston Chronicle reports that the judge ordered Garza to pay about $11,600 to cover the cost of the tiger’s care. Garza’s lawyer declined comment. (Godofredo A. Vasquez/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)
Bald eagle rescued from railroad tracks, trains delayed Landover, Md. (AP) - Some commuters in the nation’s capital faced delays after an injured bald eagle was found on railroad tracks. The bird was spotted during the start of Wednesday evening’s rush on Washington D.C. Metro tracks in Landover, Maryland. It was close to the electrified third rail. Metro single-tracked some trains and rerouted others while a rescue crew, including animal control personnel, recovered the eagle. The bird was taken to a rehabilitation center. There is no word on the extent of its injury or condition. Metro restored rail service nearly two hours later.
Man sues parents for getting rid of his vast porn collection
Crossword No 1344
sponsored by
Massic Travel
Across 1 Pail (6) 4 Collect (4,2) 8 Smouldering fragment of wood or coal (5) 9 Store of weapons (7) 10 Make right (7) 11 Serious (5) 12 Retaliation (3,3,3) 17 Drained of colour (5) 19 Obtain (7) 21 Old war vehicle (7) 22 Wrong (5) 23 Part of the eye (6) 24 Actually (6)
Down 1 Whitening chemical (6) 2 Floor-show (7) 3 Spooky (5) 5 Perception (2,5) 6 East African country (5) 7 Filch (6) 9 Space traveller (9) 13 Stress (7) 14 Of little importance (7) 15 Fourth sign of the zodiac (6) 16 Largest of the Channel Islands (6) 18 Core (5) 20 Tremble (5)
Last week’s answer Across: 1 Aunt, 3 Ascended, 9 Involve, 10 Macaw, 11 Talon, 12 Totter, 14 Rotten, 16 Worsen, 19 Inhale, 21 Torso, 24 Gusto, 25 Cuisine, 26 Yearning, 27 Tent. Down: 1 Aviators, 2 Novel, 4 Siesta, 5 Emmet, 6 Decrees, 7 Dawn, 8 Glance, 13 Innocent, 15 Tunisia, 17 Outfit, 18 Beacon, 20 Adorn, 22 Raise, 23 Ugly.
Ten-Minute Sudoku An easy Sudoku puzzle that should not take long to complete. The rules of Sudoku are simple. Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Each row must contain one of each digit. So must each column and each 3x3 box. Answer next week.
Last week’s answers:
Grand Rapids, Mich. (AP) — An Indiana man is suing his parents for getting rid of his vast pornography collection, which he estimates is worth $29,000. The 40-year-old man last week filed a lawsuit in federal court in Michigan, where he moved in with his parents in 2016 following a divorce. He says that when he moved out 10 months later, they delivered his things to his new home in Muncie, Indiana, but that his 12 boxes of pornographic films and magazines were missing. His parents admit they dumped the porn, which included titles such as “Frisky Business” and “Big Bad Grannys.” The man filed a complaint with police, but the Ottawa County prosecutor declined to press charges. The lawsuit includes an email excerpt from the man’s father, who told his son, “I did you a big favor by getting rid of all this stuff.” The man is seeking triple financial damages of roughly $87,000.
No. 247
Police: Pair made laxative cookies for striking workers Uhrichsville, Ohio (AP) — Police say a couple made laxative-laced cookies for striking school employees because they were tired of the noise from the picket line near their home. Authorities in eastern Ohio say none of the striking workers ate the sugar cookies, but the couple was charged with contaminating the treats. Police say the pair complained on Facebook about drivers honking in support of the striking bus drivers, cooks and custodians. Investigators say they also made a video showing the laxative pills being mixed into the cookie batter. The strike in the Claymont School District in Tuscarawas (tus-kuh-RAH’-wus) County is in its third week. Authorities say Bo Cosens and Rachel Sharrock appeared in court Tuesday to face several charges. Sharrock’s attorney declined to comment Friday. Court records didn’t list an attorney for Cosens.
VOL. XXVII No. 18
Answers next week.
VOL. XXVII No. 18
FRIDAY MAY 3, 2019
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The making of a hero
I am using this photo, because it is such a good example of making your subject the “hero”. This shot was taken by an amateur in the UK and he could see that he had a great subject with Peter Fonda on the chopper from the 1969 movie Easy Rider which starred Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson. The motorcycles alone would be a great subject, and one was even mentioned in litigation between Fonda and Hopper. Fonda claimed that Hopper sold for $9,000, a knockoff of the Captain America motorcycle Hopper rode in the film because “he needed money for drugs.” (It was settled out of court.) You can read more at http:// observer.com/1998/03/easyriders-feud-as-dennis-hoppercheers-peter-fondas-nonoscar/ #ixzz3BlPCGSFq
However, Peter Fonda is also a great subject, and the photographer had to make a choice. Fonda, motorcycle or both together? For impact, I believe he made the best decision. The “hero” was Fonda, and the motorcycle allowed the viewer to place the connection to the movie. Having chosen the hero, he moved in close making Fonda the principal subject and almost filling the frame, however, the motorcycle, recognizable as a chopper, was just a prop. All good photographs follow the rules of good composition. The best known one of these is the Rule of Thirds, where you position the subject of the photo (that’s the hero) at the intersection of one third from the top or bottom of the viewfinder and one third in from the right or left side of the viewfinder. By just placing your subject off-center immediately drags your shot out of the “ordinary” basket. The technocrats called this the “Rule of Thirds”, but even just try
putting the subjects off-center. While still on the Rule of Thirds, don’t have the horizon slap bang in the center of the picture either. Put it one third from the top or one third from the bottom. As a rough rule of thumb, if the sky is interesting put more of it in the picture, but if it is featureless blue or grey include less of it. Simple! With some cameras where you can make a grid pattern on the viewing screen from the menu, such as on the DMC FZ series Lumix, it makes it even easier to position the subject. With the vertical lines, you will soon see if you have the subject vertical, and for horizontal subjects incorporating the horizon, you can also make sure it is level. This composition is something you can do in the camera as you take the shot. It does mean that you look critically through the viewfinder and position the subject correctly. Now, that is not the only item you should think about with your photographs, though it is obviously a
good start! The next item is cropping, where you get rid of non-important items from the final photo, by literally slicing them away. These are items which do not add anything to the photograph you have in your mind’s eye. This can be extraneous details, such as a rubbish bin, which never does anything for landscapes. Or it may be that the hero is too small – because you didn’t walk several meters closer! You can do this with postproduction ‘edit suites’ or even a good Photoshop style program, where you actually do just the same as we used to with two Lshaped pieces of card, but with electronics. Call up your photo on the computer screen and with the cropping tools you can move them around until you feel you have the correct (most pleasing) crop. The problem comes that after doing this, you may find (usually find) that the crop is not quite what you wanted, so you might have to call up the image and go through it all again. The secret is to
Dear Jim, The gentleman you were referring to as being as old as Hillary, was Methuselah. That fine old gentleman lived to be 969 years old and died seven days before Noah’s great flood and was actually Noah’s grandfather. There are no worries about floods this year as you will be able to walk across Mabprachan reservoir later in the year! Now about all the local farangs that you are worried about – stop worrying, my Petal. Most fix their own problems, and it is only a few that have to call on my inestimable (big word for a Friday) advice. I’m glad you are not having any problems with the toe cutter gang (get the movie Mad Max on DVD) and hope that life for you continues without complaints.
Dear Jerry, You can’t lump all Thai women into the same (laundry) basket, Petal. There are hardworking ones, dedicated family ones, and the odd lazy one or three. You’ve picked a lazy one. So what are you going to do about it? Or, rather, what can you do about it? The choice is yours, Jerry, you can follow behind her like a slave and pick up her dirty clothes, and hang the others in the wardrobe (I do presume you actually have a wardrobe). Or you can employ a full time maid to follow around after her. Or, you can educate her in the way you want. Or you can help her find her clothes and pack them in a suitcase and wave her goodbye. Which will it be, Jerry? Now I’ll make it easy for you. Don’t become her slave. Employing a full time maid is admitting defeat and you will begin to resent paying an unnecessary salary each month. So can you educate this lazy Thai woman to change her ways? Just remember, Jerry, that you can lead a horse to drink, but you can’t make it water! So the final choice is to get rid of her. Oh, you might find you will have to pay a relocation fee, but it is just a once only. Lots of luck.
Dear Hillary, Are Thai women naturally lazy? I’m fairly new at this live in malarkey but she is already giving me the gripes with her laziness. Laundry basket? Nah, just drop the dirty clothes on the floor, it’s a wall to wall basket. Put anything away? Nah, just drape everything on the clothes rack. I’m used to clothes hanging off every bit of furniture in the old country where it’s wet all the time, but it’s not like that here. Jerry
Dear Hillary, What is the attraction of karaoke bars? My Thai GF and her friends all end up in one of these places after work and they can spend hours there. The Pattaya Mail’s Dr. Iain, in one of his books, stated that karaoke was Japan’s revenge for WW2 and I agree with him. People singing out of tune in front of a TV screen being used as an auto prompt machine is certainly not entertainment as far as I am concerned. They don’t seem to care about singing ability either, and
Dear Hillary, How did us single farangs get along before you? Though I am told that you are older than Methusala (not sure of the spelling, but you know who I mean). How do you keep up answers for the fellows who get themselves in trouble every week? I’ve no problems, a nice little fan who cuts my nails and never complains, but what about the rest of them? Jim
always work on a copy, so you have the original safely tucked away in your photo folders. So this week the messages were simple. Remember to fill the frame to give your photos
more impact, so walk in closer. Remember to position the subject at the intersection of thirds, and learn how to crop for dramatic effect. That will improve your shots immeasurably.
the screams of enjoyment is certainly not music to the ears. Jason Dear (Judgmental) Jason, Have you some deep-down problem with karaoke itself, or karaoke and your Thai GF and friends? Do they spend “hours there” which you feel is eating into your time with your GF? I am also not a lover of karaoke, which is why you won’t find me at one of these places, but the people who do enjoy it are not hurting anyone, so you should not get so uptight, my Petal. Go and watch football with your mates and holler every time a goal is scored, and maybe you will find that this is a relief from the stresses, just as your GF does with her karaoke friends. Dear Hillary, An old GF from the UK is coming out for a holiday for a couple of weeks in December. She is making it obvious that she expects to stay with me, for old time’s sake, I think. We last had a fling 10 years ago but we are both now pensioners, and I wonder if I can still perform as I find break dancing too strenuous, and her pacemaker must be due for new batteries by now. Should I tell her that I am now living with George and enjoying the gay life? Harold Dear Harold, Pull the other leg, it plays Colonel Bogey. Honestly, my Petal, if you are being serious, you know the answer already – you get the old GF to bring a chap over for George, while you trip down memory lane with her. Simple.
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VOL. XXVII No. 18
Centara Grand Mirage hosts Phone-free school Easter for Father Ray kids encourages students to talk Mark Beales Photos by Ritche Guisona
Set, go - the hunting to find Easter eggs gets off to a racing start.
Jetsada Homklin
Children cross their fingers hoping for special prizes supported by the hotel.
The Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort made Easter festive for children of the Father Ray Foundation. David Novak, general manager of Coast Beach Club & Bistro and Centara Room Manager Yalee Nilsen hosted the April 21 party at the Wong Amat Beach Hotel. The kids enjoyed an Easter egg hunt with plenty of prizes given out including dolls and other souvenirs. The day also featured a painting corner, cartoon inflatable playground and dancing by the resort’s entertainment team. Many Thai and foreign guests joined in the activities and profits from the 300 baht entry fee will go toward helping the kids under care of the foundation. The face painting corner for children was busy.
Yoga, board games and a phone-free environment were all part of a series of ‘well-being’ activities at an international school. Garden International School (GIS) arranged for a week of ‘well-being’ events across the whole school. These included starting the day with some yoga, and then offering doodle-boards, relaxing music and walks during break and lunch times. The week included a phonefree environment, where students chatted or read books Some IB Diploma students put their skills to the rather than used digital devices. test for this balancing game.
Dominoes was a new experience for Students enjoyed a range of board games, some students! including chess, during lunchtimes.
Pattaya Bike with the Blind set for May 12
Jesus, Easter Bunny share spotlight at CPDC
The Foundation For the Blind in Thailand will commemorate its 80th anniversary with a Bike with the Blind bicycle trek through Pattaya May 12.
Children colored Easter eggs to give to guests.
Jetsada Homklin The Easter Bunny took a backseat to Jesus at the Child Protection and Development as staffers preached the
Bible to their Thai charges. Director Radchada Chomjinda hosted the April 21 even with Thai and foreign volunteers offering the children lessons of Christ’s resurrection,
but stressing the message to become good and generous people. Of course, there still had to be an Easter egg hunt, so the Bunny didn’t get shut out completely.
The Foundation For the Blind in Thailand will commemorate its 80th anniversary with a Bike with the Blind bicycle trek through Pattaya May 12. Deputy Mayor Manote Nongyai chaired an April 23 planning meeting with tourism officials and organizers Nongnart Hanwilai, assistant managing director for Cooperate Strategy and
CSR, and Cid Suknoo, director of the Redemptorist School for the Blind. The foundation has hosted rides for blind cyclists – escorted by sighted riders – in six provinces, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Surat Thani and Nakhon Ratchasima. Registration begins at 5 a.m. with wheels rolling at 7 a.m. from Pattaya City
Hall. Riders will traverse Beach and Second roads and take Naklua Road to the blind school where community service activities will be held. Following that event, cyclists will continue to Sawangfa Road to Sukhumvit Road and making a U-turn at Jittapawan College before heading back along North Road to city hall. (PCPR)
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Pattaya Amazing Seafood Festival returns May 10-12 Jetsada Homklin The Amazing Seafood Festival is back on Beach Road May 10-12 with even more celebrity chefs. Chonburi Deputy Gov. Thammasak Rattanathanya joined top provincial and city leaders on the beach at Soi 4 April 24 to announce the low-season tourism booster organized by local government and the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association. About 150 seafood restaurants and vendors will participate in the 6 p.m.midnight food fest with professional chefs cooking up meals at a North Pattaya Beach dining area that can seat
The Amazing Seafood Festival is back on Beach Road May 10-12 with even more celebrity chefs.
2,000 people each of the three nights. The five-course dinner requires advance reservations. Each night also will have entertainment
from leading singers including Ice Saranyu, Ao Seksan, Moo Musu, Stamp, Lula, Yes Sir Day, Kai Muk Rungrat, and Singto Numchok. There also will be a chance to meet celebrity chefs. On May 10, chef Pattanan Thongtong will create a fusion menu of Thai and western dishes. The next night Pairoj Boonkong from The Zign Hotel and chef Golf from Scala in Bangsaen and chef Uki will offer a seafood menu in modern international style. On May 12, stars of Top Chef Thailand Season 2 –Otto Prapat Panaweera and his team will have a seafood challenge. For more information or reservations, call 087-053-4335.
Cabinet resolves to waive airport fees
The Cabinet has extended the policy to waive airport fees for arriving foreign passengers on tourist visas under the visa on arrival campaign. The administration deemed that an extension of the airport fee waiving policy for another six months to the
end of August would generate income from foreigners of 104 billion baht at a cost of 2.9 billion baht in lost airport fees. According to reports, the number of tourists arriving in Thailand at the Kingdom’s major airports since the policy came into effect
Destination
earlier this year increased by 83% compared to the same period last year. The Cabinet has also resolved to reduce loan interest for farmers suffering from financial burdens who are not existing customers of the state-owned Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural
ECONOMY PRICE FROM VALID .
LONDON/MUNICH THAI (ONEWAY) EVA (LON) BRITISH (LON EDI MAN NCL GLA) EMIRATES (LON) EMIRATES (MUC) FINNAIR (MUC) KLM (MUC)
13500 12600 15500 12000 10700 12000 12000
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1Y 1Y ADV. 7D 2M ADV 5D 2M 1Y 3M
THAI (FRA, CPH, STO, OSL, PAR) (ONEWAY) SWISSAIR (GVA) FINNAIR (DUB) GULF AIR (FRA) LUFTHANSA (PAR)
12500 12000 12500 11000 11000
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1Y 1Y 3M 1Y
THAI AIRWAYS GARUDA AIRLINES
15500 ++ 13300 ++
1M 10D
Cooperatives. The administration has set aside a 1.2 billion baht budget for the program which will be drawn from the Cooperative Promotion Department. The initiative is expected to provide substantial financial assistance to at least 428,000 farmers. (NNT)
BUSINESS PRICE FROM VALID . 40500 ++ (PREM) 80500 ++ 67500 ++
1Y 1Y
SYDNEY MELBOURNE BRISBANE/PERTH SINGAPORE/HONGKONG CATHAY (SINGAPORE) EMIRATES (HONG KONG) HONGKONG AIRLINES (HONGKONG) SINGAPORE AIRLINES (SINGAPORE)
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7D 1M 7D 14D
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12000 ++ 13700 ++ 12800 ++
1M 1M 14D
EVA (LAX, SFO) ASIANA AIRLINES (LAX) CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES (LAX) HONGKONG AIRLINES (LAX)
19500 17500 12000 16800
JAPAN/KOREA USA
6200 6500 6000 6400
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SHANGHAI AIRLINES (SHA) SHENZEN AIRLINES (CAN)
8000 ++ 7000 ++
1M 1M
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VIETNAM AIRLINES (HAN,SGN) BANGKOK AIRWAYS (PHU QUOC)
3000 ++ 6500 ++
CHINA
AFRICA
VIETNAM
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The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has confirmed that conveniences including food, drinks, lodging and toilets will be provided for attendees to the historic coronation ceremonies this weekend. In cooperation with varied associations and network organizations, six royallygranted kitchens will open to some 160,000 to 200,000 people expected to attend the coronation, plus 28 other spots on the perimeters. A total of 80 tanks of water and 350,000 bottles of water will be provided at the BMA’s six food spots, plus another 90 other areas in the vicinity. The Metropolitan Waterworks Authority will provide 300,000 cups and glasses for drinking water, plus eight trucks of drinking water during the coronation.
Lodging units will be provided for 1,000 people at Keelavet 1 and Keelavet 2 stadiums. Two mobile toilets will be installed in the vicinity of each food spot. A total of 48 mobile toilets will be provided, plus another 29 mobile toilets on stand-by. During the land procession in Phra Nakhon inner area from Ratchabophit temple to Phra Chetuphon temple, additional royally-granted kitchens will be provided at Larn Khon Muang and the Museum Siam grounds. The BMA and relevant agencies have conducted a big cleaning in Phra Nakhon inner area as part of the preparations for the coronation. Residents in nearby areas are encouraged to clean their houses. The landscape improvement and a lighting system has been completed. (NNT)
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Preparations finished for attendees at royal coronation
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The crowning moment were commissioned to compose new musical settings of the traditional texts. Composers are usually only too pleased to supply music for a coronation. Not only is it one of the highest honours that can be bestowed; it also guarantees plenty of publicity and possibly even a place in the history books. So while the auspicious event of the Coronation takes place here in Thailand, let’s revisit some of the music composed for British coronations of long ago.
Composer Sir Hubert Parry in 1893.
You might be surprised to know that the United Kingdom is the only monarchy in Europe that retains the coronation ceremony. Amazingly, the essential elements of the ceremony have remained pretty well unchanged for over a thousand years. Current European monarchies have replaced coronations with simpler ceremonies to mark an accession. Belgium and the Netherlands have never practised coronations in their entire history. Instead, the monarch is merely required to take a relatively simple oath. Britain saw four
coronations during the twentieth century and the most recent of course was that of Elizabeth II in 1953. In Thailand, the rites of the coronation lie in both Hindu and Buddhist religions and go back several centuries. Not surprisingly, the music performed at British coronations is inspired by the Christian religion. Much of the choral music uses texts from the Bible which have been used at coronations since the eleventh century. Following the Reformation, court musicians, often the Master of the King’s Music,
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759): Zadok the Priest. Various ensembles with orchestra cond. Howard Arman (Duration 10:07; Video 480p) Handel’s first commission as a newly-naturalized British subject was to write the music for the coronation of King George II in 1727. Zadok the Priest is the most well-known of Handel’s four coronation anthems which were regularly played in concerts and festivals even during his own lifetime. Their success contributed to the popular but erroneous belief that Handel was a composer whose music required enormous numbers of singers and instrumentalists.
The ceremonial style of Handel’s anthems differs significantly in style from his music for the theatre and even more from his concertos and chamber music. The coronation anthems use massed forces and dramatic contrasts which sound magnificent in London’s Westminster Abbey, the traditional home of coronations since Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England was crowned there in 1066. Zadok the Priest has been performed at every British coronation since its composition. The text comes from the biblical account of the anointing of Solomon by the eponymous priest Zadok. That same text has been used in every coronation since that of King Edgar at Bath Abbey in 973. Handel’s setting begins quietly with repeated sustained strings leading to the sudden and thrilling entry of the huge choir. After well over two hundred years, that moment of high drama still sends a shudder of excitement down the spine.
Sir Hubert Parry (1848-1918): I Was Glad. Royal Liverpool
Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, Choristers of Liverpool Cathedral cond. Sir Charles Groves (Duration: 08:26; Video: 480p) The anthem Laetatus sum (“I was glad”) has been sung at the entrance of the monarch at every British coronation since the seventeenth century. Settings of the text were composed by Henry Purcell, William Boyce and Thomas Attwood. When Sir Frederick Bridge was appointed director of music for the 1902 coronation of King Edward VII, he chose to make it a celebration of British music. The event featured works by Tallis, Gibbons and Purcell as well as some more modern works by Sullivan, Stanford and Stainer. Sir Hubert Parry composed his own music to the Laetatus sum text for the entrance music of the King and revised the work in 1911 for the coronation of King George V. Sir Hubert Parry wrote a vast amount of choral, orchestral and chamber music mostly between the 1860s and the 1880’s, yet he’s best known for his melody to the
hymn Jerusalem. The anthem I was Glad has become a favourite choral work in its own right. The revised setting of 1911 is the bestknown, with its brass fanfares and the middle section in which the boys of the choir are the first to acclaim the sovereign, singing the traditional “Viva Regina” as the king or queen enters the Abbey. Incidentally, this section of the anthem has to be rewritten every time a new monarch is crowned because the Sovereign is mentioned by name. At the first performance at the 1902 coronation, the director of music, Sir Frederick Bridge, misjudged the timing and the anthem embarrassingly finished before the King had arrived. The day was saved by the organist, who realized what had happened and averted a musical disaster by improvising some new music of his own. This is a powerful performance conducted by the legendary Sir Charles Groves. And yes, that is the Queen of England who can be briefly seen at 07:39 and once again at the end of the video.
To watch these YouTube videos, either use your Smartphone to read the QR codes or go to this article online, click on the “live” links and go direct to the videos. If you have a laptop, sound quality can be improved significantly by using headphones or external speakers.
Jon Land’s fans are in for another wild ride Bruce Desilva Jon Land’s insubordinate, triggerhappy Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong is back again in another action-packed thriller in “Strong as Steel.” This is the sort of thing you might get if Dr. Frankenstein sewed John Wayne’s head onto Wonder Woman’s body, gave the fearsome creature an unlimited supply of bullets and dropped it into “The Da Vinci Code.” In the first 40 pages, the following events unfold in rapid succession: A freighter with a crew of dead men smashes into a dock at the Turkish Port of Ordu. A bride and groom are gunned down at a drug cartel wedding in Mexico. A team of assassins wipes out the crew of a railroad train in Texas and swipes three crates from a freight car. Caitlin’s lover, reformed criminal Cort Wesley Masters, single-handedly rescues a Homeland Security operative on the brink of execution in Venezuela. And Caitlin, with only her sidearm, outguns a team of professional mercenaries armed with automatic weapons and RPGs.
All of this, it turns out later, has something to do with the bubonic plague, a secret religious order that employs violence to protect the one true faith and a stone ossuary that may or may not contain the bones of Jesus Christ. By the novel’s conclusion, Land manages to pull these disparate elements together. For the uninitiated, Caitlin is a fifth-generation Texas Ranger. As always in this series, the plot has links to an old case investigated by one of her ancestors, and the cartoonish portrayals of violence resemble what might happen if Quentin Tarantino and Marvel’s creator of Venom got wasted on cocaine and put their heads together. In addition to Caitlin and Masters, returning characters include Masters’ son Dylan, Caitlin’s often exasperated commander D.W. Tepper, a mysterious Homeland Security agent known only as Jones, and a former South American death squad thug who has become Caitlin’s guardian angel. Land’s fans are in for another wild ride. (AP)
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An oasis of tranquility buildings have a light and airy aspect and are a perfect location for professional musicians to rehearse and record. In recent months, Karma Studios has collaborated with the leading music production company West One in bringing together top musicians from Thailand and the UK to produce a series of recordings dedicated to His Majesty King Vajiralongkorn on the auspicious occasion of his Coronation. The project involved West One Music providing nine tracks from its library of
Karma’s Studio 1 control room.
Colin Kaye At a recent press conference, several distinguished musicians assembled to introduce a selection of music specially produced to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Vajiralongkorn. The recordings were made locally and were donated free of charge to the Television Pool of Thailand for use in upcoming programmes broadcasting the Coronation. Few people realize that just outside Pattaya, in the leafy outskirts of Bang Saray, there’s a luxury, resort-style, recording studio complex with multiple recording spaces and accommodation within the grounds of exotic tropical gardens. Originally, the land was an unknown area of unspoiled jungle until ten years ago when top British music industry executive and well-known record producer Chris Craker took on the challenge of creating a world-class recording and production facility on the land. Karma Sound Studios is a multi-million baht complex and has become a mecca for some of the biggest names in the global music industry and a growing list of talented young musicians from Thailand. Chris is no stranger to the recording industry having already produced over 450 albums over the years, including over a hundred recordings at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. His connections with Thailand began in 1996, when Chris was asked to produce
(From left) Annie Sawasdiraksa, PR and Marketing Manager West One Music Thailand; Somnuek Saeng-Arun, musicologist and specialist performer; Richard Harvey, West One Music co-founder and world class composer; Chris Craker, Karma Sound Studios founder and world renowned record producer; and Chamnongchit Harvey, Managing Director, Orient Music Co., Ltd)
Richard Harvey.
a recording to celebrate His Majesty King Bhumiphol Adulayadej’s fifty years on the throne. This was a landmark project for Chris and the start of making nine further albums of His Majesty’s music, often alongside the late M L Usni Pramoj, a distinguished Thai composer and performing musician. This royal connection was one of the reasons that Chris set about creating Karma Studios here in Thailand. Today, Karma Studios is the result of years of hard work in developing an impressive state-of-the-art recording facility. Most of the equipment was imported from Britain and America and the control room is dominated by a gigantic 56-channel mixing desk. Surprisingly perhaps, despite the presence of all the technology the atmosphere at Karma is extraordinarily tranquil and you can feel the Zen-like peaceful ambience the moment you walk through the studio doors. The studios and their surrounding
recorded music to which the Thai musician Acharn Somnuek Saengarun and his team added traditional instruments such as the khim, flute, ranad and drums to create beautiful music with a distinctive Thai character. The performances were recorded at Karma Sound Studios and the project was overseen by West One Music’s co-founder and composer Richard Harvey. Other participating musicians were Prasarn Wongwirosuk and Lerkiat Mahavinichaimontri.
Richard Harvey’s skills as a multi-instrumentalist have been called upon for both live performances and major feature films. Richard is also a distinguished composer of film music with over seventy television and film projects to his credit. He has become an important presence in the Thai film industry ever since he composed the music for four of the biggest movies ever produced in Thailand, including the epic series King Naresuan. Richard was honoured with a Royal invitation to work closely with executive producer Francis Ford Coppola and write the music for the ma j o r h i s t o r i c T h a i movie Suriyothai which has become recognized
Somnuek Saeng-Arun.
as a classic of Thai cinema. In addition, he has given concerts for Her Majesty Queen Sirikit and Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn and is proud to be co-founder of the ROSL/ Conrad “Young Musician of Thailand” awards. Richard Harvey is currently working on the score for a major 26part UK TV sci-fi series Gerry Anderson’s Firestorm and is involved in the scoring of two major upcoming Walt Disney movies. At the press conference, guests were invited to hear the newly-composed music delightfully and professionally introduced in both Thai and English by Annie Sawasdiraksa, PR and
Marketing Manager of West One Music, Thailand. Later, Chris Craker, Richard Harvey and Acharn Somnuek SaengArun explained the more detailed background and significance of the project. Everyone present was impressed with the remarkably evocative music. In rich and sonorous recordings, expertly crafted by Karma Studio’s audio engineer Shane Edwards, the sweeping and exotic music blended together sounds from the Thai and European musical traditions. Composer Richard Harvey explained, “This is one way to make traditional Thai music more accessible to the younger generation.”
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Coronation Ceremony reinforces stature of Kings of Thailand The Coronation Ceremony reinforces the stature of the Kings of Thailand. The first such elaborate ceremony was performed when Pho Khun Phamuang succeeded Pho Khun Bangklangthao as the ruling King of Muang Sukhothai. Phaya Lithai, a former leader in Sukhothai, left a historical record in stone describing the coronation ceremony in Sukhothai at Wat Srikhum. In the beginning of the Ratanakosin era, the first King in the Chakri Dynasty (HM King Buddhayodfa the Great) took the title of Rama I and moved the capital of Siam from Thonburi to the opposite bank of the Chao Phraya River, and constructed Krung Ratanakosin (Bangkok). In the process of building the Royal Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) the first King in the House of Chakri refined the coronation ceremony, establishing important protocol that has lasted to this day. All Kings to follow not undergoing the coronation ceremony would be unable to assume the term “Phrabat” in front of the King’s title of “Somdej Phrachaoyuhua”, and more
A look back at his HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun father’s coronation. (Photo courtesy of the Bureau of the Royal Household)
significantly, the symbol of the nine-tiered umbrella would also not be permissible or officially recognized. The elaborate coronation ceremony of includes all the ancient rituals required for assuming the full title and the nine-tiered umbrella. During the reign of HM King Mongkut (Rama IV), Buddhist monks and Brahmin priests were incorporated into the coronation ceremony to conduct rituals
to sanctify the auspicious occasion. Previously the ceremony was arranged and conducted by the Royal Palace staff and members of the Royal Household. Pattaya Mail Media Group joins with the Kingdom of Thailand in joyously celebrating Rama X His Majesty King His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun’s Coronation. Long Live the King!
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Three-Day Royal Coronation Ceremony 4 May 2019 The most important process of the Royal Coronation Ceremony takes place on 4 May 2019, marking the Coronation Day of King Rama X. 10.09-12.00 hr The Royal Purification, or the “Song Muratha Bhisek” Ceremony, takes place at Chakrabat Biman Royal Residence. “Muratha Bhisek” refers to the action of pouring holy water over the head of the king, also known as ablution. It is followed by the Anointment Ceremony at Baisal Daksin Throne Hall. Then His Majesty the King proceeds to the Bhadrapitha Throne and sits under the Royal Ninetiered Umbrella, where the Chief Brahmin presents him with the Royal Golden Plaque of His Majesty’s official title, the Royal Regalia, the Ancient and Auspicious Orders, and the Weapons of Sovereignty. After the Crowning and Investiture Ceremony, His Majesty presents the First Royal Command. 14.00 hr His Majesty the King grants a grand audience to members of the Royal Family, the Privy Council, and the Cabinet, as well as senior officials,
Royal Emblem for Coronation ceremonies.
gathered to offer their best wishes to His Majesty at Amarindra Vinicchaya Throne Hall. 16.00 hr His Majesty proceeds to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha to proclaim himself the Royal Patron of Buddhism. 13.19-20.30 hr The ceremony of Assumption of the Royal Residence takes place at Chakrabat Biman Royal Residence. The purpose of the ceremony is to symbolically take up the royal residence and perform housewarming.
5 May 2019 09.00 hr The ceremony to bestow His Majesty’s Royal Cypher and Royal Title and to grant the royal ranks to members of royalty takes place at Amarindra Vinicchaya Throne Hall. 16.30 hr His Majesty the King rides in the Royal Palanquin in the Royal Procession on Land to encircle the city, affording people the opportunity to attend and pay homage to their new King. • Routes of the Royal Land Procession •
- From the Grand Palace, the procession comes out from Abhorn Bimok Pavilion through Vises Jayasri Gate. It turns right to Na Phra Lan Road, turns left to Ratchadamnoen Nai Road, turns right to Ratchadamnoen Klang Road, and then turns left to Tanao Road before moving toward Wat Bovoranives. The Royal Palanquin stops in front of Wat Bovoranives, where His Majesty the King enters to pay homage to the main Buddha image in the ubosot. - The procession continues to move along Phra Sumen Road and turns right to Ratchadamnoen Road, passing through the Rattanakosin Exhibition Hall.
Then it turns left to Atsadang Road and Bamrung Mueang Road. The Royal Palanquin stops in front of Wat Rajabopidh, where His Majesty enters to pay homage to the main Buddha image in the ubosot. - The procession leaves Wat Rajabopidh, passing through Fueang Nakhon Road, and then turns right to Charoen Krung Road. The Royal Palanquin stops in front of Wat Phra Chetuphon, where His Majesty enters to pay homage to the main Buddha image in the ubosot. - The procession with His Majesty riding in the Royal Palanquin leaves Wat Phra
Chetuphon along Thai Wang Road, moving back to the Grand Palace. It enters Vises Jayasri Gate to Abhorn Bimok Pavilion.
6 May 2019 16.30 hr His Majesty the King grants a public audience on a balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace to receive his well wishes from the people. 17.30 hr His Majesty grants an audience to members of the international diplomatic corps, who offer their felicitations on this special occasion at Chakri Maha Prasad Throne Hall.
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PCEC given an update on new Thai Immigration long stay extension rules The Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC) welcomed back Darren McGarry, a British expat who manages Key Visa Co. Thailand, for round number 2 of his talk about the new visa (long stay extensions) rules that went into effect in the first quarter of 2019. During his previous presentation in January 2019, he advised that things were in flux and there were more rumors abounding than facts regarding requirements for Expats who could no longer obtain monthly income certifications for Thai Immigration. Also, since his January presentation, Thai Immigration issued new rules, effective March 1, 2019. These rules concerned changing the financial requirements for those extending their stay based on using a specified amount on deposit in a Thai bank (retirement and related to a Thai). Darren, with many notes in hand, marched to the podium armed with those and reliance on his 15 years of experience dealing with Thai
Darren’s message to the PCEC was, don’t panic over the new Thai Immigration rules as he explained what documents are now required for long stay retirement extensions.
Immigration matters. His information was well received and almost everybody gleaned some new and vital insight into what the new rules require and how to meet them. Before getting into the specific requirements, he made some general comments useful to the situation. For example, he said there are between 11 and 14 thousand expats here in Pattaya and many in his opinion worry
MC Judith Edmonds provides the PCEC’s Certificate of Appreciation to Darren for his informative talk on a matter of great interest to expats.
Darren listens to one of the many questions he received after his presentation.
too much based on the numerous panic calls he received when the new rules came out. He suggested that you should wait until the dust settles a bit before death throes appear. In addition, Darren commented about Immigration Officers’ views on the new rules, that they have complicated the process and resulted in more work for them. He advised not to argue with immigration officials over their application of the new rules. If you encounter problems, he suggests you contact someone in the visa business, such as his company, to see if they can sort it as he feels almost every problem has a solution. He then proceeded to explain the new rules, primarily for extensions based on retirement, and what will be required to meet them. There are three separate ways to qualify for a longterm extension’s financial requirements. The first he mentioned was the requirement for the retiree applicant to have 800,000 baht on deposit in a Thai bank. The new requirements for this method
is (1) the money must be in the bank for two months before your application for extension date (not your last extension expiration date if you are renewing), (2) it must remain in the account for three months after the renewal, and (3) the letter from the bank confirming your account must be dated the day of your visit to immigration. He also said to be prepared to answer the additional question of ‘what do you live on?’ if you are one of those that keep this amount continually on deposit and the account shows no activity. He said to answer this question,
will issue such letters beginning the first of this year; these are the embassies for the USA, Britain, Australia and Denmark. So, he asked, what proof does immigration want to show you meet this requirement? If your embassy still issues such a letter, then that is the requirement. If they don’t, then you must show as many deposits in a Thai bank as you can for this year, 2019, but next year and after, it must be monthly for the preceding twelve months and be from a source outside of Thailand. This can be done by providing copies of your Thai bank account
Member Anne Smith moderates the PCEC’s Open Forum which affords the audience an opportunity to offer comments or ask and answer questions.
you can show a bank book for an additional account which you use for living expenses or ATM slips showing your withdrawal of money from an overseas account. The second, is for those that in lieu of having the 800,000 baht in a Thai bank, use the requirement that they have a retirement income of at least 65000 baht per month. Previously, this was satisfied by obtaining a letter from your embassy attesting to your monthly income. However, several major embassies no longer
passbook pages and deposits of pension or other income into your foreign bank account. Darren suggested that the amounts transferred and deposited reflecting the required 65,000 baht per month be highlighted on the copies. In addition, he said you will most likely be asked to have a document that shows the source of your retirement funds. Darren said rental income is not an acceptable source as Thai Immigration considers it as not being a permanent monthly source of income.
The third method to qualify for the long term extension is a combination of the above, at least 400,000 baht in the bank and source documentation for the monthly income amount which, when combined, equate to at least 800,000 baht (bank balance plus monthly deposit times 12 months). He also mentioned the validity of extensions based on marriage and business. They are good until they no longer apply…you get divorced or stop working. He warned that you should not go on using the extension until it expires thinking that it is the easy way. Once your status qualifying you for the extension expires, you will have 2 days to advise immigration and 7 days to qualify for another extension. If you continue to use the marriage/ business extension after you no longer qualify for it, you will be in overstay status and overstays can mean expulsion from the country. Despite all the rules, and harsh fines, Darren assured the crowd that the Thai government really does want us here. Play by the rules and staying should not be a problem. A plan B and/or C are usually available. Because of the high interest in the topic, the presentation was followed by a lengthy question and answer session. The meeting ended with the usual announcement of upcoming events and the Open Forum, where questions are asked and answered about expat living in Thailand. For more information about the Pattaya City Expats Club, visit their website at www.pcec.club.
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Articles For Sale/Rent 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 EBooks can be bought from www.amazon.co.uk. 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!
Articles/Services Wanted 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 Bop/18-22/ Bar and restaurant at Lake Mapbrachan.
Approx. 150sqm with pool, fully stocked, Tiger and Guinness draught, Rent 13,000 Baht/month (no key money): 850,000 baht, open to negotiation. E-Mail: chrohente@gmail.com Bop04/14-52/ Big Thai restaurant on busy Soi in Pratumnak; 52 seats, guest toilets, 1 bathroom, 2 bedrooms, WiFi; 700,000 THB (298) GO PROPERTY THAILAND; 093- 161 5995; www. gopropertythailand.com Bop03/14-52/ Commercial shop located in VIEWTALAY condominium Jomtien Beach, ground floor; business space 47sqm; 1 bathroom, terrace; WiFi; security 7/24h; parking for clients, 2,495,000 THB (246) GO PROPERTY THAILAND; 093- 161 5995; www. gopropertythailand.com Bop02/14-52/ Warehouse on Huay Yai Road, 4 big halls on 1.5 Rai (2,400sqm), 8
toilets, air-condition; perfect for all kind of business. 20,000,000 THB (331) GO PROPERTY THAILAND; 093- 161 5995; www. gopropertythailand.com
Notices No02/11-20/ Pattaya Panthers Rugby Club is looking to recruit new players. All ages and abilities welcome to come to training nights every Thursday at Horseshoe Point in east Pattaya from 7pm – 8.30pm. For more information, go to Pattaya Panthers page on Facebook. No01/11-20/ 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
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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 Prb03/16-20/ House/condo in Bang-sare. Tel. 0890475604 Prb02/14-18/ Bungalow for Rent, one Bedroom, 2 Baths, living dinning pantry area unfurnished, in Soi Nernplubwan, Mabyailia 17 off Sukhumvit 53. 10 minutes from Pattaya Beach. Rent: 6,500 baht/month. More detail: 081-653-1950, E- mail: juanitareed@hotmail.com or Line ID: 081-653-1950 Prb01/09-22/ TOWNHOUSE, Off Soi Khaotalo, Like new, quiet, safe, two bedroom, one bathroom, patio, carport, Thai kitchen, air-conditioned, FULLY FURNUSHED,
Pattaya Emergency Numbers Pattaya Call Center ................................ 1337 Police Station .......................................... 191 - Pattaya ................................................... 038 424 186 - Banglamung ......................................... 038 221 800-1 Highway Police ....................................... 038 392 001 Fire Brigade ............................................. 199 Pat. Int. Hopsital ..................................... 038 428 374-5 Bkk-Pat Hospital ..................................... 038 259 911 TAT Central Office: Region 3 Pattaya . 038 428 750 Tourist Police ......................................... 038 429 371, 1155 . .................................................................. 038 410 044 (FAX)
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Guarded Subdivision, Communal Pool, One Year Lease Minimum, B9,500. Monthly, B19,000. Security Deposit. English, 087-805-5276
Condos, Apartments Prc02/10-19/ 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 Prc01/18/ Pattaya Beach Rd. Soi 13, studio, balcony to pool, kitchenette: 13,500/ month. Tel. 091-504-1806
Property for Sale Houses, Villas Psb04/16-20/ House/condo in Bang-sare. Tel. 089 0475604
Psb03/14-52/ New reformed City Villa in the heart of Pattaya; close to 3rd Road/ LK Hotel; walking distance to Soi Bokhao; 120sqm living space; land approx. 150sqm; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living room, kitchen; fully furnished; 2 new Flat TVs; 3 aircons; big storeroom; garden, carport & parking; NO THROUGH ROAD- very quite; 3,950,000 THB (284) GO PROPERTY THAILAND; 093- 161 5995; www.gopropertythailand.com Psb02/14-52/ Luxury Pool Villa in Soi Siam Country Club, close to Mabprachan Reservoir, well maintained, fully furnished, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 1 living room + dining area, air-condition, living space 320 sqm, land size 500 sqm, European kitchen, Thai kitchen, washing machine, salt water pool, Jacuzzi, electric gate, parking for 2 cars, community pool, 24h security; 5,900,000 THB, Rent 38,000 per month (348) GO PROPERTY THAILAND; 093- 161 5995; www. gopropertythailand.com Psb01/14-52/ House located on Thappraya Road, PattayaJomtien; land size 372sqm, living space 250sqm; fully furnished; 1 living room; 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, European kitchen; garden; security 7/24h; community pool; parking; close 10 Baht Taxi Route, restaurants, bars, supermarket, laundry, 8,300,000 THB (281) GO PROPERTY THAILAND; 093- 161 5995; www. gopropertythailand.com
Condominiums Psc102/18-22/ Porchland Condo in Jomtien, Owner Sale: One bedroom, 48m2, 8th Floor, high quality. All included. 2.1 Million Baht. Info: 087 138 3523 Psc101/15-24/ Trust Residence Central Pattaya Condo: fully furnished wifi & swimming pool for sale: 1,250,000 (tax free) Tel. 086633-2948, 083-282-3984 Psc98/14-52/ Studio, close to TUCOM, City location; 46sqm; 2nd floor; fully furnished; living-bedroom; bathroom, kitchen; large balcony; 24/7 security; reception; community pool; car park; 1,050,000 THB; (286) GO PROPERTY THAILAND; 093- 161 5995; www.gopropertythailand.com Psc97/14-52/ Studio located close to Jomtien Beach Soi 7 and ‘Rhompo Night Market’,3 rd floor; living space 47sqm; fully furnished; 1 living-bedroom; 1 bathroom, kitchenette; terrace; WiFi; security 7/24hrs; fitness gym; community pool; garage; restaurants, bars,
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supermarket, laundry; 1,600,000 THB;(248) GO PROPERTY THAILAND; 093- 161 5995; www. gopropertythailand.com Psc96/14-52/ Studio in Jomtien with sea views, 47sqm, Thappraya Road, 1 living-bedroom, 1 bathroom, kitchen; well maintained, 24h security; car parking, laundry, air-condition, fully furnished, big balcony, fitness gym, community pool, close to 10-Baht Taxi Route, supermarket, bus station, massage shops, restaurants; 2,600,000 THB; (375) GO PROPERTY THAILAND; 0 9 3 - 1 6 1 5995; www. gopropertythailand.com
Land for Sale P/16-20/ Beach/ mountain/ sea views: plots in Bangsare. Tel. 0890475604
P05/14-18/ If you are looking for the perfect building plot to build your dream home then this is it! It is a fraction under half a Rai, fully walled with more blocks used than will be used to build your home and in an exclusive private estate. Access is through an electronic gate to a private a road with drainage already installed. 3phase electricity is also installed and ready to be connected. There is nothing more to be spent except to build your dream home. Price is 3 million Baht. This is cheap as you will find that the normal price in this area is 6 million per Rai for just open land. Tel. 086 101 1341 Thai and English spoken. P03/14-52/ 4 Rai land located 45m along Sukhumvit Road, close NONG NOOCH BOTANIC GARDEN; total land size 4 Rai, 134sq-wah; 1 Rai solo: 35,000,000 THB, 4 Rai in total: 120,000,000 THB (321) GO PROPERTY THAILAND; 093- 161 5995; www. gopropertythailand.com P02/14-52/ 3,25 Rai land close Huay Yai Road with 600sqm big house 19,950,000 THB; GO PROPERTY THAILAND; 093- 161 5995; www. gopropertythailand.com P01/14-52/1,150sqmlandforsale in the town of Bang Saray, (288sqw), few minutes’ drive to the beach, can build up to 7 floors. 27,000,000 THB (329) GO PROPERTY THAILAND; 093- 161 5995; www.gopropertythailand.com
VOL. XXVII No. 18
Services Provided Sp05/18/ PLANS DRAWN: Design & Construction – Condo Remodelling. Tel. 085-083-4221
Vehicles for Sale/Rent Vc02/18/ Jay’s Rent A Car: Toyota’s & Honda’s. All top of the range, for your safety all serviced by Toyota/ Honda, all have A.B.S./
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airbags + 1st class rental Insurance. Rent the best. Please ring for details: (Thai) 084-865-5102 or (Eng) 085283-4915 Vc01/14-18/ For Sale: BMW 320d GT Sport (Automatic) sedan: 2.0 million baht (o.n.o.). Year 2014, mileage not over 49,500km, excellent condition, well maintained & Serviced at BMW, Mag Rims & Kumho tyres, include spares 4 sets original BMW Mag Rims & Run-Flat tyres. Call Christine on 081996-0708 (English)
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Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer team up to win Zurich Classic Avondale, Louisiana. (AP) — Ryan Palmer and Jon Rahm shot a 3-under 69 in the alternate-shot final round last Sunday to win the Zurich Classic, beating Sergio Garcia and Tommy Fleetwood by three strokes in the PGA Tour’s only team event. The 42-year-old Palmer won his fourth tour title and first since the 2010 Sony Open in Hawaii. He waved and gave a thumbs-up to TV cameras as he walked up the 18th fairway. The 24-year-old Rahm won his third PGA Tour title — one each in three straight seasons. The Spaniard finished in the top 10 for the seventh time this year, including a tie for ninth at the Masters. Palmer and Rahm ended up playing together at Palmer’s suggestion after his past
Scougall shines at Laem Chabang The Jomtien Golf Society Monday, April 22, Laem Chabang Stableford
Ryan Palmer (left) and Joh Rahm hold their tournament trophy after winning the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, Louisiana, Sunday, April 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
partner, Jordan Spieth, decided to skip the event. Rahm was available because Wesley Bryan is out with a shoulder injury. Palmer and Rahm finished
at 26-under 262 at TPC Louisiana, which had dried out considerably since heavy rain delayed the first round by more than seven hours and forced many players to play more than 18 holes on Friday and Saturday to get the event back on schedule. Garcia and Fleetwood closed with a 68. KyoungHoon Lee-Matt Every and Brian Gay-Rory Sabbatini tied for third, five shots behind.
A week to remember PSC Golf from Siam Country Resort Pattaya
This was our first visit here for some time but we were attracted by the very reasonable low season package being offered. We played the C and A courses off the white tees with just the one division out. Dennis Scougall topped the podium on this day with a fine 39 points, two ahead of Steve Cliff in second on 37 and then a 20/19 backnine countback saw Gil Phillips beat Bob Comartin for third place after they both scored 35 points each. With nearest the pins on C2 and A7 there was only one winner, Bob Comartin on A7, while John Carlin birdied A2 to record the sole birdie 2 of the day. There were quite a few good reports on the course condition and an enjoyable round was enjoyed by all so we are back here again just after our Hua Hin trip.
there only one division out today and with two 40 pointers in, Ian Speirs, playing off 12, beat Steve Cliff on a 23/19 back-nine countback for first place. Leo Adam was third on 39 points and in fourth Ray Kingwell beat Kari Aarnio 20/18 on the back-nine after two scores of 35. There were just two winners in the nearest the pins competition, Dennis Scougall and Peter Davies, while Ian Speirs birdied the 12th for the only 2 of the day and scoop a healthy rollover jackpot.
Wednesday, April 24, Pattaya C.C. Stableford
Friday, April 26, Eastern Star Stableford
After a mass exodus of golfers from Pattaya recently
Two divisions out today with the cut set at 2-17 and
Burnie Sinclair R.I.P.
19+ and an amazing 34 points was the best of the day, coming from Tony Thorne who beat Ron Lavett in division 2 on a 22/20 backnine countback. John Carlin was third on 32 and William Chang fourth with 29. Colin Aspinall with 33 points topped division 1 and then there were four 30pointers fighting for the next three places. A countback decision saw J.P. Saarenpak take second, Paul Butler third and Reijo Heiskanen fourth, with Paul Young just missing out. Near pins went to (Div 1) Nik Evans, Seppo Komito, Dennis Scougall and Paul Young, and (Div 2) Leo Adam, Peter Davies (2) and Ron Lavett. In the 2s competition, Ron Lavett birdied the 3rd with 5 rollovers in division 2 and in division 1 Paul Young was 1-foot short of a hole-in-one but still sank the putt to claim the 2s pot. We received some very sad new this past week that one of our long time golfers, Burnie Sinclair, who started originally with us in 2006, passed away after a short illness. Rest in peace Burnie!
Minjee Lee wins LA Open for 5th LPGA Tour title
Tuesday, April 23, Pattana - Stableford We had an unbelievable week and both golf days our first 3 players came in with more than 40 points. We also almost had a hole-in-one by Stan Rees, just missing 1 inch. On Tuesday we went with 3 groups to Pattana, where we played the A & B course which was in very good condition with nice fairways and true greens. The weather was again sunny and warm. Stephen Ford joined our group having not played much golf recently but he still produced 43 points today, beating Willem Lasonder on countback. Jonathan Pratt came in third with 41 points. Stan Rees had a beautiful shot on the par-3 B3 but just missed on what would have been his second lifetime hole-in-one. The near pins went to Stephen Ford, Willem Lasonder and Stan Rees.
VOL. XXVII No. 18
Stephen Ford (left) with Stan Rees.
Thursday, April 25, Greenwood Stableford Greenwood was our venue on Thursday where we played the B & C course, also in perfect condition. Stan Rees was shooting for the stars today and came in
with 46 points, the highest score in our group this year. Stephen Ford confirmed his good form again and took second with 42 points while in third was Dave Smith with 41. The near pins were claimed by Stephen Ford, Dave Smith and Paddy Devereux.
Los Angeles (AP) — Minjee Lee won the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open at Wilshire Country Club for her fifth LPGA Tour title, closing with a 3-under 68 last Sunday for a four-stroke victory. The 22-year-old Australian made a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 18th to finish at 14under 270. She led the last three days, shooting 66-6967 to take a one-stroke advantage over Nanna Koerstz Madsen into the final round. Lee was projected to jump from fourth to second in the world ranking after her fourth top-three finish in her last seven starts. Sei Young Kim was second. The South Korean birdied Nos. 13-15 to pull within two strokes, but parred 16 and 17 and bogeyed the 18th
Minjee Lee, of Australia, tees off on the sixth hole during the final round of the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club, Sunday, April 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/ Mark J. Terrill)
for a 66. Annie Park (67) and Morgan Pressel (68) tied for third at 9 under. Koerstz Madsen shot a 76
to finish 13th at 5 under. She was trying to become the first Danish winner in LPGA Tour history.
VOL. XXVII No. 18
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Carr cuts the mustard PSC Golf from The Bunker Boys Monday, April 22, Laem Chabang C & A – Stableford 1st Jimmy Carr (18) 38pts 2nd Geoff Parker (15) 34pts 3rd Terry Hamilton (19) 33pts Because of competitive low season green and caddie fees, we made a rare visit to Laem Chabang today and what a treat it turned out to be. The course was in pristine condition and the overall ambiance of the course and the clubhouse was special. We had a most unusual occurrence on the second fairway when we encountered a thirty-second downpour, it looked ominous but as quickly as it came it went again, leaving the rest of the round rain free. There was no wind to speak of so it was extremely hot again. Because we followed another society our round was slower than we would have liked and we encountered a couple of waiting periods, particularly on the par threes.
Jimmy Carr was at his best today with every part of his game working nicely, which was needed to shoot thirtyeight points on this testing layout. Second place went to Geoff Parker on thirty-four and both are locked together in a battle for golfer of the month, who will prevail? Third place went to Terry Hamilton on thirty-three. Terry had a relatively poor start to his game but came alive on the back nine to register twenty points. Only two near pins were won with one each going to Geoff Parker and Michael Brett.
Wednesday, April 24, The Emerald Stableford 1st Michael Brett (15) 33pts 2nd Geoff Cox (17) 33pts 3rd Dave Ashman (20) 32pts Our mid-week game was played at the Emerald where we found an empty course and didn’t see any other
Dave Ashman is with us for this tour of duty so more bell ringing for that.
Friday, April 26, King Naga – Stableford
Jimmy Carr.
Michael Brett.
golfers on the course throughout our round. The course was in nice condition and as difficult as ever, made more so by the temperature which was extreme. Fatigue and dehydration were major issues and probably contributed to the low scores recorded with nobody above thirty-three points. The winner was Michael Brett who edged out Geoff Cox on countback, with
Dave Ashman a stroke further back. Three of the four near pins were taken with Dave Ashman taking one and Michael Brett two. Having lost all three sixes on Monday, Michael reversed the result today by winning all three. Back at Woody’s Bar, we celebrated the sixty-fifth birthday of Geoff Cox who got tennis elbow ringing the bell. It was also the last week
1st Jimmy Carr (18) 36pts 2nd Michael Brett (15) 33pts 3rd Peter Allen (27) 31pts In the space of a week we went from the penthouse to the outhouse, metaphorically speaking. On Monday we enjoyed pristine golfing conditions at Laem Chabang whereas today we came back down to earth at King Naga. The course was in the worst condition we have seen it for about a year. The fairways were brown and bare, the greens were very slow and bunkers had grass in them. If the course doesn’t
get significant rain soon it will only deteriorate further. Jimmy Carr on thirty-six points showed that he can cope with all types of conditions with his second win of the week. Michael Brett took second with thirtythree points and after birdies on the second and third holes he looked like compiling a good score, only to crash and burn with wipes on fourth and fifth holes. Peter Allen took third place with thirty-one. Mark Stanley played well tee to green but the slowness of the greens was something he is not used to and with a low handicap made scoring difficult. Only two of the near pin awards were claimed, both going to Michael Brett.
Masa claims third green jacket in April PSC Golf from the Pattaya Links Golf Society Monday, April 22, Laem Chabang C & A - Stableford A Flight 1st Pete Seil (5) 37pts 2nd George Mueller (14) 36pts 3rd Kevin LaBar (12) 35pts B Flight 1st Masa Okada (23) 35pts 2nd Mike Tottenham (18) 34pts 3rd Walter Baechli (20) 33pts Can a golf course be described as being in perfect condition? According to many of our twenty-six players who teed off at Laem Chabang today, it was very near just that. The first two greens seemed to have had a sprinkling of sand recently, which resulted in them not being as smooth as the other sixteen which were perfect. The fairways were immaculate and easy to hit from, and the rough was not too much bother. As always, check-in staff and starters were efficient and the special Monday price of 2,059 baht all in made a great day for all. Scores today were much lower than on our last visit here. Maybe this had something to do with starting on the difficult, watery, C nine? The “A” flight provided the top scores with Pete Seil having an excellent round off his new handicap of 5, making 37 points to take the win and the “Green Jacket” with the best score of the day.
Masa Sugaya (center) with Jamie Booterbaugh (left) and Brian Byrne.
George Mueller is never very far away from the placings and he, off his new handicap of 14, had an even round of 36 points to finish one ahead of Kevin LaBar, who is becoming quite consistent of late. The “B” flight saw the successful return to Links of Masa Okada whose 35 points held out another consistent player in Mike Tottenham on 34. Regular, and always welcome visitor to Links, is the much travelled Walter Baechli, who took out third place with a handy 33 points. Near pins went to Nigel Harrison (C5), John Harrison (C8),Tip Briney (A2), Pete Seil (A7), while consolation ‘best-nine’ awards for nonwinners were claimed by Derek Phillips (17pts) and Maurice Roberts (19pts).
Wednesday, April 24, Burapha C & D – Stableford 1 st Masa Sugaya (22) 39pts 2nd Kevin Rogers (10) 37pts 3rd Kevin LaBar (12) 37pts On Wednesday, the society golfers took the short trip to Burapha to play a stableford competition on the C and D combination. It has to be said that the CD course at present is not in the best of condition. It has always been the poorer sister to the A and B nines but at the moment the rough is particularly punitive and the greens are not good. They are inconsistent in pace and some show evidence of maintenance and others not.
A very hot and steamy day added to the difficulties of putting together a solid round and the eighteen golfers all deserve medals for their efforts. Results saw Kevin LaBar losing a countback on 37 points for second place whilst Kevin Rogers took the runner-up spot. An excellent round of 39 points saw Japanese golfer Masa Sugaya take the win. Near pins awards went to Tip Briney (C5), Kevin LaBar (C8), Derek Phillips (D2) and Jamie Booterbaugh (D8). Wayne Peppernell’s 19 points was the best front nine (non-winners) whilst Walter Baechli’s 18 on the back nine was also awarded.
Pete Seil.
Friday, April 26, Eastern Star Stableford A-Flight (0–17) 1st William Brown (16) 36pts 2nd Jamie Booterbaugh (13) 35pts 3rd Andrew Purdie (10) 33pts B-Flight (18+) 1st Masa Sugaya (22) 38pts 2nd Mike Firkin (24) 37pts 3rd Mickey Tighe (34) 36pts Another hot day dawned on Friday as the Links golfers made their way to Eastern Star to play a stableford competition on the testing track, which was in good shape. Fairways were a little hard but they allowed quite a lot of run and the greens were almost at the end of some serious maintenance. In a week they will be very
good. As always, the welcome was warm and the three dozen golfers relished the challenge, starting ten minutes ahead of schedule. The field was divided into two flights, cut at seventeen and under and scores were in keeping with the course’s history, never excessive and a level par or better finish always leaves golfers satisfied. In the first flight, third place went to Andrew Purdie with 33 points, a couple behind Jamie Bootenbaugh’s 35 points finish, leaving the American in second place after his “silly hat” win last time out. The flight winner was Welshman Willie Brown with 36 points. In the second flight Micky Tighe surpassed his expectations with his 35 points taking third place on countback, leaving Mike Firkin in second with a fine 37 points. The winner was Masa Sugaya, following on from Wednesday’s show, and his 38 points gave him his third Green Jacket in April. Surely this must rank as a peak in the Japanese golfer’s curriculum vitae. Near pins went to Mike Firkin (3), Paul Durkan (6), Tommy Marshall (13) and Wayne Peppernell (17). Paul Chesney’s 18 points (on c/back) on the front nine gave him the consolation award, as did Tip Briney’s 18 points (on c/back) score on the back-nine.
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VOL. XXVII No. 18
Hole’s game in sync at the Valley The Tara Court Golf Society Sunday, April 21, Green Valley Stableford
Tuesday, April 23, Plutaluang – Stableford
Now that low season is here the numbers are dropping dramatically and we had only one flight here at Green Valley. Hot season has also arrived with a bang and it is almost uncomfortable for golf at the moment as it so hot and humid. The heat obviously didn’t affect Ken Hole (H/cap 21) though as he came out a very clear winner today with an excellent thirty-nine points for a clear six-point win, you can’t beat the youth! We had a three-way tie on thirty three points for the next three places with Jerry Sweetnam (10) winning the countback to come second, Michael Williams (12) took third and Kevin O’Sullivan (14) fourth. We had no 2s today.
At Plutaluang today we played the unusual combination of the North and South courses as they were sanding and coring the greens on the West course. For some of us it was their first time ever to play the South course and for others it was many years since they had played it. We found it in reasonable condition although the bunkers left a lot to be desired and all the caddies seem to have an aversion to raking them and it was left to ourselves to set an example. The Navy course is still excellent value for money though, with the complete package only costing twelve hundred baht.
Ken Hole.
We had a small group out today and only one golfer managed to play to his handicap, this being Joe
Viper takes his first monthly mug PSC Golf from The Growling Swan
Joe Mcardle.
McArdle (15) who came out the winner with thirty six points. In second place was Daryl Burkett (13) with thirty points while Russell Gilroy (13) came third with twentynine. We had two 2s today, coming from Joe McArdle and Daryl Burkett.
Thursday, April 25, Burapha - Stableford We were back to the everpopular Burapha course today with a much larger group out. It was a little bit cooler weather-wise and we got one very heavy shower of
rain and a thunderstorm but luckily it didn’t last too long and we were able to resume play on a course which had soaked up the water very quickly. Again we were on the A and B nines and we had two flights out with the cut for the A flight coming in at fourteen. We had good scoring today with the exact same scores in all places in both flights. In the A flight Shaun Merriman (11) was the winner with thirty-eight points, Pete Seil (5) came second with thirty-seven and Daryll Burkett (13) took third with thirty-six. The same scores appeared in the B flight with Mark Armstrong (27) winning with thirty-eight points, Joe Peters (24) placing second on thirty-seven and Ken Hole (21) in third with thirty-six. We had three 2s today, coming from Kevin Blake, Ken Hole and Ian Corica.
Mika’s star shines at Burapha
Monday, April 22, Pattavia – Stableford 1st Tony Cook (28) 38pts 2nd Keith Buchanan (13) 35pts Near Pins: Keith Buchanan, Kevin Kennedy, Steve Younger. Long Putts: Kevin Kennedy, Tony Cook. Pattavia Golf Course, or fondly known as the Pineapple Plantation, was today’s venue for our eleven golfers. We play this course every month and over the years it has proven quiet popular. It is a good course that is priced sensibly and not one that inflates the fees for what others refer to as “The High Season.” The course was once again in great condition, I am not sure as to exactly what they are doing but the cleaning up project has continued on with work happening with the bunkers. The weather played an important part in today’s happenings. The cloud cover offered us good relief, but when the cover moved it was quite hot. We took the course on from the white tees with one flight and all novelties in play. With numbers the way they were we would be having only two placing’s and Tony Cook took the top rung on the ladder with 38 points. In
Mark Stapleton (center) with Keith Buchanan, Tony Ryan and Kevin Kennedy.
second was the evergreen Kissy Buchanan who is never far from the money.
Thursday, April 25, Bangpra – Stroke 1st Mark Stapleton (18) net 72 2nd Keith Buchanan (13) net 76 3rd Tony Ryan (20) net 76 Near Pins: Keith Buchanan (x3), Bill Mc Garvie. Long Putts: JJ Harney (x2). Just eight golfers on this day but they were fired up to have a crack at winning the coveted Monthly Mug. Bangpra was our destination for today’s event and that brought back fond memories of Bill ‘Shooter’ McGarvie scoring an ace here a couple of years back. As per usual the course was in top nick (a very good
course but unfortunately a little pricey at times). Fairways and greens were good and the weather was quite hot with little or no relief. Still, everything was set for a great day out. Mark ‘The Viper’ Stapleton was on the money from the outset and determined to make the Mug his own. He returned with a net 72, ensuring that he got the chocolates for the day. Coming in second was Keith Buchanan who finished four shots behind Mark but got closer in the stakes department as he collected three out of the six novelties. An honorable mention goes to Tony Ryan who ended up with the same score as Keith but lost out via the countback system.
Mika Viljakainen.
A big welcome from Burapha Golf Club awaited the New Nordic Pattaya Amateur Golf Series for April, with a solid low season crowd of 93, which included a contingent of 8 lady players. Burapha A & B nines were the combination of the day, with the course playing at its full scorecard length and in overall fine condition. The conditions were oppressively hot, only a light breeze to offer any relief. The A Flight (for players for 0–12) saw Mika Viljakainen (H/cap 9) show some great form to shoot a fine score of 74, winning the Low Gross to go with top spot in the flight with a spectacular 43 points. As further proof of his fine play on the day, Mika also collected 2 approaches
Henry Wong (right) collects his prize.
on A2 & B6. Peter Nixon (9) was a tad unlucky to get beaten by the hot hand of the day, his 42 points only good enough for second, while Frode Brandt (9) signed for 40 to collect third. Peter also won the Long Drive on A9 in the 65+ age division, to complete a successful day. Ladies flight winner on the day was Jirasuda Robinson (16) with a comparatively moderate 35 points. B Flight (for handicaps 13– 19) was won by Reijo Heiskanen (19) with a solid 42 points, ahead of 3 players on 40 points. Daniel Grob (13) had the best back-9 of 21 points to claim second
spot, while George Muller (15) had to be satisfied with the bronze medal position after signing for 20 points on the inward half. Mikael Andersson’s back-9 of 19 saw him miss out altogether. The C Flight winner for handicaps 20+ was Henry Wong (31) with the equal day’s best score of 43 points, to supplement his Near Pin on B3. Andrew Makara (26) played well to record 42 points, while Todd Fox (34) picked up third spot with his 40 points, beating Charlie Heneghan on countback. Honourable mentions to Bill Kana with his 3 technicals and to Jerry Sweetnam for his 2.
VOL. XXVII No. 18
FRIDAY MAY 3, 2019 25
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Greig & Nu get the medals PSC Golf from the Billabong Bar Monday, April 22, Phoenix Gold Stableford Five groups went to Phoenix Gold golf course today to play Mountain and Lakes nines and as usual the Mountain loop took no prisoners apart from one rising star playing off his 30 handicap, which I might add had been slashed from 31 because of him being in the prizes last week. He scored 21 points on the way out but only 15 on the way in to take 4 th place with 36 points. The greens were very slow on the Mountain and very much quicker on Lakes
PSC
Playing at Green Valley today in temperatures approaching
FRI 03
SAT 04
Miss Nu collects her medal award.
40 degrees you certainly had an inkling of what it might be like to play golf in a sauna. The course is in desperate need of some consistent rain for there are many dry patches appearing everywhere and the greens had just been tined, making putting a little more difficult but we still had 10 groups supporting the Haven Consultants Monthly Medal, sponsored by Brian Chapman CEO of that company. The ladies, as usual, performed well with most of them having the energy to walk the 18 holes in the searing
SUN 05
Pattana
Bunker Boys
Pattaya C.C.
TUE 07
Pleasant Valley
WED 08
THU 09
FRI 10 Pleasant Valley
Pattana
TBA Pattana
Green Valley
Growling Swan Le Katai
MON 06
Khao Kheow
Cafe Kronborg
Billabong Golf
heat. Miss Karen (H/cap 14) should have had a better score than her net 71 for she had treble-bogies on both the 9th and 10th holes but held onto third place. The consistent Miss May (10) had 12 pars but a 7 on the par three 8th put paid to her hopes of winning the day. Miss Nu (16) had a steady round of golf occupying first place with a net 69 which included 9 pars. Three of the male competitors had net 74s but Arch Armstrong (10) came out on top with 41 on the way home, which included two
The next PSC monthly tournament is a 2-person scramble on May 16 at Phoenix Golf Golf Club
Apple’s Irish
Colin’s Golf
everyone who was prepared to listen, and who would not, that his handicap had been slashed from 31 to 30 but despite the severe reduction he took the honours with a net 70. There was only one 2 today and that went to Miss Phin.
Wednesday, April 24, Green Valley Monthly Medal
Greig Ritchie (left) with Brian Chapman.
DATE:
double bogies. Jim Grieve (25) lost a countback to William Macey (21) with treble bogies on the 10th and 13th holes for third place. William, metaphorically speaking, pulled his socks up at the turn, playing the backnine 9 shots better than the front. Greig Ritchie (30) told
made quite a difference to everybody’s scores. Third place went to Glenn Smith with 36 points but having 17 on the back nine while in second was the ever-present Glyn Davies, also with 36 but having 18 on the inward half. Filling top spot was Glen Elsworth with a fine 37 points. There were five 2s, coming from Emmett White, Glyn Davies, Bill Marsden and Karen Craigie got a double.
Khao Kheow TBA
Khao Kheow
Bangpakong
Bangpra
Silky Oak Treasure Hill
Burapha
Phoenix
Green Valley
TBA
TBA
Khao Kheow
Eastern Star
Pattana
Treasure Hill
Pattana
Greenwood
Pattavia
Khao Kheow
TBA
TBA
Burapha TBA
TBA
Lewinski’s The Links I Rovers Retox Game On Siam Country Sugar Shack
Plutaluang Crystal Bay
TBA
TBA
TBA
Pattavia TBA
TBA
Harry’s Golf The Golf Club The Players Lounge
TBA
TBA
TBA
Green Valley
Tropical Golf
The Emerald
Valley View Hackers
Green Valley
King Naga Green Valley
Khao Kheow Green Valley
Green Valley
The Bunker Boys meet at Woody’s Bar on Soi Skaw Beach for golf outings every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (www.bunkersociety.com) or call 094368 3580, 081 788 2338 or 087 693 7803. Transportation leaves from Cafe Kronborg on Soi Diana Inn at 8:15 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, (contact Dave on tel. 038 602 2117). Colin’s Bar plays golf Sun/ Mon/Wed & Fri (www.colinsbar.com). The Growling Swan plays golf on Monday & Thursday (www.thegrowlingswan.com). Lewinski’s in Soi Pattayaland 1 (Soi 13/3), play Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Transport is available, call Marcus on 089 503 9179 for further information and booking. 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. Retox Golf – Tel. (Paul) 0923744276, Email retoxgolf@gmail.com
26 FRIDAY MAY 3, 2019
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VOL. XXVII No. 18
Kipchoge wins London Marathon for record 4th time London (AP) — Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya ran the second-fastest time ever to win the London Marathon for a record fourth time last Sunday, and compatriot Brigid Kosgei swept to victory by almost two minutes in the women’s race. The 34-year-old Kipchoge pulled clear of Ethiopian runners Mosinet Geremew and Mule Wasihun in the final 10 minutes to complete the 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) course in 2 hours, 2 minutes, 37 seconds on a blustery day in the British capital. Only Kipchoge has run a marathon quicker than that, when breaking the world
record in Berlin in September in a time of 2:01:39. With more twists and turns, London is typically a slower course than Berlin — making Kipchoge’s display even more exceptional. “I’m happy to win on the streets of London for the fourth time and to make history on a day that the event has raised 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion),” said Kipchoge, who won in London in 2015, ’16 and ’18. Geremew finished 18 seconds behind, and Wasihun a further 21 seconds back. Nobody has run quicker to finish a marathon in second or third place. Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge wins the first place in the men’s race at the 39th London Marathon in London, Sunday, April 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Lukas Bates wearing a costume of the tower of Big Ben is helped by an official as he attempts to get past the finishing line, during the 39th London Marathon in London, Sunday, April 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Home favorite Mo Farah — a four-time Olympic champion on the track — could not live with the pace, dropping away at the 14-mile mark and finishing a distant fifth at the end of a week when he was involved in an extraordinary public feud with retired distance-running great Haile Gebrselassie. Kosgei bettered her second-place finish in last year’s race by winning in
2:18:20 for her second victory in the World Marathon Majors, after Chicago last year. She ran the quickestever second half of a women’s marathon. Compatriot and defending champion Vivian Cheruiyot finished in a time of 2:20:14 and Roza Dereje of Ethiopia was third, 37 seconds further back. Dan Romanchuk, a 20year-old American, won the
men’s wheelchair race ahead of Switzerland’s Marcel Hug. The women’s wheelchair race was won comfortably by Switzerland’s Manuela
Schar, the 2017 champion. One runner in the 39th London Marathon had a bad time at the end. Lukas Bates, 30, of the Paddock Wood Athletic Club in Kent, was attempting to break the world record for a runner dressed as a landmark building — in this case the tower that houses Big Ben. But as he finished, his costume’s peaked roof, which stretched 1.5 meters (nearly five feet) above his head, ran into the overhead scoreboard. After several failed attempts to get under the barrier, a race steward helped him to cross the line Sunday. Bates’ quest for the record was also stymied. He finished in 3 hours, 54 minutes, 21 seconds, almost 20 minutes slower than the record set by Richard Mietz, who ran the 2018 Berlin Marathon dressed as the Holstentor.
Thai playmaker Chanathip Songkrasin raises profile in Japan Jim Armstrong Tokyo (AP) — With soccer booming in Southeast Asia, Chanathip Songkrasin’s move to Japan has been a win-win situation for both the Thai playmaker and the J-League. The 25-year-old Chanathip signed with first-division club Consadole Sapporo in 2017 and has been a hit both
on and off the field. In his second season in Japan, the 5-foot-2 (1.58meter) attacking midfielder scored eight goals, helping Consadole to a fourth-place finish in the top flight — a record high for the club. He was selected to the JLeague XI, becoming the first Southeast Asian player to earn the honor.
“Japanese football is very fast and physical,” Chanathip said in a recent interview. “Players here are very disciplined, so if more Thai players come to Japan, they will be able to learn a lot and become better football players.” While playing in a more competitive league has helped Chanathip raise the level of his game, it has also helped promote the JLeague overseas. Nearly 1.5 million people attend soccer matches every year in Thailand and Japanese soccer officials are eager to gain a foothold here. With the recent signings of players such as Andres Iniesta, David Villa and Fernando Torres, the JLeague is bidding to raise its international profile in the region after a period when the Chinese Super League grabbed most of the headlines for its record-breaking signings and transfer deals. During the 2017 season, the Chinese authorities introduced a 100 percent tax on the signing of foreign players for a fee of more than $7 million in a move to increase opportunities for young local players. At the same time, the limit on the number of foreign players that could be selected for a game was reduced from four to three for each team.
In this Jan. 20, 2019, file photo, Thailand’s midfielder Chanathip Songkrasin controls the ball during the AFC Asian Cup round of 16 soccer match between Thailand and China in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
While Chinese soccer appears to be inching back from a foreign influx, the JLeague, long considered the most professional competition in the region, is stepping forward. “We want to create interest in our league not only in Japan but in Asia and around the world,” J-League chairman Mitsuru Murai said. “With players like Chanathip we feel we are well on the way to achieving those goals.” Since 2017, the J-League has permitted each team to sign one player from an Asian Football Confederation nation outside of the existing foreign player quota.
Last year, Chanathip’s Thailand teammates Teerasil Dangda and Theerathon Bunmathan played in the JLeague with Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Vissel Kobe. Thailand captain Teerasil returned to Muangthong following the completion of his loan deal, but Theerathon is continuing to play in the JLeague with Yokohama F Marinos. Newly promoted Oita Trinita, meanwhile, has acquired Thai midfielder Thitipan Puangchan on loan. Chanathip has given the profile of the Japanese league a huge boost in his homeland, where he was a
star at Thai powerhouse Muangthong United. Thai TV viewership of JLeague broadcasts hit an all-time high in 2017 when a match between Consadole and the J-League’s Kawasaki Frontale drew an estimated 400,000 Thai TV viewers, outperforming a broadcast of popular domestic side Buriram United. The J-League hopes its success in Thailand can be duplicated in other Southeast Asian countries, where broadcasts of the top European leagues dominate ratings. Murai has praised Chanathip for his success with Sapporo and promotion of the league in Thailand. “I was surprised when a video of Chanathip’s first practice in Sapporo attracted 3 million viewers, more than the entire population of Sapporo,” Murai told local media. “He has made a huge impact on the J-League.” While he’s completely focused on helping Sapporo achieve its goals, Chanathip said he’s keeping an open mind about his future prospects, including the possibility of one day playing on soccer’s biggest stage. “If I get a chance to play in Europe, I’d be happy to take on a new challenge,” Chanathip said.
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Thiem beats Medvedev in straight NFL draft draws record numbers sets to win Barcelona Open in Nashville and on TV Barcelona, Spain (AP) — Dominic Thiem capped an impressive week to win the Barcelona Open last Sunday, securing his second title of the year. The fifth-rankedAustrian beat Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-0 Sunday, a day after he was dominant against Rafael Nadal in the semifinals to become the first player other than Novak Djokovic to defeat the Spaniard on clay four times. Thiem, who didn’t lose a set all week in Barcelona, had beaten Roger Federer in the Indian Wells final last month. Thiem is the first Austrian winner in Barcelona since Thomas Muster, who won in 1995 and 1996. “Winning this means a lot to me because it’s such a traditional and special tournament,” Thiem said. “Only great players have won here. Rafa has won it 11 times and it means a lot that Muster won it twice. It’s a big moment for me.” Thiem had lost to Nadal in the Barcelona final two years ago. It was his first final on clay since last year’s French Open, when he also lost to the Spaniard. The 14th-ranked Medvedev, coming off a semifinal appearance in Monte Carlo, was playing in his first clay court final. He has reached at least the semifinals in five of his nine tournaments this season and has a tourbest 25 wins in 2019. The 23-year-old Russian started well by taking a 3-0 lead with an early break in the first set, but he was never in contention again after Thiem took control of a match that lasted just more than an hour.
Dominic Thiem of Austria holds the trophy after winning the final of the Barcelona Open Tennis Tournament against Daniil Medvedev of Russia in two sets 6-4, 6-0, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, April 28, 2019. (AP Photo/ Felipe Dana)
Thiem dropped only five points in the second set, winning 14 in a row at one stage. He won 12 of the last 13 games. “I tried my best, but Dominic was too good today,” Medvedev said. “At one point, even just getting a point off him was a great achievement.” It was the 13th career singles title for the 25-year-old Thiem, the ninth on clay. He next plays in Madrid, where he has been runnerup the last two seasons. “A title like this always gives you a lot of confidence, so I’ll be in a good mood going into Madrid,” Thiem said. “But the special thing about tennis is that I’ll start from zero in Madrid. All the guys there are really strong, so I’ll need to be ready from the first point.”
Fans sit close to the main stage during the second round of the NFL football draft, Friday, April 26, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Nashville, Tenn. (AP) The NFL draft drew record numbers both on site and on television. The league said that more than 600,000 attended over the three days in Nashville, easily eclipsing the 250,000 that came to watch two years ago in Philadelphia. Nielsen reports that the draft on ESPN, ABC and NFL Network averaged 6.1 million
viewers at any given time over the three days. The draft averaged 5.5 million viewers last year, which was the first time all seven rounds were on broadcast television. “By every metric — from the hundreds of thousands of fans who filled the streets of Nashville to the record-breaking ratings and viewership — this event was an unqualified success,”
Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president for club business and league events, said in an email. Next year’s draft is slated to take place in Las Vegas and will be the first significant event hosted by the Raiders in their new home city. The Raiders will play their final season in Oakland this year before moving to Nevada.
Fuglsang of Denmark wins All Blacks injury “crisis” eases Liege-Bastogne-Liege classic as Barrett, Reece show form
Steve McMorran Wellington, New Zealand (AP) — Only two weeks ago a season-ending injury to utility back Damian McKenzie had headlines proclaiming an “injury crisis” for the All Blacks ahead of the Rugby World Cup. McKenzie’s ability to cover flyhalf and fullback has made him integral in the last two seasons to an All Blacks game plan which requires two playmakers on the field at all times. The loss of McKenzie to a serious knee injury seemed likely to hit the All Blacks hard as he provides better coverage than other candidates as backup for flyhalf specialists Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo’unga. It seems likely New Zealand will include three flyhalves in its World Cup squad. Pundits surveyed the field of flyhalf candidates outside the current squad and lighted on Blues pivot Otere Black as the next-best option. Some commentators suggested relaxing New Zealand’s residency regulations to allow the selection of current Sunwolves and former Highlanders flyhalf Hayden Parker. Head coach Steve Hansen shrugged off any suggestion of a crisis and suggested he and his fellow
Jordie Barrett. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
selectors have several players in mind to cover No. 10 in McKenzie’s absence. Last weekend’s 11th round of Super Rugby appeared to prove Hansen’s suggestion that the field of candidates for all backline positions is crowded. Hurricanes utility Jordie Barrett moved back to fullback for Saturday’s match against the Chiefs and provided the selectors with a timely reminder of his ability, scoring two tries in the first six minutes and providing assists in others. The Crusaders alone have such an abundance of backline talent, they were forced to omit the season’s leading tryscorer, fullback Will Jordan, from their lineup for Friday’s match against the Lions. One-test winger George
Bridge returned from a knee injury to score two tries in two minutes in the second half and to remind the selectors that he remains a potent attacking force. And winger Sevu Reece kept up his outstanding form to push his long-odds claim to World Cup selection. Reece was let go by the Chiefs after facing domestic violence charges but was thrown a career lifeline by the Crusaders which he has grasped with both hands. Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has moved to shield Reece from distracting speculation about his All Blacks chances. “Look, it’s pretty special form,” Robertson said. “I could chuck in that speculation myself but it’s not for me to do that. He just needs to keep playing well. “He’s little but powerful and explosive and creates a lot. It’s a really good get for us. I’m just really proud of him, what he’s achieved on and off the field.” In light of those performances any serious injury crisis seems to have been averted. Hansen is more likely to be concerned by the long-term absences through injury of lock Brodie Retallick and center Sonny Bill Williams who are likely to return in the concluding weeks of the regular season.
Liege, Belgium (AP) — Jakob Fuglsang of Denmark won the Liege-BastogneLiege, cycling’s oldest classic in the books, after a solo breakaway in the closing part of the race last Sunday. Fuglsang shook off the last challengers on the final climb of the race, 15 kilometers from the finish, and easily held on to win by 27 seconds over Italian Davide Formolo. Maximilian Schachmann of Germany was third. Along with the Tour of Flanders, Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix and the Giro di Lombardia, LiegeBastogne-Liege is part of the five so-called Monuments, the greatest one-day
Denmark’s Jakob Fuglsang from the Astana Pro team crosses the finish line to take first place in the Liege Bastogne Liege cycling race in Ans, Belgium on Sunday, April 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)
classics on the calendar. The classic was raced in cold, windy and wet conditions, making the arduous 256-kilometer trek across the
wooded hills of the Ardennes in southern Belgium even tougher. At 34, it was the first major victory for Fuglsang.
Panthers aim for glory at Pattaya rugby festival From page 32 The Pattaya Panthers would like to thank all of the tournament sponsors, who have made this event possible, particularly principal sponsors Regents International School, Societe Generale de Surveillance, WHA Hemaraj Land and Development Co., Ltd., Manpower Thailand, Phoenix Pacific Inc., MAS Ausgroup, Pandora Resort Koh Samet, Lucy Electric ( Thailand )
Ltd., Garden International School, The London Pie, K.K.P. International Travel Services, The Sportsman Group, Baron Edward Devereux and Legends Pool and Sports Bar. Players and friends will get together on Friday night, May 3 for a welcoming party and “training session” at Legends Pool and Sports Bar Pattaya Klang Soi 5. Over the weekend the action begins at 10:00 am on Saturday and concludes
around 5pm on Sunday in what should be a memorable weekend festival of rugby, there will be almost 24 hours of entertaining rugby action during the two days. Jim Howard, Chairman of the Pattaya Panthers commented: “The weather is forecast to be very hot and the players have been warned to stay well hydrated, so the beer will be served very cold. Everything is set so we have no doubt that this will be the best tournament yet.”
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Huracan with EVO
German police: Shiny gold Porsche a danger to other drivers Berlin (AP) — German authorities have ordered a blinged-out golden Porsche off the road for being too shiny. Hamburg’s Morgenpost reported that the 31year-old driver was stopped in the northern city last week and told his Porsche Panamera, sporting a reflective gold foil finish, might blind other drivers and was a danger. He was told to remove the foil and re-register the car, but police say he continued to drive it. The driver was stopped again the following week and police took his keys, papers and license plate, before the vehicle was towed to a garage. He was fined an unspecified amount and will have to remove the foil to make the car street legal again.
Henk and B-Quik conquer Malaysia
Your gold Porsche, Sir?
Morgenpost reports a Lamborghini owner nabbed at the same time with similar gold foil complied and removed it. However, Porsche themselves have marketed a gold Porsche 993 which was sold at auction for something around three million dollars.
Honda slows Accord, Civic production as buyers shift to SUVs Marysville, Ohio (AP) — Honda is slowing production of Accord and Civic cars as U.S. buyers continue to favor SUVs and trucks. The Japanese automaker said Thursday that it will temporarily idle a second-shift production line in August at its Marysville, Ohio, assembly plant, in part to prepare the factory to produce future electric vehicles. The shift is expected to resume production in several years. (Don’t hang about waiting!) The line being shut down produces about 55,000 vehicles a
year, most of which are Accord sedans, Honda said. In addition, some production of the CR-V small SUV in Marysville will go to a factory in Greensburg, Indiana, where production of the compact Civic will be reduced. While production is slowed in Marysville, Honda will update the plant’s manufacturing capability to prepare for new technology including electric vehicles, Honda said in a statement. There will be no layoffs, a company spokeswoman said, but Honda will offer
voluntary buyouts to some employees. Sales of the Accord this year are up 4.6 percent through March but fell nearly 10 percent last year. Civic sales are down nearly 5percent so far this year to 78,185, according to Autodata Corp. They fell almost 14percent last year. CR-V sales, however, are up 6.4 percent through March to 87,280. Trucks and SUVs have made up almost 70 percent of U.S. new vehicle sales this year. (Imagine the sales if Honda were to make a gold one?)
What did we learn from Azerbaijan? Well, we learned we will have to become familiar with new names in F1. Names like Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Alexander Albon (Toro Rosso), Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo), Lando Norris (McLaren), George Russell (Williams), and Pierre Gasly (Red Bull). These six youngsters have already upset the order at the top. And while I personally am representative of the “older driver” group, I do believe that the younger group should be developed further and as soon as they are ready to beat their elders, then it is time to pension off the seniors competing at that level. Azerbaijan will be remembered for its drain cover that destroyed the Williams of George Russell and which apparently was never tied down correctly in the first
Where is the limit? Lamborghini has released the Huracan EVO, a supercar with a top speed of 325 kph. A speed you may be able to do at the Monza circuit and not much anywhere else. This car has electronics that are unbelievable. Its Lamborghini Dinamica Veicolo Integrata is a CPU that monitors everything you and the car does. The EVO features 4 wheel torque vectoring and rear wheel steering. The engine is the 5.2 liter V10 delivering 640 BHP and 600 Nm torque maximized at The new Huracan EVO. 6,500 RPM. With a dry weight 1,422 kg and all the neddies, the factory claims a zero to The factory states that the EVO has multi100 kph sprint in 2.9 seconds and zero to 200 finger gesture control. (One for a central one finger salute, perhaps?) kph in nine seconds.
place. Azerbaijan will not be remembered for the Mercedes 1-2 as that is now so commonplace. What was notable was the aggression by Hamilton to his team mate Bottas on the first lap. Bottas repulsed Hamilton and drove away for an easy win, and now leads the championship (by a small margin). Ferrari should sack their strategist. What was the point of leaving Leclerc (their new wonder boy) out for lap after lap, so that the field caught him up as his tyres degraded? Apparently the Ferrari pit wall was hoping for a Safety car period, or perhaps Vettel is paying the strategic planner? And what was Ricciardo (Renno) doing with his parking by Braille into Kvyat (Toro Rosso)? Rear vision mirror not working? Brain
Autotrivia Quiz Last week I stated a diamond was used as a model derivative. I asked, what company made the car? It was RollsRoyce with the Cullinan. So to this week. What is this car? It was another example of engineers hoping six wheels would bring improved traction and handling on the track. The car was set to compete in the 12 hours of Sebring event in 1970, but it was stolen by some teenage hooligans before the race. For the Automania dehydrated beer this week (just add hops and water and store in a dark cupboard), be the first correct answer to email automania@pattayamail.com or viacars@gmail.com. Good luck!
temporarily turned off? Verstappen, the wonderkid at Red Bull, scored another fourth and even though he is quick, he was not in the hunt to catch Vettel (Ferrari) who was comfortably in third, knowing that Leclerc was being kept off the podium! Leclerc at least claimed the fastest lap right at the end, as well as the driver of the day. Frenchman Pierre Gasly had another ghastly weekend with his Red Bull having to retire on lap 40, with Grosjean, another Frenchman, retiring on the same lap. Sergio Perez was strong at Azerbaijan to claim What’s the Racing Point’s best finish of the year in sixth, while a the McLaren scored with Sainz finishing seventh and taking his first points of the year, with team mate Norris eighth. The European season will begin in Barcelona the next GP, on May 10-12.
An awesome weekend in the relentless heat of Malaysia’s Sepang Circuit for B-Quik Racing which finished with a double podium for our Audi entries in both the Super Car GT3 races and that was capped off with an inch perfect victory by Henk Kiks and Daniel Bilski in Race 2 in our brand new #26 Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo. We came into the opening round of Thailand Super Series (“TSS”) 2019 off the back of a stunning AM win here two weeks ago during our first participation in Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia; that victory also coming courtesy of Henk and Daniel in an event where we debuted our new ‘Evo’. Overall victory was just reward for everyone’s efforts and the two results put Henk and
Audi LMS GT3.
Daniel into the lead of the Drivers’ Championship with one round completed. Adding icing to the cake, they also claimed the GT3 AM Cup trophy in both races. B-Quik Racing is supported by B-Quik, Michelin, Mobil 1, Bendix, Yuasa, NGK, Liqui Moly, STI and WAC Car Detailing.
Toyota, SoftBank fund, Denso invest $1 billion in Uber Yuri Kageyama Tokyo (AP) — Japan’s top automaker Toyota, auto parts maker Denso and internet company SoftBank’s investment fund are investing $1 billion in car-sharing Uber’s technology unit. The Japanese companies said Friday that Toyota Motor Corp. and Denso Corp. will together invest $667 million and SoftBank Corp.’s Vision Fund will contribute $333 million in Uber Technologies Inc.’s new entity, Advanced Technologies Group, or Uber ATG, which will try to develop and commercialize automated ridesharing services. The move comes as Toyota steps up such efforts, including investing $500 million in Uber, based in San
Francisco, and setting up a $20 million joint venture with SoftBank to create mobility services, both announced last year. Toyota also promised to contribute up to $300 million more over the next three years for developing nextgeneration autonomous vehicles and services. Toyota Executive Vice President Shigeki Tomoyama said working together will help bring down costs and speed up development. Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi expressed hope that the deal, set to close by the third quarter, will help maintain Uber’s leading position in the technology. “The development of automated driving technology will transform transportation
The great bumper scam? An unfortunate reader published photos of his Nissan March on the net after another vehicle had rearended it. The damage was not too great, but the photo showed clearly how the bumper had sprung away from the body. Modern cars have a plastic bumper with clips holding the bumper in place.
These clips appear to be a single use item as you can’t just spring the bumper back into the bodywork. Look at the number of vehicles that now hold the bumper in place with external DIY overcenter clips. Try and buy and then fit the factory clips, for an essay on frustration. The great bumper scam?
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as we know it, making our streets safer and our cities more livable,” he said. SoftBank has invested in Didi and Grab, as well as Uber, and has acquired IoT leader Arm, while Toyota is developing autonomous vehicles in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Automakers around the world are forming tie-ups to develop next-generation transportation, and Google’s Waymo and U.S. electric-car maker Tesla are also big players in the effort. (If you are a driving enthusiast, lock your car away now, as the next step is to ban cars with drivers. To get over this problem, put a LIDAR bubble on the roof and tell the nice policeman that you are just a passenger in an autonomously driven car.)
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E-mail: comhaps@pattayamail.com
Events The next meeting of Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC) will be held on Sunday, May 5. The PCEC program varies, but usually involves a guest speaker on a topic of interest to Expats. The program starts at 10:30 am with a buffet breakfast available from 9:00 to 11:00 am 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 Mövenpick Siam Hotel Na Jomtien Pattaya on Friday, May 10 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 1,000 for non-members. Admission includes free-flow drinks and finger food. The 15th Top of the Gulf Regatta takes place from 30th April to 5th May in the waters off Ocean Marina Yacht Club in Pattaya. More than 700 competitors and 200 boats representing 30 countries are expected to compete in a variety of sailing classes. For more information visit website: www. topofthegulfregatta.com. This year’s annual Chris Kays Pattaya Rugby Festival will return to Horseshoe Point in East Pattaya and be held from May 4-5. Overseas teams will compete against the best that Thai amateur rugby has to offer at 10’s style rugby in a round-robin format. There will be lots of diversions to keep the little ones happy while the adults can enjoy some great rugby, good food and cold beer. The tournament kicks off at 10am on Saturday May 4. Spectators are welcome and admission is free of charge. For more information and directions to the venue, check website: www. pattayapanthers.com. The popular annual Pattaya International Firework Festival will be held along Beach Road, opposite Central Festival Pattaya Beach shopping mall on May 24-25. The event features parades, live music
concerts, traditional dance shows, food fair and more. The Pattaya Bikini Beach Race 2019 will take place on Saturday, June 8 at Central Festival Pattaya Beach. Race distances are 3km and 9km and admission fees are 700 & 800 baht for early bird sign-up. For more information and runner registration, go to Facebook page: www. facebook.com/events/ 47489329631043 or call 082563-1291 The Eastern Seaboard Businessmen’s Dinner is a monthly event taking place at the Mantra Restaurant at the Amari Pattaya Resort on the last Thursday of the month. It brings together business leaders from various backgrounds including Automotive, Aerospace, Real Estate, Architecture, FMCG, Electronics, White Goods, Logistics, Recruitment, Legal, Consulting, and others in a relaxed atmosphere. If you are interested in attending please contact Anuttra.Sukruen@tinfish.co.th. 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 May 11. 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 Oasis, the all-day dining restaurant in Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya, has a menu of ocean-fresh seafood every Sunday evening to Friday evening. The Oasis chefs present Thai, Japanese and Asian recipes, with the freshest sushi, sashimi, oysters, crab, mussels, lobster, and fish steamed, grilled, fried and barbecued available from the
Fax: 038-427596 food stalls and the buffet table. The price is only THB 999 per person, and half price for children under the age of 12 years. Buffet served from 18:00 to 22:30 hrs. For more information or reservations, contact 038 714 981. Hilton Pattaya offers a number of choices of dining venue with an array of tempting cuisine and to complement the spectacular Pattaya international firework shows on Friday, May 24 and Saturday, May 25, 2019. Edge Restaurant brings you closer to the dazzling display while enjoying a sumptuous international dinner buffet priced at THB 2,400 per person for indoor seats and THB 2,800 per person for outdoor seats. Available from 6pm to 11pm. Drift Lobby Lounge & Bar on level 16 offers two exclusive island packages; THB 15,000 for small island for 4 people and THB 20,000 for large island for 6 people. Full beverage package and a sharing tower of Fine de Claire oyster together with an array of appetizers and desserts are included. Wine and dine at Horizon restaurant & bar on level 34. A wide selection of premium international buffet is provided with an unparalleled view of fireworks over Pattaya bay, priced at THB 3,500 net per person and available from 6pm – 11pm. Beverage package is also available at THB 2,550 net per person. For more information or reservation, call 038 253 000 or email bkkhp_pattaya_festive@hilton.com Saturday Night Buffet is back at AVANI Pattaya Resort & Spa. Experience regional favourites galore, street dishes and artisan desserts, as you relax with classical Thai dance and live music. Every Saturday night at Sala Rim Nam Restaurant from 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm. Priced at THB 599++ per person. Kids under 5 eat free. You can also savour an elegant environmental dining experience under the stars with Mother Nature every Monday from 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm at Sala Rim Nam with all diners receiving ecofriendly flashlight. For more
information and reservations, call 038 412 120 Persimmon restaurant at Pattana Golf Club & Resort offers 3 weekly theme nights for customers to enjoy exciting dining concepts. Pizza/ Pasta Night, 299 Baht net per person, every Tuesday invites you to personalize your favorite Italian dishes. Wednesday is Seafood Night, 399 Baht net per person, with unlimited amounts of the freshest seafood from the local market. On Fridays, enjoy a variety of barbecued meats during the Carnivore Night at 499 Baht net per person. Book your seat prior and enjoy your dinner at Tel. 038 318 999 ext. 11230 or email to: restaurant@ pattana.co.th. L’Olivier Restaurant invites you to enjoy a daily cold buffet and 4-course menu comprising soup, salad bar, main course and dessert for only 395 baht. The buffet menu is changed every two days. The restaurant specializes in French Provencal cuisine, traditional Thai food and rare Vietnamese dishes. Dine in air conditioned comfort or on the terrace. Located on Jomtien Walking Street between View Talay 2 and Jomtien Complex on the main taxi thoroughfare. For reservations, call Ms. Wan on Tel. 061 854 4848 (French, English & Thai spoken). 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 6117 ext. 2149 0r 2150 for more information and reservations. Big Fish restaurant at Siam@Siam Design Hotel Pattaya enhances its seafood buffet with more premium catches and live music entertainment. The restaurant offers a nightly Seafood BBQ Buffet at only THB 777 net or THB 1,099 net with free-flow wine. Enjoy highquality, premium seafood cuisine as you listen to acoustic guitar and piano music from prominent local artists. Seafood BBQ Buffet at Big Fish is available every night from 6:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. For reservations call 038 930 600 or email fbsec @siamatpattaya.com. After 14 years as the Landlord of an Irish Pub, the name Kim Fletcher has not disappeared. Kim may have gone from Jamesons, but his wife Goy has ensured that the name Fletcher has not died by opening Fletchers’ Folly, a boutique pub on the Dark Side. Kim is trying to get used to being retired, but the new ‘pensioner’ loves regaling the drinkers with stories from his lifetime in pubs, punctuated with his characteristic laugh. Fletchers’ Folly is on Siam Country Club Road, opposite Maxxis tyres and 300 meters before the “Chicken Crossroads”. Food and drinks at very reasonable prices. Pizza and Pasta All You Can Eat at Mövenpick Siam Hotel Na Jomtien: Twist Restaurant features Italian classics like creamy Carbonara or
meaty Bolognese with a choice of pasta, or the delicious Prosciutto Pizza with your choice of regular or whole wheat dough. The menu also includes original Thai-fusion pizzas and pasta such as the Tom Yam pizza with chili paste, prawn, squid and Thai herbs or the tasty Green Curry Pasta. Available all day from Sunday – Thursday at only THB 500 per person, with a glass of soft drink. For more information or reservation, call 033 078 888. 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 – Duck buffet; Thursday – German buffet with roasted pig; Friday – Asian Delights buffet; Saturday – international buffet; Sunday – Steak & Skewers buffet. The buffet starts from 6 p.m., runs until 9 p.m. All this for just 499 baht net per adult or 299 baht per child under 12 (kids under 4-years old eat free). 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 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 Fines De Claires Oysters arriving fresh ‘Par Avion’ from Normandy in Continued on page 31
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Diana Garden Resort in the right direction and you are quickly led into a large air-conditioned sala, complete with wood paneling and views out to the lush gardens and swimming pool. Noi has a long history with Chiang Mai and you are reminded of this by the crossed ornamental kalae dotted around the gardens. Again, being a resort, Diana Garden has a shuttle bus
are a little light on, but Mont Clair at B. 800 a bottle represents a cheap tipple. The rest of the menu is split between European food and Thai items and what I would call some “cross-over” cuisine. These are very different, such as the “burger” made from noodles. As it is a resort, Asian and American breakfasts (B. 130160) begin at 6 a.m. After
The making of an Irish coffee.
An amazing crispy sunflower
When the Dining Out team received an invitation from Sopin (Noi) Thappajug to come and sample the fare at her Diana Garden Resort, we remembered the days gone by when Noi’s resort and Green Bottle Pub were on Second Road. What would the Diana Resort be like now, so many years later? To find out, we immediately said yes.
The resort is on a back street, roughly parallel to North Pattaya Road. Easiest way to find it is to turn off Sukhumvit Road heading towards Naklua and then left into soi 32, cross one street and the resort is 50 meters on the left with plenty of parking in the grounds. Once you are in the resort the staff will soon point you
Panang curry.
service to the central Pattaya every two hours between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. We were looked after by Nualchan Phuphaisit, the act. GM, who never stops smiling. We perused the menu, which is photographic. Well done Diana Gardens for remembering that not all guests speak English. The opening page is one of special prices on beers, so we took them up on their offer. Wine choices
Fish and chips - the British standard.
breakfasts, appetizers are B. 95-150 with a shrimp cake at the top end. Soups are next B. 95-120 leading on to light meals B. 120-150 leading through to mains at B. 295 including Beef Stroganoff and fish and chips. There is also European food teamed with noodles. Thai dishes (B. 95-150) includes the Thai burger which looks like a burger, but is actually Pad Thai. The vegetables all come from
Noi’s nursery and are organically grown. We began with a plate of salad rolls, which is very similar to a Vietnamese salad roll, with garden fresh sliced vegetables wrapped in rice paper. Crispy sunflower and sprouts was another amazing dish, crunchy and appetizing. The next dish was fillet of sole with tartar sauce. Another very good item, with
no bones at all. A simple fish and chips as well, was excellent and the chips were cooked correctly. We finished with an Irish coffee, made at the table with the attendant drama, always fun. Diana Garden Resort is offering its guests some very different items, and we became very enthusiastic over the cuisine as the evening continued. Restaurant food can become very boring and Diana Garden Resort food is definitely not boring. Some of the dishes I had never experienced before, and we can very strongly suggest you try something different, which will pep up your taste buds, as well as being healthy alternatives. An example of this is the crispy sunflower and sprouts. A crunchy delight. Try something new. 209/112 Moo 6, N Pattaya Rd (Soi 32 off Sukhumvit), open 7 days, hours 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., secure parking in the grounds, phone: 038 415 212 - 19.
The photographic menu.
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E-mail: comhaps@pattayamail.com From page 29 France. Served on ice with lemon and on request a spicy Thai sauce for dipping. An amazing experience. Only 595 baht per six oysters. Yupin’s fantastic French onion soup is now available again! For more information or reservations, call 038 250394 or visit website: www.yupins.com. 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 airconditioned comfort, there are comfortable chairs and decent sized tables, with white starched napery. Linda’s Restaurant is located on Thappraya Road opposite the Jomtien Complex. Open seven days a week from 7.30 a.m. until late. For reservations, Tel: 038 252 726, visit www.lindasrestaurant.com, or Email linda@ lindasrestaurant.com. Yamato Restaurant located on Soi Yamato has been around for more than 39 years and the soi was named after its oldest tenant. 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.
Fax: 038-427596
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 on-street parking in the soi. Hours 11 a.m. until 11 p.m., seven days.
Entertainment Hard Rock Pattaya’s 6th annual Guitar Battle will see 20 finalists perform live in front of fans and judges at the Hard Rock Cafe Pattaya on Saturday, May 11, from 5:00pm until 9:30pm. Entrance is free for spectators. For more information, call 038 428 755 or 038 426 635. Despacito Fridays at Siam@Siam Design Hotel Pattaya –Start off the weekend with a sensual step Latin night at the Roof Sky Bar, every Friday from 4pm – 10pm with DJ Ro-Bi-El Gordo and DJ Rocky, plus zumba classes. Free admission, ladies enjoy a free drink until 5pm. For more information, call 038 930 600. Enjoy great music from Thomas Reimer, one of the
Left-over Omelette An omelette (also spelled ‘omelet’) is a very easy and quick dish and extremely versatile. Clever cooks will find all sorts of interesting ingredients to throw into an omelette. The following recipe can be adapted to what you have left over in your fridge, but if you are new to cooking eggs in this way, just be guided by this good old standard.
Ingredients Large eggs Butter Large onion (chopped fine) Bell peppers (red and green) Garlic (chopped) Ham (sliced and chopped) Cheese (grated) Salt to taste Freshly ground black pepper Cold water
Serves 4 4 60g 1 2 chopped 1 clove 50 gm 15 gm 1 tbspn
Cooking Method Break the eggs into a bowl. Add water, salt and pepper, and mix well. Leave to stand for 10 minutes. In a non-stick frying pan put in the butter and melt over medium heat and swirl around to cover bottom of pan. Stir the eggs, add everything you have prepared and pour into pan, swirling to evenly spread the mixture. Reduce the heat to low, gently lifting up edges of omelette with a spatula as it sets. Add some extra butter if needed to avoid sticking. When the omelette is almost set, fold into two, sprinkle the cheese on top with some more ground black pepper. Cook for one more minute and serve immediately.
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 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. Englishspeaking staff, trained in crisis intervention will provide active, non-judgmental 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.
Groups & Associations Rotary Club of JomtienPattaya (English) meets
every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at Royal Cliff Grand Hotel, Pattaya City. Fellowship begins at 18.30 hrs and Dinner meeting at 19.00 hrs. President Vutikorn Kamolchote Email: <vutikornk@hotmail.com> Rotary Club Eastern Seaboard (English) meets at the Siam Bayshore Hotel, 17.30 hrs for 18.00 hrs on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month, followed by dinner (Fellowship) President Brian Songhurst Email: <bjs2904 @yahoo.com> Rotary Club Phönix Pattaya (German) meets every Tuesday at the Holiday Inn Pattaya at 19.00 hrs. President Peter Schlegel Email: info@rotaryphoenix-pattaya.org. Le Rotary Pattaya Marina, seul Rotary Francophone d’Asie, vous accueille les premier et troisième vendredis de chaque mois, début des réunions 19h, à l’hôtel Pullman G Pattaya Wongamat 445/3 Moo 5 – Soi 16 – Pattaya Naklua Road. Venez agir avec le Rotary pour changer des vies. Pierre Yves Eraud Président 2018-2019 Email: <info@rotarypattayamarina.org. Rotary Club of Pattaya (Thai-English) meets at the First Pacific Hotel, Central
Road on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month. Meetings begin at 19.00 hrs. President Stephen Devereux Email: < stevecarlow@gmail.com> 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 at Sinthavee Park Condo, 2/ 1 Moo 5, in Ban Chang. If you are interested, please contact Membership Chairman Dan Morgan at <ban changvfw12146membership@ gmail.com> or visit website: www.banchangvfwpost12146.org. The Royal British Legion Thailand meets on the last weekend of every month at various locations around the city. Please join and like the Face Book page and you will see the all the social events listed. You do not have 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 an email to - chon buri. secretary@rbl.community.
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Panthers aim for glory at Pattaya rugby festival There are rumours that Panthers have been spotted prowling the streets of Pattaya on the lookout for the opponents they will face in the Chris Kays Memorial Rugby Tournament this weekend. Yes, it’s that time of the year again and the quiet seaside air will be shattered with the screams of the crowds expected to flock to the grounds of the Horseshoe Point Resort to watch this festival of rugby, to be played over Saturday and Sunday, May 4-5. All are welcome to attend and entrance to the ground is free. The catering staff of Horseshoe Point and The Sportsman Group will be providing great food and ice cold beer and cider. They will be ably backed by the ‘Pie Man’ Steve Mines who will be baking on site. What better way to spend a sweltering weekend than watching large fit hunks battering one another whilst you sit in the
The Banglamung Brumbies will be making their debut appearance at this year’s Pattaya rugby festival.
shade with a bite to eat and a cold drink? Our local idols the Pattaya Panthers will be masquerading as either the pink or brown variety and will be easily identified by the colour of their uniforms. Among the opponents they are stalking are the Komodo Dragons, who are a strange species found only in Indonesia and the elusive Malaysian Blues
from Kuala Lumpur (we have been assured they are not butterflies!) There is also a rare species from Thailand, the Banglamung Brumbies, making their first appearance in Pattaya having been modified from Rugby League players. We will also have some Gallic flair from the French Asian Barbarians (and some good cheese and wine,
hopefully). There will also be many other teams from the kingdom taking part, including the Bangkok Bangers, Bangkok Japanese, Sam Yan Rangers and the reigning champions Southerners Black with their sister team Southerners Gold, and to round off the participants the Royal The Pattaya Panthers will be hunting for more silverware Thai Army Tigers. Continued on page 27
at the Chris Kays Memorial Rugby Tournament this weekend.
Mercedes harmony as Bottas, Hamilton finish 1-2 in Baku James Ellingworth Baku, Azerbaijan (AP) — It’s beginning to look a lot like 2016 in Formula One. Just much friendlier. When Valtteri Bottas beat Lewis Hamilton to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last Sunday, it was the fourth Mercedes one-two in as many races, the best start to a season by a two-car team in Formula One history. Ferrari can barely keep up. It’s been three years since the title was last decided between Mercedes teammates. Back then, Nico Rosberg bested Hamilton in a titanic on-track clash which became a bitter personal feud. This time round, Hamilton and Bottas are full of praise — so far — for each other’s driving. “Today he was very fair in giving me space and after
that he was faultless, so he truly deserved the win,” Hamilton said of the man who leads him in the standings by one point. “It’s going to take some really great performances from both of us to outperform each other and that’s how it should be.” When they qualified on the front row, Hamilton said he and Bottas talked over “like gentlemen” how best to fight for the lead without risking a collision or handing Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel an overtaking opportunity. If anything, Hamilton added, he was “too friendly” to Bottas at turn one — a far cry from the collisions and recriminations of 2016. Bottas is in the form of his life, with two of his five career wins coming this season. “It obviously means a lot. It’s incredible as a team the kind of level we are performing
Football: Thai playmaker Chanathip Songkrasin raises profile in Japan Turn to page 26
Tennis: Thiem beats Medvedev in straight sets to win Barcelona Open Turn to page 27
Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas of Finland steers his car during the Formula One Grand Prix at the Baku Formula One city circuit in Baku, Azerbaijan, Sunday, April 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
at now,” Bottas said. “It’s only my fifth win so of course it feels great.” It came a year after the Finn was agonizingly close to victory in Azerbaijan before a puncture forced him to retire from the lead and handed the win to Hamilton. Vettel, second to Hamilton in the championship in 2017 and 2018, was third as Ferrari failed to challenge Mercedes on a track that had been widely considered to favor the Italian team. “It was never really working. I was uncomfortable, inconsistent, I couldn’t get
a feel for the car,” Vettel said of his early stint on soft tires. He added that later in the race, “we had some pace to at least go with them, sometimes put a bit of pressure on,” but Bottas and Hamilton already had a comfortable lead. Max Verstappen was fourth for Red Bull, while Charles Leclerc took fifth for Ferrari after a crash in qualifying left him starting eighth before he fought through the field. Leclerc also claimed the bonus point for fastest lap. The Monaco driver took advantage of a big gap behind
him to take an essentially free pit-stop for fresh tires and go on a qualifyingstyle final run to set the fastest time. Sergio Perez was sixth for Racing Point, while Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris were seventh and eighth in McLaren’s best two-car finish in more than a year. Racing Point’s Lance Stroll was ninth, and Kimi Raikkonen claimed 10th for Alfa Romeo after starting from the pit line when he was disqualified from Saturday qualifying. Baku hosted unpredictable and crash-strewn races in 2017 and 2018, and a dramatic qualifying session on Saturday was decided by the finest of margins. Sunday’s race was nothing like that. A dry contest decided largely by pit strategy and car setups, there were few incidents of note after Bottas fended off Hamilton into the second corner. After a poor start, Leclerc swept past a string of slower cars before overtaking Max Verstappen, who complained of poor handling in his Red Bull. When Leclerc took the lead on old tires after other cars pitted, an unlikely podium briefly seemed possible
for the driver who dubbed himself “useless” after crashing in qualifying. Had the safety car come out, it could have saved Leclerc’s race, but his challenge faded with his tires. Bottas, Hamilton and Vettel reeled him in before all three passed him into turn one on successive laps. When there was a collision, it was more farce than Formula One. Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat fought for position and both ran off the road, before Ricciardo reversed into the Russian as he tried to rejoin. That earned the Australian a three-place grid penalty for the Spanish Grand Prix on May 12. “I’ll buy him a rear view mirror for the next race,” Kvyat said. Both cars limped to the pits to retire, meaning there was no impact on the leaders. The race was briefly neutralized under virtual safety car conditions on lap 40 when Pierre Gasly’s Red Bull broke down in sixth position with a driveshaft problem, giving Bottas more help to protect his lead. Note: For more on the Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix, turn to Automania on page 28.
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