Pattaya Mail - FRIDAY JANUARY 10 - JANUARY 23, 2020 (Vol. XXVIII No. 1)

Established in 1993

VOL.XXVIII No. 1

FRIDAY JANUARY 10 - JANUARY 23, 2020

30 BAHT

His Majesty the King wishes all a Happy New Year

His Majesty the King wished everyone happiness and good health, both physically and mentally in his New Year address. He urged them to have wisdom, faith and awareness while adhering to virtue, righteousness and appropriateness, and to be determined to contribute to national and public interest.

His Majesty the King said that mistakes and flaws were natural in any kind of work. They should serve as lessons to enhance experiences and wisdom to prevent recurrences and to create development. (NNT)

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VOL. XXVIII No. 1

Police patrol sweetens Pattaya tries again to make drivers stop for pedestrians Walking Street PCPR

Tourist Police officers handed out chocolates to tourists as they kept watch over Walking Street on Christmas night.

Boonlua Chatree Tourist Police officers handed out chocolates to tourists as they kept watch over Walking Street on Christmas night.

Pol. Maj. Gen. Worapong Thongpaiboon, the regional Tourist Police Division

commander, led 30 officers and volunteers on a high-profile patrol of the South Pattaya nightlife strip Dec. 25 to reassure tourists about security.

Business owners were asked to be good hosts to enhance Pattaya’s reputation. The officers did their part by

handing out 1,000 pieces of chocolate and some gifts.

Worapong said Pattaya is an important tourist destination that attracts millions of visitors annually. So police across all branches have to work together to keep them safe.

Naklua Road reopened, but cesspool remains

Pattaya City Hall once again is trying to get drivers to heed pedestrian crossing signals and walks.

In a Jan. 3 statement, city hall said accidents largely are the fault of careless drivers who just blow through the red lights at crossing signals and don’t yield to tourists used to western road regulations that give pedestrians the right of way.

“All drivers should respect traffic rules by stopping at traffic signals … or slowing down upon arriving in community zones,” the statement said. “Moreover, the drivers must observe warning signs and immediately slow down or stop the vehicle when seeing pedestrians crossing the street within 50-100 meters for safety.”

But city hall also warned pedestrians to do their part, only crossing when signals turn green and not to walk in the street, despite the sorry or nonexistent state of most Pattaya sidewalks.

It’s not the first time, of

Pattaya City Hall once again is trying to get drivers to heed pedestrian crossing signals and crosswalks, and to not blow through the red lights at crossing signals.

course, that authorities have tried to reign in reckless drivers, a campaign that began with the installation of 42 lights by former mayor Itthiphol Kunplome, brother of current mayor Sonthaya Kunplome.

Launched Nov. 1, 2010, Itthiphol’s pet project was immediately ridiculed and all but ignored by drivers who simply blew through red lights.

Among those ignoring the lights were Pattaya’s own police officers, who were even captured on video speeding through zebra crossing as pedestrians tried to cross.

The project officially was declared a failure in February 2011 when traffic police asked the city to turn off the lights on weekdays until a better system could be designed. It never was.

Before Southeast Asian military leaders arrived for the International Fleet Show in late 2017 city hall surveyed the lights and found nearly all were broken. So as to give the impression Pattaya adhered to world safety standards, city hall repaired signals on Beach and Second Roads, but not ones in Naklua or leading to Jomtien Beach.

Pattaya beaches packed for New Year’s

Jetsada Homklin Pattaya contractors reopened much of Naklua Road following the laying of new drainage pipes but left behind a cesspool of sewage, garbage and mosquitos.

Residents and business owners between the Naklua Old Market and the Amorn Nakorn Market said they were glad to have 80 percent of the roadway open again after months of roadwork, but complained bitterly about missing sewer grates and the smell of refuse and sewage floating in the new, wider drains.

The worst of the problems are located near the Pattaya sewage treatment plant, with the putrid water stinking up the air and also serving as a ripe breeding ground for dengue

Naklua residents are complaining that the garbage they are throwing into the new drains has turned the drains into cesspools of sewage, garbage and mosquitos.

The New Year holidays saw area beaches packed with tourists, bringing in much needed revenue for area businesses.

fever-carrying mosquitos.

Some sections of road near the Naklua New Market and Lan Po Market remain closed. Pattaya has posted detour signs for those

High season seems to get shorter every year in Pattaya, so New Year’s is the time to make hay while the sun shines for local businesses.

headed to the Naklua Eat & Walk on the weekends.

As for the missing sewer grates, locals are hoping they will be placed as the rest of the roadwork wraps.

Boonlua Chatree

A five-day weekend for many, the Dec. 28-Jan. 1 period saw area beaches packed with both foreign tourists and Thais, many of them from Bangkok and nearby provinces.

Foreigners frolicked in the waters of Pattaya, Jomtien and Wong Amat beaches

while Thais spread out on mats and ate their fill of barbecued seafood.

Beach chair vendor Kritsadakorn Eupongkarun said business in Jomtien Beach was up over last year, which he hopes will bode well for the rest of high season.

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PM Prayut extends New Year wishes Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha extended his New Year wishes to reporters at Government House, Bangkok. He asked the reporters to continue working attentively and fine-tune their communication skills.

He offered them moral support as they are working for the country. He asked them not to jump to conclusions without having all the facts.

“Today, what we want is peace and the stability of the government. If we raise issues and confront each other now, nothing will be solved.

I’d just had a meeting on the fiscal 2021 budget. It’s always important. I want everyone to understand it. If there are doubts, just ask and there will be answers.

Don’t just criticize or comment without having all the facts. I wish you all happiness. Travel safe and have your wishes fulfilled. Stay strong. If you don’t have a

Pattaya left hanging by plastic bag ban Jetsada Homklin

Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha extends his New Year wishes to reporters at Government House, Bangkok.

family yet, I hope you’ll have one soon. For those who are not ready, be a good person,” Gen Prayut said.

The Prime Minister also extended his New Year wishes to the many people returning home for the holiday season. He urged them to stay alert, take

precautions and refrain from driving under the influence of alcohol. He offered moral support to all officials working during the New Year celebrations. He said there are still many tasks that must be done next year, but things will gradually improve. (NNT)

New Year road accidents claim 373 lives

There were 3,421 traffic accidents which killed 373 people and injured 3,499 others during the seven days of New Year-related travel from Dec 27 to Jan 2.

Announcing the figures, Deputy Interior Minister Niphon Bunyamanee said the highest death toll of 15 happened in Bangkok and drunk driving was the most common cause, leading to 32.68% of the accidents. The second most common cause was speeding, resulting in 29% of all the accidents.

Motorcycles were involved in 79.97% of the accidents.

According to Niphon, the highest number of accidents, 116, and the biggest number of injured people, 121, occurred in Songkhla province.

No road fatalities were

FRIDAY JANUARY 10, 2020 3

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There were 3,421 traffic accidents which killed 373 people and injured 3,499 others during the seven days of New Year-related travel from Dec 27 to Jan 2.

reported in Trat, Phayao, Mae Hong Son, Yala, Lamphun and Satun provinces.

Niphon said road casualties dropped this year thanks to efforts from officials of all ministries and volunteers who took part in

road safety campaigns and strict law enforcement at an increasing number of checkpoints.

The road safety measures and their results would be applied during the Songkran festival, he said. (TNA)

7 hurt as public bus rear-ends freight truck in Huay Yai Boonlua Chatree

Seven people were hurt when their interprovincial bus rear-ended a 10-wheeled truck in Huay Yai.

Seven people were hurt when their interprovincial bus rear-ended a 10-wheeled truck in Huay Yai. Somchai Najathong, the 55-year-old driver of the Transport Co.-operated bus blamed the driver of the JRP Co. freight truck for the accident, not his tailgating.

Somchai said truck driver Jumnan Kaewkanha, 44, braked suddenly.

Seven passengers suffered minor injuries in the Dec. 23 wreck on Highway 39 and were treated at a nearby hospital.

Pattaya residents were still unprepared when major Thai retailers stopped offering single-use plastic bags Jan. 1 despite several earlier public-relations campaigns.

An informal survey by the Pattaya Mail found most people ignorant of the agreement announced Sept. 6 between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the country’s largest retail chains.

An employee at a Pattaya convenience store said Jan. 3 customers were pushing back against the bag ban, arguing they had nothing to carry their groceries in. But she said the store would continue to follow the agreement.

Of course, not everyone was left flat-footed, with social media flooded with humorous alternatives to plastic bags, including buckets and wheelbarrows.

Despite the pledge, some stores still continue to use plastic bags, although some are charging several baht for them now.

Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said in September that the ministry asked Thai retailers to give up single-use plastic Jan. 1.

Among those agreeing are

Despite several earlier public-relations campaigns leading up to Jan. 1, many Pattaya residents were still unprepared when major Thai retailers stopped offering single-use plastic bags.

the Central Group, The Mall Group, 7-Eleven operator CP All, Siam Makro, Robinsons, Bangchak Retail, Big C Supercenter, Index Living Mall and gas station operator PTT, as well as trade associations like the Plastic

Industry Club and Thai Retailers Association.

The government earlier said it would ban foam food packages plus other singleuse plastic items, including lightweight plastic bags, straws and cups, in 2022.

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British bike-racing engineer killed in freak Pattaya fireworks accident Boonlua Chatree A British motorcycle-racing engineer died after fireworks bought on a Pattaya street exploded in his face.

Gary McLaren, 50, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident outside the Miami Go-Go bar around midnight.

Witness Wassana Nguantai, 24, told police she saw McLaren twice try to light the 50centimeter tube of bottle rockets to no avail. The third time he tried, the entire tube exploded, causing massive injuries to his head.

McLaren of Corby, Northamptonshire worked on the tech staff of the International Road-Racing Teams Association in the United Kingdom having previously worked as a data acquisition engineer for Suzuki Motors Co.’s MotoGP team.

Both Suzuki and MotoGP

Police confiscate the defective 50-centimeter rocket as evidence.

put out statements offering condolences to the well-known racing paddock personality.

Illegal fireworks have been a chronic problem in Pattaya with police annually promi s i n g c r a c k d o wns and stricter enforcement, but vendors hawking untested explosives with unknown origins continue to flourish in the city.

Drunk falls off pier, drowns during Pattaya Countdown

The dead body of an unidentified man wearing a blue shirt and long pants was spotted floating near the Bali Hai pier.

Boonlua Chatree

British motorcycle-racing engineer Gary McLaren died after fireworks bought on a Pattaya street exploded in his face. (photo courtesy gpinside.com)

American busted for illegal HGH sales in Pattaya Boonlua Chatree An American expat was arrested for allegedly selling illegal steroids to fund his motorbike-rental business in Pattaya.

Jerry Robert Nielsen, 66, was caught in a sting operation allegedly selling 10 boxes of Ansomone humangrowth hormone for 75,000 baht to an undercover police informant at a bakery on Thappraya Road Dec. 26.

Police then searched Nielsen’s Cozy Beach Condo View apartment where they found no other drugs, but did seize bank books, financial transaction documents and titles to numerous motorcycles and cars.

Provincial narcotics investigators said Nielsen’s arrest stemmed from the February capture of Joshua Paul Pate in Chiang Mai, who was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for running a

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Attendees of the Pattaya Countdown music festival at Bali Hai Pier got more than they bargained for when a dead body was found floating under the jetty.

The unidentified man was

wearing a blue shirt and long pants when his remains were spotted under the Bali Hai pier about 10 p.m. Dec. 31 during the heart of the musical performances.

Pattaya City security guard Sucheep Lasakul, 31, said he’d seen the man stumbling

drunk through the area before and warned him to be careful.

Harbormaster Mongkol Noping, 34, spotted the corpse later and had it fished from the water and brought to shore behind the Countdown stage.

Sleepy driver slams into Sattahip tree Patcharapol Panrak A sleepy driver is lucky to be alive after dozing off behind the wheel and slamming into a tree in Najomtien.

Eakapoj Wiboonsatapornchia said he was driving from Sattahip to Bangkok when he fell asleep on Sukhumvit. His car veered off the road and collided with a Burmese padauk tree opposite Ban Hinwong School and burst into flames.

Two fire trucks extinguished the Eakapoj Wiboonsatapornchia is lucky to be alive fire and Eakapoj suffered only after dozing off behind the wheel and slamming minor injuries. into a tree in Najomtien.

Line fire knocks out power in Sattahip Patcharapol Panrak Jerry Robert Nielsen was arrested in a French restaurant for allegedly selling illegal steroids to an undercover police informant.

gang selling HGH and steroids across the country. His sentence was halved when he confessed and he is now working with police to identify others in the network.

Police alleged that Pate’s arrest dried up supplies of illegal HGH in Thailand, so Nielsen ordered more from

Hong Kong and falsified import documents to get them through customs.

Investigators alleged that Nielsen used the proceeds to buy bikes and cars that he’d rent to foreigners, a business that on its own already had turnover of a halfmillion baht.

An electrical-line fire knocked out power in a Sattahip neighborhood as flames spread along the wires.

The Dec. 26 blaze began on a utility pole outside the D Pharmacy at km 1 Sukhumvit Road and flames quickly traveled about 10 meters down the line, endangering a commercial building.

The Provincial Electricity Authority quickly shut down power to the area and

An electrical-line fire knocked out power in a Sattahip neighborhood as flames spread along the wires.

a fire truck extinguished the blaze. No one was injured.

PEA crews worked quickly to restore power.

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Administration, Advertising and Editorial Offices: Tel: 038 411 240-1, 038 413 240-1 • Fax: 038 411 833 E-mail: ptymail@pattayamail.com • Website: http://www.pattayamail.com Managing Director Pratheep S. Malhotra e-mail: pratheep@pattayamail.com Executive Editor Daniel M. Dorothy e-mail: dan@pattayamail.com Kamolthep Malhotra e-mail: prince@pattayamail.com Director Strategic MarCom Editor Nopniwat Krailerg e-mail: editor@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 (e-mail: newsdesk@pattayamail.com) © Copyright Pattaya Mail Publishing Co., Ltd.

VOL. XXVIII No. 1

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FRIDAY JANUARY 10, 2020 5

Pattaya observes King Taksin Day

Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome leads the Dec. 28 “buangsruang” ceremony at the King Taksin the Great Monument in front of Pattaya City Hall.

Pattaya officials, police and business leaders celebrate the 250th anniversary of the coronation of King Taksin the Great, who was adopted by the city as its honorary founding father.

PCPR Pattaya officials, police and business leaders marked the 250th anniversary of the coronation of King Taksin the Great, who was adopted by the city as its honorary founding father.

Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome led the Dec. 28 “buangsruang” ceremony at the King Taksin the Great Monument in front of Pattaya City Hall after joining with civil servants to give alms to monks.

The early morning event saw the lighting of candles and

incense to worship the Three Gems. Buddhist monks then performed a religious ceremony.

Somdet Phrachao Taksin Maharaj was bornApril 17, 1734 and became the only king of the Thonburi Kingdom, taking the throne Dec. 28, 1768 and reigning until his death – and

End of an Era Derek Franklin In the early 1990’s Pattaya was one of the main destinations for children and teenagers running away from their families, their home towns and villages. Mostly escaping poverty, there were also problems with drug and alcohol and many children were victims of abuse.

In the early 1990s Pattaya was also a very popular destination for men looking to have sex with children, boys and girls.

Because of this, Father Ray Brennan opened the Home for Street Kids in Pattaya Klang, giving these street kids a place of safety, a home, stability, and after a few years he moved the boys into a brand new building five kilometers away in what was then known as the ‘Dark Side’.

In 2002 a new home for girls was built, and at times there were more than two hundred children and teenagers living there. The children walked to school along a dirt track, and attended the small local temple, but as Pattaya has grown the roads

the start of the current Chakri Dynasty in 1782. He is greatly revered by Thais for leadership in liberating Siam from Burmese occupation after the second fall of capital Ayutthaya in 1767, and the subsequent unification of Siam after it fell under various warlords.

He established the city of Thonburi, across the Chao Phraya River from the current Bangkok, as the new

capital, as Ayutthaya has been almost completely destroyed by invaders.

Upon coronation at age 34, he assumed the official name of Boromraja IV, but is known in Thai history as King Taksin, a combination of his popular name, Phya Tak, and his first name, Sin, or the King of Thonburi.

Taksin’s ties to the Pattaya area stem from 1767, when

he battled his way out of a besieged Ayutthaya and fled to Chonburi and Rayong to raise an army of 500 to return to free the capital.

In 1981, the Cabinet passed a resolution to bestow on King Taksin the honorary title of “the Great”. The date of his coronation, Dec. 28, is the official day of homage to the king, although it is not designated as a public holiday.

91% approve of Pattaya tram project, city hall says PCPR

Father Ray with his former street kids.

have been paved, the local school has doubled in size and the small temple is now a very big temple.

The Home changed its name to the Father Ray Children’s Home and over the past three decades has welcomed more than seven hundred children through its doors.

On New Year’s Eve 2019 the gates of the Home closed for the very last time. The current one hundred residents packed their bags and made the three kilometer journey to the Father Ray Children’s Village, located near Lake Mabprachan.

New houses have been constructed using donations that were given specifically for the use of construction; the funds could not be used for anything else. The residents will now live in small houses, no longer sleeping in huge bedrooms, or eating in a dining room almost the same size as a basketball court.

The Father Ray Foundation has always tried to move with the times, changing the way it provides care and education as new research and practices on child care is released.

More information can be found at www.fr-ray.org or email info@fr-ray.org

Outside their brand new home.

More than 90 percent of people commenting at the first public hearing on the proposed Pattaya tram project support the 20-billion-baht transit plan, city hall said.

Of the 240 people who attended the Dec. 16 meeting at the Brighton Grand Pattaya Hotel, 133 completed questionnaires asking what they thought about the plan for two tram lines looping through Pattaya and in to Jomtien Beach and if they had any suggestions based on the draft feasibility and environmental studies released at the session.

Once the votes were tallied, 21 percent “approved” and 70 percent “strongly approved” of the idea, while only 1 disagreed and 5 percent had no opinion.

That’s not to say the public didn’t have quibbles with the project plan.

Respondents insisted that the railway pass by department stores, hospitals and Walking Street. People also want the city to build parking lots connected to rail stations with lots also placed outside the city at rail terminus points. All stations and trains should be handicapped accessible, the public comments added.

The public said it preferred a subway to an overhead train, although plans actually call for a street-level system.

Commenters also suggested stations should be at least 500 meters apart and be built as quickly as possible.

More than 90 percent of people commenting at the first public hearing on the proposed Pattaya tram project said they support the 20-billion-baht transit plan, city hall said.

However, before any tracks are laid, the public said, the city needs to once-and-forall organize and regulate existing transportation, in particular double-parking baht buses and tour coaches.

In addition, commenters said, existing surface transport should be used as shuttles between stations and major destinations.

There were few comments on the environmental impact of the project, with the main suggestion being that all utility lines be completely covered and that the project should not add to Pattaya’s air-pollution problem.

The information gathered in the public hearings will be used to modify the studies before their final versions.

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Police struggle to explain away dumping of ID cards, traffic tickets in Nong Plalai Boonlua Chatree Banglamung police sparked more questions than they answered while trying to explain how a cache of expired identification cards and old traffic tickets ended up in the woods in Nong Plalai.

Banglamung police chief Pol. Col. Pattanachai Pamornpiboon tried to explain away the dumping of the personal data and government documents as an accident. But why they were on that stretch of road in the first place remains a mystery.

Pattanachai said Royal Thai Police headquarters had ordered the Banglamung station to tidy up to provide more service areas for the public. So had deputy chief Pol. Lt. Col. Samai Somji clean out an unused hallway where boxes upon boxes of old paper documents were stored.

A cache of expired identification cards and old traffic tickets were found in a Nong Plalai jungle.

Government regulations require police to retain copies of old traffic tickets, expired ID cards and other government paperwork for 10 years. But, rather than find another storage facility, Samai decided to take expired documents from 2010 and 2011 home to his own house.

Along the way, Pattanachai

said they accidentally fell out of Samai’s vehicle, ending up in a wooded area of Nong Plalai.

Despite the potential for identity theft using the old ID cards, Pattanachai brushed off the seriousness of the dumping, saying the old cards couldn’t be used anymore, so it was not a problem.

Thai SEAL dies of blood infection a year after cave rescue

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Runaway horse killed by truck in Najomtien Patcharapol Panrak A runaway horse died after being hit by a pickup truck in Sattahip.

Ladinir, a filly about three years old, was lying dead on Sukhumvit Road in Najomtien’s Nong Jubtao Community in front of Upside Down House Pattaya when authorities arrived Dec. 24.

Nearby was a smashed Toyota Vigo driven by Bopit Bambatnorapai, 50.

The clothing vendor wasn’t charged, but is negotiating compensation with horse owner Mard Dechpanyanan, 51.

Runaway horse Ladinir, a filly about three years old, was killed when hit by this pickup in Sattahip.

Mard had 10 horses escape his property on Christmas

Eve with one running out onto the busy highway.

Dead dolphin found in Kratinglai Boonlua Chatree The carcass of a dead dolphin was found off Kratinglai Beach.

The mammal’s remains were spotted by fishermen about 300 meters off shore at Sukhumvit Soi 6/1 Dec. 23.

The animal was badly injured, missing fins and having suffered many wounds.

It was already decomposing, so likely had been dead several days.

Rescue workers pulled the carcass to shore and hauled it away.

Rescue workers pulled the carcass of a dolphin to shore and hauled it away.

British tourist arrives in Pattaya, goes on crime spree – police Teerarak Suthathiwong Petty Officer 1st Class Bayroot Pakbara.

(Facebook Photo)

Tassanee Vejpongsa Bangkok (AP) — A Thai navy SEAL who was part of the dramatic rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave has died of a blood infection contracted during the risky operation, the Royal Thai Navy said.

Petty Officer 1st Class Bayroot Pakbara was receiving treatment but his condition worsened after the infection spread into his

In this June 26, 2018, file photo, emergency rescue teams gather in the staging area as they continue the search for a young soccer team and their coach believed to be missing in a large cave in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand. (AP Photo/ Tassanee Vejpongsa, File)

blood, according to an announcement on the Thai navy SEAL’s Facebook page.

He is the second navy diver who lost his life in the high-profile operation that saw the boys and the coach extracted from deep inside the northern cave complex, where they were trapped for two weeks in June-July last year.

Lt. Cmdr. Saman Gunan died while resupplying oxygen tanks on July 6, 2018.

According to the Bangkok Post daily, Pakbara was buried Friday, Dec. 20 at the Talosai mosque in southern Satun province. Local media quoted his mother as saying her son had been in and out of the hospital since the cave rescue.

The boys and their coach entered the Tham Luang cave complex after soccer practice and were quickly trapped inside by rising floodwater. Despite a massive search, the boys spent nine nights lost in the cave before they were spotted by an expert diver. It would take another eight days before they were all safe.

A team of expert divers guided each of the boys out of the cave on special stretchers. The operation required placing oxygen canisters along the path where the divers maneuverer dark, tight and twisting passageways filled with muddy water and strong currents.

Pattaya police arrested a newly arrived British tourist who allegedly stole a motorbike and used it to rob another man of his handbag.

Ben Frost, 39, was captured on Central Road Jan. 4 following the alleged Dec. 30 crime spree in which is was accused of stealing a Honda motorbike from Chanida Muangsak, 30, on Soi 5, then driving to the Made in Thailand beer bar where he allegedly snatched a handbag belonging to 23-yearold Nattawuth Damdong.

Chanida, a photographer for a tour boat company based on Soi 5, said she’d

parked her bike outside the office, but left the key in the ignition. Her friends saw a foreign man hovering around the scene and then jump on her bike and go. The friends gave pursuit, but lost him on Central Road.

Frost apparently ducked into the beer bar on the soi next to the market where he sat down next to Nattawuth.

When the Thai man got up to order a beer, Frost allegedly ran out with the bag left on a chair containing a smartphone and 900 baht and sped off on the stolen motorbike.

Frost perpetrated the crimes the same day he arrived in Thailand, police said.

Ben Frost has been accused of stealing a Honda motorbike, then driving to the Made in Thailand beer bar where he allegedly snatched a handbag containing a phone and cash.

Traffic police still on job after ‘dangerous’ New Year’s period Warapun Jaikusol The “seven dangerous days” are over, but Pattaya’s traffic police are still furiously writing traffic tickets.

About 20 officers and volunteers were manning a checkpoint on Sukhumvit Road at Central Road Jan. 3

with long lines of motorbikes and cars being cited for violations.

Police said the most common offenses were motorcyclists not wearing helmets and motorists not fastening seat belts.

Nationally, the government said 373 people were killed

on the kingdom’s roads during the “seven dangerous days” from Dec. 27 - Jan. 2.

That marked a 20 percent yearon-year decrease and the lowest fatality total for the new year’s period since 2015.

Courts processed nearly 9,200 cases, with the most common offense being drunk driving.

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Pattaya officials lobby 10,000 Chinese for business

Top Chonburi and tourism officials welcome a convention of 10,000 Chinese beauty industry executives and sales agents to Pattaya.

Jetsada Homklin Top Chonburi and tourism officials welcomed a convention of 10,000 Chinese beauty industry executives and sales agents to Pattaya, hoping to foment more business from the mainland.

Pan Chiew Pao, a large cosmetics and beauty company in China, held its annual year-end sales awards at the Royal Cliff Hotels’

PEACH convention center to reward its direct sales affiliates and Thai officials hoping to bring business to Chonburi lined up to greet them.

The convention included seminars on international expansion and concerts from famous singers.

Among the Thai officials lobbying the Chinese delegation were ML Sirin Rongsong, advisor to the Young Asia Chinese Entrepreneur Trade

Association, Pattaya mayoral advisor Rattanachai Sutidechanai, Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organization Vice President Sakol Phonlookin, and Deputy Tourist Police Division chief Pol. Maj. Gen. Angkul Kaikung.

The Thais impressed upon the Chinese group that Pattaya and Chonburi were large population centers that could be great markets for Pan Chiew Pao.

Cabinet to consider implementing Article 83 to solve fisheries labor shortage Fishermen in 22 provinces are asking the government to solve a labor shortage. As such, the government is considering the implementation of Article 83 of the Royal Ordinance on Fisheries B.E.2558 which will authorize the Department of Fisheries to issue permits for immigrant workers wanting to work in the fisheries sector.

The immigrant employment management policy committee considered this topic in its latest meeting on 25th December. They are proposing to open two registration periods for migrant workers, the first from January to March, and the second from July to September. Those who wish to apply must hold valid passports or official travel documents.

Anti-plastic bag policy hurting SMEs, small vendors The government’s policy for stores to stop giving away single-use plastic bags can negatively affect small and medium-size plastic bag producers as well as small-scale vendors, according to Thai Plastic Industrial (1994) Co. Hundreds of SMEs were producing singleuse plastic bags, and their sales have already dropped by 20-30% due to the economic slowdown. The anti-plastic bag campaign would worsen their conditions, said Theerachai Theerarujinont, president of the company.

Small shopkeepers and vendors would be affected too, as single-use plastic bag manufacturers are turning to make other products, he said.

Theerachai said his company was not affected because it mainly produced food plastic bags. He also makes single-use plastic bags but for wet markets, community markets, and small vendors. Department stores are not his customers. However, his company shelved its

The government’s anti-single-use plastic bag policy can negatively affect small and medium-size plastic bag producers as well as small-scale vendors.

project to double its production of plastic bags, he said.

Theerachai proposed the government call off the anti-plastic bag policy and prioritize the development of standard plastic waste incinerators. Singapore had such facilities and used outputs for land reclamation, he said. (TNA)

Unlit roadwork leads to accidents on South Pattaya street Jetsada Homklin South Pattaya residents are complaining that Pattaya road workers opened up a busy soi and didn’t put enough lights and signs for people to see it after dark.

Contractors are laying new drainage pipes under Soi Wat Boonkanjanaram 4, but the street has been the scene of multiple accidents since work began due to negligence in properly demarking the work zone. After dark, holes in the road can’t be seen because there are too few signs and lights.

Residents also complained the open holes and dug up dirt have led to flooding and dust.

Allegedly poor roadwork signage is resulting in minor accidents on Soi Wat Boonkanjanaram 4, and residents want something done about it.

Commerce Ministry increases e-commerce monitoring Fishermen in 22 provinces are asking the government to solve a labor shortage.

The immigrant employment management policy committee is to submit this proposal for Cabinet’s approval.

Thailand has one of the largest fishing industries in the world, with seafood

products generating massive revenue each year. A shortage of labor in the fishing industry is, however, a pressing issue, as local Thais don’t favor the occupation, creating a situation migrant workers can help solve.

Thepprasit locals moan about roadwork Jetsada Homklin With completion still four months off, Thepprasit Road street construction has residents and businesses moaning about traffic and inconvenience.

Half of the busy thoroughfare is closed from Sukhumvit Road to the Grand Condotel intersection as part of the previously announced roadwork.

The 16.6-million-baht project began Sept. 25 and contractor Sahathanachon Co. is scheduled to complete the project on March 23.

Not only is the road ripped up, water pipes are laid on the sidewalk and street

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With completion still four months off, Thepprasit Road street construction has residents and businesses moaning about traffic and inconvenience.

vendors are making no bones about their displeasure.

Pattaya officials previously informed locals about the

work and apologized for any inconvenience, noting the work will greatly reduce longterm flooding in the area.

The boom in online retailing has resulted in numerous complaints from customers via the Department of Internal Trade’s 1569 hotline, regarding consumer exploitation.

The Department of Internal Trade’s Deputy Director General Chatchai Saksilapachai revealed last week that 1,429 complaints were lodged via the hotline this year, most of which concerned the failure to display clear pricing labels in 330 cases, which far exceeds the 2018 figure of 178 cases out of 1,932 complaints.

This figure reflects changes in consumer behavior towards greater online purchases, where some retailers refuse to display pricing of the products but instead require customers to ask by sending private messages, which poses an opportunity for sellers to unreasonably raise product prices.

In 2020, the Department of Internal Trade will be conducting a more thorough and strict online inspection of shops, and will disclose information which the general public can use to preserve their rights and prevent themselves from being exploited.

The Department of Internal Trade’s Deputy Director General Chatchai Saksilapachai revealed last week that 1,429 complaints were lodged via the hotline this year.

The law on product and service pricing, in its latest July 2019 amendment, mandates that pricing of products and services sold online must be

clearly displayed. Sellers who fail to do so will face up to a 10,000 baht fine, plus a daily penalty until they finally display a correct price label. (NNT)

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US airstrike kills powerful Iranian general Qassim Abdul-Zahra & Zeina Karam Baghdad (AP) — The Pentagon announced that the U.S. military has killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, at the direction of President Donald Trump.

An airstrike killed Soleimani, architect of Iran’s regional security apparatus, at Baghdad’s international airport Friday, Iranian state television and three Iraqi officials said, an attack that’s expected to draw severe Iranian retaliation against Israel and American interests.

The Defense Department said Soleimani “was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.” It also accused Soleimani of approving the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad earlier this week.

A statement released late Thursday, Jan. 2, by the Pentagon said the strike on Soleimani “was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans.”

The strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iran-backed militias in Iraq known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF, Iraqi officials said.

The PMF media arm said the two were killed in an American airstrike that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.

Citing a Revolutionary Guard statement, Iranian state television said Soleimani was “martyred” in an attack by U.S. helicopters near the airport, without elaborating.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who was vacationing on his estate in Palm

This photo released by the Iraqi Prime Minister Press Office shows a burning vehicle at the Baghdad International Airport following an airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq, early Friday, Jan. 3, 2020. (Iraqi Prime Minister Press Office via AP)

Beach, Florida, sent out a tweet of an American flag.

Their deaths are a potential turning point in the Middle East and if the U.S. carried them out, it represents a drastic change for American policy toward Iran after months of tensions.

Tehran shot down a U.S. military surveillance drone and seized oil tankers. Meanwhile, the U.S. blames Iran for a series of attacks targeting tankers, as well as a September assault on Saudi Arabia’s oil industry that temporarily halved its production.

The tensions take root in Trump’s decision in May 2018 to withdraw the U.S. from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, struck under his predecessor.

A senior Iraqi politician and a high-level security official confirmed to The Associated Press that Soleimani and al-Muhandis were among those killed in the attack shortly after midnight. Two militia leaders loyal to Iran also confirmed the deaths, including an official with the Kataeb Hezbollah faction,

which was involved in the New Year’s Eve attack by Iran-backed militias on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

The security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said al-Muhandis had arrived to the airport in a convoy along with others to receive Soleimani, whose plane had arrived from either Lebanon or Syria. The airstrike took place near the cargo area after he left the plane to be greeted by alMuhandis and others.

Two officials from the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces said Suleimani’s body was torn to pieces in the attack while they did not find the body of al-Muhandis. A senior politician said Soleimani’s body was identified by the ring he wore.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject and because they were not authorized to give official statements.

As the head of the Quds, or Jersualem, Force of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Soleimani led all of its

expeditionary forces. Quds Force members have deployed into Syria’s long war to support President Bashar Assad, as well as into Iraq in the wake of the 2003 U.S. invasion that toppled Dictator Saddam Hussein, a longtime foe of Tehran.

Soleimani rose to prominence by advising forces fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and in Syria on behalf of the embattled Assad.

U.S. officials say the Guard under Soleimani taught Iraqi militants how to manufacture

killed or seriously wounded leading forces loyal to Assad as they fought around Syria’s Aleppo.

Earlier Friday, an official with the Popular Mobilization Forces said seven people were killed by a missile fired at Baghdad International Airport, blaming the United States.

The official with the group known as the Popular Mobilization Forces said the dead included its airport protocol officer, identifying him as Mohammed Reda.

In this Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, file photo, Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Quds Force, attends an annual rally commemorating the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution, in Tehran, Iran. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

and use especially deadly roadside bombs against U.S. troops after the invasion of Iraq. Iran has denied that.

Soleimani himself remains popular among many Iranians, who see him as a selfless hero fighting Iran’s enemies abroad.

Soleimani had been rumored dead several times, including in a 2006 airplane crash that killed other military officials in northwestern Iran and following a 2012 bombing in Damascus that killed top aides of Assad.

Rumors circulated in November 2015 that Soleimani was

A security official confirmed that seven people were killed in the attack on the airport, describing it as an airstrike.

Earlier, Iraq’s Security Media Cell, which releases information regarding Iraqi security, said Katyusha rockets landed near the airport’s cargo hall, killing several people and setting two cars on fire.

It was not immediately clear who fired the missile or rockets or who was targeted.

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. The attack came amid tensions with the United States after a New Year’s Eve attack

by Iran-backed militias on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The two-day embassy attack which ended Wednesday prompted President Donald Trump to order about 750 U.S. soldiers deployed to the Middle East.

It also prompted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to postpone his trip to Ukraine and four other countries “to continue monitoring the ongoing situation in Iraq and ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Wednesday.

The breach at the embassy followed U.S. airstrikes on Sunday that killed 25 fighters of the Iran-backed militia in Iraq, the Kataeb Hezbollah. The U.S. military said the strikes were in retaliation for last week’s killing of an American contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that the U.S. blamed on the militia.

U.S. officials have suggested they were prepared to engage in further retaliatory attacks in Iraq.

“The game has changed,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday, telling reporters that violent acts by Iran-backed Shiite militias in Iraq — including the rocket attack on Dec. 27 that killed one American — will be met with U.S. military force.

He said the Iraqi government has fallen short of its obligation to defend its American partner in the attack on the U.S. embassy.

The developments also represent a major downturn in Iraq-U.S. relations that could further undermine U.S. influence in the region and American troops in Iraq and weaken Washington’s hand in its pressure campaign against Iran.

Constitutional court to rule on case linking opposition to Illuminati Busaba Sivasomboon Bangkok (AP) — The Constitutional Court says it will rule on a sedition complaint that claims a popular opposition political party is linked to the Illuminati, which conspiracy theorists say secretly seeks world domination.

The complaint filed in July by lawyer Natthaporn Toprayoon charges that the Future Forward Party seeks to overthrow Thailand’s constitutional monarchy. The new party, which won the third highest number of seats in a March general election, denies the allegation. It could be dissolved if convicted.

The court’s statement, made public Sunday, said no hearings would be held in the case because the court already had enough evidence. No date for its ruling was specified.

Party spokeswoman Pannika

Wanich said its request for a hearing was refused, but that it had sent the court documents in its defense.

The opposition party has been a strong irritant to Thailand’s conservative establishment — led by royalists and the military — in whose favor the courts have consistently ruled. The party is disliked by officialdom not only for its anti-military stance but also because of its strong popularity. There is a widespread belief that the deck is stacked against it and it will end up being disbanded, with its leaders banned from political office for several years.

The July complaint listed statements by party officials critical of Thai traditions, and pointed out that its logo is an inverted triangle, which if turned right-side up resembles the alleged symbol of the Illuminati. It claimed the

In this Dec. 14, 2019, file photo, Thailand’s Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit talks to his supporters during rally in Bangkok. (AP Photo, File)

Illuminati had sought to overthrow European monarchies and influence the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

No serious scholars give credence to the conspiracy theory, which claims that a small elite seeks to manipulate events to foment chaos and create what they call a

“New World Order.”

Natthaporn alleged that the resemblance of the party’s symbol to that of the Illuminati showed its hidden purpose, and when its leaders’ other behavior is taken into account, it shows they “do not trust in conventional thoughts.”

Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher based in Thailand for the group Human Rights Watch, said that by not holding a hearing the court was preventing the party from mounting a proper defense.

“No hearing means the loss of transparency in the Thai judicial system,” he said.

The Future Forward Party is already at risk of dissolution because of a separate case that has been sent to the Constitutional Court by the state Election Commission. Earlier this month, the commission ruled that the party had broken election laws by accepting a loan from its head, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit.

The Constitutional Court ruled last month that Thanathorn could not keep his lawmaker’s seat because he violated an election law barring owners of media companies from running for

Parliament. The court rejected Thanathorn’s claim that he sold his holding in a media production company before the deadline needed to be a candidate.

Police have also summoned Thanathorn and another party leader to appear Friday to acknowledge charges against them related to a demonstration in central Bangkok.

Police accused Thanathorn and the other leader of failing to inform police about the rally in advance, blocking a mass transit station, failing to control protesters and using a megaphone without permission.

Several thousand protesters showed up on Dec. 14 to express their anger against the government and to support Thanathorn after the Constitutional Court’s ruling that stripped him of his lawmaker’s status.

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15 Years on, Indian Ocean tsunami remembered Phang-Nga, Dec 26 (TNA) - Tsunami memorial services have been held in Thai provinces hit by the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004.

On the 15th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, families of the victims joined multi-faith memorial services in the provinces on the Andaman Sea coast in remembrance of over 5,300 people killed in Thailand.

At the Tsunami Memorial Park in Ban Nam Khem fishing village in Phang-nga province, the hardest-hit community in Thailand, a remembrance service was held with religious rites dedicated to those who perished.

An official conveyed a statement by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha marking the tsunami anniversary which is also observed as a national disaster prevention day.

In Phuket, locals and foreigners attended a religious ceremony at Mai Khao cemetery. They laid flowers and wreaths to honor the victims from 45 countries on a tsunami memorial wall.

Residents, tourists and local officials gathered at Swordfish Sculpture for a remembrance ceremony on Phi Phi Island, Krabi province, where 722 people were killed in the deadly tsunami.

The Boxing Day tsunami ravaged six provinces in s o u t h e r n T h a i l and and claimed, in total, an estimated 230,000 to 280,000 lives across the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004. (TNA) Banda Aceh, Indonesia (AP) — Thousands of people knelt in prayer in Indonesia’s

Still image made from an amateur video shot by a British family vacationing at Thailand’s Phuket resort, of the tsunami coming ashore Sunday Dec. 26 2004. The video of the tsunami, sparked by an earthquake off the coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, was filmed from the balcony of the family’s hotel on the resort’s Patong Beach. (AP Photo)

overall death toll.

“No words can describe our feelings when we tearfully saw thousands of corpses lying on this ground 15 years ago,” acting Aceh Gov. Nova Iriansyah said at a ceremony in Sigli, a town in Pidie district, “And now, we can see how people in Aceh were able to overcome suffering and rise again, thanks to assistance from all Indonesians and from people all over the world.”

Weeping survivors and others attended religious services and memorial ceremonies. Relatives of the dead and religious and community leaders presented flowers at mass graves of victims in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh.

Shops and offices were closed, boats were not allowed

regions of Banten on Indonesia’s main island of Java and parts of southern Sumatra, leaving more than 400 people dead and 14,000 injured.

Western visitors and local residents attended the service at the Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Memorial Park in Phang Nga province, where they viewed a photo display of victims.

A Thai woman handed over an offering of food for Buddhist monks presiding over the proceedings.

The lucrative tourist industry centered around the island of Phuket was devastated by the disaster — as many as half of the victims were foreigners — but quickly bounced back and has grown much bigger.

Many local residents had their houses rebuilt and jobs restored, but still have to cope with the loss of friends and family.

Niwan Chantharawong left a floral offering at a commemorative wall in Ban Nam Khem. She recalled the horror of losing two children in the tragedy.

A woman pours water at a stone marking the mass grave for the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami following prayers commemorating the 15th anniversary of the disaster in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Nurhasanah)

In this Jan. 19, 2005, filer photo, Buddhist Monks from the Asoke community of Bangkok, walk through the Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami-devastated community of Ban Nam Khem, Thailand, as part of a pilgrimage. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)

Dazed survivors wade through the devastation the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami left in its wake. (AP Photo)

In Thailand, hundreds of people attended a tsunami memorial ceremony at Ban Nam Khem, a small fishing village that lost about half of its population of 5,000 when the waves rolled in.

More than 8,000 people in Thailand died or went missing in the disaster, and the bodies of almost 400 victims remain unidentified and unclaimed.

“I think they didn’t die on the day that the tsunami hit.

We couldn’t find them until the 28th and their bodies hadn’t decomposed at all,” she told Thai PBS television, with tears welling up. “I often imagine how much they would have thought about me before taking their last breaths. But we could not find them, and we couldn’t

help them. This has stuck with me. And every time I think about it, it hurts.”

Officially, there are between 8,200 and 8,300 dead in Thailand, but about a third of that total are missing, with no confirmation of their fate. An unknown number of bodies were swept out to sea, and the ad hoc evacuation of foreign tourists meant that at least some survivors were never accounted for. Also unclear was what happened to thousands of undocumented workers from Myanmar who did low-wage labor in the area, coming from poor, remote areas with little way to plug into the effort to account for casualties.

According to police Col. Kittipong Thongthip, there are 394 unclaimed bodies at the Bang Maruan tsunami victim cemetery in Phang Nga, where white gravestones are marked with numbers, not names.

Kittipong, who as local police chief oversees the cemetery, said 25 bodies had been confirmed to be migrant workers from Myanmar, but could not be further identified. There are no clues as to the identities of the other 369.

“I don’t think we will be able to prove who those bodies are,” he said by phone. “It’s 15 years now and nobody comes to see their missing loved ones here anymore.”

In this Jan. 5, 2005, file photo, Nataya Pumsi, 36, tries to sort out what to do with the boat that landed on and destroyed her home after her village of Ban Nam Khem was hit by the tsunami in Khao Lak in southern Thailand. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Aceh province at ceremonies marking the 15th anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami, one of modern history’s worst natural disasters.

The massive Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami was triggered by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra Island. The giant wall of water killed about 230,000 people in a dozen countries as far away as East Africa. Indonesia’s Aceh province, which was closest to the earthquake, was hit first and hardest.

More than 170,000 people died in Indonesia alone, about three-quarters of the

to sail and flags were being flown at half-staff throughout Aceh on Thursday and Friday.

Disaster-prone Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands that is home to 260 million people, lies along the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

Thursday’s commemoration came four days after the anniversary of last year’s Sunda Strait tsunami, which followed the eruption and partial collapse of the Anak Krakatau volcano.

That tsunami struck coastal

On the 15th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, families of the victims joined multi-faith memorial services in the provinces on the Andaman Sea coast in remembrance of over 5,300 people killed in Thailand. (TNA)

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Thousands in Asia marvel at ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse

The moon begins to travel a path across the sun during a partial eclipse visible from Bangkok, Thursday, Dec. 26. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

A partial solar eclipse is seen in Davao city, southern Philippines on Thursday Dec. 26, 2019. (AP Photo)

Students take a picture of a reflection of a partial solar eclipse at a school in Bangkok, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Banda Aceh, Indonesia (AP) — People along a swath of southern Asia gazed at the sky in marvel on Thursday, Dec. 26, at a “ring of fire” solar eclipse.

The so-called annular eclipse, in which a thin outer ring of the sun is still visible, could be seen along a path stretching from India and Pakistan to Thailand and Indonesia.

Authorities in Indonesia provided telescopes and hundreds of special glasses to protect viewers’ eyes.

Thousands of people gazed at the sky and cheered and clapped as the sun transformed into a dark orb for more than two minutes, briefly plunging the sky into darkness. Hundreds of others prayed at nearby mosques.

“How amazing to see the ring of fire when the sun disappeared slowly,” said Firman Syahrizal, a resident of Sinabang in Indonesia’s Banda Aceh province who witnessed the

Muslim men perform a special ‘kusoof’ prayer as a live report of the annular solar eclipse is broadcasted on a large screen at a mosque in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2019. People along a swath of southern Asia gazed at the sky in marvel on Thursday at a “ring of fire” solar eclipse. (AP Photo)

eclipse with his family.

The previous annular solar eclipse in February 2017 was also visible over a slice of Indonesia.

A partial solar eclipse is seen from Lahore, Pakistan, Thursday, Dec. 26. The last solar eclipse of 2019 was witnessed in Pakistan along with several other countries. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

A Pakistani family member sits next to a boy, partially buried in mud at a seaside, during the solar eclipse in Karachi, Pakistan, Thursday, Dec. 26.

Superstitious people hope that burying ailing persons during a solar eclipse will assist in curing them. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)

New Russian weapon can travel 27 times the speed of sound Vladimir Isachenkov Moscow (AP) — A new intercontinental weapon that can fly 27 times the speed of sound became operational Friday, Dec. 27, Russia’s defense minister reported to President Vladimir Putin, bolstering the country’s nuclear strike capability.

Putin has described the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle as a technological breakthrough comparable to the 1957 Soviet launch of the first satellite. The new Russian weapon and a similar system being developed by China have troubled the United States, which has pondered defense strategies.

The Avangard is launched atop an intercontinental ballistic missile, but unlike a regular missile warhead that follows a predictable path after separation it can make sharp maneuvers in the atmosphere en route to target, making it much harder to intercept.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed Putin that the first missile unit equipped with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle entered combat duty.

“I congratulate you on this landmark event for the military and the entire nation,” Shoigu said later during a conference call with top military leaders.

The Strategic Missile Forces chief, Gen. Sergei Karakayev, said during the call that the Avangard was put on duty with a unit in the Orenburg region in the southern Ural Mountains.

Putin unveiled the Avangard among other prospective weapons systems in his state-of-the-nation address in March 2018, noting that its ability to make sharp maneuvers on its way to a target will render missile defense useless.

“It heads to target like a meteorite, like a fireball,” he said at the time.

The Russian leader noted that Avangard is designed using new composite materials to withstand temperatures of up to 2,000 Celsius (3,632 Fahrenheit) resulting from a flight through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.

The military said the Avangard is capable of flying 27 times faster than the speed of sound. It carries a

In this photo taken from undated footage distributed

by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, an intercontinental ballistic missile lifts off from a truckmounted launcher somewhere in Russia. The Russian military said the Avangard hypersonic weapon entered combat duty on Friday. The Kremlin has made modernization of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces one of its top priorities.

(Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

nuclear weapon of up to 2 megatons.

Putin has said Russia had to develop the Avangard and other prospective weapons systems because of U.S. efforts to develop a missile defense system that he claimed could erode Russia’s nuclear deterrent.

Moscow has scoffed at U.S. claims that its missile shield isn’t intended to counter Russia’s massive missile arsenals.

Earlier this week, Putin emphasized that Russia is the only country armed with hypersonic weapons. He noted that for the first time Russia is leading the world in developing an entire new class of weapons, unlike in the past when it was catching up with the U.S. In December 2018, the Avangard was launched from the Dombarovskiy missile base in the southern Urals and successfully hit a practice

target on the Kura shooting range on Kamchatka, 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) away.

Russian media reports indicated that the Avangard will first be mounted on Soviet-built RS-18B intercontinental ballistic missiles, code-named SS-19 by NATO. It is expected to be fitted to the prospective Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile after it becomes operational.

The Defense Ministry said last month it demonstrated the Avangard to a team of U.S. inspectors as part of transparency measures under the New Start nuclear arms treaty with the U.S. The Russian military previously had commissioned another hypersonic weapon of a smaller range.

The Kinzhal (Dagger), which is carried by MiG-31 fighter jets, entered service with the Russian air force last year. Putin has said the missile flies 10 times faster than the speed of sound, has a range of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) and can carry a nuclear or a conventional warhead. The military said it is capable of

hitting both land targets and navy ships.

China has tested its own hypersonic glide vehicle, believed to be capable of traveling at least five times the speed of sound. It displayed the weapon called Dong Feng 17, or DF-17, at a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese state.

U.S. officials have talked about putting a layer of sensors in space to more quickly detect enemy missiles, particularly the hypersonic weapons. The administration also plans to study the idea of basing interceptors in space, so the U.S. can strike incoming enemy missiles during the first minutes of flight when the booster engines are still burning.

The Pentagon also has been working on the development of hypersonic weapons in recent years, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in August that he believes “it’s probably a matter of a couple of years” before the U.S. has one. He has called it a priority as the military works to develop new long-range fire capabilities.

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Lies, damned lies and then there is statistics Will you live forever? I’m sorry to disappoint you, but statistically you have a 100 percent chance of dying. Yes, forget about “health” medications, statistics will prove it.

Did you know, for example, that everyone dies within six months of their birthdays? They do, either before or after (do the math). Did you know that 95 percent of all the people who died in Pattaya last year wore shoes? The statistics would then have you believe that shoes were the greatest killer of mankind (not sure where that puts flip-flops).

A couple of years ago, the Cancer Council of Australia produced a sober warning message (at this time of year anyway), “Quit drinking to cut cancer risk.” The Cancer Council went on further to proclaim, “New evidence reveals the extent of alcohol’s contribution to cancer.”

Now, having been photographed with the odd glass of wine in my hand on more than one occasion, I was immediately interested. Should I go on the wagon tomorrow? (“Today” was being a bit soon, I thought.)

I continued reading, “Cancer Council Australia has revised dramatically upwards its estimate of alcohol’s contribution to new cancer cases and issued its strongest

warning yet that people worried by any link should avoid drinking altogether.”

It appeared that the cancers involved were bowel and breast and the figures indicated that these were nearly twothirds of all alcohol-related cancers, overtaking those of the mouth, throat and esophagus.

More chilling news was that the Convener of the Public Health Association of Australia’s alcohol expert group, said he would write to the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council, to request it mandate health warnings on bottles. (It may be of interest to you that in Thailand there is an anti-alcohol group as well as the antismoking lobby).

Now there are many individuals predicting the end of the world, as well as Scandinavian teenagers, so how great a threat was this really? The group media release went on, “New evidence implicating alcohol in the development of bowel and breast cancer meant drinking probably caused about 5.6 percent of cancers in Australia. This was nearly double the 3.1 percent figure it nominated in its last assessment, in 2008.”

Using their own figures we are looking at 94.4 percent

were not caused by alcohol.

So now we are getting to the nitty-gritty of all this. If we accept that they have managed to “prove” (beyond reasonable doubt) that alcohol does indeed “cause” 5.6 percent of cancers, what does this mean? Since breast and bowel cancers are only two thirds of the alcohol-related cancers (their mathematics, not mine), this means that together they make up 3.7 percent of the cancers in Australia. Let’s split the figure and make it 1.85 percent each.

I remain somewhat underwhelmed, I am afraid. These figures can be read to suggest that 98.15 percent of breast cancers are not related to alcohol ingestion, and similarly the figures for bowel cancer.

Now don’t get me wrong here. I am not advocating we all get smashed every night, and indeed I do not think we should drink alcohol every day. However there are greater risks from alcohol intake than breast or bowel cancer.

Liver damage for starters.

So if you are a person who likes a drink or three and would like to check your liver function we do have a GI and Liver Center that would be happy to check for you.

Telephone 1719 for an appointment.

Medical errors still harm too many people but there are glimpses of real change Michael L. Millenson, Northwestern University (The Conversation) In late November 1999, a TV producer called me about an alarming report that 44,000 to 98,000 Americans were being killed each year by preventable errors in hospitals and another 1 million were being injured.

Could that be true? Based on my research, I replied, the estimate seemed low.

The To Err is Human report from the Institute of Medicine has been called a “seminal moment” in the patient safety fight. The public furor sparked by the group’s assertion that medical mistakes were deadlier than breast cancer, auto accidents or AIDS prompted new laws, as well as vows to meet the Institute of Medicine’s goal of cutting medical errors in half in five years.

Twenty years after the report’s release, how safe is our medical care?

Your local hospital is almost certainly much more dangerous than it could be. The latest research says the “frequency of preventable harm remains high,” and danger in the doctor’s office and other outpatient settings is only now starting to be addressed.

But the good news, based on my research in this field, is that almost all hospitals are making some progress, while a small number of institutions have committed

themselves to zero harm, providing hard evidence that care can be made far safer.

Changing a culture Over the years, the definition of what constitutes a medical error has become both more precise, as detection methods have improved, and more expansive. The simplest approach to understanding the different types of treatment-caused harm is to look at two categories.

The first type of error happens when the doctor or nurse’s intent was correct, but something went wrong – a medication overdose, a preventable infection, a sponge left in the patient’s body after surgery. The second kind of error is one of intent – the wrong diagnosis, for instance. The Institute of Medicine report mostly (though not exclusively) focused on the first kind of error and pointed to the direction hospitals should take. For years, few chose that road.

“When I said I was going to eliminate preventable injuries and deaths, people looked at me like I was a crazy,” a physician leader who started his health system down the “zero harm” path more than a decade ago told me when I interviewed him for this article. “But the whole history of medical progress is doing just that.”

The Institute of Medicine report relied on studies from the 1980s, as did my

methodologically cruder estimate of 180,000 deaths in a 1997 book. Newer research with varying definitions and measurement methods has produced varying conclusions. The closest to an “official” estimate may be a statement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in its current strategic plan that “preventable medical errors potentially take 200,000 or more American lives each year.”

Based on that figure, the 346 people killed in the crashes of two Boeing 737 Max jets within six months in 2018 and 2019 is equivalent to those dying from hospital-caused harm in a little over half a day.

Unlike airline crashes, of course, treatment-caused harm is mostly invisible to the public. The occasional newsworthy scandal only leaves the mistaken impression that “bad” doctors and nurses are to blame when something goes wrong.

But as a physician who lost a loved one to medical error wrote on HuffPost, dangerous care persists because “genuinely caring and often highly expert people” work in a system that “devolves into routine and dangerous dysfunction.” It is the very routineness of that dysfunction that can blind clinicians and staff to its consequences.

“Nobody goes to work in the morning to harm a patient,” is a health care truism.

Yet a national survey of hospital patient safety culture found that 40% of respondents agreed that “hospital management seems interested in patient safety only after an adverse event happens.” Perhaps coincidentally, 43% of hospitals earned a “C,” “D” or “F” grade in the latest report from the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit that publishes patient safety report cards on individual hospitals.

The challenge with regard to patient harm is changing from a culture that sees “inevitability” to one that is passionate about “preventability.”

Pockets of progress The public impact of the To Err revelations receded long ago. Today’s spotlight shines on surprise medical bills, daunting drug prices and holes in health insurance.

Still, 20 years’ time is a generation, and in today’s generation, there are glimpses of significant change.

In contrast to the silence that persisted for so long, groups such as the American College of Healthcare Executives, the American Hospital Association, the Joint Commission (the nation’s largest hospital accreditation group) and others are explicitly confronting the imperative to eliminate all harm.

Hospital collaboratives organized by the federal government and others are providing guidance.

Most importantly, in my opinion, hospitals on the zero harm journey are sharing their stories, providing proof that aspiration can become implementation.

Their ranks are not large, but they include institutions like Titusville, Florida’s Parrish Medical Center, which has not had a death from ventilator-related pneumonia in a dozen years; the Ascension Health system, which has meticulously documented its yearly progress toward eliminating all preventable injuries and deaths in more than 60 hospitals; and St. Louis’ BJC HealthCare, which actually did reduce patient harm by over half in

just five years, and then by 75% in 10 years, a success that contrasts sharply with the national results.

The leaders of these efforts describe a slow and painful culture change process. But it is nowhere near as painful as watching, as I have, a mother recount how her nine-year-old daughter died from a series of medical mistakes in a hospital where the mom had taken her child to save her life.

For the sake of our families, friends and ourselves, it’s time for community leaders to challenge local hospitals to understand that a different path is both urgent and possible.

12

FRIDAY JANUARY 10, 2020

Odds and Ends The Associated Press

Whoo’s there? Georgia family discovers owl in Christmas tree Atlanta (AP) — A Georgia family got a real hoot from its Christmas tree: More than a week after they bought it, they discovered a live owl nestled among its branches. Katie McBride Newman said Friday that she and her daughter spotted the bird on Dec. 12. They had bought the 10-foot (3meter) tall tree from a Home Depot, brought it back to their Atlanta area home and decorated it with lights and, coincidentally, owl ornaments. “It was surreal, but we weren’t really freaked out about it,” McBride Newman said. “We’re really outdoorsy people. We love the wilderness.” The family opened windows and doors near the tree hoping the owl would fly away, but it didn’t. “The owl seemed to be pretty comfortable, and I thought, ‘Hey buddy, it’s not going to go well if you just stay here. There’s no food, I’m sorry,’” said McBride Newman’s husband, Billy Newman. So the family called a nonprofit nature center for help. The Chattahoochee Nature Center caught the bird and helped the family release it. McBride Newman said she believed the bird had been in the tree since they bought it, but was hidden. “We think he was just in there hugging the trunk,” she said. “It’s a very dense tree and it was very fresh. That’s why we picked it.”

(Billy Newman Photography via AP)

Pranksters charged after home, cars covered in cheese slices Girard, Pa. (AP) — A man and two teenage boys who allegedly covered two cars and a home with cheese slices are facing disorderly conduct charges. Pennsylvania State Police say the prank occurred in Girard early Saturday. But it’s not clear what motivated it. The names of the three suspects — a 17-year-old Girard boy and two Lake City residents, ages 17 and 18 — have not been released. Authorities say they admitted their involvement in the prank. It’s not clear if anyone was in the home at the time of the incident.

Police: Marijuana Christmas gifts sniffed out at airport Nashville, Tenn. (AP) — A man who may have been dreaming of a “green” Christmas found himself inside the gray walls of a Tennessee jail. According to court documents, state police caught Somphone Temmeraj, 57, with more than 80 pounds (36 kilograms) of marijuana disguised as Christmas gifts at Nashville International Airport on Monday, news outlets reported. Officers and a K-9 smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from three bags, according to the documents. The officers said they saw Temmeraj pick up the bags and load them onto a cart. Temmeraj allowed officers to search the bags, which were filled with what appeared to be wrapped Christmas gifts. The items were actually filled with vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana weighing 84 pounds (38 kilograms), authorities said. Temmeraj had flown to Nashville from Seattle, the documents state. He was booked into jail and bonded out Tuesday morning, according to online records. It’s unclear whether he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

PATTAYA MAIL

Crossword No 1369

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Across 1 Royal Engineers (7) 5 Adhere (5) 8 Approximately (5) 9 Characteristic (7) 10 Argue (7) 11 Consider (5) 12 Landed property (6) 14 Sauntered (6) 18 Comprehension (5) 20 Antagonistic (7) 22 Capital of Burma (7) 23 Enquired (5) 24 Root vegetable (5) 25 Surrendered (7)

Down 1 Bind tight with clothes (7) 2 Devout (5) 3 Give for safekeeping (7) 4 What follows (6) 5 Begin (5) 6 First letter (7) 7 Eskimo canoe (5) 13 Learner (7) 15 Error (7) 16 Greatly feared (7) 17 Neigh (6) 18 Young ladies (5) 19 Lying face downwards (5) 21 Irritated (5)

Last week’s answers Across: 1 Bother, 4 Calais, 8 Sting, 9 Replica, 10 Conkers, 11 Avert, 12 Reminisce, 17 Urban, 19 Titular, 21 Located, 22 Apron, 23 Sundry, 24 Apiece.

Down: 1 Basics, 2 Thinner, 3 Eagle, 5 Appears, 6 Arise, 7 Shanty, 9 Resonated, 13 Monitor, 14 Enlarge, 15 Builds, 16 Bronze, 18 Bacon, 20 Tramp.

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

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

Answer next week.

Last week’s answers:

No. 271

Football-making town sets record for most thrown at once Ada, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio town long associated with the manufacturing of footballs has set a Guinness World Record for the most thrown at the same time. The organization certified the record after the attempt was made Oct. 25 by 950 people simultaneously throwing a football on the Ada War Memorial Stadium football field, the Lima News reported this week. Students from kindergarten through 12th grade joined teachers, coaches, bus drivers, school staff and community members to set the record. The Wilson Football Factory in Ada donated more than 1,000 commemorative footballs for the attempt.

Workers at the factory make about 3,000 footballs a day, cutting, stitching and lacing each by hand in a 25-step process.

The company supplies the football used by the NFL.

Answers next week.

(AP Photo)

VOL. XXVIII No. 1

VOL. XXVIII No. 1

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FRIDAY JANUARY 10, 2020

13

How not to miss great shots

Good shots, and even great shots, can appear any time.

If you are not going to miss the chance of a lifetime, the first tip is to make sure you have a camera with you, or, and I used to struggle to say it – a high quality smartphone!

However, having just purchased a smarter than me phone, the new ones are very sharp, but they are not quite as capable as a good DSLR system.

However, when the shot of a lifetime just happened before your eyes, a shot that could have kept you in champagne for the next three months, you need to be ready.

Great shots can be shots that just somehow epitomize life in Thailand, for example are always worth taking (and may be financially

rewarding). It could be a katoey posturing on Beach Road, or even the one of the buffalo in the paddy field with two birds standing on its back. Always remember that you are living in a land that your countrymen save up for 12 months just to get here for a holiday. You (we) are lucky and should not let photographic opportunities pass us by.

So this week, let’s look at a few specific examples of “how to” when you are looking to record those “once in a lifetime” images.

Thailand is a Buddhist country with a total of 41,205 Buddhist temples (Thai: Wat) since last update. This is confirmed, of which 33,902 are in current use, according to the Office of National Buddhism. You will need a wide angle lens to capture the size of the temples and stairs. Plan the photography for late afternoon when the shadows grow long and the sun casts a warm atmosphere to your shots. If you have a close-up lens then look at photographing some

Dear Hillary, I have a real problem with my live-in GF and it is the demon drink again. I know Thais don’t hold their liqueur very well, but this one is gone off her face after two beers. That could be OK but she gets all “teary” and goes back to every time we’ve had a problem, or the guy before me, even. I say the past is the past, but she can’t hold her emotions. This then means no nooky for me that night. Have you any ideas what I can do to get her over this? It has become quiet (sic) tiresome Garry Dear Garry, You men are all the same. Beer and sex, sex and beer.

Don’t you think of anything else? (Spelling obviously I has been left stranded.) Back to your beer problem. Have you tried not plying her with drink? Beer is neither a stimulant nor a muscle strengthener, but is a depressant and a muscle relaxer. (Ever heard of brewer’s droop?) Neither of these items are good for your nocturnal pursuits, you know.

Try sticking with soft drinks for the little lady – and a few for yourself won’t go astray either! And then again, do you absolutely have to have a beer yourself?

Dear Hillary, A family problem here, and I don’t want to see what is going to happen next. I’m originally from the UK and I am a pensioner and my legally married wife is Thai. We have been together for almost 12 years. Pretty good on the whole, but sometimes a spat or two but nothing we couldn’t work out by ourselves, but this is different. Money is tight as the UK pension isn’t much these days and mine is ‘frozen’ at the 2008 level and what with the baht being so strong, the wife’s little Mom and Pop convenience

of the ornamental statues.

Again you will need the afternoon light.

Pattaya comes alive at night and we have the odd nocturnal events and places.

Lots of lights, neon signs and flood-lit fountains are the norm for this type of photograph. The secret here is a Wide angle lens again with an aperture down around f 1.8. This is the time to set your digital to 800 ASA, or 400 ASA at least.

The other secret is not to use your flash. Now I fully realize that this is photography after dark, but the whole concept is to let the attractions provide the illumination, rather than blasting it with your flash burst.

If you try and take neon light using flash you will totally wash out the neon and again get very disappointing results. If you cannot get enough light to hand-hold, then use a tripod.

store doesn’t make much money these days either, not even enough to cover the rent like it used to.

Now here’s the problem – two months ago her brother from the village and his girlfriend came to stay with us. No discussion about this, they just arrived on the doorstep. The girl helps my wife in the shop, but the business is so poor, anyway my wife runs it by herself, so the girl isn’t needed. The brother just lies about the place watching telly, and does not contribute either. This puts an even greater stress on the finances. My wife won’t discuss this problem either, telling me it is “family”. What do I do?

Cyril Dear Cyril, You are so correct when you describe this as a “family problem”. For up-country Thai people, “family” comes first.

That covers all Thai people with some blood connection, followed by all Thai people with any inherited Thai genes, after that lot comes the village soi dogs and then the foreigners.

You will have to sit down with your wife and make her discuss the two newcomers and your available finances and she must accept that you are also “family”. You obviously cannot carry on the way you are going. The brother and the girlfriend must either leave, or go get a paying job and contribute to your household, or you will have to return to the UK. There is a limit, and you have reached it, my Petal.

Dear Hillary, Did you know Hillary, the first name of your favorite beverage translates to “Widow”?

Don

One of the more challenging travel situations is the summer beach holiday. It is very difficult to photograph the beach and not end up with a washed out look in the final photographs. The secret here is a Polarizing filter and the time of day you shoot. This is where the Polarizer works so well, especially with the glare from the sand. The Polarizer will also give you a blue sky to contrast the yellow beach sand.

The time of day is also just as important. Shoot early morning or late afternoon when the sun’s rays are skimming across the beach and the tracks and ridges in the sand will show up as shadows.

Some of you will be exponents of the wilderness type holiday, trekking and camping and taking in the vast grandeur of breathtaking natural wonders. The secret here is a wide angle lens, look for low viewpoints and set the ASA on 50 or 100, plus a tripod if you can. The idea here is to use the lens at around f16 or f22 to maximize the depth of field. This in turn and the slow ASA setting, will require longer exposures – hence the tripod. Shooting in this way will give you maximum detail in the shot, maximum content and visual theater.

Finally, shoot early morning or late afternoon as well to get the dramatic shadow effects and really give the impact to the Grand Canyon!

Try using the look-out at the Naval Radio station.

Dear Don, In actual fact, my linguistic Petal, I was well aware of the origins of Veuve Clicquot. So you are good at French are you, Don? Yes, Widow Clicquot was a remarkable woman (16 December 1777 – 29 July 1866). Known as the “Grand Dame of Champagne”, she was a French businesswoman who took on her husband’s wine business when she was widowed at 27.

Under her ownership, and her skill with wine, the company developed early champagne using a novel technique. The brand and company of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin still bears her name, and is drunk by Hillary as its major recommendation.

She is not to be confused with Madame Bollinger who reputedly said, “Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it - unless I’m thirsty.”

Don, darling, just leave the bottle for me at the Pattaya Mail office, clearly marked “FOR HILLARY” otherwise the messenger will claim it. That’s a very sweet Petal.

Dear Hillary, I examined my wine room and discovered 89 bottles of Veuve Clicquot!

Don (again) Dear Don (again), If I didn’t know you were an inveterate liar, I would have been right over and been yours for 89 days (I didn’t say ‘nights’)! I also know, from personal experience, that 7Eleven doesn’t sell any champagnes, and I’m sorry, Mont Clair Sparkling doesn’t cut it.

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VOL. XXVIII No. 1

Rugby School Thailand raises funds for Hand to Hand at first Christmas Fair

On 7th December Rugby School Thailand hosted our first-ever Christmas Fair. Set in the school’s Covered Games Area with an enormous 6-metre tree as the centrepiece, the hall was transformed with garlands and decoration to make it into the perfect venue for local families and visitors. We had fun activities, games, shopping stalls and a wonderful selection of entertainment, largely by homegrown RST talent, such as the staff

choir, Senior choir, Prep choir, and Kelly’s band. We had some amazing prizes to be won in our raffle thanks to our very generous sponsors and individual donations.

Thank you to everyone from our passionate school community and event sponsors for helping to make our very first Christmas Fair such a successful and memorable day. We raised

lots of money for the Handto Hand Foundation, which will go towards giving

underprivileged families in the Pattaya area a much happier Christmas.

Nongprue opens public playground Jetsada Homklin

The new outdoor playground for children at HM King Bhumibol the Great Public Park contains swings, slides, a climbing wall and the usual playground fun and enough space for older people to work out or just relax.

Nongprue opened an outdoor playground for children at HM King Bhumibol the Great Public Park.

Mayor Mai Chaiyanit joined students from Nongprue Kindergarten for the Dec. 26 opening.

The park contains swings, slides, a climbing wall and the usual playground fun and enough space for older people to work out or just relax. The playground area is paved with rubber mats to keep the area mud-free.

The park and playground are free to the public.

Seaman’s Church welcomes Ban Jingjai for Christmas

Mahachon Church throws Christmas party for Soi Khopai kids

The children received Christmas presents to bring smiles to their faces for the holiday.

Jetsada Homklin

Mayoral advisor Nilom Sangkaew and Soi Khopai President Wirat Joyjinda with Mahachon Pattaya City Church hosted a Christmas party for children of Pattaya’s Soi Khopai Community.

Jetsada Homklin Mahachon Pattaya City Church hosted a Christmas party for children of Pattaya’s Soi Khopai Community.

Mayoral advisor Nilom Sangkaew and Soi Khopai President Wirat Joyjinda opened the Dec 23 event for 100 children.

There was copious amounts of free food and drink and

kids enjoyed games and received gifts of dolls, snacks, school supplies, sporting goods and electronics.

Nilom also handed out 50 scholarships funded by the city.

Norwegian Seamen’s Church Pattaya held a special Christmas mass for wards of the Ban Jingjai orphanage.

Deacon Hans Konrad Nyvoll welcomed orphanage Director Piangta Chaumnoi and children to the Dec. 21 event where Christmas carols were the order of the day with the church explaining the stories behind the songs.

The children also received Christmas presents to bring smiles to their faces for the holiday.

Uboljit Thumchob, Marketing Manager of Rivera Group, Vutikorn Kamolchote, and honored guests celebrate Christmas mass.

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Eat & Walk a hit again for Naklua

Thailand extends visaon-arrival fee waiver until 30 April 2020

Bali Hai Tourist Assistance Center opens

Government’s tourism stimulus scheme extended for the fourth time since introduced in November 2018 Bangkok – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is delighted to report that the Royal Thai Government has once again approved an extension of the visa-on-arrival fee waiver for citizens of 18 nations for another six months, from 1 November 2019 until 30 April 2020.

Citizens of Bulgaria, Bhutan, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Mexico, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Uzbekistan and Vanuatu are all exempt from the 2,000 baht

visa-on-arrival fee for singleentry leisure travel in Thailand for not more than 15 days.

The decision was announced in the Royal Thai Government Gazette on 31 October 2019. The government first approved the visa-on-arrival fee waiver from 15 November 2018 to 14 January 2019, then extended the measure to 30 April 2019, and then extended it again to 31 October 2019.

The move is meant to stimulate and promote tourism arrivals while enhancing the Kingdom’s ease-of-entry among foreign visitors.

Destination

Students from Pattaya’s public schools perform during the annual Naklua Walk and Eat.

Jetsada Homklin Large crowds have returned to Naklua for the annual Walk and Eat. Now in its 11th year, the “walking street” between the Naklua Bridge and Old Market this year follows the theme of “taste, shop and take photos”.

The market is filled with booths offering locally made products and fresh seafood,

both to eat there or take home. There also are three stages with continual entertainment.

On the first weekend of the new year, students from Pattaya’s public schools performed along with folk artist Jeab Eakapong, followed by Thai cultural shows.

The market runs Saturdays and Sundays until 10 p.m. through Feb. 9.

The delegation toured Walking Street where bar owners and employees hoisted placards begging the minister to allow the bars to remain open until 4 a.m. to boost business. The minister didn’t give them an answer as he collected flower baskets.

Boonlua Chatree Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn opened another Tourist Assistance Center at Bali Hai Pier before the start of the Pattaya Countdown.

Phiphat was joined by Chonburi Gov. Pakarathorn Thienchai and Banglamung District Chief Amnart Charoensri along with Pattaya department chiefs

before dispatching 200 police officers, marine inspectors and volunteers to ensure the safety of boaters, bar patrons and music festival guests.

The delegation then toured Walking Street where bar owners and employees hoisted placards begging the minister to allow the bars to remain open until 4 a.m. to boost business.

The minister didn’t give them an answer as he collected flower baskets.

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VOL. XXVIII No. 1

‘Successful’ Pattaya Countdown u Jetsada Homklin Calling the Pattaya Countdown New Year celebration a rousing success, city officials said it will be followed by a full schedule of 2020 events.

Hundreds of thousands of Thais and tourists attended the three-day music festival at Bali Hai Pier with no major incidents reported except for discovery of a dead body floating under the Bali Hai Pier site, a presumed victim of Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome took to the stage for the city’s musical year-end tradition Dec. 29 at Bali Hai Pier with his brother Wittaya Kunplome, president of the Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organization and executives from sponsoring TV channel Mono 29.

Pattaya Countdown blasted in with a 15-minute fireworks display on the first night of the three-day music festival.

For many fans, Clash was the highlight of the first night.

Instinct performs “Please send someone to me”.

Getsunova sings “Unnecessary Person”.

Super heroes turned up at Bali Hai to take photos with tourists.

Mono’s ladies liven up the stage.

Hip-Hop Urboy TJ belts out “Can’t hold it by only one person”.

Clash performs “Love Fire”.

Clash guitarist Hack rips out a riff.

POD Modern Dog get the crowd screaming “Budsaba”!

The Toys brings lots of joys.

Mono’s beautiful DJ keeps the feet moving and the hearts pounding.

Officers strictly inspect all handbags and persons in an attempt to keep illegal objects and alcohol from being brought into the stage area.

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ushers in January events calendar drowning after drinking.

Next up on the events calendar is the city’s National Children’s Day fair at city hall Jan. 11 and the Pattaya Jet Ski Competition the same day and Sunday in Jomtien Beach.

The Thailand Windsurfing Championship comes to Jomtien Jan. 23-26 with Chinese New Year celebrations in Naklua and Walking Street Jan 25.

Pattaya also will host the Maya electronic dance music festival Jan. 31-Feb. 1.

Jay-Jettarin hip-hops their way into 2020.

Tens of thousands of people turn up to say “bye-bye old year” and welcome in the New Year with Thailand’s leading artists.

Toon Bodyslam gets the audience to reach for the skies.

Fans sing and dance to the beat during Pattaya Countdown 2020.

Pattaya’s religious start new year with prayer

Banglamung District Chief Amnart Charoensri (back, right) led an early morning alms offerings Jan. 1 at Lan Po Public Park.

At Chaimongkol Temple, Thais and foreigners alike offered alms of rice and dried food to 50 monks.

Chinese-Thai astrology believers assembled at the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation in Naklua to try and change the fortunes of those born in the upcoming Year of the Rat

Pattaya residents prayed for good fortune and sought to thwart bad luck through merit-making at New Year’s Day religious services around the city.

Banglamung District Chief Amnart Charoensri led an early morning alms offerings Jan. 1 at Lan Po Public Park while others joined on their own on Jomtien Beach at Soi 5 for similar rites.

Chinese-Thai astrology believers assembled at the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation in Naklua to try and change the fortunes of those born in the upcoming Year of the Rat, as well as other frowned-upon signs such as the horse and rooster.

Believers made merit by offering coffins, which is thought to bring prosperity for themselves and family members.

They lit candles and incense and prayed to more than a dozen Chinese gods.

Sawang Boriboon is open through Jan. 25 for rites to rid bad luck under the Tai Sui god.

For Buddhists, Amnart next went to Nongprue Temple to light candles and lead prayers to the Triple Gems with Abbot Pipitkitjaruk.

At Chaimongkol Temple, Thais and foreigners alike offered alms of rice and dried food to 50 monks in the morning and attended an evening candle,

incense and prayer ceremony led by Chonburi Deputy Gov. Pol Damrongtham.

While most others were drinking and setting off fireworks, groups of reverent Pattaya residents were chanting through the night as the clock ticked midnight on New Year’s Eve. At Sutthawat Temple in Nongprue, Jumnien Chaiyanit, head of the subdistrict’s Women’s Development Group, was joined by government workers and hundreds of residents in praying for prosperity of themselves, families, and friends.

The “watch night” service is a tradition conducted by Thai people since the reign of King Rama III. The night of New Year’s Eve, monks and followers pray and monks chant “The Verses of the Buddha’s Auspicious Victories” at midnight.

At Chaimongkol Temple, more than 1,000 people attended, with prayers turning to meditation after midnight, a time believers consider auspicious for making merit physically and mentally. Devotees ended 2019 with dharma sermons and welcomed 2020 with the precepts.

For those not meditating, the temple hosted a New Year’s fair with booths offers food, beverages and sales of religious and locally made products.

Banglamung District Chief Amnart Charoensri lit candles and lead prayers to the Triple Gems with Abbot Pipitkitjaruk at Nongprue Temple.

Chaimongkol Temple hosted an evening candle, incense and prayer ceremony.

On New Year’s Eve at Sutthawat Temple in Nongprue, monks and followers pray and monks chant “The Verses of the Buddha’s Auspicious Victories” at midnight.

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VOL. XXVIII No. 1

A Time and a Plaice The other day I made a list of pieces of classical music inspired by fish. Yes, it’s sad, I know. Here we are in one of South East Asia’s most vibrant cities and I am sitting at home making lists of music about fish. I really must get out more often. As it turned out, the list wasn’t exceptionally long, perhaps because few composers find fish suitably inspiring.

Debussy wrote a piano piece about a goldfish, but it’s in the key of F sharp and hopelessly difficult, at least by my limited pianistic standards. Another French composer, Erik Satie composed a piano piece called The Dreamy Fish and in 2005 the British composer Cecilia McDowall wrote a jolly number for alto saxophone and strings with the curious title of Dancing Fish. At the age of twenty-four, Benjamin Britten composed a rather serious song for voice and piano entitled Fish in the Unruffled Lakes.

And before I forget, fish are depicted in the Saint-Saëns piece Aquarium from “Carnival of the Animals”.

And that, you might be relieved to know, is about it.

Schubert using a poem by someone confusingly named Christian Schubart.

Franz Schubert (1797-1828): Die Forelle. Gérard Souzay (bar), Dalton Baldwin (pno).

(Duration: 02:06) (Audio only)

Gérard Souzay c. 1958.

The prolific American composer Alan Hovhaness wrote a short but captivating work called And God Created Great Whales, which was premiered in 1970 and blended recordings of whale sounds with those of an orchestra. And yes, I know that whales are not actually fish but from a distance they look as though they ought to be. And that’s another thing. Did you realise that the whale is the closest living relative of the hippopotamus? It’s not exactly relevant to this column, but I thought you might be interested. Anyway, perhaps the most well-known fish song was written by Franz

We tend to think of Schubert as a composer of symphonies and chamber music but in his day, he was best-known in Vienna as a songwriter. Among his six hundred songs, this one, entitled Die Forelle (“The Trout”) is probably his most famous. Schubert was only about twenty when he wrote the song in 1817 and it’s not difficult to understand why it became so popular. The melody has a kind of folksy charm and the sparkling piano accompaniment suggests a fish darting through rippling waters. There’s no shortage

of excellent performances on YouTube, but I find myself returning to the old 1967 recording made by Gérard Souzay in which pianist Dalton Baldwin provides a splendidly articulated accompaniment. Souzay was one of the finest baritones of his time. He brings a delicacy and lightness of touch to the song and a compelling sense of style which few other singers can match.

Franz Schubert: Quintet in A major (“The Trout”).

Zoltán Kocsis (pno), Gábor Takács-Nagy (vln), Gábor Ormai (vla), András Fejér (vc), Ferenc Csontos (db). (Duration: 42:47; Video: 480p) The popularity of Die Forelle encouraged Schubert to write a set of variations on it for the fourth movement of his Piano Quintet, which he completed the following year. Instead of the

conventional combination of string quartet plus piano, Schubert scored this work for piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass but strangely enough it wasn’t published during his lifetime.

For such a young composer it’s a remarkable work.

If you are new to Schubert’s chamber music, here’s a great place to start because Schubert’s skills as a song-writer are much in evidence throughout. The work is simply packed with tunes.

There are several recordings available on YouTube but this Hungarian performance is one of my favourites, recorded in 1982 in the opulent Congress Hall of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The recording is getting a bit old in the tooth, as the audio and video quality will testify, but these wonderful musicians give a captivating performance to which I listened with admiration. The phrasing and articulation are superb and

there’s a splendid sense of elegance and style.

They take the third movement (21:04) at a fair old lick and this is surely the fastest I’ve ever heard it played.

In contrast, the start of the theme and variations on Die Forelle (24:40) begins almost dreamily. Schubert weaves the original fish song into wonderful melodies of Mozartian elegance, especially during the lovely cello solo. But just wait for the stunning show of pianistic bravura in the fourth variation (27:57). A lively and engaging last movement brings the work to a satisfying conclusion with several false endings, perhaps a glance back to Haydn’s “Joke” quartet. If you have an hour to spare, treat yourself to this exceptional and delightful performance, enhanced with a glass or two of cold, crisp dry white wine and perhaps a few slices of smoked salmon. Or even smoked trout, if you are a purist.

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.

17 stories inspired by great American paintings Ann Levin Writers take their inspiration from a variety of sources: an unforgettable face, overheard conversation or perhaps, a painting.

The well-known crime writer Lawrence Block has parlayed that last scenario into two volumes of short stories, the first inspired by works of Edward Hopper and the second, favorite paintings of his authors.

Now he has come out with a third, “From Sea to Stormy Sea,” an anthology of 17 stories that riff exclusively on American paintings, from Robert Henri’s portrait of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney to Andy Warhol’s mural for the 1964 World’s Fair, “Thirteen Most Wanted Men,” and Mark Rothko’s shimmering “Number 14.”

Since the writers he’s chosen tend to specialize in crime and genre fiction, the stories are chock-full of loners, losers and cynics who get to say snappy lines like, “Sex. Religion. Dining out.

Sooner or later, some human being is going to make you regret participating in any or all of the above.” (Spoken by the enterprising heroine of Jan Burke’s “Superficial Injuries.”)

One of the very best is “Baptism in

“From Sea to Stormy Sea: 17 Stories Inspired by Great American Paintings,” Pegasus Books, edited by Lawrence Block.

Kansas” by detective writer Sara Paretsky, who uses the 1928 John Steuart Curry painting of the same name to conjure up a vivid portrait of the hardscrabble lives of white farmers in Kansas in the early 1900s, their religious revivals, as depicted in the artwork, and racist campaigns to get

rid of the Native American population.

Other standouts include “The Man From Hard Rock Mountain,” a postapocalyptic fantasy by Jerome Charyn based on the eerie Rockwell Kent engraving, “Twilight of Man,” and the deliciously noir “On Little Terry Road” by Tom Franklin and “Get Him” by Micah Nathan, inspired by paintings of the lesser known artists John Hull and Daniel Morper.

Not all the stories work, but enough do to make it worth it. Admirers of Winslow Homer’s stormy seascapes will likely enjoy “Adrift off the Diamond Shoals,” by Brendan DuBois, which pivots on a writer seeking revenge on a sleazy real estate developer who wants to knock down his family’s modest house on North Carolina’s Outer Banks to put up a “capitalist castle.”

Then there’s the nasty little confection “Garnets” by the crime writer Christa Faust, who has moonlighted as a professional dominatrix. It’s a chilling tale of a chance meeting between two women who give new meaning to the term “femme fatale.” Her inspiration is Helen Frankenthaler’s “Adirondacks,” whose swirls of red paint could make you think of a brilliant sunset — or a bloody corpse. (AP)

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‘Rise of Skywalker’ is a sour end to a grand saga

By Jake Coyle Not much has caused a disturbance in the “Star Wars” galaxy quite like Rian Johnson’s “The Last Jedi,” an erratic but electric movie that, regardless of how you felt about it, was something worth arguing about. The same can’t be said for J. J. Abrams’“Rise of Skywalker,” a scattershot, impatiently paced, fan-servicing finale that repurposes so much of what came before that it feels as though someone searching for the hyperspace button accidentally pressed the spin cycle instead.

A laundry list of plot points cluster like an asteroid field in “Rise of Skywalker.” It’s a spirited, hectic and ultimately forgettable conclusion of the Skywalker saga begun 42 years ago by George Lucas.

It was also surely a lot to ask for. Abrams, having already ably and nimbly

From left, Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Daisy Ridley as Rey and John Boyega as Finn in a scene from “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” (Disney/Lucasfilm Ltd. via AP)

spooky Ian McDiarmid, now mostly a shadowy heap of CGI). He was last seen exploding in a Death Star air shaft, thrown to his apparent death by Darth Vader.

Yet as “Star Wars,” the most forever war there is, marches into its fifth decade, the undying demands of a pop culture phenomenon and corporate revenue generator has led to some unsettling resurrections.

This third “Star Wars” trilogy began with a plan: the first movie would belong to Han (Harrison Ford), the

Daisy Ridley as Rey in a scene from “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” (Jonathan Olley/DisneyLucasfilm Ltd. via AP)

resuscitated Lucas’ space opera with the far less cluttered “The Force Awakens,” was brought back (like seemingly everyone is in “Star Wars,” dead or alive) with the task of not only wrapping up a trilogy but repairing the divides stirred up by “The Last Jedi” and stabilizing the franchise’s revolving door of directors. Abrams here took over for the jettisoned Colin Trevorrow, who retains a “story by” credit.

More significantly, “The Last Jedi” had to solve the underlying existential crisis in “Star Wars,” a franchise in search of a reason beyond nostalgia (and, cough, billions of dollars) for continuing. The film, for sure, tries its damnedest to come up with something. It is one busy, hardworking movie.

But if anything has been proven by the many attempts to rekindle the magic of the original trilogy, it’s that Lucas’ cosmic amalgamation of Flash Gordon and Akira Kurosawa isn’t so easily refabricated.

As the trilogy’s third act, “Rise of Skywalker” takes the general shape of “Return of the Jedi,” even resuscitating its villain: Emperor Palpatine (the very

doom for the First Order.

But this is only a piece of the movie’s manic start.

Abrams, who penned the screenplay with Chris Terrio (“Argo,” “Justice League”), races to catch up with the many characters of the Resistance, among them Leia, Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaac), Rose (Kelly Marie Tran), Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and C3PO (Anthony Daniels).

From the start, there’s a rush to speed through a complex plot that sends a crowded Millennium Falcon in search of the hidden Sith base, a quest that includes a series of MacGuffins including — like a relic from a more earthbound adventure — a secret-wielding dagger.

“Star Wars” has never lacked for velocity but the pace here is schizophrenic.

The movie can’t sit still.

Everyone’s yelling and most of the bits of humor along the way are too blandly inserted. (C-3PO, at least, is in

characters suffer for it, most notably Rose. She was the highlight of “The Last Jedi,” which stirringly realigned the traditional power dynamics of “Star Wars.” But she’s regrettably sidelined for much of the action this time.

Some of the tropes that Johnson deconstructed have been reassembled.

Poe, the Han Solo heir apparent, is again central. New worlds bring new friends — a Stormtrooper-turned-rebel played by Naomi Ackie; an old rival of Poe’s named Zorii Bliss (Keri Russell); a cute Muppet-like creature named Babu Frik — and old (Billy Dee Williams’ Lando).

Many of them make a good impression but the encounters proceed predictably.

To go too much into the narrative of “Rise of Skywalker” isn’t necessary and, besides, I’m not totally sure I could explain it all, anyway.

That, in itself, is one of the movie’s most disappointing aspects: It’s trying too hard.

What the streaming spinoff “The Mandalorian” has proven (besides that people will go absolutely gaga over infant Jedi Masters) is that simplicity of story line pays in “Star Wars,” just as it does in westerns. “Rise of Skywalker” aims for the brilliant parallel

Daisy Ridley as Rey in a scene from “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” (Disney/Lucasfilm Ltd.)

action of “Return of the Jedi” but ends up with mounted horse-like creatures charging on the wing of a Star Destroyer. Somewhere, Jar Jar Binks is celebrating. He might not be the most misplaced thing in the galaxy far, far away, after all.

But even if “Rise of Skywalker” has its fair share of missteps, it gets some things right. The grief of a Wookie, for one. Kylo’s new black helmet, laced with blood-red cracks, for another. A lightsaber fight amid the sea-strewn rubble of a Death Star swells with watery grandeur. And most of all, the anguished ReyRen duel finally takes on the mythical dimensions of

earlier “Star Wars” tugs between good and evil.

Yet for a movie predicated on satisfying fans, “The Rise of Skywalker” is a distinctly unsatisfying conclusion to what had been an imperfect but mostly good few films. But hope springs eternal among “Star Wars” fans. Some will likely emerge from this latest installment paraphrasing Leia: “Help us, Baby Yoda.

You’re our only hope.”

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” a Walt Disney Co. release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for scifi violence and action.

Running time: 142 minutes.

Two stars out of four.

B2F Back for the Xmas Spectacular

Adam Driver as Kylo Ren in a scene from “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” (Disney/Lucasfilm Ltd.)

second to Luke (Mark Hamill) and the third to Leia (Carrie Fisher). Life interfered. Fisher, who along with Ford did more to enliven the original trilogy than any special effect, died of a heart attack in 2016. But she, too, has been brought back for “Rise of the Jedi,” via bits and pieces of old footage.

For an actress of such livewire verve, the composite result — a handful of brief lines and gazes — is a hollow non-performance.

Palpatine, residing in a dark Sith lair, essentially sets the table. He summons Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) with an order to “kill the girl” (Daisy Ridley’s Rey) and thereby inherit the throne. With the wave of his hand, Palpatine unearths an entire fleet of Star Destroyers. They rise from the depths, a new armada of

fine form.) Part of the rush, it seems, is to dismantle some of Johnson’s groundwork and refocus the spine of the story on Rey’s destiny and her complicated relationship with Ren. Whether that’s a gesture to the toxic fandom unleashed by “Last Jedi” or not, some

By Sue K The famous Dutch Swing Band led by Jos Muijtjens and Paul Van Duyn was back at

Silver lake Wine and Grill on 21 December to entertain the local fans with their “dance your shoes off” repertoire to celebrate the 2019 Christmas.

Seen in the picture are the band, the fans, and Dennis Dila (first on the front row right) the fort holder of Silver Lake.

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E-mail: socialscene@pattayamail.com

Suthikiati Chirathivat visits Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya

Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya’s Area General Manager Denis Thouvard (3rd left) and his management team welcomed Suthikiati Chirathivat (4th left), Chairman of the Board of Centara Hotels & Resorts, along with Khunying Dr. Suchitra Mongkolkiti (centre) and Dr. Ratana Norpanlob (5th right) to the resort recently.

Celebrating success at Yupins Restaurant

Swiss Christmas celebrated at Amari Phuket

Pierre-Andre Pelletier (right), Regional Vice-President, Operations – Southern Thailand, Vietnam and the Maldives of ONYX Hospitality Group, recently hosted a Christmas dinner for the board and members of the Swiss Society Phuket at the Amari Phuket. (L to R) From left to right: Andrea Kotas Tammathin (President of Swiss Society Phuket and Swiss Honorary Consul to Phuket), Pierre Chabloz (Consul General, the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangkok), Ambassador Helene Budliger-Artieda (the Ambassador of Switzerland to the Kingdom of Thailand, Kingdom of Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic) and Pierre-Andre Pelletier.

Generous benefactor donates funds for children’s education

Here is Alan Heath, Andrew and Khun Thai, who have come to Yupins Restaurant for a nice meal to celebrate the success of Khun Thai in being head hunted for a new senior position in his chosen industry, and also, as a golfer, his success of getting down well into a single figure handicap. Khun Thai is a gifted golfer and little stands in his way of achieving a scratch rating. Who knows, maybe he will go professional.

Steve Seufer generously donated 200,000 baht to the ASEAN Learning Center to provide education for transnational children under the care of the Human Help Network Foundation (Thailand). He was welcomed by Radchada Chomjinda, HHNFT Director and Pirun Noyimjai, Manager of the Drop-In Center and ASEAN Learning Center. Steve spoke to the children saying, “A teacher is only the person teaching, but children must learn by themselves.”

Ravindra Resort brings New Year greetings to Pattaya Mail

New Year greetings from Universal Group-Seven Seas

Thawatchai Buatip (Tum), Marketing & PR Manager of the Ravindra Beach Resort & Spa, dropped by the Pattaya Mail office recently to wish our team a Happy & Prosperous New Year. He was received by Kamolthep Malhotra (Prince) Director of Strategic Marketing Communications and Nutsara Duangsri (centre) Sales & Marketing Manager.

Julanee Saothong (2nd right), Marketing Manager of Seven Seas Le Carnival, and her team paid a visit to Pattaya Mail recently to wish us a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. A small gift was also received with thanks by Peter Malhotra and Nutsara Duangsri, our Sales and Marketing Manager.

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Pattaya Orphanage hosts holiday party Jetsada Homklin

OK, it’s your turn to sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what you want for Christmas.

The Pattaya Orphanage hosted a Christmas and New Year party with many gifts given to the children.

Orphanage director Rev. Michael Weera Phangrak welcomed guests including Radchada Chomjinda, director of the Human Help Network Foundation Thailand, to the Dec. 25 event.

Children lit the Christmas tree, sang hymns and Christmas carols and played games.

A raffle, with tickets priced at 100 baht each, saw kids, alumni, staff and guests win appliances, electronics, toys, bicycles, school supplies, kitchenware and gold.

Pattaya Orphanage put on a fabulous Christmas and New Year party hosted

by Director Fr. Veera Phangrak.

Everyone enjoyed free food, drinks and snacks and booths offered food for sale with proceeds going to the charity.

Children line up respectfully to accept gifts from generous benefactors.

Benevolent guests, including representatives from the Army Sports Club of Vienna Austria, made gracious donations to the Human Help Network Thailand Foundation.

First there was Santa, and then the giant bear made children happy at the party.

Dr. Otmar and Dr. Margret Deter present gifts to happy children.

Drop-In Manager Pirun Noyimjai (right) visits one of the many booths set up for children and staff to sell the foundation’s products.

(Above) Reiner “Calli” Calmund says thank you to one of the foreign volunteers.

(Photo right) Pattaya Orphanage alumni take part in the festivities.

HHNFT Director Radchada Chomjinda welcomes Hubert Grevenkamp (left) and Renee de Vaans (right).

Children at Ban Euaree will now be able to watch their favorite shows on a new 32 inch LED TV.

Prangpetch Akjrapongpanich enjoys the festive night with family and friends.

Pattaya Mail Sales & Marketing Manager Nutsara ‘Nuch’ Duangsri wins a vacuum cleaner.

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A Musical Christmas Celebration at the PCEC The Christmas spirit was in abundance at the Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC) at their meeting on Sunday, December 22, as members and guests enjoyed a morning of Christmas songs by children from the Pattaya Children’s Orphanage and later singing of Christmas Carols by members of the audience.

Before the program started, Santa (Member Bob Bisighini) was available for children and young at heart to have their photos taken with him.

After the MC gave some brief club announcements, the club welcomed the arrival of more than 50 children from the orphanage all dressed in Christmas attire.

One of the children, who had grown up in the orphanage, trained the children to sing a number of Christmas songs, accompanied with musical instruments and bells.

Children from 2-5 did their part to entertain the audience with their uninhibited presence,

The children from the Pattaya Orphanage Choir with their angelic voices entertain their PCEC audience with a variety of Christmas Carols.

standing or sitting on the edge of the stage, keeping time with the music, jingling the bells on their caps and occasionally hip bumping others in their group. With their angelic voices, the children sang several traditional Christmas Carols beginning with Jingle Bells and concluding with We Wish You a Merry Christmas to the delight of

their PCEC audience.

Upon conclusion, Santa again appeared to give out presents to the children as they left the stage. For the past month or two, members and guests were invited to contribute to the Children Christmas Present Fund organized by Judith Edmonds to purchase and, with the assistance of husband Les

Edmonds and member Evelyne Wachteneim, to wrap the gift packages.

About 45,000 baht was collected with 20,300 used to purchase the gifts and the remainder given as a donation to the orphanage directed by Father Michael.

The singing is one way of thanking the community.Also, Paul from the orphanage

This young fellow flashes a victory sign after he accepts his Christmas present from Santa.

invited members of the audience to come to dinner at the orphanage on Christmas Day, which is always a unique and rewarding experience.

Following the departure of the children, Wendy and John Khan, Chris Harman, and Ray Lightbown from the Pattaya Players led audience

members in a sing-a-long of Christmas Carols. Beginning with Deck the Halls and ending with the 12 Days of Christmas. Lyrics were displayed on the three meeting room screens to help the audience follow along. For the final song, tables had been designated for each of the 12 days. As each verse was sung, the members and guests at the table stood and enthusiastically sang out the words associated for their day of the 12 days. With Expat members away from home and many from other countries, the PCEC’s annual Christmas Program is a time of nostalgia for many.

The program was followed with the usual Open Forum when members and guests can ask and answer questions or make comments about Expat living in Thailand, especially Pattaya. For information on PCEC activities, visit their website at www.pcec.club.

PCEC hears about modern Hollywood Neil Davidson returned to speak at the Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC) meeting on December 29. His latest topic was “Modern Hollywood - How you make a film.

Forget the glamour, Focus on the ulcers!” He provided an inside feel for what really happens when you make a film, especially on how it turns from an idea into reality and how the demands of the movie stars are increasingly outrageous. His talk was spontaneously filled with funny and classic anecdotes from the film world. He had previously spoken to the PCEC on January 20, 2019 with his well received presentation “Gossip from the Golden Years of Hollywood.”

Neil has been a regular and very popular speaker for Cunard, P&O and Fred Olsen cruises. His great variety of talks bring the Golden Age of Hollywood alive with inside stories of the wonderful characters that were behind, and in front of the camera.

Neil has always had a passion for films and the history of cinema. He has been involved in film making in one form or another all his life.

He is passionate about film, film history and the magic of cinema, particularly the early days when the industry was

run by charismatic pioneers, not accountants. He has met many of the great names in the industry... From Coppola to Brando, from Lucas to Travolta and his talks reveal the real characters behind the entertainment industry.

He owns a film company that makes commercials for some of the world’s leading brands, like L’Oreal, Maybelline, American Express and Virgin. He has been involved with all levels of film making from script writing, to documentary making, to directing and producing high budget commercials. He or his companies have won the Duke of Edinburgh Award for innovation, the British PressAward for Innovation and the Queen’s Award for Technology.

Before Neil began his presentation, member Judith Edmunds treated the club to a ‘mini’ Hanukkah ceremony by lighting the candles on a Menorah. Before asking Jewish members of the club to each come and light a candle, Judith gave a short history on the background of the Celebration of Lights. The eightday Jewish rite calls for the lighting of one candle each day to remember the eight miraculous days the light in the 2nd temple burned on only one day’s supply of oil.

Neil Davidson delighted his PCEC audience with funny and classic anecdotes about the film world.

He noted that Marlon Brando was notorious for not learning his lines and using cue cards, for example in Superman he read them off baby Superman’s diaper and in The Godfather, they sometimes were stuck on other actors, whose backs were to the camera.

The brief ceremony was followed by the main speaker Neil with his massive mental Hollywood trivia library overflowing. He initially reminisced about going to the movies as a young boy anytime you wanted since the films were usually double features and ran continuously. If you entered during the film, you merely stayed until that part of the film came up again, or

you could stay as long as you wanted and spend all day there. On the screen before you were heroes whose values and actions unfolded and one desired to copy. Young minds were allowed to dream of big things.

Getting into the meat of his talk, Neil described all the components to making a film and their continually higher costs. There must be a story,

a screenplay, a director, a leading actor, a musical score and subsequent track and of course producers.

Add to that the CGI (computer graphics) costs and movies can cost up to 200 million or more. Neil played a split screen video showing an example of the so-called Foley effect for providing audio to filmed scenes. One screen showed the scene and the other showed guys making the sounds that needed to match that scene, including smacking a side of beef to simulate a punch to the face.

Neil lamented that Hollywood is not what it used to be. Nothing there is real.

Everything is made bigger, faster, and wilder with the world of computer graphics making it so. Further, he mentioned that Hollywood is not glamorous anymore, only tacky. The key today in Hollywood is to make something that no one else can make. Make a daring move then run like hell.

If they hit it big (he showed a list of those films that did) then everybody gets rich. Leading actors who often get a percentage of the movies return not only get rich but eccentric as well. One example he mentioned was how Steve

McQueen once was known to fill a bathtub from bottles of champagne, take a bath in it, then send it down the drain. Amazing!

All the studios are now owned by larger parent companies and Hollywood has four main moguls: Coppola, Lucas, Scorsese and Spielberg. Famous movies like Godfather, Apocalypse Now, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws, ET and others have made their careers.

Despite this revolution in CGI drama, Neil has hope that the public will cry out for the return to films of the human spirit, real life drama and great acting and lines.

After the presentation, the MC brought everyone up to date on the upcoming club events and others of interest. This was followed by the Open Forum where questions are asked and answered about Expat living in Thailand, especially Pattaya.

Member Ren Lexander interviewed Neil Davidson after his presentation to the PCEC. To view the video, use this URL: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v= eKGpdbPhlxA&t=1s For more information about the PCEC, visit their website at: www.pcec.club.

VOL. XXVIII No. 1

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24 FRIDAY JANUARY 10, 2020

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXVIII No. 1

Introducing a bit of culture into the column Satnav by Pam Ayres

Turkish leader unveils prototypes of 1st domestic car Ankara, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday unveiled prototypes of a domestically produced electric car, putting him closer to fulfilling a long-held dream of building Turkey’s first “national” automobile.

Erdogan showcased the SUV and sedan models of the car, known for now as TOGG after a consortium of Turkish companies that will produce them, at a ceremony in Gebze, in Turkey’s northwestern industrial heartland.

The president was scheduled to test drive a car across a suspension bridge over the Gulf of Izmit. He offered to put his name down on a possible list for advance orders. The Turkish vehicles are expected to hit the market in 2022.

“We are witnessing a historic day, realizing a 60-year

dream,” Erdogan said. “I know that our people is impatiently waiting for the day they can own this car.”

The Turkish leader has long pushed industrialists to build a domestic automobile as part of his vision for making Turkey an economic powerhouse.

The vehicle is being produced by a consortium of five Turkish companies called the Automobile Initiative Group of Turkey, or TOGG, in cooperation with the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges.

Turkish media reports said the car was designed by Italy’s Pininfarina design company, which has created models for Ferrari and California-based electric car maker Karma.

Erdogan said the cars would be produced in a

factory to be built on former military-owned land in the province of Bursa. The factory, scheduled to be completed in 2021, is expected to employ 4,300 people.

TOGG chief executive Gurcan Karakas said Turkey hopes to produce five different models of the car within 15 years.

The TOGG is Turkey’s second effort to produce a Turkish-made automobile.

During the 1960s, a group of Turkish engineers built prototypes of a car called Devrim, or Revolution in English. The project was later abandoned.

Several foreign brands, including Ford and Toyota, are assembled in Turkey.

Unfortunately, this item is not accurate. Turkey also built a domestic car called the Anadol. This was produced from 1966 to 1991.

Some of the worst cars of the last 50 years A friend of mine sent me an item about the 10 best cars in the past 50 years, and obviously there would be many different ideas from the enthusiasts. Unfortunately, for many people, they are only guessing, because just how many of the readers have actually driven a Porsche GT3, or even a Porsche Targa?

My friend, of course, was having a gentle, but not so subtle, dig at me for being a motorist for too many years.

I have to admit that I started driving in the 1950s, and I also have to admit that it was my father’s car, and he didn’t know about the mischief I would get up to when my parents were away for the weekend. The car? A 1939 Austin 12, made at the

Austin A 40.

beginning of the war. Remember that war? That was the one the Germans lost, so they could come back later and take over Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Mini. What was left, like MG and Rover ended up in China.

But back to Dad’s Austin 12. It was a large four door family saloon produced by the Austin Motor Company and was launched in August 1939 and produced until replaced in 1947 by the similar sized but larger

engined Austin A70 Hampshire. With beam axles front and rear and mechanical brakes, it was more comfortable at rest than when in motion. It would not pass any of today’s design rules.

Definitely one of the worst cars I have ever driven.

My first ‘real car’ which was mine and mine only, was a 1949 Austin A40 and was 10 years old when I took ownership. It was not a good buy, blowing up after two weeks. These days I would be more careful in pre-ownership checks. However, it was repaired and did serve me for the next 10,000 miles without too many hiccups.

But it was painfully slow.

The A40 was actually considered a power machine in its day. A 1.2 litre straight-4 OHV engine produced 40 bhp (30 kW) at 4200 rpm. It also had front coil sprung independent suspension but retained a rigid axle and semi elliptic leaf springs at the rear. The Girling brakes with 9 in (229 mm) drums were operated hydraulically at the front and mechanically at the rear.

An A40 tested by The Motor magazine in 1948 had a top speed of 70 mph (110 km/h) and could accelerate from 060 mph (97 km/h) in 37.2 seconds. Read that again – 37.2 seconds! To record those sorts of times, I think they probably had to use a calendar! Another in the ‘worst car’ category? Well, certainly in the slowest car category.

I have a little Satnav, It sits there in my car A Satnav is a driver’s friend, it tells you where you are.

I have a little Satnav, I’ve had it all my life It’s better than the normal ones, my Satnav is my wife.

It gives me full instructions, especially how to drive “It’s sixty miles an hour,” it says, “You’re doing sixty five.”

It tells me when to stop and start, and when to use the brake And tells me that it’s never ever, safe to overtake.

It tells me when a light is red, and when it goes to green It seems to know instinctively, just when to intervene.

It lists the vehicles just in front, and all those to the rear And taking this into account, it specifies my gear.

I’m sure no other driver, has so helpful a device For when we leave and lock the car, it still gives its advice.

It fills me up with counseling, each journey’s pretty fraught So why don’t I exchange it, and get a quieter sort?

Ah well, you see, it cleans the house, makes sure I’m properly fed It washes all my shirts and things, and keeps me warm in bed!

Despite all these advantages, and my tendency to scoff I only wish that now and then, I could turn the bugger off.

Autopilot in trouble again 3 crashes, 3 deaths raise questions about Tesla’s Autopilot Detroit (AP) — Three crashes involving Teslas that killed three people have increased scrutiny of the company’s Autopilot driving system just months before CEO Elon Musk has planned to put fully selfdriving cars on the streets.

On Sunday, a Tesla Model S sedan left a freeway in Gardena, California, at a high speed, ran a red light and struck a Honda Civic, killing two people inside, police said.

On the same day, a Tesla Model 3 hit a parked fire-truck on an Indiana freeway, killing a passenger in the Tesla.

And on Dec. 7, yet another Model 3 struck a police cruiser on a Connecticut highway, though no one was hurt.

The special crash investigation unit of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is looking into the California crash. The agency hasn’t decided whether its special-crash unit will review the crash that occurred Sunday near Terre Haute, Indiana. In both cases, authorities have yet to determine whether Tesla’s Autopilot system was being used.

NHTSA also is investigating the Connecticut crash, in which the driver told police that the car was operating on Autopilot, a Tesla system designed to keep a car in its lane and a safe distance from other vehicles.

Autopilot also can change lanes on its own.

Tesla has said repeatedly that its Autopilot system is designed only to assist drivers, who must still pay attention and be ready to intervene at all times. The company contends that Teslas with Autopilot are safer than vehicles without it, but cautions that the system does not prevent all crashes.

Even so, experts and safety advocates say a string of Tesla crashes raises serious questions about whether drivers have become too reliant on Tesla’s technology and whether the company does enough to ensure that drivers keep paying attention. Some critics have said

Tesla 3.

it’s past time for NHTSA to stop investigating and to take action, such as forcing Tesla to make sure drivers pay attention when the system is being used.

NHTSA has started investigations into 13 Tesla crashes dating to at least 2016 in which the agency believes Autopilot was operating.

The agency has yet to issue any regulations, though it is studying how it should evaluate similar “advanced driver assist” systems.

“At some point, the question becomes: How much evidence is needed to determine that the way this technology is being used is unsafe?” said Jason Levine, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety in Washington. “In this instance, hopefully these tragedies will not be in vain and will lead to something more than an investigation by NHTSA.” Levine and others have called on the agency to require Tesla to limit the use of Autopilot to mainly fourlane divided highways without cross traffic. They also want Tesla to install a better system to monitor drivers to make sure they’re paying attention all the time. Tesla’s system requires drivers to place their hands on the steering wheel. But federal investigators have found that this system lets drivers zone out for too long.

Tesla plans to use the same cameras and radar sensors, though with a more powerful computer, in its fully self-driving vehicles.

Critics question whether those cars will be able to drive themselves safely without putting other motorists in danger.

Doubts about Tesla’s Autopilot system have long

persisted. In September, the National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates transportation accidents, issued a report saying that a design flaw in Autopilot and driver inattention combined to cause a Tesla Model S to slam into a firetruck parked along a Los Angeles-area freeway in January 2018. The board determined that the driver was overly reliant on the system and that Autopilot’s design let him disengage from driving for too long.

In addition to the deaths on Sunday night, three U.S. fatal crashes since 2016 — two in Florida and one in Silicon Valley — involved vehicles using Autopilot.

David Friedman, vice president of advocacy for Consumer Reports and a former acting NHTSA administrator, said the agency should have declared Autopilot defective and sought a recall after a 2016 crash in Florida that killed a driver.

Neither Tesla’s system nor the driver had braked before the car went underneath a semi-trailer that had turned in front of the car.

“We don’t need any more people getting hurt for us to know that there is a problem and that Tesla and NHTSA have failed to address it,” Friedman said.

In addition to NHTSA, states can regulate autonomous vehicles, though many have decided they want to encourage testing.

In a statement, NHTSA said it relies on data to make decisions, and if it finds any vehicle poses an unreasonable safety risk, “the agency will not hesitate to take action.” NHTSA also has said it doesn’t want to stand in the way of technology given its life-saving potential.

VOL. XXVIII No. 1

FRIDAY JANUARY 10, 2020 25

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Huff and Sasicha ring in the New Year with wins at Plantation Wednesday, January 1st Plantation GC Rainbow The Billabong regulars started the New Year as they mean to carry on, having an enjoyable day’s golf. The day started at 9 am and concluded late in the evening, for Todd Givens wanted to celebrate the birthday today of his wife, Nok, in style and magnanimously paid the fees for 58 golfers to play at the Plantation Golf Club followed by a candle lit presentation in the evening of a beautifully decorated birthday cake.

But the day started at 9 am at the Billabong with, what is an excuse to cure New Year’s Day hangovers, a Bloody Mary or two, kindly donated by Paul Greenaway and Richard Steadman. You do not get the impression

Monday, December 30th Crystal Bay C & A 1st Michael Brett (17) 43 points 2nd Les Humphreys (26) 36 points 3rd Andy Gray (27) 35 points 4thDaveAshman(22)34points Near pins Geoff Parker, Jimmy Carr, & Michael Brett X 2.

Life is full of surprise and on Monday the Bunker Boys had a very pleasant one. Our last game of the year was scheduled for Crystal Bay and expectations were low as the course was in poor shape for our last visit some months ago. As we drove into the course it looked very busy with groups on just about all tees and greens so the prospect of a slow game was in store. As it turned out once we got started the speed of play was ok and to our great surprise the course was in much better shape than expected. Whilst the fairways were dry and brown there was a decent covering of grass with very few bare patches, the greens were in excellent shape, lush green and running true if slightly on the slow side, probably due to the fact they were overwatered.

A field of eighteen, decent under the circumstance, was on hand and overall the standard of play was ok.

Following a poor start with only a point on each of the first two holes Monday’s winner, Michael Brett finally got going and put together his best round for some time, a round that included three four-pointers for a score of forty-three points.

Following his first visit to the winner’s circle last Friday, Les Humphreys improved on his previous best score by one stroke to take second on thirty-six. Andy Gray started off his week well with a third placing on thirty-five points while Dave Ashman brought up the rear

Nok and Todd celebrate Todd’s birthday 22 ladies, still in a festive mood, dressed in red tops and white with the Growling Swan. skirts/shorts looking beautiful and elegant.

that everyone was taking this round of golf at the difficult Plantation course seriously?

The course is in fantastic condition although the greens resembled putting on a sheet of glass. To add a little spice to the day’s activities

on a course where most of those competing are unfamiliar, it was decided that we would have a Rainbow competition. Thanks to Capt. Bob and I hope his sense of humour is a little more forgiving during the year.

22 ladies today, still in a festive mood, dressed in red tops and white skirts/shorts looking beautiful and elegant standing on the 1st tee. Pineapple and Sugar Cain today and it appears from the scores that Pineapple

caused the most problems, although neither are easy.

In the ladies competition Miss Koi (18) had a net 77 to finish 3rd although 3 shots behind Miss Paeng (17) in 2nd. The honours went to a familiar face on the

Life is full of surprise PSC Bunker Boys Golf

Golfer of the Month Ken Davidson receives trophy from Jimmy Carr.

with thirty-four points. All the big guns, i.e. Colin Greig, Phil Mashiter, Jimmy Carr, Les, Cobban, and Geoff Parker, failed to perform and were placed down the ranks.

Near pins went to Jimmy Carr and two to Michael Brett, one within a whisker of an ace.

As it was the last game of the month and the year it was once again time to find the golfer of the month and we didn’t have far to look. Ken Davidson, who has been in sparkling form recently, won by a veritable country mile and also racked up one of the highest winning monthly scores this year, well done Ken. Back at Woody’s Bar, the festive spirit was alive and well with the bell getting a serious workout.

New Year’s Day Mountain Shadow 1st Peter Kelly (13) 34 points 2nd Mashi Kaneta (17) 33 points 3rd Michael Brett (15) 33 points

Near pins Colin Greig & Andy Gray.

Surprisingly eight golfers who didn’t overdo New Year celebrations turned out for the first round of the New Year at Mountain Shadow.

The course was virtually empty so no pressure and with only two groups the pace of play was leisurely.

Mountain Shadow is not an easy course at the best of times and with a strong wind blowing occasionally up to two and a half clubs worth scoring was particularly difficult today. Top of the list was Peter Kelly with thirty-four points. A rare visit from Mashi Kaneta saw him take second place on countback from Michael Brett, both on thirty-three.

Only two near pins to Andy Gray and Colin Greig.

Friday, January 3rd Wangjuntr Valley 1st Roland Davison (12) 25 points

2nd Phil Mashiter (4) 25 points 3rd Ken Elmore (19) 23 points 4th Robby Watts (9) 22 points Near pins Keith Norman, Andy Gray, Ken Elmore, Phil Mashiter, & Michael Brett.

In life people often follow one mistake with another, on Friday the Bunker Boys collectively made three all at once. The first mistake was to play the Wangjuntr Valley course. With long narrow fairways, hidden traps everywhere and some ridiculously difficult greens, this has to be the most challenging course in Thailand.

The second mistake was to play from the blue tees in line with Bunker Boys rule to play nearest tees to six and a half thousand yards.

Those that had played the course previously should have known better, it was a first time experience for most. The third mistake was not to take a cart. With some very steep climbs and long green to tee distances in some places this is definitely not a walking course and by the end, those that walked were exhausted and just wanted to get off the course.

All of the above conspired to produce embarrassingly low scores with nobody managing to master to course.

Newcomer Roland Davison took first place with twentyfive points on countback from Phil Mashiter. Newlywed Ken Elmore on his first game back took third with twenty-three whilst Robby Watts won’t have been pleased to take the last place with twenty-two.

Unusually there were five par threes and a near pin was taken on all of them, some not so near but on the putting surface nevertheless. Keith Norman, Andy

Newlywed Ken Elmore.

Gray, Ken Elmore, Phil Mashiter and Michael Brett all got one each. There will be no queue forming anytime soon for a return visit.

In the rearview mirror As we enter a new year and a new decade it is timely to look back and reflect on the year that’s been. It began in dramatic fashion for the Bunker Boys with the shock announcement that out host and organiser in chief Neil Carter was leaving Thailand and returning to his native Canada with his family leaving us homeless. Neil did a fantastic job, working tirelessly in the background promoting the society through electronic media and other means and organising the daily playing rosters and transport as well as away trips and big events such as the Memorial and Club Championships. We owe Neil a huge debt of gratitude and look forward to welcoming him back to the club sometime in the future.

Once the shock of being homeless again subsided it was time to find a new home and of all the options available to us Woody’s Bar was by far the best bar and in the best location. We are in debt to Dave Ashman for

podium, Miss Sasicha (17) with a creditable net 73.

The low gross went to Miss Na (10) with 87, bucking the trend with a better score on Pineapple.

As expected the men were not as co-ordinated as the ladies and you are left wondering if they had dressed in the dark.

Tony Oakes (10) occupied 3rd place with a net 71 two shots behind Tony Givens (6) with a net 69. Way out in front having the round of his life was Peter Huff (28) with a net 62.

The low gross went to Tony Pike (1) with a great 74.

Nearest the pins went to Miss Ked, John Locke, Steve Bickell, Jeff North and Paulie O’Mahoney.

So it was back to the Billabong for a plentiful buffet and some cold ones to replenish the energy lost with the day’s activities. suggesting it and to Paul and Steve Wood for welcoming us into their bar and making us feel right at home straight away.

2019 was a challenging year both for golf societies and golf courses with economic issues weighing heavily on both. Several societies had no golf for months during the low season. As usual, we lost some members through natural attrition but also gained some new members and managed to keep our numbers in double figures through the low season.

Throughout the year one hundred and forty-three golfers from twenty-one countries played with the Bunker Boys over twentyeight different courses in one hundred and fifty-eight rounds. We undertook away trips to Khao Yai, Hua Hin, Soi Dao, and Kabinburi.

Jimmy Carr topped the list of most games played with one hundred and fifty-eight, which was every game played, and also topped the list of most games won with seventeen. Michael Brett had the most near pins with sixty-five. Robby Watts won the most golfer of the month trophies with four and also became our new club champion for the second time in three years.

We are in debt to all those who freely give of their time and talents to make the Bunker Boys the friendly nonprofit golf society that it remains, possibly the only one in Pattaya. In particular, we should give thanks to Tony Robbins who manages our playing roster and finances, Jimmy Carr who runs the daily golf playing groups and transport, Geoff Parker for the most comprehensive statistic of any society, Daryl Vernon for managing our Facebook account and of course Dougie who maintains our website.

Finally, time to wish golfers everywhere a Happy New Year, and don’t forget to keep your head down and swing easy.

26 FRIDAY JANUARY 10, 2020

PATTAYA MAIL

VOL. XXVIII No. 1

Growling Swan welcomed Paul Asimus, then watched him win the day PSC Growling Swan Golf, played out of “Bogey’s Bar & Grill” Monday, December 30 Eastern Star G.C. Stableford Unfortunately not a large field nine starters was what we had for Monday’s event.

Eastern Star, the course of choice for the day, was a little dry in places but all in was in good nic, as it generally is.

Talking to other golfing outlets we are not on our own when it comes to lack of numbers as many or most are suffering through this high season.

Monday’s numbers saw us finish with 3 on the podium (2 prizes) and again the lack of numbers allowed only 4 near pins.

Monday’s game was taken out by new comer Paul

Asimus returning with thirty seven points which put him three shots clear of Keith Buchanan. Third home was Steve younger, a solitary shot in arrears of Keith.

Winners from Eastern Star G.C. 1st Paul Asimus (14) 37 pts.

2nd Keith Buchanan (13) 34 pts.

3rd Steve Younger (13) 33 pts.

Nearest the pin: 3 Martin Kempton, 6 no takers, 14 no takers, and 17 Martin Kempton.

Four of seven return 37 points Thursday, January 2 Greenwood G.C. Stableford Four out of seven all returned 37 points. The other

(L to R) Monday’s winner Paul Asimus (L to R) Peter Grey & Mark Stapleton, and Kevin Kennedy.

Thursday’s runner up.

three were in it till the end.

With three pullouts overnight we were left with a disappointing seven golfers.

For the seven that did play, thank you, I hope you enjoyed

the day as much as I did.

As for Greenwood, there’s not much you can say about this course. In the Growling Swan’s belief, this is a great course that is enjoyable to

play. As always, course was in great condition and one would have thought that it could have been on the dry side, but they have kept the water up to it.

With our numbers we played only the one division and for the novelties we played near pin on the four par 3s. There were no long putts.

Unbelievable but true with the field of seven we had 4 golfers all tie on 35 points, then 1 golfer on 34 points, 1 on 30 points, and in last past the post had a score of 27.

Pretty close, so those who did not play you missed what was a good day of golf.

1st Bernie McCart (18) 40 pts.

2nd Mark Stapleton (34) 35 pts.

3rd & 4th Volker Buley & Keith Buchanan 35 pts.

Near the pins: A2 (Nobody), A6 Peter Bye, B2 Volker Buley, and B5 Peter Bye.

Paul Smith roars around Pattavia PSC Pattaya Links Golf Society Wednesday, Jan. 1 Pattavia Stableford The one thing that golfers almost always say about Pattavia Century is that the course is in good to excellent condition.

Bearing in mind there has not been much rain around, the ground staff have kept up the standard and, even though the rough is browning, the fairways are green and nice to play from. The greens now are much tamer than past times but still present a challenge on the downhill putt, as many who three putted found out.

After two no-shows, who indicated they would get to the course themselves, but didn’t, a quick rearrangement of groups was done and thirty golfers set off in much the same weather as per the past week or so.

Rick Pope wore the Green Jacket with a good win on Xmas Day and carried that form into Wednesday with 36 points to win the B flight, but had to survive a countback over Niall Caven who has found some form again.

Third place went to Derek Phillips with his score of 34 points, winning a three way countback.

When you have a low, single figure handicap, as Paul Smith does, you can’t afford many mistakes. Paul’s gross score of 71 suggests that he made few, if any Wednesday. That equated to 41 Stableford points and the win in A flight.

Phil Davies has been back in form the past few games and has done well again to score 37 points to take second spot.

Peter Lacey played his first game at Links at the start of December and has played so well that his handicap has gone from 16 to 14 in that short time. He was there again today with a good score of 36 points, winning third place on countback.

Near pins: Mike Firkin (4), Lachlan Gotz (7), Jim Ferris (13), David Dunne (17).

A Flight (0-15) 1stPlace–PaulSmith(4)-41pts 2nd Place – Phil Davies (14) - 37 pts 3rd Place – Peter Lacey (14) - 36 pts c/back B Flight (16+) 1st Place – Rick Pope (21) – 36 pts c/back 2nd Place – Niall Caven (23) - 36 pts 3rd Place – Derek Phillips (16) - 34 pts c/back Best Front Nine (non-winners) – Kevin LaBar - 18 pts

Paul Smith didn’t return to Links to wear the Green Jacket, so we have dragged out a photo from one of his other Green Jacket occasions.

Best Back Nine (non-winners) – Bill Copeland - 20 pts At presentations, Phil regaled those present with the story of ‘Jam Boy” from the time of the British Raj in India.

This was due to Rana Gurnam telling stories on the tee boxes during the round. He was in line for the ‘silly hat’ but Phil decided that there would be no ‘silly hat’ or ‘wig’, New Year and all that.

Welsh Triple Crown at Khao Kheow Friday, Jan. 3 Khao Kheow A+B Stableford The first week of 2020 ended with a PLGS flourish at Khao Kheow when 53 golfers played a Stableford

competition on the A and B nines, in three flights divided at fourteen, 19 and above.

Khao Kheow was/is in excellent condition with fairways dry enough to give a lot of run and the greens were the best many old hands could remember. In a word they were magnificent. Consistent and quick, all the golfer needed to do was set the ball rolling on the chosen line. We’ve not seen greens like that for many a long day.

A strong wind made the golf challenging and scores were typical of Khao Kheow, not excessive and thoroughly well-earned.

In a rare golfing moment the results saw a trio of worthy

Celts tie down the top flight places. In the top flight Phil Davies took first place with 36 points, heading Americans Peter Lacey (34cb) and Aaron Spengler (34).

In the third flight Len Jones took the flight with 37 points, ahead of Helene Lindberg (33) and the other half of the Swedish pair, husband Mikael, with 31 points.

The second flight had the best score of the day, 39 points and the Gallic trio was complete when Colin Smith returned his Green Jacket winning card.

In second place was Shabir Hussein (36), impressing in his first week with the group and another Welshman, Willy Brown took third with 34 points.

Near-pins were won by Bill Copeland, Peter Lacey (2), Stuart Thompson, Tony Leng, Dave Arataki, Jamie Booterbaugh and Mikael Lindberg who came within three inches of his second “ace” on the short A5. His relief was obvious when he realised, with 53 golfers out, it would have cost him an arm and a leg had the ball rolled in!

Consolation awards went to Mark Johnstone for his best front nine score of 19 points, and to Dave Robinson for

his identical effort on the back nine.

A Flight (0-14) 1st Place – Phil Davies (14) - 36 pts 2nd Place – Peter Lacey (14) - 34 pts c/back 3rd Place – Aaron Spengler (13) - 34 pts B Flight (15-19) 1st Place – Colin Smith (15) – 39 pts 2nd Place – Shabir Hussein (15) - 36 pts 3rd Place – Will Brown (15) - 34 pts C Flight (20+) 1st Place – Len Jones (30) 37 pts 2nd Place – Helene Lindberg (20) - 33 pts 3rd Place – Mikael Lindberg (23) - 31 pts c/back Best Front Nine C (non-winners) Mark Johnstone 19 pts Best Back Nine A (non-winners) Dave Robinson 19 pts Jamie Booterbaugh received the “silly hat” for a nine hole total of six points whilst Dave Rodrigues wore the “wig” which Mr. Phil suggested, certainly made him a “hansum man”. His low score certainly didn’t!

2020 had started in memorable fashion and in the words of the three winners today PLGS wishes everyone “Blwyddyn Newydd Dda”!

VOL. XXVIII No. 1

FRIDAY JANUARY 10, 2020 27

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Surprise, surprise at Pattaya Country Club PSC Cafe Kronborg Golf Monday, December 30 Pattaya Country Club Stableford Cafe Kronborg golfers visited Pattaya Country Club on Monday. Not expecting to find this golf course in the best of condition we were pleasantly surprised to find that it was and as some members of our group said, “This

is the best condition this course has ever been in.”

Not sure what has been going on here but the course was extremely well presented - none of the usual moans and groans and even the old ropey 16th green looked like the surface of a pool table.

Somebody or some bodies know what they are doing here and the reputation of

Thiery Petrement beats handicap, wins at Burapha PSC Billabong golf Friday, Jan. 3 Burapha A and B Stableford The Billabong group played Burapha A and B loops on Friday and they are in beautiful condition with greens that were fast but still holding, the fairways were like hitting off carpet, the lies were just fantastic, but the rough is still rough and any wayward shot was punished, but still a great course to play.

With only three groups playing, due to the day at Plantation on Wednesday I

think took its toll, some of the oldies like Captain Cripple couldn’t walk so gave this day a miss.

Dave O’Brien, a visitor from Dubbo in Australia in the heart of the bush fires in NSW, took third place with 33 points. Coming in second was Steve Dodd just back from enjoying his Xmas with his 94 year old dad scored 34 points, and taking the top spot was one of the French connection, Thiery Petrement, scoring 39 points.

There were no twos recorded.

this course has in our view been substantially enhanced - “We (I) shall return”.

In spite of the excellent condition nobody beat the course apart from the youthful Graham Buckingham who pillaged the B Flight with his 37 points from the ladies tees - oops - sorry the silver tees leaving the old fogies to scrap over the minor places.

C’est la vie - T.I.T. RichardKubickiadmirablywon the A Flight with his 35 points - playing from the men’s tees.

A Flight (0-21) 1stRichardKubicki(12)35points 2nd Andre Van Dyk (14) 33 points

3rd Brian Gabe (18) 31 points B Flight (22+) 1st Graham Buckingham (27) 37 points 2nd Daryl Evans (23) 33 points 3rd Tiziano Dal Pastro (25) 28 points Eastern delights for the few

Thursday 2nd January 2020 Eastern Star Stableford Cafe Kronborg golfers went to Eastern Star on Thursday, a course we have not visited for many a year.

Due to the New Year festivities and family travel arJan Lovgreen on the left with Rob Brown.

Richard Kubicki on the right with Graham Buckingham.

rangements, we were a small band of brothers with our two sisters, but that did not detract from our enjoyment of this well presented golf course. Before leaving we again referred to the words of General MacArthur.

Due to the adaptability of modern technology we were able to invite our retired organiser Dave Richardson - who now resides in the USA - to join in our winners

presentation photograph.

Well done Dave - we miss you!

With only one flight today our winners were: 1st Jan Lovgreen (26) 37 points 2nd Rob Brown (8) 36 points 3rd Tiziano Dal Pastro (25) 34 points 4th Peter Hammond (31) 34 points 5th Henning Olsen (20) 34 points

10 - 22 Jan. 2020

DATE:

SAT 10

SUN 11

MON 12

TUE 13

WED 14

THU 15

FRI 16

SAT 17

SUN 18

MON 19

TUE 20

Green Valley

Greenwood

WED 21

THU 22

East. Star

Greenwood

Apple’s Irish Bunker Boys

Pattavia

Crystal Bay

Cafe Kronborg Colin’s Golf

Pleas. Vallry Pattavia

Parichat

Treasure Hill Treasure Hill

Green Valley Crystal Bay

Growling Swan Harry’s Golf

Bangpra

R. Lakeside Tropical Golf

Pleas. Vallry Pattavia

Pattaya CC

Treasure Hill Pattaya CC

Pattavia

I Rovers Lekatai

Pleas. Valley

Greenwood

East. Star

Treasure Hill

Crystal Bay

Pattavia

Plutaluang Pleas. Valley

Greenwood Mt. Shadow

Lewiinski’s The Links Retox Game On Bar

P.Valley/ R.Lakeside

Greenwood

K.Kheow/Mt.Shadow

Siam Country Resort

Sugar Shack Stay Sharp

Green Valley Pattavia/C.Bay

G.wood/Pattana

Treasure Hill Khao Kheow East. Star

Silky Oak

Khao Kheow E. Star/Plutaluang

Emerald Supaprueak

King Naga Treasure Hill

P.Valley/Bangpakong

Bangpra

Bangpakong Greenwood

Pattavia Pattavia/Mt.Shadow

Pleas. Valley Greenwood

Emerald

Plutaluang

Khao Keow Pleas. Valley Greenwood

Pattavia

Pleas. Valley

The Golf Club Tropical Golf Valley View Hackers

Plutaluang

Bangpakong

28 FRIDAY JANUARY 10, 2020

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VOL. XXVIII No. 1

PSC bowlers win the HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Trophy Charity fundraiser organized by the Rotary Club of Plutaluang From page 32

Peter Malhotra President of the Pattaya Sports Club and Past District Governor of Rotary District 3340 poses with the champion PSC bowlers.

The 48,000 baht in proceeds from applications fees, plus any individual donations will go to the Khao Baisri Special Education Centre for disabled kids in Plutaluang and other educational institutions.

The Pattaya Sports Club bowling team won the coveted HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Trophy, with Lions Club members placing second, the Korn Team third and Regional Naval Headquarters 2 fourth.

The men’s individual winners were, in order, K.L. from the Blue Shop Team, K.J. from the Blue Shop, K. Reuangsak, and K. Moo from the ABT Team.

Top women’s winners were Neungruthai from the Jotun 2 Team, Nutch from the ABT Team, Mor from the Blue Shop Team and Nok from the PSC Team.

Results of Family teams winning trophies were, 1.

Rotary Pattaya Marina team, 2. Pattaya Team, and 3. Tom Team.

President Capt. Dol Adinan (right) of the Rotary Club of Plutaluang poses with President Michel Roche (2nd right) of the Rotary Club Pattaya Marina who led his winning team in the Family category.

Bowling for charity is fun for the whole family.

Golfing out the old year, in with the new PSC Golf from Siam Country Resort Pattaya Everyone is a winner at charity fundraiser events.

Colm Lawlor wins last Monthly Mug for 2019 PSC Growling Swan Golf played out of “Bogey’s Bar & Grill” Thursday, December 26 Pattavia G.C. Stroke Colm Lawlor took the game on and beat it, coming out with “The December Monthly Mug” with 64 net.

What a great turn out. 20 golfers were set to contest the last Monthly Mug for 2019! It is a shame that there could not be more than one winner.

Pattavia was the venue for Thursday’s epic event. As per usual the course was in very good condition. The only problem that we faced was the inability to get the start organized, it was like a scene from comedy capers.

Away from that the day was good, the weather was good and the course was in great condition.

Twenty golfers allowed us to play two flights with 3 placings in each. And as we like to do, all novelties were in play.

Well it was Colm Lawlor who took out A Flight with a

(L to R) Mug winner Colm Lawlor with Nat Rukkid and Paul Reeves.

good score of net 64. Second home was Nat Rukkid with net 67 and third past the post was Bill Steinmann with a score of net 69.

B Flight was taken out by Paul Reeves (his first podium finish with us). Paul had a net score of 70. Second place went to Don Richardson only one shot from the pace. Third and final spot went to a surprised Bernie McCart with net 76.

Merry Xmas all hoping you have had a good Xmas & let’s make sure that 2020 is a better year than 2019!

Winners from Pattaya CC. & Monthly Mug Winner A Flight 1st Colm Lawlor (16) 64 net 2nd Nat Rukkid (15) 67 net 3rd Bill Steinmann (10) 69 net B Flight 1st Paul Reeves (25) 70 net 2nd Don Richardson (20) 71 net 3rd Bernie McCart (29) 76 net Near pins: 4th Bill Steinmann, 7th Mike Wright, 13th John Doyle, and 17th Nat Rukkid.

Longest first putt: #9 Denis Steele and #18 John Doyle.

Tuesday, December 31 Pattaya Country Club Stableford On Tuesday December 31 golfers from Siam Country Resort Pattaya closed the golf year at Pattaya Country Club. After some hassle about using PSC vouchers, we had a quick start.

We played in 3 groups and had a good mix of handicaps. It was a very nice day with sun a good breeze.

The course was in good condition with good fairways and fast greens. It promised to be a day with high scores, but the wind didn’t make it easy for us. We had an exciting fight between Stan Rees and Willem Lasonder. Stan had a very good front nine and Willem came back on the back nine, but he lost the control on the last par 3. Stan Rees won with 37 Stableford points and Willem was second with 36 Stableford points. Patrick Devereux finished third with 32 Stableford points.

The near pins were won by Willem Lasonder and Dave Smith.

Thursday, January 2 Pattavia - Stableford We opened the new year on Thursday 2nd January 2020 at Pattavia where we again played in 3 groups. The course was in very good condition, except for

Paddy, Stan & Willem.

Stan, Allan & Dave.

the bunkers. It was a nice sunny day again with a strong breeze.

Allan Cassin was the most consistent player on Thursday, coming in with 38 Stableford points. Dave Smith just 1 shot

behind him in second. Stan Smith came in third with 34 Stableford points.

The near pins went to Allan Cassin, Stephen Ford and Bob Edwards.

VOL. XXVIII No. 1

Associations & Clubs The next meetings of Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC) will be held on Sunday, January 12 & 19 2020. 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.

Bromsgrove - SATCC Multi-Chamber Eastern Seaboard Networking Bromsgrove International School and SATCC, in cooperation with AMCHAM, AustCham, BeLuThai, CanCham, GTCC, NTCC, and BCCT cordially invites you to Multi-Chambers Eastern Seaboard Networking on Friday 17 January 2020 at 18.0021.00 hrs at the Intercontinental Pattaya. Cost: THB 600 for SATCC/participating chambers and THB 1,200 for non-members.

Price includes food and a free flow of soft drinks, beer and wine. Booking: Email comms.satcc@ gmail.com.

Sponsorship - BCCT Annual General Meeting Luncheon British Chamber of Commerce Thailand is seeking

PATTAYA MAIL

multiple co-sponsorship for BCCT Annual General Meeting Luncheon on “Thailand in the Early 2020s: Prospects for Politics and Economics Growth” on Thursday 30 January at Shangri-La Hotel. Speakers are Dr. Thitinan Pongsudhirak and Dr. Pavida Pananond. The luncheon will start after the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The fee for multiple co-sponsorship is at THB 10,000 plus VAT each. If you are interested to become this event sponsor, please email rungjit@bccthai.com or call +66(0)2-651-5350 - as soon as possible.

The Eastern Seaboard Businessmen’s Dinner is a monthly event taking place 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 Rotary Club of Pattaya (Thai-English) meets at the Royal Cliff Grand Hotel on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month. Meetings begin at 19.00 hrs. President Stephen Devereux Email: stevecarlow@gmail.com

Rotary Club Phönix Pattaya (German) meets every Tuesday at the Holiday Inn Pattaya at 19.00 hrs. President Dieter Barth Email: dieter.barth@rotaryphoenix-pattaya.org Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya (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 Joachim Klemm Email: jo.klemm53@gmail.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 Dieter Reigber Email: dieter.reigber@t-online.de 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

Games, road closures planned for Pattaya Children’s Day PCPR At least nine games and activities are planned for Pattaya’s official Children’s Day celebration Jan. 11.

Deputy Mayor Banlue Kullavanijaya chaired a New Year’s Day planning meeting for the event themed, “Thai children must uphold unity and be responsible citizens”.

The city hall event will host booths from private organizations with various games, exhibition booths including a “garbage free” base station, boomerang, ring toss, “rapid ice”, “comets”, “unstoppable lorry”, dancing roulette, “golden goal” and basketball.

Kids everywhere are looking forward to Pattaya Children’s Day on Saturday, Jan. 11.

Up to 2,600 children can register from 8 a.m. to noon Jan. 11 to receive wristbands allowing them access to the fair and chances to win

prizes in raffle drawings.

Traffic will be closed on North Road from the Prinya to Phettrakul intersections from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

FRIDAY JANUARY 10, 2020 29

Rotary pour changer des vies. Michel Roche Président Email: mmproche@gmail.com

Community Services 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 08-456-31-671. The Good Morning Pattaya Group meets 9 a.m. every morning. All meetings are ‘open’: contact 080 563 0232. 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.

9.00 a.m. meetings every day at Satree Pattana Centre on Soi Skaw Beach off Second Road. Call 080 563 0232.

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.

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 Overeaters Anonymous - The ‘Up to You’ group meets Wednesdays 9:3010:30 a.m. in the housing area just behind Pan Restaurant in Jomtien on Thappraya Road. Call Steve at 038-364-207(h) or 089-250-1359 (cell) for directions or more information.

Post 12146 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States of America (Ban Chang – UTapao, 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 <banchang vfw12146membership@gmail .com> or visit website: www.banchangvfwpost12146.org.

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 chonburi.secretary@rbl. community.

Samaritans of Thailand English Help Line operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide support to the expatriate community.

English-speaking staff, trained in crisis intervention will provide active, nonjudgmental and empathetic listening services on the phone. All calls will be handled on an anonymous basis and are free of charge. (02) 713-6791.

Dining & Entertainment Flare restaurant, Hilton Pattaya presents a wide selection of Chinese menus Continued on page 27

30 FRIDAY JANUARY 10, 2020

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VOL. XXVIII No. 1

Xmas with Henry VIII’s turkey It was 1526 AD when Henry VIII, not known for dieting, sat down with one of his several wives and tucked into turkey. What had this innocuous bird, whose fame before this time amounted to being able to say gobble, gobble, gobble, had done wrong? And was Henry’s turkey the forerunner of Sesame Street’s Big Bird character?

The reason why we eat turkey at Xmas is actually quite practical. Xmas has been the excuse for large dinners with

family and friends and so the overworked cook had to find some beast large enough to feed the horde.

The farmyard would have to sacrifice something and it would have to be large. The next factors in the chase to fill Henry’s ample girth were milk and eggs, all of which had usefulness all year round and so not so suitable as a special dinner.

The queue formed behind the boar, the goose and peacocks. Which one would draw the short straw?

A large plate of pasta.

Forgive me while I gobble, gobble, gobble.

Practicality dictated the gobbler, and so the plan was hatched and axes sharpened. The turkey became the fall guy.

By the time it was 1621, the Pilgrim Fathers felt a celebration was in order and once more the turkey was lined up for the chop. America had wild turkeys and so the tradition of the Thanksgiving sacrifice began. And turkeys became paranoid.

Some centuries after H VIII, the turkey tradition found its way to Pattaya and we

descended on Yupin’s restaurant in the Jomtien Complex to sample her take on the British tradition. Being the practical lady that she is, extra turkeys were ordered to keep the Xmas memories into January, allowing people like me who missed the December 25 celebration to enjoy it on the following weeks.

Remembering that the turkey dinner was designed to feed a horde, Yupin divides the turkey into white and dark meat and then piles on the trimmings. Brussels

sprouts (perhaps excluded next year after Brexit) were there, plus green peas and snow peas and a novel breadcrumb dish with raisins and cauliflower. Two gravy boats, with one being the traditional cranberry sauce and all at B. 450. Yupin’s turkey is definitely recommended, but stocks are naturally limited.

I sat and slowly enjoyed the (post) Xmas dinner, washed down with Quincho, an interesting Chilean red (after giving it time to breathe). And at B. 795, a most inexpensive tipple.

time), and steaks, as ordered by two of the team, were excellent and cooked to order.

A perennial favorite is the NZ lamb at B. 495 and Argentine fillet beef is B. 595 for 200 gm.

European main courses range from B. 310-495, Thai items around B. 210.

The excellence of the total dining experience keeps this restaurant at the top of our list. We are confident you will not be disappointed.

Yupins, 413/42 Jomtien Complex, Thappraya Road.

Parking inside the complex, or plenty street-side (best

200 grams of tender beef.

Yupins continues to amaze with high quality food at very reasonable prices. Little things such as the Himalayan pink salt grinder show the depth of quality and thought to be found in Yupin’s. The menu is also photographic and easily perused. And spend some time with the décor and its amusing theatrical masks.

What did we choose? The sizzling garlic prawns (B. 320 we end up ordering every

suggestion). Be aware that the top end of Thappraya is a favorite spot for police checkpoints. For those who travel with GPS, the coordinates are 12.901719, 100.869066 (not that you really need coordinates to find Thappraya Road). Open six days 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. closed Wednesday. www. yupins.com, telephone 038 250 394 (definitely best to book - it was packed on the night we did the review).

Read more news at pattayamail.com

VOL. XXVIII No. 1

FRIDAY JANUARY 10, 2020 31

PATTAYA MAIL

From page 25

featuring premium ingredients fresh from the sea throughout January to March 2020. 1-Kilogram Phuket Lobster in Spicy XO Sauce: Experience authentic tastes including ‘1Kilogram Phuket Lobster’ in spicy XO sauce or with salt and pepper at THB 2,850 nett, ‘Jumbo Tiger Prawn’ deep fried with panang curry or baked with Shanghai sauce at THB 1,550 nett and ‘Black Sea Crab’ baked with Chinese black bean or wok fried with Singapore chili sauce at THB 1,250 nett. Jumbo Tiger Prawn with Shanghai Sauce: In addition, other Chinese menus are also available including ‘Braised Abalone in Superior Stock’ with bok choy and mushroom at THB 650 nett, ‘Cantonese Chow Mein’ with tiger prawn at THB 450 nett and ‘Yeung Chow Fried Rice’ with seafood at THB 450 nett. Flare restaurant is located on level 15 of Hilton Pattaya and opens every day from 6pm to 10.30pm. For more information or reservations, please call +66 (0) 38 253 000 or LINE ID

@hiltonpattaya or BKKHP _FB@hilton.com New Delicacies at Pan Pan San Domenico: Italian Antipasto: Parma Ham, Salame, Milano, Hot Salame, Mortadella, Olives, Mozzarella & Bell Peppers. Served with hot, crispy pizza bread. 580 Baht.

Highly Recommended.

Must Try! Black Spaghetti Seafood Ki Mao: With Prawns, Cherry Tomatoes, Chilly & Squids.

395 Baht. A must for spicy food lovers! Saeb-e-lee!

Pan Pan San Domenico, Jomtien Pattaya, 038 251 874, 084-345 1717. Pan Pan Italia Restaurant, Na Jomtien Sattahip, 038 237

Creamy Prawn Pasta Pasta is always a good dish to prepare when entertaining.

A central large bowl with the special pasta spoon (you do have one?) can be used as a main course, or as an entree.

You can substitute the prawns with crab or even a white meat fish. Do not overcook the prawns as it makes them rubbery.

Ingredients Uncooked pasta Cooked small prawns Onion, chopped Flour Pepper Worcestershire sauce Fresh parsley chopped Sliced mushrooms Parmesan cheese Butter Minced garlic Salt Milk Swiss cheese shredded

Serves 4-6 200 gm 500 gm 1 small ¼ cup ¼ tspn 1tspn 4 tbspns 100 gm 4 tbspns 2 tbspns 1 clove ¼ tspn 2 cups 60 gm

Cooking Method Wash pasta, drain and then cook to al dente. Drain again, rinse in hot water and keep warm. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat, add onion and garlic; cook until tender. Add flour, salt and pepper; cook and stir until smooth and bubbly. Gradually add milk and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Add parsley, Swiss cheese and mushrooms; cook and stir until cheese melts. Stir in prawns; cook until thoroughly heated. Spoon over cooked pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

880, 065-570 7836. Pan Pan Cafe Bar, Terminal 21, Pattaya, Tel. 086-392 3288 The Oasis Restaurant and Poolside of the Thai Garden Resort 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 nett per adult. 299 baht for children under 12. (Kids under 4-years old eat free). 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.

Special Turkey Dinner at Yupins. A popular request since Christmas is “have you any turkey dinners left?” And it so happens that Yupin does. And Christmas Pudding. Available until they’re sold out.

Come and enjoy. Don’t forget to book. An amazing experience! Only 450 baht. And a quick reminder that your favourite Oysters from Normandy are now arriving every Friday fresh the same day. Try them! For reservations, call 038 250394 or visit website: www.yupins.com

Hobbies 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.

Rest & Recreation The Rotary Club of Plutaluang is inviting members and guests to take selfies, and appreciate nature in a three-day trip to Malaysia next month.

Club President Dol Adinan said the three-day, twonight excursion will visit Kuala Lumpur, the Genting casino and shopping complex and the Cameron highlands Jan. 31 - Feb. 2. The cost of the tour,

including airfare is 14,000 baht, excluding charges for checked luggage. Dol said the trip would give members a chance to cement new relationships with Malaysians, as well as take photos at the Istana Negara Palace, official residence of King Abdullah of Pahang.

For more information, call past-president Chaveewan Tubsai at 086-323-4780.

Email: offshoremarine48 @gmail.com (All proceeds for charity projects).

Shopping 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.

32 FRIDAY JANUARY 10, 2020

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VOL. XXVIII No. 1

PSC bowlers win the HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Trophy Charity fundraiser organized by the Rotary Club of Plutaluang Jetsada Homklin More than 50,000 baht was raised at a charity bowling tournament organized by the Rotary Club of Plutaluang, where bowlers competed for

the coveted HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Trophy.

Pattaya Deputy City Manager Pramote Tubtim opened the Dec. 21 event at Blue-O Bowling in Central Festival Pattaya Beach along with

Rotary Club of Plutaluang President Dol Adinan, Rotary District 3340 Governorelect Jareesri Kunsiripunyo and other distinguished guests.

Continued on page 28

The PSC Champions Supatra, Songkran, Nongyao, Pimkae and Dang proudly hold the HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Trophy.

Sub Lt. Pramote Tubtim, Pattaya City Deputy Manager together with other dignitaries and Rotarians cut the ribbon to get the ball rolling.

Canada rallies to beat Russia 4-3, wins world juniors gold Ostrava, Czech Republic (AP) — Akil Thomas scored the winning goal in the final period and Canada rallied from two goals down to beat Russia 4-3 in the final of the world junior hockey championship on Sunday.

It was the 18th title for Canada, the most successful team in the tournament.

Thomas backhanded the puck past goaltender Amir Miftakhov with 3:58 left for his only goal at the tournament to avenge a 6-0 loss to Russia at their group stage game, the worst loss for Canada in the history of the tournament.

“I saw my defenseman get the puck and I saw he was going to put it up the wall and (Connor) McMichael kind of chipped it, and it found an opening,” Thomas said. “The puck was almost going to the goalie. I kind of panicked and brought it to my backhand and put it in.”

Dylan Cozens, McMichael and captain Barrett Hayton also scored for Canada. Goaltender Joel Hofer made 35 saves.

Nikita Alexandrov, Grigori Denisenko and Maxim Sorkin netted Russia’s goals.

The Canadians were looking to bounce back from a disappointing sixth-place finish last year when it hosted the event.

They won the previous title in 2018 while Russia was seeking its first title since 2011.

It was the ninth final between the two rivals since the playoff system was introduced in 1996. Both teams

Canada’s Akil Thomas, 2nd left, celebrates with Canada’s Raphael Lavoie, right, after scoring his sides winning goal past Russia’s goaltender Amir Miftakhov, 2nd right, and Russia’s Danil Zhuravlyov, left, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

had won four of them before their encounter on Sunday.

The Canadians were 3-1 down after Sorkin’s goal 8:46 into the final period. McMichael deflected a shot into the net with his leg and Hayton tied it at 3-3 on a power play with a wrist shot from the right circle, with the two goals coming in a span of 2:01.

McMichael added an assist and Calen Addison had three assists. Alexis Lafreniere, who is projected to be the No. 1 pick at the 2020 NHL draft, contributed two assists to finish the tournament with four goals and six assists from the five games he played. He was named the tournament’s MVP. Alexandrov broke the goalless deadlock 9:37 into the middle period, deflecting

a shot by Yegor Zamula from the point on Russia’s power play.

Canada answered on a 5-3 advantage 1:24 later with Cozens netting on a rebound.

Denisenko restored Russia’s one-goal lead, pushing the puck under the pad of Hofer still in the frame.

Canada killed four power plays in the opening period and its PK proved effective again when Russia pulled Miftakhov for an extra attacker on another power play for a 6-4 advantage with 2:41 left in the third period.

Earlier, Samuel Fagemo scored his eighth goal to become the top scorer of the tournament and help Sweden beat defending champion Finland 3-2 and take bronze.

PATTAYA MAIL is edited by Nopniwat Krailerg for Pattaya Mail Publishing Co., Ltd. Printer, publisher and owner Offices: 62/284-286 Moo 12, Thepprasit Road, Pattaya City 20150.

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