pattaya living
No 24 • DECember 2012 • the mid-month edition of real estaTe magazine
Nite Owl swoops on Shenanigans
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
Springsteen and Slade are on The Wall
special bumper christmas issue 1
events & promotions • quiz • health matters • attractions & golf • bars & restaurants
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
2
Merry Christmas to you all In a little more than a week or so we will be celebrating Christmas. Or will we? Try as we folk from north of the Tropic of Cancer might, I think we struggle to capture the festive spirit in 30°+ heat. I hope this issue helps bring back some good memories of Christmases past. For Christmas to really work it needs to be cold outside. At least, that’s my opinion. It doesn’t have to have snow, though it helps, but it does need to be closer to freezing than boiling. My best Christmas days have been spent indoors with the central heating on full blast, keeping the rest of the world at bay. I never really liked getting in the car to travel on Christmas Day though the roads in the UK were almost deserted, making travelling much quicker and simpler. It’s extremely difficult to recapture those feelings here in Thailand. Travel around on Christmas Day here in Pattaya and the traffic on the roads is as bad as any other. A few years back I went to the cinema here on the 25th of December, something I would never dreamed of doing back in the UK. Staying indoors watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” is far preferable. Last year friends invited me to share Christmas lunch with them. The food was excellent festive fayre comprising turkey and all the trimmings. Couldn’t fault it. It was Christmas lunch as it should be served right down to the stuffing and Brussels sprouts. Pity about the weather – sunny and warm – sadly! It’s probably a sign of growing older but I miss traditional Christmases – really miss them. Rather than moan about it I think a solution might be to book a UK trip for this time next year. I hope the weather won’t be too warm!
Dave Buckley
Managing Director, Pattaya Property Consultants, publishers of REm
All photos courtesy of mydestination.com/pattaya
pattaya LIVING
mid-month edition of
REALESTATE ine magaz
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
Good Christmas and happy New Year to you all.
e v e n t s / p r o m o t i o n s
Dan Cheeseman is co-founder and director of Choice Group Asia and Inspire-eMagazine.com. Previously he has worked in other forms of media in the city. Before coming to Thailand he spent 10 years with Coca-Cola Enterprises in various sales and marketing positions before going on to work in a consultancy capacity, developing business propositions essentially with the Post Office Ltd in the UK during its transition from being Government owned to becoming a more commercial proposition.
I love Pattaya
‘‘
(for all the wrong reasons)
By dan cheeseman
Is that really what we as the human race have
descended to ... that of a cog in
the wheel of society that
’’ others can
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
predict?
I love Pattaya. I love its musk, the way it makes me feel and the fact it seems to be getting better and better. I can’t make it any clearer than that really, now can I? There have been times during my six years now spent living in Pattaya where I have questioned my logic, but still I persevered. And I guess this perseverance has been the secret my special relationship with this city. But what is it that has charmed me? My answers may surprise you. When you look into many sois in Pattaya, the appeal is not obvious. Many roads are in need of repair, food carts are difficult to navigate round, motorbikes are parked into whatever space they can find. A mass of overhead cables lining both sides of the road, blocking many of the shop fascias, and, in every instance, at least two stray dogs either sleeping in the middle of the road or looking to play a game of ‘chicken’ with every car that passes. However – and this was only recently that it hit me – this is part of the appeal. It is so far removed from a typical street found in the UK or America, that it is absolutely alluring. Who wants to live in a place that reminds you of back home anyhow? I came to Pattaya to escape the mundane functionality of the UK. It is the idiosyncratic appeal to sois that make Thailand and Pattaya what they are. So, I love the roughness and cultural differences you get from sois here in Pattaya, but these alone are hardly a rationale to say you love the place. In fact, I would say that would be strangely odd. Pattaya and the people that
the events & promotions section of pattaya living is produced in association with
live here are unpredictable. When I worked in marketing in the UK, I found it almost tragic that you could do your research on a specific customer type or market and, in general, pretty much predict what people were going to buy and what you needed to do to influence them. Buying next year You could even pre-empt what they were likely to start buying next year too, through trending analysis. There is certainly a skill in doing this, but it can be done. Is that really what we as the human race have descended to ... that of a cog in the wheel of society that others can predict? Here in Pattaya my marketing and all round business skills have had to sharpen to new heights, as I very quickly discovered people here do not act in quite the same way. Getting someone to do what you want, from correct marketing,
from visiting a new pub or trying out a new restaurant, is a far more challenging affair as one, to large part, needs to rewrite the rule book. A guy I was speaking to the other day summed it up beautifully. He said he was walking past a new go-go bar on Walking Street that was celebrating its launch night and so had put up a sign reading ‘free beer’; when he looked inside he said there were no more than a dozen customers. There are so many events and things to do that the customer now doesn’t respond even if you give things to them. Market dynamics are so different, especially in the food and drink sector, where many foreign owners open not to make money, but to give their girlfriend something to do. So, if their motive is not especially to make lots of money, by default their business decisions will be different to other commercial ventures. To stage a party with free food is common practice, to sell a bottle of beer and only make Bt10 profit is pretty normal, too. I love Pattaya therefore as the customers are different and that means a new challenge. Case in point, I could find on any given week a party that was providing free beer and food, often to celebrate a launch of a new condo or what have you. On top of this the town is evolving with new businesses opening and different tourist nationalities now starting to grace these shores, and this is happening at some pace. This also will open a new can of worms, or should I say, opportunities. You just have to love Pattaya, don’t you?
e v e n t s / p r o m o t i o n s
It’s fast and furious on Bangsaen streets
T
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
he normally quiet coastal town of Bangsaen will reverberate with the roar of highly tuned engines the week before Christmas when more than 300 racers descend on Chon Buri for the biggest motor racing event in Thailand’s history. The sixth Bangsaen Speed Festival from December 1923 promises to be the biggest and best yet with more than 300 competitors and 100,000 spectators expected to be there. The local economy is also set to benefit to the tune of around Bt300m from an event that in just five years has earned itself a reputation as the ‘Monaco of the East’. Classic cars, superbikes, rally cars, supercars and drift cars will all compete over a 3.7 kilometre street circuit in the northern part of Bangsaen. Town centre track One lap will take competitors through the town centre close to hotels, guest houses, shops and restaurants. Wending its way back to the seafront, the track then takes racers past two beaches (neither Singapore’s nor Monaco’s street circuits pass one beach, let alone two), a cape and up the landmark Khao Sam Muk hill. Bangsaen will be partly closed to accommodate the circuit. Public roads will be fenced off with armco and steel wire mesh barriers on
the events & promotions section of pattaya living is produced in association with
both sides to protect spectators and vehicles. Although the final race schedule had still to be announced at the time of going the press, practice and qualifying sessions are expected to get under way as early as 9am each day with competitive races in the early afternoon. The event traditionally hosts the final round of the Thai Supercup for supercars. Last year competitions
Car No. 11 comes to grief with a broken rear axle during last year’s Bangsaen Speed Festival.
were held for HK Mini, Japan Retro and Euro Classic, Super 1500, Super 2000, Super Car Thailand, Super Pickup and Super Pickup Junior, Super Production + FF, Toyota Bangsaen Endurance, Toyota Vios Ladies Cup, Toyota Vios One Make Race, Toyota Yaris, Toyota Yaris and Toyota Lady.
The pit lane has more than a touch of Formula One glamour thanks to umbrellawielding young ladies like these.
Arrive early Because of the popularity of this event and the expected traffic congestion, visitors are advised to arrive early. Bangsaen Municipality has issued a map (below) showing recommended routes into and around Bangsaen together with free parking zones and car parks charging a fee. The race circuit is shown in grey. No one knows how to throw a
Arrive early and stay late is the best advice. Take these recommended routes into and around Bangsaen and use the parking areas marked in yellow (free) and blue (paid).
e v e n t s / p r o m o t i o n s
Fireworks lit up the night sky as Pattaya ushered in the New Year 2012.
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
party quite like Pattaya, and the biggest and best of them over the festive period will be right here, centred on Bali Hai Pier. Seven days of festivities will start with tree decorating and fireworks over the bay on Christmas Day. Pattaya Countdown 2012 will also feature a week-long fair and host many different types of shows and entertainment, including traditional Thai song and dance as well as craft experts from all over Thailand. Pop concerts Concerts and appearances by Thai pop artists and celebrities will include Bank Voraphop, Original Toto, Spinster Annty, Intira Nan’, Yor Yuiizz Warangkana Y’s, Kiki Ooy, M’Maew Zmqh, Armpol Clash Fc and Indie’s Monkeys. Many of the events will be live on TV. Pattaya Countdown 2012 is scheduled to be held from 25-31 December at Bali Hai Pier, South Pattaya. Pattaya city and Chonburi province have allocated a total budget of Bt12.5m for the event. Concerts and stage performances will begin at 7pm nightly followed by a 30-minute fireworks spectacular at around 10.30pm. Countdown 2012 will culminate in a grand finale ending at 1.30am on January 1, seeing in the New Year with a spectacular fireworks display across Pattaya. Silverlake Vineyard is rapidly becoming the Glastonbury of the Eastern Seaboard with a growing
the events & promotions section of pattaya living is produced in association with
reputation for the quality of its music festivals. The latest offering is the Silverlake Jazz Festival on the weekend on December 15-16, starting at 5pm on the Saturday and ending at 1am on the Sunday. It will feature a host of jazz musicians and singers from across Asia and Europe, including Mellow Motif, the first and only vocal jazz group from Thailand with a regional network and reputation, and Mahidol Jazz Orchestra (MJO), formed in 2003 by jazz studies students at Mahidol. Other performers include Japanese saxophonist and flautist Kaori Kobayashi, Russian singer Yuliana Rogacheva, Danish singer Malene Mortensen and Indonesian saxophonist Nita Aartsen. Other artists include The Soul Must Go On, Duck the Infinity, Spyro Gyra, Etc, Gam the Star and Koh Mr Saxman. Admission price on the day is Bt1,500. The ever-popular Pattaya International Beach Football Competition returns to Jomtien Beach for the eighth time between December 16-22 with teams representing 10 nations taking part. In addition to Thailand, there will be sides representing England,
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
e v e n t s / p r o m o t i o n s
Norway, Ireland, Germany, Holland, Ukraine, France, Tajikistan and Bangladesh. Group stage matches will be played each day between 4.40pm and 7.30pm. Yes2day 96FM radio will broadcast live throughout with the final aired live on TV. It’s a popular event and if the football starts to flag there’s a cheerleader competition to provide a distraction. The action takes place on the beach between Sois 8 and 9.
Three of the leading performers at the Silverlake Jazz Festival: from the left, Malene Mortensen from Denmark, Indonesia's Nita Aartsen and Russian singer Yuliana Rogacheva.
Children’s Day Saturday, January 12 is Wan Dek – Children’s Day – in Thailand when youngsters receive gifts from family members and are generally treated with even more attention than normal. Children’s Day means that many tourist attractions see an influx of families who are able to take advantage of free or reduced entry prices for youngsters. Children’s Day is recognised on various days in many places around the world to honour children globally. It was established in 1954 to protect children working long
Teams representing 10 nations will compete in the eighth Pattaya International Beach Football Competition. Children’s Day on January 12 provides the opportunity for youngsters in Thailand to enjoy a host of free and cutprice activities.
the events & promotions section of pattaya living is produced in association with
Race for multi-hulls on Sunday, December 23. This race was originated by Rinze Yetsenga to encourage girls to sail. He devised a figure-ofeight course around the islands and donated the Rinze Yetsenga Trophy to be presented to the first Hobie female helm or crew.
hours in dangerous circumstances and allow all children access to an education. The UN General Assembly recommended that all countries should establish a Universal Children’s Day on an ‘appropriate’ day. Many Thai local authorities organise special events and places of interests usually let children in for half price or even for free on Children’s Day. The National Children’s Day was held for the first time in Thailand on the first Monday of October 1955 and continued until 1963 when it was changed to the second Saturday of January. The Royal Varuna Yacht Club stages the final of its Winter Series for catamarans and dinghies on Saturday, December 22, followed by the Yetsenga Four-Island
Four-hour race The four-hour race starts from the beach and passes between Koh Larn and Koh Krok then around Koh Sak, Koh Larn and Koh Krok then on to Koh Chun and the finish at the club. New Year’s Eve features Lanke’s Relay for catamarans, dinghies and juniors in an event started many years ago by former German Ambassador Lanke. Despite winning 15 Grand Slam singles titles and two Olympic gold medals in London, 31-yearold Serena Williams, arguably the greatest female tennis player ever, has never played in Thailand. All that is about to change, however, when she takes part in World Tennis Invitation exhibition tournament at Centennial Park, Hua Hin, starting on December 29.
e v e n t s / p r o m o t i o n s Serena Williams, winner of 15 Grand Slam singles titles and two Olympic gold medals, will make her Thailand debut in the Hua Hin exhibition tournament on December 29. Victoria Azarenka, the current world No. 1 from Belarus, will defend her Hua Hin title after beating Caroline Wozniacki in last year’s final.
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
She will face stiff competition from current world No 1 Victoria Azarenka from Belarus who won the title last year, beating former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the final. The tournament marks the start of the 2013 season for the two women, both of whom enjoyed an outstanding 2012. Victoria Azarenka clinched the 2012 Australian Open and climbed in the WTA Rankings to end the 2012 season in top spot for the first time in her WTA career. Olympic gold medals Serena Williams returned to top form in the second half of the season winning Wimbledon and the US Open and won singles and doubles gold medals in the London Olympic Games. She has climbed to No 3 in the WTA Rankings and hopes to regain the top spot in the new season. Tickets for the tournament cost Bt1,500 and are available online
the events & promotions section of pattaya living is produced in association with
from thaiticketmajor. Around 5,000 spectators are expected to attend. In Pattaya, our friends at The Beach Club at Pullman Pattaya Hotel G are never short of ideas and plan to stage PJ’s G Session on Saturday, January 5, starting at 7pm and ending at 1am Sunday, Other events occurring elsewhere in Thailand include the Phuket Electronic Music and Dance Festival on December 30-31, the Phuket Carnival at Patong Beach between December 15-20, and the annual Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya World Heritage Fair in Ayutthaya from December 7-16. Robert Collins
Details of published events are correct at the time of going to press but are subject to change without notice. Readers are advised to check with event organisers.
a sense of fulfillment
credit design Tierra Design-photography Chonnasit Sundaranu
Limestone,volcanic,metamorphicstonesin creative textures and patterns. Excellence in manufacturing and installation website: www.stonrose.com
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Wide media coverage gives GBOB musicians a wonderful opportunity national judges for thailand
chris craker has operated at the forefront of the music industry for more than 25 years. Grammy nominated, he has also won numerous awards and been acclaimed for his activities as a performer, recording artist, composer, arranger, producer/ engineer, record label founder, artist manager, author, critic, industry commentator and strategic advisor.
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
Patcharida Wattana is a singer, voice trainer and senior executive officer of Artist Development Division, RS Public Co Ltd. She enjoyed success with the Thai girl group Sao Sao Sao in the ‘80s.
DOM PAKORN LUM is a Thai/ Singapore/German singer who first gained notice at the tender age of six when he began modelling. The pop star has also acted in films.
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spiring bands of Thai musicians are being offered a wonderful chance to reach a country-wide audience via the up-coming heats of the Global Battle of the Bands (GBOB) contest next year. And, of course, the GBOB winner will go on to play to a worldwide audience in the international final set to be staged in Bangkok next December. It is impossible to imagine a bigger opportunity for talented musicians to display their abilities. TV coverage of the event will be offered by Channel 5, TGN, PSI and True 179. Plus the event has numerous media partners throughout Thailand including the Bangkok Post, eight local radio stations and several local newspapers such as Pattaya People, the Phuket Gazette and Chiang Mai Mail. The GBOB franchise for Thailand is owned by Sierra Nevada Co Ltd headed by managing director Morten Marthinsen. All styles of music Morten said: “This is a truly international competition which is open to all styles of music. This is the largest worldwide music competition where bands must perform their own songs live. “GBOB has been in existence for eight years now and previous judges for the World Finals include top names like Rick Wakeman (Yes), Kee Marcello (Europe), Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols) and Steve Lillywhite (producer of U2 and the Rolling Stones).” National judges for the Thailand contest include Grammy-nominated producer Chris Craker; musician, producer and vocal trainer “Mam” Patcharida Wattana (formerly of Sao Sao Sao band); and accomplished singer, actor and model Dome Pakorn Lum.
Regional finals will be held in Bangkok (Central World on 9 February), Phuket (Rock City on 2 March), Pattaya (Central Festival on 30 March) and Chiang Mai (Central Plaza on 11 May). Note that these dates differ from the ones published earlier in our October issue. There will be 15 bands in each of the regional finals playing two songs apiece lasting less than four minutes per song. The top two bands will advance to the national final in Bangkok at Central World on 15 June. All events are on a Saturday with a 5.30pm start time. Regional prizes Regional prizes are Bt25,000 to the winners and Bt10,000 to the runners-up. Both bands will received free tickets to the national final where eight groups will compete. The band voted top in Thailand overall will receive a GBOB bronze statuette and free participation in the International Final. Plus they will record at Chris Craker’s Karma Sound Studios for two days and one night which is valued at more than Bt100,000 and they will receive Bt100,000-worth of accessories. Should Thailand’s No 1 band go on to win the global contest they would receive a prize worth US$100,000 – including a world tour – as part of GBOB’s band development package. GBOB Worldwide has visited more than 30 countries in all corners of the world. Participants from Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America have competed year-on-year. l If you wish to know more about GBOB – whether on the marketing and sponsorships side of things or simply to enter your band in the contest please contact Morten Marthinsen on morten@ sierranevada.asia
media links NATIONWIDE Bangkok Post; Thai Rath; Sawasdee; Overdrive Bangkok Hot Hitz 91.5 FM; Green Wave 106.5 FM PATTAYA Pattaya People 96 FM; Nova 87.5 FM; City 90.25 FM; Pattaya People Newspaper; Pattaya Post; Pattaya Channel; Pattaya People TV PHUKET Phuket Island 91.5 FM; Trip 89.75 FM; Phuket Gazette; Inside Phuket; Phuket Cable Chiang Mai Nimman 107 FM; Chiang Mai Mail; Hip Magazine; WE TV TV Channel 5; TGN; PSI ; True 179
P A T T A Y A
N I G H T L I F E
the nite owl Swooping on the best venues A special Irish pub in Jomtien
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
When I think of Irish pubs, they usually come in two flavours. Many are crusty old gin mills with ancient décor and dodgy food, populated by even crustier patrons watching one sports team, playing one sport, on one TV. Others are of the “contrived” variety where a container-load of old sports memorabilia and various and sundry “Irish” décor are hung on the walls and from the rafters in an attempt to create a façade of old world charm. They are about as “Irish” as an airport TGI Fridays. In all honesty, it’s not the “Irish” part I’m looking for, but the atmosphere one romantically associates with their own “local”. I’m talking about a bar like you see on the old American sitcom “Cheers” … where everybody knows your name. A place with the three Cs … Comfort, Courtesy and Conversation … a “go to” pub … a joint you go to when you can’t decide what to do, but just have to get out of the house. But, what is it that separates a pub from the average watering hole? What is it that keeps patrons coming back night after night and week after week? In short, what makes certain pubs “special”? In the case of Shenanigans in Jomtien Beach, it is the “specials” that make it, well … special. Located in the Jomtien Plaza complex about 100 metres from Dongtan Beach, Shenanigans is easy to find and away from the maddening bustle of Pattaya’s primary tourist zone. It is a sprawling pub and restaurant gathered around a large square bar right in the middle … as it should be. Aussie manager
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The owl leaves his nest to experience an Aussie-run pub where no two nights are the same either in terms of its food specials or the entertainment on offer.
Stuart Fraser has created an atmosphere that magically finds the equilibrium of cozy old pub and meticulously run eatery. The décor is comfortable, uncontrived and relaxing. The staff is English-speaking, friendly and well trained. The music seems to come from a playlist that is somehow plugged into the demographics of the prevailing patronage. And most importantly, the place is immaculately clean. While these elements are ever-present, no two nights at Shenanigans are ever the same. To begin with, the food is headand-shoulders above what one would expect from a pub, with a different wallet-friendly special on offer every day. There’s always the chef’s special like lamb shank in red wine sauce showcasing the kitchen staff’s culinary prowess. And, most regulars know the daily specials such as burritos and ribs by heart. Perhaps what the kitchen is most famous for is their fullblown, all you can eat roasts on Saturday and Sunday for Bt450. Many a Pattayan drags their hung-over carcass to down to
Jomtien Beach to fill up on a classically English Sunday roast before napping away the remains of the day. And, speaking of hangovers, Shenanigans doesn’t just pay homage to the idea of a “happy hour” … they have a real one. From 2-7pm every day, beer is a special price and cocktails are two for the price of one. But, it isn’t just the consumables that draw me to this place, there is actually something going on every night. If you are a sports enthusiast, then Shenanigans is Nirvana. I’m not sure how many big screen TVs they have, but there is literally nowhere you can sit that doesn’t have a view of one or more screens. And, get this … they have them tuned to more than one channel! English football, American football, Aussie Rules Football, Rugby, Cricket, Formula 1 Racing, Boxing, Golf … no genre of mainstream sport is overlooked. In fact, a giant board with live sport schedules is posted outside their door and on their website. Special events like championship games and big name boxing matches always draw a crowd and
‘‘ This is a place
where you can
bring your family, meet business
colleagues or just show up alone. I’ve never been there and just
’’
sat in the corner nursing a beer.
Friday means a lucky draw winner could get their food and drink bill paid by Stuart. A visit to Shenanigans on Friday and Sunday night will also have you jamming to one or more local bands playing tunes from several decades of music. One could say Shenanigans has it all. It is also important to note what they don’t have. There’s none of the seedier elements one might associate with Pattaya, like pesky vendors or ladies of the night. No suit salesmen or lager louts … just friendly people having a good time and enjoying a night out in our little slice of paradise. In fact, I’d say the people who gather at Shenanigans on a regular basis are among the star attractions. This is a place you can bring your family, meet business colleagues or just show up alone. I have never been there and just sat in the corner nursing a beer. Expatriates, tourists and semitourists all call this their “local”. And, as any pub-crawler knows, it isn’t the fancy décor or sexy waitresses that make a pub “special”, it is the people. Put simply, being a regular at
Shenanigans is a club you aren’t ashamed to be a member of. Though the word “pub” usually conjures up visions of old fellas bending an elbow, slamming beers and trading lies, Shenanigans could easily support the moniker of “family-style”. In fact, I’d wager a princely sum it boasts more female patrons than any in town. And I don’t just mean your basic tourists with their tilac du jour. And, just because this column is dedicated to things to do after dark doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stop by during the daylight hours. There breakfast fayre is quite extensive including great coffee from Mokador. If you’re doing business in and around the area, Shenanigans is a great place to meet associates or clients for lunch or an afternoon beer. So, even if you don’t want to get dressed up, drive all over town or spend a lot of money, there is still a place where you can have a “special” time any night of the week. Maybe that should be their new advertising tag line … “Shenanigans … where every night is special”. Nite Owl out
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
naturally drink and food specials. Show up when there’s a big football match wearing team colours and every time your team scores, you’ll get a free half pint of beer. For those that want to get involved in friendly competition, there’s a well kept pool table and dart boards. If you absolutely can’t stand to relax without being “wired”, they have wi-fi available throughout the facility as well as an on-site computer connected to the internet. And, naturally, the bar is well stocked with local and international magazines like Real Estate Magazine and Pattaya Living. Manager Stuart Fraser has created some other nightly special events to keep everyone entertained. On Monday nights he shows vintage boxing matches fueling the appreciative crowd with two-for-one drink specials. Tuesday is Quiz night with prizes and drink specials. Wednesday night is “Toss the Boss” where Stuart comes around and gives you a 50/50 chance of getting your next drink free. Thursday night is “Safe-Cracka” night where patrons could win up to Bt10,000 in food and drink vouchers. And Frenzy
w i n i n g
&
d i n i n g
the chow hound Hunting down meals and deals ... The Hound rediscovers an eating house that disappeared off his radar for a year.
The Courtyard, close to the main crossroads in Soi Siam Country Club
Great food, relaxing outdoor atmosphere and shockingly reasonable prices … how could The Hound forget how to find such a dynamic
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
combination?
While searching for a new doghouse, a friend of The Hound gave him a tour of East Pattaya last year. Somewhere along the way, The Hound’s friend treated him to lunch at a little oasis among the madness called The Courtyard. The old Hound’s sniffer ain’t what it used to be and it took him an entire year to find his way back. Last week The Hound found himself roaming The Dark Side once again and stumbled upon the unmistakable big reddish brown brick house and his mouth started watering and tail a thumping! The Courtyard is located deep into the heart of East Pattaya on the soi that connects Soi Siam Country Club and Soi Nern Plubwan, near the big Temple. The Hound breezed through the big dining room and headed straight for the back courtyard and sat down in one of the old teak salas. Witty banter The Hound figured he’d be eating alone as it was 11:30am and Pattayans are notoriously late risers. Much to The Hound’s surprise, the parking lot filled up fast and he was soon joined by all manner of hungry mutts. The
Hound breathed a sigh of relaxation, listening to the tinkling fountain and witty banter in a half dozen languages. In The Hound’s opinion, the best way to see what a restaurant serves isn’t by looking at the menu, but watching other diners’ food arrive. Most patrons were going for the European fare and late breakfasts. Of particular note was the French Onion Soup which looked like it came right out of the pages of a culinary magazine. Howling with satisfaction The Hound remembered the Thai fare being authentic, spicy and in generous portions. He ordered the spicy green bean salad and Penang Gai, a southern Thai curry made with peanuts, coconut milk and chilli. The salad was fresh and perfectly spiced with the squeezed lime included just like it’s supposed to be. The curry was creamy with big slices of white meat chicken and slow sneaky heat. The Hound howled with satisfaction. Stuffed and satisfied, The Hound watched as a dozen other dishes whizzed by. A huge English-style breakfast, a nice white fish with cream sauce and a couple of schnitzel-oriented dishes; and all of them looked great! It isn’t often The Hound loses his way, especially when it involves a restaurant he considers a “triple threat”. Great food, relaxing outdoor atmosphere and shockingly reasonable prices … how could he forget that? The Hound fumbled around trying to figure out how to save the location on his i-Phone without success. Then he resolved to just get lost on The Dark Side more often.
Coffee break
Did you know...
Only four English words in common use end in the letters ‘dous’ - hazardous, horrendous, stupendous and tremendous. Only two words end ‘gry’ - angry and hungry, and only one word ends ‘mt’ - dreamt. The letters ‘ough’ can be pronounced nine different ways, as in the sentence: ‘A rough-coated, doughfaced, thoughtful ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough and after falling into a slough, he coughed and hiccoughed.’
R D R _________ __ _ ______ ____ _______ __ _____ R R __ ________ __ ______R ____ __ D_______ SUDOKU CRYPTOGRAM D
20 11
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22
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17 11
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18
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13
14
25 22 10 11
9
4
18
26 11 20
20 11 10 14
26 22
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18 26
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15 11
11 4
15 11
20 11
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18 24 24
10 11
Decode this George Bernard Shaw quote by deciphering the missing letters. We’ve given you two to start.
Answers to all the puzzles appear on Page 47
Six of the best The best cricketers of all time according to the website 25facts.com. Agree or disagree?
Tendulkar – the greatest?
NUMBER CRUNCHER Fill in the missing numbers using 1-9 to complete the equation. Each number is used once. Multiplication and division are peformed
before
addition and subtraction.
-
+ +
+ -
+ -
× +
1
10
2 -
13
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Two-minute trivia
1. Which English football club has had the most home grounds? A) Fulham B) QPR C) Crystal Palace PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
2. Which actor was formerly the rapper Marky Mark? A) Mark Wahlberg B) Mark Vincent C) Mark Ruffalo 3. Which is the world’s most visited tourist attraction? A) Times Square, NY B) Disney Florida C) Niagara Falls 4. Who had the biggest selling single not to top the UK pop charts? A) Natalie Imbruglia B) New Order C) Wham! 5. What is the most common pub name in Great Britain? A) King’s Head
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B) Royal Oak
C) Red Lion
1. Sachin Tendulkar (India). 2. Sir Garfield Sobers (West Indies). 3. Sir Donald Bradman (Australia). 4. Imran Khan (Pakistan). 5. Viv Richards (West Indies). 6. Adam Gilchrist (Australia).
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W I C J I N G L E B E L L S N N
M I S O W W F T H I Q G U F A F A W N A V G W X K X K A J M D H R S H T W E Q T I J R U W X E J Y I U I E T N D L B I O Z X C O S L Y X T R H T Q X N J W M K Y B E K B J E W R R S J U S B T T O N R F U B C O E Y F B W F H O Y T X W D M D H N E C K F Q E T C N V X B H T P R D S A U I H H H I A Y I Y X V F I E H R X A E I G O W T C F B M D S R I O L W L H U S L F W C J K P T L P L O D T O F D V G O N T M E M A S R C R E G N A M A N I Y A W A N L F A Y E K N O D E L T T I L S D Find the names of these 12 Christmas carols and songs:
Away in a Manger Frosty the Snowman Joy to the World Silent Night Coventry Carol I Saw Three Ships Little Donkey White Christmas Deck the Halls
Jingle Bells Mary’s Boy Child Winter Wonderland
Construction Started E.I.A. Approved
The Last Word in Design and Luxury Absolute Beach Front Apartments Coming Soon to Na Jomtien
The Spirit of Christmas
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The Guy Who Got Nothing for Christmas
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I wrote this story a little less than two years ago but it seems as relevant now as it did then – Bart Walters
or years I’ve bragged about my good luck. I truly felt my life was charmed up until this year. Apparently life has a way of catching up with a person. This year was the worst of my 50 on this planet. To begin with, I’d actually had a pretty awful two years. I’d had five minor surgeries in 18 months. My investments yielded pitiful returns. The only good thing in my life was my longtime girlfriend; a woman I considered my wife. Then 2010 settled in. In February, my friend of 20 years and former business partner blew his brains out in his posh office in Winter Park, Florida. He was family to me. We were a magic team; like two brothers who are polar opposites. The only thing we did more than make money was laugh hysterically at ourselves. We were the epitome of an odd-couple nobody could figure out. I didn’t know how much I loved him until he was gone.
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Mom called me home n August, my mother called me home to help make arrangements for her death. She had been suffering from heart disease and lung cancer for several years. I had cowardly managed her illness and impending death from a distance. She called me home to get her affairs in order. She called me home to say goodbye. I spent a month back in Orlando helping her do everything from completing her will to sorting and digitising old family photographs
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My mother was the Queen of Christmas. Nobody who has ever experienced a Walters’ Family Christmas Spectacular will ever forget it she wanted to give everyone. Every day I made her breakfast and we did the crossword puzzle; at night we’d watch Jeopardy and cooking shows. When I left for the airport to come back to Thailand, we hugged in the kitchen and I knew it would be the last time I’d see my mom. In October, just before my 50th birthday, she died. Soon after, the remains of my family unit disintegrated. My nutbag sister in law has driven a wedge between my brothers and most of the family feels it has to side with one or the other. I’ve probably been to the last fully attended Walter’s family get-together.
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Emotional warfare ot long after, my girlfriend/wife and I came undone. She and I have a 10-year history of emotional warfare. I decline to be unduly graphic here. When my friends ask me what happened, my best answer is: “She just kept pushing my buttons until she hit OFF”. I am no stranger to failed romance. But, this is the first time I’ve had to be the adult and say “enough”. This is the first time I’ve been the one to make the painful decision to do what is best for both of us. This is the first time I’m not the asshole. Trust me, it’s easier to be the asshole. Now we are separated and barely speak to each other. So, I lost a best friend, my mother and at least one brother is
dead to me. I’ve been sick, making no money and have now split with my wife. If I had a dog, it would surely have been run over by the garbage truck. So now comes the holidays. My mother was the Queen of Christmas. Nobody who has ever experienced a Walter’s Family Christmas Spectacular will ever forget it. The country ham, Elvis Christmas music, and the presents … piles and piles of presents. Even when I moved halfway around the planet and missed Christmas often, my mom would send me a “care package” filled with cookies, hand-made candy and country ham from Kentucky. Just to have my house smell like her kitchen transported me home. Normally I follow my mom’s lead and buy thoughtful gifts for my family and ship them from Thailand. This year, almost everybody got gift cards. My heart just wasn’t in it. I did send personalised cards, but felt guilty just sending money. Last year at Christmas, I was entertaining my best friend on his vacation of a lifetime and giving my girl an engagement ring. This year I didn’t even buy the requisite poinsettia or put lights in my potted palm tree. Since I didn’t want to be totally alone for the holidays, I planned a trip to visit friends in The Philippines, only three hours away. My flight would leave on Christmas Day and return on New Year’s Day. On Christmas Eve, I drove to Bangkok. My plan was to spend
The scene of the drama … an infamous Bangkok brothel some may be familiar with. If not, perhaps it’s just as well. Inset: My Christmas Eve companion ... some of you may know Mr Daniels.
the night and leave my car at the airport in the morning. No matter how loud I played the music, I could not stop my brain from playing me “The Year in Review”. I got the entire blow-by-blow downward spiral of the year 2010 over and over. The two hour drive from Pattaya gave me the headache that comes from fighting back a blubbering breakdown. When I arrived at 3pm, I was badly in need of a drink.
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Favourite watering hole got off the Skytrain at Nana Station and returned like a pigeon to my favourite watering hole in all of Bangkok. I won’t name it but Bangkok veterans will probably be able to work it out. It’s not really a drinking bar, it’s a whorehouse; perhaps the most notorious brothel in all Asia.
what was the worst christmas present you ever received? and the worst you
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Self loathing his was self-loathing at its finest. I looked at my reflection in the broken television’s screen above the bar and asked myself: “What kind of asshole gets nothing for Christmas?” Not a card, not a call, not an e-mail … nothing came for me this year. Santa had given me the finger; Rudolph had peed on my tyres. Like Ebenezer Scrooge I sat at the end of a whorehouse bar replaying Christmas’ past and present; and seeing no light in Christmas’ future. I asked myself: “How is it that a man can work himself into a position where not a single person cares about him, not even enough to send an email? “ I never thought I’d be a guy who gets nothing for Christmas. The more I drank, the more sobering a revelation it became.
The manager of this place is another French guy who is a dead ringer for Antonio Banderas, only he’s the size of a jockey. Dressed like a gay version of Zorro, with his ponytail and diamond on his tooth, he approached me with a rarity in the bar – a free drink. In his smarmy French accent he asked me: “Bart, could you please watch the bar, I’ve got to go upstairs and see about a customer with a heart attack.” I accepted his free drink and informed him that I was already watching the bar. Fifteen minutes later the manager came back and waived me off. “The guy’s okay … false alarm.” Shortly after that, one of the girls attending “Mr False Alarm” came down to the bar in a panic. “He’s not okay, he can’t move,” she bawled out. The manager tried his best to shush her, but
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PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
The owner is a Frenchman and a former business associate. I’m the only guy I know allowed to sit in the bar and just drink. Customers think I’m the bouncer. I guess you could say I go there for the atmosphere and the privilege. I drink; I think … I do my best writing there. After commiserating with the manager and wishing the girls a happy holiday, I sat in my usual spot near the door, sipping a double Jack-on-the-rocks. This is a place where I could allow myself to playback “The Year in Review”. Two Jacks later I’d played back each and every crappy thing that happened and managed to blame myself for all of them; collectively and individually. I felt guilty about not being able to help anybody. I felt guilty about not being there for everyone. I suffered the crushing shame of “the abandoner”.
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she pulled the famous Thai-girlsquat. When faced with severe distress, a Thai girl’s defence mechanism is dropping down into a squatting position, covering their face with their hands, and crying convulsively. I know the girl quite well and seeing her distress, knew something was really wrong. I asked her how old the guy was and she said “young guy”. I asked where he was from and she told me “same you, same you … American”. And she just kept saying over and over again, “he can’t move”. I glared at the twitching Frenchman and said: “We’re going upstairs”. On the way up in the elevator, the manager kept chanting: “We’ve got to get him out of here, he can’t die here … he can’t die here”. I wanted to bitch-slap him. I could smell the fear on the little weasel. What I found in room #7 was a heavily tattooed, middle-aged man, in the bed, on his back, naked and staring up at his reflection on the mirrored ceiling. His eyes were vibrating. His entire body was in spasm. Hands and toes curled up; arched up on his neck … every muscle in his body contracted. His colour was lightgray. He was fighting to voluntarily breathe. The manager barked at the girls and they all scattered like roaches exposed to a kitchen light. I sat down on the bed next to the troubled man and held his hand. Trying to sound calm, I asked him “What’s in you brother?” Hearing an American voice was
like throwing a drowning man a lifesaver off a passing ocean liner. He stared at me with those desperate jiggling eyes. In between three voluntary breaths he hissed, “Vodka …Viagra …lots of cocaine”.
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Never seen a person so terrified e said he felt like his whole body was trembling. He said he was having rushes like blood pressure was going to explode his veins. He could not voluntarily move any part of his body. He was shortcircuited and vapour-locked. I have never seen a person so terrified in my life. I felt like an actor playing a doctor on TV. I asked him all kinds of questions that sounded medical, but I just wanted to calm him down and keep him breathing. Every few minutes he’d have what looked like a mini-seizure and I’d talk him through it, focusing on breathing and staying calm until it passed. These “rushes” eventually got further apart and his breathing got more involuntary. We just kept talking and breathing. My doctor act seemed to have a calming effect. Somehow I wove together life experience, movies I’d seen and military training to craft a façade of confidence and knowledge. I was a doctor whose only skill is bedside manner. One thing I knew for sure; a guy in this condition needs to believe he’s going to make it. He needed to believe I could help him. Gay Zorro poked his head in
Fields Avenue in Angeles City … a smaller, shabbier version of Pattaya’s Walking Street. My patient’s chosen recovery room.
the door to monitor our progress and to make sure my patient would remember to pay his bill. When I revealed to Miki the man’s condition was a result of cocaine overdose, he broke into a new chant … “He didn’t get it here … he didn’t get it here,” his shrill voice trailing off as he scurried back to his hole down in the bar. When you’re talking to a guy both of you think is going to die, conversations tend to be candid. I said: “Look man, you’re seized up with poisons, you’re trapped on the fifth floor of a whorehouse and nobody is going to get a doctor. I’m all you’ve got.” In my heart I knew the spineless Frenchman would block any attempt to bring sirens and ambulances; especially with a drug-related incident. “I’m all you’ve got”. I didn’t realise the
what was the worst christmas present you ever received? and the worst you
gravity of the situation until I said it out loud.
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Toxic shock told him he didn’t have real heart attack symptoms. His pulse was strong and racing no faster than mine; no numbness in his extremities; only minor tightness in his chest. It seemed that if he had a heart attack, it had come and gone. From what he described, and how he looked it seemed like he was in some kind of toxic shock. I have no idea where I formed this expert prognosis, but I began to do what we’re trained to do in the military for wounded soldiers who go into shock. After getting him more comfortable, we began to unlock his spasm-wracked limbs by flexing his hands until they worked, and then his forearms; his toes, his
feet, his calves, and so forth. He literally had to consciously relax every muscle in his body. After a couple of hours, he was totally back in control of his muscles and his colour had turned to pink. Seeing himself return to human form in the overhead mirror convinced him he might walk out of this place after all. When he broke into a sweat and got chills, I told him this was his body taking back control and spitting out the poison. He believed every word. Another hour with an icebag on his neck and two girls giving him a foot massage finally got him up and dressed. We got him down to the bar and fed him a big plate of pork fried rice and a banana. Four hours into his ordeal, the guy paid his bill, hugged me like a brother and left. I felt completely in control and totally at the mercy of fate
simultaneously. Me and Jack Daniel’s spent the rest of the night pretending nothing happened. The next day I flew to Manila. When in the Philippines, I do all my thinking, drinking and writing half immersed at the swim-up bar in the Wild Orchid Resort; a decidedly more healthy venue than my whorehouse perch in Bangkok. Halfway into a book I wasn’t reading, my brain decided it was time to give “The Year in Review” another look-see. I thought I already knew how it ended. I thought I’d refer to 2010 as “the worse year in my life … except that part at the end where I saved that dude’s life”. As it turns out, the shock to my system on Christmas Eve was like hitting “reset”. Watching “The Year-That-Was” roll by, it surprised me to see I was no longer the villain; no longer the “unlovable
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What I found in room #7 was a heavily tottooed, middle-aged man on his back naked and staring up at his reflection on the mirrored ceiling
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For a year I had become a man who waits. I had become a person that things happen to. I had become a stone that had stopped rolling cad” or the cowardly abandoner. My glass was half-full once again. While a further review of my worst year wasn’t exactly Champagne and puppy dogs, I appeared to be viewing my life-movie through a different set of lenses. Remembering my old business partner took me back to 10 years ago, when I decided to end a successful career in a business that made me soul sick. I sold my fancy houses and cars and moved to Thailand. Every time I see a guy sporting around town in a big BMW, or overhear someone talking about a hot new IPO, I long for the old days. For 10 years, self-doubt has been part of my daily diet. “Did I do the right thing, or was I just running away?”
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Better off without him! hat business and that life sucked my best friend’s soul out. Greed and pride consumed him. Somehow he had worked himself into a place where he reasoned we’d all be better off without him, so he took his own life. That is certainly a worse place to be than just “a guy who gets nothing for Christmas”. That could have been me. No longer do I doubt my decision to change directions 10 years ago. Right there in the pool at the Wild Orchid, I laid that little bag of self-doubt down, never to pick it up again. Rarely do I find myself doing the right thing for the right reasons. Ten years ago I did, but did not know it until now.
That’s what my friend gave me for Christmas. As I continued to review the year, it appears I had also undergone some guilt replacement. The guilt I felt for managing my mother’s death from a distance was replaced with gratitude. Remembering our last month together, we got to properly say goodbye, on our own terms. I know a lot of people who would give up Christmas presents for life to have that. The last time I saw my mom, we hugged in the kitchen and I told her I loved her. It’s the best thing she ever put in my stocking. And to top off this bountiful holiday season, I got a big old dose of humility. I finally lost at the “hurt you” game. The woman I’ve woken up with for the past five years and I are long time veterans of this manipulative power struggle. We are Hall of Fame emotional blackmailers. She was tougher than me, so I finally just took my ball and went home. Mortality … humility … never got those for Christmas before. And, there were a couple of gifts I’d completely forgotten about. As a side-effect of visiting my mom, I got to spend more time with my two sons than in the past five years combined. One night my oldest son Jay and I set out in a driving rain storm in search of a new Bar-B-Q joint everybody was raving about. We sat in the covered outdoor tables, eating ribs, watching it rain and flirting with the waitresses. I don’t ever remember being that glad to see him before.
Cocoa Beach, Florida … some beach days with my family are the highlight of an otherwise horrible year.
Me and my youngest son Jonas, walking on Cocoa Beach at night, drinking Red Stripe beer out of quart bottles … feeding Jonas Jr chocolate donuts … carrying my sleeping baby granddaughter to the car after a day at the beach … you can’t buy that at Bloomingdales. I was sincerely grateful for the attitude adjustment, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what switch had been flipped. How had the bizarre encounter on Christmas Eve affected me so profoundly? What barrier to self-respect had been removed? What hidden path to optimism had been illuminated? I found out when I saw my “patient” again in the Philippines. Sitting at the Road House Saloon in Angeles City, I felt a presence behind me and a warm hand on my back. “Get this guy a double Jack on the rocks” he told
what was the worst christmas present you ever received? and the worst you
epilogue
the barmaid … “He saved my life yesterday”. There he stood; healthy as you please … grinning like a guy who is truly happy to be alive. As it turns out, he lives in Angeles City.
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Eve reminded me of who I really am … cheesy as it may sound, “a man of action”. That simple fact restored my self-worth and lit my path out of the darkness. Knowing what to do, and having the balls to do it, is my modus operandi. I don’t know how or when I forgot that. I had stopped being me. Apparently two lives had been saved that night. Now I’m back in Thailand and the New Year has begun. As the expat community reassembles after the holidays, pub and coffee shop banter invariably turns to how we spent the holidays. And, when someone asks me what I got for Christmas … I just smile and say … “Some stuff I really needed”. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Bart Walters
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PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
Ticket to jail e seemed completely recovered; we barhopped until 4am. I told him about my life and he told me about his. Sometime in the middle he asked me: “Bart, what in God’s name made you come up to that room? If I had died, you would surely have been blamed. A dead American full of blow in a Bangkok whorehouse is ticket to jail. What were you thinking?” I though the answer was pretty obvious.“That weasel would have let you die,” I told him. “You’d have been dumped in Lumpini Park, or
floating in the Chaophraya River … just another death-by-Thailand. Nobody was going to help you man … I just couldn’t leave you there.” In the middle of a pulsating go-go bar, he hugged my neck and held on like a little boy which attracted the attention of a table of drunk Aussies. Before they had a chance to make comment he lifted his drink in a ceremonious toast. “Fellas, raise your glasses,” he pointed at me …“to a man of action”. The Aussies complied and listened intently as he told them the story in graphic detail. And that’s when I realised what button had been pushed that night. For a year I had become a man who waits. I had become a person that things happen to. I had become a stone that had stopped rolling. What happened on Christmas
Fast forward to Christmas 2012 and it still doesn’t seem the same without my mom around. Every few months I get an e-mail from my whorehouse cardiopatient letting me know he’s still alive. I’m heading home to spend Christmas with my family, opening presents and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on the beach. Santa can take a break … I’ve got everything I need.
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e touches f li ’s n a m h n’t it? Eac is , e g n a r t S n’t around is e h n e h W her lives. so many ot esn’t he? o d , le o h l u ers n awf l Life : Henry Trav he leaves a It’s a Wonderfu ngel in - Clarence the A
“Ghost of the Future I fear you more than any spectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with
I once bought my kids a set ofbatteriesfor Christmaswitha noteonitsaying, toysnotincluded. – Bernar d Manning, UK comedian
a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?”
– Scrooge from A Christmas Carol : Charles Dickens
The Supreme C o
urt has ruled th
at they cannot ha ve a nativity sc ene in Washington, D C. This wasn’t fo r any religious reaso ns. They couldn ’t find three wise men and a virgin. – Jay Leno Through the years; We all will be together;
e air We're walking in th e We're dancing in th midnight sky o sees us And everyone wh greets us as we fly
man: Aled Jones
– From the Snow
If the Fates allow; Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.; And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.
PATTAYA LIVING• 12/2012 • Issue 24
– Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas from Meet Me in St Louis : Judy Garland
Theysaidthere'llbesn owat Christmas;Theysaidth ere'llbe peaceonearth;Butin steadit justkeptonraining;Ave iloftears for the virgin's birth – I Believe in Father Christmas : Emerson, Lake an d Palmer
I wanted an ele ctric train for Christm as but I got the saxophone inst ead. – Cla
rence Clemons
I,m dreaming of a white Christmas With every Christmas card I write May your days be merry and bright And may all your Christmases be white – White Christmas : Bing Crosby He sees you when
us Thetwomostjoyo re timesoftheyeara g Christmasmornin ol. andtheendofscho
you're sleeping
He knows when yo
u're awake
He knows if you've
been bad or good
So be good for go
odness sake!
– Alice Cooper
– Santa Claus is Co ming to Town : Bruce Springsteen (among many othe rs)
yourwall? n o g in k c o st a p u g in g n Areyouha aball s a h ta n a S y r e v e t a It’sthetimeth indeer? re d e s o n d re a e d Does he ri igh le s is h n o ’ p u n o ‘t Does a raday? fo r e b o s im h p e e k s Dothefairie erybody : Slade erry Christmas Ev –M
It’s Christmas time, there’s no need to be afraid At christmas time, we let in light and we banish shade
– Do they Know It’s Christmas? : Band Aid
Song, by The Christmas not only Nat King Cole, is
Santa Claus
Underneath his beard so snowy white. Oh, what a laugh it would have been, If Daddy had only se en Mommy kissing Sa nta Claus
last night! – I Saw Mommy Ki ssing Santa Claus : Jackson 5 (among many others)
From an idea by Bart Walters
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formance; a masterful per unds like to me it just so e never the holidays. I'v Nat's sung it, because fect. I version is so per one. gotta leave it al k Jnr – Harry Connic
Then, I saw Momm y tickle
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A cracking Christmas quiz
1. Why do British bookmakers take bets on the destiny of a 40-foot high, traditional Swedish Yule goat (pictured below), made of straw and erected for two days every Christmas since 1966 in the Swedish town of Gävle? 2. Many believe a red-suited Santa first appeared in a CocaCola advertisement. Wrong. He was drawn by US caricaturist Thomas Nast and first appeared as the cover (top right) and center-fold illustrations of the 1862 Christmas edition of which magazine? 3. British artist John Callcott Horsley was responsible for the launch of what familiar Christmas item on May 1, 1843?
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
4. A 60-foot Christmas tree (above centre), erected annually since 1947 in London’s Trafalgar Square, is a gift from which city and for what reason?
You may be surprised to learn just how much – or little – you really know about our Christmas traditions. Test your knowledge in this festive quiz. All the answers are overleaf on Page 32.
bowl of smoking bishop”. What is smoking bishop? 7. What Christmas essential was invented by London confectioner Thomas J. Smith in 1847 to boost his flagging bon-bon trade? 8. George Frederick Handel’s great Christmas oratorio, The Messiah, was first performed in 1742 in which city? 9. In 1932, Rudyard Kipling (top left) played a key part in establishing a British Christmas tradition that survives to this day. What is it? 10. What is the Irish custom of ‘feeding the wren’ on December 26? 11. In Victorian England, turkeys became popular for Christmas
dinners. Some were raised in Norfolk, and taken to market in London. How did they get there? 12. Part of the fun of eating Christmas pudding is finding a trinket that predicts your fortune for the coming year. A coin means you will become wealthy. What will you be if you find a button? 13. In the festive Sherlock Holmes short story, The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, where is the Blue Carbuncle found? 14. The poinsettia is a traditional Christmas flower. Where did it originally grow? 15. What fate befell the character now known as Good King Wenceslas? 16. What does ‘Bethlehem’ mean in Arabic?
5. What is the Christmas connection between Basil Rathbone, George C Scott, Wilfrid Brambell and Jim Carrey?
17. At lavish Christmas feasts in the Middle Ages, swans and peacocks were sometimes served ‘endored’. What does that mean?
6. At the end of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge tells Bob Cratchit “we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas
18. In Victorian times, most Londoners would have been familiar with the ‘goose club’. What was it?
q u i z
a n s w e r s
1. The Gävle goat has been destroyed by arsonists 25 times since 1966. Most attempts to thwart them have failed. 2. He first appeared in Harper’s Weekly and was created as a tribute to the family sacrifices of the Union during the early days of the American Civil War. 3. He created the first Christmas card for Henry Cole who helped introduce the Penny Post three years earlier and wanted to boost sales of postage stamps. 4. It is donated annually by the city of Oslo as a token of gratitude for British support of Norway during World War II.
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5. They have all played Ebenezer Scrooge in films or radio adaptations of A Christmas Carol. 6. Smoking Bishop is a hot, spiced drink consisting of bitter oranges, cloves, red wine, port and served with a cinnamon stick. 7. Smith invented Christmas crackers as a development of his bon-bon sweets, which he
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Four actors who have played Ebenezer Scrooge - from the left, Basil Rathbone, George C Scott, Wilfrid Brambell and Jim Carrey. The world’s first Christmas card created by John Callcott Horsley in 1843 to help promote the Penny Post, introduced three years earlier. A total of 2,050 were produced and sold for a shilling each. Christmas crackers were created by confectioner Thomas J Smith to boost his flagging bonbon business.
sold in a twist of paper. He got the idea from Parisian BonBons – coated sugar lollies wrapped in a twist of coloured paper – which he discovered while on a family holiday. 8. The Messiah was first performed in Dublin. Handel was a generous man and wrote The Messiah to aid charities in Ireland. It was a success there from its original performance, though it was not immediately popular in England. 9. Kipling wrote a speech for King George V which became the first Christmas broadcast by a British monarch. It was a huge success in Britain and overseas and began with the words ,“I speak now from my home and from my heart to you all...” 10. Feeding the wren is the practice of carrying a caged bird from door to door to raise money for charity. Legend has it that St Stephen (December 26 is St Stephen’s Day) was given away by a chattering wren while hiding from his enemies.. 11. The turkeys were walked to
market wearing boots made from sacking or leather to protect their feet. 12. A button means you will be a bachelor while a thimble predicts spinsterhood and a ring marriage. 13. The Blue Carbuncle was a diamond found inside a Christmas goose. 14. The poinsettia was first discovered in Mexico where it is know as the ‘Flower of the Holy Night’. 15. He was murdered by his mother and brother. 16. Bethlehem translates as ‘house of bread’. 17. The flesh of an ‘endored’ bird was painted with saffron dissolved in melted butter and served wrapped its their own skin and feathers which had been removed and set aside prior to roasting. 19. Goose clubs were a method of saving to buy a goose for Christmas and were popular with working-class Londoners.
b a r s / r e s t a u r a n t s
Bars
Bamboo Bar: live music nightly in this busy bar and streetside lounge. Close to Walking Street entrance. Tel: 038 232 315, Fax: 038 232 315, email: bamboopattaya@ hotmail.com Caddy Shack: as the name suggests, it’s a haven for golfers. Airconditioned with outdoor terrace and swimming pool and rooms to rent upstairs. 388/385 M10, Soi 17. Tel: 038 300 683, Fax: 038 300 682, email: enquiries@caddyshackpattaya.com Green Bottle: cosy, well-run pub with a good reputation and central location. 216/3 M10, 2nd Road. Tel: 038 429 870, email: dianagrp@ loxinfo.co.th Jameson’s: Irish pub with strong food offering. Popular with locals and tourists alike. Good place to unwind. 80/164 Moo 9, Soi Sukrudee (Soi AR) right next to Nova Park. Tel: 038 361 873-4 Fax: 038 361 873, email: info@jamesonspattaya.com Metro: an air-conditioned sports bar boasting free pool tables and numerous screens on which to watch top sports events. Soi LK Metro, 33/85-36, Moo 10 close to Soi Buakhow. Tel: 038 425 874, email: info@metro-apartmentspattaya.com Punch & Judy: this is a Londonstyle pub with good food and competitive prices. Frequent promotions. Almost opposite the Caddy Shack in Soi 17. Tel: 038 413255
Witherspoons: A typical Britishstyle pub with inexpensive meals available while you watch the football on one of its numerous screens. Rooms also available. Soi Buakhow near Soi Diana Inn. Tel: 038 721 121
Restaurants
Ali Baba: Good quality Indian restaurant with a fine selection of authentic dishes. 1/13-14, Pattaya Central Road close to the beach. Tel: 038 361 620 Alt Heidelberg: German sausages and imported sauerkraut dominate the menu, good location. 273 M10, Pattaya Beach Road, South Pattaya. Tel: 038 421 258 Bruno’s: Renowned for serving classy reasonably expensive French cuisine, more than 150 wines available. A place to impress. 306/63 Chateau Dale Plaza, Thappraya Road, Pattaya. Tel: 038 364 600-1, Mobile: 081 861 5612, Fax: 038 364 602, email: reservations@brunos-pattaya.com Cherrys: You get a lot for your money here. European and Thai food. Be careful not to fill up on the salad bar which is free when ordering a main course. Their buffet nights get crowded. In Third Road opposite the former X-Zyte Disco. Tel: 086 3145819 Ciao: Decent pizza and pasta in this established Italian restaurant in town centre. 4 Pattaya Klang Road. 038 710 614 Hard Rock Café: International restaurant cum bar with large cocktail menu and mainly American influenced cuisine. DJs spin discs and house band performs cover versions. 429 Moo 9, Pattaya Beach Road. Tel: 038 428 755, Fax: 038 421 673. Open: Mon-Sun 11.00 to 02.00 JJ Pizza Bar: authentic pizza cooked in wood fire ovens, reasonably priced. 325/85 M.10, Soi Pattaya-land 2, Pattaya Beach Road. 038 424 128 Lobster Pot: huge restaurant serving all seafood, specialising in lobster and tiger prawns. Walking Street opposite Pattaya Soi 14, South Pattaya. Tel: 038 426 083 PIC Kitchen: classy Thai food in a traditional atmosphere. Soi 5, Pattaya 2 Road. Tel: 038 428 374, 428 387, Fax: 038 422 773, email: picpih@loxinfo.co.th
Pig and Whistle: British pub grub in ample portions served by welltrained staff. 217/34 Moo 10, Pattaya City. Tel: 038 361 315, Fax: 038 361 272, email: info@ pigandwhistlepattaya.com Queen Victoria Inn: traditional English pub with excellent menu and a good selection of imported beers on tap. 437/137-8 Soi Yodsak (Soi 6), Pattaya.038 425 418, 362 523, Mobile: 086 060 6210, Fax: 038 424 941, email: mail@ queenvicpattaya.com Rice Mill: Cantonese restaurant offers dim sun and all-you-caneat buffet on weekends. Royal Garden Plaza, 218 Beach Road, Pattaya. Tel: 038 421 120 Royal Cliff Beach Hotel: huge complex containing 10 restaurants, including the delicious Maharani Indian restaurant. 353 Pratumnak Road. Tel: 038 250 421, Fax: 038 250 511, 250 513, email: info@ royalcliff.com Shenanigans: bars and restaurants serving traditional Irish pub-style fayre and drinks with daily food specials. Two venues. First is up one level at The Avenue Pattaya. Tel: 038 723 939-40, Fax: 038 723 941, email: info@shenanigans-pattaya.com. Second is in Jomtien Complex which also has daily promotions such as “Toss the Boss”. Tel: 038 303 490. The Sportsman: traditional pub fayre with Thai food. Top Sunday carvery, extensive wine list and many imported beers. Soi 13, Beach Road. Tel: 038 710 609 Sugar Hut Restaurant: in hotel of the same name, expensive, but worth it. Thai cuisine. 391/18 Moo 10, Thappraya Road. Tel: 038 364 186,251 686, Fax: 038 251 689, email: sugar-hut@cnet.net.th, opening: 07.00-24.00 Tips Restaurant: more than 12 set breakfasts served in this popular, yet inexpensive, restaurant. 22 Pattaya Beach Road, South Pattaya. Tel: 038 423 418. Open Hours: 07.00-24.00
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
Shamrock: fun and lively British-run ‘family’ bar, an oasis of sanity among the bars of Pattayaland, South Pattaya. Tel: 038 425 417 email: pattayashamrock@yahoo.com
Need to be fed and watered? You’ll find a warm welcome at any of the following ...
h e a l t h y
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Dr Iain Corness (right) is a medical doctor who has worked in the UK, Europe and Australia, before coming to Thailand in 1997 to become a consultant at the Bangkok Hospital Pattaya (email: inquiry@bph.co.th). He has been writing for newspapers and magazines since 1967 and is currently a special correspondent for the Pattaya Mail, technical editor for Asean Autobiz, and contributor to many coffee table magazines in Thailand.
Christmas Disease – a medical celebration?
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hristmas Disease has nothing to do with Christianity, Santa, mangers, reindeers, three wise men or even a bottle of myrrh. But it has everything to do with Stephen. And not St Stephen, but Stephen Christmas. Stephen, a young British lad, was the first patient with a bleeding tendency recognised to have a different form of the disease compared to “classical” haemophilia (or hemophilia if you come from the left hand side of the Atlantic Ocean). His condition was studied by researchers in 1952, who discovered that young Stephen was missing a different coagulation factor than the more usual one, (which is known as Factor VIII). They named Stephen’s missing factor as Factor IX, and his condition became known as Christmas Disease after the boy.
(Christmas), a young
British lad,
was the first patient with a bleeding tendency recognised to have a different form of the disease compared
’’ to ‘classical’
haemophilia.
haemophilia and Christmas Disease. The symptoms are the same, with excessive bleeding seen by recurrent nosebleeds, bruising, spontaneous bleeding, bleeding into joints and associated pain and swelling, gastrointestinal tract and urinary tract haemorrhage producing blood in the urine or stool, prolonged bleeding from cuts, tooth extraction, and surgery and excessive bleeding following circumcision. Christmas Disease covers around one in seven cases of the total haemophilia incidence and is around 1/30,000 in the general population. This disease is also male dominated, being called a sex-linked recessive trait passed on by female carriers.
This means the bleeding disorder is carried on the X chromosome. Males being of XY make-up will have the disease if the X they inherit has the gene. Females, who have XX chromosomes, are only carriers if either X has the bleeding gene. In the 1800s physicians thought that the bleeding occurred because of a structural problem in blood vessels. In 1937 a substance was found in normal blood that would make hemophilic blood clot, which was named “anti-hemophilic globulin.” Two types In 1944 researchers found in one case that when the blood from two different haemophiliacs was mixed, both were able to clot. Nobody could explain this until 1952, when the researchers in England realised there were two types of haemophilia, giving us haemophilia A and haemophilia B, or “Christmas Disease.” With the discovery of A and B types came the realisation that there must be different types of “anti-hemophilic globulin” involved in the clotting process. Once it became clear that haemophilia was caused by a deficiency of a coagulation factor, replacement of the missing factor became the method of treatment. In the early 1950s animal plasma was used. By the 1970s, coagulation factor concentrates made from human plasma were available. And on that cheerful note – Merry Christmas!
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PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
Confusing Just to confuse the issue, we also call Christmas Disease by other names, including Haemophilia II, Haemophilia B, Haemophiloid state C, hereditary plasma thromboplastin component deficiency, and plasma thromboplastin factor-B deficiency. There’s more, but Christmas Disease has a much nicer “ring” to it. (Probably “Jingle Bells” at this time of year!) From the diagnostic viewpoint, it is very difficult to differentiate between classical
‘‘ Stephen
Czar Nicholas with son Alexei who suffered from the then yet-tobe-named Christmas Disease.
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Discovering Asian flair
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ost of us approach interior design of our “homes away from home” here in Thailand with a whole lot of preconceived notions about how things should look. We drag our old ideas of what looks good with us without considering the availability of different materials, designs and especially how life is lived here. But, once we arrive and open our eyes, a whole new world of colours, textures and materials comes to life. Possibly we are also hauling around many misconceptions and prejudices about Asian interior sensibilities. Ornate woodwork adorned with dragons and gold leaf, paper lanterns, uncomfortable lacquer furniture, and garish colours we’d never imagine living with fill our heads with stereotypical nonsense. In fact, most of what many of us consider “Asian” design is the stuff of Hollywood Kung-Fu movies or
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‘‘ ’’ How do you pay homage to the local culture without overdoing it? Patience, restraint and a little selfintrospection are the answers.
cheesy Chinese restaurants from back home. The style and feel of interior designs here in Southeast Asia are thankfully quite a departure from those old notions. Availability of beautiful hardwoods like teak and mahogany create classy and warm atmospheres. Natural stone we consider exotic like slate and marble are plentiful. Fabrics whose price tags would make use cringe back home, like silk and batik prints are completely affordable. And vibrant colours like Chinese reds and saffron yellows seem right at home in our new abodes. Biggest mistake Many a newcomer to the region embraces Asian design, incorporating it into their overall look. Sadly, the biggest mistake is to “over-Asian” your place. I have witnessed quite a few of my fellow countrymen from the USA dive hip deep into Asian
design, buying an entire houseful of furniture and art in a frenzy. I don’t think this is specific to my particular country, but we do tend to want everything perfect and “matchy-matchy” all at once. The end result is contrived and hotellike. I can’t for the life of me figure out why a foreigner would need nine Buddha statues in their home. So, how do you get it just right? How do you pay homage to the local culture without overdoing it? Patience, restraint and a little selfintrospection are the answers to those questions. When you see a room that you like, ask yourself what it is that has caught your eye. Is it the colour? Is it the lighting? Is it one particular piece of furniture? The path of least resistance would have you just “taking it all”, but give yourself enough time and you’ll find things you don’t like about it. A personal example I can give occurred with me here in Pattaya.
Anyone who has been to the posh restaurant on the north end of Beach Road called Mantra has witnessed their slick interpretation of Asian flair. Upon on entering the lounge area my breath was taken away by the use of bold Asian colours coupled with cool modern shapes. I was especially drawn to the “Sultan’s Table” circular lounge with its decadent appeal. Any selfrespecting harem keeper would be envious of this set up.
‘‘ I have a big seated Buddha that has travelled the world with me. I cannot imagine my home without gazing on his serene face every morning.
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“Asian button” in our brains. Naturally, religious images like Buddhas and good old Ganesh take us to that Asian place. And, you don’t have to be a Buddhist or Hindu to appreciate their appeal. Dazzling array I have a big seated Buddha that has travelled the world with me. I cannot imagine my home without gazing on his serene face every morning. Lacquerware and koi images also bring out the Zen lover in most of us. Last year I found a batik print maker in Chiang Mai with incredible pieces. They are inexpensive, available in a dazzling array of choices and most importantly, authentic and locally made. Again, the key with this kind of décor is restraint. Just because you like a particular lamp doesn’t mean you have to buy four of them. I understand
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
Ruling things out Over a few martinis, I perused the room and began to start ruling things out. That coffee table is just too low; those Chinese horse sculptures don’t appeal to me; those chairs look uncomfortable; I really don’t like all that drapery… and so on. By the time my third drink came (or maybe it was the fourth), I figured out that I really liked was the cluster of lamps hanging over Sultan’s Table.
I took a picture of them with my phone, researched them on-line and found out they are replicas of old train lamps of Indian origin. A month or so later I found a shop that sold them in Bangkok and now they are perfect additions to my own version of Asian flair. Every time I see them it gives me the same other worldly feeling I got the first time I walked into Mantra … but my house doesn’t look like a restaurant. Another aspect of Asian flair is to determine what it is about a room, a piece of furniture or a work of art that makes you think it’s Asian in origin. Any room with an oriental rug will look Asian even if all the other décor is a different style. A piece of furniture made in teak will seem Asian even if the shape and style are not. And certain pieces of artwork automatically conjure an Asian feel. There are many examples of images that push the
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
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you really like that water colour painting of koi, but you don’t really need one in every room. Overdoing an item means you dilute the effect. Figure out why you like it and put it where it has greatest impact. Perhaps the most important tool you can use to create Asian flair is colour. Where I come from everything is beige and cream. Yeccch! It seems to me people decorate their home so as not to offend anyone. A red room feels warm … a blue room feels cool … a beige room feels … well … beige. If you are going to feel at home here in the Caribbean of Asia, you had better get over your fear of colour. Deep masculine reds, soothing warm ochre yellows, and greyish greens so mellow they slow your heart rate are the colours of Asia. And you don’t have to stick to old world Asian hues; there are many progressive treatments
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‘‘ Asian colours change the temperature of rooms drastically and scream out “look at me”. Don’t overdo it or guests in your home will be confused, distracted and quite possibly get a headache.
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as well. Somewhere in the world, the high priests of design set the trendy colours for the year. Last year it was a deep tangerine and the year before it was purple. Asian designers have put their own twists on these trendy colours, placed them in an Asian theme and “voila”, Asian Modern is created. The key to a colour being “Asian” is the saturation. Put simply, they don’t wash anything out. Nothing is faded or muted … it’s pure colour. Bright colours One more time, the “R” word rears its sensible head … restraint. While it is perfectly acceptable to paint an entire room Chinese Red, you might create a more livable affect just doing it on one “accent” wall. If you aren’t keen to use bright colours on walls, do it with pictures, rugs or selected artwork. Remember, you direct people’s attention with colour. Just like
birds are attracted to shiny objects, we simple humans immediately look at the brightest colour in the room. Visitors to your home are under your design control and it is your duty to give them a proper tour. Asian colours change the temperature of rooms drastically and scream out “look at me”. Don’t overdo it or guests in your home will be confused, distracted and quite possibly get a headache. Perhaps the proper way to approach adding Asian flair to your design motif is to take direction from the prevailing religion in this region. The goal of followers of Buddhism is to live a “mindful” life. Don’t just grope at a design element because you like the way it looks. Ask yourself why you like it, how it makes you feel and how it will fit into your home. Pay attention, have some patience and for Buddha’s sake … have some restraint. Bart Walters
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
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s o c i a l
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Bar just keeps being raised
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
Bangkok’s Banyan Tree hotel took the opportunity to showcase the excellence of their different restaurants by presenting a speciality dish from each outlet when they hosted November‘s Movers & Shakers. Guests at the event were treated to Peking duck, fresh sushi and the exclusive Wagu beef in the Ban Yun restaurant which is situated on the 60th floor. A spokesman for M&S said: “This was probably one of the best networking gatherings we have held to date with some 180 guests attending, great views and super food. Many thanks go to sponsor for the night – Matrix Developments.” As Pattaya Living was being printed the M&S Gala was being held in Pattaya. More in the next issue.
a t t r a c t i o n s / g o l f
Attractions
Underwater World: on Sukhumvit Road 200 metres south of Tesco Lotus at Pattaya South has a collection of marine species from the Gulf of Thailand. Walk through the 100-metre long pedestrian tunnel and witness more than 200 species of fish swimming by. Open daily from 9.00-18.00 (last tickets 17.30). Tel: 038 756 879. Pattaya Elephant Village: 7km from Central Pattaya on Phonpraphanimit Road. Shows daily at 14.30 and last an hour. A one-hour elephant ride is available from 8.00-17.30 and rafting, trekking (three hours including a meal) is available at 9.00, 10.30, 12.30 and 16.30. Tel: 038 249 818. Khao Kheow Open Zoo: 35 km north of Pattaya. A huge zoo with many animals that are on the endangered species list including six rare white tigers exchanged by the Memphis Zoo in the USA. Open daily 08:00-18:00. Tel: 038 298 188. Sriracha Tiger Zoo: a zoo with various shows at 341 Moo 3, Nongkham, Sri Racha (30 minutes away). It claims a population of 200 tigers and around 10,000 crocodiles, the largest of such in the world. Tel: 03829 6556.
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden: 163 Sukhumvit Road (15 minutes east of city towards Bang Saray). Beautiful gardens with waterfalls, “Cultural Extravaganza” performances four times a day. Tourists experience religious ceremonies, martial arts demonstrations, massages and elephant shows. Various restaurants are available. Tel: 03842 9321 Khao Chi Chan: etched and filled with gold leaf, this Buddha is more than 100 metres high and is thought to be the largest such image in the world. Next to Silver Lakes Vineyard which is also worth a visit. Sanctuary of Truth: this wooden giant can be found in North Pattaya. The entrance is at Soi 12, Naklua Road. Every inch of the building is covered with wooden carvings
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to reflect Ancient Vision of Earth, Ancient Knowledge, and Eastern Philosophy. It is open daily from 9.00-18.00 Admission is 500 baht. 038 225 407/038 367 229 www. sanctuaryoftruth.com The Million-Year Stone Park and Crocodile Farm: lies a 15 minute drive from central Pattaya. It features an exotic zoo, and crocodile, fire-swallowing and magic shows, as well as the garden and stone park. Open 8.0018:30. Tel: 03824 9347-9 or www. thaistonepark.org for information. Mini Siam: is on Sukhumvit Road, surrounded by Soi 33. This model village celebrates the heritage of Thailand with miniature replicas of the most famous monuments and historical sites. Replicas of Tower Bridge, Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty and Trevi Fountain are also displayed. There is a small go-kart track. Open daily from 7.00-22.00. Tel: 038 421 628 for information. Koh Larn: is reached by ferry from Bali Hai pier or by speedboat. It has several beaches boasting white sand and clear blue water. The many activities include para sailing, snorkeling, jet ski, banana boat, swimming in tropical waters, and there is even a shooting range there. Koh Larn is also suited for bicycling and hiking. www.kohlarn.com Pattaya Park and Tower: at Pratumnak features a large whirlpool with giant sliders and a tower with a revolving restaurant. Visitors can also enjoy several games and rides on the tower and in its playground. Open daily from 10.00-19.00 (20.00 on Saturday). Tel: 03836 4110-20 or 02579 9612-4 or www.pattayapark.com for more information. Bira International Circuit: is the only internationally certified racetrack in Thailand. Its extensive facilities include a full-service karting track, an off-road test track, and the FIA certified 2.41km racetrack. It can be found about 15 km away on the Pattaya-Rayong Road (Highway 36). Tel: 022 803 547/025 221 731/8
Here we list just a few of the things tourists and expats can do to make their time here more enjoyable ...
Golf
Many local bars organise golf days, often at better prices than casual golfers can negotiate with the course direct. If you plan to play regularly, consider membership of the Pattaya Sports Club as production of its membership card can help secure worthwhile discounts. The one-off registration fee is Bt400 plus Bt500 a year membership. Most golfers find they can save these sums within just a few rounds. Bangpra International: is one of several five-star courses in the area. This is an 18-hole, par 72 course with plenty of water on the front nine. Clubhouse recently renovated – even the toilets are automated! Tel: 038 341 149-50 Burapha Golf Club: is a fourstar, 36-hole, par 72 course. The Eastern course suits up-andcoming golfers, while the Western challenges the more experienced. Reserving a tee-off time is advised. Tel: 038 372 700-1 Century Chonburi: Designed by Nick Faldo, this is an inexpensive 18-hole, par 72 course, usually not too busy during the week. Clubhouse has little to commend it, but this is reflected in low green fees. Tel: 081 304 1545 The Emerald: Close to Bang Chang, Emerald is another course where Nick Faldo has left his mark. He designed this in conjunction with the late Desmond Muirhead. Many holes test accuracy, not length, of drive. Tel: 038 941 111 Greenwood (formerly Noble Place): is well designed 27-hole, par 72 course. A well-kept course with few water hazards allows good scoring for high handicappers. Tel: 081 484 9066, 081 484 9069 Laem Chabang International: this Jack Nicklaus-designed, 27-hole, par 72 course is one of the top ones. Set in spectacular surroundings on mountain, valley and lake nines. Carts are compulsory here. Tel: 038 372 273
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he year 2012, full of personal highs and lows and one in which the rumour mill has been in full pedal-to-the-floor mode. Firstly, what is happening with the local Bira Circuit? Panic and consternation overtook the local racing fraternity with the rumour that the Bira Circuit is closing. Well, it’s not a rumour, it is a fact, but it isn’t going to happen tomorrow, next week or next month. Confirmation of the planned closure was given in the Bangkok Post in November, with an item quoting Dr Prachin Eamlumnow, one of the owners of Bira and boss of Grand Prix International, saying negotiations are underway on the sale of the circuit. Note that it is still in the ‘negotiations’ phase, which can go on for years. I subsequently spoke with Anothai Eamlumnow, Dr Prachin’s son and promoter of the Pro Series races at Bira a couple of weeks ago. He confirmed that the circuit is for sale, but he said nothing is likely to happen in the immediate future, and the circuit will be available as usual in 2013. There are rumours of two new circuits to be built, with one to FIA standards for the World Touring Car Series, but no confirmation as yet, and rumours are what fuels motor racing! However, by 2014 I expect there will be an alternative circuit to Bira, in addition to the circuit at Kaeng Krachan (near Cha Am), the one at Khorat (the Bonanza circuit) and a temporary track at Muang
Tong Thani (used in November for the Honda night races). There is also the round-the-houses event at Bangsaen, promoted by Sontaya Khunplome, which could become two events a year, instead of one. So it is almost 100 per cent sure that Bira will be used in 2013, but 2014 is not confirmed. There will be more circuits, and motor sport will continue to flourish in Thailand. Never fear! The end of the year is also the time when race teams acknowledge and thank their sponsors. For us, the naming sponsor has been Securitas, and I thank them for all their help over the past two years. A solid backer is always needed, and Securitas gave us that security. Another very solid backer has been Kevin Fisher through his firm CES, who also helped us following our triple roll-over in July. Kevin has already indicated he is with us for 2013. A competitor turned out to be one of the people we could truly rely on, and Henk Kiks of B-Quik (Porsche 944) became our tyre supplier (and can be yours too, through the B-Quik store at Big C South Pattaya).
Some of the “highs” of 2012 – trophies won at Bira this year.
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There are rumours of two new circuits to be built, with one to FIA standards for the World Touring Car Series, but no confirmation as yet, and rumours are what fuels motor racing!
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
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Hemaraj, through its president David Nardone, came on board in June and that sponsorship runs until next June. Thank you, David. One sponsor who has been with us for two years and will be with us again is Peter Smith of AA Insurance Brokers. Peter runs the hospitality tent, an important part of our sponsorship package available to all sponsors and their clients and friends. Of course, let us not forget the Sausage King (Barry Main) who feeds the hungry hordes at the meetings. A true racing enthusiast is Wolfgang Weiss, (Itris Medical) whose Swiss parent company sponsors a Porsche Carrera, and knowing the value of raising public awareness, is one of the sponsors of our Mk 1 Escort. We may not be in the Porsche Carrera league, but the team’s enthusiasm is just as strong. Another group joined as a sponsor in 2012, and that was the Automotive Focus Group, the fastest growing professional group in the Thai automotive business. Thank you president Uli and the group. And then there are the supporting companies with goods and services such as the Pattaya Mail, the tool group Cromwell Tools, EBC brakes and AVO Turboworld. Finally, the guys who worked on the car. Simon Roberts who built it; John Moreton who has changed more wheels than he ever thought existed; Ken Gibson, the wiring whizz and American Ken who works as the ‘gofer’. Thank you all. The team would not have turned a wheel without you. Dr Iain Corness
Proud sponsors of the Securitas Retro Escort +66 38 354 019 47
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Kids will thank the three bears Hilton Pattaya has announced its latest corporate social responsibility initiative, “The Charity Teddy Bear for Underprivileged Kids Project”. Aimed at raising funds for the Human Help Network Foundation Thailand (www.hhnthailand.org), the project will help protect children’s rights against exploitation, poverty and child discrimination. The charity teddy bear is presented in three categories – in bikini, chef and bathrobe costume at only Bt999. These adorable teddy bears are already available for sale at Hilton Pattaya and at Human Help Network Foundation’s Pattaya office. The Human Help Network Foundation Thailand is a NGO based in Pattaya. Its aim is to help children in need, to provide them with security, a stable and affectionate home and an education. In line with the hotel’s commitment to make a difference through community service in Pattaya, Hilton Pattaya’s Blue
Energy team will continue to work closely with local organisations to take the lead in both implementing sustainable activities and enhancing corporate social responsibility. To buy a charity teddy bear or for more information please call +66 (0)38 253 000 or email pattaya.info@ hilton.co.
l The hotel was also announced the appointment of a new general manager – Philippe Kronberg (above) who will oversee operations and lead the team at this award-winning property.
Celebrate Christmas up on Pratumnak Hill
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
Mantra gears up for the festive season
The Mantra restaurant and bar which sits alongside the Amari hotel on Beach Road is planning many ways to help folk enjoy the festive season. Every day from the 21st until the end of the year they will stage a Festive Treats Dinner starting at 6.30pm priced at Bt1,213 per person. On top of this they plan a Christmas Day Brunch priced at Bt1,999 per person (children Bt999) which starts at 11.30. Plus they will have a Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner for Bt2,999 per person (children Bt1,5000). In addition they are selling Amari Psattaya hampers from Bt1,900 and up with three days’ notice required. They also plan a major New Year’s Eve celebration priced at Bt4,299 (children Bt2,200).
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Sheraton’s Elements restaurant invites you to a fantastic evening with family and friends to celebrate the festive season on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The modern dining room will be complemented by the warmth of Thai hospitality and Sheratonstandard service, tropical gardens and sweeping views over the gulf. A spokesperson said: “Enjoy a wide variety of fabulous tasting foods from around the world in a lunch or dinner buffet created by our award-winning chefs.” The food will be are presented at more than 10 stations. Highlights will be a fancy sushi and sashimi bar, BBQ station, and carving station offering tandoori-marinated prawns, red chili-honey glazed salmon, horseradish-maple glazed beef tenderloin, roast turkey, beerbasted prime rib and much more.
There will be live bands, and Santa Claus is also coming, bringing gifts to brighten your day. Christmas Eve buffet dinner from 6:30-10:00pm is priced at Bt2,000 net per adult and Bt1,000 net per child (4-12) for food only; or Bt2,600 net per person including free flow of wine. Christmas Day buffet lunch will run from noon-3:00pm at Bt2,300 net per adult and Bt1,150 net per child (4-12) for food only. For reservations, call 038 259 888 or email: sheraton.pattaya@ sheraton.com.
Coffee break answers two-minute trivia
1 B) QPR (14+); 2 A) Mark Wahlberg; 3 A) Times Sq (39.2m per year); 4 C) Wham! (Last Christmas, 1.45m); 5 C) Red Lion (750+). NUMBER CRUNCHER AND SUDOKU
Multiply and divide before adding or subtracting. The second column down is therefore 1 x 6 = 6, + 7 = 13.
‘Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve’ – George Bernard Shaw
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Friendship Supermarket South Pattaya Road near junction with Third Road
To advertise in the LIVING section
087 988 0799 (English) 087 535 8096 (Thai)
Best Supermarket North Pattaya Road close to the Dolphin Roundabout for all your shopping needs
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
Find us at The Village shopping centre where Chaiyapruk meets the Sukhumvit Road
BEST SUPERMARKET
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
p h o t o
f i n i s h
A face in the crowd! This photo was taken by Peter Kraemer, who can be contacted on +66 (0)84 864 9370 or at mail@kraemerphotoart.com www.kraemerphoto art.com
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sports FOR MID-DECEMBER 2012 TO mid-january 2013
Soccer – Man United V Liverpool • Sunday 13 January • 8.30pm
The Last Word in Design and Luxury Absolute Beach Front Apartments Coming Soon to Na Jomtien
American Football – Falcons V 49ers • Monday 24 December • 7.25am
The Lion Pub is the newest Sports Bar in Pattaya where sports fans get together to watch live games on 8 big-screen TVs. Our state-of-the-art satellite system ensures you can watch any sport from around the world. We have ice cold beer and a complete range of spirits.
Twenty20 Cricket – India V England • Thursday 20 December • 9.30pm
380/81-84 Moo 10, Soi 17, Suksabai Villa, Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi 20260
Rugby Union – Saracens V Munster • Sunday 16 December • 10.00pm
T: 038 301 030-3 E: info@lionpubpattaya.com
See you in the New Year
W: www.lionpubpattaya.com
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Bar and kitchen open 10am until late
Tennis – Australian Open starts • Monday 14 January • tba
check out our 18-room guesthouse above the bar
081 5700 110
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
PATTAYA LIVING • 12/2012 • Issue 24
Our kitchen serves a large selection of your favourite bar snacks and Thai food, all served in a relaxed, fun and air-conditioned bar environment by our friendly hostesses.