Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya given tour of President Food
Rotarians and Research Director
Sumonrat Kamolchote (left) pose for a commemorative photo after a memorable
tour learning about the manufacturing of Mama noodles.
Veechan Souksi
Members of the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya learned how Mama instant
noodles were made during a visit to the Thai President Food Co. in Laem
Chabang.
President Graham Hunt-Crowley led the Sept. 14 field trip held in tandem
with the Spirit Church of Christ. Members learned about manufacturing
processes, knowledge they hope to pass on to Pattaya-area youths.
Research Director Sumonrat Kamolchote opened the day with a lecture and
presentation, showing off various pieces of machinery and how they are used
to cook and dry the cheap instant noodles popular all over Asia.
The noodles are made of imported wheat, unlike most brands that use rice
noodles. The company operates three factories in Lamphun, Rayong and
Sriracha, each producing more than 200,000 packages a day. The Sriracha
plant employs 1,400.
Sumonrat then led the delegation on a tour, explaining the quality processes
that go into making popular food products. Then it was up a staircase to a
central laboratory where workers have the delicious job of testing quality.
Most tests, however, are done by computers.
Hunt-Crowley thanked the company for the tour and exchanged gifts, including
Mama noodles.
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The joy of fishing
Larry described the characteristics
of many fish and the best way to find & catch them. “If you spot a frigate bird,
then you know the fish are not far off,” he said. Here Larry describes the
Striped Marlin.
The joy of fishing in Thailand and elsewhere was the topic at
the September 15 meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club. Larry Howard Leibowitz
has been fishing since he was about five years old, when he went out on the
waters with his father. Larry related his experiences in fishing off the coast
of Florida in the USA and in Thailand. Larry was born in New York USA in 1948.
He is the former owner of the Reef Bait and Tackle Shop in Miami, Florida, and
is a former member of the Miami Rod and Reel Club, the oldest Fishing Club in
the USA. Since moving to Thailand in 2012, he has been the owner of Bubble Wall
World; suppliers of decorative bubble walls and aquariums.
At first, Larry said his fishing was exclusively in inland waters. But after his
career took him to Florida which has extensive coastlines on three sides, he
decided to buy a boat and learn how to do offshore fishing. Before getting into
the fishing opportunities in Thailand, Larry showed photos of some offshore
predator fish he has caught and the type of equipment used. The photos included
the black marlin, the largest fish of all; the blue marlin, which lights up like
a neon sign when angry; the pacific sailfish, which has a large fin that looks
like a sail; and the yellow fin tuna which, Larry said, provides the best
quality sushi. The photos also included: the wahoo, which has a large red stripe
down its side and back and Larry says is good to eat; the dorado, also known as
“mahi mahi” or the “dolphin fish”; and the kingfish, also known as “king
mackerel,” which, according to Larry is not difficult to catch.
MC Richard Silverberg presents Larry
with a Certificate of Appreciation, thanking him for his enjoyable talk.
Larry said that there are clues to where the fish are
congregating offshore. If you spot a frigate bird, then you know the fish are
not far off. The frigate bird is a type of sea hawk. It looks for schools of
predator fish and then tries to snap up some of the scraps left over from their
dinners. Also, the presence of numerous seagulls is another clue that fish are
nearby. He also mentioned that if you see lines of sea weed in the water, you
will most likely find large fish as it attracts many different forms of sea life
that the larger predator fish like to eat.
Larry explained the concept of trolling for fish, which involves trailing baited
lines from behind a slowly moving boat. He said that they sometimes had as many
as five lines hitting at once, which kept the crew of four on his boat very
busy. Larry also showed photos of the bait used for offshore fishing, including
the rigged ballyhoo, goggle eyes and trolling lure.
Larry commented on the offshore fishing around Pattaya, saying he did not find
it particularly exciting or having many of the large predator fish that makes
offshore fishing a real sport. But, what he did find was that Thailand has lots
to offer a fisherman in its fishing ponds, lakes and rivers. He mentioned that
the Mekong River is a particularly good place to fish.
Larry talked about the bait he used for inland fishing, including a catfish rig
and bait ball made from bread. Larry demonstrated some of the equipment he uses
for fishing in Thailand; one particular item he recommended was a belt with a
receptacle for placing the end of the fishing rod. Larry explained that because
he is getting older and because he has had some back problems, he tries to use
equipment that will place the least strain on his body. However, that is not the
only reason to use the device. He described how he observed a lady who was not
displaying good form in her fishing technique. He let her borrow the belt, seat
her rod, and said she was quickly using the right form to lift the rod after the
fish was caught.
He then showed photos of some of the fish that can be caught in Thailand’s
inland waters including the barramundi, the Mekong catfish, the freshwater
stingray, the Siamese carp and the snakehead. Larry said that the fishing ponds
in Thailand are also fun to fish at plus they usually have guides to help rookie
fisherman get going. Larry said that the Bangsamran Fishing Park in Bangkok is
world famous.
During the Question and Answer session, one long term resident commented that
there are good spots for offshore fishing in the Pattaya area, but you have to
know precisely where to look. In response to a question about keeping your
catch, Larry said that his rule of thumb is to throw any fish he catches back
into the water unless he plans to eat it.
After Larry’s presentation, Master of Ceremonies Richard Silverberg brought
everyone up to date on upcoming events and called on Roy Albiston to conduct the
interesting and informative open forum where questions are asked and answered
about Expat living in Thailand.
If you want to learn more about the many activities of the Club, visit their
website at
www.pattayacityexpatsclub.com.
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Over 100 roll up their sleeves to pick up garbage
Holiday Inn staff pose with
officials from city hall, Rotarians and guests from the Human Help Network to
kick start the Sept. 14 beach cleanup.
More than 100 people, including a number of new faces, turned
out for the latest “Green Pattaya” beach cleanup by the Rotary Club of the
Eastern Seaboard.
Hosted by the Holiday Inn Pattaya’s Havana Bar, the Sept. 14 event saw 40 hotel
employees join in cleaning Pattaya Beach from end-to-end.
The Wave Hotel and Hotel Selection did their part outside their respective
resorts as well, taking care of their property. Staff from the Siam Bayshore
Resort worked the beach from their front door to Soi 9 while also donating
donuts.
Twenty-five kids from the Human Help Network Thailand helped clean the stretch
from the Holiday Inn to Walking Street. HHN became a gold sponsor of the Green
Pattaya events this year.
The Holiday Inn and Kingdom Property helped refuel volunteers on a hot day.
Rotarians also expressed thanks to Gary Rasmus for his support and work to keep
Jomtien Beach clean. Pattaya City Hall also earned gratitude for contributing 20
workers to the cleanup effort.
In all, volunteers scooped up 100 bags of trash, pointing out the desperate
state of area beaches. Cigarette butts and bottle tops may seem like small
things, but pile up and cause injuries to humans and animals alike.
The next cleanup is planned for the second weekend in October. For more
information, write. green@donate2thailand .com or see the group’s Facebook page
at Facebook. com/GreenPattaya. (RCES)
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Bargains galore
at Alvi’s garage sale
Pat’s Jams and Jewels.
Sue K
On Saturday 14 September, our community members had a day out buying and
selling second hand goods at Alvi’s garage sale on Soi 5 Beach Road.
Among the many vendors was Pat Burbridge who put up a stall full of Patricia’s
home made jams and pickles on one side and jewelry on the other side. She could
have easily put up a sign called “Jams and Jewels” as her trademark.
PILC came with a truckload of clothes and knickknacks to sell with proceeds
going to charity as always.
Elfi Seitz came to support the cause and brought down a bunch of colorful retro
clothes and pillows and cases.
Alisa brought down the ever so popular and fast selling organic Riceberry from
Singburi province. This limit-harvested vitamin-filled black rice is only milled
for each order placed, thus preventing the need for fumigation and is absolutely
free of chemicals. Orders are welcome. Contact: alisa. [email protected].
Alvi Sinthuvanik herself opened her home to all who came to browse and buy items
visible to their naked eyes. Secondhand clothes, pots and pans, furniture,
books, fax machine, potted plants, and even her dogs and cats, but because they
gave her a puppy dog (and cat) eyes, they got to stay.
Home cooked foods were also available such as beef or pork curry on rice and
spaghetti meat sauce.
There are still many items left before the house is cleared out, so email Alvi
and you never know, come this weekend, she may open her home again for a good
bargain and lovely foods:
[email protected]
Alvi showing her hand made table cloths that she had to
part with.
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Student ‘Art for the Planet’ on exhibit at Central Festival
The Art for the Planet 2013 exhibition is on display at
Central Festival Pattaya Beach through Sept. 30.
Warunya Thongrod and Veechan Souksi
Prize-winning drawings by students highlighting environmental conservation are
on display at Central Festival Pattaya Beach through Sept. 30 as part of the
Onyx Hospitality Group’s fourth “Art for the Planet” contest.
Pattaya Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh opened the exhibit Sept. 20. The contest
was first held in 2010 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. The
importance of the global environment and support the youth of Thailand are the
Onyx Hospitality Group’s initiatives, Director of Social Responsibility Lisa
Thomas said.
The exhibit also featured a live painting demonstration to honor Mana Yaprakhum,
president of the Pattaya Cultural Council and Pattaya Independent Artists
Association.
Twenty Pattaya-developed pieces in the contest organized by the Amari Orchid
Resort & Tower’s operator were selected Aug. 3 by Mana and artists Channarong
Kosolwat and Sornchai Khemkhaeng. Ten of the Pattaya entries joined 60
illustrations from other regions of Thailand for final judging in Bangkok Sept.
3, won by Supannee Chongmeethom from Burapha University in Chonburi.
About 60,000 baht in total prizes was awarded.
Thomas said the project is aimed at both helping underprivileged youth and
raising awareness about the need for environmental conservation.
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Dance Studio Pattaya hosts charity ballet
Pattaya officials and dancers
gather to announce this year’s charity ballet at the new Coliseum theater to
provide scholarships for underprivileged children.
Phasakorn Channgam
Dance Studio Pattaya will again host a charity ballet performance at the
new Coliseum theater to provide scholarships for underprivileged children.
Held in concert with the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association, the show,
entitled “Sungtong,” will run from 2-4 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Thepprasit Road
cabaret.
The event will give the students at Dance Studio Pattaya an opportunity to
support society and support art on stage, said school owner Dujduan
Ruangwetiwong.
The school organizes charity ballets every two years. The 2009 performance of
“The Nutcracker” at the Alcazar Theatre raised money for scholarships in
Chonburi while the 2001 performance of “Swan Lake” held in coordination with the
Lions Club of Pattaya-Taksin at the Tiffany Theatre benefitted the Chai Pattana
Foundation.
VIP tickets are now on sale for 1,000 baht, regular seats for 800 baht, and can
be purchased at the Dance Studio School, Pattaya 3rd Road, North Pattaya, or
call 038-361-908 (dance studio) or 081-865-2987 (teacher Jang).
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Bangkok Hospital Pattaya introduces art therapy
(L to R) Dr. Pacharin
Sukhonthabhirom Na Pattalung, BHP Director Pichit Kangwolkij and Wichai
Thammatucharee, managing director for Manopap Co., introduce the new art therapy
program at the hospital.
Veechan Souksi and Phasakorn Channgam
Bangkok Hospital Pattaya is helping patients use their heart and
emotions to reduce stress through “art therapy.”
Wichai Thammatucharee, managing director for Manopap Co., which organized the
exhibit for the hospital, opened the Sept. 17 seminar, turning over the podium
to BHP Director Pichit Kangwolkij, who noted art therapy is available until Oct.
17.
He explained that art can help the sick by channeling interests and emotions
into drawing, painting, sculpture, and collage. For more than 10 years, Dr.
Pacharin Sukhonthabhirom Na Pattalung said she has been successfully using art
therapy to treat the ill.
Pacharin said art therapy integrates psychotherapeutic techniques with the
creative process to improve mental health and well-being. That also reduces
obsession over the illness, creates enjoyment and reduces stress. Art therapy
can also be used to treat a wide range of mental disorders and psychological
distress, he claimed.
In many cases, it might be used in conjunction with other psychotherapy
techniques such as group therapy or cognitive-behavioral therapy.
The event continued with an art gallery tour of various artists on the second
floor. Hospital administrators are encouraging independent artists and art
students to display their work in the hospital, since it is their intention to
give the hospital the appearance of an art gallery. They hope that creates a
much better atmosphere, which can be of a therapeutic benefit to patients.
Art is also available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds going to
charity foundations of the buyer’s choice.
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