Make PattayaMail.com your Homepage | Bookmark              SERVING THE EASTERN SEABOARD OF THAILAND             Pattaya Blatt | Chiang Mai Mail | Pattaya Mail TV
 
Pattaya Mail Web
 
OUR COMMUNITY
 

Poetry follows business at PCEC meeting

Treasurer Judith Edmonds gives the annual financial report as part of the PCEC’s Annual General Meeting.

It was business and poetry at the Sunday, July 6, meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC). First up was the business. The PCEC holds its Annual General Meeting on the first Sunday of July. Club Treasurer Judith Edmonds opened the AGM noting that it would be a short meeting since the chairman gave her annual report last week because of travel plans. She called on Electoral Officer Wilson Fletcher to announce the filling of vacancies on the Board of Governors. Wilson announced that since the number of vacancies exceeded the number of candidates, that Roy Albiston, Jerry Dean, Judith Edmonds, and Lawrie McLoughlin, all incumbents from the previous Board, were acclaimed for another two year term. Judith then presented the annual treasurer’s report, solicited comments from the membership, and then adjourned the AGM.

As part of the PCEC’s Annual General Meeting, Electoral Officer Wilson Fletcher announces the results of nominations for the Board of Governors and that the four candidates, all incumbents, were acclaimed for another two year term.
Then it was time for poetry. Indeed, for 40 minutes, PCEC member Ian Frame regaled his audience with what he modestly described a “poetry of sorts.” The poems were presented on slides, accompanied by cartoons, and were recited by Ian. Ian has spoken previously at the club on building a family tree and on his experience working and living in Brunei. He has also shared his beautifully done nature photographs on another two occasions.
Ian’s career as a poet started in 2004 when he entered a competition for a travel company advertisement in a Scottish newspaper. This was his winning entry:

Ian Frame explains how he started writing poetry by winning a poetry contest when on a visit to his native Scotland and why he considers it fun to do.

“Travel in Easy Coaches to Donegal or Aberdeen,
Or Take an Easy Break in romantic Gretna Green.
Dinner, B & B, and entertainment too,
So much satisfaction, so many things to do.
With deals for every pocket there is no need to delay;
More details can be provided - contact us today.”

Roy Albiston conducts the PCEC’s Open Forum where members and guests can ask questions about expat living in Thailand or provide comments and observations on movies, restaurants, or other items of interest.

Ian then recited a poem he called “Rules to Live By”:

“Never eat a plate of food bigger than your head.
Never eat a hearty meal when there’s weight to shed.
Never scratch a lion’s nose if it has not been fed.
Never pull a tiger’s tail if it isn’t dead.”

The highlights of the session were two poems about Thailand which touched on a lot of the things many of us like about the country along with some things we may not like as much. The first poem was titled simply “Thailand”:

“Thailand has culture, sun, and smiles,
And sandy beaches that stretch for miles.
Magic temples decked with gold,
Plus silks and gems one wants to hold.

Where the food is spicy and often hot,
And vehicle accidents occur a lot.
Where street dogs many have bodies thin,
And car & truck audio systems make a din.

Where “falang” retirees may have a base,
And the pace of life is not a race.
Where women are elegant and move with grace,
And it is so important to not lose face.

Where motorcycles can transport five,
And the fish in markets are kept alive.
Where elephants have trouble finding a place,
And the smell from drains could be used as mace.”

The second poem was about Songkran:
“Songkran it is here again,
A time that I don’t like.
When hooligans spray water,
And I say “Take a Hike!”

When sitting on a baht bus,
And past some louts I go.
Buckets of water get thrown in,
And my anger it does grow.

After two weeks it will finish,
And for that I can hardly wait.
A time of no more worries
When I step outside my gate.”

Although he writes the poems mostly for fun, Ian has made an effort to publish some of them on a very small scale. Ian explained that he took a collection of his poems and created a booklet using cartoons drawn by artists on Pattaya’s Walking Street. He had 200 copies of the booklet printed. In addition, Ian has had a few of his poems published in Pattaya Mail, in the letters section.

The audience enjoys the humorous poems and their accompanying cartoons presented by Ian Frame at the PCEC meeting.

After the recitation, Master of Ceremonies Richard Silverberg brought everyone up to date on upcoming events and called on Roy Albiston to conduct the always informative Open Forum where questions are asked and answered about expat living in Thailand, especially Pattaya.
For more information on the PCEC’s many activities, visit their website at www.pcecclub.org.


PILC hosts monthly lunch at News Steaks & Grill

A handful of the over 40 PILC members that gathered for the club’s monthly luncheon at News Steaks & Grill.

Sue Tait,
PILC Hospitality

On Tuesday July 1st more than 40 members and guests of the Pattaya International Ladies Club gathered at the News Steaks & Grill on Thappraya Road in Jomtien for their monthly luncheon date.
The vibrant Trips and Activities team were again fully employed signing up many members for the exciting outings arranged for the next few months, in and around Pattaya and further afield.
After settling down at our tables in the restaurant and ordering our choices from the menu from the cheerful and helpful waiting staff it was time for our president, Helle Rantsen, to make some announcements. Firstly, she welcomed everyone and thanked the News Steaks & Grill for organising the lunch. Helle then spoke about our trip in mid-August on a special guided visit to the Palace in Bangkok, explaining that is was a once in a life-time visit. She also mentioned details of the Mozart Concert on July 12th and detailed various buffet dinners in honour of the French Bastille Day.
It was then ‘time for Lunch’ - we were treated to a lovely selection of great food, appetizers, entrée and dessert, all of the best quality and delivered individually by the waiting staff.
The last task of the day, the raffle, as always was enjoyed by all.
Helle also announced that those at the lunch would receive a discount card from the restaurant. Helle further announced to ‘Save the Date’ for our up-coming Holiday Bazaar on November 23rd to be held at the Holiday Inn, Pattaya Beach Road.


We on Wheels

Nanthini “Nina” Doowa
If you live or have visited Pattaya before you would have definitely seen people on wheelchairs roaming around the city or in malls and hospitals. The numbers of wheelchair users are increasing drastically in Pattaya City. But have you ever wondered or questioned how these users travel?
I had an ordinary life until 2 January 2010, when I became a victim in a terrible car accident in which I sustained a severe Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) which left me paralyzed from the neck down. Since then it’s been a challenging 4 years and I’ve been completely dependent on a wheelchair. I never realized the challenges and the impact of being on a wheelchair, until it became my only means of mobility. Yes, it looks like an easy task, but each time a wheelchair user needs to get to a new location, the hassle starts.

Statistics of people with disability - From 24 September 1994 to 31 March 2014.

Source: Information as of 1 April 2014, Disabilities All: 1,744,831 persons; Disabilities alive: 1,509,113 persons; Disabilities dead: 235,718 persons.

Living in a city and trying to accomplish a normal and independent lifestyle for wheelchair users like me is still a major question and concern. Being dependent on others limits our opportunities. Maybe it’s time for Pattaya to follow the world’s major cities and create a wheelchair inclusion society where the able-bodied and the disabled can share the same platforms.
Before all I must express my gratitude to Pattaya City for the special lane for Persons with disability (PWD) that was constructed in front of the Father Ray foundation. This special lane project is a step towards creating Pattaya as a wheelchair friendly city.
Pattaya, being the country’s most happening city, has portrayed itself as the real estate hub. It also has attracted a large number of tourists and it serves as a perfect retirement destination due to its weather, cost of living and friendly people. The AEC promises new levels of opportunity, therefore the infrastructure that best serves all will provide Pattaya with more advantages and opportunities. Pattaya, also known for the ‘Pramahathai School for the Disabled’, is a platform for the disabled to seek knowledge and secure jobs to support themselves. In short, the city has attracted and positively impacted the disable tourist sectors and locals.
The objective of this letter is to explain the significance and the need for an accessible public transportation for wheelchair users; i.e., wheelchair taxi/vans or even customized wheelchair accessible ‘songthaews’, wheelchair ramps, signage’s and accessible roads or lanes, that best fit the city’s infrastructure. PWD and the elderly population are mainly not exposed to the outside world. Moreover, the major expenses we have to deal with, i.e., daily activities, caregiver fees and transportation fees, are crippling our family’s finances.
Getting around in a wheelchair is a huge challenge as we all know, especially in a country like Thailand where ramps and wheelchair accessible taxis are not available. I and many like me have to depend on others to take us out, which means we have to follow others’ schedules. Many PWD are stuck at home because they have no transportation modes that can drop them to their destination. Apart from these issues people on a wheelchair are also faced with issues like ignorance and negligence.
Bangkok, the capital of Thailand is one of the most popular tourist destinations and has no doubt attracted large businesses, investors and tourists from all around the globe. The quality of life now known as ‘The Empowerment Act’ of citizens has become governments’ top priority in improving the welfare of most countries. Bangkok itself has invested in wheelchair accessible taxis to give the minority group a chance to fit in this society, but due to political reasons all projects funded by the government have taken a plunge. In Thailand, people with disabilities receive only 500 baht per month as a disability allowance and are also covered under the universal coverage under the ‘Persons with Disabilities Empowerment Act B.E. 2550 (2007’).
These wheelchair accessible taxis will provide PWD and the elderly population with the independence to travel and reach areas that would not be possible otherwise. Being able to have the freedom to travel or just reaching a particular destination is by far a dream of every wheelchair user. Moreover, the inclusion of PWD in the society will educate people about the challenges and could create awareness to the society.
Most famous cities around the world have seen the importance of wheelchair accessible taxis and other public services, i.e., public toilets, ATM booths, etc, which have been customized to serve PWD and the elderly sectors. It’s hopefully now time for Pattaya to see and understand the positive impacts it can have for the elderly and the wheelchair user population, most importantly to the image and status of the city.
Yes, the disability group is seen as a minority group but with those staggering numbers we sure know that there are many out there that need help. The number of wheelchair users are increasing, ranging from all ages, both local and tourists. Let’s join hands in turning Pattaya into a wheelchair friendly city by providing wheelchair taxis, wheelchair signage, and ramp services so that people with disabilities and the elderly group have a chance to have a better quality of life. Transportation and accessible ramps are all it takes for wheelchair users to reach their destination and to experience freedom. The number of obstacles PWD have to meet to fit in the society is still kept a silent tale. Therefore, let’s make this happen.


Pool tournament raises 600,000 baht for Father Ray Foundation

Banthit Siritanyong, president of the Pattaya Entertainment Business Club, presided over the tournament.

Jetsada Homklin
Sports fans and politicians helped get the Father Ray Foundation from behind the eight ball by raising 600,000 baht in a charity pool tournament.
Banthit Siritanyong, president of the Pattaya Entertainment Business Club, hosted the July 2 tournament at the Regent Pool and Sport Bar attended by top executives from the charity foundation, current and former politicians, community leaders and billiards fans.
Money raised through the tournament will be used for scholarships for the 850 kids under the care of the Father Ray Foundation.

In all, 64 players took part in the one day tournament.

The final match was a duel between Jeerawut Buatong and Manop Donrat who traded shots to keep the score close, won only in the final shots by Jeerawut five games to two. Former Culture Minister Sonthaya Kunplome awarded him the championship trophy.
Manop got a cup and cue stick from Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome while Gabriel Burns finished third, receiving his trophy from former MP Poramet Ngampichet. Bandit finished fourth, getting his cup from Banglamung District Chief Sakchai Taengho.
In all, 64 players took part in the one day tournament.

(Center, L to R) 1st thru 4th place - Jeerawut Buatong, Manop Donrat, Gabriel Burns and Banthit Siritanyong.


HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]

Poetry follows business at PCEC meeting

PILC hosts monthly lunch at News Steaks & Grill

We on Wheels

Pool tournament raises 600,000 baht for Father Ray Foundation

Advertisement

  Property for Rent
  Condos & Apartments
  Bungalows - Houses - Villas

  Property for Sele
  Condos & Apartments
  Bungalows - Houses - Villas
  Articles for Sale/Rent
  Boats
  Business Opportunities
  Computers & Communications
  Pets
  Services Provided
  Staff Wanted
  Vehicles for Sale / Rent: Trucks & Cars
 

 



News
 Local News
  Features
  Business
  Travel & Tourism
  Our Community
  Our Children
  Sports
Blogs
 Auto Mania
  Dining Out
  Book Review
  Daily Horoscope
Archives
PM Mike Franklin
Classic Charity Golf
Tournament
PM Peter Cummins
Classic International
Regetta
Information
Current Movies
in Pattaya's Cinemas

 Sophon TV-Guide
 Clubs in Pattaya
News Access
Subscribe to Newspaper
About Us
Shopping
Skal
Had Yao News
Partners
Pattaya Mail TV
 Pattaya Blatt
 Chiang Mail Mail