Pattaya Mail — Features

Thailand-Laos-Friendship Caravan

Mr. Pattaya, Alois X. Fassbind, Chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and Exec. Vice President of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort, is doing it again! The intrepid adventurer, never one to sit still for too long, will be Pattaya’s representative in the Thailand-Laos-China Friendship Caravan which will set out on January 19th, returning January 30th, 1998.

An expected caravan of 35 cars and pick-up trucks filled with 120 persons will venture overland through three countries, promoting the tourist attractions and distinctive cultures of all the countries along the route. This in turn will boost expected tourism returns across the area in the near future, and strengthen the relationship between Thailand, Laos and China.

Travelling with Alois in his vehicle will be Mr. L.A. Matzig, General Manager of Diethelm Travel and the Chairman of Special Projects for PATA Thailand Chapter, along with Ms. Yeoh Siew Hoon, the popular Editor of Travelasia Magazine.

The caravan will be divided into two groups, the first to depart by car-return by plane; the second to depart by plane and return by car. The first group will leave Chiang Rai on January 19, 1998, on a route that will take them through Chiang Khong, Huay Sai, Luang Nam Tha, Boten, Jing Hong, Simao, and Yuan Jiang to Kunming. The second group will leave from Kunming on January 24th and return along the same route reversed.

Background: The government’s policy to open up the new Indo-China economic zone has resulted in the establishment of region-wide transportation networks, be they by air, land or water. Tourism is one of the most important elements in fostering this new economic cooperation. As such, an agreement to develop international tourism among the countries of the Mekong Region was established. This development led to the fist Thailand-Myanmar-China Caravan held in 1993, and has attracted a great deal of interest. It can be considered the first international route open for caravan tourism in the Mekong Region.

In order to develop this initiative further, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), in cooperation with PATA Thailand Chapter, the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT), and Thai Airways International Plc., will launch a new caravan project named the "Thailand-Laos-China Caravan" which will take place between January 19-30, 1998.

Thailand is a natural centre for such an initiative due to its highly developed infrastructure of highways and facilities, and, as a result, this second caravan will start from Thailand’s Chiang Khong District in Chiang Rai Province, travelling first to Luang Nam Tha in Laos and then to Kunming in China.

There are still a few places left in the caravan, but the entry deadline is today, Friday, December 12, 1997. For more information, please contact the Marketing Development Division, tel: 226-0060. ext. 551-2, 555-7, or fax: 226-0074, 223-3342 and 223-2292.

An enlightening talk with Dale Gutzman

The sold out success of SHOWSTOPPERS, presented by Dale Gutzman and his company, demonstrates that there is a great hunger for truly professional and quality entertainment in Pattaya.

The Pattaya Mail talked to Dale, the Director of Gutzman Productions, which presents plays and musicals in Milwaukee Wisconsin during the theatre season. Each summer, Dale and his performing troupe do a world tour.

Directing and performing in legitimate and musical theatre, Dale was appointed Associate Director of the Odessa Russian Drama Theatre in the Ukraine Republic.

Performers of this calibre seldom come to Pattaya. We interviewed Dale at the Cafe Royale. The group’s pianist David Carroll was practising in the next room and the beautiful music of Debussy and Ravel sometimes split the interviewer’s concentration in the most pleasant way.

PM: You’ve been coming to Pattaya for four years. What do you think of the city?

DG: There is a lack of culture in Pattaya. Our shows are always sold out, but people tell me that no other quality western performers come here. I believe there is no reason for this, other than a lack of interest in actually working to make it happen.

PM: Could you explain?

DG: Just look! Pattaya’s atmosphere and location are perfect for a performing arts centre. The sun, sea and emphasis on ‘nightlife’; it’s like a mini Rio de Janeiro. Judging from the attendance at our shows, there is an audience here.

PM: Staging good performances here would be rather difficult.

DG: I don’t agree at all. Look at the varied nationalities you have here. There are British, German, French, Indian and Italian communities here. All have their own culture and performing arts traditions. With a little effort and planning, Pattaya could become a Mecca for live entertainment in Thailand.

PM: There is also the problem of finances.

DG: I believe this way of thinking is incorrect. People think of everything in terms of profit. If you want culture, you have to pay for it. Shows might lose or not make much money in the beginning stages, but would soon begin to break even. Today’s ethic seems to be that everything must be done quickly and make a profit. This attitude will defeat any effort to bring any culture to Pattaya. The Drama Theatre in the Ukraine usually loses money. But the audiences are huge. The Ukrainians realise that culture is necessary for a full life.

PM: How do you see Thailand’s perception of Western entertainment?

DG: Thailand receives a barrage of promotion from the most commercial of Western media. This also happens in Russia. Everything is promotion. The Thai people see only the flash and power of American music. They believe this is all there is, so they accept it. It’s not their fault. Very seldom are they exposed to more subtle and varied American show tradition.

PM: The reaction to SHOWSTOPPERS has been tremendous and you do sophisticated theatre. Why?

DG: We really love the audiences in Pattaya. Our shows, being rather risqué gay oriented theatre, hopefully reflect some of the hypocrisy of society. The Broadway show tradition is not just to entertain, but to comment on society.

PM: Could you give us one ‘prime’ example of this?

DG: A very powerful statement was made by Stephen Sondheim’s show Assassins. Lee Harvey Oswald, Squeaky Fromme, Sirhan Sirhan and other 20th century assassins were all brought together in a party situation. The show contains really fine music and brilliant dialogue. But it was ahead of its time. The critics and the public were horrified that it was in such ‘poor taste’. If they had listened a bit more carefully, they would have realised that it made a scathing point on the failure of the ‘American Dream’. It was not a commercial success.

PM: Showstoppers also comments on society?

DG: Isn’t that the point of any art form? Our goal is to entertain and give people something to think about. We do it from a gay point of view, using some satire. We like to use novel presentations of the songs to bring this satire out. But to do this, performance standards must be very high. In musical theatre, the words and the music are equally important. We did this through the use of certain correlations between lyrics of songs. The audience often misses this in non-English speaking countries. We did the song, ‘There’s Nobody Like You’ in the first act. In the second act, we did the duet about class. They both dealt with American people’s concern with ‘class’. We hope the audience caught these references.

PM: Do you prefer performing in nightclubs or theatres?

DG: Both have advantages and disadvantages. The wonderful thing about clubs is the performer can work on the floor with the audience. But it can be annoying when some people think that we are ‘background’ music.

PM: How did you find the Pattaya audiences?

DG: As a large portion of the audiences are not native English speakers, we must maintain a much higher ‘energy level’ in our performances to compensate. Thais are wonderful audiences. They like to have the performers interact with them and are usually much less ‘uptight’ than westerners.

PM: What is your favourite show music?

DG: As we do Broadway music on our tours I’ll preface that answer with American. The modern musical has become associated with America. My favourite shows are by Stephen Sondheim, although he doesn’t have the broadest audience.

There are so many people who have written good shows, it’s impossible to name them all.

I love performing Rodgers and Hart, Rodgers and Hammerstein and of course Cole Porter, a true original. These writers and composers always have something to say. Hart and Porter were geniuses with lyrics.

PM: I see you did a tribute to Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber.

DG: Yes.

PM: Uh, I don’t really like his music.

DG: (sigh of relief) You know, I don’t either. But he is so popular and trendy. Audiences like him, so we do it. So many Broadway songs of the past 60 years became instant hits and are still sung. How many of his melodies are really hummable? They are not memorable. As a teacher of legitimate theatre, I also think the words are just as important as the music. The lyrics to his songs don’t make sense and don’t say anything. But he is very popular and people want to hear him. You have to give people what they want. If it makes them happy, OK.

PM: What do you plan after the tour?

DG: We are performing the non-musical play Bent, and then performing it in Kazakstan.

PM: Could you tell us more?

DG: Bent is a fantastic play about oppression, love and communication. It’s set in a concentration camp. The two protagonists are gay men who are lovers. The Nazis allow the two men no physical contact. They are forced to stand 15 feet apart. (In the show, they stand stage left and stage right.) They each have a pile of rocks, which they must pick up and put down without moving for eight hours a day. Their only means of communication is verbal. They are not allowed to argue. As the play develops, it shows us how people don’t fully express themselves. These two men go through many mental catharses, as they are truly forced to discover who the other is. What the Nazi’s consider torture becomes an enlightening experience.

PM: Kazakstan? It’s a pretty conservative country.

DG: That’s right and wrong. The country is conservative, but many of the people are interested in new ideas and innovative theatre. This will be a real ‘first’ for the country.

PM: Do you think it will be successful?

DG: If I didn’t, I wouldn’t do it. I like doing things which people say won’t work.

PM: Any examples?

DG: Yes. The Ukrainians love Shakespeare and wanted me to produce MacBeth. The one glitch was that the three best actors in the company spoke no English and the English guest actors spoke no Russian. The play was performed with each actor speaking their own language. The first night, it took the audience a few minutes to adjust, but it was a huge success.

Ukrainians who love Shakespeare know the play, so they understood what the actors were saying. It had another wonderful effect. Those who did not know the play actually read it many times in Russian before coming to see it. It was not only a great theatrical experience. It also induced many people to really study the play and understand it. We had to extend the run and sell standing room. The combination of languages gave the play an incredible richness.

PM: What do you have planned for your season in Wisconsin?

DG: I tried to get performance rights to Phantom of the Opera. They’re still playing hard to get.

PM: But you don’t like Andrew Lloyd-Webber.

DG: Right, but Phantom makes money. It draws audiences. People who don’t even like theatre will come because it’s the ‘thing to do’.

PM: So what will you do instead?

DG: We’re planning to do the rock opera Tommy.

PM: Why? I haven’t heard that show mentioned in years.

DG: I know. But it will bring in a large audience of baby boomers. We can make some money. This will jump start our budget.

PM: Could you explain all this?

DG: Our theatre is always full. But we can’t always extend runs and charge inflated prices for the tickets. We want to do quality. Shows like Phantom and Tommy can be sold to people who want to be seen and will pay for it. This gives us a surplus budget for the rest of the season and we can allot bigger budgets for the production of quality shows. Everybody wins.

PM: Last question. If you hadn’t entered performing arts, what would you have done.

DG: Died. I don’t do this because it’s ‘fun’. It’s much more than that. I do it because I am compelled to communicate through theatre arts. I must serve people through art. I can’t do anything else.

Family Money

Short-term versus Long-term

Some people say to me: "I don’t like long-term savings plans."

To me, as a professional financial advisor, that’s the same as saying: "I don’t plan to live very long."

I’m not suggesting that everyone should make a commitment to pay $X every month for the rest of their working life - just that long-term savings plans have their place in any sensibly thought-out financial planning program.

And it can be an important one.

Pension Planning

For example, making provision for a comfortable retirement should be high on the list of priorities in your personal financial planning. (It rarely is - but that’s another story!)

For most people, a long-term savings plan is probably the most appropriate vehicle to build up a retirement fund.

Built-In Flexibility

Nowadays, there are many different such plans on the market, and most have a high degree of flexibility built into them.

This allows for reducing or suspending contributions during a period of changed circumstances such as short-term redundancy, relocation, prolonged ill health, and so on.

Most such plans also allow for regular or ad hoc increases to contributions, to help combat inflation and keep pace with your upward mobility.

High Charges?

Some people criticise the charges associated with long-term savings plans. They complain that the initial charges that many such plans carry (sometimes called "front-end loading") are too high, and erode the growth in the early years. And if they wanted to cash up the plan after only two or three years, they might not even get back as much as they’d put into it.

Well, that’s possibly true. But long-term savings plans are not designed to be short-term ones: they are specifically designed for the long-term saver. Most long-term plans are highly cost-effective if carried through to maturity.

Nobody should commit to a long-term savings plan who intends to contribute into it for only two or three years. They’d almost certainly be better off with one of the many excellent short-term plans that are available nowadays.

But for serious long-term financial planning, one or another of the long-term savings plans from one or another of the major international institutions is, in my opinion, still the best way to go.

Short-term Plans

For people who are earning high incomes on short-term employment contracts - who are generally earning far more than they’re spending, but perhaps don’t know what the future will hold for them just a few short years down the road, but in the meantime want their excess income to be working hard for them - a flexible short-term savings plan is probably the best solution.

Nowadays there are various highly flexible and cost-effective short-term plans on the market. Most can be stopped at any time without suffering any penalty for doing so, and suitable ones are available for every budget - for those who want to save comparatively modest amounts, or to accommodate quite substantial contributions. The charging structure and bonuses offered with these plans reflects the level of input and/or the period of contribution.

Better than the Bank?

Both short- and long-term savings plans access a range of funds which can be chosen to meet individual risk-profiles and preferences. Adjusting the portfolio ("switching" funds) in line with changing market conditions can usually be done at any time, and at either little or no cost (depending on the plan’s terms & conditions.)

Such funds access the world’s stock markets, bond markets - even the commodities & futures markets.

While tending to be more volatile than cash in the bank (with some notable exceptions this past year!) over time stocks have consistently outperformed bonds, which have outperformed cash.

Cash in the bank rarely even keeps pace with inflation. In real terms, your cash deposits are earning negative interest.

Also, cash is subject to fluctuating exchange rates, which can seriously erode your capital if it’s not in the currency you’ll be spending. (And even then, if the currency is devalued against hard currencies used to pay for local imports.)

Short, Long or Both?

Whether a short-term or long-term savings plan is the most appropriate vehicle for any individual is subject to many variables, and needs to be discussed with your financial advisor (if you have one), who would take into consideration your own particular needs and circumstances before making any recommendations.

In some cases, both a short- and a long-term savings plan are the most suitable. For example, a long-term one for your pension fund, a medium-term one for the children’s education fund or paying off the mortgage, and a short-term one for other purposes, or just to accommodate anything left over.

Both the short-term and the long-term savings plan have their proper place in a sound financial planning program. And personal financial planning is something that everyone should take seriously. As someone once wisely said: "Those who fail to plan, plan to fail."

If you have any comments or queries on this article, or about other topics concerning investment matters, write, fax or e-mail Leslie Wright, c/o Family Money, Pattaya Mail, or e-mail him directly at [email protected].

Health and Nutrition Facts

Low Fat baking

by Laura Zubrod, Registered Dietician

Fat is a three letter word that for most people means a forbidden food. Fats in food determine the characteristic texture, odor, and flavor and play a critical roll in the palatability of the food. You don’t need to give up a favorite recipe just because you feel it’s too high in fat. Fat and sugar calories can be decreased by making simple substitutions without compromising flavor or texture. Here are some substitutes you can use to turn your favorite baked goods into more healthful treats.

In baked breads, cakes, muffins, and brownies, try substituting at least half the fat (oil, margarine, or butter) in these recipes with applesauce, fruit purees, mashed bananas, and low-fat yogurt. Baby food fruits also make great fat substitutes: plums with tapioca, apricots, pears, and applesauce. Fruits high in pectin like apples, prunes, pears, and plums are the best fruits to use as fat substitutes. To use prunes as a fat substitute, make a prune puree by blending 4 oz. pitted prunes with 3 tablespoons water for ½ cup puree. One large jar of baby food or 1/3 cup applesauce or other fruit puree substitutes for ½ cup butter or margarine. When using prune puree, yogurt, and bananas, you can make an equal substitution for the amount of fat in the recipe. For example 1 cup margarine = ½ cup prune puree and ½ cup margarine.

Don’t worry about your product taking on the flavor of your fat substitute. Unless you use a very ripe banana in a plain muffin, for example, you shouldn’t be able to taste the substitute. If you are concerned, stick with applesauce, low-fat yogurt, and prune puree.

Use bread flour when reducing the fat in baking. The higher protein content of bread flour helps the baked goods to rise better when fat is decreased or eliminated. The fat in many breads and brownies can be totally replaced without any noticeable changes. If the product is too dry or the product is dense and the texture is chewy, add 2 tablespoons honey or corn syrup. If it is still too dry, add back in 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil, margarine, or butter. Fat adds tenderness to baked products. Also, keep in mind that removing the fat from recipes makes the product more fragile.

Since fat also contributes to flavor, pay special attention to the flavoring ingredients (vanilla and other extracts, cinnamon, spices, grated fruit) when reducing fat in your recipes. You may need to increase amounts of these ingredients or make some additions. Nuts add flavor to baked goods but they are also a concentrated source of calories and fat. You can decrease the amount of nuts called for in a recipe by half and still get all the flavor if you chop them into small pieces and toast them before adding them to the batter. Try adding musili or other low-fat granola cereals. Also, mixing in chopped dried fruits adds flavor: dried apricots, apples, peaches, raisins, prunes, etc.

Eliminating egg yolks can decrease fat, cholesterol, and calories in baked goods. Each yolk contains 65 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 213 grams of cholesterol. Use two egg whites for each egg the recipe calls for. Eggs provide stability to the baked good, help the product to rise, and help in emulsifying the ingredients.

Buttermilk or low-fat yogurt are great for use in place of sour cream, butter, or margarine in biscuits, muffins, and other breads. Use low-fat milk in place of whole milk in recipes. To reduce fat when baking with chocolate, substitute 3 tablespoons cocoa mixed with 1 tablespoon oil for 1 square of baking chocolate. Frosting on a cake can add a great deal of fat. Instead, dust it with powdered sugar, or top with fresh fruit or fruit puree.

Sugar can be decreased in most recipes by 1/3 cup for each 1 cup without compromising flavor or texture. For example, if your recipe calls for 1½ cups of sugar, decrease the amount by 1/3 cup plus 2½ tablespoons. You may be able to decrease the sugar even further. When experimenting, make sure you write down the amount you put in so you will know whether to increase or decrease it next time you bake. Also, make changes slowly, decreasing by 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. You will know when you have decreased the sugar too much because the product will be tough, crumbly, and less sweet. When using sugar substitutes in place of sugar, use half as much.

Now you have some tools to use in baking great tasting desserts that are good for you too. Experimenting with low-fat baking takes time and patience but the rewards are well worth it.

Readers may write Laura care of the Pattaya Mail with questions or special topics they would like to see addressed.

Dr.Beat Richner plays Bach at the Siam Bayshore Resort

The cello is the tenor member of the violin family. Surveys show that this instrument is the favourite of most people who don’t listen to serious music on a regular basis. It’s deep calming tone and great expressive range are renowned. Experiments have been done with animals that show that they are calmed by its rich, noble tone.

Frederic Chopin wrote only one piece of music for an instrument other than his beloved piano; the ‘Sonata for Cello and Piano’ in G minor.

The cello is an instrument which most composers approach with awe. If the quality of the music is good, the cello reveals this. It also exposes less than inspired musical ideas very quickly.

The zenith of the cello repertoire are the ‘Six Suites for Solo Cello by J.S. Bach.

The playwright, George Bernard Shaw, was also a highly respected music critic. In one of his articles on great composers, Shaw wrote, ‘When discussing the great composers, we do not include J.S. Bach, as his music is beyond all human talent.’

These sublime compositions show the profundity of feeling and philosophical probity this instrument is capable of expressing in the hands of a truly great composer.

Medical doctor Beat Richner will play Three of Bach’s Cello Suites on Sunday, December 21 at the Siam Bayshore. All proceeds will go to Dr. Richner’s life work; the only fully functioning hospitals in Cambodia; "Kanta Bopha I & II".

Dr. Richner, a Swiss National who recently made a recording of the Bach Suites, plays in Cambodia almost every day. He plays for two reasons: to raise money and for spiritual satisfaction.

Dr. Richner’s work is fraught with much stress, due to disappointments, difficulties and injustices. Playing the cello helps him deal with this. The effect is not unlike that of a Tibetan prayer wheel. He, like most musicians, both popular and classical, is in awe of the music of J.S. Bach.

Dr. Richner sometimes plays in a rather idiosyncratic manner, phrasing differently from that which a Bach expert would approve.

The audience in Cambodia, many of whom do not know Bach, are deeply impressed with the music and attend recitals regularly. In earlier days he performed for long-term patients, the cello acting as an instrument of therapy. Now, he is too busy to take his cello to the hospitals. Since the second hospital opened its doors, Dr. Richner achieved an important objective: They need not turn away sick children and standards of medical care have improved greatly.

The hospitals still must be supported from donations for eight more years.

Dr. Richner worries about the political situation in Cambodia. Elections will be in 1998. It is hoped that there will be more transparency in the new government. Presently, the hospitals are encouraged by the Ministry of Health. The fallacy that poor people don’t need sophisticated medicine is no longer accepted. The hospital has 560 Cambodian staff members who have treated more than a million patients. 80,000 children have been inoculated.

With few western creature comforts, Dr. Richner is very proud of his Kanta Bopha Hospitals, the only properly functioning hospitals in Cambodia.

Life in Cambodia is a tangle of bureaucratic snarls and demoralising situations. Hospital work done, Dr. Richner gains spiritual peace playing the music of J.S. Bach.

The tickets for the concert, including cocktails and heavy snacks, are available for 650 Baht net. The audience may talk to Dr. Richner after the concert.

For reservations, call Siam Bayshore Hotel, tel. 038-427 271-5.

Modern Medicine

Presented by Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital

Heart disease is one of the world’s number one causes of death. Statistics show heart disease is increasing.

Approximately 70 million Americans have some form of heart disease. In Thailand, heart disease has been the No. 1 cause of death for the past five years.

Oddly, wine and heart disease are often discussed together as the wine consumption by the Thai population has increased 200% in the past two years.

Powerful government officials often drink wine which costs hundreds of thousands of baht a bottle. The average person usually pays 200-300 baht for wine. Statistics show that government officials drink more wine per capita than any other group in Thailand. Imports of wine total 1,200 million baht per year.

Does wine help prevent heart disease?

Wine is composed of:

Seven to 15% alcohol. Fortified wine has from 14-23%. Flavinoids, Tannin, Sugar.

Two small glasses of wine a day may help to increase the ‘good’ cholesterol in the blood (HDL).

Other studies have been done about wine and heart disease. Red and white wines are no different in their effects.

Studies in Madison Wisconsin USA show that red wine and grape juice alone dislodge particles which may cause embolism in the veins.

Flavanoids have the same effect as aspirin, but to a much lesser degree. They keep the blood from clotting, another cause of pulmonary embolism. They also prevent ‘bad’ cholesterol from (LDL) from having certain adverse affects on the system.

This is not due to the wine itself, but the skin of the grapes which contain flavanoids and other substances which retard arteriosclerosis.

Fruits, such as guava, jujube and red onions are the best source of Flavanoids.

Studies in Denmark show that drinking hard liquor increases the risk of death from heart disease.

Studies show that beer has no effect on heart disease.

Other studies show that those who drink wine often live in environments which are low stress, thus lowering the incidence of heart disease.

This group is often fond of sports, is more educated than non-wine drinkers, thinner and smokes less.

We must emphasise that large amounts of alcohol in any form pose the following health hazards:

Gastro-Intestinal Disorders:

Gastritis, Gastric Bleeding, Hepatitis, Cirrhosis

Central Nervous System Disorders:

Sluggish thought processes, Blurred Vision, Drowsiness

High blood pressure and risk of cerebral haemorrhage

Drinking wine has advantages and disadvantages. Like all other aspects of life, if done in moderation, there can be advantages.

But the best prevention of heart disease is a balanced diet and regular exercise.

“Winter Wonderland” - Package tours for Thais

Mr. Doug Fyfe, President of the Canadian Tourism Commission, announced the assignment of Optimum Co. Ltd. as their official agent in Thailand. The announcement was made at a press conference held at the Royal Cliff Grand Hotel.

CTC started working with Optimum during the last PATA travel mart. Fyfe and Miss Benjawan Wisootsat, Managing Director of Optimum Co., Ltd, were promoting a new package family tour to Canada. Thailand was chosen amongst the other countries in South East Asia to be the model of the Canada promotion.

Fyfe said, "The idea to test this package tour in Thailand first was: they were wondering if it is possible to sell winter-products to a country which doesn’t have snow. If everything works out as expected, we will try to develop this sale." He also mentioned the good relationship between Canada and Thailand and the fairly long history in tourism with Thailand thanks to Canada Airways, and to show the confidence in Thailand even with the present economic crisis that is happening in Asia.

The program of this 8 day special package is based on ice-fishing, ice-tracking, sleigh riding, snow-shoeing, ice skating, of course skiing and ice-hockey, but also simply everything one can do in Canada during the wintertime to have fun, like building a snowman or just having a snowball fight, or bathing in the natural hot springs at the Upper Hot Springs.

The journey will lead from Calgary via Canmor, Lake Luise, the "jewel of the Canadian Rockies", to Banff, Kanaaskis and back to Calgary. The partners of CTC in the hotel business will be taking care of all the necessary equipment and clothing, to avoid extra costs for the visitors. Everybody who books a special package to the "Winter Wonderland" is promised not to freeze.

Mr. & Mrs Johnny Anfone, a Thai family with two young children, was also introduced at the press conference. They will be the very first ones to try out this package tour. Fyfe said, "We had to look very carefully to find the right family. Those people who are going to buy this special package should be successful business people, for the package for the whole family won’t be that cheap. We are very happy we found amongst many families the right one and we are looking forward to welcoming them in Canada. After their trip to Canada, we will consider everything and see what will have to be changed before going into the big sale."

Asked why they picked the Royal Cliff for their promotion, Fyfe answered, "Because Fassbind is here. We have had a friendship with this great man that has lasted many years and he is always helping us in any way possible."

Alois Fassbind, Executive Vice President of the Royal Cliff, announced that this year’s Christmas event will be much bigger than last years. "Two years ago, we held a beautiful and impressive ‘Canada Night’ at the Royal Cliff during the Pacific Travel Congress. Having a snow machine at the party gave us the idea to make a ‘real’ European Christmas midnight mass. Last year it was a big success, but that was nothing compared to that what we will be doing this year. 6 snow machines will be flown in from Canada for the opening of the ‘Winter Wonderland’ promotion and also for the open-air Christmas midnight mass. Exactly at the same time, Royal Cliff, and myself who joined this hotel in the beginning, will be celebrating the silver-anniversary: 25 years Royal Cliff. For this occasion, we are going to invite about 3000 to 4000 regular customers to the hotel to stay for free for four days, to join the jubilee." Fassbind also mentioned that Canada is one of his favourite countries and that he had the pleasure of enjoying the "Winter Wonderland" already.

Copyright © 1997 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
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