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Celebrating the ox in Petchburi
Province
Each year in Petchburi Province, when the rice harvest
is finished and the farmers go home to rest, the people have a festival to celebrate the
end of Buddhist Lent. In the country areas, when the fields are fallow, Petchburi
residents hold "Ox-Cart Races" and plowing competitions as part of this
festival.
A festive beginning to the oxcart races in
Petchburi Province.
Over the weekend of February 20-21, we had a chance to go to the Ox
Cart Races, one of many events in the "Phranakornkhiri-Muang Petch" in beautiful
Petchburi Province.
Many other Thais consider Petchburi fierce and dangerous people. They
are considered fearless, willing to take risks. The saying goes that "Petchburi
people are good friends but dangerous enemies." Many famous Mafia "hitmen"
were Petchburi natives.
A ring of the bell and theyre off!
But the 400 temples in Petchburi City would be a good argument against
that statement.
"Petch" people are also fond of keeping oxen as beasts of
burden. The main jobs these animals do are pulling carts, but at least once a year they
are dressed up, shown, and most importantly, raced.
Racing to the finish.
The favorite ox of the people is a variety native to Thailand.
Medium-size, they are strong but do not eat much. Perfect oxen have a "noble face, a
brawny chest and a straight back". During show time, the pair must walk in perfect
rhythm, hooves striking the ground in perfect unison.
Each pair of oxen seems to know what their duty is in both the plowing
competitions and the cart races. And to the residents of this area, it is a time for
welcome relieve from the daily burden of farming.
Another type of race in Petchburi is the "monkey race" when monkeys compete
with humans in climbing coconut trees. The strange thing is that the people usually win.
If you dont believe it, come to Petchburi and see for yourself!
Think Twice, Mr. Tourism Minister
by Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor, Travel Impact
Newswire
Here are ten things that Asia-Pacific tourism ministers can do when
weighing how to proceed with the demands of globalisation. Chances are, however, they will
pay no attention, for reasons these 10 points will make amply clear.
1. Take a breather: Theres nothing so important that it cannot
wait. The Asia-Pacific tried to run a marathon at the speed of a sprinter. Thats
physically impossible. Pause and take stock of the situation. Think.
2. Take hype with a pinch of salt: Globalisation can have the same
effect as steroids. It can pump up the economic muscles very quickly. But theyre
fake muscles. Listen to steroid salesmen at your peril.
3. Listen to all parties: Those who are warning of the dangers of
globalisation are not indulging in idle talk. They just dont have access to the
propaganda megaphones of the multinationals. Listen carefully to all sides.
4. Examine options: The three most dangerous words in the
English-language are "the only way". There is no such thing as "the only
way". If all parties are carefully heard, many different ways will open up.
5. Set clear priorities: If you are an elected leader, your biggest
dilemma is balancing the needs of those who elected you with those who paid your campaign
bills. Achieving this can be quite a trick.
6. Balance the benefits: Companies drive economies. And they, like
ministers, to do what they are told. There is always a middle way. Nothing in life is
achieved without balance.
7. Think long-term: Very difficult for ministers and politicians
generally. But it can and should be done. Somebodys got to do it. At a time when
everything is focussing on instant gratification, someone who looks far ahead can be
viewed as quite visionary.
8. Show some courage: Sometimes, you just know when you should not sign
something, even if its favoured by someone who paid your campaign bills.
9. Communicate clearly and consistently: If you have a firm moral and
ethical view on an issue, communicate it through every channel you have access to. Your
opponents will be busy doing the same.
10. Plug into some ancient wisdom: In the Asia-Pacific, you have
probably read either the Bhagavad Gita, the Quran, the Teachings of the Buddha,
Analects of Kung FuTzu or the Bible. Turn to them when seeking solutions to
difficult problems. A way will emerge. The rest will be easy.
So youd like to manage in
Thailand?
by Dr. Henry Holmes
Delegate your
work the proper way
Compared to the West, there is less delegation of work here by seniors
to juniors and some of those assignments are not given so thoroughly or systematically. As
a consequence, accountability is not found in the same form or degree as you might expect.
A particular problem with accountability here is that juniors do not always report back -
i.e., give feedback to seniors about what is going on. This issue comes to a head in the
case of bad news, which can be a great frustration for managers if it is reported too late
to turn the situation around. Events like this can be very costly.
Another characteristic of traditional Thai management is that the
senior person tries to develop an effective "patron-client" relationship with
his staff. The senior is expected to provide direction, control and protection, while the
junior contributes good performance and, very important, loyalty. Indeed, loyalty has by
custom been expressed more towards an individual than towards an organization or a
profession. As a consequence, the manager works hard to develop and maintain good personal
relationships with his staff.
The social roles
As a part of this effort, the senior person has tended to take on a
wider range of company related social roles than a Western manager might be expected to
perform. Among these may be attending religious events, gift-giving and receiving,
entertaining staff and having somewhat more knowledge of subordinates family
situations. All of these can serve as motivators on the part of the leader, and are
commonly admired by his colleagues. There are a number of opportunities in this area that
an expatriate manager may want to explore further.
A third characteristic of the traditional family company (and indeed of
Thai society itself) is its hierarchical system. This aspect is especially important for
Australians or Americans, whose social systems are considered more egalitarian than those
in many other societies. Thais traditionally relate to others on the basis of their
respective ranks, and to some extent, of the particular situation. A Thai will express
himself quite differently depending on whether he sees himself as a senior, a junior or a
peer. Since most Thais, like the English, rarely introduce themselves to one another, they
rely on a myriad of non-verbal cues about how to address another Thai who happens to be a
stranger.
Stemming from this ranked system is the fact that communication has
tended to be from the top down. Thai tradition has encouraged junior family members and
young students to absorb rather than initiate, to "get it right" rather than
question or express opinions, especially dissenting ones. The result of this pattern is
that most Thais - even at rather senior levels - have not had such extensive practice in
expressing themselves in an assertive way, in either Thai or English.
To be continued...
Next installment: Recognized for competence and several forms of anger.
For over 25 years Dr. Henry Holmes, and his colleagues from
Cross-Cultural Management Company, have been helping organizations improve their teamwork
and management skills.
Holmes, a graduate of Massachusetts and Harvard, recently co-authored
the book "Working with the Thais" (White Lotus Publishers), now in its fourth
printing. The company courses were featured on BBC World Television.
In 1999, the company will offer five training courses on the Eastern
Seaboard, under sponsorship of Hemaray Industrial Estate:
* A good start with Thais
* Skills of Cross-Cultural management
* Train the trainers
* The keys to assertiveness and accountability
* Making effective presentations, in Thai or English
Please call 02-391 8586-7 for details.
Dinning Out: Way down south in New
Orleans
There is a new restaurant in town! Way down South. Well,
almost down south in South Pattaya, down Soi Pattayaland 2. This is the Café New Orleans,
the brainchild of entrepreneur Murray Hertz.
Now, Murray is experienced in New Orleans restaurants. Not only has he
eaten in them, but he already owned one himself. Only that one is in the Philippines.
Café New Oleans.
However, back to our new restaurant (sorry, his new restaurant) in
Pattaya.
The décor is staggeringly brilliant. It is worth an evening there just
to look at the pictures on the wall. You will be lucky to find any wall, the pictures are
everywhere covering it completely. The majority of them even came from New Orleans!
The dining is on two levels. Street-level and outside on the sidewalk
there is space for around 30 diners with a small stage area for a jazz combo, whilst
upstairs on a mezzanine floor it is set up for probably another 50 or 60.
This has obviously been a "no expense spared" project with
the restoration of the old property and it has been done with "style". From the
natty waistcoat aprons on the uniformed waiters and waitresses, to the open BBQ grille on
the ground floor, to the dumb waiter system from the third floor, all
stainless steel kitchen. Everything has Murrays trademark - "Style".
The menu was a decent size, with large print for those who forget their
reading glasses. Enough variety is there to ensure you do not get tired of eating the same
fare. The emphasis is New Orleans, Cajun style, but again there is not a preponderance of
this. We began with a soup, even though I was very tempted by the deep fried onion roll.
In the Mains, the ribs are probably the "star" in the menu, but on our visit my
partner and I both chose a steak, feeling in a carnivorous mood that evening.
To wash it down we chose the house white, which by dint of some
detective work proved to be an eminently drinkable Australian Chablis. There is a wine
list for those who want to try for a bottle (even bubbly) - not a large selection, but a
good representation of wines to chose from.
Our soups arrived with a flurry of waitresses. The clam chowder was
creamy and crustaceous and put us in a good mood for the second course. The steaks then
came medium-rare, as we had ordered. Plump and tender beef and definitely recommended.
Being a new restaurant, we also spoke to some of the other patrons, who all confirmed our
feelings. The steaks were excellent and the ribs sensational - large servings and very
juicy!
Modeled on the successful formula used in the Philippines, it is obviously working here
as well. Café New Orleans is a very welcome addition to the glitzy end of dining out in
Pattaya. Priced towards the upper end of the scale it still represents good value for what
you get. Go there. You will enjoy it.
Family Day at YWCA
On February 23 at the Grand Hall on the 5th floor of
Mikes Shopping Mall on Pattaya Beach Road, the YWCA of Bangkok-Pattaya, led by
Association President Ms. Vilawan Hengtrakul, held a "Happy Family Day".
"Happy Family Day" is part of the "Happy Family
Project", one of many YWCA projects. The project began in 1989 with the purpose of
helping needy children whose families could not afford to give them a proper education. It
was also to help "bridge the generation gap" and the "society gap".
Hundreds of children and benevolent sponsors from
the YWCA and other organizations turned out for the festive Happy Family Day
at Mikes Shopping Mall.
One of the main reasons for supporting the needy children in their
studies is to lower the incidence of child prostitution and drug addiction among children,
major agendas in the governments policy. The stimulus for the project was Her Royal
Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorns 36th birthday.
There are now 296 children with over 148 sponsors. The Pattaya Sports
Club recently gave 60 more scholarships and will soon increase this to 100. Students from
32 schools participate in the program. The children will receive sponsorship until they
have finished their education at the institutions they attend.
On "Happy Family Day", children had the opportunity to meet
with their sponsors and talk about their school life and show them various projects and
accomplishments. Questions were asked by "parents" and children alike. One could
see how thankful the children were are towards their sponsors. All of them prepared
handmade flowers and gave them to their "parents" with a word of thanks. The
sponsors were very touched at the handmade gifts that "their" children gave to
them.
As is usual on a typical family day, games were played and free lunch
was served.
Khun Sukhon Chaloryu, the initiator and main supporter of YWCAs
"Happy Family Project" founded eight years ago, couldnt join the annual
event this year due to an accident. Instead, Khun Nithed Buatoom, the Head of the Primary
Education Banglamung District, gave the welcoming speech to all the young students and
their "foster parents". Even though all the children still have their own
parents, they were more or less adopted by organizations, groups and private people to
give them a chance for proper education.
Scholarships are also currently provided by six organizations: The
Lions Club of Pattaya, The Lions Club of Phra Tam Nak Pattaya, The Rotary Club
of Pattaya, The Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya, The JCs Thailand Pattaya and the Pattaya
Sports Club.
The children are chosen from different schools in the Banglamung area.
Representatives of the Pattaya Sports Club met
with sponsored children on Happy Family Day.
Before the meeting with the sponsors started, the children received a
free health check-up from Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. All the doctors and nurses involved
received a plaque from the president of YWCA, Khun Vilawan Hengtrakul, the lovely wife of
Khun Chanyuth of Sophon Cable. In her speech, she thanked all the sponsors for their
support and expressed the gratefulness of her club and of the children for all the help
they get. Khun Vilawan also presented plaques to all the sponsors, including the Pattaya
Sports Club and the PILC.
Khun Chanyuth said in his speech that the plan and the hope for the
year to come is to reach the magic number of 1000 children being sponsored. A scholarship
for one child is only 1,500 Baht per year to cover expenses for books and schooling
material.
The YWCA also has an on-going lunch project, which is mainly covered by
the Lions Club Pattaya Patamnak, Rotary Club Pattaya, Rotary Club Jomtien-Pattaya and the
Pattaya Sports Club.
Private and government organizations also participated in the
"Happy Family Day", including Mikes Shopping Mall, which donated the
venue, snacks and writing materials, the Pattaya Education Authority, which gave
administrative help, and the Office of Elementary Education which coordinated with the
various schools involved.
Anyone interested in sponsoring a scholarship can contact YWCA, tel. 423 662 or 421
475, ask for Khun Jiraporn.
Copyright 1998 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand
Tel.66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax:66-38 427 596; e-mail: [email protected]
Created by Andy Gombaz, assisted by Chinnaporn Sangwanlek. |
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