Family Money: The Double Standard

By Leslie Wright

In recent weeks there have once again been various letters in the press regarding the two-tiered pricing system that prevails in Thailand.

It occurred to me that I wrote about this topic last July, and one kind reader even wrote to the editor of the Pattaya Mail at the time enthusiastically suggesting that article should be republished "at least once a year".

I therefore make no apology for revisiting this rather thorny topic at this juncture.

The Rationale

The rationale usually given by apologists for the two-tiered pricing phenomenon to be found at many tourist destinations is that we foreigners do not pay taxes, so it is only proper that we should pay more than Thai citizens to visit establishments of interest maintained from the public purse.

This argument is of course fatuous, inasmuch as those of us who are living and working legally in Thailand do have to pay income tax to the local authorities. Otherwise we would be unable to renew our work permits.

Indeed, new policies have evidently been introduced by our host Government whereby we farang entrepreneurs with legally-registered businesses will be required in future to show our businesses made a somewhat greater profit and to pay more tax than perhaps many of us have been used to paying in the past if we expect to get our applications for renewal of work permits favourably reviewed.

It seems we farangs are going to have to shoulder even more of the local tax burden in future, which should add a bit more fuel to this two-tiered fire.

Comparing the average amount of tax paid by a legally-working expatriate with the average amount paid by Thai employees, the expatriate pays more tax each month than most Thai employees have to pay in a year.

This being so, there would seem to be a sound argument for giving those foreigners holding legitimate Tax I.D. Cards a discount for visiting historic sites, rather than imposing a surcharge!

This of course is not going to happen, and it would be naïve to imagine it will.

It seems that bringing our capital into the country, employing staff and paying them a salary (on which they may have little or no tax liability), and spending much of our income in the local economy is no longer enough.

It’s grossly unfair that we should have to pay tax as well, isn’t it? All part of the grasping local conspiracy designed to rip off us farangs at every opportunity!

Of course, foreigners (including Thais) working in your home country don’t pay any taxes there, do they? Or do they?

Freedom of Choice

Many expatriates here bemoan their situation and complain about the grasping attitude of the local populace.

Most of these same people, however, chose to live here for one reason or another.

They made this choice because of some positive aspect of Thailand or the Thai people - or in many cases, some negative aspect of living where they did before.

To imagine they can impose their own mores of behaviour or sense of "fair play" on another culture - often with little interest in learning about that culture or the way of life and upbringing which produced the local way of thinking - is also naïve, if not downright arrogant.

We all have choices, and make these either consciously or unconsciously every day.

Having made the fairly major decision of choosing to live here - for whatever reasons - it is going to be far easier to enjoy the many benefits and positive aspects of this country and accept the negative ones (from our cultural perspective and thinking) if one tries to understand what may have led to the double standard we encounter every day, rather than continually carp about it.

This last is an exercise in futility, and only increases the frustration, and perhaps shortens your life.

Above & below

An interesting study by a German psychologist who had lived here for many years points out that in all Thai relationships there is an inferior-superior relationship.

Hence Thais do not make friendships in the same sense that most Westerners do; there is inherently some element of dependency in all one-on-one relationships.

Upon meeting a new acquaintance, Thais quickly establish with a few simple questions which of the two is inherently the superior, and which is the inferior.

Alternatively, if introduced by a third mutual acquaintance, the inferior is always introduced to the superior. (So your expatriate wife should be introduced to the local Big Man with the words, "Jane, this is Mr. Somchai," rather than, "Mr. Somchai, this is my wife Jane." Thus both parties are pleased.)

Thais are taught from an early age to learn and recognise these fine shades of distinction to the point that it becomes second nature.

Multiple levels of class distinction may be anathema to many Westerners, and we may like to pretend that everyone is equal - even though we know deep down that everyone is not.

It goes against our upbringing in this enlightened modern age to practise any form of class consciousness, and we rail against those who do.

Nevertheless, Westerners can tell a great deal about someone’s relative social standing by that person’s accent, speech patterns and behaviour. No comment may be made, but the information is filed away nonetheless.

Thais, on the other hand, are perhaps more pragmatic and practical about such matters.

This has, perhaps, enabled the less well-placed to survive better in a society which does not have a protective social security system to provide for those less fortunately placed than others.

The more senior or socially better-placed person is expected to provide for those less well-placed, and so patronage has become an important part of the Thai culture. Similarly with most Thai-farang relationships.

We are perceived by most Thais as being inherently better off financially, simply because we can afford to come here. Between Thais, it is expected that the more well-off person contributes more than the less well-off person.

So in a Thai-farang situation, the less well-off person (which by local perceptions is usually the Thai) is simply acknowledging your superior position by ordering the most expensive items on the menu, or expecting you to pick up the bill every time you go out together. You are, by local cultural standards, being given face.

In fact, you would lose face by expecting to split the bill - unless of course you’re out with a socially-prominent Thai, to whom face has to be given by allowing him to pick up the bill.

Business relationships

Many relationships between Thais are built on what most Westerners would regard as a commercial base.

Similarly most Thai-farang relationships seem fundamentally to be more or less commercial transactions.

In many cases financial security (for the shorter or longer term) is being gained in exchange for services of one form or another.

Often, money is exchanged for time spent with you. You can always earn more money, but youth can never be recouped. Who, therefore, is giving the more valuable commodity to the other?

(Before critics of this last paragraph shoot off vehement letters of protest to me or the Editor of the Pattaya Mail, please have a word on the subject with a contented long-term resident - as opposed to one of the discontented whingers.)

In a culture where sanuk (enjoyment) is so important to every activity, and you have expended the time, effort and expense (even if it’s only a bus fare) to visit some place of interest which unfortunately happens to practise the two-tiered pricing system, it seems incomprehensibly ridiculous to most Thais that you would then make such a fuss about shelling out a paltry additional twenty or thirty Baht to go into the place you’ve already come some distance to see.

I understand completely the point usually made in this regard: "It’s a matter of principle!"

But if you think about it, this principle of fairness is neither held nor practised universally; the double standard is simply more blatantly obvious here.

If you are adamant in trying to get in for the lower price (on principle, of course, not because you’re a cheapskate), you might succeed in this endeavour by getting your Thai companion to show your Tax I.D. card and explain that you live and work here and pay tax (although being forced to go through this exercise will cause much psychological pain and embarrassment to your Thai companion.)

This ploy might succeed better if you are able to speak for yourself in Thai, or if the sign happens to specify that the lower price applies to residents (as opposed to citizens) of Thailand.

Getting into a heated discussion on the subject merely raises your blood pressure, lowers your enjoyment, and loses you face in the eyes of all local observers. It rarely succeeds in changing the entry fee.

Also, it is hardly fair to harangue the luckless ticket vendor (especially in a language which he almost certainly poorly understands); he doesn’t make the policy rules, he is simply doing his poorly paid job in applying them.

And when he seems to be ignoring your increasing vehemence, he is not showing you indifference or arrogant superiority - on the contrary, he is embarrassed and would do almost anything to avoid confrontation. He would probably like to run away from the danger your anger represents to his well-being, but must, however, stay there to keep his job, which is vital to supporting his family.

So each time you have to pay more than your Thai companion to visit a place of interest, it may be easier on your blood pressure to smile, pay up graciously and enjoy your visit content in the knowledge that you are not being exploited, you are being given face.

If you have any comments or queries on this article, or about other topics concerning investment matters, write to Leslie Wright, c/o Family Money, Pattaya Mail, or fax him directly on (038) 232522 or e-mail him at [email protected]. Further details and back articles can be accessed on his firm’s website on www.westminsterthailand.com.

Leslie Wright is Managing Director of Westminster Portfolio Services (Thailand) Ltd., a firm of independent financial advisors providing advice to expatriate residents of the Eastern Seaboard on personal financial planning and international investments.

The computer doctor

by Richard Bunch

From Peter Lees: Re your column 28.5.1999: I too am an unhappy Loxinfo customer. In my case I come and go to Pattaya, so need "pay by use" account - at present I have "Net access card 20 hours" for 12 months which is Ok (except, like your mate, I cannot access their server, or the connection is corrupted). Please give me more details of the Internent East account you offer. I did look at INET Chonburi web page, http://www.ine.inet.co.th but the page was in Thai, and they lost me.

Computer Doctor replies: Internet East have now launched a new service called ‘e-money’. This allows you to purchase blocks of time and is available in 500, 1,000 and 2,000 Baht blocks. The amount of login time your Baht will buy is variable since they have also introduced tiered charging. For login Monday – Friday between 07:00 and 22:00, 34 Baht/hour, Saturday and Sunday between 07:00 and 22:00, 25 Baht/hour, any day between 22:00 and 07:00 17.5 Baht/hour. We have the packs available in our office now, if you wish to purchase.

From Scott Morris, United Kingdom: Dear Doc; Are there any plans in Thailand to provide free Internet access like there is in the United Kingdom. As you may or may not know it works like this...

From Robert Creasy, United Kingdom: I find your column very readable and full of interesting tips. I read it from the Pattaya Mail website whilst in the UK. This week’s column about bad ISP’s and low transfer of data is now a thing of the past here in the UK. My server is "Freeserve", no doubt you have heard of free ISP’s here in the UK and I cannot understand why they are not available worldwide. My data transfer rate is always higher than 44Kb/s and I can download the Pattaya Mail (or most of it) in about 2 to 3 minutes including pictures.

Computer Doctor replies: I put your question to various bodies and compiled a response for you, although probably not the answer you had hoped for! It is unlikely that Thailand will see the introduction of free Internet connections in the near future. This is largely due to the underlying charging structure applied to all ISP’s here by the CAT. Also the behaviour and usage of users in Thailand varies widely from that in the UK, which at this time would make such a scheme commercially non-viable.

The comments contained within this column are not necessarily the views of the author or Pattaya Mail Publishing Co., Ltd. Letters may be edited.

Send your questions or comments to the Pattaya Mail at 370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, 20260 or Fax to 038 427 596 or E-mail to [email protected]

Richard Bunch is Managing Director of Action Computer Technologies, on South Pattaya Road (900 metres from Sukhumvit Road). Providing total computer and IT solutions to corporate clients and households on the Eastern Seaboard. Please see our advertisement or call 038 374 147 or 411 063.

Successfully Yours: Steven Manning

by Mirin MacCarthy

Just who is Steven Manning, of the twinkling eyes and the determined reticence? "Call me Steve," he says and sits quietly again. He is a man who obviously loathes talking about himself or being personally revealing in any way, but when you persevere you discover he is also a man who is happy with what he is doing and is doing what makes him happy.

Steve came out to Pattaya from the U.K. three years ago to join his father Ron, who was long entrenched in Soi 6 running his British pub called the Sportsman’s Inn.

Steven Manning and his father Ron.

Brought up in London forty odd years ago, in a family of five other sisters and brothers, he did not enjoy his schooling very much, like most kids. However, from an early age he was always interested in helping his mother in the kitchen. This innate love of cooking then led to formal chef’s training at the catering college in Westminster.

With his brand new chef’s hat he spent the next ten years cooking up a storm in hotels, restaurants and clubs around London. He mentions little about this experience and claims that the highlight of his career in the U.K. was having his own restaurant in Sussex for seven years. Called the "Thatched Cottage", it really was as romantic as its name, with whitewashed thick walls and oak beamed interior and a genuine thatch roof. "The only problem was that it was right out in the country. A very beautiful place, but the biggest challenge to me was to attract customers out there - but I managed it."

Fortuitous timing then prevailed, as after Steve’s divorce his father Ron tempted him with a future in Thailand. That was three years ago and Steve is still laughing. He came over here and started another restaurant called the Sportsman’s Grill on Soi 13 on Valentines Day 1997.

Is it successful? "Yes," he says. "So why?" "Because I work hard," Steve replies as though it is a given. When you delve further and ask him how in this economic climate he can stay afloat when many other places die off after a month or so, that’s when he reluctantly divulges more secrets. "First you have to understand the business and be experienced. Then you must find out before you start what licensing regulations you need here. It is still important to be diligent and tread carefully."

Steve works long hours; ten to twelve hours a day. When he’s not doing that he swims, goes to the cinema and goes out to eat and drink with friends. "I’m a bit of a sportsman myself," he jokes. "I like to work hard and play hard too."

Success to Steve is, "Doing things that make me happy and achieving my aims and ambitions. My main concern is to make the business really successful. If you have a successful business then the money will follow."

His advice to other farang would-be restaurateurs or bar owners here is, "Realise that this is a difficult economic time with many other competing places. Don’t rush into it; understand the Thai logic and way of working first. Try to understand the business laws here and how they differ from the U.K. It helps to find a Thai lawyer you can trust and someone who can explain all the forms." Steve’s aims for the future are all business orientated. He is a partner with his father in both restaurants, which they have made into a company, and he manages them both. "We are concentrating now on supplying other restaurants, at this stage mainly with pies. The next plan is getting together a range of products to go into the supermarkets - soups, salads, pastas, pies and sausages. I’m happy doing it and I like the life here. It is where I plan to stay." The words of a well fed and contented man.

Snap Shots: War Zone photographer

by Harry Flashman

The Hungarian Andre Friedmann is not a well known name in photography - but American war photographer Robert Capa is. The interesting part here is that Capa and Friedmann are one and the same people. As Robert Capa, he has been lionised and his pictures held up as shining examples of fearless photojournalism, while his alter ego Friedmann has really been forgotten.

Classic Capa shot.

Getting to the truth behind this strange fact brings in a third person, Gerda Pohorylles. Gerda, also known as Gerda Taro, was Andre Friedmann’s agent in his early days. It was she who decided that the market for his pictures would be much greater if the Europeans thought he was a famous American photographer, and so Robert Capa was created. Amongst the famous images from Europe are his shots of the Spanish Civil War, including the photograph of a Spanish militiaman literally at the split second of impact, dramatically dying from a bullet. The unnamed soldier was not the only one to perish in this war as poor Gerda also met her end reporting that conflict.

Capa of course, did eventually emigrate to America and was to accompany the American forces to Europe in 1944. His photographs of the D-Day invasion are now legendary.

He was an immensely popular figure in America and was the friend of many film stars, writers and other celebrities such as John Steinbeck and Gary Cooper.

He covered five wars in all. The Spanish Civil War, the Chinese-Japanese War, WW II in Europe, the Israeli War of Independence and the French Indo-China War. Capa was never one to photograph from well behind the lines. He shot from close to the action. His photographic rule was, "If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough." Eventually, this need to get close to the action finally killed him, when he stood on a landmine 25th May 1954 in Vietnam. It is said that his body was found still clutching his camera and the film inside was unharmed. A photographer to the very end.

As well as his 70,000 photographs, Capa left the world a photographic legacy in the form of the Magnum Agency. This huge photo bank was created by Capa, in conjunction with the famous French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, and today still represents the more excellent photographers around. Capa, or should we say Friedmann, will not be forgotten like old negatives in photographic archives.

Of course, getting close to the subject is still one of the primary rules of picture taking. "Step several yards closer" is one of Harry Flashman’s ways of saying the same thing. When you look through the viewfinder at the subject, do just that - with the camera to your eye walk towards the subject and see just how the emphasis changes in the picture. The closer you get, the more the subject will fill the frame and dominate the entire photograph. In fact, this weekend take one shot from where you would normally do it, then take another couple as you walk closer. Compare the end results and see if Robert Capa (and Harry Flashman) are not correct.

There is a large hotel behind the office and every day I see holidaymakers taking shots of their friends outside it. They stand so far away, that the people will be small dots at the base of the building, and unrecognisable. If they would only walk several yards closer it would be so different. Some days I think I should mark the spots for the photographers to stand and the subjects to be placed. Perhaps that could be Harry Flashman’s contribution to world photographic excellence?

Modern Medicine: A Good Night’s Sleep

by Dr Iain Corness

Sleep disorders are some of the commonest health problems reported to General Practitioners. They are also amongst some of the most over-reported symptoms referred to GP’s.

Disorders of Initiating and Maintaining Sleep are classed under the general heading of DIMS by we medico’s who love having a set of initials to cover everything. Everyone else calls it "Insomnia" and that is the term I prefer as well.

Insomnia comes in three forms. First is the difficulty in getting off to sleep, then there is the problem of wakening too often, or thirdly it is wakening too early.

The true causes of these problems can be quite complex, and it is necessary that a very good history be obtained. The cause may be as simple as a new baby crying in the house next door, to some obscure psychological problem raising its head after being underground for fifteen years! Of course, if the cause is some underlying problem then that should be treated before anything else is done. Closing the bedroom windows and turning the A/C on will quickly mask the sounds of fractious babies in the neighbourhood, for example.

One of the other aspects that must be addressed is "Lifestyle". Regular exercise does assist sleep, but the exercise should be a planned daytime activity, not strenuous exertion just before going to bed. The other factor that is very important is trying to establish a routine with going to bed and getting up times.

Relaxation therapy can also be of help. This can take many forms including hypnosis, biofeedback and meditation. The reduction in muscle tension helps as it makes it easier for you to mentally relax as well.

Pharmacological treatment of Insomnia is also a difficult piece of prescribing. It is not, as you would imagine, just a simple case of "Take these sleeping pills and go and have a good night’s rest." There are different types of hypnotics (sleepers) available to counteract the sometimes quite different reasons for the insomnia. This type of treatment should also be used at the lowest possible dose and for the shortest period of time. It is very easy to become "hooked" or dependant upon this type of medication.

It should also be remembered by anyone who does "self-medication" that the effects of any of these magic pills and potions does not totally wear off by the morning. Even the short acting hypnotics have a residual effect the next day. People who take this kind of medication regularly are not 100% alert in the day time.

Insomnia is certainly a common problem - but you should see your doctor to help you over it!

Dear Hillary,

Can you enlighten me on a point of table etiquette? What do you do with bread and butter knives at a dinner table? Are you supposed to spread the butter with the butter knife and do you cut the bread or bun with it too?

Perplexed

Dear Perplexed,

You may find it enlightening to find that nobody much cares about these old fashioned rules anymore. If you want to do it perfectly though, here is how. Bread will be served by those who know as buns, rolls, croissants, breadsticks, pizza bread, flat Indian bread, or small freshly baked loaves. It is simply not the done thing in the best establishments to dump sliced packaged bread in a basket on the table. Some up-market restaurants have a perverse pleasure in trying to confuse with the sheer variety of their eating irons. First you have to know what they all look like before you can pick up on their uses. A butter knife has the appearance of a short palette knife. It is used solely for transferring the butter from its small crock or pot in front of you to the rim of your bread plate, which is the small side plate to your left. The smallest knife in the collection, looking like a shorter un-serated dinner knife is your bread and butter knife. It is used solely for spreading the butter and is afterwards left lying resting across your side bread plate. Never cut your bread unless it is supplied as a small loaf in the table center and is offered with a short sword or at the very least with a large serrated bread knife. With other forms of bread, including rolls, buns, croissants and Indians breads you tear or break off a little piece and butter it separately with the butter from your side plate. Unless you intend a career in the diplomatic service or as an hotelier then these little formalities are hardly of any consequence any more.

Dear Hillary,

I was in the hong nam the other evening and I noticed a very important Thai dignitary at the urinal beside. What is the correct thing to do, should I wai?

Willy

Dear Willy,

You must be kidding. The correct protocol is to look away. Definitely do not wai unless you want to pee in his pocket.

Dear Hillary,

I have to socialize frequently and often end up at dinner tables where people light up a cigarette. Sometimes they don’t even ask if anyone minds and just often rudely light up between courses. I dislike the smell of cigarette smoke even if you are the victim on the receiving end it lingers in your hair, clothes and car with the smell of burnt refuse. It gives me bad sinus problems just to sit next to someone smoking. Today when there is so much information around on the cancer producing effects of smoking and the effects of passive smoking on babies and even unlucky bystanders with lousy lung function, I think it is sheer aggressiveness on smokers behalf to blow smoke all over you. It is up to the individual if they want to pollute their own lungs but who gives them the right to pollute mine? My question is what can I do about it?

Overblown

Dear Over,

Yes, I agree with you it is sheer aggressive behaviour, passive aggression at that. The good news is that you do not have to accept it. Simply ask the person to cease and desist. The best way to achieve compliance in any aggressive scene is to use non-threatening "I language requests". For example, "I would be a lot happier if you went outside to smoke. I’m afraid I get bad sinus by cigarette smoke." Most people will then be sensitive enough to respond by smoking elsewhere or stopping altogether. If they are simply ignorant and ignore you all you can do is to have a loud and persistent coughing fit while waving the smoke away at the same time. Most people will then eventually get the message unless they are already brain dead.

GRAPEVINE

Dining Out: Fit for a King

by Miss Terry Diner

The Dining Out team was joined by visitors from Australia last week. The question was where to take them that would epitomise Pattaya? The "Fun City by the Sea" is the catch-cry being used by the Pattaya Road Show to "Down Under", so we decided we should dine by the sea. Where better than over the water at South Pattaya?

King Seafood looked as if it would fill the bill - over the sea, gentle breezes, great atmosphere and a menu large enough to give the visitors a taste of Thai cuisine. That could actually be taken as an understatement. The menu is enormous, both in physical size and number of items - 185 in all, with each dish described in Thai, English, German, French and Russian.

King Seafood.

There are 19 Appetisers ranging in price from 60 Baht to 160 Baht. Even these are international, with sashimi, deep fried crab legs, Japanese crabmeat rolls and tod mun pla in addition to the more usual seafood and prawn cocktails and oysters.

The next group on the menu is Seafood Combination, with the individual sizes (and prices) being clearly marked. These ranged from 380 (small) to 690 (medium) to 800 Baht (large).

The next groups are based on market price by weight and include the king lobsters, rock lobsters, tiger prawns, sea prawns and river prawns. These can be cooked in many different ways, fried, baked, steamed, sautéed - use your imagination, the choice is there.

From there, it is into the clams, cockles, mussels and scallops. The small, medium and large plates range around 90-120-160 Baht.

By this stage you are half way through the menu and in need of a drink to get through to the end! The wine selection at King Seafood can be mentioned at this point. Probably one of the better cellars in Pattaya and we decided on a Val D’Orbieu Chardonnay, which I can recommend highly if you like a more dry white that complements sea food in particular.

The next sections are again market price - crabs (many varieties), snapper and other different fish.

The Thai menu is next with once more a clearly marked small-medium-large pricing. These were generally around 80-120-160 Baht. Almost at the end (gasp) there are the rice varieties (14 in all) and finally soups and steaks around 180 - 210 Baht.

We chose to start with king prawn in garlic and pepper with fried rice; following on with fried chicken with cashew nuts, red snapper in a sweet and sour sauce and finally a classic gaeng keowan neua (Beef in green curry) in a large pot with steamed rice, to be eaten in the traditional way.

My favourite was the garlic and pepper dish, the prawns being extremely succulent and not at all rubbery. Top marks for the chef for that one. The snapper was totally boneless, a most important feature in my book. Again, top marks.

We finished with a fruit platter, with rambutans, pineapple and papaya. Our guests were impressed and so were we. The Dining Out Team can very easily give a high recommendation for this restaurant, and as a place to take visitors it is a most impressive venue.

Animal Crackers: Readers Tail: “Adopted Dog”

by Mirin MacCarthy

I acquired Kafe about one year ago. A small German Shepherd bitch about 9 months old and stretching the envelope of puppyhood to the point where destructiveness was rapidly displacing cuteness. The owners had lost interest, particularly as the dog had developed mange with open sores and was neither attractive nor hygienic. Anyway, I took her away to a new life of medication, regular baths, supplemented high protein foods and exercise. This seems to have produced a well-balanced and happy dog 15 kilos heavier with a glossy coat. I do add though, that anybody else taking pity on a dog down on its luck should consider the specter of vet’s bills. Bills rapidly escalate as imported dogs have seemingly poor resistance to many of the diseases carried around by the indigenous strays.

In addition to any veterinary care, house training had also been omitted from early puppyhood and "accidents" around the house were not uncommon. Toilet training then took a fairly high priority and she soon had the system of going outside to the allotted area of the garden fairly well controlled. On one occasion, however, the standards appeared to have badly slipped. It was night, drizzly and generally unpleasant outside and I needed to get something from the car. Going through the front entrance I stopped my foot just short of a brown coiled pile placed in the middle of the porch, about 1 foot from the door. I had been using the old trick of rubbing the dogs nose in its demeanors as the best way to prevent such incidents and so went and grabbed the dog by the collar to reinforce previous training. Taking the dog to the door I noticed more than the usual struggle and as I forced the dogs face towards the offending pile, the struggling and yelping reached pretty much a fever pitch.

I suppose the dog’s face was about eighteen inches away when the brown pile began to uncurl, revealing itself as a tightly coiled snake about two and a half feet in length. Needless to say, we both fled inside and locked the door. Dogs seem more forgiving than people and Kafe didn’t bear a grudge for this act of seeming human insanity for too long, although I felt fairly bad for adding this to her list of traumatic mistreatments.

And the snake... Attempts to scare and drive it away failed, so as a last resort and displaying a level of cowardice above and beyond the call of duty, I locked myself and the dog in the house and sent my girlfriend out to deliver the snake to its next ethereal plain with the aid of some gardening implements.

Auto Mania: Taken to task - again!

by Dr. Iain Corness

Ah, the life of the motoring scribe is hell. Not only do people accost you in public toilets (see two weeks ago!) but then people take you to task over subtle nuances of the English language.

In the aforementioned article, written at the Delaney’s Pattaya Pub’s wash hand basin (one free beer will be perfectly in order, Kim), I mentioned and published a photo of a 6 wheel car that had been built "recently". Now two of you got it right, and congratulations. However, John Bambridge then queried whether the Panther 6 (the car in question) was a "recent" vehicle having been built in 1977. My dear John, when you are as old as I am, then twenty years ago is "yesterday"! I am ancient enough to remember standing outside the showroom waiting to see the brand new Standard Guardsvan, sorry Vanguard, in 1949. And remembering the disappointment at the styling of the Morris Oxford of 1953, that still lives on today as the Hindustan Ambassador MkIII, or maybe even the Mk IV by now!

Go-Kart.

John Bambridge did have even more details on the Panther 6, though, which was apparently a design exercise by the owner of Panther Cars, a Robert Jankel. This car was first publicly displayed at the ’77 Los Angeles Auto Expo. Panther Cars, as such, went tits up, but the "Jankel Group", with RJ at the helm, still exists and builds specialty cars, limos and armoured vehicles. So there you are, news hot off the press, as if it were yesterday, in fact! Thanks John!

The other winner was Thomas Smith who also came up with some details on another 6 wheeler, the Wolfrace Sonic. This particular juggernaut had, he says, two V8 engines, one for each rear wheel! It was apparently built in 1982-83. Even more "recent", John Bambridge! Let’s get together one night guys and have those beers.

Autotrivia Quiz - Karted Off

Talking with Andy Scheidegger the other day and we all ended up at his Pattaya Kart Speedway track off Thepprasit Road. Andy has two tracks in the complex (next door to Paintball Park and Bungee Jump), one for raw beginners and the other for all the budding Schumachers, Hakkinens and Irvines.

The main track is interesting, with a full bore right sweeper at the end of the straight which in turn leads to a left kink and then into two tight right and left handers with a nice water splash if you get it totally and impossibly wrong! After that there is a very tight right hander, through a small chicane and another sweeper back on to the straight.

Go-Karting is actually very good practice for any drivers with sporting intentions and is also very good physical exercise. It doesn’t take too many laps before I notice I’m getting a little short winded myself. The secret in being a quick Karter is smoothness. The quicker you can exit one corner, the faster you will be going by the time you get to the braking area for the next corner. That simple little bit of logic also extends to driving any competition vehicle, which explains just why Schumacher and his cronies came from karts, and what’s more, keep their reflexes sharp by continuing to drive karts. That’s right - those F1 fellows still drive karts.

Now, here’s your opportunity to have a little fang at Andy’s Kart track, courtesy of the Pattaya Mail and the Pattaya Kart Speedway. Andy has been kind enough to give me some vouchers for rides in his karts, so instead of the usual free beer for the Autotrivia Quiz, I’ll make it a voucher for the kart hire - and I’ll make it the first ten correct answers will get free vouchers. What’s more, let’s make it even more fun by saying that the vouchers will be used on Saturday afternoon, 3rd July between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. (that’s 8 days time) and I’ll be there with your voucher and you can have a go at blowing the old gent here into the weeds! (In the interim, I’ll be getting Andy to build me a 500 cc Kart to run against the 125’s you’ll be in!) Whatever, it should be fun!

So here’s the question. First 10 to fax 427 596 or email to [email protected] with the correct answer will win the Karting vouchers. Jaguar used to be owned by Sir William Lyons - who owns it today? You’ll get the answer quicker than saying Jac Nasser! Simple!

Frog Leg GP

This weekend the Grand Prix F1 circus goes to Magny Cours for the French GP. With Mika Hakkinen back at the top of the Championship table at 34 points, a scant 4 in front of Herr Schumacher the Elder, it has all the earmarks of a good scrap.

Ferrari have really been the big movers this year, coming from seemingly way behind the 8 ball to being on a par with McLaren, if not in front.

While Schumacher’s skill is well known, it was interesting to see him get it all wrong in Canada and admit it! While lapping one of the back markers he got off line going into the corner and was then really in trouble by the time he was half way through the apex. It was possible, on the TV, to see him on full opposite lock with nowhere to go but the wall. Having been in that sort of situation (whilst not running for the world championship, I must quickly add), it is a horrible feeling. You’ve done almost everything in the book to correct the mistake and you turn the last page and it says "Panic!"

I must say I have had an increasing respect for Eddie Irvine’s ability of late. While Eddie has always been capable of putting three feet in his mouth at one time, the drive two weeks ago in Canada was superlative. Our Eddie might have a big mouth, but he’s got big cojones too! The way he sliced through Johnny Herbert was a lesson that David Coulthard should take to heart.

The Winner!

Last week I asked about the BMW insignia and its origins. The first correct answer came by fax from Thomas Smith, which read "BMW was originally an aviation company and the present insignia represents a spinning propeller. Also where’s my free beer for correctly answering last week’s question?"

Thomas was correct with the Panther 6, but was second across the line. However, as I say in this week’s column, "let’s get together for those beers." The only problem, Thomas, my old mate, is that you have not included in either of your faxes a contact address, phone number, email or even carrier pigeon roosting point! Let’s be hearing from you!

Where to watch the French GP?

Delaney’s Pub will have the GP up on the big screen on Sunday night. See you there!

Fitness Tips: Health & Fitness News: Aderobics

by Dvid Garred,
Club Manager,
Dusit Resort Sports Club

Things have been very busy on the Aerobics front at Dusit Resort Sports Club lately.

Graduates of the level 1 Aerobics Instructors course conducted at Dusit Resort Sports Club (L to R) David, Misai, Noetta, Muriel, Sharon (course instructor), Jenny and (front row) Staci.

Recently, Asia’s "Fitness Guru" Sharon Christine Riley returned after a long absence to lead some of our local expatriate members through their Level 1 Aerobics Instructors Course.

For 5 days the ladies studied academics all morning then class structures and choreography all afternoon. The curriculum for the course was as set down by the world’s two leading Health and Fitness accreditation associations, the American Council on Exercise and the Australian Fitness Accreditation Council. Copious amounts of blood sweat and tears went into passing this course and a well-deserved pat on the back to all the graduates pictured below, we are very proud of them.

Pump is here!

Pump is a pre-choreographed resistance training to music class that combines the very best attributes of an aerobics class with the highest quality gym training programme you could ever do.

Sounds like a sales pitch doesn’t it? To a certain extent it is a sales pitch but, it is also an accurate description of the class that understandably is changing the lives and shapes of sports club members throughout the western world.

It has now come to Dusit Resort Sports Club.

This is a class that in all honesty produces visible, physical results faster than any other form of exercise.

It shapes, tones and conditions. It improves endurance and metabolic rate for rapid fat burning. It increases bone density - a vital consideration for women who may face osteoporosis.

The pre-choreographed format means that is a safe, challenging and fun workout for everyone from the Homer Simpsons to the Janet Jacksons of this world.

Belief comes from the first class completed, guaranteed.

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
9:30 AM	PUMP	Step	PUMP	Lo Impact	Step	Aqua	Step
	David	A	David	Staci	David	Bridget	A
11:00 AM	Step		Step A.B.T.	TAI CHI	A.B.T.		TAI CHI
	KAI		SAK	Patrick	SAK		Patrick
3:00 PM	A.B.T.		Step
	SAK		KAI
5:00 PM	Beginner	Beg. Step	Beginner	CIRCUIT	3 IN 1	Lo Impact	Lo Impact
	Vai	Sak	Vai	Sak	Kai	A	Vai
6:30 PM	Step	Lo Impact	2 Step	Step	Lo Impact
	A	Staci	Suzy	David	Noetta
7:45 PM	TAI CHI
	Patrick

For more details contact Dusit Resort Sports Club 425611 ext. 226-7, Mon-Fri: 0700-2130 hrs., Weekends and, Holidays 0800-2000 hrs., or email us on [email protected].

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 Sungwanlek.