Family Money: It never stops

By Leslie Wright

Over the past fortnight we’ve looked at how an individual’s personal financial planning needs to change considerably as we progress through the various stages of life.

What is more, almost all protection and investment goals require quite large sums of money to be available by the time they are needed.

To produce such sums of money, most people have to pay contributions into insurance and investment plans over a long period. For example, it takes most people almost a whole working lifetime to build an adequate pension fund - and some people never achieve this primary goal.

Protection plans - that is, insurance against various eventualities, including sickness and death - also need to be started while individuals are still healthy and premiums low.

This is perhaps the greatest lesson of the life-cycle model: the need to plan ahead. The model helps us to anticipate the financial needs of the future and take action to provide for them well ahead of time.

A reminder for the future

The life-cycle model also provides a pointer towards planning the future actions one should take when resources become available to take the next stage. It serves as a reminder that satisfying one financial need is only one stage in building a strategic financial programme for your whole life.

For instance, it teaches us that most single people will find a partner and produce families and that single people should make provision for this when they start earning. The arrival of children should not only indicate the need to provide for children’s education and career building, but also the need for the parents to start pension provision for their own old age.

Above all, it points out the need for ongoing professional advice. Few individuals are able objectively to identify, quantify and prioritise their changing financial planning needs. They’re often too emotionally tied up with the immediate needs and wants to be able to make the tough decisions that may need to be taken as to what resources should be allocated to each of their real needs - as opposed to their perceived needs, which are often quite different.

Regular reviews

Financial advisers need to undertake regular reviews of their clients’ resources and plans. Or, from the other perspective, individuals should seek regular review meetings with their financial adviser to get an objective view on their changing financial situation and investment objectives.

Proper financial advice does not, in my view, simply start and end with how one’s investments have been performing since the last review meeting.

Not only do any existing financial arrangements need to be reviewed, but the overall planning program revisited to evaluate whether you’re on track - and whether any action may need to be taken either to get back on track or move on to the next stage in the process.

Even in the early stages of establishing a financial planning program, your adviser should be able to explain clearly how his recommendations fit into your overall long-term strategy, and work with you as a guide on each step of the process.

Another aspect where early planning is also essential but often neglected is in minimising the impact of inheritance tax on one’s family and heirs. The earlier an adviser begins to address such matters, the greater is the potential to minimise the client’s tax burden.

Individual solutions

Nonetheless, we have to remember that, useful as it is, the life cycle is only a model of the life of a typical person. In real life, few individuals conform exactly to the ‘standard’ model.

As was touched upon earlier, the range of individual needs and financial objectives is very wide. Thus each individual case must be determined on its merits. Hence, the suitability of any investment for any individual can only be determined after a proper needs analysis has been completed. This analysis should distinguish clearly between wishes (or perceived needs) and real (or essential) needs.

As an example of a potential conflict between wishes and needs, consider the effect of the amount of capital on an investment strategy.

A person with very little capital may well seek the investment that provides the highest return. Unfortunately, the investment that offers the highest return usually carries a high risk. This may make investors a lot of money or lose much or all of their existing capital.

Weighing the risks

People with small amounts of capital cannot afford to take this risk, however attractive it may appear. This caution particularly applies to older people with inadequate income. The temptation to seek the highest return may be very great - but if a retiree with small resources loses any of his capital he may plunge himself into poverty.

This also applies to widows, old or young. Many older expatriates come to Thailand and remarry a local lass. In most cases she will outlive him, but not have the experience nor wisdom to resist her friends’ or family’s “advice” on what to do with the capital she may inherit from her late husband.

Shrewd forward planning by the husband before his demise will enable him to protect his capital against unsound advice or mismanagement, while ensuring his widow and any offspring from the marriage are suitably provided for throughout the rest of their lives.

Conversely, people with very large amounts of capital can afford to invest some of it in high risk opportunities because, even if they lose the whole of their high risk investment, they still have other capital available to them.

People with capital to invest have wider choices available to them, and have the resources both to gratify their wishes as well as meeting their needs.

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 Marty, Pattaya: I would like your clarification on the cost of computer parts. I am not sure, but I suspect I have been ripped off as the shop I bought my new PC from tells me that they have to increase the price as the cost of memory has increased. This increase is 3,000 Baht, a not insignificant sum. What are your thoughts?

Computer Doctor replies: The cost of memory is rising sharply at the moment. On an almost daily basis over the past couple of weeks we have seen a rise of over 30% and as I write this article, a further increase is expected tomorrow. Overall, this past month has seen an increase of over 100%. Last year I predicted this rise; unfortunately the falling baht has somewhat exacerbated the situation. In answer to your question, the figure you have quoted is not unreasonable if you were purchasing 128Mb.

Also, the cost of other components, main boards, processors, hard disks, etc., has also increased, largely due to the falling baht. Indeed Intel reduced the price of most of its processors but this was totally negated with the falling baht.

I anticipate further rises in component costs due to the loss of manufacturing capacity as a result of the earthquake in Taiwan.

From B Bradbury: I will shortly be arriving in Pattaya for 6 months and will need an Internet connection for my Pentium notebook. This has a 56K modem card so a fast connection would be preferred. Which ISP would you recommend for speed, cost and reliability and if possible an explanation for the horrendously high charges for Internet access in Thailand. I live in a small European country and pay 700 Baht a month for an unlimited 56K connection and 15 Baht per hour to the local telecoms company for the line. High charges will surely impede the development of the Thai economy as a whole and prevent the masses from gaining access at all.

Computer Doctor replies: In answer to your first question, the primary local providers in the Pattaya area are: Internet Thailand, KSC and Loxinfo. They all have their fans and ‘enemies’, and really it comes down to personal choice. However, the cheapest provider at the moment is Internet Thailand with ‘e-money’. With regards to speed, although some providers have 56k access, this is largely unsustainable due to the telecoms infrastructure. Whichever provider you decide upon, do not expect the service to be anything like what you would expect in Europe or the States.

With regards to the second point, to the best of my knowledge the Internet charges are as high as they are as a result of CAT levies and set-up costs. Incidentally the cost of a local call is only 3 baht unlimited.

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, IT solutions, website and advanced graphics design to corporate clients and home users on the Eastern Seaboard. Please see our advertisement or call 038 374 147 or 411 063 www.act.co.th.

Successfully Yours: Dr Terry Waters

by Mirin MacCarthy

Middle & High School Principal of the ISE, Dr. Terry Waters is a confirmed optimist with a belief in the positive in spite of what he calls a “schizophrenic upbringing.”

Terry was born in up state New York in the Catskill Mountains. Monday to Fridays he lived a barefoot existence, fishing and running through the woods and attending a four room school, but on weekends it was off to New York City for the sophisticated life.

His father was a prison warden and Dr. Terry even emphasizes the positive in living on a prison farm. “The prison farm was self sufficient and we had our own fresh meat and vegetables. There were the trustee prisoners also who would wash Dad’s car and even wash the garbage bin out every day. Can you imagine anyone washing their garbage bin out every day?” When pressed for the down side of the experience Dr. Terry just laughs. “With prison walls always in sight it taught me a good respect for law and order. It is one place I aspired to stay out of.”

His four-room primary school with twelve kids to a class led into a 400-student high school with 100 to a class. He graduated with flying colours in “all verbally related skills, reading, speaking and writing.”

From there he followed his preference and earned a BA in English from NY University at Oswego, then taught English at Long Island for three years while he took his Masters in 20th Century American Literature at night and worked on the weekends as a waiter. Why? “Because I wanted it all. I didn’t like apartment living. I wanted a house and car, and I wanted it all then.”

Next came a 6th Year Certificate in Education Administration (an American degree halfway between an MA and a Ph.D.). Dr. Terry then worked in administrative positions in New Jersey while he completed his Doctorate, a Ph.D. in Labor Relations at Rutgers University.

Was this a giant leap sideways? No, grins Dr. Terry, “It is one of my skills. I was always good at debate and I loved negotiating contracts.”

After working in the field for six years, and then running his own Labor Relations Company for two years, Dr. Terry felt the urge to go back to his origins. “I was coaching my son in baseball and I suddenly realized why I went into education. I just have so much fun working with kids. So I called up a friend and went back as a High School Principal. That was in Portland Oregon in 1980.”

While there he met and married his second wife Carol who was a teacher at the same school. “She walked into the room, threw a baseball cap at the wall and shouted, ‘Something just has to be done about that boy.’ Well, the cap landed in my lap and I said, ‘Well why don’t I take you out to dinner tonight and talk about it?’ That was the start of it all.”

That was the beginning of their now ten year long marriage, travelling and teaching, including four years in Brazil and two years in Nepal before coming to I.S.E, where Carol is currently teaching Grade Four. Between them they have four children. Two adult sons and a daughter live in the States another daughter aged 17 is at ISE in grade 10.

Dr. Terry’s interests are the theatre, reading and writing, and in fact he has published 32 poems, 1 play on good and evil called “In the Beginning” and over 70 articles, including a critique on Aldous Huxley’s life, and the others on school and child development related subjects. He is also under contract to write a textbook on Educational Administration. So much for spare time.

The Waters plan to stay here in Thailand for another two years at least. Dr. Terry’s idea of success is: “Vicarious. If I see a kid succeed then I feel successful. If a student sends me a note to say thanks a few years later, then I feel I’ve contributed.”

He personally puts integrity as the highest value. “Everything spins off that. If everyone had it then we wouldn’t have any wars.” His advice to young educators of today is, “Stay positive. If a teacher walks into a classroom depressed or angry, then he is teaching depression or anger, so it is really necessary to have a positive attitude on life.”

Talking to Dr. Terry Waters you believe that positive attitude is something inherent in him and not something acquired along the way. Still waters really do run deep.

Snap Shots: Pattern your life

by Harry Flashman

Harry Flashman firmly believes that if you read this column, you have a more than passing interest in taking photographs. You want to end up with photographs that others stand in awe of, that people want to copy, that would be able to hold their own in any photographic competition. Of course, this may just be grandiose posturing on Harry’s part, remembering always the credo of the newspaper publishing business, “News today, chip wrappers tomorrow.”

However, one type of photograph that never loses its appeal is one that shows patterns in the everyday life around us. The eye is drawn to the pattern first, and then the brain recognises what makes up the pattern. It is like finding a hidden object puzzle. It is really a psychological ploy - but believe Harry here. It works!

Nice pic, but needs some discord!

Never forget the effect of lighting in a photograph of patterns. Some good contrasty side lighting will emphasise the recurring shapes to really push the point home. Sometimes it is the recurring shadows themselves that produce the patterns. All it needs is for you to “look” and “see”.

However, if a photograph is to have lasting appeal, you have to combine something else with it. That something else is a discordance somewhere in the picture. Imagine a case full of oranges, the regular pattern of the oranges filling the frame, but one of the oranges is a green apple. Immediately the mind says, “Why?” and by doing that you have brought the viewer into your photograph. You have impacted on the viewer’s life. You have produced a photograph with “impact”. See once again how great shots are made, they do not just “happen”.

When Harry was actively running his photographic studio, the team would sit down and discuss the concepts to be presented photographically and then many hours would be spent on designing how to make the photograph “work”. This was long before anyone loaded a camera with film. Once the shot was visualised, the next job was to put it together and then see how it looked through the viewfinder. As said above, great shots are made.

So this weekend, keep your eyes open for repeating patterns - for example, the ends of blue plastic water pipes in plumbing supply shops and then work out how you can put an element of discordance into the shot. A yellow bucket hanging from the end of one tube perhaps? A cat sleeping in the middle of them all? A green frog? Remember that you can always purchase a toy green frog to use in a shot like this. Professional photographers do. Rub some oil on a plastic frog and sprinkle some glycerine drops on it and it will look real. Harry used to keep a complete wardrobe with replica animals for shots like that! One of Harry’s past editors used to spend many hours poring over photographs trying to work out which ones had real animals or otherwise.

But getting back to the patterns, this is really very much a visual exercise. You have to see it before you photograph it. It is an exercise in expanding your mind, your horizons and your imagination. It is also an exercise that does not need fancy photographic equipment to produce the spectacular end results. With producing successful pattern shots, even the simplest point and shooter will work. The magic is produced by your vision and nothing else.

So put a roll of film in the camera (film is the cheapest thing in photography) and seek out some patterns, wait till the light is right and look for (or even add) that discordant image in the pattern. You will have produced a prize winner!

Modern Medicine: Wonky ankles

by Dr Iain Corness

With the state of some of our footpaths and roads it is difficult to go through a week without twisting an ankle somewhere. “Going over” on your ankle is painful and for many people it is an injury recurring regularly.

Have you noticed that you always go over on the outside of your ankle too? This is very easily explained as the bones that make up the ankle joint are big and strong on the inside, while they are much smaller on the outside.

So you’ve gone over again and now you have a huge puffy ankle on the outside and a deep purple bruise beginning to form along the outside of your heel. What damage have you done?

Well, you have torn some ligaments for sure, and you may even have a fracture as well. The protective ligaments on the outside of the ankle are firmly attached to the knobbly bit. Feel on your good side and you can actually feel the fan shaped ligament fibres running downwards to the heel bone. Sometimes the fibres, instead of tearing, can actually pull the tip of the bone right off. We call that an “Avulsion” fracture. Feeling for the very lowest tip of the bone will give you a clue. If it is exquisitely painful you may have one of these avulsion injuries. You can also fracture the bone about one inch above the knob (which we call the lateral malleolus) so you have to feel around there too. If in doubt, there is only one sure way to tell. An X-Ray.

Now let’s imagine it is a simple uncomplicated ligament tear (if you can call a swollen painful ankle “simple and uncomplicated”). The treatment is a firm supporting figure of 8 bandage around the joint coupled with elevation of the foot to allow the swelling to subside. Some pain killers and an anti-inflammatory make up the therapeutic side and then just good old “time”. You will be hobbling in a week, limping for a couple of weeks and then you should be reasonably good. The problem here is that it actually takes well over 6 weeks for ligaments to heal properly, and here you are walking around again at 3 weeks. Walking around and even more likely to go over again because the ligaments were not really healed.

So what to do? Easy - you continue to use a strong wide crepe bandage during the day for at least six weeks. Take it off at night, but first thing in the morning re-apply. Now here comes the tricky bit. If you continue to wear the ankle strap for too long, the ligament does not “toughen” up, but remains lax and ready to tear again. So what we have to do is train your ligaments to toughen them up, but without overdoing it. Again this is easy. After 6 weeks, you wear the ankle support in the afternoons only and continue to do this for another 6 weeks. After that it is just a case of being sensible and looking carefully at where you walk. Good luck!

Dear Hillary,

When I lived in England I regularly attended a Spiritual Church with a service and Hymn singing. Afterwards the “medium” would come to you with a “message” from the spirit. It gave great comfort to me in life’s ups and downs. Is there a Spiritual church in Pattaya? I know Thais talk about magic man and woman for their future.

Regards, Ken

Dear Ken,

Hillary hasn’t heard of any spiritual churches in Pattaya, probably because the only spirits that Hillary has close contact with come in glass bottles. However, try the “Community Listing” in the Pattaya Mail for a full list of the various denominations having regular services here. When the Thais talk about seeing a magic person for their future they are talking about consulting a spirit medium, or spirit doctor. This is on an individual basis and is not an organized church or religion. It is rumoured there are such seers in Chonburi but Hillary has always been too scared to seek them out. If you want to try it on for size you would need the referral contact from a Thai friend. A fascinating book that deals with the subject is “Thailand into the Spirit World” by Marlene Guelden, ISBN 981-204-110-9. May your path be littered by benevolent spirit doctors!

Dear Hillary,

We have not been here very long and already we have had the water cut off from the house (twice!) and the electricity (once) all because I do not understand when and how the bills come. I am sure we did not receive at least two, but when I tried to explain this at the Water Department I got nowhere - and had to pay an extra 500 Baht to get re-connected. What can we do?

Bill

Dear Bill,

You are not alone, most other farangs have experienced your frustrations. The only solution is to have the payments automatically deducted from your account. You can arrange to have this done at the bank, though you may have to get the necessary forms from the utility supplier first.

Dear Hillary,

My wife has started cheating on the grocery bills and I am sure she has started to sneak the odd thousand baht from my billfold when I am asleep. I also note that she seems to have less jewellery than before, and when I have asked her where her necklace is she gets very defensive and says she is having it cleaned. I am sure she is not having an affair, as she is always home at nights with me, so what can I do to check? Where is the money going? Do you think it might be gambling?

Hole In The Wallet

Dear HITW,

What you can do to check is to discuss the money disappearing issue with your wife in a reasonable, non accusatory fashion. In other words, make sure you are correct with the amounts before you say anything! Note how much money you have in your wallet daily and comment every single time any is taken. Let your wife know that you know, and ask her if she has any problems she wants to discuss with you. If this is not successful the only other option is to follow your wife. However, this is the second step in the breakdown of trust in the marriage. If there is no evidence of substance abuse, then it is indeed possible that the drain may be caused by gambling or paid daytime companionship. Neither are wonderful to face but ignoring it will not fix it either. By saying nothing you are condoning your wife’s behaviour. Persist in asking to see the jewellery back from the cleaners. Don’t be put off by her denials. Be aware, though, that if it is indeed your wife’s gambling that you must deal with, it will not be easy - you can bet your bottom dollar on that one. Gambling is a compulsion, an addiction similar to alcoholism and you will need help and support. Professionals who can help are Psychologists, Monks, Priests, Clergymen, Doctors. Also Alcoholics Anonymous has a Division called Gamblers Anonymous, perhaps a search on the ‘net may find you some help. Gambling is a world-wide problem, and if you can restrict it to the odd lottery ticket then you are fortunate. Best of luck!

Dear Hillary:

Please help me, I want to start a long term / permanent relationship with a professional educated attractive Thai Lady who never worked in the adult entertainment industries. I’m an Asian-American and I can’t speak Thai. Can you please provide me with insightful information and advice? I’ll be visiting Thailand for twenty-three days. Thank you very much.

Seeking True Love

Dear Seeking,

Most everyone in Thailand is seeking the same person. I don’t like your chances in twenty three days. If your visit is going to be a short one how did you plan to establish a long term relationship in that time? The only insightful advice I can give you is to live here, learn to speak Thai, and become involved in the community organizations such as Lions, Rotary, and Chambers of Commerce. Perhaps taking Thai lessons while here on holidays would be a start. That way you could advertise for attractive lady Thai language teachers. Other than that, start an Introduction Agency!

GRAPEVINE

Dining Out: Siriporn - a great surprise

by Miss Terry Diner

It becomes very easy to begin to think that you have to go to some of our better “international” restaurants to get good authentic Thai food. However, if you are prepared to go that little bit further you can come across some real gems of eating places. Siriporn Restaurant next to Maprachan Dam is one of those.

Readers who live in the Siam Country Club area already know about this place, and in fact it was a golfer who told the Dining Out Team about Siriporn. Getting there is not difficult, head out along Siam Country Club Road and then take the left turn to run alongside the Maprachan Dam, curling back around with the water on your left. About one and a half kilometres after the turn off you will see Siriporn clearly signed.

Siriporn Restaurant

At the front of the restaurant are groups of tables and chairs where you can sit and look across the waters in the dam and watch the sun going down in the late afternoon. If you wish, you can have a quiet beer, which will cost you 35 Baht. That’s right. Not 65 Baht - 35 Baht!

The owners, Prasan and his wife Bird (who is also the chef) and all the staff were very pleasant and welcoming, so after sunset we adjourned to the air-conditioned section to eat. The next pleasant surprise was the menu. So often, when you find an authentic “ethnic” eatery, the menu is totally Thai. Siriporn Restaurant has two menus, one of which is English. Surprise number three was the prices. For example, Laab Moo Yang (minced roasted pork) at 50 baht, Kai Yad Sai (Stuffed Thai omelette) B 50, Gai Pad Num Mun Hoy (Chicken in Oyster sauce) B 70, Goong Thod Grathiem (BBQ prawn in garlic) B 100. Or even a whole white snapper in sweet chilli sauce at B 150.

We began with the BBQ prawns. Large and succulent and a beautiful “tangy” sauce to go with them. A finger bowl was supplied, too. Top marks there; you have no idea how many so-called upmarket restaurants forget that you need to clean your fingers! The next item was a Gaeng Keowan Gai, chicken in sweet green curry. This is a dish that I have almost given up ordering, being so turned off by the harsh, watery, bitter offerings from so many places. Bird’s green curry, on the other hand, was thick and rich and full bodied with plenty of chicken pieces - and no bones! This was probably the best Gaeng Keowan I’ve ever tasted. It really was that good.

Our next dish was Khow Pad, a beautifully light fried rice which we ate with relish as the accompaniment to a whole snapper pan fried in sweet chilli sauce. Once again, Bird had excelled herself. The fish just fell apart and not one bone.

By now we were decidedly “im” but Prasan insisted we have an oyster dish. This turned out to be a plate of chilled shelled oysters eaten with a green vegetable, like an immature asparagus, and finely sliced fried onion. There was a sauce with this which was again “tangy” but Bird would not divulge the ingredients. “Secret” she said with a laugh.

There was no doubt about this restaurant in our minds. It is an excellent example of Thai cuisine and quite frankly, the prices are too low. I suggest you go along and try before Prasan and Bird realise what they’ve got and raise the prices. An ice cold Singha Gold for 35 Baht? Where else can you get that, with food of this quality?

Animal Crackers: Siamese Fighting Fish - the perfect fathers?

by Mirin MacCarthy

Siamese Fighting Fish, (Betta splendens) are natives of this region and live in shallow, overgrown waters, irrigation channels and flooded rice fields with temperatures up to 30ฐC. In Pattaya they are even more easily found in glass jars in all our pet shops!

Siamese Fighting fish are a member of the Labyrinth fish family. These have an auxiliary breathing organ, the so-called labyrinth, which they can use to absorb air. This means they can live in very polluted waters, coming up to the surface to get oxygen by gulping air.

Siamese Fighting Fish

The most well publicised feature of these fish is their spectacular posturing when they see another male. They are highly territorial and as such will try and frighten off any other males. In their natural environment they stay well away from each other, but in an aquarium - watch out!

These hardy little fish will adapt to most food, but their favourite fodder is live mosquito larvae.

While the displays of aggression between males is legendary, it is the fatherly nurturing of its offspring that is even more incredible. When spawning time approaches, the male Siamese Fighting Fish begins to prepare a “Bubble Nest” for his family. He goes to the surface, gulps some air and coats it with saliva to form a small bubble. This bubble he then puts on the surface under a floating leaf. He continues with this task until he has accumulated several hundred over an area of approximately 10 cms in diameter.

Having got the nest ready, the male brings the female to under his nest and wrapping his body around hers “squeezes” the eggs from her. After 6 to 8 eggs have been expelled, he chases them and taking them in his mouth, inserts one into each bubble under the leaf. This goes on for several hours and sometimes hundreds of eggs.

After this, the male will drive the female away, as “Mum” tends to eat her own eggs.

The male will now remain underneath his nest attending to any egg which might fall during the next few days while they are approaching their hatching out point.

The hatchlings are not good swimmers and the male will catch any who fall, quickly returning them to the bubble nest. What a wonderful father!

Like many creatures, the reason for so many eggs is the high mortality with the young. If the small Siamese Fighting Fish can make it through the first two weeks, then they might just make it to adulthood to become excellent fathers like their own Dad.

Auto Mania: Malaysian GP Tickets

by Dr. Iain Corness

Next weekend is the Sepang Grand Prix (October 17th) and is the inaugural Malaysian GP. With the top contenders for the world championship being so close - Hakkinen 62, Irvine 60, Frentzen 50, Coulthard 48 and two rounds remaining, this will be a very important GP for all four of them. It has all the earmarks of being a blinder of a race.

It is not too late to get tickets, as there have been some cancellations. The Official Agent for Thailand is the hard working Captain Sitthichoke whom you can contact on (038) 431 672 or mobile 01-843 0645. There are flights to KL and road caravans going as well, but don’t hang about - ring Sitthichoke today and tell him Dr. Iain sent you!

Sepang, Malaysia Grand Prix circuit.

The circuit has been designed with overtaking in mind, and it will be interesting to see just how good the place really is. The grandstands are brilliantly designed and anyone who has been there for minor events is most enthusiastic about the circuit. The place cost something like 70 million dollars to build, I believe, and this would definitely be the weekend to wear a Sauber Petronas hat!

Scrutineering

The people in motor sport whose job it is to try and maintain level playing fields are called the Scrutineers. Like the international sport of trying to evade the IRS taxman, all drivers and team owners spend much time trying to find a way past restrictions that the scrutineers will not pick up.

Some teams have managed to get this down to almost an art form and Smokey Yunick in the USA was one of the best. When the rules brought in maximum allowable sizes for fuel tanks, it was noticed that Smokey’s cars could run a lot further than the others. It was only after much diligent searching that it was found that the fuel lines had been re-routed through the roll over cage and he probably had managed to gain an extra 10 litres by this inventive approach.

I must admit that in a 6 hour race in Oz, we found that our fuel tank in the Sports-racing Datsun 510 was way too small to even make one hour between fuel stops, so my crew cobbled together this very ingenious second tank from a 20 litre drum, chained in place on top of the original, built during the qualifying session. We removed the secondary tank for scrutineering on race day, and after getting the OK sticker it was back to the pits and put the extra tank in again. Unfortunately, some of the other competitors had seen this and when we came in for the first fuel stop the scrutineers were waiting. They looked in the boot and we were informed “This car is impounded till the Chief Scrutineer sees it.” They rushed off to get him and in the four minutes he took to come up to our pit, the crew had totally dismantled and hidden the offending item. “There’s nothing wrong with this,” he said, ticking our form and walking off. Two minutes later it was in again and we completed the race in fine style.

Fuel itself is a great way to gain performance, and so all the F1 teams are given their “control” fuel to use to keep things equal. There is always the appeal in trying to get just that little more out of the fuel tank’s contents. Only a few years ago, both Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard were disqualified from 1st and 2nd places in Brazil when it was found they were running illegal fuel. Naughty Benetton and naughty Frank Williams. Sorry, Sir Frank Williams!

One scam often used is the dirty drum full of washing solution, generally old, murky, oily petrol. The scrutineers will stand by with their eagle eyes as you unbolt the engine item to be inspected. As it comes off you drop it into the drum to “clean it up a bit” before they take it. A quick slosh around and a perfect part is presented to the scrutineers, while the dodgy one lies hidden in the bottom of the drum!

The ultimate fudge that I know of was a motorcycle racing team that reprinted the entire parts book of the manufacturer, to incorporate their illegal exhaust headers which had even been given a part number, all carefully stamped in to the metal. They even made a second set that was wrapped up in factory packing, so they could show the scrutineers that the “factory” made plenty of these parts and there it was listed in the parts book! Ah, the inventive mind of the dedicated racer!

Autotrivia Quiz

Last week was the Terry Hawkins inspired dual headlight question. This feature was pioneered by Cadillac and Lincoln in 1957. This was the world’s first dual headlight configuration, and should not be confused with the auxiliary headlights, to be used as passing lights, on the 1937 Packards. So there you go, Terry!

Now one of our other readers suggested I ask which American car manufacturer was first with hydraulic brakes and what was the model year? So why not? That’s the question for this week. Once again, this was a world first, not just a first for American iron (I hope you’re liking all this Americana, Messrs Hawkins and Cabrey). Fax 427 596 or email [email protected] and be the first in correct to win the FREE beer!

Asia Offroad King’s Cup 99

If you are into the 4x4 competitions, there is an interesting competition coming up in December. Organised jointly by the Asia Offroad Centre (Malaysia) and the Grand Prix International group in Bangkok, this is a five day event that will take the competitors from Bangkok right up to Chiang Rai and return. Captain Sitthichoke from Sattahip is on the organising committee, so I will have more details on this event as it comes to hand. If you would like more details in the meantime you can contact Sitthichoke directly on (038) 431 672 or mobile 01-843 0645.

There is also some work being done to try and put together a Jeep Jamboree for next year, so all you Jeep enthusiasts stay tuned. Captain Sitthichoke is involved in this one too.

Fitness Tips: Balanced, healthy eating

by David Garred, 
Club Manager Dusit Resort Sports Club

G’day Pattaya,

Over the past couple of months I have been working on a nutritional educational package for the members of the club. I sat back an looked at it this week and decided that some things need to be shared.

It is pretty self explanatory and I hope you get something out of it.

Most of the long term regular readers will know that I very strongly do not and will not advocate ‘dieting’. Please look closely at what is being said here, you will notice, this is not a diet article, it’s all about balanced, healthy eating.

The typical affluent society diet, regardless of racial heritage, is high in fat, low in complex carbohydrate and dietary fibre, and high in salt. It is not suitable for those wanting peak performance in physical activity, this would certainly apply to someone who has just commenced an exercise programme such as WHAM. It is also not suitable for those who want to minimise their risks of health problems, including the scourge of affluent / educated society being - obesity and of course all it’s related health problems.

No diet, however good, can of itself improve physical fitness. Unfortunately, a poor diet will certainly decrease the chances of fitness and health. On the other hand a good diet, like physical activity, is a basic requirement for everyone.

This is exactly what we are trying to achieve with our WHAM programme; regular, effective physical activity with nutritional guidance so that at the end of this two month programme we have given you the tools required to get you on the road to looking better, feeling better and living better.

Now that you are orienting yourself more toward a fit lifestyle you need a diet which is geared much more to health than the typical diet you were more than likely following up until now.

Good news, this does not mean that you need to live on grated carrots and sunflower seeds or some similar strange concoctions of foods. It does mean that you will need to make regular sensible food choices from the wide range of foods available so that you might produce a healthy mix of nutrients.

There are important dietary changes that fitness oriented people can make. By manipulating the diet to increase complex carbohydrate, glycogen stores in muscles can be increased to extend muscular endurance. It is also very helpful to reduce the fats in diet and this booklet will show you how to do that. Reduced fat intake keeps blood fat levels low and controls the amount of body fat. It also makes sense to reduce the salt and sugar content of the diet and increase the dietary fibre. Some of these changes will help athletic performance. All will assist long-term health.

Sports people and people truly concerned about their health are a ready target for nutrition quackery. In striving for an edge, many of these people take up nutrition-related practices that are useless and sometimes counter-productive. There’s nothing really new in this. The history of sport and physical fitness is riddled with stories of the value of particular diets and nutritional supplements. Many of the supplements said to be wonder foods for building extra energy are worthless; some will actively work against goals of achieving peak performance.

Simple Dietary Guidelines

Thailand has one of the best and most varied food supplies of any country in the world. In spite of such abundance, many people fail to make a healthy selection. Foods which are rich in complex carbohydrate and dietary fibre are often ignored and most people fail - badly - to drink enough water. Such an eating pattern makes it difficult to achieve peak physical performance.

Some people doubt the value of the modern food supply and believe they must rely on pills for nutrients. In fact, Thailand has a wonderful selection of healthy foods available and it is perfectly possible to choose an excellent diet. However, there are also many foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt and many with little or no nutritional value. The value of the diet depends upon the food you choose. The idea that the major dietary problem is a lack of vitamins is wrong. Vitamin deficiencies are rare and any diet that is so poor it lacks vitamins will not be fixed by taking extra vitamins.

Excess weight is very common in our society. It is due to eating and drinking more kilojoules than are needed for metabolism and physical activity (and growth in children). The main culprits for most overweight people are too much fat, sugar and alcohol. Fats and sugar occur in many of our foods and slip down so effortlessly that few people realise the large amounts that they are consuming. Foods such as bread, cereals, grains and potatoes are rarely if at all responsible for excess weight. Yet it is these important sources of complex carbohydrate that many people restrict - thus making exercise difficult.

Whether you are lean or overweight, a high fat diet increases the risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, gallstones, gout and breast and bowel cancer. Too much salt increases the chances of high blood pressure while a lack of dietary fibre upsets the functioning of the intestine and alters the body’s chemical balance, which controls cholesterol and glucose.

The typical affluent society diet consists of:
Too much fat, particularly saturated fat.
Too little complex carbohydrate.
Too little dietary fibre.
Too much sugar.
Too much alcohol.
Not enough water.
Too little iron and calcium (mainly in women).
Too much food for our level of physical activity.

In the interests of addressing these, try following the guidelines listed below:

* Choose a nutritious diet from a variety of foods
* Control body weight
* Avoid eating too much fat
* Avoid eating too much sugar
* Eat more breads and cereals, preferably whole grain and more vegetables and fruits
* Limit alcohol consumption
* Use less salt
* Promote breast feeding for the young

Carpe’ diem

Copyright 1999 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]
Updated by Boonsiri Suansuk.