The Foundation for the Protection of Environment and Tourism

Mankind - Flora and Fauna

Tourism has consistently been a significant contributor to the national economy generating foreign exchange revenue in the form of tourism dollars. The country’s wealth of tourism resources is what draws millions of overseas visitors to Thailand. Elements such as the beauty of the natural landscape, its ancient monuments, historical and archaeological sites, monuments of religious significance, works of art and local culture, traditions and the way of life in various communities are Thailand’s tourism assets. These natural and cultural treasures form the basis of the Thai tourism industry and the careful preservation of these assets is critical to sustaining further industry success.

In recognizing the immense value and importance of the environment and ecosystem to the country and nation, The Foundation For The Protection of Environment and Tourism was established as an independent and non-political agency by the Tourism Authority Of Thailand in 1992.

The Foundation promotes “responsible tourism”. In doing so, it strives to develop a better understanding of the environment primarily through the conduct of environmental education and awareness programs and many other related activities.

Objectives

The objectives of the Foundation are:

* To promote better knowledge and understanding about the environment; raise the level of environmental awareness within the community and offer recommendations on responsible and environmentally-friendly travel and tourism practices and proper conduct.

* The preservation of the environment and Thailand’s tourism resources.

* To liaise with other agencies in activities which are in the public’s interest or are beneficial to the community.

The Thai tourism industry comprises a myriad of different components and activities undertaken by a wide range of organizations and agencies in both the public as well as the private sector. While it is true that the process of social and environmental change occurs naturally regardless of whether tourism acts as a variable or not, given the fact that the “environment” is a key resource for the industry, it is inevitable that tourism-related activities will in some way impact the environment, positively as well as negatively.

Hence the Foundation is of the view that if the tourism industry as a whole is able to protect and preserve its resources, and retain its value, it makes an important transition towards “Ecotourism”, now widely recognized and adopted as a “best tourism practice”, and progresses towards “sustainable development”.

Regardless of whether we are tourists or tourism operators, as ‘agents’ of the tourism industry we all need to become more environmentally sensitive and actively aware of our individual role and responsibilities towards environmental conservation. Beyond self-survival reasons, it is the obligation of all involved to preserve this rich heritage for the future generation.

Projects under the Foundation for the Protection of Environment and Tourism

Together we grow the Banyan for His Majesty The King Project - Objective: To promote tree planting and reforestation.

Youth Education for the Protection of Environment and Tourism Fund - Objective: Children and Thai youth are granted the opportunity of gaining future employment within the travel and tourism industry through the award of scholarships. Grants are awarded to children of needy families or Thai youth, who are employed as service providers in the Travel and Tourism industry, as well as to underprivileged children in the care of childcare institutions and foundations.

Promote Garbage-Free Travel and Tourism - Objective: To promote environmentally friendly tourism by encouraging tourists to be careful and responsible about the disposal of garbage/litter in the natural environment. Tips are offered on items to take which are not hazardous to the environment and how best to travel without generating non-organic garbage.

Save Our Seas - Objective: To promote the protection and conservation of the marine and coastal environment, ecosystems and natural resources.

Bike Tour - Objective: To promote pollution-free means of sightseeing.

Ecotourism - Objective: To promote responsible and sustainable tourism.

Visitor arrivals continue to rise in first half of 1999

from the TAT

Visitor arrivals rose 11.09% to 4,172,891 in the first half of 1999, driven mainly by buoyant arrivals from Europe and the Americas and strong growth from countries hit by economic problems.

At the same time, outbound travel also rose 23% during the period January-June 1999 over Jan-June 1998, indicating that the Thai economy was doing well enough to get people moving again.

Outgoing TAT Governor Seree Wangpaichitr said he was satisfied with the overall situation, ‘’It clearly shows that the regional economic crisis has more than bottomed out and has resumed its strong growth curve. While we would naturally like to see more Thais traveling within Thailand, we have to recognize that sometimes neighboring destinations may offer more attractive and competitive tour packages.”

One of the most interesting arrival statistics was a 14.81% increase in the number of female visitors to 1,639,513 as against a much lower 8.80% increase in male visitors to 2,533,378. Another interesting statistic was an 18.98% increase in first-time visitors to 2,178,730.

Governor Seree said these figures confirmed the success of the two major aspects of the Amazing Thailand marketing strategy: Attracting more female visitors by using the lure of shopping, culinary and health holidays; and seeking more first-time visitors in new markets.

‘’We are clearly gaining much more recognition as a family destination with something for everyone,’’ he said. ‘’The overall male:female ratio is now almost exactly 60:40, as against nearly 65:35 that it used to be some years ago.’’

Driven by the high profile Amazing Thailand campaign, plus good airline connections and the value for money factor, visitor arrivals rose strongly from Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, the Scandinavian countries, North America and the UAE.

Visitors from Korea more than doubled to 156,199. Visitors from Indonesia, too, more than doubled to 69,480. Japanese visitors, in decline to other regional competing destinations, rose nearly 10% to 504,536. Only a few source markets reported significant declines including Hong Kong, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Brazil, Brunei and Spain, mainly due to poor economic conditions and other problems.

TAT analysts also noted a major rise in the number of group tourists, mainly due to the large increases in visitors from China and Korea. Also up strongly was the number of retirees and elderly people.

On the other hand, there was a decline in the number of business travelers as well as in the number of people staying at friend’s homes. This was attributed to the downsizing of expatriate staff from many companies in Thailand.

Governor Seree noted that the increased visitor arrivals had also led to comparable increases in average hotel occupancies around Thailand, mainly in the provincial destinations.

‘’This is also a good sign because it shows that the benefits of tourism are clearly being spread around the country and not concentrated in Bangkok and the main urban centers,’’ he said.

‘’We are optimistic that if the trend continues, we will have a spectacularly successful climax to the 1998-99 Amazing Thailand campaign,’’ the Governor said.

Customs Trade Fair & Exhibition 2000

Visitors to Thailand will have yet another golden opportunity to indulge in millennium festive shopping as TAT and the Royal Thai Customs Department break new ground by launching Thailand’s first Customs Trade Fair and Exhibition to be held between November 17-21, 1999, at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC.)

The show is being jointly organized by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) together with the Royal Thai Customs Department and private exporters under the Board of Investment, in accordance with the guidelines established in Section 19 of the Customs Act and Bonded Warehouse.

The Customs Trade Fair and Exhibition 2000 is being organized to compliment TAT’s own “Amazing Thailand Grand Sale” extravaganza which runs from November 15 through December 15, 1999. This new shopping innovation offers TAT yet another new product to promote under the shopping theme of the Amazing Thailand campaign.

‘’Promoting shopping is as good as promoting exports in terms of the value it yields to local jobs and foreign exchange earnings, free of quotas and other trade restrictions that hamper regular exports,’’ Deputy Governor Juthamas Siriwan, Chairperson of the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale project, said.

The Royal Thai Government has taken a number of measures to promote shopping for visitors, who are already enjoying extremely good value for money due to the weakening of the baht against many foreign currencies.

Customs duty and taxes on several local items were lowered recently. Visitors enjoy the VAT refund on taking these goods out of the country. Goods purchased during the Customs Trade Fair will likewise be eligible for the VAT refund.

The Customs Trade Fair will feature products such as jewelry, electrical equipment, consumer products, clothes and others. All made in Thailand but usually exported abroad where they are sold under international brand names.

The show is intended to increase confidence in the quality of Thai products. Excise and a tax-free automobile inventory will also be available for sale.

The fair is further intended to promote small and medium industries (SMEs) and the Electronic Data Interchange System for import and export. A free seminar on “Customs in the Year 2000” will be organized alongside the show and free of charge.

The Customs Department, Ministry of Finance has invited representatives of various public and private sector enterprises such as duty-free shops, export manufacturers, representatives of international transportation companies, EXIM banks, car dealers, jewelry, garments, leather, shoes, electrical equipment, furniture, silverware, Thai handicrafts and food to participate in this fair.

For booth reservation and further information please contact the Customs Department, Region 1: Tel: 6717299, 6728129.

Photos from our readers

(Above) James Heston sent in these wonderful before and after pictures of Pattaya Beach. Unfortunately, they were not accompanied by an explanation of his particular circumstances behind them; however, they are indeed self-explanatory.

(Above right and right) Bjarne Nielson (from the Caf้ Kronborg) and Phil Sagar (Pattaya Sports Club) sent in these two pictures illustrating the wretched condition of Soi Diana. Phil explained, “(This) is how it’s been for a couple of weeks now with no evidence of repairs. If you haven’t been down the Soi ... DON’T! Not unless you walk (definitely not recommended!) because you would wreck your car if you dropped into any of the holes covered by muddy water.”

(Left) Peter Curtain and Stephan Nicholson went into a bit more detail when they sent in a picture depicting the condition of their monsoon-season damaged soi:

“Recently my partner and I read with interest where a large delegation of hoteliers and businessmen representing the tourist industry visited Australia and New Zealand promoting Pattaya and the Eastern Seaboard.

“My partner and I come from Australia and New Zealand respectively, and operate a small hotel in Pattaya City. The name of the establishment is the Orchid Inn, located at Soi Viking which runs off South Pattaya Road.

“Unfortunately, we have a major problem with our access road into the hotel. During the wet season the road is virtually impassable. The road has never been sealed and large amounts of water pool up and down the Soi despite our efforts to fix the problem by buying fill and having the Soi graded and maintained without any assistance from the other residents of the Soi.

“The situation has become so great that we are now losing customers as a result of our access road. This is a great shame as we have both worked hard to establish this business and promote Pattaya and the Eastern Seaboard generally in both Australia and New Zealand.

“Any assistance your newspaper of the Pattaya City Council may be able to provide in permanently rectifying this long term problem would be extremely appreciated.

A recent photograph...is enclosed...”

Amari Hotels and Resorts joins forces with WWF to save elephants

During 1998, Amari Hotels and Resorts worked closely with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in the “Save the Tiger” project. Signatures were collected in all eight Amari properties for a petition, given to the government, which urged action to save the few remaining tigers that remain left in the wild in Thailand.

Following the success of this campaign, Amari Hotels and Resorts will be participating in a new campaign with WWF, which focuses on the plight of elephants in Thailand.

The Asian elephant is now facing extinction. At the beginning of this century there were estimated to be 100,000 elephants in Thailand, now there are less than 2,000 surviving in the wild and 3,000 in captivity. The rapid decline in Thailand’s tropical forest means that there are very few places where elephants can now live safely. Elephant World in Lampang is an initiative set up by the WWF in response to the need for safe habitat, where elephants can be protected from the dangers of deforestation and poaching.

Amari Hotels and Resorts will be participating in this conservation project by spearheading an “Elephant Adoption Program”. Guests and staff at all of the eight Amari Hotels and Resorts will be encouraged to sponsor Phang Nun, 52 year old female elephant. Phang Nun was rescued from the north of Thailand where she had worked for many years in the timber logging industry.

Guests who “adopt” the elephant will pay Bt. 999 for 12 months sponsorship and will receive an adoption certificate, a photograph of the elephant and regular updates on her progress. It is anticipated that sufficient funds will be raised to pay for Phang Nun’s rehabilitation so that she can live safely at Elephant World in Lampang. Amari hopes to be able to build on the success of this project and raise funds to help additional elephants in the future.

For further information, please contact: Ms. Alex Constantine, Director of Communications, Amari Hotels and Resorts, 847 Petchburi Road, Pratunam, Rajthevi, Bangkok 10400, Tel: (66-2) 255 3767, Fax: (66-2) 255 3718, Email: [email protected].

First serious koi research & development program in Pattaya

by Fr. Ray

“Koi” fish are really colored carp. No one knows how the first koi were bred. Most biologists cannot agree, some saying that it began in Japan, many that it started in Europe. It seems the colored mutations first appeared in the common European carp around the 19th century. At first, because of the cold winters in Europe, the Western world did not get excited about the colored fish. But the Japanese fell in love with the fish and even made it an integral part of their culture.

With proper care, koi can live 100 years or longer. Grandparents often give a 50 or 60 year old koi to their grandchildren as part of their inheritance. A koi considered exceptional can have a selling price of several thousand dollars. A very exceptional and beautiful koi fish can even go for US$ 100,000 or more.

Dr. Lee, shown here carefully tending to his precious and beautiful koi, has extended an open invitation to visit him at the Redemptorist Center on Sukhumvit Road.

The Redemptorist Center has a volunteer marine biologist, Dr. Lee, who runs the program for the breeding and development of koi fish. Fr. Brennan, the director of the Center, is hoping that eventual sales of the koi abroad will help in the expenses of all his free schools (the blind school, deaf school, the orphanage, the vocational school for physically handicapped and the home for street children). Dr. Lee is already producing salable koi about 6 inches long. He is also anxious to help hotels or restaurants start up a koi pond or tank on their premises. His fish are strikingly beautiful with brilliant colors and pleasing patterns.

If you would like to visit the project, just go to the Redemptorist Center on Sukhumvit Road (between the North Road and Center Road). As soon as you enter the driveway, you will see Dr. Lee’s little office and his breeding tanks. He is so engrossed in his love for the koi, that if you show the slightest interest yourself, he will talk your arm and a leg off. Go and see for yourself.

Fine Wine and Dine

The Vintner’s Dinners at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort have become legendary in a very short space of time. The concept is to combine fine food and fine wines in a complementary fashion to enable the diners to literally experience the best of both worlds.

The evenings begin with wine tasting in the Lobby of the Royal Wing and then adjourn to the Benjarong Restaurant for a gourmet dinner and further selections of wines from the cellars of the chosen wine maker.

Vintner’s Dinner guests enjoy the finer side of life.

The first dinner saw the introduction of Pascal Jolivet wines to Pattaya, with Pascal Jolivet himself coming from Sancerre in France to take the diners through his appraisals of the various wine styles. In particular, he was very definite on which wine should be eaten with which type of food.

The second dinner featured a boutique style winemaker from California, Robert Mondavi. A relatively young vineyard, but one that has been a leader in eco-manufacture of their wines. The first course was a magnificent grilled salmon on a lemon butter sauce, taken with a Robert Mondavi Chardonnay.

Jeff Cook, Director of Sales for Asia-Pacific for the Robert Mondavi company, revealed how they were the first with the now world wide acclaimed “lipped” wine bottles. Even the wrapping around the corks had been chosen for its biodegradable properties. Interestingly, the Californian whites stood up far longer in the cellar than the average Australian, with the 1994 vintage on offer being very drinkable, even at that age. The pick of the night from the wine connoisseurs, however, was the Cabernet Sauvignon 1995. Look for it at your favourite wine outlet.

The next Vintner’s Dinner will be this coming Monday the 18th and will feature French winemaker Jean-Marie Bourgeois who will give a presentation on the wines from his Domaine Henri Bourgeois vineyard. A preview of the menu shows some interesting dishes with salmon and prawns and pork amongst them. Being a gourmet evening, all the food is haute cuisine and imaginatively presented.

The opportunity to dine with the winemaker should not be missed by anyone who enjoys the finer side of life, as well as availing yourself of the chance to try their Etienne Henri white (1989), the Pouilly Fume “La Demoiselle de Bourgeois” white (1993) and the “Les Baronnes” red (1993). For those who wish to spoil themselves, further details can be obtained from Khun Ratchanee of the Royal Wing on 038 250 421, extension 2565.

Burapa English Program School of Thailand says “No to drugs”

by Elfi

The Burapa English Program School of Thailand (BEST), located on Sukhumvit Road just past the South Pattaya Road intersection, began only 2 1/2 years ago with 50 students. Now they have 520 children, including nursery and kindergarten, and a total of 70 teachers, 19 of whom are foreigners. The children who go to this school are also very international, representing 40 different nationalities.

The Children of BEST listen intently and learn about the dangers of drugs.

Recently, BEST held an event to increase the children’s awareness of the dangers of drugs. Peter Thorand, Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya’s Director of Community Services, helped the principals of the school, Richard Peacock and Ms. Wattana Nutthasophon, to find the right speaker for this occasion: Pol. Lt. Colonel Jeerat Pichitpai of the Ban Poonsri Oupatham Drug Treatment Center in Soi Potisan.

The Lt. Colonel found just the right tone to talk to the children, warning them of the dangers of drugs and answering many questions. At the end of his speech and the question/answer session, Lt. Colonel Jeerat expressed his gratitude to BEST for allowing him to talk to the children. He also said that it was very interesting for him to see that the children were truly interested, and he praised them for their clever questions.

(L to R) Pattaya Mail’s Managing Director Peter Malhotra, Best Principal Ms. Wattana Nutthasophon, Police Lt. Colonel Jirat Pichitpai, Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya’s Director of Community Services Peter Thorand and Best Principal Richard Peacock during the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya’s presentation of 20,000 baht to the Ban Poonsri Oupatham Drug Treatment Center.

However, serious talk was wasn’t the only thing on the agenda. Much to the delight of the youngsters, the Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya, in association with Pattaya Mail and Nong Apartment, sponsored uniforms for the children for their “Chair Ball”. Words all children should remember are written on the back of the shirts: “Say no to drugs”. The idea is to make other children aware of this problem through this unique type of advertising, since the kids will be wearing the uniforms year round when they play basketball.

Peter Malhotra, Managing Director of Pattaya Mail, acting in his aegis of chairman of the anti-drug committee of the Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya, took the opportunity to present a cheque for over 20,000 baht to Pol. Lt. Colonel Jirat for the drug center, to help him allay the enormous costs of his efforts.

Brighter teeth for Fountain of Life children

The Fountain of Life Center, run by the “Sisters of the Good Shepherd”, provides basic education, counseling, food and lots of love and care for children who are underprivileged and unable to attend public school.

Dr. Tassanee Lertsahkul and her coileagues from the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital kindly are donating their time to inspect the teeth of the Fountain of Life children.

Dr. Tassanee Lertsahkul and her colleagues from the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital kindly are donating their time to inspect the teeth of those children. Volunteers from PILC will take the children to Bangkok/Pattaya Hospital, who in turn will provide the required treatment at much reduced costs. Despite this, the costs will still be enormous, as most of the 150 children at the center have badly decayed teeth. The “Jesters”, Pattaya’s Harley Davidson Club will pay for these dental costs from their fund-raising events. The Jesters are already contributing to the center’s running and educational costs. At the same time, Albert Fader is providing milk to the children every day to improve their health.

With the community effort from the Sisters at the Fountain of Life, the medical care from the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, the financial support of the Jesters and Mr. Fader, and the caring volunteers of PILC, the smiles on the faces of these children can only get bigger and better.

Our screams and dreams on the silver screen

by Barrie Kenyon

You must have noticed that at least half the newly released movies in Thailand these days are of the horror variety. It’s rare indeed if something with big teeth and a voracious appetite is not showing at Big “C”. The refreshment ladies, and they should know, say that sales of popcorn and ice cream zoom up at these performances, presumably as audiences select nibbling and slurping rather than nail biting to cool their nerves. Perhaps future oscars should be given out on the basis of how many fattening foods have been sold in the foyer. So what is the ongoing attraction?

The reality is that successful horror films reflect what you are worried about. No, not baht bus drivers, losing your glasses and hiding your bank passbook from the wife. Serious stuff. And that is a changing scene. Early horror films of the 1930s tended to reflect the public’s fears about scientists becoming too big for their boots after the obscenities of the First World War. New technology, such as tanks, torpedoes and mortars had massacred European manhood. So that’s it. Scientists were to blame. Evil characters such as Dr Frankenstein, Dr Hyde or The Invisible Man, all qualified in “O” level chemistry or above, used laboratories and secret ingredients to challenge God at his own game: the formula for life. King Kong never went to university but his crowning achievement was to destroy with a single paw a couple of attacking military airplanes, in themselves agencies of destruction. To reduce tension in the audience, humor was actually part of most plots. Boris Karloff, for example, always claimed he was paid to make people laugh. Whether with him or at him is a secret he carried to the grave.

Technological advances in the Second World War created a new fear of nuclear explosions. In the late 1940s and the 1950s, monsters came out of the depths to punish mankind after their sleep had been rudely interrupted by a very loud bang. Typical of the breed were Godzilla, who actually appeared in twelve full length movies, and the creature from twenty thousand leagues. Or maybe it was forty. Such gruesome carnivores were particularly fond of smashing up electric power stations, the very thing that our self centered civilization depends on most. They were making a political point as Karl Marx might well have argued. But following talk about space rockets and moon landings, attention switched to our fear of attack from outer space. These films tended to be either downright and deliberately ridiculous - Martian invasions from balloonheads and the like - or deadly serious. Perhaps, after all, we were all on the set lunch menu of enormous lizards from another galaxy who had learned to drive a space ship but couldn’t grow potatoes.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, by now we were in the 1960s, was designed to show us that evil could also exist in someone you trusted. The movie, it has to be said, has never been popular in Pattaya. It also helped to create the suspicion, still with us today, that there is something “iffy” about men who dote on their mothers. More graphic psychopaths then lined up by the hundred to be converted into movies. The Texas chainsaw family and Driller Killer were extreme examples of this violent genre. Director such as Roger Corman, on the other hand, saw the potential for camp humor in screwballs. No one who has seen Vincent Price cavorting in The Raven or acting the goat in The Pit and the Pendulum could doubt this for a moment. In Theater of Blood, he played a failed Shakespearean actor who, quoting bits from Macbeth, forced Robert Morley to eat his own stewed poodles through a forced meeting pipe.

As we approach the millennium, the wheel appears to have turned full circle. We are back again to hungry monsters, Egyptian mummies, reruns of Frankenstein and Dracula. Some of these are conscious imitations of the classics, but with more sex and violence thrown in to convince audiences it’s real life. But there is a difference. Computers and more computers. These days, anyone worth knowing has one. It is common in the 1990s to find our particular advanced technology being used to destroy giant radioactive cockroaches in the subway, take on supernatural creatures such as Talos The Mummy or save mankind from any number of dark forces. In the 1940s, we thought that scientists would destroy the world. Now we look to them to solve all our security problems. That, more than anything else, is the story of the horror film.

The agenda for the next century has already been set by Hollywood moguls. Movies such as Virus already reminded us that organisms invisible without a microscope could wipe out life as we know it. Pension funds would save millions. How many other viruses such as the African Ebola are waiting in the ruined rain forests? In a world even now frighteningly na?ve about Aids, we can expect a whole rush of movies dedicated to the epidemic dangers of what we cannot see. Other themes waiting to be graphically explored are upcoming climatic changes (the Arctic’s last role could be as a beach resort), mass global starvation, permanent computer failures (organized from the planets Persil and Rinso) and the consequences of failing to find a substitute for fossil fuels. Armageddon looms. We are all victims now. Personally, come 2000, I’m giving up going to the cinema even if the Pattaya Mail begs. And I shall be spending New Year’s Eve with a comforting gin and tonic rerunning my Mr Bean and Fawlty Towers videos. Nobody, but nobody, could read anything of cosmic significance into them. Or maybe they can.

A look at how society deals with wayward youths

Late last month, the United Charities of the Eastern Seaboard (UCES) visited the Rayong Juvenile and Children’s Detention Center to donate much needed food and supplies. While there, the detention center’s director, Judge Rewad Sakulkhloi provided members of the charitable organization with a unique insight to the operation of the center and the laws and procedures governing juvenile crime.

Members of the United Charities of the Eastern Seaboard donated much needed food and supplies to the Rayong Juvenile and Children’s Detention Center. The group included representatives from the Pattaya Lions Club, YWCA, Diana Group and the Pattaya Sports Club.

Both the Rayong Family Juvenile Court and the Detention Facility are located on the same premises on 102 rai of land along Sukhumvit Road. The facility first opened in 1983 and was called the Juvenile Courts. Eight years later, a royal decree created the Family Juvenile Court and Consultation Proceedings, which changed the name of the Kingdom’s juvenile courts to Family Juvenile Courts.

The current law separates children aged 7-13 from juveniles aged 14-18. All criminal cases are conducted by the juvenile court. Local police are only involved in the apprehension of juveniles and children, and only record their crime. The children are then, according to law, transferred to the Family Juvenile Court within 24 hours.

Mrs. Ellen Gerritse (left) donates her time to teach the children, shown here in the carpentry training area.

The director of the juvenile detention facility is responsible for administering the initial interview with new arrivals, then assigns a case officer to obtain a detailed environmental history. This history is provided to a court officer, who then investigates the case in preparation for the court. Once data, witnesses, and other evidence gathering are complete, the case goes to court.

Court proceedings for juveniles and children are similar to the way adult cases are conducted, although not as strict. However, the juvenile court judges are required by law to be females with children or similar experience working with youngsters.

Juvenile punishment is divided into imprisonment, detainment, fines, or confiscation of life minus the death penalty. However, in most cases the courts decide in favor of behavioral training. In some cases juveniles are released on probation with officers monitoring their behavior.

The main crimes receiving maximum punishment are drug related, and the number of juveniles imprisoned for selling or using drugs steadily increases each day. Just three years ago, in 1996, only 63 cases were tried in Rayong; in 1997 the number increased to 249; and in 1998 there were 518 cases.

Currently there are 889 drug related cases waiting to be decided at the Rayong Juvenile and Children Detention Facility, 798 juvenile boys and 91 girls. Half come from the Pattaya area; the others from various provinces along the Eastern Seaboard.

The facility is becoming ever more crowded, as show here by the limited seating available at lunch time.

The Rayong Juvenile and Children Detention Facility provides training in 10 different adult educational subjects. Once completed, a certificate identifying the training results is awarded which can be used towards further educational studies. Some of the subjects include carpentry, construction, agriculture, electricity and water works, welding, automotive repair, hair cutting, music, female hair styling and handicrafts.

The former director of the detention facility, Judge Wutinai Wongpak, instituted a computer training program, which was supported by volunteers from the Alternative Education Center Skills Development Department.

Khun Ellen Gerritse, a teacher from Holland, also volunteers her time at the center to help provide skills that may one day assist the young people in their pursuit of life on their own.

Sopin Thappajug, Pattaya City Counselor and Managing Director of the Diana Inn Hotel, is also a Chonburi Juvenile Court Judge. It was she who led the team from the United Charities of the Eastern Seaboard on their visit to the center. The members of the team included Mrs. Premrudee Jittiwutikan, President of the YWCA Pattaya Chapter, Mrs. Nitiya Patimasongkhro, President of the Pattaya Lions Club, and Ron Herbert and Mike Franklin from the Pattaya Sports Club.

After a brief introduction, Judge Rewad led the members on a tour of the facility before handing the proceedings over to Pol. Sgt. Udom Ophasri, who invited the members to listen in as he spoke to the inmates.

Girls from the nearby detention center for girls also sat in the audience with the boys as Pol. Sgt. Udom Ophasri presented a talk on what is considered to be proper behavior and the need to know the difference between right and wrong. The talk encouraged the young people to adjust their behavior so that their parents could be proud of them when they return to society after completing training at the detention facility.

The visit from the benevolent members of the UCES gave a much needed lift for the facility, as the economy has greatly affected their budget. The facility relies heavily on charitable organizations.

German group lends a helping hand

“We can all make a difference”

The German Union for Social Help, headed by President Kurt Winterhalder, paid a visit to the Eastern Child Welfare Protection Center in Huey Pong to help the girls there by donating a zigzag sewing machine, an ironing board, hair shampoo and a radio. Around 20 girls at the center are taught over 3 to 6 months to become hairdressers, beauticians or dressmakers.

The German Union for Social Help, registered in Germany, has been working in the Eastern Seaboard for the past 15 years.

German Union for Social Help President Kurt Winterhalder (4th from left) and Monika Rottmann (5th left) donate needed items to the girls at the Vocational Training Center.

In 1991 and 1992, the Union financed the building of the new library for the Banglamung Boys Home and the Vocational Training Center in Huey Pong, Map Ta Put. Many more visits followed and in the spring of 1999 Monika Rottmann became involved in the group. Many things suffered wear and tear from daily use over the years and became broken and needed replacement. Monika helped to put the details together. After that, Monika tried to interest other organizations, because the money needed was much more than the German Union for Social Help had available at that time.

The Pattaya International Ladies Club, with their welfare chair person Carol Smith, the Rayong Ladies Circle and Khun Tiew stepped in and organized many things needed, including a beautician day, where the girls were trained by a professional lady.

More visits are planned in the future and Monika is sure that they will all team up again in order to help people in need.

Motivation - Equity Theory

by Richard Townsend,
Corporate Training

This theory states that individuals compare their level of job inputs and outcomes with those of others and then actively seek to eliminate any inequities. In other words, if we believe that we are being correctly rewarded for our efforts in relation to others, a state of justice exists. However, if we perceive ourselves as being unjustly treated in relation to others we experience equity tension.

The benchmark that is chosen by each individual is important for the leader/manger if he or she is to uncover an individual’s motivation. These benchmarks or ‘referent comparisons’ are:

Self-inside, experiences in other positions inside the organization
Self-outside, experiences in other positions outside the organization
Other-inside, other employees within the organization
Other-outside, other employees outside the organization

Another interesting aspect of this theory is that comparisons can be made on the employees past treatment in relation to another’s current treatment. This particularly comes into play when you are hiring new staff. If the entry-level wage for an existing employee hired two years ago was $1,000.00 per month and today you offer the same position at $1,200.00 per month it is likely that existing employees will see this as inequitable. This situation will occur, even if the existing employees are paid in excess of the $1,200.00 you are now offering.

Employees will take one of six actions to remedy inequities:

Change their level of input - reduce their level of effort
Change their outcomes, where reward is linked to output - reduce quality to improve quantity
Change their self-perception (of worth) - maybe I really am a workaholic
Distort their perception of others - that guy’s got a hard job
Change their referent - I’m doing better than my sister is

Quit the job

Factors that may be used by individuals judging their input levels include: effort, experience, education, time, perceived competence, skills and knowledge.

Factors that may be seen as outcomes include: salary, prospects of increasing financial rewards, promotion prospects, levels of praise and levels of public recognition.

Experience shows that employees will devise any manner of measurements to test the justice of relative staff situations. For example, I once had a colleague who was displeased with a $4,600.00 salary increase because staff in more junior positions where given a $2,100.00 increase which represented 12% over their previous pay levels. The cause of the discomfort was that the colleague had only received an 8% increase - hence the gap between the two positions had narrowed causing an inequitable margin between the two jobs or a perceived diminution in his relative importance.

The validity of this theory really becomes obvious and proven when we are engaged in something as mundane as allocating new company car parks or redesigning office layouts. The tension, bickering and office politics that grows from this type of activity can be truly amazing. Adults will turn into children or even worse powerful adults can turn into demanding parents.

Effective leader/managers must openly share the reward decision-making process with their staff/followers. If it is not acceptable to share the decision making process, then at least an open sharing on how decisions were made must be offered. The process must also be seen as being consistent and in line with unbiased practices. The object of this approach is to prove:

Procedural Justice, i.e. a decision process that is perceived as fair, and
Distributive Justice, i.e. there is a fair allocation of available rewards.

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Updated by Boonsiri Suansuk.