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Family Money: Driving
you crazy?
By Leslie Wright
As anyone who has ventured onto the roads in Thailand
knows, driving here can be a risky business.
Readers will undoubtedly have noticed that the general
standard of driving skills here is below that in countries where it is
necessary to be properly trained and pass a rigorous driving test before
being allowed to operate a motor vehicle - or where a more disciplined
approach to enforcing traffic laws prevails.
Every day we see traffic cops stopping motorcyclists
for not wearing crash helmets; but even this minimal enforcement of the
traffic laws seems to be arbitrarily applied, and inconsistently.
Every day we see kids aged around 12 driving
motorcycles, usually with two or three other school-kids piled on the back
- none of whom are wearing crash helmets. It doesn’t take much
brainpower to conclude that the driver does not have a licence, let alone
passed a driving test.
Then there are the bus and truck drivers who seem to be
practicing for the next Malaysian Grand Prix, roaring along in the fast
lane at 120 kph, totally oblivious to other road users.
Similarly worth a mention are the number of vehicles,
large and small, driving at night with no rear lights working. Plus of
course those various vehicles coming at you on the wrong side of the
road...
All of these present a strain on the nerves of even the
most experienced driver, and a hazard to your life and property. It is no
exaggeration to say that to drive in Thailand you need eyes like a potato.
It is a paradox that Thais will go to extraordinary
lengths to avoid conflict in their one-on-one relationships, yet turning
the ignition key of a vehicle seems to turn off these cultural
sensitivities and allow their pent-up aggression and frustrations to
surface while driving.
The farang always pays
As any expatriate who has been involved in a road
accident here will have discovered to his cost, the farang is always
wrong.
The fact that the lady motorcyclist suddenly decided to
turn right with no warning, or the baht bus pulled out in front of you, or
the mobile kitchen had no lights displayed, will cut no ice here; the
problem will only be resolved with a wad of banknotes - invariably yours.
In most cases, locals have a rather lax attitude
towards vehicle insurance. To register a vehicle or renew its annual tax
disk it is necessary to have the minimal government insurance required by
law; but this will not cover you or your passengers for hospitalisation,
nor the damage to your vehicle in an accident - which as I mentioned
earlier, will always be your fault if you’re a farang (which loosely
translates to “walking wallet”).
Tourists who rent motorcycles or cars are especially
vulnerable, as in many cases these vehicles have no insurance, so not only
are you liable for the damage to the other party’s vehicle, but for the
one you were driving as well - not to mention the hospital bills for all
involved, and some compensation for the policeman’s time and
inconvenience. This can mount up to a nasty dent not only in your rented
vehicle but also your holiday budget.
For those of us who live here, a vehicle can only be
registered in your own name if you are legally resident here - that is,
have a work permit or retirement visa. Otherwise, the vehicle has to be
registered in someone else’s name, who may or may not have bothered to
complete the proper paperwork to make the vehicle legal.
This is especially pertinent if the vehicle was
originally bought through one of the many finance companies that folded up
over the past two years, because the logbook may still be with the defunct
company and hence ownership cannot be transferred. (And the owner may well
have stopped making the payments.) And this may all come to light only
when you have an accident.
Rest assured
If you have expended a not inconsiderable amount of
money to buy a vehicle (since they are not exactly cheap here), it would
be tempting fate and economically unwise not to insure your investment
against the unexpected but highly likely event that you get pranged by a
mindless twit who shouldn’t be operating a vehicle, but is anyway.
Many vehicles - most notably motorcycles - zoom around
town without number plates. These may simply have fallen off in the last
accident; but more likely because the vehicle is not registered (and may
even be stolen), and is certainly uninsured.
If you have an accident with one of these, you do have
some recourse to the police. But unless you speak reasonably fluent Thai,
or are able to run faster than the errant motorcyclist who undoubtedly
will flee the scene if he’s able to, your chances of having the
situation resolved in your favour are similar to a snowball surviving in
Hades.
So no matter what your past driving record, it is only
sensible (in my view) to take out fully-comprehensive insurance, not just
third-party. At the end of the year it may indeed have been a waste of
money, but you can count that as your good fortune. On the other hand, if
you do have the bad luck to have an accident - especially if one of the
parties is injured - you’ll undoubtedly have saved money.
Auto-insurers in trouble
Having said that, however, it is worth noting that a
recent report indicated some of the local insurance companies may be in
trouble. (Oh dear. First the finance companies, then the banks, and now
the insurance companies...) The President of the General Insurance
Association, Chai Sophonpanich, was quoted as saying that the industry
needed at least 2 billion baht to improve liquidity.
“The problem for the industry,” he said, “is not
the baht float, but rather the accumulated problems arising from
mismanagement among insurers who all expanded during the boom years.”
He especially pinpointed the auto segment, where a
policy of price-cutting has been used to raise working capital.
“Weak companies still have a chance to survive if
proper action is taken,” he said. “Otherwise we might see some
collapse or be in a critical condition next year.”
Referring to Rattanakosin Insurance, an auto insurer
that suffered from liquidity problems and was ordered closed by the
Insurance Department last year, Mr Chai said: “The industry should not
wait until the problem has grown beyond resolution.”
He added: “If there are only four or five companies
in serious trouble, Thai Reinsurance (a listed firm owned by a number of
insurers) may be a leader in helping them. But other firms could be core
helpers if the number of poor companies is as high as six or seven.”
In other words, some of the auto-insurers are short of
money, and either are or may soon become unable to pay out on claims.
The solutions
What does all this mean to you as a driver in Thailand?
Before renting a vehicle, ensure it is adequately
insured, and check the rental agreement carefully to determine exactly
what your liability will be should you have an accident. A ‘cheap’
rental may end up costing you far more in the long run.
If you own a vehicle, take out fully-comprehensive
insurance. It will be far less costly in the long run than paying from
your back pocket for the expenses of an accident, no matter who was to
blame.
Also, ensure this insurance is from one of the big (and
hence probably more stable) firms, not necessarily the cheapest. Because
if you do have an accident, more important than the cost of the premium is
the reliability of the firm paying out quickly and without hassle.
Otherwise you may still be stuck with the bills while the
‘negotiations’ are ongoing with the insurer, perhaps for a very long
time.
In addition, taking this insurance out through an
experienced and reliable local broker* will save you a lot of hassle if
you do have an accident. You simply call him, and he will take care of all
the ‘negotiations’ for you. (*I know of at least one such in Pattaya
to whom I’d be happy to refer interested readers.)
If you have any comments or queries on this article, or
about other topics concerning investment matters, contact Leslie Wright
directly by fax on (038) 232522 or e-mail [email protected],
or write to him c/o Family Money, Pattaya Mail. 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 Kevin, Nepal: I have a
problem with my new notebook PC. The problem is that the cursor suddenly and
erratically jumps to some place, and types on from that insertion. Not
calamity, but a nuisance. I can’t detect any pattern and must watch as I
type or I end up with a scrambled text. I type carefully and have to watch
text at all times. Have tried some simple ‘cures’ such as parking the
mobile cursor above and below typeface more or less getting it out of the
way; not entirely satisfactory. Recommendations please.
Computer Doctor replies: Kevin, I do not think this
is a fault in the PC but merely a matter of getting used to the ‘touchpad’.
These are particularly sensitive devices and it is very easy to brush the
pad whilst typing. To prove the point, you can try taping a piece of card
over the pad, if the curser behaves normally then you will know you are
inadvertently brushing it. Another solution is to connect a PS/2 mouse and
disable the ‘touchpad’.
From William T. Sullivan: I have followed your
instructions to get my Hotmail to my Outlook Express 5.0, but when it goes
to set up folders it says that there is an unfound error. Have tried doing
it several different ways to no avail. Any suggestions would be deeply
appreciated.
Computer Doctor replies: This is almost certainly due
to a corrupt installation of Outlook Express 5. Try removing it through
Control Panel then re-installing it. If there is a problem with the
installation source, it may be prudent to obtain a new version, either by
purchasing a CD or downloading from Microsoft’s web site.
From Barbara, Sattahip: I have a Toshiba notebook PC
that is now about 3 years old. Having installed Windows 98 in place of
Windows 95 the performance has now slowed down considerably. Whilst I have
no desire to revert to Windows 95, I would like to boost the performance.
The computer now has 32Mb RAM, do you think this is adequate?
Computer Doctor replies: I think your RAM is
inadequate and you should look to increase this to 64Mb. This should resolve
your performance issue. You will need to check whether you can increase this
directly or whether you need to replace the existing RAM.
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.
Sophaphan Peunpatom
by Mirin MacCartthy
The smiling, gently spoken Dr. Sophaphan Peunpatom is
like many a Thai woman; an unsung heroine, spending a lifetime working
long hours and quietly contributing to and giving much back to the
community.
Dr. Sophaphan was inspired to study paediatrics, or
children’s medicine, after the tragic death of her two-year-old sister
in 1946.
After graduating in medicine from Siriraj University in
Bangkok, Dr. Sophaphan spent four years working in the blood bank in
Sriracha before travelling to Philadelphia in the U.S. to do her
internship in paediatrics and fellowship in neonatology. Her husband is a
Thai anaesthesiologist who was also studying in America with her.
After their return to Thailand in 1973, Dr. Sophaphan
found Bangkok too crowded and as they were friends of another medical
couple, the four doctors decided to settle in Sriracha to establish their
practices.
Dr. Sophaphan worked for the Queen Sawang Watana
Memorial Hospital (The Thai Red Cross Hospital) for a year before leaving
to start her own practice. She was promptly invited back to do rounds with
the interns from the Chulalongkorn University and to teach them for
another seven years.
Dr Sophaphan was appointed as an honorary consultant to
the Thai Red Cross hospital for ten years, an honour indeed. “Back in
the seventies when I started out in general practice, there were a lot of
infant deaths from upper respiratory tract infections, and pneumonia,
diarrhoea and malaria. These figures have improved a lot, especially with
malaria, because of public education,” Dr. Sophaphan said.
This was about the time when father Ray Brennan started
up the Pattaya orphanage and Dr Sophaphan was asked to volunteer her
services. She still continues to oversee the children once a week.
Of course, medicine has its own heartbreaks and
rewards. Ask any senior doctor what has been the highlight of their career
and they will all smile and reminisce. So it was with Dr Sophaphan. “Oh,
there are so many things. I think one of the best that happened to me was
being able to take care of the kids in the Pattaya orphanage.”
Dr. Sophaphan’s energies and community spirit seem to
be boundless. As well as running her own practice, raising her three sons
and taking care of orphans, she was active in the community assisting the
poorer people and held the position of President of the Sriracha Ladies
Association for two years, a branch of the National Association Council of
Women who are also very active in community welfare.
Dr. Sophaphan is very highly regarded in the community
and has been appointed Vice President of the Board of Directors of the
Samitivej Hospital. All of these involvements just evolved and have been
met with seemingly effortlessness, grace, serenity and humility.
You can’t help being overawed and are compelled to
ask “why?” Dr. Sophaphan decidedly self-effacing, all she says is,
“When I was born, I had nothing. Now I have knowledge and this has
helped me earn money for my family. The least I can do is something for
the community and the people of Thailand.”
Health care and children’s health has progressed much
over the years, said Dr. Sophaphan. “Initially all that was available
for mothers who weren’t breast feeding was sweetened condensed milk;
this led to fat but anaemic children who were prone to infections. I am
glad to see people are wiser today. Diarrhoea and pneumonia is still
prevalent in children and it was the old people’s custom to cover the
children up when they had a temperature and they would start to fit, but
now the younger people know better and are not afraid to take their
children’s clothes off and give them a cool bath.”
What Dr Sophaphan doesn’t mention is the role she
herself has had in being instrumental in this new community health
awareness.
The message Dr. Sophaphan wants to give parents is
something unexpected. “Take care of your children yourself. You can’t
leave a nanny or babysitter to look after your babies. If you are not
caring for them every day you won’t notice when they are sick.”
Dr Sophaphan is a living example of an amazing Thai
woman philanthropist, still working in her busy high profile career,
taking care of her own family personally and volunteering her services to
the poor and the orphans. Just how does she manage all this? She simply
smiles in reply. “It is something I can do without stress and I think it
is important to give back to the community.”
Dr. Sophaphan’s advice to young school leavers here
is, “Don’t choose the job, any job is good. Just be content to start
from the lower levels. Know what you want and be prepared to climb up
slowly.”
Dr. Sophaphan has certainly climbed her mountain with honour. Prince
Mahidol would be proud of her.
Snap Shots: Filters
by Harry Flashman
Filters can be some of the best photographic items you
can ever buy, but can also be some of the most hackneyed, overused items
as well.
To explain this apparent contradiction in terms you
really have to look at the different types of filters that are available
and the effects you want to produce in your photographs. It is that old
concept again that good photographs are “made” - they just do not
happen by accident.
To be able to predict what each filter will do is the
result of study and sometimes trial and error - but you should have a
working idea on what each one will do. When you have a dull shot in your
viewfinder, sticking a star-variocross on the end of your lens will not
give you a great or memorable shot. It will give you a dull shot with
silly stars on it and slightly soft focus as well.
There is one filter that should be on the end of your
lens. Called a Skylight 1A, this is a UV filter that cuts down haze - and
as an additional bonus protects the last element of the lens.
Another filter permanently screwed on the end of every
lens is a “warming” filter called an 81A. This just takes away any
“blueness” from the final shot and is especially good for “people”
shots.
Let us run through Harry’s battered and tattered
camera bag and see what other filters he carries out in the field with
him. In the bag he has three lenses and each one has a Polarizing filter
to go with it. Now one of the things recommended is to use “step up”
rings to bring all your lenses the same as far as filter size is
concerned. Harry brings all his to 62 mm as this will stop
“vignetting” (where all the corners of the print go dark from the
“shadow” of the filter). So why three polarizers? Simply because this
filter is the most common one in use and it means Harry can quickly swap
lenses without having to remember to swap filters too. With colour
photography, this filter can really add depth to your shots.
While Harry does own a fair few filters, the only other
filter carried in the bag routinely is a soft focus centrespot. This
filter is a great help in isolating the subject from a cluttered
background - again a “trick” used out in the field to bring back the
all important shots.
So what other filters live back in the home darkroom?
Well, there’s a “speed” blur filter that produces “speed
streaks” when you need to make an object look as if it is speeding
through space. Great effect, but do not overdo it. Harry probably uses it
once a year only.
The other filters used fairly often are the coloured
“Grad” filters. When used judiciously these can really enhance your
photographs. The Grad Tobacco filters can give that very warm “sunset”
effect, placing the coloured part at the top of the lens and the graduated
part then leaves the foreground in its natural state.
A grad blue can be used to enhance rivers or beach
scenes by placing the blue part in the lower half of the shot. Note that
with both of these, the effect is known and it is used to enhance the
picture, not just to bung it on and see what you get!
The only other filters that should be given house room
are close-up lenses and Harry owns a +1, +2 and +3. These allow you to get
some close-ups without owning a macro lens.
The rest of the trick ones? Let your friends buy them and borrow them
for the one time you’ll use them in any lifetime.
Modern Medicine: Nits!
by Dr Iain Corness
Almost every child in the world gets “nits” (head
Lice) at some time. Epidemics of these pesky and hardy little blighters
run through schools and children can have recurrent and successive waves
of infection if the lice are not totally eradicated.
There used to be a thought that the child (and
household) practiced poor hygiene standards if they had head lice and I
can remember many years ago standing embarrassed in a chemist shop asking
for head lice lotion for my daughter! Head lice infestations can actually
occur in the cleanest environments - like hospitals.
So how do you tell if your son and heir has a head full
of lice? Well, all you do is look! Do not rely on the child coming forth
with symptoms - in many cases there are no symptoms at all.
The eggs can usually be seen with the naked eye. These
are adherent to the shafts of the hairs, generally about 1.5 cm from the
scalp. After the eggs hatch the climbing forms of the lice are released
and these are more difficult to see as they move away from the eggs very
quickly.
The best way to find them is to apply conditioner to
the child’s dry hair and then comb it through with a very fine toothed
comb. You even used to be able to buy “nit combs” s few years ago. As
you comb through, wipe the comb on a tissue and look for the wrigglers.
Even if you only find eggs and no climbers you should
still give the child the full treatment as you do not know if they are
spent eggs or ones waiting to hatch out.
The treatment for lice is two fold - each treatment a
week apart. The reason for this is the fact that there are no preparations
available that can kill all the eggs. The first treatment is designed to
kill the climbers, while the second one seven days later kills the next
wave of hatchlings.
The next point is that not all head lice are
susceptible to all preparations, and you should check to see if the
treatment is effective at the first application before repeating it a week
later.
This you do by combing the preparation through all the
hair. If you are using a lotion - do this with dry hair. If it is a
shampoo, use the smallest amount of water possible. Leave on the hair and
scalp for twenty minutes, then comb through with the fine tooth comb
again, wiping on the tissue each time. Look very carefully. If the lice
are dead then the product works. If they are still wriggling then they are
resistant to that product. Try a different one the next day!
Remember that you must do the treatment a second time
after a week to be effective. Check by combing through on to the tissue
again and this time there should be no live lice.
Some doctors even suggest you should do the “Look and search”
technique with the conditioner at the third week - just to be sure, but
provided you have used an effective preparation this is not really
necessary. All you have to do now is make sure all your children’s
friends have been checked too!
 Dear
Hillary,
I notice that Thais seem to be very happy to queue up
at the Automatic Teller machines and some days there will be at least
twenty people standing outside. Why don’t they go inside? My friend says
it is because they don’t they like the teller seeing how much money
they’ve got. Is he right?
Perplexed
Dear Perplexed,
Your friend is totally wrong. Thais are quite proud of
having healthy bank accounts, if they are lucky enough to have one! Have
you ever gone inside the bank when there are twenty people at the ATM?
There are forty people waiting inside! Since Thais traditionally get paid
at the end of the month there are always big queues around then. Stay away
till the second week! Hillary waits till then when she takes her pension
cheques in.
Dear Hillary,
A Farang woman in our office is always trying to put me
down. She criticises me in public and tries to make trouble for me at
every opportunity with the boss. Until I came she had nobody as good as me
in the position so why does she give me such a hard time? What can I do
about it? I don’t want to leave.
Fed up
Dear Fed up,
Women don’t need a reason to dislike somebody. It
sometimes just happens with no rational explanation. However, all women
hate to be ignored, so if she bad mouths you, smile sweetly and walk away.
Avoid speaking to her; never say good bye or Sawasdee in the mornings. For
you, she no longer exists. You will find she will get tired of her little
games when she gets no response as she only does it to get your reaction.
Try it. It works.
Dear Hillary,
I have to go out for a very important dinner in a
couple of weeks and I am a little unsure of how to handle all the cutlery.
As it will be like a job opportunity I must be ready for it. Can you help
me with some rules of etiquette?
Dinnertime Da
Dear Da,
Hillary remembers times when she too had to use strange
implements at the meal table and how frightening it was, but here’s what
you should do. I take it that it will be “farang style” eating, which
comes in set courses, one after the other. Generally, appetizers first,
then soup, then main course, then desserts (or a cheese plate) and then
coffee. You start with the utensils on the outside and then work your way
inwards. Forks on the left, knives and spoons on the right. The first
courses are generally smaller items of cutlery too. One trick is to watch
the person sitting opposite you and see what they do! Never put your knife
in your mouth - bad manners, and never stab somebody at the table - bad
karma! Eat small mouthfuls at each time and don’t slurp your soup. I’m
sure you’ll do well in this new job.
Dear Hillary,
My mother is coming over for a holiday from the UK.
Where should I take her? I certainly don’t want to take her to South
Pattaya because she might get the wrong idea of what I do with my spare
time here. I am also a little worried at how I explain the fact that the
girls outside some bars wave to me as I drive by. I am considering having
to change the route I drive home when I have Mother in the car. What
should I do?
Sam
Dear Sam,
Hillary thinks that you are more worried that your Mum will get the
right idea about what you do in your spare time! There are plenty of
places you can take your Mum in Pattaya - you don’t have to line her up
for Grannies-a-go-go you know. South Pattaya also has some of the best
seafood restaurants around and a French one as well. Mum will love the
cabarets - everyone does. Look up the restaurant guide in the Pattaya Mail
if you don’t know where to go, but do take her to some local Thai places
as well. Finally, don’t worry about your favourite bar. If the girls
like you, they will really make a fuss over Mum. Anyway, I am sure your
Mum knows what you’re like by now! Relax and enjoy having her here.
GRAPEVINE
Hot off the
press
A curious farang was noseying around
Naklua’s second hand market when he came across, above all things,
an electric fire for sale. The stallholder immediately noticed his
interest and asked him if he would like to buy it at a discounted
price. “No thank you,” explained the sensible traveler. “It’s
far too warm in Pattaya to want to sit in front of an electric
fire.” To which the stallholder replied, “No problem. I will take
off the plug so that you will not be too hot in your room.”
On special offer
A British resident, more intellectual than
some, is offering for sale a collection of everything ever written
about the eternal subject of Pattaya baht buses. This includes several
extracts from old guidebooks and 42 letters on this fascinating
subject published in Pattaya Mail over the years. If you are
still blissfully unaware that some drivers practise double pricing,
don’t always signal before turning right and are disrespectful to
drunken farangs wearing flipflops and stained T shirts, you will be
delighted with the bulky package of photocopies which are selling at
500 baht a time. Alternatively, you could save your money now and give
a small tip here and there to these hardworking guys just trying to
feed their families.
Renting danger
Many tourists, and not a few residents, rent
a speedboat or small yacht to have some fun in the sun. It’s a great
idea churning up the foamy water at cheap prices in our hospitable
bays… until, that is, you happen to have a small bump against the
pier which unfortunately wrecks the entire engine and requires a
complete refit of the rudder, propellers and most other moving parts.
You tell the rental company you assumed the boat was insured. The man
in charge says he assumed you carried accident insurance for sea
disasters. The police are called and a conference is held in the
hallowed halls of soi nine. Here there will be a prolonged and
anguished debate about the finer points of Thai criminal versus civil
law. You will be asked to pay upwards of 40,000 baht to the boat owner
and may get off lightly at 15,000. The solution? Never go near a
driving wheel in Pattaya unless you can produce a valid insurance
document. That goes for pedals too.
Mushy peas and you
This column is frequently criticized for
pointing out the good food choices in many of Pattaya’s restaurants.
Reader WA has written a bit angrily to ask whether GEOC (Grapevine
Eating Out Collective) have never had a bad meal in their lives. The
answer is most definitely yes. Donald’s Dingle Diner in South
Liverpool serves the most dreadful pie and chips and Ying Yang’s
Chinese takeaway next door is hardly any better. Not to mention the
quite disgusting curry house in Manchester’s Shude Hill where, if
you order a beef vindaloo, the sound of a barking dog in the kitchen
suddenly stops. Come to think of it, GEOC could fill several weeks’
columns with nauseating experiences. |
Visa
problems solved
Several readers have asked Pattaya Mail
to find out why only one form and photograph, instead of two, are now
required when you go to the immigration bureau to get a visa
extension. It’s simple enough. The police are now online to the main
airport and land crossing computers, so there is no need to send a
copy by snail mail to Bangkok. Your movements are instantly
transmitted to immigration control nationwide. Another bureaucratic
conundrum was solved this week after it was pointed out that the
initials TM on your immigration card actually stand for Taa Maw
which is a rough pronunciation of the Thai word for Immigration.
Direct debits
A farang resident recounts this tale of
confusion and bewilderment which you may find interesting, even though
you will most likely not experience the heartache for yourself. Weary
of having his water and electric cut off because he never seemed to
know when the payment collectors were due, or had actually called, he
gingerly went through the quite complex procedure of getting his bank
to make auto payments for his consumption of the city’s utilities.
He had heard awful stories of what can go wrong, but was delighted to
discover that the system worked like clockwork. Never a hitch. The
bank even handed over regularly the official receipts so that he could
check for himself the correct amounts had been paid. Full of
confidence, he then went through the similar procedure with his
domestic and overseas phone bills. But disaster struck. After several
weeks, he was disconnected from contact first with the outside world,
then from all calls within Thailand. Making his way resignedly to both
the international and domestic pay stations, he paid his dues and
reconnection fees, and then arrived panting and puffing at the bank
just before closing time. An official there explained that, unlike
water and electricity, auto deduction of telephone bills is organized
by head office in Bangkok. They, not the branch, had cocked
things up. The official told him to return after a week to allow
exhaustive enquiries to be made. He did so, to be informed that there
had been a digital error at head office which had resulted in his
details being confused with the dead account of a man with a similar
name who had expired of a heart attack in 1992. Everything would be
alright now. With mixed feelings the farang returned home, to be told
by the cleaner that the water meter had just been removed. John, the
whole of Pattaya’s farang community is united in wishing you all the
best sorting it out. Eventually. |
Dining Out: Moon
River - much more than just pub grub
by Miss Terry Diner
The Moon River Pub, on the North Pattaya Road side of the
Thai Garden Resort, has been around for some time. So it really was high time
that the Dining Out Team (re)paid a visit to this popular nightspot to check out
the menu.
This place does offer much more than “pub grub”, as a
quick glance at the 109-item menu will show.
 The
menu opens with their specials, including the interestingly named Moonstone, a
braised osso bucco (like a roast beef) in saffron sauce and hash browns at 210
Baht. Also in the specials are a meat pizza (B. 160), a sirloin steak with baked
potatoes (B. 225) and grilled herb sausage with bacon and French fries (B. 145).
Next are the starters, soups and Mexican snacks generally in
the range between B. 65 - 175. Included in these are old favourites like nachos
and tacos.
For those with small appetites, or looking for quick meals,
there are sandwiches, sausages and burgers (B. 85 - 120).
Into the entrees (B. 145 - 225) and there is a choice of nine
hefty dishes with tenderloin steak, beef fillet, pork chops and cutlets and even
half a chicken.
As appetizers, the Moon River Pub offers “Country Style”
cuisine items at around B.70 including buffalo wings, deep fried beef or pork
strips, some marinated pork spare ribs and a couple of burgers.
At this point the menu diversifies into Thai cuisine, with
salads around 90 Baht, hot and sour soups (B. 160) and then into very varied
Thai stir fries and curries around B. 100, finishing up with fried rice and
noodles and then desserts.
To enable the Team to try as many items as possible, our
charming host Marion Vogt arranged “mini” portions for us to taste and we
began with some cheese nachos, very nice with a smoother texture corn chip than
usually experienced, the Moonstone roast beef with the saffron sauce
(succulent), the meat pizza, which has a huge meat patty on the top of the pizza
base, and the grilled herb sausage. Marion explained that this was very similar
to a Nuremberg bratwurst and has the sausage wrapped in the bacon. For myself,
this was the taste of the evening. The delicate herb flavour and the bacon
combining to make a great flavoursome dish.
After letting that settle, we ventured into the Thai cuisine.
Marion said they are very proud of this side of the kitchen and described the
food as authentic Thai village style food. She then brought out a larb, a sweet
and sour seafood sizzle, mango salad with shrimp, a vegetarian green curry and a
buffalo wings in ginger. This Thai food was certainly something well above the
average. The prio-waan seafood was very tasty and the coconut base of the green
curry made it a very smooth and thick curry dish, so different from the harsh
watery curries so often passed off as green curry.
It was from the Thai dishes that Madame found her favourite(s),
being unable to choose between the larb and the mango salad, so plumped for
both!
We washed it all down with some draft beer for me and a house
white wine for Madame. Unable to find room for any desserts, we however let
Marion twist our arms and we finished with their version of Irish coffee. Lots
of ceremony and a beautiful way to finish off a great gustatory evening.
Make no mistake, the Moon River Pub has good “Bistro” style farang food
and excellent Thai cuisine as well. With musical entertainment every night there
is no need to eat and rush out to a music spot. Stay there - you will not regret
your visit to the Moon River Pub. We enjoyed it immensely.
Animal Crackers: Elephants
by Mirin MacCarthy
With elephants so much in the news these days, some
amazing facts on these wonderful creatures might interest many people. In
preparing this article I am indebted to Khun Sutham Phatnamrob of the
Elephant Garden on Sukhumvit Road (close to Lotus) for making much of this
information available.
Elephants are the largest land animal alive today. Our
Thai elephant is really called the Asian Elephant, as opposed to the
African elephant.
The Asian variety is the smaller of the two, but at
around 7 metres long and almost 3 metres high at the shoulder, these are
very large animals. They also weigh around 5,500 kg, so you don’t want
to get stepped on by one!
An elephant’s hide is predominantly grey, but a lot
depends on where the elephant is, as they spend a lot of time wallowing in
the dirt and also throw soil all over themselves. The elephant’s skin is
also sparsely covered with coarse hair.
There are several differences between the local variety
and the African elephant. These include the skull, which has two
dome-shaped bulges as opposed to one, the back (spine) rises in the
middle, ours have smaller ears and the trunk has one “finger”
projection compared to the African elephant’s two. The tusks do not
develop beyond the lips in females in Asia and ours have only five front
toes and four hind toes.
These animals are herbivorous; in other words they eat
grasses, leaves, woody parts of trees, roots, fruits and flowers and a lot
of bamboo! The average elephant needs 150 kg of food a day! To wash this
all down, elephants needs over 80 litres of water a day, too.
Interestingly, herds follow the same paths over several
generations resulting in wide cuts through the bush and scrub. Another
amazing fact - Bull and Cow herds live apart, only getting together at
mating season.
The reproductive cycle corresponds to seasonal food and
water supplies, with the Bulls entering an aggressive condition called
“must” during this time. Unlike humans who take 9 months, baby
elephants have a gestation period of 22 months.
Even at birth, these are large babies, weighing in at 100 kg. Poor
mother elephant feeds her young for 3 to 4 years as well, so they are very
mother dependant in their early years. Maturity comes after 10 years and
the life span in the wild is only 15 - 30 years, but in captivity they
live much longer to about 60 to 80 years. Working elephants begin their
labours at around 20 years and “retire” 35 years later. Much like us,
I guess!
Auto Mania:
Asia Off Road Kings Cup Tour
by Dr. Iain Corness
Here is the best local event for all you 4x4 exponents.
Commencing on the 3rd of December and running through till the 10th, this
King’s Cup Tour covers a huge chunk of Thailand in the 7 night / 8 day
tour.
From the Novotel in Bangna it runs 506km up to Mae Sot
where you stay for the first night. From there, 415 km to Chiang Mai,
visiting Doi Suthep. The next day is spent in Chiang Mai for sightseeing
and shopping and servicing of vehicles if necessary. Next stop is Chiang
Rai for an overnighter and the next day right up into the Golden Triangle
where Thailand, Burma and Laos meet at the Mekong River. From there it is
an easy run down through to Lampang, the handicrafts centre of Thailand
where you can pick up all your Xmas souvenirs and presents. The seventh
day is a 244km drive to Phitsanulok, near Sukhothai, once the capital of
ancient Siam. The last day is the easy 377km drive back to Bangkok for the
ceremonial dinner, swapping of tall tales and presentation of
certificates.
 Bricklin
(courtesy of Hawaii Pete)
Run by the very experienced Captain Sitthichoke, the
cost is only 10,000 Baht per person, on a twin share basis, and includes
seven breakfasts and eight dinners. If you enjoy off-roading and would
like a leisurely tour of Thailand with like-minded people then I would
definitely recommend this event. Places are limited, so if you are
interested I would suggest placing a quick call to Capt. Sitthichoke on
01-843 0645 or 038 431 672. His last tour was a ripper, so this one should
be even better.
Autotrivia
Compulsively addicted entrant in the Quiz section is
Hawaii Pete. While trying to find the answer to the gull wing car pictured
a couple of weeks back (the Carat by Duchatelet) he came across the photo
of the Bricklin gull wing coupe. I must admit he had me stumped to begin
with when he posted me the pic and said, what is it and it wasn’t made
in the USA, Europe or Asia. My first pick was the Sabra that came out of
Israel, but then it clicked that Canada is not the USA! The Bricklin was
Canadian and a very interesting car. A GRP body with the colour
impregnated into the plastic was just one of its revolutionary features.
It had sprung bumpers that retreated into the bodywork in low speed
collisions and then came out again. Unfortunately, the build quality just
wasn’t there and Bricklin crashed.
These days there is a very strong Bricklin Owners’
club keeping the name afloat, even though the company went bankrupt after
only two years of production.
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week the question related to the famous one handed
driver in America. It was, of course, Mel Kenyon who drove with a hand and
a hook! Kenyon was a leading all time USAC midget auto feature race winner
and seven time USAC national midget champion. In 1968 he placed third in
the Indy 500, his highest placing I believe. On dirt, Kenyon was just
sensational and I firmly remember watching him destroy all the local
hopefuls in Oz. Kenyon’s race number was #61.
 Frentzen
leads Ferrari and McLaren
Drivers do get very attached to their race numbers and
since they are also a fairly superstitious bunch, many will forego the
honour of wearing the “Number 1” plate when they win a championship,
so they can keep their own “pet” number instead. However, I am sure
Michael Schumacher would rather swap his current plate for a #1. I must
admit to being one of the sentimental bunch, and when my 99 car won the
championship in Oz, it remained 99 for the next year. In cases like this,
by the way, the authorities do not issue the number 1 plate if not taken
up by the championship winner.
So to this week’s question and let’s stick with
plates and in particular, number plates. There was a very famous driver in
the UK called Les Leston who raced a rear engine Keift, if my memory
serves me correctly. What was the number plate of his car? Hint: he was a
father. First correct answer to fax 427 596 or email [email protected]
wins this week’s free beer.
F1 - the REAL standings
The world championship has been run and won and the
annual drivers’ shuffle has begun. “Fast Eddie” will be clearing out
his locker at Maranello and heading back to the UK to be with Jaguar,
while in the Jaguar stables (nee Stewart-Ford) Rubens Barichello is
picking up his Italian phrase book, ready to go to Italy!
While Mika Hakkinen has become the champion again,
there are not too many who would say that he is the “best” driver in
the F1 ranks. (Finns excluded!) So despite the points score, here is the
Automania list of the top eight current drivers and how they rate:
1st, Michael Schumacher. Germany. He came back after
three months convalescence and was almost a full second a lap quicker in
qualifying than Hakkinen in Malaysia and 0.4 seconds in Japan. In equal
machinery there is no one near him. Rain meister. Attitude problem.
2nd, Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Germany. Took Jordan to
third in the manufacturer’s championship practically single handedly.
Strong, reliable and quick. One of the two best coming men. Will become
number 1.
3rd, Mika Hakkinen. Finland. A good driver but has
difficulty staying focussed for an entire race. Not as cool a customer as
he looks. Carries two hankies.
4th, Ralf Schumacher. Germany. The other coming man.
Same skill base as big brother without the insufferable attitude. Needs
another year.
5th, David Coulthard. Scotland. On his day amazingly
quick but has run over a Chinaman. Fastest non-finisher all year.
6th, Jean Alesi. France. Temperamental, excitable and
probably the last of the ballsout drivers. Oversteer meister. Never gives
up. Large nuts.
7th, Eddie Irvine. Ireland. Not fast enough Eddie.
Started believing his own press releases by the end of the season.
Likeable, talks faster than he drives.
8th, Johnny Herbert. England. Reborn again latter half of this year,
out-qualifying and out-driving Barichello. Could be one of next year’s
surprises.
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. |
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