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Quiksilver Surf Contest
for Phuket
by Peter Cummins
Surfing conjures up many images - leaving aside, that is,
the meaning of some of the jargon of information technology such as
‘surfing the internet! The jargon of this article is about
‘rip-curls’, breakers and surf-riders. From the rollers of
California’s Pacific Coast, to Hawaii’s mountainous ocean swell, from
Australia’s golden shores to South Africa’s open seas, the vast armies
of surfers take up the challenge, the thrill and the exhilaration of
careening down the crest of a massive wave front.
Even
youngsters can join the event. All they need is a board they can manage...
But you do not have to go that far away. Right here in
Thailand, there are surfers riding the waves off Phuket while surfing itself
is riding the “crest of a wave” of popularity. Surfing in Thailand, one
may well ask? Yes, indeed. In fact, so popular has surfing become in the
Kingdom that there is even an international amateur championship, now coming
up for the second year. The Second Phuket Quiksilver Surfing Contest will be
held off Kata Yai Beach from the 15th to the 17th of September, to take
advantage of the prevailing on-shore surf, driven by the south-westerly
Monsoons.
So successful was the first event last year, in fact,
where surfers from as far apart as Australia, Japan, USA and South Africa
competed with local Thai ‘surfies’ - a total of 48 - that it was not too
difficult to decide to make the Phuket Contest an annual event. 64 entries
are expected this year. Thais, who have excelled at wind-surfing and dinghy
racing, now are able to show their talent at surfing. At the inaugural
event, in fact, Chalong Tanus and Weerapong Tonghome, of the Quiksilver
Surfteam, placed first and fourth, respectively in the big international
line-up. The contest will be organized by the Aloha Surf Sports Company,
which has three Phuket outlets for the best in surfing equipment and surf
gear. With Andre-M. Plump heading the management team, which includes
Australian “surf legend” Kym Thompson as the event director, the 2000
edition looks set to surpass last year’s inaugural. “Surfing is ideal
for Thailand where the local boards, manufactured by Cobra International at
the Samut Prakan facility, are light, strong and low-enough priced to be
available to all, “ Andre noted.
Andre also pointed out that the Cobra boards are of
sufficiently-high quality to qualify for export which is the major market.
What could be simpler or more natural than for a person to pick up a board,
paddle out to the breaker line and surf in? It is a world-wide phenomenon
and now Thailand has joined it. And the winner is... Phuket’s environment!
Thus the arrival of another water-sport to Phuket’s shores is an activity
welcomed by all - for of all marine-related past-times, surfing is the
outstanding example of a pursuit which poses no threat to the
relatively-pristine - but ever-so-fragile - environment of the island. From
a spectator and media point of view, surfing, while perhaps lacking the
colour provided by wind-surfing and yacht racing, nevertheless, is much more
tangible and can be observed and photographed close-up, right from the
beach.
Principal sponsor Quiksilver, is joined this year by the
Aloha Surf Sports Company, AXE/Unilever, Lipton/Unilever, the new Phuket
Island Lager Beer Company, Oakley, Jet Team Company, Reef Brazil and Tower
Records. The Tourism Authority of Thailand, which will organize a press
conference on Friday 28 July at Phuket, whole-heartedly supports the contest
and the Municipal Offices of Kata/Karon Beaches are also supporting this
event which will benefit Phuket.
The competition will feature a 2.5 km. “AXE paddle
race” (unless one can paddle, one will not become a surfer; there are no
mechanical monsters to tow the riders and their boards out to the
breaker-line). There will be also a special event for “surf-kids”, from
as young as six years up to 12, surfing on “Micro Grommets”, boards
especially built by Cobra for youngsters. In fact, Australian boy,
eleven-year-old Simon de Maria, last year finished in tenth place. This
year, he will join the “big league” on the Thailand Quiksilver Surf
Team.
Entries and further details of the Second Phuket
Quiksilver Surfing Contest are available on e-mail address
>[email protected]<; fax (662)316-6698, 316-7368. The contest is open
to all and, as the Aloha logo says it so succintly: “Life is too short;
don’t waste it; go surfing!”
Help us Help!
Everyone who visits Pattaya cannot help but notice the
pitiful animals here. Most of these are strays that have to fend for
themselves. When they become sick or injured they suffer endlessly until
they slowly die. Their number is constantly growing because of uncontrolled
breeding, and they have litters of puppies and kittens that are condemned to
miserable lives as well.
For you, a holiday in Pattaya is fun in the sun in a
tropical paradise, but for Pattaya’s stray animals it is living hell. A
small group of animal loving Thais and foreigners here in Pattaya have
recently formed PAWS (Pattaya Animal Welfare Society) to improve the lives
of Pattaya’s pitiful stray animals and hopefully to improve Pattaya’s
image as a tourist destination. One of the main targets of PAWS is to fund
and build an animal refuge in Pattaya that will : Sterilize stray dogs and
cats Give rabies vaccinations Provide veterinary treatment where needed.
Until we have sufficient funds to build our own refuge, we are using our
limited resources to give outdoor rabies and contraceptive injections.
Please feel free to bring your community animals along for inoculations.
Bring your pets too. A small donation will be appreciated by thousands of
stray animals.
With your help we can improve the lives of these
suffering creatures. Spaying one cat or dog is going to reduce the stray
animal disease pool by hundreds. We are turning to the community for help.
Please Help Paws to help Pattaya’s animals
PAWS President Ms. Alvi Sinthuvanik
Office Address 341/27 Soi Kasemsuwan, Pattaya City 20260.
PAWS Vice President, Mrs. Mirin Mac Carthy, Email:
<[email protected]> FAX: 038-231 675. PAWS Secretary Bob Davis
Tel: (038) 225 583, 225 514 Ext. 224
Thought for the week: Doing
Business Across Cultures (Part One)
by Richard Townsend,
Corporate Learning
Consultant
http://www.orglearn.org
Dealing with cultural differences is becoming more
important as globalisation gains pace and modern communications open
international markets to us all. It is now quite common to conduct business
with different groups and there is a pressing need in many organisations for
us to work effectively with people from many cultural, ethnic and religious
backgrounds. So what is (a) culture? According to a variety of dictionaries
I referred to the key words are “type of civilisation”, “manners &
tastes”, “ideas and customs” and “beliefs, way of life and art”.
A number years living (in three countries) and working
(in seven countries) in Asia, plus being in a cross cultural marriage,
hopefully qualify me to make the following statement; many so called
‘cultural difficulties’ in organisations are often little more than a
tactic by which ‘locals’ or “expats’ will try to justify a lousy
attitude, unethical behaviour or worse still to support an intellectually
unsound work or business practice. The cry of “you don’t understand our
culture” is often no more than an effective ruse or ploy to... dare I say
it... “cop out”. I recently had the misfortune to listen to a young
American professor while he advised a willing audience of ‘Expats’ and
‘locals’ on the intricacies of dealing across cultures and how they
should approach their life and work assignments in Taiwan. He eagerly gave a
broad brush explanation of how the Taiwanese behave and why, based on the
interesting studies of the renowned G. Hofstede. This young professor and/or
cultural consultant was obviously selling his wares by labouring the point
that cross-cultural training was essential for those being posted overseas.
In my view cross-cultural training will do nothing more than help you (and
I) break the rules of good human relations. So what is a reasonable starting
point when thinking about or dealing with cross-cultural relations? Perhaps
the following can be used as basic ground-rules for those interacting with
different cultural groups? We must believe and act as if the following where
true (as it is)...
No-one is an expert on any culture - not even their own
Another’s culture is not better or worse than our own - just different
Stereotyping or generalising is inept, stupid and intellectually unsound We
must be flexible and able to accept a lack of clarity and a differing view
Always ask about another’s ways and never tell someone about their culture
And of course... DO NOT assume anything... ever! Don’t waste your money on
cross cultural training as it will only make you or your staff inflexible
experts that can clearly stereotype ‘lesser beings’ (or greater gods) by
using a bunch of unsound generalisations that will relieve us and/or them of
the responsibility of asking what motivates those they or we associate with
or manage.
Worth a thought and some more next week!
Kim’s Birthday Bash
Last Saturday was a big one for all the party people in
Pattaya. The Pattaya Mail’s 7th at the Dusit, and on the same night,
Delaney Kim’s 45th (or was that the number of G&T’s he drank that
evening?) or something similar. Many of the revellers began at the Dusit and
then made their way to Delaney’s, like Alan Craig and Colin Bartlett, Niel
and Alice Poulsen and the vast majority of the Pattaya Mail organisation.
Kim
and Jenny enjoying a quiet drink.
Some, however, had begun in Delaney’s and were later,
very much later, still in full throat, like Eleanor and Fraser Cameron.
However, who better to relate what he remembered of his birthday, than Kim
himself ... “My Birthday was a gas, an endless roll call of people came
and staggered out again Ron and Gai Amero, Woody and Bob Finch (the ultimate
prince of darkness) Donald MacGraham, Peter, Amorn and Korn Malhotra, Jerry,
Alan, Kevin, Mr. Paul Baker, Graham (the cup) Dr. Iain, Mirin, Bill, Bernard
Trink, Callen, the very itchy Judi Macnamara, the very famous Michael
Franklin, David Garred, Fred & Noi, Mats, Bjarne, Egan, Dobsy and the
Film star Danny somebody or other, Tim, Kevin, Mitch, Nix, Whitey (who
apparently will be away for 3 years), Mickey, Chris, Rosemary, John and of
course the beer guzzler extraordinariness Mr. Chris Hoffmann who of course I
made the mistake of starting my birthday with and of course means I’m
pretty unclear about the rest of the day. The staff bought me some nice
presents, which are much appreciated, and Michael brought me enough golf
balls for about 3 holes (six). Steve Hardy and Al bought me what I wanted
Booze. Anyway from what I remember it was a great birthday.”
Kim, on behalf of all the others who were just a passing
blur by the end of the evening, you looked as if you were enjoying it
immensely. We all did! Happy Birthday, Kim Fletcher!
On Yer Bike, Mate!!!
The Jesters “Care 4 Kids” Charity Drive wouldn’t be
the same without the sponsored bike ride, so we’re gonna do it again! The
first ride in 1998 consisted of seven sad individuals cycling from
Chantaburi to Pattaya (200km) over two days. Successful in terms of money
raised (Baht200,0000), but, boy, does your butt hurt!
This was deemed to be far to much work to do again, so we
agreed to try to spread the pain for the 1999 Ride, by reducing the
kilometers and increasing the participants. This new ride was to be from Ban
Chang to Pattaya, about 50k. Unfortunately, we hadn’t visited the temple
to determine the luckiest day for the ride. The consequence of this was
riding on probably the hottest day of the year. Still, about 50 people
completed the ride (over different routes) and raised near to B350000. There
was no truth to the rumour of certain individuals being dragged uphill by
obliging Pickups!! After castrating the route organiser for Not marking the
route, and Finding Pattaya’s biggest hill, it was back to the drawing
board for the 2000 ride. So here we have it.
1. The Ride will be from the Amari, back to the Amari on
September 16th, the same day as the Children’s Day Fair.
2. There will be two courses, a 25k Road Ride around the
Maprachan Reservoir, and a longer 50k ride around the reservoir with some
off road riding (nothing too strenuous)
3. There will be a 500 Baht entrance fee for the ride,
which will be waived for riders who have raised in excess of 5,000 Baht in
sponsorship. This covers breakfast at the Amari for riders, and soft drinks
on the route.
4. Whilst it’s not a race, trophies will be awarded to
the top three riders on each route, together with one for most sponsorship
(more important) and prizes for anyone stupid enough to do the ride in fancy
dress!
So Get On Yer Bikes and start training. The more the
merrier. Entrance forms can be obtained from Paul on E mail:
[email protected], or telephone home 733239, or work 768400-403 Ext
159, Kim at Delaneys or the Dusit and Royal Garden Gyms. This year we hope
to get about 100 riders and the course will be flat(ish) with markers!
Bear in mind that if Kim can do it, then so can you!
More details will be published later on the ride in the
Pattaya Mail.
Murray Hertz voted
president of Skal International-Pattaya and the East
The July monthly SKAL meeting was held at La Gritta
Restaurant of the Amari Orchid hotel.The busy meeting was honoured with the
presence of Khun Manit Boonchim the new TAT Director for Pattaya (Region 3)
who recently returned to Thailand from his posting in New York and has
confirmed to join the SKAL Club.
New
President Murray Hertz (2nd row center) amongst fellow Skalleagues
With the transfer to Bangkok of Khun Wicha Han, a new
President was voted in by the executive committee, the reins being taken up
by Murray Hertz a Skalleague for almost 2 score years.
Minutes of the previous meeting were reviewed and a
discussion took place with regards to growing the membership and potential
fees for the year 2001. Khun Malai Sakolviphak, International Councillor
outlined the contribution elements of local fees towards National and
International A.I.S.C expenses. He also gave a very informative talk about
Skal, it’s history and the ideals of Skal International.
Over an excellent Italian lunch and fine wines the new
President gave an overview of his vision for the club and Khun Peter
highlighted the forthcoming visit to Pattaya of the FCCT with its
enthusiastic President, Don Philippe.
The Sriracha Tiger Zoo is the venue for the August 17th,
2000 SKAL meeting and lunch. Guests are warmly welcomed for an interesting
behind-the-scenes look at the zoo’s operation.
HM The King’s
Projects: A Blueprint for Lao Hill-Tribes
by Peter Cummins
The “Pattaya Mail” recently interviewed Dr. Hans U.
Luther whose latest study, “Niche markets for niche people”, deals with
the efforts to try and improve the social and economic status of the
numerous Lao hill-tribes and channel them away from growing the opium poppy.
Dr. Luther, in the number of proposals he recommends, has found highly
applicable precedents in the many projects which His Majesty the King
established some three decades ago, to encourage the Thai hill-tribes to
plant cash crops as an alternative to opium poppy cultivation.
Thai
hill-tribe children: a better future now with replacement cash crops
Dr Luther is thus encouraged by what he calls “a
blue-print for progress” right next door, so to speak. “There is a clear
example in Thailand, where the outstanding success of His Majesty’s
development projects allowed the marginalized hill-tribes to seek niche
markets for crops replacing opium cultivation”, he emphasized.
Dr. Luther is Professor of Development Economics at the
National School of Administration and Management, at Vientiane, Laos. Being
also a former resident of Thailand and a dedicated sailor at Pattaya’s own
Royal Varuna Yacht Club, he drives across from his land-locked Laos, at
every available opportunity. His last “sailing excursion” to Pattaya
gave the “Pattaya Mail” a chance to talk with him about his
“niches”.
The Lao Hill-Tribes
Although, of course, there are a number of conditions
peculiar to the Lao hill-tribes, there are more similarities than
differences between the prevailing conditions of the respective peoples, Dr
Luther contends. He readily sees the enormous problems involved in
substitute crops for the Lao hill-tribes where opium production has been the
principal source of income since the colonial days. Crop control and
supression campaigns have been ineffectual and shifting cultivation through
the ‘slash and burn’ method has never been sound from an environmental
perspective; quite the contrary, in fact, for it allows soil erosion to run
rampant, with the eventual destruction of the watersheds and rain forests.
Dr.
Hans U. Luther sees many opportunities for a crop-substitution programme for
the Lao hill-tribes, based on HM the King’s programmes for the Hmong and
other tribes
Tourism to the remote areas - ‘home’ to some 28
ethnic groups, including Lolo of Chinese extraction - was also not a viable
prospect. Not only is there a chronic lack of essential infrastructure such
as roads, transport, accomodation and facilities but also because the wrong
groups were targeted. The legacies of discord, distrust and animosity, left
by the United States in Vietnam, the French colonialism in Indo-China and
the Japanese aggression during World War II, did not sit well with the Lao
people. Occasional fights broke out and much ill-feeling greeted tours from
these three nations. “How can a balance be struck between maintaining the
ecology of the rain forest and the needs of the indigenous people?” Luther
asks. The answer is certainly inherent in the King’s initial approach and
the study basically follows the thoughts of His Majesty that: “The hill
people need help to stay in one place and enjoy a reasonable degree of
well-being which includes basic education and adequate health facilities.”
People in isolated areas need special education, to show
them how to become self-supporting. They must be introduced to
commercially-viable activities away from opium poppy cultivation. With its
advantage of different climatic zones, Laos would be ideal for growing
temperate crops, with some areas 1,200 metres above sea level. With the
establishment of “pilot farms”, as has been done by His Majesty, to
great effect, these “study sites” could show the results of experimental
cultivation and the benefits of new crops such as fruit trees (apricots,
peaches, pears, plums, apples), decorative flowers, medicinal plants and a
vast variety of vegetables could all be cash-generating crops. Effective
preserving - such as canning - and marketing methodology, must also be
inculcated. A niche market needs to be esatablished, at the outset of any
development.
A
Meo hill-tribe family
Dr. Luther points to three main ways of improving the
living conditions of the Lao hill-tribes: food security, including
veterinarian care for livestock; infrastructure, including building roads
and bridges for market access, health facilities and schools; and commercial
opportunities for selling produce, handicrafts and attracting a different
type of tourism.
The Thai Hill Tribes
One of the first initiatives the King undertook to help
the hill-tribe people was the establishment of the Royal Project in 1969, as
a means of arresting the opium growing and deforestation caused by the
hill-tribes’ slash and burn agriculture and to help improve their standard
of living. The first was established at an Hmong village on Doi Pui in
Chiang Mai Province and now has spread to Chiang Rai, Lamphun and Mae Hong
Son. Over the years, the Project has been instrumental in converting poppy
fields into groves of temperate fruits and vegetables.
Under the dynamic direction of the King’s close
associate, Prince Bhisadej Rajani who is the Director, the Royal Project is
celebrating its thirty first anniversary this year and currently has four
research stations and 35 Royal Project Development Centres which incorporate
some 295 villages, comprising 14,000 households and 85,000 farmers. Now,
three decades after the King established the Royal Project, using his own
personal funds, the results can be seen in the new life which has come to
many of the mountain villages. Greenery has returned to once denuded forest
areas and barren hills and the opium cultivation, a cause of extreme
national concern, is virtually a past era.
Replacement
crops at an Agricultural Station near Chieng Mai
The hill-tribes, who have been living on their forbidding
mountainous terrain, speaking strange dialects and having their own customs,
have been long-term dwellers of the kingdom. Yet, many Thais regard the
hilltribes as alien and threatening. The authorities, too, have always
regarded them with suspicion, as perpetrators of the drug trade and
destroyers of the environment. In stark contrast to the hostile and
aggressive tactics of the government authorities which use these pretexts to
use violence in forcing them from their lands, the King sees the hilltribes
as victims of poverty and the drug warlords, a disadvantaged population
which needs special help to take part in Thai society. “The key to the
success of the Project lies in His Majesty’s guidelines,” explains
Prince Bhisadej. “They focus on obtaining knowledge, through research,
avoiding bureaucratic entanglements and swift action to respond to the
villagers’ needs, while promoting self-reliance,” he adds.
Workers
at one of the Thai Agricultural Stations near Chieng Mai
“The effectiveness of this approach has been applauded
internationally. For example, in 1998 the Royal Project won both the
“Magsaysay Award for International Understanding” and the “Thai Expo
Award” for attaining the quality standard of Thai Goods for Export. The
Monarch’s own views are that development must respect different regions’
geography and peoples’ way of life. “We cannot impose our ideas on the
people- only suggest. We must meet them, ascertain their needs and then
propose what can be done to meet their expectations,” His Majesty pointed
out recently.
United nations intiatives
His Majesty’s philosophy is certainly reflected in a
major principal being pursued by the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) which, according to J.K. Robert England, THE UNDP Resident
Representative in Thailand, “has been a success”. The United Nations has
provided ideas and opportunities for Thai people and, now, through a network
of centres encompassing twelve regions around the Kingdom, there are some
pilot projects for testing “people-centred development”. As Robert
pointed out recently, “We (the United Nations) have created an environment
for decision-making, which perhaps helped persuade government officials to
come to terms with people-centred development.”
Royal study centres
The King has also established six Royal Development Study
Centres - or, as they are better known - “Living Museums” - situated in
the roughest terrain in their respective regions. These centres undertake
experiments in reforestation, irrigation, land development and farm
technology, to find practical application, within the context of local
conditions, geography and topography. The aim is to restore the natural
balance, to enable people to become self-supporting.
The five other centres are located around the kingdom.
The Pikul Thong Centre at Narathiwat studies the swampy, acidic land of the
southern-most region. Elsewhere, the first centre organized was that of Khao
Hin Son, in the rocky area of Chachaoengsao’s Phanom Sarakam District.
Here, the centre studies how to return the barren soil, caused by
deforestation, into fertile land again. The Phu Phan Centre in Sakhon Nakhon
studies soil salinization and irrigation in the country’s biggest region,
the Northeast which suffers from endemic drought. The Krung Kraben Bay
Centre in Chantaburi examines the rehabilitation of mangrove forests and
coastal areas following massive destruction. The Huay Sai Centre in
Petchaburi studies the rehabilitation of degraded forests and shows
villagers, in their turn, how to protect the forests.
Conclusion
As Dr. Luther left to return to Laos, he went knowing
that his “Niche markets for niche people” was more than just ‘a
pipe-dream”, to refer to some hill-tribe terminology. The example and
outstanding success of His Majesty’s projects, are there for emulation.
The poppy cultivation of the hill-tribes of Laos could some day, like that
of the Thais, be past history.
Copyright 2000 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 Chinnaporn Sangwanlek, assisted by
Boonsiri Suansuk.
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The Rotary Club
of Jomtien-Pattaya
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