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   FEATURES

HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Quiksilver Surf Contest for Phuket

Help us Help!

Thought for the week

Kim’s Birthday Bash

On Yer Bike, Mate!!!

Murray Hertz voted president of Skal International-Pattaya and the East

HM The King’s Projects: A Blueprint for Lao Hill-Tribes

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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!”

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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

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.


The Rotary Club
of Jomtien-Pattaya