HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Family Money

Snap Shot

Modern Medicine

Heart to Heart with Hillary

A Slice of Thai History

Bits ‘n’ Bobs

Personal Directions

Social Commentary by Khai Khem

Women’s World

Judging a wine by its label

Family Money: UK Property: A return to normality?

By Leslie Wright,
Managing director of Westminster Portfolio Services (Thailand) Ltd.

After 32 gruelling months of declining markets and a fall in equity prices exceeded only by the 1929 crash, investors are understandably losing patience with equity markets. Equities are simply not making the recovery investors have been waiting for. Both US and European stock markets are careening around from sector to sector, making investment managers (not to mention investors) nervous and frustrated.

Alternative products have flooded into the market - capital protected bonds, corporate bonds, property & TEP funds, hedge funds - but there’s been an element of hysteria about how these products have been promoted as if there’s only a limited amount of time before everyone goes happily back into equity investing again.

But is that the case? The demographics of European and UK pension fund money would indicate a surge in equity performance as a tidal wave of assets, currently parked in cash and bonds, crashes into the equity markets when the recovery begins. The argument goes “equities must recover because they always have done and equities must outperform all other asset classes because they always have done.”

There are two points to be made about this view. First, the consensus is developing that equity returns are going to be significantly lower in the next 10 years than they have been over the last 10. The 1990s’ bull-run was unprecedented and its antithesis will be also. Waiting for another large-cap boom could turn out to be a simple stalling tactic, especially with such low rates of inflation. It may no longer be a question of getting the equity/bond or US/Europe split right. It may now be a question of choosing the right manager regardless of the asset class.

Second, institutional money may not flow back into equities on the scale people imagine. In the long term returns drive investment, not the other way round. If high-yield bonds, gold or various hedge fund strategies give better risk/return profiles, it won’t take long for investors to move there, whatever their reputation for inertia. They will have no choice because there are no obvious alternatives.

Perhaps the bubble has now been deflated and valuations have returned to some kind of normality. But perhaps it has become time for investors to expand their universe of asset classes permanently.

Why? Well, in the most recent rout, many of the more fundamentally driven managers who have been uncomfortable with the market for a number of years have been willing to return, as they are beginning to make sense of valuations in relation to earnings’ prospects.

If we accept that fundamentals rather than momentum will dictate returns in the near-term, a view must be taken of the macroeconomic environment to determine whether stocks are correctly or fairly priced. This is the most difficult task and I cannot predict the outcome, only discuss possible scenarios.

The most probable scenario is that the softer US dollar and weakening US economy force global monetary easing. While this would be a pleasing situation, easing is only likely if central bankers grasp the concept that the global economy is at risk.

World trade prices have been declining since 1995 and have kept inflation low across the globe. But the result has been poor corporate profitability. This must and would be reversed by sizeable easing from central bankers globally - which would rescue financial markets in the short term, but eventually result in a return to a modest inflation trend.

Equities and bonds would initially rally on the news, but sovereign bonds would begin a medium-term bear market as they began to obsess about inflation. Equities would initially benefit from the news, but high P/E stocks would come under pressure as inflation rises.

The less likely prospect of deflation through policy neglect is not a favourable option. If policymakers fail to act to offset the current weak dollar/weak economy, the world will follow Japan into mounting levels of insolvency, debt default and deflation. In this scenario the world would enter a prolonged recession with high unemployment and little or no wage growth. Equities would erode in value and bonds would continue to appreciate.

Another possibility is a bond market meltdown. The biggest bubble now is in the bond market and anything other than an orderly rise in yields would present extreme difficulties for the financial system. Although this is the least likely scenario its chances of being realised would be increased by any military adventures.

My favoured option is for central bank intervention (the others not being helpful to anybody). I am hopeful that central bankers will realise what action is required and see the risks to growth being greater than the risks posed by inflation.

The investment environment will, however, remain unsettled and opaque. Some advisors see the current situation as an appropriate entry point for long-term equity investors. However, anyone hoping to speculate to make short-term gains is likely to be disappointed, as bear markets tend to crush even the smartest investor.

Bond investors are now chasing capital gains rather than yield itself and are clearly trading off equity market weakness, rather than the dynamics of the bond market. In a reflationary world corporate debt may finally provide a better risk return than government bonds, but this is a riskier move which could prove expensive.

The safest place may be to sit on the fence - though not necessarily on a hedge.

Sentiment-driven falls in June/July and - more significantly - in September, may have marked the capitulation of the exuberant investor. Valuations have reverted to historic fair value ranges and a view must now be taken of the broader economic environment for the next 12 months.

It is clear that most of the major economies are slowing significantly; this has been reflected in the 40-year lows for bond yields in the US. The question now is whether equity valuations have reflected a further downturn in economic activity, and the likely response by central bankers to this further downturn.

While it is all an educated guessing game where one hopes for a positive outcome, the definitive bottom in the market will only be seen with hindsight and we may still see a great deal of volatility and stress going forward. After 32 months of declines, the bear is getting fat and happy and he will eventually tire.

Snap Shot: Name, rank and serial number!

by Harry Flashman

Let us start this week with a small mental exercise. (These are a good idea for people with small mental capacities like Harry Flashman!) What are the serial numbers of your camera(s), lenses, flash gear and motor drives? You don’t know (or perhaps don’t care)? If you don’t have these somewhere safe (and I don’t mean stamped on the camera) then your chances of getting your cameras back after a robbery are very small.

This article was prompted by one of my photographic friends who had his cameras ripped off last week. Being a good photographer, he had some good cameras and lenses and the discriminating thief made off with the lot.

Losing a good camera is like losing a good friend. I know about these things, through bitter personal experience. I have been robbed twice. Once my photography studio was broken into and the thief left all the medium and large format cameras but made off with an old Canon AE1 (yes, it was a long time ago, but the other robbery was much more recent).

I came home one evening to find the house in darkness, which made me somewhat suspicious, as I always leave at least one light on for the family animals. Opening the door my worst suspicions were realised. Every drawer had been pulled out and tipped upside down. And even more ominously, my grey camera bag had been moved.

Like all photojournalists, that battered old grey camera bag contained the tools of my trade. The bits and pieces that have helped me make money over the years. The equipment may be battered somewhat also, but it is always in working order. For your interest, here is what the average photojournalist would carry. Two Nikon FA’s, one Nikon FM2N, a couple of motor drives, a Metz 45 CT1 flash, plus filters, three lenses, tripod adapter for a Manfrotto tripod, spare cables, wires, black tape and a notebook. Two of the three cameras are always pre-loaded with film and have a lens mounted ready to go.

I picked up the bag and it was too light and my heart fell - it had been cleaned out, other than the flash unit and a few filters and sundry pieces. I am not ashamed to say that I cried. Those cameras were all part of me.

Recovering from the initial shock I began to wonder just how the thief or thieves had got in. The police investigating my call soon showed me how. The burglar had removed some roof tiles and come in through the ceiling. Apparently this is a common way to gain entry to what is otherwise an “impenetrable” home. The felon comes one evening and removes the roof tiles then returns the next day and does a quick robbery as soon as the occupants are out, taking anything that is small, valuable and easily carried. Like Harry’s cameras! Or worse still - yours!

So what can you do to try and stop this dreadful scenario happening to you? Well, the first thing is to attempt to make your home as secure as you can possibly make it. Consider bars in the ceiling as well as the usual ones on the windows. Motion detectors around the house can make sense. So does a large dog.

After all that, what else can you do to protect your investment in camera gear (and other valuables)? Well, it’s called insurance. For a premium of around 2% of the insured value, you can insure your cameras against theft from your home. If you want to cover them 24 hours a day in all locations, including your car, then the premium is considerably higher, around 6%.

Of course, insurance does not stop your cameras being stolen. Insurance also does not replace your prized camera with one exactly the same - in many instances this may be impossible following model changes and availability from the manufacturers and other such variables. But at least you can replace your camera with another.

Modern Medicine: Quitting the Weed Part 2 - How to do it!

by Dr Iain Corness, Consultant

Last week in this column I wrote about the difficulties involved in giving up cigarettes. Smokers are not creatures of habit, smokers are people caught in the clutches of addiction.

To give up cigarettes there are many, many ways, ranging from acupuncture, hypnosis, the I Ching, Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT), chewing gum, patches, nasal spray and many others all the way through to cold turkey. Hop onto the internet and you are besieged with offers, all of which will make it ‘easy’ for you to stop smoking, and all of which will cost you money!

What you have to realise is that Nicotine is more addictive than heroin. I know that’s probably hard to believe, but that really is the crux of the matter. You take Nicotine into all of your metabolic pathways until you “need” to have Nicotine to be able to function. Nicotine becomes part of your metabolic chemical chains, and they don’t work properly without it. Now you can see just why you feel so dreadful when you go without cigarettes (nicotine) for any period of time.

Now, leaving aside hypnosis and acupuncture, about which I know very little, but the good books tell me do not enjoy high success rates, let’s look at the other methods. The majority rely on Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). All the gums and sprays do is to make Nicotine available for you in measured doses - much like cigarettes do. You get the craving, you chew the gum. You get the craving, you squirt the spray.

Patches are slightly different. They deliver the Nicotine slowly over a 12 or 24 hour period and are supposed to stop the craving before it happens. But often do not.

After stabilizing on the NRT it is time to bring the dosage down, which is the next hurdle at which many fall. The end result can be cigarette smoking plus NRT - a potentially fatal combination. In fact, I strongly believe that NRT should only be done under close medical supervision. Too much nicotine can kill too!

So to the best way - Cold Turkey. The proof is in the numbers. There has been enough research done and the prime factor is that the quitter has to be committed to the concept of becoming a non-smoker. Doing it (quitting) for somebody else, because you lost a bet, because you are being nagged into it by your wife, girlfriend, boyfriend is doomed to failure, I am afraid. This is something which requires your total commitment. 100% all the way. Last week I mentioned just how I thought it would be a bad scene for a couple of days, and then found that it was a couple of weeks of torture. Here I am a couple of decades later and I could begin smoking again tomorrow. It requires dedication and commitment. Yours! No one else’s!

So, I admit that those who go cold turkey may go through a rough time with withdrawals initially, but the majority are still non-smokers after one year. The same cannot be said for the others. The “hard” way is ultimately the best way.

You have to make the decision to quit. You set the day. You tell all your friends that you are now a non-smoker - and you stick to it!

Become a non-smoker for 2003!

Heart to Heart with Hillary

Dear Hillary,

Seems like its time to write to you again - 3 times in 4 years ain’t bad, methinks! The previous letters were, if you recall, about Elephants and bar ownership. Today it’s about another subject dear to me (and the Scot’s out there will understand my use of the word “dear”) ... the Thai female. What on earth is wrong with all those countless muppets who continually write to you complaining about their Thai girlfriends? Surely one of the main reasons most of these whingers fled their homeland to try the delights of Thailand was because they were either dissatisfied with their own womenfolk, or couldn’t maintain a relationship with one in the first place. I say to them they are bloody lucky to have this chance, and if they don’t like it they should b*gger off home and leave these little darlings to a more appreciative population. These guys don’t know how lucky they are. There’s me with the love of me life, gorgeous little slip of a lassie from Udon Upthere, me hoping to learn lots of deep and meaningful things from her, and what happens? She learns to love drinking PG Tips tea in the mornings, Old Speckled Hen beer in the evenings, cooks bacon, eggs, beans and toast for breakfast, smothers everything in tomato sauce, sleeps all night and stays awake all day, only watches western movies on the box, goes on the Hash runs and sings ribald songs (and promptly gets named after her favourite English beer!), despises Owen and Beckham (in favour of the Hammers!), and get this, actually sits at the table to eat, not on it! I dunno - all I wanted was a little bit of that Eastern “mystique”. Now she has the nerve to tell me she’s not Thai, she’s a potato - brown on the outside, white on the inside! So to all you guys who took a Thai bride and now complain because “she doesn’t understand, why can’t she change?” - grow up, get a life, or go home. Me? I’m as happy as a pig in poop,

Spicy Martin.

Dear Spicy Martin,

Thank you for your latest epistle from the gardens of pleasure. Hillary must admit that I don’t fully remember the elephants and bar ownership issue, but I fully support the notion that elephants should not own a bar, unless they are older than 21 years and accompanied by a mature mahout. In addition, because of their size and dark colour, elephants should not be out at night without a taillight, but that’s another topic altogether. I can understand the “potato” analogy that your lady is using, but it seems to me that you are trifle miffed by all this. Hillary gets the feeling that you actually wanted someone to remain ‘native’ and teach you Eastern mystique so that you could then describe yourself as being old doggy doo (white on the outside but brown on the inside)! However, Petal, I am glad to see that you are able to adjust to your partner’s preferences. I certainly makes for harmony if you just give in!

Dear Hillary,

As an American who retired in Pattaya after working several years in the “Sandbox” I faced the same problem as the subject writer (Chiangmai Mail Vol 1, No. 3) when my fantastic Thai wife of 28 years would return to Thailand. Here are my suggestions: Obtain an ATM card from the bank you are using in Thailand and teach your intended how to use it! Our bank had a basic ATM card with a daily limit of 10,000 baht which worked flawlessly. Since we have a joint account, she could withdraw larger amounts inside the bank.

I used a variety of fund transfers: U.S. dollar money orders from Saudi-Hollandi and Saudi-American Banks, made out to my bride, which she deposited without problem several times. This method took the longest due to my use of Saudi/Thai “Express” mail (regular letters took 5-7 days, “Express” took 10-20 days!).

Direct wire transfers of U.S. dollars to our Thai bank account through Saudi-Hollandi Bank (requires knowing your bank’s address, your account number, the account name - very important, and the TELEX number(s)). These transfers normally took 5 days and the funds were available on the day of receipt.

I also made direct U.S. dollar transfers through Al Rajhi Banking and Investment Corp. Al Rajhi were associated with Bangkok Bank. They require the same information as Saudi-Hollandi. These transfers normally took 2 - 3 days and the funds were available upon receipt.

Notes: 1. You should have a phone number for the account holder even if it’s just a cellular phone. 2. Exchange rates are better by sending U.S dollars rather than baht. 3. Don’t forget to have your Iquama number and issue date translated and take them with you!

I then tracked the amount by having my bride read the amount withdrawn, date, and balance from the receipt, to me in our weekly phone calls. I also called my bride on the day that I transferred funds, so she could watch for it. Hope that helps.

P.S. I really get a chuckle out of your weekly column, Hillary. By your wording, I suspect that your origin is somewhere in the British Empire?

Retired & Loving It

Dear Retired & Loving It,

Thank you for the detailed guide to overseas banking services. Everyone with a wife here, while they work “there” should read the advice. On second thoughts, everyone should always follow the advice in these columns! As regards the British Empire (upon which the sun never sets), which year? It’s a lot smaller these days, Petal! By the way, your bride wants to know if she can take off the wedding dress now, after all it’s been 28 years!

A Slice of Thai History: The rise of Ayutthaya Part Three 1450-1488

by Duncan Stearn

Boromo Trailokanat issued a Palace Law in 1450 that named the states which paid tribute to Ayutthaya as well as defining the infractions that could lead to the death penalty for his subjects. Among these were having immoral relations with a lady of the palace, for which crime the man was to be tortured for three days and then killed; the lady was simply executed. Other infractions included permitting animals to stray into the palace, whispering during a royal audience, shaking the royal boat and writing love poems.

In 1451 an army from Chiang Mai, led by their ruler King Tilok, failed in an attack against Sukhothai, although they later took Kamphaeng Phet.

Boromo Trailokanat also used the principle of divide and rule, appointing two senior ministers to oversee civil and military affairs. The Kalahom, who was responsible for the military and the Nayok, who took care of civilian matters, received no salary.

In 1454 Ayutthaya was ravaged by an outbreak of smallpox. That same year, the king established the hierarchical Sakdina system (the forerunner to the modern day Thai bureaucracy) which placed a value on everyone in the kingdom. Under this complex system everyone was assigned a rank within society. For example, a slave was ranked at five units, freemen started at 25 units while the heir to the throne was valued at 100,000 units. The value of a person also determined how much land they could legally own and it was this method that gave government workers their means to an income.

Freemen were obligated to work for six months of the year for local representatives of the monarch, pay taxes and be prepared for military service.

What is not generally realised is that Ayutthaya was relatively under-populated and, similar to other states in the region, warfare was not specifically designed to expand the physical boundaries of empire but rather to collect captives to be brought back for work in the rice fields.

In the courts, fines and punishments were made proportional to the status of the plaintiff, the aim being to regulate inequality for the sake of the smooth functioning of society.

Boromo Trailokanat resolved the question of succession by ranking every member of the royal family in relation to the reigning monarch. If a family member was removed from royal descent by more than five generations, he was declared a commoner and no longer eligible for the throne. He also appointed a second king (Uparat or heir apparent) to give his subjects an idea of who would be the new ruler once the present monarch died.

It was also during this period that Theravada Buddhism gained strength in Ayutthaya, despite the deep roots of superstition and animism that still exist even today. The Buddhist monkhood or sangha was the only classless sector of Thai society and took an ever-increasing role, specifically at the village level, in particular providing young men with education.

In 1456 Ayutthaya sent a sea-borne invasion force against the Moslem-Malay port of Malacca, the busiest in south-east Asia with ships coming from as far away as China and India. Ayutthaya claimed Malacca as a vassal state, but the Thais were defeated by the Malaccan navy commanded by Tun Perak at Batu Pahat and forced to retreat.

The following year Tun Perak took 200 ships and invaded the Thai vassal state of Pahang, ejecting the Ayutthaya-appointed governor and installing their own viceroy.

In 1461 King Tilok of Chiang Mai again invaded and this time succeeded in occupying Sukhothai before marching against Phitsanulok. Although they defeated the Ayutthayans at the battle of Doi Ba, Tilok was forced to retire to defend his capital against an invasion from Yunnan in China. Ayutthaya regained its lost territory, but in an effort to stop these incursions Boromo Trailokanat moved his capital to Phitsanulok in 1463.

Two years later Boromo Trailokanat decided to enter the monkhood and Ayutthaya entered a period of relative peace.

In May 1487 King Tilok, the ruler of Chiang Mai, died after a reign of 46 years. He had been successful in retaining the independence of his kingdom despite the assaults of his rival Boromo Trailokanat. The latter died just a year later and was succeeded by his eldest son who took the crown as Boromoraja III and moved the capital back to Ayutthaya.

Bits ‘n’ Bobs

Personal Directions: Dare to be different!

by Christina Dodd, founder and managing director 
of Incorp Training Asssociates

To create an impact and to get results sometimes requires using methods that have not been tried before or are not the usual routine. Complacency in training methods can become a trap for trainers that can have a less than rewarding outcome, so it is therefore paramount to continue to explore and develop different, innovative and effective ways of training that can complement existing standards.

Recently I delivered a confidence building program to a group of young - and not so young - sales men and women. Usually I meet the participants before the training in a getting to know you exercise, but this time I didn’t have the opportunity to do so and therefore they all thought that they would be taken through the usual theory and practical activities that so many other trainers had taken them through before. They entered the program with the statement written on their faces - “Why am I here?”

Regardless of the prevailing attitude, we moved into the program and worked our way through the basics. We then introduced our workshops and after doing some rather “comfortable” activities we then proceeded to an activity that would really be an eye-opener for everyone in the program that they really didn’t think they should be attending. Rather than sitting in the safety of the training room to complete this particular activity, we took the participants into the market place - literally! There were gasps and giggles and expressions of shock and fear, but following the initial outbursts everyone accepted to take on the task. Each person was dropped at a different area of the local shopping mall with two things - a product to sell and their own set of skills. Each person had to make as many sales as they could within a one hour period.

It was interesting to see at first how the participants were so set against this activity and threw up all sorts of reasons as to why they wouldn’t be able to achieve their objectives. They were afraid to get out there and prove themselves. They thought it a little beneath them perhaps and they were wondering what to do if they met up with someone they knew - how embarrassing! Despite the objections, however, they were willing to give it a try and at the end of the hour (which some thought would never end) every single person had made at least one sale and several had done extremely well! They were excited and happy with their own performance and the fact that they actually did this!

When we all got back to the safety of the training room (phew!) and started to discuss the preceding hour at length, every person felt that their level of confidence had increased dramatically, probably because the activity was a difficult one and one that took them away from the normal way they work. They certainly had never experienced sales training like this before. They all agreed that being “put on the spot” meant that they had to draw on the resources they had at hand and that they had to create techniques that would bring immediate and positive responses. They had to use every ounce of energy and ability to get results.

I think it is so necessary to do things differently and to learn to think “outside the box”. It’s important to explore new and alternative approaches to learning and to doing. If we continue to do everything in the same way, then we are simply going to get the same results. Changing the way we do things - changing the way we approach training - can lead to greater outcomes and results. Of course there are fundamental elements and theory that need to be retained in any program, but the delivery methods, techniques, scope of activities and level of participation and interaction should be given importance and focus. They should be innovative, challenging and results-oriented. They should be designed in such a way to help participants draw on their existing capabilities and everyone has capabilities!

At the end of the two day program, the group of salespeople who had to get down to the bare bones of selling in a public place - where they didn’t have their usual safety nets - all felt much more confident after having been exposed to the shopping mall challenge, and indeed to other aspects of the training program. They didn’t like what they had to do at first, but afterwards they all agreed that the results in their own development were well worth the effort. And they took this resurgence of energy and confidence back with them to the workplace, to their colleagues and to their staff.

It is quite extraordinary to see the changes in behavior and performance when people gain or re-gain their self-confidence. It’s almost as if they have the power to leap tall buildings in a single bound! I have witnessed very positive changes in individuals and teams who have finally got that boost in confidence that has been lacking or missing for so long, or that has never really been strong enough to show it-self.

There comes to mind a particular teambuilding program I was involved in where out of the three teams competing, one team was suffering incredibly with finding methods to tackle the task at hand. The idea was to get from one place to another following the same set of conditions as the other teams had to follow, but not duplicating methods along the way. Team B, as we’ll call them, were so despondent and were beginning to lose all confidence and spirit to win because they couldn’t get their thoughts in line, and could see the other teams forging ahead. Then it came to one of them to look beyond the immediate and the obvious, to think outside the box and take a different approach to the problem - then they finally understood how to get to where they had to go. It was amazing to witness the surge of power that suddenly spurred them on to win. Just by adopting a different approach they were able to continue.

Thinking differently and acting differently can be the catalyst for remarkable change and improvement in both our personal and professional lives. And so much more can be achieved in the field of education and training if we can find more than the usual and conventional ways to deliver the valuable knowledge and information we have to share.

If you are looking at ways to boost the confidence and performance of your sales staff or staff in other areas of your business for that matter, please contact me directly at christina. [email protected] or at my office in Bangkok.

Until next time, have a great week!

Social Commentary by Khai Khem

What? I can’t hear you!

Last week as I was standing in the queue at a local bank, I struck up a conversation with a lovely Australian couple from Perth. They had come to Pattaya on their honeymoon, but were cutting their visit short. When I asked why, they said they’d had absolutely no idea how dirty, noisy and crowded Pattaya was when they chose this destination. They had been here a week and could not stand it any longer.

They had planned to stay a month, rent a suite in a long-stay hotel, hire a car and really treat themselves to a first-class holiday. But the noise of the blaring pickup trucks blasting music and adverts over loudspeakers that ply Jomtien Beach Road and other streets in the city made no sense to them and they wondered why it was allowed.

They said the traffic was so heavy and unruly that they were terrified to hire a car and drive here and the noise and air pollution was unbearable. Most of all, they were shocked at the high-density crowding of the city and the packs of motorcyclists who drove like maniacs and the lawlessness of Thai drivers.

Both the man and his wife were very polite about their criticism of the city, and sincerely did not mean to offend. They were only pointing out the obvious; that they were extremely disappointed in the whole area. The couple had taken the time to explore markets and sois off the beaten path where tourists are not usually taken to, and the places that tourist brochures do not advertise. The slums, filth and shabbiness left them with the impression that Pattaya is a fa็ade, and a closer look is not advisable.

They both stressed that they were impressed with the friendliness of the ordinary Thai people and did find the food delicious. They didn’t care that the Thais don’t speak perfect English. But the terrible noise of the city, endless traffic and overcrowding was not conducive to the kind of holiday they had looked forward to.

This was not their first visit to Thailand. They had been to Bangkok on a business trip a few years ago. They both agreed that Pattaya and its environs now have all the problems and annoyances of Bangkok, only on a smaller scale.

What could I say in defense of our city? They had seen all the recommended tourist venues, been to the offshore islands, the 5-star hotels and eaten in some of our finest restaurants. Regarding these places, the Australian couple gave us full marks. I started to brighten up. But then they pointed out that most of those places could be found almost anywhere, but in a nicer, cleaner and more orderly environment.

Since our conversation was still civil, I wracked my brain for a list of plusses of which Pattaya could be proud. Hey! It’s cheap here. Then I noticed the wad of bills bulging in the gentleman’s pocket and noted his wallet full of gold international credit cards. Think harder, I told myself.

Aha! How about Dolphin Circle and its gorgeous flowers and flowing fountain? And the new walkways along Pattaya and Jomtien Beach Road! And our new wastewater treatment plant! I had my car parked at the curb. I offered to pull some strings and get them a guided tour of the facility.

By this time we’d concluded our bank transactions and I was frantically following them out the door. How about a trip to Larn Island? I think the city has removed the mountains of garbage from the beaches by now! I even promised that I would intervene if tour-guide touts accosted them for making purchases at shops of their choice.

Of course by now we were all standing on Pattaya Central Road and I had been reduced to screeching to be heard above the traffic. My new-found Australian friends simply covered their ears and made signals that they couldn’t hear me, and walked off.

Women’s World: A day at the beach Part I

by Lesley Warmer

“Bathing is a sport

Enjoyed by great and small

In suits of any sort

Though better none at all.”

(Anonymous, 19th-century poem)

Did you ever question when did we first decide it was necessary to change the color of our skin by literally toasting it under the sun?

A bit daring for the time.

Take a look around the beaches and swimming pools in Pattaya to see the intensity with which people dedicate themselves to this tanning task, male or female, regardless of warnings about the risk involved in this pastime.

I was sitting by a swimming pool the other day, which I assure you I do infrequently, and there was a lady lying on a sun bed on her back topless with her legs spread-eagled in a bikini bottom a size too big, she may as well have been in a magazine. Lets have a little decorum ladies, especially as she had her children with her. Then on Sunday when I was fishing there was a guy trying to catch a fish dressed only in his bathing trunks, endeavoring to get an even body tan, it was quite entertaining to watch.

So where did it all start?

In early history we tend to go back only to the 1800’s, but these modern ladies were not the first to try bathing as a pastime. Bathing apparel, in one shape or another, has been around for over 2000 years. If you go back far enough I imagine the original swimsuit was the body itself. The first recorded use of bathing apparel was in Greece around 300 B.C. Also mosaics were found from ancient times in a villa in Piazza Armenia in Sicily, with pictures of what looks very much like women dressed in a similar garment to the modern-day bikini.

No need to worry about catching too much sun.

In ancient Rome togas were worn when swimming and bathing reached the height of its popularity. Following the fall of the Roman Empire water sports went out of style, and Europeans regarded the sea only as a source of physical therapy instead of recreation.

Then during the 1700’s spas began appearing in Europe where men and women could engage in public bathing; mainly around England and France.

The earliest bathing suit in modern history consisted of an old outfit of clothes, then it was a smock resembling a kind of “bathing gown”. Modesty was the motto - what one looked like was not much of a consideration in those early days. The first suits were far from practical or comfortable; ladies went as far as to sewing lead weights into the hem of the “bathing gown” to prevent the dress from floating up and exposing her legs.

During the early 1800’s people developed a sudden interest in the seaside and started bathing in the sea, but still infrequently, and the typical “swim” was a brief dip in the water with ladies on one side of the beach and men on the other. Crowds began to flock to seaside resorts for popular activities such as swimming, surf bathing, and diving. Now it was for amusement rather than just for therapeutic remedies. With the introduction of railroads, the beach resorts became more and more accessible. The ladies of fashion decided that they needed a new garment to go along with this new pastime; in those days there was an outfit for every occasion. There was a need to have a costume that retained ones modesty but was free enough to enable the wearer to engage in sports.

(Continued next time...)

Judging a wine by its label

by Ranjith Chandrasiri

More people choose wines by their labels than anyone would like to admit. Novices reach for colourful eye-catching labels; snobs demand famous names. But in fact, a wine label reveals a great deal about the flavours in the bottle. You can begin your tasting even before you’ve pulled the cork.

Although each country has its own laws regarding wine labels, basically there are three kinds of labels: varietal-based, terroir-based and sheer fantasy. The information they offer, much of it required by law, overlaps to a large extent, each one reflects a different approach to winemaking.

Have you ever bought a Chardonnay? Then you’re already familiar with the varietal approach; wines named for the grape variety that makes up all (or some legally defined minimum) of the juice in the bottle. California pioneered this method and most of the New World producers have adopted it. However, some European wine regions such as Alsace in France and Friuli in Italy, for example have traditionally followed this approach.

Most European wines, however, use terroir-based labeling. Terroir is a French word that comprehends all the physical factors - its soil, exposure, microclimate, etc., that distinguish a given vineyard or a wine region. These wines may be made from a single grape variety (such as Pinot Noir for red wines in Burgundy) or a blend that may vary by vintage (such as Bordeaux’s judicious mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc).

Some winemakers have found themselves so frustrated by local wine regulations, which may dictate certain grape blends or vinification techniques as prerequisites to obtaining labels, whether based on varietal or terroir, they abandon traditional approaches and use labels based simply on fantasy. In Tuscany, producers determined to make new-style wines abandoned the terroir-based Chianti labels for the humble designation vino da tavola (table wine). In California, winemakers working with the grapes and flexible blending approach of Bordeaux have given up some varietal-based labels to bottle “Meritage” wines.

Each kind of label gives different clues to the wine inside the bottle, but all labels include a few basics. For example, the producer’s name is always prominent. Most wineries develop consistent signatures, based on their location, winemaking skills and marketing goals; once you’re familiar with a winery’s profile, the producer’s name is perhaps the most reliable indicator of wine style and quality.

The wine’s vintage is almost always shown, too. If you’re familiar with the vintages of a given region, this can be a telling indicator - red Bordeaux were mostly light and diluted in 1992, but rich and concentrated in 1990. However, even if you don’t know whether a specific vintage was good or bad, knowing how old a wine is indicates something about its current style: young, fresh and fruity, or older, smoother and more complex. Most whites, and many reds, are best within three years of the vintage; wines that age well increase in price over time. But beware of old, inexpensive wines that don’t improve with age.

Most labels indicate the region where the grapes were grown and the wine made. On terroir-based labels, this factor is particularly emphasized: The Burgundian appellations of Nuits-St.-Georges and Vosne -Roman้e, for example, are more or less homogenous and distinctive vineyard areas that at least in theory, impart recognizable character to their wines, especially since appellation laws generally regulate many aspects of grape growing and wine making.

Varietal-based labels also generally indicate appellations (though often in small type), sometimes right down to the name of the vineyard. But in these production areas regulation tends to be much looser so wines from the same appellation tend to have less in common. Fantasy labels often avoid any mention of the origin at all (sometimes the laws won’t permit their indication). Since these wines deliberately break with the traditions of their regions, origin doesn’t mean that much anyway.

What about the descriptions on labels? You will never read one like this: “Due to poor weather conditions this vintage was difficult and the resultant wine is of a lower quality. This wine is not recommended for cellaring”. No, you get: “This delicate table wine shows outstanding fruit balanced by natural acid. It may be enjoyed now or cellared to enhance complexity”. That is not to criticize all descriptions, many producers are reputable and their descriptions are authentic and useful reference especially for the beginners.

Finally, don’t forget the price tag, stuck right there next to the label. Yes, there may be wide disparities between a wine’s cost and its quality. If you’re spending under 300 baht per bottle, the wine is likely to be simple, offering alcohol as its principal virtue. From 300 baht to 1000 baht, most wines offer fresh fruit, enough structure to marry well with food and some individual personality. From 1000 baht to 5000 baht, you can expect complex flavours of ripe fruit and new oak, enough concentration to develop with aging and a distinctive character stamped with the wine’s creator and origin. Pay any more, and you enter into a rarefied world inhabited by passionate and deep-pocketed collectors; the rest of us usually pass by with a shake of the head.

Wineries put a lot of effort into dressing up their labels. Savvy wine lovers can decipher what the law says they must say, what the producers want to say and sometimes more than they intend to say. Spend some time studying labels before you buy and you’ll increase your chances of finding a quality wine for your money.

Ranjith Chandrasiri is the resident manager of Royal Cliff Grand and the founder of the Royal Cliff Wine Club, Royal Cliff Beach Resort, Pattaya, Thailand, email: [email protected] or [email protected]