COLUMNS
HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Family Money

Snap Shot

Modern Medicine

Heart to Heart with Hillary

A Slice of Thai History

Personal Directions

Social Commentary by Khai Khem

Women’s World

Wine

Family Money: Get real about real estate - Part 2

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

For their own
protection

Some local real estate firms trumpet in their advertisements that foreigners can now own their own property. In reality this is just a clever ploy to get you through their doors. The mechanism which has been used for years to get around this protectionist law has not in fact changed.

An expatriate can own a condominium in his own name provided not more than 40% of the apartments in the complex are owned by foreigners. That has been the case for several years.

But if you want to buy a house or land, you either have to be legally married to a Thai (as I explained last week), or set up a locally registered company, of which one foreigner cannot own more than 39% of the shares, and a group of foreigners collectively not more than 49%.

You also need at least six Thai partners to hold the remaining shares (although you can be the sole authorised signatory and ensure these local partners sign their undated resignations and share transfer deeds at the time of setting up the company - although of course this tactic is strictly illegal under Thai law, just as is driving a motorcycle without a crash-helmet, and on the wrong side of the road).

An additional safeguard would be to have a reputable professional specialist (i.e., law firm) draw up suitable paperwork to show that your company borrowed the money from you to buy the land, which is then mortgaged to you until the loan is repaid. This mortgage should then be registered with the Land Office at City Hall to ensure the paperwork is complete and your interests protected.

Don’t try doing it yourself to save a paltry few thousand baht - get a professional to do it all for you, to protect your investment of several million baht.

Of course, you could avoid the costs and hassle by putting the house in your wife/girlfriend’s name. This will undoubtedly make her very happy - even happier than the visits you made to her favourite gold shop and motorcycle shop (which are the usual precursors to visiting the real estate agency).

However, what happens a year or two down the road when you have a major disagreement about something, or her Thai ‘husband’ shows up (since they all seem to have them squirreled away somewhere)? You, like so many before you, may find yourself standing on Jomtien Beach with only your passport in one hand and a bag of clothes in the other - and your life savings gone, with no legal recourse.

Getting a mortgage

In developed countries, getting a mortgage on a property is almost taken for granted. Few people are in a position to buy a property for cash on the table - especially at current prices!

The relatively low price of property in Thailand has tempted many expatriates to buy a residential property, townhouse, or a shop house for their girl-friend to run a travel agency, beauty salon, snooker hall or beer bar on the ground floor, while they love - I mean live - upstairs.

There are always plenty of condos, houses, commercial shop-houses, bars and restaurants for sale to lucky buyers with cash to spend - just look at this week’s ‘Mail Market’ section!

Some of the more naïve buyers imagine that they can just sail into a local bank and get a mortgage on the strength of the property deed and their ‘personal’ guarantee on behalf of their girlfriend.

Sorry, but that isn’t going to happen.

Unlike in the West, where the property title deed guarantees the bank in the event of default, and an endowment or insurance policy its money in the event the borrower dies, laws in Thailand to help banks recoup bad debts were only passed in 1999, and the efficiency of the court system here is such that it could take up to 10 years to recoup defaulters’ bad debts - if they don’t declare bankruptcy first (as they’re now able to under the revised laws).

Banks are not interested in holding real estate on their books, since this is a non-performing ‘dead’ asset; they want to recover the money they lent, to lend it to someone else and earn interest on the loan.

Understandable, since they’re in the money business, not the real estate business.

During the building boom of the mid 90s, it was fairly straightforward to get a mortgage on a condominium - even if you were a foreigner.

But after the financial crisis of ’97 many foreigners defaulted and fled the scene. With high levels of non-performing loans already on their books (still over 30% of total loans issued by local banks!), coupled with the high percentage of mortgage defaulters, local banks virtually stopped offering new mortgages on real estate, even to Thais.

Only recently has this policy eased, and Thais are once again able to obtain mortgages at reasonable rates.

But it has to be borne in mind that obtaining a mortgage anywhere depends largely on the ability of the borrower to repay the loan. This will be evaluated by a lending institution on the basis of stability of employment income and past credit record.

So if you’re prepared to deposit the value of the property in the bank - in your girlfriend’s account, of course - she might be able to get a mortgage if she has a good employment record and her regular salary is sufficient to repay the loan. And of course the property then has to be in her rather than your name.

But to imagine that an expatriate boyfriend (who could leave the country any time) will be accepted by any bank as guarantor of a mortgage being applied for by a local lass whose employment record consists of working in a go-go bar for a year or two, and whose average bank balance has hovered around 400 baht, is naïve in the extreme.

(To be continued next week)


Snap Shot: Expose yourself!

by Harry Flashman

No, this is not a suggestion that you go streaking down the road on a hot summer’s evening, but rather that you think about letting the public have a look at some of your better prints. The stimulus for this thought was Dacha Buranabunpot’s exhibition this month at the National Gallery, Chaofah Road in Bangkok. These are some very colourful and sometimes haunting images, and well worth a look.

However, I was thinking more about you and yours. Any serious photographer will have some images that are worthwhile displaying. While it may be nice for you to look at your work, why not let the rest of the world have a look too?

By this stage, many of you have now become coy, and will say, "But my photos aren’t good enough." Good enough for what? Let me assure you that any photographer with an SLR will have some photos in his or her collection that some other people will enjoy. A few years ago there was an amateur photo competition held in Pattaya and the response was overwhelming. And on top of that, many of the entries were superb photographs. Photographs that deserved to be displayed.

Now before you go rushing down to the National Gallery with a bunch of photographs in your hand, there are a few chores to do first. The first of these is to start sorting through those drawers of photographs and looking critically at each one and deciding which ones might be worth blowing up - because here is the first rule of exhibiting. Only show enlargements! At least an 8x10, which is slightly smaller than a standard A4 piece of paper, (called an 8R print in most photo-processing shops) or even 14x11. While big is beautiful, you have to be a little wary of going much bigger than 14x11, unless you have extremely sharp lenses and use slow speed film, as you can find your apparently good images, going ‘soft’.

The second rule of exhibiting is to sort your photographs into some type of definable category or theme. Showing beautiful photographs of a horse in a field, a girl on a beach and the queue at an airport, all of which may be crackerjack individual shots, do not go together to make an exhibition. To keep people’s interest, they have to see that there is some rhyme or reason to this collection. It makes no difference if all you have is ten shots of trees - this makes a far better exhibition than assorted shots, no matter how brilliant they are on a stand alone basis.

The third rule of exhibiting is that you must mount the shots for display and be able to hang them. The way you do that is up to you, but I would recommend simplicity and inexpensiveness are the factors to keep in mind. The photograph must not be overshadowed by the frame! So forget about the heavy gilt carved numbers!

So let us now imagine that you have at least ten reasonable shots, all relating to one theme. You have had them enlarged to 8R size and mounted so that they can be hung - now how do you go about getting them hung somewhere? Well, surprisingly this is not as difficult, or as embarrassing, as you would imagine it to be. You will be amazed at the number of venues that will be delighted to have something different to decorate the back wall. Coffee shops and restaurants are obviously prime targets, but dress shops, dentist’s waiting rooms or even a local hotel’s foyer can be pleased to host your mini-exhibition.

Obviously approach people you know first, such as your favourite restaurant, but don’t be shy. As I pointed out already, the proprietors are happy to have anything that might bring a few more bodies through the door. Put a time limit on your exhibition - two weeks is enough, and tell your friends and even the local newspaper, like this one! The exercise is fun and will help you enjoy the art of photography even more.


Modern Medicine: The Internet - Is it a reliable source of correct medical advice?

by Dr Iain Corness, Consultant

The internet has become, for many people, of more importance than any other information source. After all, where else can you go and get information any anything from gnus to news? So why not go to the internet for some timely medical advice?

Over the past few years, I have become accustomed to patients coming in to see me with reams of printed paper under their arm. All of it derived from the internet. I must admit that I groan inwardly when this happens, but it is not because I think the patient is not entitled to correct information about their own diseases. Quite the contrary.

Going back to the title of this week’s article, is the internet a RELIABLE source of correct medical advice? Unfortunately, the answer is like the curate’s egg - good in parts. Certainly there is some excellent information out there, but there is also a whole pile of unmitigated garbage, masquerading as medical ‘truths’.

Studies have certainly shown that patients who use the internet as a resource medium for good health information can make better informed decisions regarding their health, and take a more active role in maintaining their own personal health levels. All this is good news for both the general public and the health care professionals.

The internet is also a good place for people with chronic ailments to meet others with the same problems. Instead of being, or feeling, isolated, the sufferer can exchange experiences and information. This is of immense psychological good. So where’s the downside to all this?

The downside comes with the fact that the internet is what could be called an ‘uncontrolled’ medium. There is nobody to overview the content of any medical information site, as there is in the accepted medical media. For example, it takes several months to have an article printed in an accredited journal. Your words are scrutinized by a panel of experts and after the panel considers that you have highlighted some actual and factual concepts or information, then it gets printed and can be regarded as ‘the gospel’ (at this point in time - things can change, however, from month to month, year to year).

However, studies have been done by the medical experts on the medical data available over the internet, and the results were that 70% of the studies provided inaccurate data. This is really a trifle worrying. Add to that, the fact that there have been deaths which have occurred by following inappropriate medical advice which has been downloaded from cyberspace.

So can somebody sit down and review everything that is on the ‘net and give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down? Quite frankly, this is too great a task for anyone. Even if somebody were to pay me a thumping great salary to do this, I would be dead before I even got to finish reading the information that is available today, let alone what is uploaded tomorrow.

So what can you do, as a concerned patient? The best advice is to stick to information providers who are reliable, such as government organizations or institutions that are world renowned (Mayo Clinic, Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and the like) and be careful. Here’s a couple - www.healthfinder.com and www.cancer.gov/cancer_ information/

But always remember there are no miracle cures available on the internet and don’t be suckered into buying expensive answers to your chronic ailments!


Heart to Heart with Hillary

Dear Hillary,

I am here in Thailand for a few weeks on a well deserved holiday. Naturally in my travels about town I have encountered many charming ladies, many of which I would like to get to know better. I speak only a few words of Thai and have trouble communicating with ladies who do not speak English. Last night I met a very nice lady and bought her a couple of ‘lady drinks’. Her body language clearly indicated that she liked me ... so, seeking some reassurance I asked her the associated question, "Do you like me?" She responded by saying, "Up to you." I was a little confused by her reply. I understand that you are wise in such matters, and would call on your experience to help interpret her answer to my question.

Confused In Pattaya

Dear CIP,

You are reading far too much into this brief and verbal only intercourse. You were there wanting to be liked, and she was there performing her role as a person who makes her living by liking people. Whether you think that the lady in question liked you, was then, as she correctly said, "Up to you." The more lady drinks you bought, the more she would like you. The greater the degree of financial involvement in the association, the greater degree of liking you will get in return. It really is "Up to you!" As the American satirist Tom Lehrer once said, "Life is like a sewer. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it." Understand now, Petal?

Hillary, my lovely,

My Thai ladyfriend (wee Nit, the adorable) is experiencing a difficulty in pronouncing her Rs and Ls. For example, ‘Hillary’ sounds like ‘He Willy’! Not nice at all! What can I do? Withdraw her Mars Bar before elocution lessons?

Mistersingha

P.S. A hazel choc bar could be on the way via an impenetrable Volvo or a pickup. Should the choccy melt en route you will still have some nuts to savour!

Dear Mistersingha,

I am not sure which is worse, being "He Willy" or being your "lovely"? Neither would be my first choice for the day, however, returning to your Mars Bar problem and elocution, this is easily overcome. Firstly withhold all Mars Bars in the short term and secondly use an electric pig prod every time Wee Nit gets hers Arrs and Ells mixed up. The secret to good elocution is the threat of electrocution. Try saying it aloud. The remaining Mars Bars can be sent over to my office, but refrigerate first. That’s the way, Petal.

Dear Hillary,

You do get asked some silly things, don’t you? The ones that get to me most are all these men who fall for the oldest trap of all, the sweet smile and "buy me drink" routine. Despite everything that you have written about the subject, they just keep on coming back like bees to the honeypot. So tell me, why do YOU think they do it?

Honeypot

Dear Honeypot,

Firstly I must correct you a little. The oldest trap of all was sprung by Eve, tempting Adam with a nice juicy red apple, long before the invention of ‘lady drinks’. As to why these men keep blundering along, is because they are men. It is part of their genetic heritage and they should be given understanding, especially from one of their own. Go easy on them, Honeypot. You might be next.

Dear Hillary,

I need to find a bar girl with long arms. I have searched through most bars in Thailand and have found girls with long legs. They are either attached to chrome dance poles or are of questionable sexuality. Girls with long memories constantly remind me of things I would rather forget, girls with long fingers seem to find their way into my wallet and girls with long, sad stories irritate me with tales of sick parents or dying water buffalos. I don’t need these types. The illusive (sic) bar girl with long arms would have the ability to reach that bottle of icy cold beer at the bottom of the ice chest. Why are these girls so hard to find?

Mighty Mouse

Dear Mighty Mouse,

Hillary is so pleased to see you are back. I was getting worried that the police in your country might have locked you up for indecent exposure after your last letter describing your skin-tight cut-off shorts. While you were away, I had an interesting verbal thrust and parry with one correspondent over the words ‘illusive’ and ‘elusive’. The former refers to an illusion and the latter to something that is hard to find, so I believe you are looking for an ‘elusive’ lady. Why is she so hard to find? Probably because she is really an illusion, a figment of your fevered imagination, my Petal. With your fever running so high, I can see why you need that cold beer at the bottom of the ice chest. But Mighty Mouse, a little lateral thinking will soon have this sorted for you. Buy an ice chest that is not so deep, then even those girls with arms so short they cannot get to the bottom of your long pockets, will be able to fish a nice cold one from the depths of your ice chest.


A Slice of Thai History: A Foreign Journalists view of Thailand in the Decade of Militarism

Part one: Did Japan dominate Thailand?

by Duncan Stearn

By the middle of the turbulent decade of the 1930s, it was increasingly clear to Asia watchers that Japanese militarism, apart from its expansionist actions against China, was also eyeing the lucrative markets of South-East Asia, and Thailand was a premier prize in the region.

A young American journalist named Gareth Jones visited Thailand in 1935 to determine for himself if the rumours, circulating from such diverse places as the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), British-controlled Singapore and Japan itself, of Japanese domination of Thailand were true.

In 1932, Japan had effectively annexed Manchuria from China, renaming it Manchukuo, placing a puppet emperor on the throne and declaring it a protectorate. Thailand was the only country in the League of Nations that refrained from voting against the condemnation of Japanese policy in conquering Manchuria.

The following year the Japanese had invaded the Inner Mongolian province of Jehol and compelled the Chinese Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-Shek to sign an agreement establishing a demilitarised zone.

Jones’ first despatch from Bangkok appeared in April 1935. He wrote: ‘...I was told in Java, [the Japanese] are pushing their Empire ever further Southwards and Westwards. They want to have a stronghold in Siam. They want to build a canal which would compare with the Panama Canal and which would enable them to dominate the markets of India and the power of the British in Asia. This Canal would be the Kra Canal and would make Singapore into a bigger "white elephant" than any owned by the Kings of Bangkok. They want to be masters of the route from Asia to India and to Africa.’

One wonders what might have been if Japan had succeeded in forcing the Americans and British to agree to peace terms in 1942. Would the Kra Canal now be a reality and Singapore relegated to a swampy backwater?

Jones quoted an article from the 11 April 1935 edition of the Times of India that stated, ‘India has this great interest, that the establishment of Japanese economic hegemony over Siam would bring a new international influence into an area which is contiguous with the frontier of Burma. In the past India’s foreign and defence policies have been dictated by consideration of the risk attaching to her North West frontier, where first the Russian menace and later the Afghan unrest were present. Should a new militant power establish itself on the eastern border of Burma, India’s foreign and defence policies will need radical revision. When the military authorities guarding the life and property of over three hundred million people in India threaten to change their whole defence on account of fear of Japan, the fear is one worth examining...’

The American journalist stated, ‘There is certainly a growing friendship between Siam and Japan...a leading Japanese authority said to me: "We Siamese regard Japan as an elder brother. We are an example to Siam of a country which has freed itself from Western influences and which has progressed rapidly. The young people here look up to the Japanese and say: ‘If only we could do what they do’."

One reason for increasing Japanese influence at the expense of the West was laid at the feet of returned Thai soldiers who had fought in France during World War One. ‘...they returned with the tale of a bloody impoverished white race with its members at each others’ throats.’ It made the Thais realise they were as good as their white counterparts and, ‘The result is that many European advisers have left the country. That the Siamese State railways, which formerly had many British experts and foremen has today only one British worker and that Japanese experts are coming to take the place of whites. Recently cotton experts came from Japan and there are two Japanese officers of high rank in the Siamese Army...Many Siamese students now go to Japan. Recently a number of Siamese naval cadets, abandoning the tradition that the British Navy shall teach the future admirals of Siam, went to receive their training in the Japanese fleet...’

Japanese influence in the media was strong because Thai newspapers received most of their news via Rengo, the official Japanese news agency. Increasing trade ties also influenced the Thais. In 1934, Japanese automaker Datsun sold a single vehicle in Thailand. The next year the company opened a showroom in Bangkok to sell Japanese cars. By that time, Japanese manufacturers were already dominant in the radio accessories, silk, paper, bicycle, cement, and rubber goods markets.

In 1935, for the first time, a contract to construct railway bridges was given to Japan, even though there were 11 American and European firms also in the bidding.


Personal Directions: Are you being served?

by Christina Dodd
Managing director of Westminster Portfolio Services (Thailand) Ltd.

Recently I’ve been quietly observing a small but growing business in Chiang Mai. Several months ago a young man and his family opened a very modest restaurant - open-air style on a concrete foundation - and started off by offering a simple but appealing, very affordable menu.

Every day I would pass by and notice the increasing number of customers. It seemed that the place was doing very well and that soon they’d have to expand the car park! So I decided to call in and have a meal. Well, now I can’t count the number of times I’ve eaten there!

In just a few months it seems that the young owner has found his secret for success in his restaurant business. Many of you might say that because it’s cheap and simple, that that’s how he has become successful. Some of you might also say that because there are low overheads and it’s up-country, that these are the reasons why he is doing so well. All these factors play a role and I agree that they are important, but I have also noticed one ingredient that rises above all others, and that ingredient is "good old-fashioned service."

It’s a pleasure to see how he and his staff work. It’s indeed a pleasure to be on the receiving end of attentive, sincere and efficient service. Not one of the staff at this establishment has had the benefit of tertiary education. They come from villages up in the North. Their families are simple folk who have probably never ventured outside the village gates. And all of them share the desire to work and to work well. On speaking to them they all told me that they love their jobs. They enjoy the atmosphere, they are very pleased to have a job that allows them to make others (customers) happy, and most of all, they have a great boss!

It is so easy to see how everything comes together in the restaurant. The owner has used his natural talent and skills to develop a well-trained group of people. He has identified their weaknesses over the past few months and put relentless effort into ensuring that they provide the best possible service to the restaurant’s customers. Sure this is a small business - but no matter the size of any business - the fact remains that great customer service is paramount to success.

He has also recruited people who have a "service mind" and a desire to deliver the best. This is part and parcel of his achievement. He has the right kind of people with him and this is usually half the battle in the service industry. It is amazing how much can be accomplished when people have the will to perform. If there is an existing will, then it can be nourished and developed with the right support, encouragement and training!

Of late I have had many enquiries about CRM and programs concerning "the service mind". This particular skills area is one that requires dedicated attention and application. But it does not mean that you have to have read every textbook under the sun. Sometimes, whilst having to adhere to certain principles and basic theories concerning CRM, we lose sight of the fundamentals to providing good service. The best and most effective approach is to keep it as simple as possible and not to become overwhelmed by the subject. The simpler and the more enjoyable this specific subject can be, the greater the results of any training or instruction.

The young restaurant owner has kept it simple and it has brought him results. Major businesses and organizations can too "keep it simple" in a way that does not deflect from knowing and understanding the job specifics. The main ingredient is to have people with a desire to perform.

Quite often we can see that people are working in the wrong jobs. It is very evident in the service industry because it stands out like a sore thumb! And in the reverse situation it is so easy to notice people who are in the right job. Their attitude, body language and their whole approach to their job and performance almost leap out at you too. That is why it is so essential to ensure that individuals who are to work in the front line or service line in any business, have to want to be there in the first place.

Once I had the opportunity to sit in on a few sessions of a public Customer Service Program conducted here in Bangkok. Lots of information was provided. Handouts and program notebooks were given. Lecturers seemed to stream in without any effort to expound their theories. Many detailed notes were taken and written down. But when I later had the chance to mingle with the audience and to gauge their understanding and reaction to the program, I found that a lot of them were really not interested in giving their "heart and soul" to providing the best service. They had no sense of wanting to be outstanding in this field. I immediately thought of the "square pegs in round holes" syndrome which prevails in many businesses and companies, despite their efforts to recruit the appropriate people for the job.

To be fair to anyone working in this field, they have to want to be there! It is the same for any vocation or profession you wish to pursue and perform well in. Wanting to be there in the first place will enable you to do well and will get you further sooner. It is as simple as that!

No matter how small or large a company or organization, those in authority and those in the position of providing customer service have to decide one very important thing. How good do you want your service to be? What is the level of service you want to provide for your customers? How high are you going to aim? What are you going to do to ensure that you can achieve this? What is your plan of action?

Are you being served? For more information on how we at Asia Training Associates can best serve you in your efforts to provide outstanding customer service (and improve other business skills), please contact me at [email protected]

Until next time have a wonderful week!


Social Commentary by Khai Khem

Will we ever rid Pattaya of street vendors and sidewalk hogs?

Sorry, folks, the answer to that question is, "not in our lifetime." This age old practice is so deeply entrenched because it gives poorly educated and disadvantaged people a way to eek out an honest living on the cheap. Buy low - sell high. These basic entrepreneurial skills may be primitive, but they enable individuals to earn enough money to support themselves and add to family incomes.

Tradition, demand, convenience for customers and our warm climate all contribute to allowing street vendors to conduct their businesses in public areas. Thai governments and Bangkok’s revolving door of governors have attempted to rid our high density urban areas of hawkers for decades. Attempts for the most part have been futile. Sincere plans to carry out an eradication of vendors in the capital city have met with defiance and furious protests. Even Pattaya and Jomtien vendors have a strong voice when they care to use it.

Street vendors are a way of life in Thailand and provide a convenience for their customers. If we are to effectively eliminate this whole sector of retail sale and service, we must be prepared to fill up the vacuum. After all, we don’t want to starve out all these people who are supporting themselves, even at a subsistence level, and turn them into beggars or thieves.

Let’s take Pattaya as an example. Most complaints about street vendors center on the mess they make, the space they take up, and the disorderly manner in which they roam around in pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Setting up shop on public sidewalks and spilling out into public roads and streets is another obnoxious irritant.

But developed space in Thai cities is very expensive compared with the country’s national average income. When a shop house is too small to accommodate the owner’s business, Thais simply move out the door straight onto the footpath. Expanding businesses simply forge ahead with admirable determination right into the busy streets and expect passing cars and trucks to go around them.

Smaller businesses squat on public sidewalks in front of larger, more substantial buildings. Like layers on a giant cake, cobblers, seamstresses, locksmiths, watch repair carts, broom sellers and food sellers line our public pathways. That leaves little room for anyone else to use them unless they have the nimble acrobatic skills of an Olympic gymnast.

The Thaksin government is now intensifying its campaign to encourage entrepreneurial skills among poor people. One of the suggestions is to convert their assets into capital to become eligible to borrow under a micro-credit scheme. Small and medium sized businesses are also getting a boost through incentives and promotions. These plans could provide new opportunities for the low-income sector and eventually reduce the mass of street hawkers. All these creative schemes remain to be seen and will take time to establish. We will still have plenty of vendors to complain about in the meantime.

Singapore, our sophisticated, hardworking and much admired neighbor to the south took a much different approach a quarter of a century ago. It laid down the law! But unlike Pattaya, which prefers to put the cart before the horse, Singapore rebuilt itself into a civilized, modern, and high quality city. Then street hawkers moved off the streets into commercial buildings where they could conduct their business indoors.

When the mass of humanity was relocated, Singapore went about the business of building good roads, wide sidewalks, expressways, subway, and so forth. One well planned and well executed step at a time.

Pattaya, on the other hand seems to think construction, cleaning and beautification projects can be carried out under the wheels of speeding cars and the feet of seething crowds of people all going in different directions 24 hours a day. It’s no wonder street vendors are not concerned with cleanliness and disorder. Not even in ‘squeaky clean’ Singapore would the Environmental Police arrest a man for spitting in the street during a killer typhoon.

Street hawkers should remain a colorful part of our everyday life. They have a right to make a living just like all the rest of us. There is, however, no reason why their business must be conducted in such a squalid and disorderly fashion.

Enforcing present laws and regulations would actually benefit them along with all of us who share space with them. Surely even a street vendor can learn to appreciate safety, control and cleanliness if we coach them well enough. Like good teachers, good government is consistent. Blowing hot and cold with the rules only confuses the very people authorities are trying to educate.


Woman's World: A bird called Candida Vs the coconut

by Lesley Warner

Candida it sounds like a rather fancy girl’s name doesn’t it? Well 75% of women and a good percentage of men will find out during their lifetime that it’s not.

What a sweet little bird to name such a horrible infection after!

An oral rash caused by Candida.

Candidal infection is known as "candidiasis", "candidosis" or "moniliasis", or thrush, as it’s commonly referred to, is a yeast infection, and it is one of the most widespread health problems in Western society. It’s caused by the fungus Candida Albacans. Candida depends on a living host for survival. Candida is a single-celled fungus or yeast cell that inhabits the intestinal tract and mucus membranes of every living person on the earth. Candida is also present in the oral cavity of almost half of the population. Everyone who wears dentures will have candida, without necessarily suffering any ill effects.

The incidence of Candida infections rose sharply around the time of the Second World War: This is when antibiotics were discovered. The problem is that with the marvel of antibiotics came the problem that they have a tendency to kill off some of the ‘good guys’ as well as the ‘bad guys’; for example, the delicate strains of the good intestinal bacteria (Lactobacillus). This means that although antibiotics can save lives, used too often they can cause an imbalance in the yeast environment, causing vulvovaginal candidiasis in many women. As many women can tell you a vaginal Candida infection can start very quickly during or after a course of antibiotics. In Europe these days doctors are reluctant to hand out antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. Vaginal Candida infections are extremely uncomfortable as well as causing some embarrassment; the symptoms are burning, itching and unpleasant discharge.

It is also the same organism that causes oral thrush and diaper rash in babies. Candida may affect children at different times of their lives. Up to 5% of healthy newborns, for example, may suffer from oral candida (thrush) after being infected from a mother’s vaginal "yeast infection" during delivery. Here is a nice thought for you: within days after birth, newborns are infected and have a budding colony living in their digestive tract, which will remain with them for the rest of their life. Normally competition from friendly bacteria and the cleansing action of our immune system keep the Candida numbers low and prevent them from causing any adverse health problems.

Candida infections cannot be treated by antibiotics but they can be treated topically with anti-fungal creams and suppositories and now orally with a single pill.

However, a Candida infection is not always caused by antibiotics, in many women it can be triggered by the hormonal changes that take place during the week before their period, and during pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester. Pre menstruating teenagers are unlikely to suffer with vaginal Candida infection.

Women with a weakened immune system (due to chemotherapy, HIV or immunosuppressive drugs) are more susceptible to Candida vaginal infections.

Diabetes can make one more susceptible to yeast infections if you do not keep it properly controlled.

The use of vaginal sponges and intrauterine devices has also been associated with Candida infections in a number of cases. Many of the other so called causes like tight clothing; tampons, nylon underwear and panty hose have not been proven to be a problem.


Wine: Entertaining with wine

by Ranjith Chandrasiri

An evening of entertainment at your home should involve good food, good wine, good people, good music and stimulating interaction among your guests. You, the host, have a responsibility to ensure that all of the requisite ingredients are present and that one ingredient does not overshadow the others.

The key to matching food and wine concerns the strength of flavour. The volumes of flavour in the food should be matched by the volumes of flavour in the wine.

Some people are simply not "into" wine and have no idea what to serve. Just as you decide to have the party catered if you are a poor cook, you can get the wine selections "catered" if it is not within your sphere of knowledge and ability. Even if you have a fair knowledge of wine, you could be well served by seeking expert advice on what wines to serve with a particular array of food and desserts.

Many non-wine drinkers face the intimidating challenge of entertaining guests who do drink and enjoy wine. Questions of what wine to serve with what food, how much wine is enough and whether you should offer guests a choice of wine are some of the few challenges. Allow me to share some basic thoughts and suggestions on entertaining with wine.

When entertaining guests for dinner, it is customary to offer a pre-dinner wine - aperitif. Typically, this is a simple white wine (can be inexpensive but tasty and pleasant), as you don’t want this wine to be your best offering. Whether you serve hors d’oeuvres or not, you should offer your guests a drink when they arrive and white wine is the usual choice. This is not the wine with which you want to impress your guests or dazzle them with the quality since you want them to mingle, talk and focus on the people - not the wine.

Some prefer to serve Champagne at this time instead of white wine. Opening a bottle of Champagne conveys a sense of celebration that brings together everyone in the group. A glass of Champagne is compelling enough and your guests will appreciate the extravagance. Besides, champagne stands alone without food unlike many white wines.

How much wine should you buy? If you plan to serve several different bottles with different courses, you will need to buy fewer bottles of each type. However, a general rule of thumb is that you should have one bottle of wine per guest. While it may sound too much, if you are serving a lot of food spread over several hours, it won’t be too much. It is far better to have too much than too little.

Be sure that you have different glasses for each different type of wine. It is not good to expect your guests to drink Chardonnay out of the same glass from which they drank Cabernet Sauvignon. If nothing else is possible, at least rinse the glasses before you pour the next wine.

Which wines should you serve? The most important considerations here are firstly, whether the wine you serve is ready to drink and secondly, whether the wine is compatible with the food. A safe alternative is to offer two choices with your meals. This allows those who have very strong likes and dislikes to avoid their dislikes.

The key to matching food and wine concerns the strength of flavour. The volumes of flavour in the food should be matched by the volumes of flavour in the wine. For example, a delicately flavoured dish like calamari needs a delicate white without too much obvious fruit flavour. A young Semillon would be ideal. At the other end of the spectrum, a dish like roast saddle of venison with all its game flavours needs something bold. To serve a timid wine would be meaningless because you wouldn’t taste it.

You should begin to learn what you and your friends like and expand upon your own personal experience. It’s a matter of experiment and sometimes it pays off. Classic pairings are handy to have at your disposal if you don’t want to reinvent the wheel. Here are few examples:

* Oysters and Chablis

* Lamb and red Bordeaux (or Chianti)

* Salmon with Pinot Noir

* Braised beef with Barolo (Italian red)

* Beef or steak with red Burgundy or Cabernet Sauvignon

* Lobster with Chardonnay

* Grilled chicken with Beaujolais

* Stilton cheese and walnuts with Port

* Gumbo or other spicy dishes with Zinfandel

Again, these are suggestions at best and represent what others have found likeable.

Having established the ground rules, the exercise of matching wine and food becomes interesting. Just like music, there is always room for individual interpretation and style. Contrast and counterpoint can be used to develop an interesting theme. There are many themes to be explored and the most interesting themes are waiting to be discovered.

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

Website: http://www.royal cliff.com/rcwineclub.htm


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