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Chaine des Rotisseurs looks at new horizons

Rotarians asked to “Stand up for the rights of children”

Motorcycle safety: ‘Hats off’ to you, Bruce Hoppe

Chaine des Rotisseurs looks at new horizons

Miss Terry Diner

The world’s largest gourmet group, the Chaine des Rotisseurs, met at Horizons Restaurant (23rd floor Pattaya Hill Resort) to view Pattaya from on high and discuss the ‘menu’ for the year’s culinary events.

Local Bailli (president) Louis Noll of Mata Hari Restaurant outlined the suggestions that he and his board members had put together. These dinners range from a casual Italian evening, through to a president’s dinner, with tuxedo and chain, to be held in the Presidential Suite of the Royal Cliff Royal Wing and Spa, with the meal cooked on site, or en suite. Other dinners are being scheduled for well known five star establishments such as Bruno’s (in March) and Casa Pascal (October).

The local Chaine des Rotisseurs has turned into a very active group, and (the ebullient) Louis Noll and Hugh Millar (of the polished Edinburgh brogue) and the board are to be congratulated in fostering the traditions of fine wining and dining in Pattaya.

Marlowe and Malwinder Malhotra, John Littlechild (standing l-r) and Douglas Rosario (seated) enjoy the evening.

For once Louis takes his beautiful wife Paiwan out (of the kitchen) to see the sights of town.

“And what do you owe your success to” asks Dr. Iain Corness (right) of Louis for the Pattaya Mail Plus TV programme.

More happy people. Standing (l-r) are Malwinder and Elfi Seitz, seated are the lovely Richard and Janet Smith.

The regulars, (l-r) Wim de Vries, Jan Olav Aamlid, Dirjke Frei, Dinie de Vries and Hans Frei.

The most gracious host of the evening Chef Jack Pfaff (centre) flanked by Hans Banziger, Elfi Seitz, Chris Kridakorn-Odbratt and Randy Nelson of Nelson’s Autohaus.


Rotarians asked to “Stand up for the rights of children”

Children from broken homes need the power of love

Last week members of the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya celebrated the Year of the Monkey at their regular meeting held in the Rotary Room of the Royal Cliff Grand Hotel with a lavish Chinese meal, prepared by the chefs of the resort. But it was not to be just celebrations, as the guest speaker that evening was Jorgen Guldborg Rasmssen, president of the World Scout Committee’s Honors and Awards Committee who had a lot to say, which enlightened the gathering about “Rotary and the World Scout Movement.”

President Peter Malhotra presents a certificate of appreciation to Jorgen Rasmussen for his outstanding dedication to the Scouts and Rotary movements.

Sutham Phanthusak, international commissioner of the Scout movement in Thailand, accompanied him. Sutham was president of the Rotary Club of Pattaya twice and is now an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya.

In his introduction speech, Jorgen said that Lord Baden Powell established the World Scout movement in 1907, just two years after Rotary was founded. Giving an insight into the principles of the organization he continued, “The mission of Scouting is to contribute to the education of young people through a value system based on the Scout Promise and Law. The pledge aims to help build a better world where people are fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society. This is achieved by involving them during their formative years in a non-formal educational process using a specific method that makes each individual the principal agent of his or her development as a self-reliant, supportive, responsible and committed person, assisting them to establish a value system based upon spiritual, social and personal principles as expressed in the Promise and Law.”

(l-r) Jan olav Aamlid, Sutham Phanthusak, Jorgen Rasmussen, President Peter Malhotra and President Elect (2005-06) Chris Gibbins.

Jorgen went on to say, “There are so many similarities between the Scouts and Rotarians. Mainly, our organizations are built like a pyramid with a very wide base and tapers to the top, unlike some organizations that start at the narrow tip and spread to the wide base. This proves that we have a much more solid base because it is constructed on the foundation of team spirit and unity of the masses. This makes us strong from the bottom up.”

Quoting Lord Baden Powell, founder of the Scouting Movement Jorgen said, “The movement embodies the spirit of happy comradeship which cannot fail in bringing about what we all pray for - goodwill and world peace.”

All decked out in their finest Chinese costumes, (l-r) PP Bruno Keller, PDG Premprecha Dibbayawan, PP Erika Keller and Ferenc Friscai.

"Scouting is unique,” said Jorgen. “We come in very close contact with the people especially children. Scouting gives the children, especially those from broken homes, an opportunity to belong and to be touched by camaraderie and love.”

Jorgen said that one of his duties at the moment is to re-establish the Scouting Movement in Eastern Europe. “This is one vast area where the children desperately need us. Having gone through decades of turmoil and suffering, the aftermath has left millions of young people without families or anyone that cared for them, taught them, guided them and least of all, gave them love and warmth.”

The Scandinavian Rotarians and families. (l-r) Brita Holst, Cath Christensen, Tore Trosdahl, Helge Holst, Jorgen Rasmussen, Jan Olav Aamlid and Dr. Ola Oleivsgard.

“As chairman of the European Scout Foundation, I must see that this significant project succeeds for the sake of future generations and it will be my biggest challenge,” said Jorgen.

Jorgen Guldborg Rasmssen was knighted by Queen Margaret II of Denmark for his tireless work for children in International Scouting and has received the United Nations Medal for service to peace. This remarkable man ended his talk by asking the Rotarians to make a pledge: ‘Stand up for the rights of children’.


Motorcycle safety: ‘Hats off’ to you, Bruce Hoppe

by Peter Cummins

It was rather a case of ‘hats (helmets) on’. Indeed, a most appropriate and timely gesture at the Pattaya Mail offices on Saturday, when Bruce Hoppe, managing director of Emerson Electric Thailand, arrived with a load of top-quality motorcycle helmets, incorporating the latest safety features and technical advances, and distributed them to the Pattaya Mail and Pattaya Blatt staff.

The Pattaya Mail and Pattaya Blatt team can now feel a lot safer as they ride their motorbikes wearing these high quality crash helmets. Flanking them are Peter Cummins and Peter Malhotra (1st & 2nd left) and Bruce Hoppe (right).

Bruce was not setting any precedents here. He was merely extending what he had already instituted for his motorcycle riders at Emerson Electric on the Eastern Seaboard’s Industrial Estate. Do not mount even a stationary bike without donning a safety helmet. But, not any old helmet: the crash-tested and safety-proven head protection he had specially made for his staff. “In fact,” he noted, as Pattaya Mail MD Peter Malhotra produced some of the battered head-gear worn by the Mail delivery staff, messengers and staff, “helmets like these are not only lacking protection, they can be down-right dangerous in a crash.” Bruce, who has flown light planes, drag-raced cars and motorcycles and taken up scuba diving, should knows what safety is all about.

“Never, ever wear such low grade helmets ever again. Your heads are worth much more that this,” exclaims Bruce Hoppe as he dumps a cheap low grade plastic bucket (helmet) into the garbage bag.

With that, Peter produced a big black garbage bag and, with much gusto, consigned the old helmets to the trashcan.

A large sign displayed at the Pattaya Mail office instructs the staff to wear safety helmets at all times, not only to help avoid serious - even, fatal - injuries, but to set an example in Pattaya of the newspaper’s dedication to safe driving. Now, the old, battered helmets are gone forever.

Suchada Tupchai, assistant editor, receives her brand new crash helmet. “Pattaya Mail must set a good example for every one in the community.”

An engineer by profession and a leader in his chosen field, Bruce’s dedication to safety - whether on the roads, in the air or under water - or in and around the Emerson facilities - has been rewarded by the Emerson parent body in the United States which recently conferred the Gold Medal for an unblemished operation in Thailand.

Actually, an address entitled, “The Road Toll: how much will we accept” which Pattaya Mail man Dr Iain Corness - himself a campaigner on road safety and once a resource person on the Australian National Road Safety Council - delivered to the Pattaya-Jomtien Rotary Club early last month, motivated Bruce to explain his company’s concern and was the catalyst in the helmet delivery.

As can be seen from the photographs, the many pretty girls working at the Pattaya Mail looked even better in their brand-new, shiny helmets, smiling through the transparent eye-protective visas.

To all this, I can add a small anecdote. While I was covering one of the 17 Phuket King’s Cup Regattas some years ago for the press, I had the great fortune to meet the Danish Royal Consort, Prince Henrik who was - and still is - a top-class sailor. He absolutely loved Phuket and delighted, when he was not out on the Andaman Sea, to “sneak” out of the (then) Phuket Yacht Club Hotel on a 50cc motorcycle and go cruising ‘incognito’ around the island. I knew his timing, so one day I hid in the bushes at the hotel gate and photographed him as he rode past.

That photograph - with the Prince’s permission, of course - was blown-up to almost life-size and framed in the motorcycle parking lot. The Prince was wearing a safety helmet and became the role model for the staff commuting on motorcycles. The management pointed out that there was a hidden camera which recorded all entries and exits at the gate and there would be severe penalties - even dismissal - if anyone was caught without a helmet.

The ruse worked and, up ‘til this day, there has not been a fatality among the staff, although the death rate for Phuket at large is quite high.


Skal International