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Kamnan Poh celebrates his 67th birthday with family and well-wishers
Suchada Tupchai
Well-known Saensuk municipality mayor, Somchai Khunplome,
or Kamnan Poh as he is fondly called, had a grand celebration for his 67th
birthday with an open house and a meal provided for nearly a thousand people
who came to wish him well.
 Local
officers present Somchai with a birthday cake, and he responds in the
playful Thai way – smudging a little birthday cake on their foreheads for
good luck.
The birthday celebrations began in the morning on
September 30, as crowds of people arrived at Kamnan Poh’s home. Along with
family members and personal friends, honored guests included VIPs such as
Banharn Silpa-archa, leader of the Chat Thai Party; Suchat Tancharoen,
former vice-minister of the Ministry of Interior; and local administrators
from Chonburi and Pattaya City, who brought flowers, gifts and food to
celebrate the occasion. Hundreds of people from the general public also
turned up to wish Somchai a happy birthday.
Somchai
Khunplome and his wife Satil (center) are surrounded by family, friends and
well-wishers on Somchai’s birthday.
As the guests poured in, Somchai’s wife and sons
graciously welcomed all and presented shirts as souvenirs. Then everyone sat
down to a lavish lunch and relaxed in a fun and friendly atmosphere.
Somchai Khunplome is currently the Saensuk municipality
mayor. He was born on September 30, 1937 at the Nongmon Market, Muang
District, Chonburi Province. Coming from humble beginnings, he is a son of
the village sub-district chief Chanchai Khunplome and Mrs. Thuamm. He has 8
brothers and sisters.
Somchai attended primary school through class 4 at Wat
Klangdon School, and then went to work on a bus in Bangsaen. Later he worked
on a fishing boat for about 2 years, after which he became a monk to honor
his parents. After his stay in the monastery, Somchai joined the army. He
was later was posted to the Department of Transportation in Bangkok. When he
returned home he worked as a truck driver delivering seafood. This
experience prompted him to buy a fishing boat from his savings and start a
seafood business with his family.
Kamnan Poh married Satil Kulapung, dock owner in the
Sriracha district, after which he started many businesses. He set up
Bangsaen Mahanakhon Partnership Ltd., Sriracha Mahanakhon Partnership Ltd.
and various hotel businesses.
Somchai turned to politics in 1968 when he was 31 years
old and was a candidate for Village Chief No. 7, Saensuk sub-district, Muang
District, Chonburi province. Based on his firm character, brave and very
helpful, the villagers trusted him, and they chose him to be a kamnan of
Saensuk sub-district in 1983. The Saensuk sub-district later changed into
the Saensuk Municipality in 1988, where he became mayor, a post he has held
until this day.
Somchai also supports Chonburi members of Parliament for the Chat Thai
Party. Somchai’s eldest son is Sontaya Khunplome, minister of tourism and
sports.
Betong Fishing Park enjoys grand opening festivities
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Anglers now have a new place to relax and fish. The
Betong Fishing Park held its grand opening on September 24 with Mayor
Niran Wattanasartsathorn on hand to preside over the ceremonies.
 Mayor
Niran Wattanasartsathorn presided over the opening ceremony.
A crowd of guests gathered to partake in the day’s
festivities, which included music and plenty of food and drinks. Mayor
Niran showed his talent for catching prawns, much to everyone’s delight,
and received a big round of applause as he hauled up a good catch.
Park manager Anmat Karaket said, “The fishing park is
situated on 7 rai of land and is stocked with plenty of fish and prawns.
We cater to families who want to spend a day together in the fresh air,
and enjoy themselves in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. There is a
restaurant located on the corner where people can have a nice meal and we
have provided plenty of parking for visitors. We feel this is definitely
going to be one of the area’s favorite fishing spots.”
The Betong Fishing Park is located on Pattaya Third Road behind the
Momluang Chounjai Restaurant and is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Gift boutique opens 2nd shop on Sukhumvit Road
Ursula Rothstein of Ursula’s Antiques recently celebrated the opening
of her second shop, located on Sukhumvit Road. This gift boutique offers
small furniture as well as exclusive gifts and beautiful decorations for
homeowners.
(Front row from left)
Thatsana and Uschi Aep-iam, George Rothstein and Marliese Fritz. (Back row
from left) Ursula Rothstein, Vincent and Heinz Fritz.
Many old and new customers came to take a look and presented Ursula with
flowers and best wishes.
Nation Weekly on tour in Pattaya
Suchada Tupchai
The Nation Weekly led by reporter Bandit Chantasrikham,
presented its “Nation Weekly on tour in Pattaya” to distinguished guests
including Chanyuth Hengtrakul, advisor to the Ministry of Tourism and
Sports; Idthipol Khunplome, member of the assembly of Chonburi Province, and
members of the public who participated in the fair on the 3rd floor in front
of the “SF Multiplex” in the Central Festival Center.
 Jomkwan
Laophet and Komsan Nanthajit interview editor Bandit Chantasrikham.
Held on September 25, the fair was the third after
previous tours in Nakhon Ratchasima and Chiang Mai. The purpose of the fairs
is to introduce the new image of Nation Weekly. Bandit Chantasrikham, editor
of Nation Weekly, said that the publication intends to give its columns a
more modern viewpoint after 13 years of operation. “We want to appeal to a
more contemporary readership with new subjects, but our political news will
remain much the same,” said Bandit.
The fair kicked off with a mini concert performed by
socialite Sofia La and a special show by Idthipol Khunplome. Then spokesmen
Jomkwan Laophet and Komsan Nanthajit introduced the new image of Nation
Weekly which will include news columns for the family, current events and
the economy, written by Bandit Chantasrikham. During the break a lucky draw
was held and winners came away with great prizes.
The highlight of the event was the introduction of a new column and a new
book by Kanok Ratwongsakul, chief announcer of the National Broad Casting
Corporation Limited, and columnist for Nation Weekly. Kanok’s book,
“Only Pleasure in this Life” deals with happiness in the workplace and
contentment with life in general.
How to be a better you
Martin Brands
The Rotary Club Eastern Seaboard once again had a very
interesting guest speaker, James Lane, who spoke on his own self-development
program, “What if …?”
“Quatre
mains” by James Lane (left) with Martin Brands (second from left), Rotary
Club president, and some of the members and guests.
This program helps people to develop themselves and
strive towards a better mental and physical future. When you learn this
program from him and follow it, you could experience a sudden positive
change by recognizing the chances and opportunities that everyone is given
in life.
Too often, unfortunately, these chances pass people by,
either through not paying attention or ignorance about their potential.
“Just a few support mechanisms can prepare people to
recognize when these chances crop up,” Lane said in his address. “For
everyone, life is a continuous stream of challenges and possibilities. In
order to master ourselves, we must learn to grab these possibilities. For
that, we need to learn emotional intelligence. That requires training, as we
never received that kind of training at home or at school.”
He added that our actions are based on many positive and
negative experiences, and that these rule our emotions.
“It requires a lot of mental training to control our
emotions in a positive way. If we fail to do this, the result is continuous
stress,” he said.
A long discussion, in which all the members and guests participated
enthusiastically, followed his interesting talk.
US praises Thai heart disease
center as “best in Asia”
Thailand’s measures to develop dedicated centers to treat heart disease
patients are the best in Asia, according to a leading US medical magazine.
An article in the July edition of the Cath Lab Digest, a
US-based magazine for heart disease specialists, heaped praise on Thai
efforts to treat heart disease, in particular joint efforts between
universities, military hospitals and the Ministry of Public Health to
administer to patients with heart defects.
Lauding Thailand for its high standards of care, the
report noted that particular efforts had been made to ensure access to heart
disease treatment among rural patients, while medical specialists were
receiving exemplary training in the latest technology.
Describing Thai standards as equal to those in the US,
the heart disease specialists from Colorado and Washington singled out new
heart disease centers in Chantaburi Province in the east and Surat Thani
Province in the south of Thailand for their high standards of work, noting
that despite other health problems in Thailand, its heart disease treatment
was among the best in Asia.
According to Dr. Sa-nguan Nittiyaramphong,
secretary-general of the National Health Security Office, 80 Thais per
100,000 die of heart disease each year.
Thailand is accelerating the establishment of centers of
excellence to treat cancer, accident victims and heart disease, with the aim
of creating health centers that will provide international standards of
care. Rather than investing in completely new centers, the government’s
policy is to develop facilities at existing hospitals. (TNA)
Si, senorita! Salsa Night brings out the Latina passion
Staff reporters
The Salsa Night at the Moon River Pub on September 30 was
once again a roaring success. The venue was packed with women in elegant
dresses with a touch of South American, while the men also made some effort
to evoke that Latino look.
 Ferdinand
and Jitraporn show everyone how it’s done.
The dancing was definitely southern-style, with the Moon
River Pub providing just the right rhythm and atmosphere. The buffet was
also great - no wonder, considering the excellent management of Rene Pisters
and his beautiful assistant, Janine Tillmanns.
Dance instructors from the Philippines taught the guests
the salsa steps and everyone participated in good spirit. Of course, there
was also a small competition, and Janette Bagsic from the Philippines was
chosen Salsa Queen of the Night.
Virginia Sorensen and Jitraporn Moore organized the
successful evening. They aim to establish a small salsa club in Pattaya in
order to promote the Latin American dance-style and win over many
enthusiasts for it.
Samantha offers salsa lessons Mondays and Wednesdays from 2-3 p.m. at the
Marriot Fitness and Spa.
Business networking dinner hosted by Milan Crosse
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Milan Crosse Partner Ltd. recently held a networking
evening in Pattaya to promote friendship and exchange information among
Eastern Seaboard businessmen.
Eastern
Seaboard businessmen gathered at the Art Cafe for a networking evening to
promote friendship and exchange information.
Peter J. Stirling, the company’s MD hosted a
“Networking Dinner in Pattaya” party for the month of September at the
Art Cafe in Pattaya. Jo Stetten, manager of the Art Cafe graciously welcomed
the guests.
 Peter
J. Stirling Milan Crosse Partner Ltd. MD
This meeting/party is held monthly by businessmen located in Chonburi,
Pattaya, and Rayong. The gathering gives attendees a chance to air their
opinions and exchange experiences and knowledge in business management,
including solving problems and promoting friendships between the
businessmen.
Local
businessmen air their opinions and exchange experiences and knowledge.
A talk on trans-sexuality at the PILC
Elfi Seitz
Gill Chrystina Dalton was the long awaited guest speaker
at the last PILC luncheon at the Marriott Resort.
Since the beginning of this year, Gill has been a member
of the Pattaya International Ladies Club - a club whose membership is made
up entirely of women. However, Gill is transsexual. Eighteen months ago Gill
was a man, before she underwent a sex change.
Jaz
(standing 2nd left) enjoys a moment with members of the Pattaya
International Ladies Club during their luncheon at the Marriott Resort.
Now a few of you may say, “Oh, she is a “katoey”, a
transvestite. Wrong! There is a huge disparity of opinions regarding the
definitions of transgenderism. The following is a very brief and succinct
explanation: ‘Transvestism’ is generally perceived as a temporary
status. The transvestite, while experiencing the need to dress in the attire
of the ‘opposite’ sex, is in the majority of cases, heterosexual, and
does not, as a rule, desire a sex change. The term transgender is used as an
umbrella term that covers the whole range of conditions or identities that
do not fall within the bipolar paradigm of male and female.
 Gill
Dalton (left), shown here with PILC president, Sharon Tibbitts gave an
enlightening and moving talk at the PILC luncheon.
The term transsexual describes those individuals who
experience their morphological bodies as out of sync with their gender
identity and the intense discomfort that accompanies this condition. For the
transsexual person, the only solution to this condition is to undergo sex
reassignment surgery to enable them to live, as closely as possible, in the
gender they feel is rightly their own.
Gill belongs to the third category. She described very
clearly how, as a small child, she enjoyed the feeling of the material
swaying around her legs, when she secretly tried on one of her mothers
skirts. Yet, she described as well the feeling of shame in being
‘different’, not being able to talk to anyone about the problems a
transsexual person has, out of fear of being ‘discovered’.
Gill recounted how she worked at a real man’s job and
was successful at it. She spoke of her first marriage and how it failed
terribly. Only with her second wife, Pauline, did she experience the feeling
of performing a bit like a real man, but her inner feelings, the woman in
her, screamed out louder than before to be finally released.
Her audience was riveted as Gill told them how she had to
lie all her life, to be accepted as what she really was not: a man. She
talked about her suicide attempt, her growing dependency on alcohol, until
one day she found the courage to acknowledge the truth about herself. This
courage and spiritual help allowed her to do what she wanted to do all her
life, undergo an operation so she could finally be what she in truth by the
nature of her soul and her brain was: a woman.
At the end of her talk, Gill thanked with teary eyes that
one woman, her former wife Pauline, now known as Jaz, for all the help,
understanding and unconditional love she received from her until this very
day. She also thanked the ladies of the PILC for their help and moral
support from the day she arrived back in Pattaya to live here.
The attendance in the ballroom at the Marriott set a
record. Gill sincerely answered all the questions asked by the PILC members
with blunt honesty. As she said herself, “Truth is now for me the most
important part in my life. I had to lie all my life until I found myself and
learned to stand for what I am now today: a woman”.
Gill is forming a foundation called “Dawn of Light”. Readers who are
interested in learning more can visit the website www.grs-thailand.com
Celebrities choose Au Bon Coin for birthday bash
Anyone stumbling into the Au Bon Coin Restaurant on a recent Saturday
night could have been forgiven for thinking that they had entered the Rock
’n’ Roll Hall of Fame - or Madame Tussuads! Dozens of glitterati and
famous rock stars (alive and dead) were seen entering the restaurant, intent
on helping celebrate an important milestone in the life of their good
friend, Roger Brown - his 50th birthday.
 The
birthday boy – Freddie rocks on!
The Beckhams were there, with David sporting yet another
new hairstyle (silver streaks), along with Billie Idol and Kylie Minogue.
Johnny Cash sauntered in and was later seen deep in conversation with
Madonna, no doubt comparing their cowboy hats.
Tina Turner looked stunning in red sequins and Jennifer
Lopez was a knockout - only she could wear stretch lace like that in public!
Buddie Holly appeared – or was that Elvis Costello? – with very cool
glasses! DJ Mike chilled out and Ozzy Osbourne was so real it was scary –
brave woman Pink to accompany him! No one knew that Angus from ACDC had a
twin brother but both the noisy lads were there in their shorts.
 The
fabulous Beckhams.
Cyndi Lauper showed that girls just want to have fun.
Star of the night of course was the dashing ‘We will rock you’ birthday
boy, Freddie Mercury, unmistakable in his white jumpsuit, which was soon
covered in lipstick from eager fans.
 Ozzy
and Pink go wild.
Canto-pop star Laipeng attended the party with her agent,
with whom she is rumored to be in a serious relationship. Many old rockers
from the last century made appearances but requested anonymity from the
amazingly co-operative paparazzi. (However, it was rumored that Jimi
Hendrix, Toya Wilcox and Gwen Stefane were seen entering the premises.)
 Johnny
Cash and Madonna swap hat stories.
After feasting on fabulous non-Atkins food prepared by famed ‘chef to
the stars’ Jose, the rowdy group moved on to the Easy Rider Bar to party
the night away with local rockers Pop and his band. Dozens of tourists
escaped serious injury as they tried to cross Second Road, intent on
catching sight of the celebrities who had so amazingly appeared in Pattaya
unannounced. Many happy returns, Roger – or is that Freddie? It was a
great night – same time, same place next year?
Fab glam
rockers.
Party
girl J-Lo flashes a smile.
Bad boys
of rock.
Beach party out-dares overcast skies ... and wins
Elfi Seitz
So what if it wasn’t always sunshine and the rainy
season is still demanding its last breath of wet weather! The members and
guests of the Rotary Club Taksin Pattaya, led by president Marliese Fritz,
had a most fun-filled beach party at Tik Beach in Naklua last week.
 The
beaming winners in the darts competition, from right Lek (1st), Sakorn (2nd)
and Tik (3rd). In the foreground is little Natacha.
A huge picnic buffet of bratwurst and other sausages as
well as salads and Thai dishes took care of the healthy appetites whetted by
the fresh sea air.
The beer and other drinks also flowed in good measure, to
keep the adults and children happy.
There were great games, as well; for example, the Wheel of Fortune, where
one could win wonderful gifts, and the big darts competition in which all
three winners were Thais.
Step
right up! Throw a dart, win a prize!
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