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HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]: 

Cultural Garden event will highlight Thai traditions

Thai Paralympians meet British Prime Minister’s spouse

When Cindy weds Byron

Marriott to stage fund-raising dinner for Mabprachan School

Friendships new and old at Rotary Club dinner

Rotary Club makes donation to Banglamung Wildlife Protection Centre

Filipinos stage a hot night of Latin American rhythm

Never tell a girl her dress is garbage, even when it is

Naklua Lions stage blood donation drive on August 9

Donations in memory of Father Ray

Cultural Garden event will highlight Thai traditions

Suchada Tupchai

On August 7, the inaugural Cultural Garden event was staged as a joint effort between Sriracha Municipality and Burapha University, with Sriracha’s Health Garden as the venue.

The “salor” Thai instrument.

Designed to promote multi-faceted aspects of Thai culture, this will be a series of performances and other attractions staged each Sunday through to September 25, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be a different show each week.

Sriracha Mayor Chatchai Timkrachang, his deputy Chalao Charoensantisuk, and Assistant Professor Bunma Thaikao, who is deputy director of the student activity department at Burapha, jointly hosted a press conference to announce the event.

Mayor Chatchai said the march of progress and technology and the way in which society changes can easily eradicate cultural perspectives, which in turn can destabilize society. Sriracha Municipality regularly supports Thai cultural events and this year was working in conjunction with Burapha University, which has a high reputation in traditional and cultural subjects.

Thai children playing “Ngoo Gin Hang”.

Assistant Professor Bunma said the Cultural Garden will have 24 elements, including traditional string music, drum playing, Issan food, Thai desserts, traditional dance, and children’s activities.

With the attractive surroundings and the fresh sea air, he said the Health Garden is an ideal setting for the event, which will bring in both local and foreign tourists to enjoy Thai cultural activities.

For more information please contact the Sriracha municipality office at 038 312 607, 310902 and 311060.

Thai musical shows on the rocks attracted lots of public interest.


Thai Paralympians meet British Prime Minister’s spouse

Mrs. Cherie Booth Blair wais to greet the athletes.

Supachai Koysap and Rewat Tana, two Thai disabled athletes, in England to participate in the recent London Marathon, had the honor of visiting #10 Downing street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister, where they met Mrs. Cherie Booth Blair, the wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Both athletes were among 32,000 people participating in the Flora London Marathon 2005.

Supachai and Rewat have been competing in many events including the Paralympics last year in Athens Greece, but this was their first time taking part in the London Marathon. Their objective was too raise funds for new building construction at the Redemptorist Vocational School in Pattaya, where both athletes had been enrolled and trained.

The Redemptorist School for the Disabled is a part of the Father Ray Foundation, which also oversees the Pattaya Orphanage, the schools for the Deaf and the Blind, and the Street Kids Project, all in Pattaya.

Supachai Koysap and Rewat Tana in front of the #10 Downing Street.


When Cindy weds Byron

Sister Monica Maddox
Photos by Sue K.

Proud parents walking Cindy down the isle.

The true definition of “Happy Couple”.

Her Serene Highness Siriwanwaree Mahidol with the groom and bride.

‘Pattaya Corner’ at the Reception. From left: Ib Ottesen, George Rothstein, Sue, Nat & Nong, Panida and Kanika Ottesen, Ursula Rothstein, Jitra Chandrasiri, and Alvi Sinthuvanik

Some touted it as THE wedding, others as “the wedding of the year”. Doubtless, for most of us it was a truly unforgettable occasion. It was the day when dreams of friendship and love, of togetherness and forever, of memories, Sakura, music, rings and vows all came to a culmination in a beautiful Mass at Holy Redeemer Church in Ruam Rudee in Bangkok when Cindy Burbridge, daughter of Pat and Bill Burbridge and Byron Bishop sealed their friendship in marriage vows on the 29th July.

Present to share the joy were family and friends who had come from America, Australia, Japan, other parts of Asia and many parts of Thailand.

The happy couple was also very honored by the attendance of Her Serene Highness Princess Siriwanwaree Mahidol.

The cocktail reception and late party that followed at the spectacularly decorated Four Seasons Hotel were well attended by the who’s who in the fashion, movie and media industries.


Marriott to stage fund-raising dinner for Mabprachan School

Suchada Tupchai

Pattaya Marriott Resort & Spa will stage a gala dinner charity night on September 17, with the proceeds going to Mabprachan School.

The hotel’s public relations manager, Jeeranan Bunrod, announcing the event at a press conference, said the school currently has 86 pupils but only three teachers, with no assistant teachers or janitors. The school building is in a dilapidated state and lacks money for repairs, and the cafeteria needs equipment. The school also needs furniture for the library and sports and playground equipment.

Jeeranan Bunrod, public relations manager at Pattaya Marriott Resort & Spa, and Chaiyot Phoopattanapong, vice chairman of the Pattaya Mass Media Club, joined the discussion for the charity activity.

Jeeranan said the school lacks many elements to be productive, and its needs are urgent. The Pattaya Marriott is therefore holding the gala charity event to help support the school’s reparation budget of 2 million baht.

The dinner will begin at 7 p.m. on September 17, and along with fine food and wines there will be a live band and a stage show. For more information and reservations contact Jeeranan Bunrod at tel 038 412120, fax 038 710478 or e-mail: [email protected]. Tickets are 1,499 baht per person.


Friendships new and old at Rotary Club dinner

Rotary Club Taksin-Pattaya members, including Stephan Heynert, president of the Rotary Club Taksin-Pattaya, Dieter H Précourt, former president, Peter Thorand and John M Botting, press officer and board member are photographed with Your Hut Café owner Apple.

Elfi Seitz

Friendship was on the menu at the Rotary Club Taksin-Pattaya’s fellowship party held in Your Hut Café in Naklua’s Soi 12, with members getting together with friends new and old in an informal atmosphere.

Restaurant owner Apple arranged a Mexican dinner, the margaritas added to the spirit of friendship, and a grand time was had by all.


Rotary Club makes donation to Banglamung Wildlife Protection Centre

Rotarian Marvin Green and staff at
the Wildlife Centre.

On Wednesday July 27, two members of the Rotary Club of Taksin-Pattaya, Marvin Green and Peter Thorand, traveled to Wat Yan where the Banglamung Wild Life Protection and Breeding Centre is located. There they handed over advanced medical and clinical items to be used by the centre to cure some of the different illness these rare animals develop at times.

These items where kindly donated to Rotary Taksin-Pattaya by Col. Tom Pool, a senior US Army Veterinarian. Col. Tom asked that our club kindly donate the items to the centre which the club was of course very pleased to do.


Filipinos stage a hot night of Latin American rhythm

Elfi Seitz

Virginia Sorenson, president of the Association of Filipinos in Thailand Eastern Chapter, invited all members and friends to the yearly Latin Night Charity at the A-One Hotel. Guests of honor included Philippines Ambassador Antonio V Rodriguez and his spouse Mary Ana Janette, Chonburi MP Chanyuth Hengtrakul, Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn, and several members of the Philippine Embassy.

The Association of Filipinos in Thailand - Eastern Region Chapter raised funds for charity during their annual Latin Night.

Explaining why she likes to help underprivileged children, Virginia said she wanted to show that deep in our hearts, we all care.

“Where there is suffering, there is duty, sparing our children from struggles we have the power to prevent,” she said. “I strongly believe that every single person deserves a chance, and that no insignificant person was ever born.”

Virginia danced a hot cha-cha with Jojo.

Part of the proceeds of the event will go to helping street children, and part to Kasangga Mo Ang Langit in the Philippines, whose founder Mr Langit has recently died of the disease he had been working to help eradicate, cerebral malaria.

A dance performance followed by the group Sida, featuring Helen, Angel, Sheila, Jojo and Gil. Virginia took part and danced a hot cha-cha with Jojo, giving the audience the more reason to applaud.

Champions of the Latin-American Thai contest, Pornchanok, 14, and her partner Bonbon, 15, showed that not only Latinos can dance by putting on a dazzling display for guests.


Never tell a girl her dress is garbage, even when it is

Ariyawat Nuamsawat

It’s not often that a girl will admit to dressing up in discarded oddments, and even less often that she will win a prize by doing so, but that is what happened at the Siam Bayview on July 21, when a competition of dressmaking from reusable articles was staged.

Competitors pose in their recycled attire, dreaming about winning the big prize.

Assistant general manager of the hotel Suraphan Somthai was master of ceremonies for Bayview Recycle Fashion Festival 2005, designed to stimulate awareness in environmental protection and held as part of the hotel’s Green Leaf activities.

The Green Leaf project was created to help the Thai tourism and hospitality industry protect the environment and reduce energy usage. Siam Bayview joined the program in 1997. The hotel always participates in environmental activities held by Pattaya City and TAT, which receive many awards concerning environmental protection.

There were 14 teams from seven departments participating in the recycle dress competition. The judge examined their ideas, the left over articles, the level of difficulty, and their introductions.

In first place was “Modern Recycling” from the housekeeping department, second was “Cleopatra” from the accounting department, and third was Lady@Si-am from the food and beverage department. The winners received trophies.

Apart from the recycle dress competition there were environmental and energy reduction competitions involving employees from each department.


Naklua Lions stage blood donation drive on August 9

Narisa Nitikarn

August 9 was the date set for a blood donation drive led by the Naklua Lions Club, guided by its president Banchong Banthoonprayuk, led a blood donation drive on August 9 at Lan Pho Public Park in Naklua.

Donated blood will be transferred to the Thai Red Cross on August 12, Her Majesty the Queen’s birthday, and National Mother’s Day.

Speaking at the press conference to announce the event, Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn said the city cooperated with Naklua Lions Club to ensure as many people as possible donated their blood. The tsunami had nearly emptied the Thai Red Cross blood bank, which now doesn’t have enough to support any major accidents.


Donations in memory of Father Ray

Alumni at the Redemptorist Vocational Club and the Redemptorist School in Pattaya are organizing a collection to help priests fund the building of a museum in memory of the works of Father Ray, along with a new library.

Father Ray’s mission was to help the underprivileged and the disabled people, and he has left a lasting legacy. Donations can be made at Redemptorist School on August 16 from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For more information contact the alumnus Redemptorist Vocational Club in Pattaya, PO Box 1, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260. Tel 038 716247-9 ext 5114, fax 038-716542.