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Edwin Wouters, The Flying Dutchman speaks at PCEC meeting
The Pattaya City Expats Club were privileged to have
Edwin Wouters, holder of a Thai private pilots licence talk recently at
their Sunday meeting. Edwin’s relaxed and interactive presentation, with
scripted and unscripted asides, brought a subject and hobby that one
originally felt could only be enjoyed by the rich and famous, to light as
yet another possibility of things to do in Thailand.
 “The
Flying Dutchman” Edwin Wouters
In years gone by people believed that it was not an
interest that could be pursued in Thailand, as there were no airfields, the
country had been under a military dictatorship and there was no freedom to
fly in certain areas. This is no longer the case and, with certain
restrictions, the enthusiasts can enjoy their flying in most areas.
Edwin, who is originally from Rotterdam, started flying
back in the 90’s. He became a member of the Thai Flying Club in 2001 and
the CMT (Ultralight) in 2002. Edwin says that if you have your own plane you
can go virtually anywhere you like. All the major airports and places like
U-Tapao, Phuket, and Hua Hin are accessible with prior permission, as is
Chiang Mai in the north and other places in the north-west corner of
Thailand.
The Thai Flying Club is based at Bang Phra with just one
runway. Like many of the smaller airfields in Thailand the facilities are
basic and minimal but at the TFC they do have the wonderful facility of the
Bush Pilots Pub!
For Ultralight enthusiasts there is a facility near
Bang-Phra, just off Hwy 7, and these planes have developed considerably over
the years to the point of some being indistinguishable from “real”
planes.
Edwin went on to talk of the necessary things and
regulations that have to be met in order to obtain a private pilots licence
in Thailand.
Obviously one of the things one needs when travelling
anywhere by any means is a reliable map of the area to be visited. Edwin
said that maps can be purchased at most flying clubs, BUT they are not
always up-to-date. Some are as old as 1975 and show features no longer there
and do not show many, if at all, of the recent developments such as major
roads and motorways.
Air traffic control for cross country flying can be
challenging to say the least. Check frequency cards but some of the
frequencies have changed! Definitely bring a GPS!
In everything there always seems to be unwritten rules.
Especially if one is doing a long flight one should check, and double check,
the opening hours of refuelling facilities.
If one wishes to base an aircraft at the TFC it can cost
between 4 and 7,000 baht per month. This does give a full service pre flight
and run up checks. You must be a life member to base your aircraft at the
club.
The Chiang Mai Club flies 7 days a week. The TFC only
flies on Saturday and Sunday. CMT, the Ultralight flying club, operates in
principle 7 days a week.
The weather in Thailand is good for flying as the skies
are usually clear. One can easily check satellite photos and infra red
satellite photos.
Regarding the regulations for a Thai private pilots
licence, there is an aptitude test and one must be able to read, speak,
write and understand the English Language. One must be able to pass the Thai
medical requirements. One must be at least 16 years of age to get a
provisional licence, and at least 17 years of age to get the PPL. One must
put in 40 hours of flying time, 10 hours of which must be solo, flying 5 of
them solo across country. It’s a must to pass the Thai DCA exam in seven
subjects. There are oral and written exams (written questions tend to be in
Thai-English and not necessarily clear of their meaning).
To change an existing PPL into a Thai one costs about 500 baht but takes
4-6 weeks. Contact Khun Add at Bang Phra Airport and Khun Nine and Tony at
Chiang Mai Flying Club. A Thai Pilots licence only permits flying in
Thailand, but it is possible to fly over the border with prior arrangement
to Malaysia (The Royal Selangor Flying Club), Singapore and the Philippines,
which are all popular near destinations.
Birthdays celebrated at
Pattaya Rotary Fellowship Night
Narisa Nitikarn
Pattaya Rotary Club’s Fellowship Night party at Ban
Sukhawadee on August 20, presided over by club chairman Bunsueb Ek-Akara,
included a combined birthday celebration for six of the members.
District
Governor Jin Srikasikorn (3rd right) and other birthday Rotarians receive
flowers from well wishers.
Beginning the action was a musical show from Aksornsuksa
School, followed by a dinner buffet. After dinner, Bunsueb congratulated the six
whose birthdays took place in July and August.
Dr Panya Chotethewan, chairman of Union Farm Co Ltd, was honored guest of the
evening. Rotary members from Bangkapi, Trat, Chantaburi and Rayong also joined
in the evening’s fun.
Rotary Club Jomtien-Pattaya and Emerson donate air-conditioner to Pluakdang Hospital
Suchada Tupchai
Rotary Jomtien-Pattaya in conjunction with Emerson Climate
Technologies has donated an air conditioning unit to Pluakdang Hospital.
Past president of the club, Miss Judy Hoppe formally handed
over the donation to Dr Phairat Songkram, chief executive officer of the
hospital, and Thanarat Namphondee, chief counselor of the Mental Health and
Narcotics Rehabilitation Clinic, along with officials of the Counselor
Ambulatory and Psychosocial Care Center.
Rotary
Jomtien-Pattaya in conjunction with Emerson Climate Technologies recently
donated an air conditioning unit to Pluakdang Hospital.
Thanarat, in his thank you speech, said Pluakdang is one of
Thailand’s leading village hospitals in the treatment of drugs users, serving
as an education center in the fight against drugs and providing social care once
the patients leave the hospital.
During the past year, 456 patients have been admitted to the
hospital’s drugs rehabilitation program. Most of them, said Thanarat, are
young people. This figure is very high for a small village area like Pluakdang
and indicates that the problems of drug use are becoming more severe.
During the rehabilitation process the hospital encourages
village leaders and the patients’ families to participate, and there is a
follow-up procedure to monitor the progress and effectiveness of the treatment.
The hospital is supported by governmental, private and
international organizations, including the United States Embassy in Thailand. In
the near future the hospital will install a Geographical Information System
(GIS).
Judy Hoppe said that the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya holds
regular fundraising events to support villages that need help, especially
education programs that help local children, and the club supplies funding every
year to support various projects.
The funds for this donation were raised through the kind
sponsors of the Pattaya Mail PC Classic Royal Cliff Beach Resort International
Regatta held in March this year.
It’s back to basics with the Lanna-style Sikhara Heritage villas
Suchada Tupchai
Sikhara Heritage Jomtien held a soft opening party to
announce details of its timber Lanna-style homes that promise a return to the
natural style of living of yesteryear, although with all the modern comforts.
Hosted by chairman of Perapat Homeasia Co Ltd Perapat
Palkawong na Ayutthaya at the Sikhara Heritage Privacy Villas Resorts & Spa
site at Jomtien Soi 19, the party featured a traditional Northern Thailand
khantoke dinner.
Sikhara
Heritage houses are modeled in Lanna style.
There are 47 villas in phase 1 of the project, standing in a
16-rai garden area. With a choice of three or four bedrooms, the villas vary in
area from 160 to 280 square meters.
Perapat said that the company was established in 2003 with a
capital registration of 10 million baht as a spa business with three branches in
Thailand and two in Australia. The main business alliance partner is Pacific
International.
The concept, he said, represents a step back to basics. A lot
of people now want to revert to a simpler lifestyle in harmony with nature. The
project seeks to combine both the past and the present to provide the best of
both worlds.
Each of the houses in the project is unique, and each can be
decorated according to the birth sign of the owner to ensure prosperity.
Pattaya Mail
congratulates Perapat Palkawong na Ayutthaya, chairman of Perapat Homeasia Co
Ltd, on the project opening.
Perapat said that for anyone treating this as part of an
investment portfolio, a return on the original investment can be made in 12
years and it will deliver an 8 percent return thereafter. “It’s not a risky
investment and is very interesting,” said Perapat.
The Lanna-style theme of the party continued with a traditional performance
of Northern dance, featuring sabadchai drum music, and an elephant was on hand
to have its photograph taken with the Sikhara Heritage project guests.
PILC Holiday Bazaar build-up continues
Gillian Thom
The countdown continues for the Pattaya International Ladies
Club’s popular Annual Holiday Bazaar, to be held on Saturday October 8 at the
Royal Cliff Beach Resort.
There will be over 50 stalls selling a variety of clothes,
textiles, home decor goods, jewellery and crafts from all over Thailand, and the
date is a must for those who want to do some early Christmas shopping. Stalls
are still available for rent and enquiries should be directed to Sharon Tibbits
on [email protected]
The raffle is one of the highlights, and yet again the club
has had generous donations from companies and retailers around Pattaya. Some of
the highlights include scuba diving lessons, golf lessons and rounds at various
courses around Pattaya, beauty treatments and spa sessions, antiques and
jewellery, tailor made clothes, and the chance to treat yourself with
complimentary accommodation and meals at some of Thailand’s top resorts.
Tickets for the raffle are on sale for THB 50 each, or a complete book of 12
tickets costs THB 500, and Pattaya residents are all encouraged to buy a few
tickets to help swell funds available for the PILC’s nominated charities.
Please contact Judy Clausen on 038-240-792 or 01-650-6630 for your purchase of
raffle tickets!
Grubs up
Humans bite back with a la carte insects
Chatchanun Chaisree
Green mantis, horseshoe crabs, waterbugs, scorpions, small
toads and fresh crickets frozen in ice are all packed up and sent on a weekly
delivery to Pattaya from Aranyaprathet district, in the province of Prachinburi
on the Thailand-Cambodia border.
Aroi maak
… tasty grasshoppers and grubs.
The insects, grubs, bugs and other unlikely delicacies are
then bought by vendors and whisked up for ready customers throughout the city.
Sang-Khun Taew, one of the main insect distribution agents in
Pattaya, said that to meet demand buyers also go to Rongklua Market in
Aranyaprathet every few days to buy fresh insects from Thai and Cambodian
vendors. Each time they have to bring back at least 40-50 kilograms. On a long
weekend or public holiday they have to buy more and then store them in ice
otherwise they will go off. And no one, not even the hardiest, likes rotten
bugs.
In the rainy season the supply is plentiful and consequently
prices are cheap. In the dry season, however, the market is quiet and the prices
are higher.
Sin Imsamran, a vendor of fried insects behind Carrefour in
Central Pattaya, told Pattaya Mail that she has been in business for
about a year. At one o’clock every day she goes to buy fresh insects from
Taew. She takes the insects home to clean and fry them before placing them in
her cart to sell in the evening, staying at her pitch from 17.00 to midnight.
She says she can make a profit of about 300-400 baht per day.
Middle Eastern people and Thais eat nearly all types of insect but foreigners
tend to love the green mantis most.
Intensive fire drill conducted
for Ambassador City staff
Narisa Nitikarn
 Fire
Protection Officer Sergeant Anucha Luangmuang (left) of Pattaya City Fire
Department explains and demonstrates correct usage of firefighting equipment.
Ambassador City Hotel Jomtien held its annual fire protection
training program recently, led by an officer from the Fire Protection Department
and involving over 200 hotel employees in vigorous fire drill techniques.
The day began with a talk by Sergeant Anucha Luangmuang of
the Fire Protection Department, who brought along a team to demonstrate the
practical aspects.
After a morning of theory the afternoon session focused on
practice. The training took place throughout six floors of the hotel and
included escaping from a blazing building via a basket and ensuring that the
employees were familiar with the fire safety equipment, including extinguishers
and escape chutes.
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