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A tribute to George Best

Lady boy harassment in Jomtien

Not a problem, navy officer solves knotty problem of Sattahip souvenirs

A tribute to George Best

Editor,

Having had the pleasure when I was young of making the acquaintance of recently departed footballer George Best, I would like to pay my own tribute:

Having little interest in sport, I accept as true the accolades of the world’s most distinguished names in football, that George was the greatest talent ever to play the game. I do not, however, believe this particular talent was the game’s real loss. His on-field competitiveness never transferred to the peeing contests that are so endemic in all walks of life. Whilst dating Miss Worlds he retained the ability to be “one of the lads” and was ever the amusing, charming and philosophical gent.

Unfortunately, he had envious lesser mortals to contend with, and who thought they could make themselves look better by deriding him. Many picked at his fall from grace with malicious glee, and as if he had deprived them personally of something he owned them. It is an unfortunate fact of life that not all such people are football fans. Even Pattaya has its legion of grumpies.

George never drew me to football, but his lust for life and critics of it did make me understand that there are far more worthwhile things to get excited about than watching other men chase balls.

Incidentally, Australian Pat Rafter clearly thought along similar lines. When he quit tennis while at the top of the game he said, “There is more to life than hitting a ball over a net.”

I believe George Best’s true legacy is that he brought glamour to what, especially when football has been hijacked for use as an advertising vehicle and win-at-all-costs grimaces and gargoyle-like face have replaced the humour and smiles that he displayed, has descended into what is far from a beautiful game.
Tony Crossley

Lady boy harassment in Jomtien

Dear Sirs;

I am a traveller with almost two decades full of trips to LOS. (When in this area) I usually stay in a hotel in Jomtien, which I chose due to its peacefulness at night. I had my previous trip few weeks ago and there have been changes since last time. I read from Pattaya Mail about cleaning the Beach Road but the problem has just moved to another place.

At night time the streetwalking lady boys appear on Jomtien Beach Road and aggressively hunt customers. In earlier times this was not seen in Jomtien.

One night when I was returning to my hotel on a motorbike taxi, catcalls and “Hello hansum’s” were raining from the curb, they trying to get me to stop. Then some of them jumped on their scooters and chased my bike taxi to the hotel and did their best to lure me. On subsequent nights, more or less the same show was there.

Thinking about the history of action in South Pattaya Beach Road and the Finn who was found in bad shape in Jomtien earlier, it’s a possibility that lady boy robbers are in Jomtien now, too. A new cleaning might be in need?
L. T.

Not a problem, navy officer solves knotty problem of Sattahip souvenirs

Chatchanan Chaisree

A navy warrant officer has come up with a simple yet effective idea that he thinks will sell well as a souvenir of Thailand and specifically of Sattahip, an area with a distinguished naval history.

Warrant Officer First Class Sanit Sangsawang put his work in a frame.

Warrant Officer First Class Sanit Sangsawang, age 45, is in service at the Naval Training Department in Sattahip.

He told Pattaya Mail that he had gone on an official visit to collect the royal ship Chakri Naruebet from Spain. While there he discovered that the Spanish sell knotted ropes in a frame as a souvenir. He bought three of them and brought them back to Thailand, where the interest he had convinced him that he should make his own version for sale here.

Sanit says he has never seen them anywhere else, and that a beautifully prepared knot in a frame could be an ideal souvenir for someone who has been to Sattahip and would like a gift to take home.

As a navy man he is naturally experienced with knots, and he started to study Thai and foreign textbooks to gain some more ideas.

A rope is a ply of natural threads or synthetic fibers. They are spun or twined in many ways to be used to tie a parcel, to tow or pull something, and to tie a ship to a dock. In marine use the rope must be divided into three parts: a running end, to be tied together; a standing end, the static end of the rope; and the bight, the main part of the rope from the running end to the standing end where the rope is brought back to be tied to a spar, ring or post.

Sanit said he uses a white parachute rope, thread, silicone, scissors and endurance. The latter is a must because it needs handiwork, patience, and personal ability to coil and tie the rope.

He will be at the 25th Asia-Pacific Regional Jamboree that will be held from December 28 to January 3 at Hadyao, Sattahip, to present 500 framed knots to attendees as a souvenir of Thailand.

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