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Rattana-san says thank you to friends and family at Yamato Japanese Restaurant
(Left to right) Premprecha
Dibbyawan, Prince Malhotra, Primprao Somsri and Peter Malhotra say thanks
for many wonderful years of good fun and camaraderie to Rattana Yothawong.
Prince Malhotra
On a warm Sunday afternoon last week old Pattaya pilgrims congregated at the
Yamato, a well established Japanese restaurant in Pattaya, to meet and greet
each other and be warmly received by the dowager queen of all Japanese
restaurants in Pattaya, Rattana Yothawong.
The annual re-union gave Rattana the opportunity to embrace old friends from
the community and overseas including colleagues from the Rotary Club of
Jomtien Pattaya where she served as president in 1993-94.
Amongst the gathering of long lasting friends were Premprecha Dibbayawan,
Somsak Kawowthong of Somsak’s Restaurant, the legendary Bill and Pat
Burbridge, Alvi Sinthuvanik, Peter Malhotra with his family from the Pattaya
Mail and many others which are too many to name.
Guests enjoyed traditional Japanese delicacies washed down by the world
famous Sake, the Japanese rice wine, which we are told, flows smoothly down
your throat and soothes your nerves, your heart and soul all the way down to
your toes. So soothing was the effect that by late the afternoon we saw and
heard many truly happy Anjin-sans cheerfully singing songs in praise of
samurais and geishas.
At about the auspicious moment, Rattana welcomed her guests with kind words
of appreciation, thanking them for their caring and support throughout the
years. This was followed by a few more orations from some of her friends who
enjoy public speaking, expressing their love and affection for Rattana
throughout the past 25 years.
Sue, PMTV’s charming swords/anchor woman was also there, beautifully adorned
in an ancient Kyoto hand painted kimono, microphone in hand speaking to the
some of Rattana’s friends that afternoon. This is what they had to say:
Pat Burbridge: I’ve been friends with Rattana for more than 30 years. Her
restaurant is one of the oldest in Pattaya; it was a meeting place for us
pioneer women. This is a wonderful occasion to meet old time friends again.
Somsak: I’ve known this place for 26 years, it’s probably the first Japanese
restaurant here. Rattana is a like a Queen in Pattaya, and she works very
hard.
Alvi: I just got back from the temple to give alms to the monks, but I will
drink a little sake now to make a toast for Khun Rattana. My family also
enjoys food here at Yamato very much.
Luisa: I’ve known Rattana for 15-16 years. She’s a great lady, very helpful.
Just great.
Han: I’ve known Rattana for more than 30 years. We are good friends and she
is a great lady. I like to come here because the food is always fresh.
Sri: Rattana is my long time friend of 19 years. She was the first president
of the Restaurateur Club here and did a lot for the club. A very appropriate
person for that position.
Nakorn: I’m Rattana’s brother. I’ve been working at Yamato for 4 years now.
It’s fun to work here because we are brother and sister. I learn to prepare
Japanese food here, it’s not difficult, you just need a good memory.
Premprecha Dibbyawan, a renowned lawyer and philanthropist, had this to say:
“Khun Rattana is a brave pioneer. As the first lady president of the Rotary
Club of Jomtien-Pattaya she showed guts and leadership skills, which she has
also implemented into her business. This soi was named Yamato after her
restaurant and therefore this Japanese establishment must stand forever. We
wish her luck in her devotion to serve diners with integrity and honour.”
Siam Bayshore Resort holds blood donor session
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Siam Bayshore Resort on August 7 held a blood donor drive in cooperation
with Queen Savang Vadhana Memorial Hospital in Sriracha.
 Siam
Bayshore Resort employees donate blood in honor of His Majesty the King.
Hotel employees and members of the public gathered at the hotel’s Park View 2
conference room between 9 a.m. and 12 noon to donate blood, organized as part of
the hotel’s activities celebrating the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the
King’s ascension to the throne.
About 50 people gave blood, the session yielding 15,900 cc’s in total, which
will be transferred to the Region 3 Blood Center in Chonburi. From there, blood
is sent to hospitals in the Eastern provinces as and when required.
A representative of Queen Savang Vadhana Memorial Hospital said that medical
teams regularly collect blood from donor locations away from the hospital, with
30 donors being the minimum number required.
Jake Needham regales Pattaya City Expat Club with tales of book writing
American author/lawyer Jake
Needham provides his personal insight for the Pattaya City Expats Club.
Famous American author/lawyer Jake Needham (Big Mango,
Laundry Man, Killing Plato, and his latest book The Ambassador’s Wife) spoke
about writing crime fiction and other topics of interest at the Sunday, August 6
meeting of the Pattaya City Expat Club.
Jake regaled the audience with tales of writing, and even said his first book,
The Big Mango, was written as a sort of joke, which no one got. He wrote it on a
whim, just wondering if he could do it.
Jake said he has never been big on focusing on plot as the main theme; rather,
he likes to introduce us to places we would never go and people we would never
meet. Crime draws us in, wondering … if I were in that situation, could I kill
someone?
His new book, The Ambassador’s Wife, is about the U.S. embassies in Singapore
and Bangkok and the Secret Services operating out of or under the guise of
embassy staff. However, Jake recommends reading The Laundry Man first, and then
Killing Plato.
Jake also commented on what Americans back home think of we who have abandoned
our home country to live here. We must have done something wrong: running from
the Internal Revenue Service, escaping the law, or just sex crazed old men. The
main theme being: “Why would anyone want to live someplace other than America?”
All said with tongue firmly in cheek.
After Jake’s talk, there was a lively question and answer period.
Cosmetic Angels will act as Samitivej Beauty Center ambassadors
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Three attractive students from Burapha University have won the Cosmetic Angel
competition organized by the Samitivej Beauty Center, the prizes being presented
on August 5 at Samitivej Hospital in Sriracha.
 (From
left to right) Watchaneeporn Koosrap, Thapanan Sangthipkanya and A-charee
Ratchapradit won the Cosmetic Angel contest.
The competition, which got underway on July 17, was staged with the cooperation
of universities in Chonburi province for the purpose of publicizing the
hospital’s beauty center, which is due to open in September.
Thirty contestants went through to the finals, the girls being judged not just
on healthy skin and hair but also on their personalities as the finalists will
act as beauty ambassadors for the Samitivej Center.
The three Cosmetic Angel winners were Thapanan Sangthipkanya, A-charee
Ratchapradit and Watchaneeporn Koosrap. All are Burapha University students.
Each of the three winners received cash and gifts from sponsors. They will
perform their promotional work for the center at least once a month and each
time they will receive 10,000 baht as payment.
Medical checkups given at BPH women’s health symposium
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Women’s health was the subject of a symposium for members of the public held at
the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital on August 5, with hospital director Dr Piras
Parditwanit presiding and medical staff and health care workers attending.
 Many
mothers attended the health consultations and medical check ups provided by
experts.
Guest of honor at Healthy Woman 2006 was Khru Aun-Maneenuch Saemorasut. Priest
Prasert Tulathammo from Khao Buudhakodom Temple in Chonburi gave a sermon.
There was a discussion on a disease known as “the chocolate cyst”, a potentially
dangerous condition that can necessitate the removal of the uterus, and an
announcement was made that 30,000 baht had been raised for the Elderly Social
Welfare Development Center.
There were also many health advice booths for the women attending, where medical
checks and consultations were provided.
Irish lad wins giant
hamburger eating contest
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Gavin Northern from Ireland beat all comers in a hamburger eating contest on
August 5 at Carrefour department store in Pattaya. He managed to put away 1.5
kilograms of hamburger in just 14.13 minutes, earning himself 5,000 baht.
 Bob
Schindler, manager-owner of Bob’s BBQ & Grill, presents a gift to Deputy Mayor
Ronakit Ekasingh.
Bob Schindler, manager-owner of Bob’s BBQ & Grill, and Michael Richard, manager
of Carrefour Pattaya, organised the giant hamburger eating contest. Deputy Mayor
Ronakit Ekasingh presided over the start of the event.
This was the first event of its kind in Pattaya, and the Tourism Authority of
Thailand Region 3, Ripley’s Pattaya, and the Consumer Protection Department
helped sponsor the event.
Suttichai Chaithsong, 19, finished first runner-up and won 3,000 baht, whilst
second runner-up, 22-year-old Theerasak Thongsuk, won 2,000 baht.
 Gavin
Northern from Ireland won the giant hamburger eating contest at Carrefour.
Also on display was a giant hamburger, weighing in at a whopping 35 kilograms.
The event was successfully entered into the Guinness Book of Records.
Piangtaa Khumtaa from the Redemptorist Orphanage told reporters that Bob
Schindler presented the proceeds from the event to the orphanage. The funds will
be used to buy daily essentials for the children, plus six bunk beds, pillows
and mattresses. The children said they were very happy to receive the beds.
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