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HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]: 

PILC hosts fun-filled Quiz Night at Fountain of Life

PCEC members learn about local US VFW

Sikh community donates goods to AIDS sufferers

Obituary

PILC hosts fun-filled Quiz Night at Fountain of Life

Faye Vawdrey
A warm and balmy night on June 16 saw an enthusiastic and boisterous, nay, competitive throng of 95 Pattaya International Ladies Club members, partners and family descend upon the Foundation of Life Centre (FoL) bursting and bridling with anticipation to “beat the world”, well, just all the other tables really, for the annual Quiz Night; alias, I know more than you do!

Punnapha Manbumphen from Rayong happily sits on the new Yamaha motorbike she won in the raffle, as George McDonald looks on.
FoL had been polished and decorated to within an inch of its life; tables were strewn about the room (thank you to the local wat) and beautifully set, there were balloons galore (thank you Party Shop and Amber), pretty posies of flowers adorned the tables and room (thank you Sr Joan and Cindy). There was a table drinks service, which given the warmth of the evening, was very much appreciated, and 1/3 of the taking from this was donated to FoL.
We supped on a marvellous array of scrumptious food, provided for us most graciously by Michael, from the fantastic New Orleans Restaurant; not an easy task to prepare food elsewhere for such a large throng and then transport it to FoL, hot and ready to go. Fabulous effort. Then having been contentedly fed and watered, it was time for the real business of the evening to begin … the quiz.
What a great night it was! So much noise that our more than able and proficient MC for the evening, Gillian, had to put on a schoolmarm voice and scold to get us all under control. There were moments when Gillian thought she might have to call in the local riot police (are there any in Pattaya?) when overly passionate and or could we say obsessive (?) participants did not concur with the MC’s answer sheet. Well, okay, I admit I was more than a little perplexed with the Blue Flyer answer, as were all the other Australians I might add. Never heard of it! The questions were tough, they were gruelling, they were curly, but most of all they were entertaining. Our table thought it was just as much fun trying to work out an answer, hoping it might be the correct one, as it was in knowing the answers.
During the evening the Yamaha motorbike raffle was drawn. The winning ticket was one that George McDonald had sold at his workplace to a colleague, Punnapha Manbumphen from Rayong. The raffle raised 72,160 baht, a truly enormous effort, and our many thanks Roseanne for ‘cracking that whip’ so well on ticket sales.
The Quiz Night itself raised 69,621 baht on the evening. A great success in any one’s estimation. The winning table was formed from the Regents school teachers (unfair advantage I say!, ha ha), at Table #7, “Good for Nothings”. Hmmmm, I think not! Obviously their superior general knowledge skills paid off for them.
Second was table #8 “AM-U-KA (comprising, as the name eludes too American, British and Australian players); Third was table #9 “Lucky 9ers” and Fourth, table #3 “Pink Ladies”. A big round of applause for your adept answers and your expertise in so many varied and staggering fields. Bravo!
It is so wonderful to enjoy a PILC function and a night out with the men there too. And many a man was heard to enthuse about what a great time they were having and there should be more opportunities like this evening. A very big thank you to Michael Wilkinson, the general manager of AGS Four Winds International Movers for the generous sponsorship they give this event every year. Not only that, but Michael also booked a table, ‘Team 6 winds’ and participates himself. Our sincere thanks once again Michael. A gigantic thank you to Cindy and the welfare team for all their work! Many thanks to Gillian for doing such an admirable job MC-ing; you are a brave woman! A big thank you to Sr Joan and her staff, in fact, a huge thank you to all involved in this fantastic evening. Can’t wait until the next quiz night, and I know I’m not the only one.


PCEC members learn about local US VFW

John Lynham
Settlers injured in the Pequot War of 1637 were the first Americans to receive compensation after battle. Scandalously, benefits were consistently denied to American Civil War Confederate survivors until 1958. “Given time, the United States can be merciful,” quipped Al Serrato who, as senior vice-commander of the Pattaya branch of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), was the speaker at the Sunday June 24 meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club at Henry J Bean’s.

Al Serrato talks with the Pattaya City Expats Club about the Pattaya branch of Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Al, a PCEC member, presented a review of American conflicts throughout history in which government assistance to veterans has usually been too little, too late. A fierce patriot, proud of the Maltese Cross-based emblem of the VFW representing the ideals of courage, freedom, compassion, Al attacked the Bush administration for failing to honour its commitments.
“Men and women come back with broken bodies and broken hearts,” he said - only to find that the latest budget slashes health benefits for veterans and imposes a $250 charge for government medical services. “These people have made extreme sacrifices for their country,” he said. “It’s time their country honoured them in return.”
The Pattaya branch of the VFW, numbering 170, is the fifth-largest in the world and, besides offering medical advice and help with making claims, is active in such local charity initiatives as the used reading-glasses scheme. For further information, email Al at [email protected]
Gary Brown, our relaxed and welcoming MC, reminded members to sign up for a repeat of the highly successful visit to the UBC/TRUE VISION studios in Bangkok. Cliff Hagerman announced the next members’ dinner on Thursday July 5 at White Knights restaurant in Soi VC.
A new addition to the Club’s interest groups is the ‘How Do They Do It?’ group, which had its first outing straight after the meeting. A luxury coach took around 30 members to the Suphattraland fruit farm in Rayong, where a dinky little tram ferried us round orchards growing dragon fruit, rambutan, durian, mangosteen and other exotic delights, stopping to allow us to gorge ourselves on samples of the produce. The visit ended with a fragrant but non-spicy som tam. The group hopes to view other production processes in the future.
The meeting rounded off as usual with the Open Forum, where members share their experiences of expat living in Thailand and ask other members for information, hosted by Bob L’Etoile. He reported on the Hua Hin trip and how Gary Hacker, ex-US Coastguard pilot, talked his way into a tiny 4-seater fibreglass plane about to make a test flight and had himself a co-pilot’s aerial view of the city. Other members had a high time of it in more down-to-earth ways.
For more information see the Community Happenings section of Pattaya Mail, or visit the Club’s website at www. pattayacityexpatsclub.com.


Sikh community donates goods to AIDS sufferers

The Thai-Sikh community in Pattaya, led by the community’s leader, Amrik Singh Kalra, donated essential goods worth 30,000 baht to the Camillian Social Center of Rayong.

Vimolrat Singnikorn
The Thai-Sikh community in Pattaya has donated essential goods worth 30,000 baht to AIDS sufferers, the donation being made to the Camillian Social Center of Rayong on June 14 by the community’s leader, Amrik Singh Kalra.
Items including bedding, medical gloves and chemical disinfectants were presented to Yingbun Ramasut, head of administration at Camillian, which is part of the St Camillus Foundation of Thailand.
The Camillian Social Center opened in Rayong in January 1996, and in addition to taking care of adult sufferers gives treatment to orphaned children with AIDS, and works with government departments and private organizations to educate people on HIV and AIDS prevention and treatments.
Donations may be made at Ayudhaya Bank, Maptaput Branch, account number 229-1-29336-3 (AYDTHBK) and Krung Thai Bank, Maptaput Branch, account number 234-1-40727-7.


Obituary

Carl Engel
1936 - 2007

Carl Engle, Past President of Pattaya Sports Club for 3 consecutive years, MD of PESCO and owner of the Grapevine restaurant and bar, passed away Sunday, June 24 after a battle with cancer.
Carl was born in Abilene, Texas USA February 14, 1936. He entered the petro-chemical industry at an early age, and his employment took him to such interesting places as Iran, UAE, Japan, Argentina, and finally to Thailand in 1985 when he began working with Gas Plant Number 1 in Maptaput. He settled in Pattaya and lived here ever since.

Carl was truly a self-made man, even once having shaken hands with Emperor Hirohito in Japan. He progressed from pumping gas to working as plant operator for the large El Paso Company in Texas. During this time, he married and began a family, being blessed with two sons. Carl later went to work as a contractor, training people to be plant operators.
Once settled in Pattaya, Carl formed PESCO, an international company involved in personnel placement; married Som (who sadly passed away some years ago) and was further blessed with one daughter and another son. He was a dedicated father.

Along with his presidency of the Pattaya Sports Club, Carl was also chairman of the PSC Fishing section for many years. His fishing expeditions were legendary and were a big part of many people’s lives. Through the Pattaya Sports Club, Carl maintained a full commitment to the more needy in the community.
On Saturday, June 30, a large turnout of family members and friends from all walks of life attended religious ceremonies followed by Carl’s cremation at Wat Pothisamphan on Naklua Road.
We bid a fond farewell to Carl Engel, a man who, in his lifetime had done so much for humanity in promoting not only sports in Pattaya and on the eastern seaboard, but also for his compassion, dedication, leadership, commitment and untiring service to alleviate the sufferings of the underprivileged people in the world.
Your goodness is your everlasting symbol of honour. You will live in our memories for all eternity.