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PILC Chonburi Handicap Project helps disabled man lead a better life
More help needed for others in the area
Left to right back row:
Dennis Stark, Jan Abbink, Rosanne Diamente, Judy Hoppe, Sukayana Seaton,
Noi. Front row left to right: Toon, Singh, and Manope.
Rosanne Diamente
The Pattaya International Ladies Club (PILC) responded to a plea
for help from Chonburi Governor Pracha Taerat last year when he was the
guest of honor at the Pattaya Mail PC Classic Royal Cliff Beach Resort
International Regatta. At this charity fundraising event, the governor
suggested that some of the charity funds be allocated to help
handicapped people in the area. One hundred thousand baht was recently
handed over to the PILC on behalf of the Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya
and the PC Classic charity event. In addition, PILC, Jester’s Care for
Kids, and other anonymous people have donated to this worthy cause.
 Before
charitable groups stepped in to help, Singh had much trouble getting
around his home.
There are over 9,000 men and women who are disabled in the Chonburi
Region. The governor suggested giving 10,000 baht to 60 of the most
needy of these 9,000 handicapped people. They could then use the money
to make much needed repairs to their homes.
Instead, the PILC Welfare Team has taken on the 60 cases and is
assessing each case on a personal level. Rosanne Diamente, Sukanya
Seaton and Judy Hoppe from the PILC Welfare Committee and Manope and Noi
from the Redemptorist Vocational Center are visiting each case. The
handicap person’s needs are evaluated and the committee then organizes
repairs to their homes and provides other assistance as needed.
 The
roof on Singh’s house had so many leaks it needed to be completely
replaced.
To date twenty five people have been seen and evaluated. Some cases no
longer need help for one reason or another. For example, some have
received new wheelchairs and others have started training at the
Redemptorist Center to improve their abilities. Many of the needs are
for basic hygiene care and personal support items that will allow them
to have dignity in their lives. Some homes are in need of repairs. Many
are minor repairs, but some are major.
One specific example is Mr. Singh, a 48-year-old male whose spinal cord
was cut in a work related accident. He is unable to move on his own. He
had to move in with his 84-year-old mother and his 11-year-old nephew
who quit school to help care for his uncle. Singh also has a daughter in
university he is trying to support and send to school.
He has to pay a neighbor 100 baht to lift him into his wheelchair daily.
Once in his wheel hair, it was still very difficult for him to leave the
house or even to think about being able to use a toilet. Singh needed
doors widened and ramps built so he would be able to use his wheelchair
to leave his house or to use the toilet. The toilet also needed to be
updated and enlarged.
An even bigger problem was the roof on his house. It had so many leaks
that it totally needed to be replaced.
Singh has a smart mind and he wants to be useful in his life. After the
committee visited him, it was determined that we could help him. Changes
to his home have been made. Singh is now attending classes at the
Redemptorist Center so he will be able to be employed by the Center. He
will encourage other people with handicaps not to give up. You can see
from the pictures how Singh’s house looked before he was helped, and how
it looks now. You can also see how happy Singh is to be out of his home
and learning new skills.
It will take at least one or two years to visit each of the 60 cases and
to provide assistance where it is needed. Your financial help is
essential to accomplish this. You can help make a real difference in the
lives of handicap persons, like we were able to do for Singh. Please
consider making a donation to this worthwhile project. You can do so by
contacting Rosanne Diamente at 081-865-0714 or [email protected].
You can even choose the person from our list that you would like to
support. We can arrange for you to meet the handicapped person and to
visit them if you would like to be more personally involved.
Support us in this endeavor and we will send you a monthly report with
more happy stories like this. You can be as involved as you wish or a
silent supporter, it is up to you.
Please help bring dignity back to these people’s lives, today. Donate to
the PILC Welfare Handicap Project.
Before the groups began
helping, it was very difficult for Singh
to leave the house or even to think about being able to use a toilet.
After … now it is much
easier for Singh to go about his daily routine.
Jesters, Jameson’s and PILC receive thanks from Baan Pan Sadek Nork School
Kathleen Petras
PILC Welfare
On Tuesday February 19, representatives from Pattaya International
Ladies Club, Jesters Care for Kids Charity Drive and Jameson’s Pub gathered
at Baan Pan Sadek Nork School in order to receive thanks for some recent
donations. This is a small rural school with a student population of
approximately 60 which is located past the Borwin Industrial Estate on
Highway 331.
 The
first presentation was to Lewis Underwood from Jesters Care for Kids Charity
Drive.
It was an exciting occasion for all the teachers and pupils from the school,
which teaches children from Kindergarten to Year 6. The children in
attendance at the presentation were all neatly dressed and well behaved and
sat quietly for the proceedings.
Ajarn Tanyaporn Poonshinnapat (Tui) from the teaching staff firstly
introduced the staff members of the school and then the visitors. The
director of the school Ajarn Somsak Buathong was on hand to present the
certificates and even gave a short speech in English, which was a good
effort and most impressive.
The first presentation was to Lewis Underwood from Jesters Care for Kids
Charity Drive and there was a certificate and a large plague to thank him
for donating over 80,000bht to the school. This money was used for the
building of a water tower over the school’s existing well and pump and to
install plumbing needed to many parts of the school.
After that, the PILC’s Ingrid Cunliffe, Kathleen Petras, Janis Cotterell and
Yoko Yamaguchi were thanked for providing much needed school uniforms,
school shoes for students in all levels of the school that needed them and
storage cubicles for the kindergarten classrooms.
Also Wanchai Pingate from Jameson’s Pub was sincerely thanked for taking
time out from his work at Jameson’s (with his boss’s blessing of course) to
construct some football goals for the school’s footballers. Wanchai has made
football goals for many schools in the past and enjoys seeing the students
getting good use out of them. The goal posts are constructed inexpensively
using substitute materials; for example, fishing netting instead of
authentic goalpost netting. He is looking forward to making more goal posts
for other needy schools in the future. The students will also shortly be
receiving a lot of new footballs courtesy of Jameson’s!
Three very brave students from the school gave speeches of thanks and one of
the students had even prepared her speech in English for us. Needless to say
we were very impressed. By the way, if anyone from the ladies club has any
free time to teach a little English, this school is always happy to have a
new teacher!
Throughout the proceedings a great many photos were taken and a lot more
were taken afterwards outside the canteen/presentation area at the site of
the newly constructed water tower. We also had a peek in the windows of the
two kindergarten classrooms to see the peacefully napping children, but were
not surprised to find that they jumped up in excitement when their director
called out to them that they were being watched!
School Director Somsak
Buathong (left) thanks Wanchai Pingate (right)
from Jameson’s Pub for taking time out from his work at Jameson’s
to construct some football goals for the school.
Janis Cotterell, representing
the PILC,
receives thanks from School Director Somsak Buathong.
Students and donators gather
at the foot of the water tower.
The benevolent group gathers
at the water Tower.
One of the students prepared
her thank you speech in English.
(L to R) Kathleen, Janis,
Woody and Ingrid enjoy the presentation.
Second Sight For Sore Eyes
Mike Franklin
Former pilot and Vietnam War veteran (VFW Post 9876 Pattaya), F/O
Dave Anderson was recently my guest on PMTV’s Insight program.
 Dave
Anderson (left) and Nittaya Patimasongkroh (2nd left) watch over the eye
testing of 150 youngsters.
His dedication and untiring effort in helping those who have poor sight and
cannot afford eyeglasses, working through the Eyeglass Bank Project, is well
known. Dave works in liaison with the local charities in Pattaya and, since
reading in 1998 about the work of Dr. Pannet Pangputhipong and his Eyeglass
Bank at Mettapracharak Hospital Nakornpathom, has sought to bring re-cycled
glasses to Thailand from the United States. Collection boxes are now
available in Pattaya for people to donate their un-needed glasses.
 (L
to R) Elfie Seitz, Don Ratcliffe, Dave Anderson and Nittaya Patimasongkroh
at an eyeglass collection and distribution ceremony circa October 2006.
The glasses are recycled by Eyeglass Bank Project volunteers. Collection
boxes are located at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya Super Sight Surgery Center,
the condo desk of the Markland Hotel on Soi One, the barber shop at the
Hotel Tropicana, Bangkok Bank on Second Road, Star Library off Sukhumvit
Road near the Redemptorist Center and Pattaya Orphanage. Or, on Sundays
between 10 a.m. and noon you can give them to a board member of the Pattaya
City Expats Club at Henry J. Bean’s Restaurant, Beach Road.
Dave is also looking for a volunteer from the Washington D.C. area to bring
over a suitcase of glasses. He can be contacted by e-mail at
[email protected]
Tune in to Insight on PMTV this Saturday, March 15, and hear about First
Officer Dave Anderson’s career in the USAF, his two tours in Vietnam flying
C-130s, and later the C-5 Galaxy and C-130 Combat Talon. After retiring from
the USAF in 1990 he joined United Airlines and flew just about all the
Boeing ‘7’ Series, right up to the Boeing 777 before he retired in 2005.
Children look over many pairs of new / recycled
glasses.
USAF First Officer Dave Anderson served two
tours in Vietnam flying C-130s.
2.5 million baht donated to HEARTT 2000
Dr Phillipe (center) of
HEARTT2000 being presented with a cheque for 2.5 million baht by Pattaya Gay
Festival founder, Madame Jim (right).
The Divas and Dudes from Boyz
Boyz Boyz.
Chris Munnerley
On Monday February 25, the Pattaya Gay Festival 2008 held their
‘Tribute to the Stars’ opening Street Party in Boyztown, Pattaya.
 Hosts
Madame Jim from Ambiance Hotel and Glenda from Le Cafe Royale Hotel.
Despite poor weather during the day, the rain stopped in time to allow
Pattayaland Soi 3 to be closed and turned into a wonderful cabaret show
theatre, including full stage set with spectacular sound and light effects.
More than 360 people were treated to a spectacular show with live singing,
dancing, cabaret shows and a great lucky ticket draw featuring prizes valued
at around 100,000 baht.
The host for the evening was Madame Jim from the Ambiance Hotel who
presented Dr Phillipe of the HEARTT 2000 charity with a cheque for 2.5
million baht from Pattaya Gay Festival. This was the total amount that
Pattaya Gay Festival had donated to HEARTT 2000 during 2007.
Dr Phillipe told the crowd that by ‘Doing It Together’ we can all help with
the fight against HIV and AIDS. He went on to say that although more support
is being made available nationally in Thailand this only covers first line
and other basic treatment. There is still a tremendous amount of work and
money needed to help those requiring more complex combination therapy.
To date HEARTT 2000 has treated 1,600 patients in 10 years and is still
treating 500 patients with more complex requirements.
Great entertainment was provided by Toi from Le Cafe Royale Piano Bar, the
Divas and Dudes from Boyz Boyz Boyz, the Show troupe from Throb, Dolly
Sisters, Madame Jim, Glen from Throb as well as Richard and DK of El Duo.
Donations for the prize draw included a brand new Platinum Motorbike from
Mike Walsh, a sapphire and diamond ring from Honest Gems, and a weeks
holiday to Phuket. Cash donations included B164,000 from an anonymous donor,
B50,000 from Craig Linsley of Le Cafe Royale, B50,000 from Peter Storrow
(also from Le Cafe Royale) and B30,000 from Dame Ruby, B5,000 from Dolly
Levi of the Queens Hotel, Benidorm as well as numerous other donations from
kind individuals.
Huge thanks go to all those who gave fantastic donations as well as all
those attending the event and buying lucky draw tickets.
Thanks also to all the Boystown venues and to Cafe New Orleans and Wild West
Boys who donated 10% of their drink sales to the party.
The fantastic generosity of all meant that the Pattaya Gay Festival 2008
‘Tribute to the Stars’ opening street party got the year off to a great
start by raising 517,000 baht. With perfect timing, the rain started just as
the party ended!
For full details see www. pattayagayfestival.com
The entire cast of show girls
and boys.
A packed Boyztown Soi enjoying
the show.
Road map to a successful intercultural relationship
Sue K
The presence of intercultural relationships and marriages is clear
and expanding in societies throughout the globe. Pattaya is no exception.
Being a tourist resort, it’s a melting pot and hot spot for love. Many
foreigners come here and fall not just in love with the place, but also with
the people. And then when love ripens, in some cases, the inevitable
follows. Marriage.
 Tana
and Jean Marie are happy together.
If we believe that every marriage requires commitment, dedication and work,
an intercultural marriage requires even more attention because of the many
additional details that come with the package. The challenges include
language barrier, family, friends, personal values, expectations, economic
adjustments, political issues, and bureaucratic procedures.
We know that the key to a successful cross cultural marriage is to develop
understanding and patience which, by the way, applies to any marriage. But
it’s easier said than done, so I visited a lovely international couple who
recently celebrated their 4th wedding anniversary in Pattaya to find out
what it takes for a couple of different backgrounds and cultures to be able
to live together in harmony.
Ratana Sirivechapan, or Tana, from Thailand and her husband, Jean Marie
Obrie, a retired businessman from France.
Sue: Tana, let’s get to the heart of the matter. How did you meet Jean
Marie?
Tana: I met him when I was working at a real estate company where I was
working as a consultant. Jean Marie was one of our most difficult customers.
We knew each other from business and then developed a friendship. I think
because we speak the same language, we understand each other so well from
the beginning.
Sue: What language do you use when you communicate?
Tana: German. I studied German at the International Studien Zentrum in
Heidelberg, and then went on to Medical Assistance College in Kassel,
Germany. After that I worked for 10 years as a medical assistant there.
Sue: How did your family respond to your decision to marry a foreigner?
Tana: Well, my family is quite an old-Thai traditional family and nobody has
a foreign partner except me. At first, they were a bit worried, but they
trust my decision, especially when they met Jean Marie, they accepted him
right away.
Sue: What adjustments did you have to make to each other’s culture?
Tana: Luckily I lived in Europe for a long time, and know their mentality. I
also have farang friends here. I am completely myself in a natural way.
Sue: Which aspects of your partner’s culture have you adopted as your own?
Tana: I saw German people always keep the house clean; even the water taps
are always shiny. I liked that and adopted as my own. Before I was exposed
to the European culture, I never would have thought of polishing a tap. I
also learnt to become straightforward, yes is yes and no is no. I always
make honest opinions. I don’t believe in ghosts. I am not superstitious. I
love animals and feel so sad seeing sick dogs on the road, I love cheese, I
like to ski in cold weather in France, oh and so many other things.
Sue: Why did you choose to live in Pattaya?
Tana: My family is here, as well as Jean Marie’s son. Besides, Pattaya is a
practical place, very convenient in many ways.
Sue: Are there any religious issues in your marriage?
Tana: We both are not religious; but in fact Jean Marie appreciates Buddhism
a lot. We married in a temple and gave our words to care for each other. I
think this small and simple ceremony binds us mentally together.
Sue: Do you share the same values, for example how to bring up a child?
Tana: Most of the time we are very agreeable on any issue. If not, then we
compromise.
Sue: What are some of the bureaucratic issues you had to overcome before you
could live together as husband and wife and travel freely to your spouse’s
country?
Tana: Oh, a lot. I don’t even want to start talking about it, or I will get
into trouble. It was tiring to apply for a visa each time I wanted to go to
France. Finally I went to live there for six months and now I have a
one-year resident card and I’m glad of not having to go to Bangkok to apply
for a visa anymore. It was similar in France, but at least over there you
just need to go to the city hall.
Sue: As a Thai lady married to a farang, what major obstacles in
cross-cultural marriages do you see in some couples, and what advice can you
give to them?
Tana: First of all the language. From a Thai lady’s point of view, you
should try to learn your partner’s language, because if you know only “I
love you, and you are handsome man” it soon becomes boring and stale, and
the communication will soon be dry. Then there’s an issue of culture. You
should exchange the knowledge of culture with your partner, and then both
should adjust to each other’s culture. Sometimes foreigners cannot stand
certain kinds of food smell, such as pla ra, and sometimes you cannot stand
the smell of cheese. What is very important is bringing your own family into
your marriage life, which can cause a tension between both of you. Thais
like to have their own family around, but foreigners like to live privately
with their partners. You should adapt yourself and respect your partner’s
opinion. Some Thai ladies use their European partner as a money sponsor for
their own family. I think they should be more considerate about this. No one
likes to be an ATM machine.
Sue: So I guess no sick buffalo stories then. Moving on to Jean Marie now
for a gentleman’s opinion: Sue (practicing her French): Bon soir, Jean Marie
Jean Marie: Bon soir, Sue
Sue: What brought you to Thailand?
JM: My son has a business here and I came to visit him.
Sue: What attracted you to Tana?
JM: Tana is an intercultural lady with intelligence. We are so similar in
our opinions and characters.
Sue: Did you feel awkward meeting her family for the first time, and how did
you handle it?
JM: The first time I was positively surprised that everyone welcomed me
warmly. Tana has a really nice family. I felt sorry that I couldn’t speak
Thai to explain to them that I was happy to meet them. Tana was also very
welcomed by my family in Alsace.
Sue: What are some of the Thai cultural hurdles you’ve had to overcome?
JM: Well the traffic here is different from in Europe. You have to get used
to it, if you don’t die first. And some Thai foods are too spicy for me and
I burn for hours.
Sue: On to the practical matters now, like geography, having two homes, one
in Thailand and one in France, where do you prefer to spend more time?
JM: I like to live in Thailand when it’s too cold in France. And I like to
live in France when it’s too hot here. I like to live in both countries, so
maybe six months here and six months in France.
Sue: Perfect. Getting the best of both worlds. What are your mutual goals
for the future?
JM: Very simple, just live in peace where we like.
Sue: What advice can you give to other international couples that are not as
fortunate as you and Tana in terms of language and culture?
JM: For a Thai lady, she should avoid foreigners who always criticize
Thailand and the Thai way of life. And for a foreigner, you should adapt
yourself to the country and the culture, and don’t look down on Thai people.
Many foreigners here think they are better than Thais and forget that the
Thai economy and culture are not the same as in Europe. Acceptance is very
important from both sides, as in any other marriages. Don’t try to change
the other person, and you won’t be disappointed.
These are words of wisdom indeed.
Couples who find each other abroad often come down to earth when they start
facing the reality of building lives together under complex circumstances.
But for Tana and Jean Marie, these adjustments come naturally for them. Call
it luck, call it love, I call it a blessing.
Indian incentives group sets record with world’s longest painting
Verified by Guinness Book of World Records
2,500 people worked together
to paint a canvas 1,010 meters long.
It’s a fun day out for the
whole family.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
A group of 2,500 administrators and sales personnel from the Indian
company RMP Infotec (P) Ltd on an incentives trip to Thailand visited
Pattaya on February 27 where they set up a record for producing the world’s
longest painting on canvas, verified by the Guinness Book of World Records.
 Concentration
is the key at this point.
The group was the largest incentives tour ever to visit Thailand from India,
and was in the country from February 24 to 29, dividing their time between
Bangkok and Pattaya. RMP Infotec is a leading direct sales company with more
than 400,000 members.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand, which had helped to organize the trip,
had arranged for the group to visit Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, where the
2,500 members worked together to paint a canvas 1,010 meters long.
Authenticated as the world’s longest painting, the canvas will be auctioned
to raise funds for the Chandan Charitable Trust, which helps support poverty
stricken children in India. The aim is to raise between two and three
million rupees.
During the visit, the TAT took RMP tour organizers to visit Chiang Mai and
Phuket so that they could decide on activities for the next incentives tour,
which is expected to be for more than 5,000 personnel and which is scheduled
for the middle of this year.
India is a fast growing market for tourism to Thailand. Last year, 500,000
Indian tourists came here, an increase of 17 percent over the previous year.
The TAT’s target for 2009 is for 600,000 visitors, which would yield an
estimated 16.4 billion baht for the Thai economy.
The TAT has also recently welcomed an incentives group from Mayora, an
Indonesian food producing company, which had selected Bangkok and Pattaya
for its outstanding employees. The Indonesian tourist market is also
growing. The period January to November last year saw 207,197 visitors from
Indonesia, an increase of 5.57 percent compared to 2006. It is estimated
this figure would increase by 10 percent this year.
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