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Chakri Dynasty commemorated on April 6

International scoring for horse jumping event

New ablution centre for Baan Banglamung School

Diana Group course prepares students for hotel industry career

Thailand’s Condom King granted Skoll and Bill Gates awards

PCEC meeting - fullest programme ever?


Chakri Dynasty commemorated on April 6

Chakri Dynasty - Chronology of the present-day Dynasty of Thailand

Chakri Day (April 6) was first instituted by H.M. King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) in the year 1919 to commemorate all the Kings in the Chakri Dynasty, which started with Rama I and continues to this day with Rama IX, H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great.
The reigning Kings in the House of Chakri brought peace and tranquility to the people within Thailand’s borders and successfully protected the Kingdom, maintaining sovereignty and integrity through crucial periods threatened by European colonization and two World Wars.
In commemorating Chakri Day the national flag is proudly displayed by the people of Thailand and all government officials and members of the community participate in traditional ceremonies, making offerings of flowers and garlands at the many statues of Kings in the House of Chakri.
The Chakri Dynasty was ushered in on 6 April 1782 when a close aid of King Taksin, General Chakri, marched back into Thonburi and assumed the throne as H.M. King Buddha Yod Fa Chulalok the Great (Rama I). Each Monarch thereafter has had “Rama” as part of their title.
Banks, government offices and most business offices are closed on Friday, April 6 in observance of this special day.

King Buddha Yod Fa Chula Lok the Great
(Rama I) 1782-1809

King Buddha Yod Fa Chula Lok was born in Ayutthaya on March 20, 1737, the son of Phra Aksorn Sundara Smiantra. He was formerly known as Thong Duang. Following the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767 he entered the service of Phraya Taksin and fought by his side in almost every campaign until the latter became King Taksin, establishing the capital at Thonburi. He was given the title Luang Yorkrabat, then Phra Rajvarin, Chao Phraya Chakri and eventually Somdetch Chao Phraya Maha Kashatriya Suk by King Taksin, and following the deposition of King Taksin in 1782 at the age of 45 he was chosen King, becoming the founder and first ruler of the House of Chakri two hundred years ago. On the year of his accession he moved the capital from Thonburi to the opposite bank of the Chao Phraya River, thus founding the city of Bangkok. It was during his reign that the Grand Palace was constructed and he installed the Emerald Buddha in the Royal Chapel following its completion. He died in Bangkok on September 7, 1809 and, as many historians have stated, the modern Siam dates from his reign.

King Buddha Loet La Nabhalai
(Rama II) 1809-1824

King Buddha Loet La Nabhalai was born in Ratchaburi on February 26, 1768, the son of King Rama I. He accompanied his father on military campaigns as a young man. He was 16 when his father ascended the throne and was immediately created a Prince of the rank of Somdetch Chao Fa and given the name of Isarasundorn. Appointed Maha Uparaja, or Deputy King by his father in 1806, he was the only Maha Uparaja to eventually succeed to the throne during the period of the Chakri Dynasty. He became King on the death of his father, King Rama I at the age of 42. His reign was a period of consolidating the achievements of the previous reign and he began the custom of appointing senior princes to supervise over the different departments of state. He is best remembered though for his interest in the arts, which flourished during his reign. He was an artist, writer, and composer. He died on July 21,1824, at the age of 58.

King Nang Klao
(Rama III) 1824-1851

King Nang Klao was born in Bangkok on March 31, 1788. The future King Rama III was the son of King Rama II by a junior wife, Chao Chom Riem. At the time of the death of King Rama II, his supposed heir, Prince Mongkut, had entered a monastery as a monk and Prince Chesda Bondindra, as he was then styled, was chosen as King by the Accession Council at the age of 37. He reigned for 27 years. He proved an able ruler and during his reign, trade prospered and territorial advances were made as the vassal states of the north and east came more firmly under the rule of Bangkok. During his rule, in 1833, the first treaty with the United States was signed. King Rama III had no queen and thus had no children of Chao Fa rank, and so on his death on April 2, 1851 at the age of 65, the succession passed to his half-brother, who became King Mongkut (Rama IV). Although he had no son to reign as King it is an interesting genealogical fact that among his descendants were five future Kings, because his granddaughter, Queen Debsirindra, was the mother of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), thus every descendant of King Chulalongkorn has a lineal descent from King Rama III.

His Majesty King Mongkut
(Rama IV) 1851-1868

His Majesty King Mongkut was born on Thursday the 18th of October 1804. He was the second son of Phra Buddha Lertla Naphalai (King Rama II) and Queen Sri Suriyendra. His Majesty King Mongkut modernized Thailand in both commerce and education, and instituted reforms, which would adapt the country to western ways. Known as the “Father of Thai Scientists”, he was famous for his astrology. Before becoming King, the then Prince Mongkut entered the monkhood. Ironically, it was this period in monkhood, which required him to take a vow of poverty and self-denial, which gave Prince Mongkut a good understanding of statecraft. It allowed him to meet people from all walks of life, from the humblest to the elite, Thais as well as foreigners. He traveled to various parts of the Kingdom, barefoot, depending on offerings of food and other necessities from the people. From the Thais, he gained an invaluable first-hand insight into their welfare and livelihood. From the foreigners, he obtained precious information about the outside world, especially about technology and science.

King Chulalongkorn the Great
(Rama V) 1868-1910

Also known as Phra Chula Chomklao Chaoyuhua, and the eldest son of King Rama IV, King Chulalongkorn was born in Bangkok on September 20, 1853 and was crowned King on October 1, 1868, following the death of his father. The first few years of his reign were under regency. King Chulalongkorn is perhaps the most revered of all past Chakri Kings. During his long reign of 42 years 23 days great advances were achieved for the country.
The King actively pursued a policy of modernizing the country and had a number of Europeans in his service to oversee such projects as the building of the first railway in Thailand. He himself made two visits to Europe, one in 1897 and another in 1907, during which he became acquainted with most of the rulers of Europe. He successfully managed to cultivate the idea of Siam as a buffer state between the colonial possessions of the European powers in South East Asia. The price he paid for losing certain border territories was amply rewarded, for Siam was never colonized - the only country in the region to maintain its sovereignty throughout the period of colonial expansionism. He died on October 23, 1910.

King Vajiravudh
(Rama VI) 1910-1925

King Vajiravudh was born at Bangkok on January 1, 1881. King Vajiravudh’s reigning title was Phra Mongkut Klao Chaoyuhua. He was the second son of King Chulalongkorn.
Following the death of his elder half-brother, Crown Prince Maha Vajirunhis, in 1895, he was appointed Crown Prince. He was educated in England and his great love of literature and poetry in both Thai and English together with his scholastic abilities was later to manifest itself during his reign. Among his lasting achievements were devising a system of transliteration of Thai into English and of translating the entire works of Shakespeare into Thai. His passion for traditional Thai theatre and ballet has left a mass of published scores, which form the basis of the study of these arts to the present day. In 1916 King Vajiravudh declared war on Germany and Thai troops fought with the Allies during the latter part of World War I. He died in Bangkok on November 26, 1925 at the early age of 44.

King Prajadhipok
(Rama VII) 1925-1935

King Prajadhipok was born in Bangkok on November 8, 1893. King Prajadhipok succeeded to the throne on the death of his elder brother, King Vajiravudh. His reign coincided with the worldwide economic depression, which followed the Wall Street crash of 1929, but its effects were not unfelt in Siam. On April 6, 1932 the country celebrated the sesquicentenary of the Chakri Dynasty; two months later the eventual transferal of power to a Legislative Assembly began. On December 10, 1932 King Prajadhipok granted a constitution to the Thai people, and the Constitutional Monarchy of the present day was born. Just over two years later, on March 2, 1935, having gone to live in England in order to receive medical treatment, he abdicated the throne. King Prajadhipok died in England on May 30, 1941, during World War II, and his ashes were brought back to Bangkok by his widow, Queen Rambhai Barni, in 1949.

King Ananda Mahidol
(Rama VIII) 1935-1946

King Ananda Mahidol was born on September 20, 1925, the elder son and second child of HRH Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince of Songkla. He succeeded his uncle, King Prajadhipok, as King on March 2, 1935. King Ananda Mahidol spent his early years in Switzerland, receiving his education there and made occasional trips to Thailand. He returned to Bangkok after the end of World War II, but his life and his reign came to an abrupt end when he died, on June 9, 1946. King Ananda Mahidol was never crowned and shortly after his death his younger brother and successor, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, posthumously altered his regal title and raised him from seven to nine levels of royal umbrella, as a fully crowned and anointed sovereign.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great
(Rama IX)
1946 to the present

HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) was born on December 5, 1927. He succeeded his elder brother as King on June 9, 1946. On April 28, 1950 King Bhumibol Adulyadej was married to Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara, a great-granddaughter of King Chulalongkorn. The following week, on May 5, 1950, was crowned as King and his wife was installed as Queen in a glittering ceremony in the Grand Palace. Their Majesties have four children, Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Princess Chulabhorn Valayalaksana. During his reign King Bhumibol Adulyadej made numerous state visits abroad as well as having received many Heads of State in Bangkok.
As his reign advances, the growing reverence of the Thai people for their sovereign has become ever more apparent. On May 5, 1987, to mark his then forthcoming 60th birthday, the prime minister of Thailand proclaimed King Bhumibol Adulyadej “the Great”. On July 2, 1988, HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great celebrated his record reign - the day on which he had reigned longer than any of his predecessors. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of his accession to the Thai Throne in June 2006, HM the King and Queen presided over splendid festivities as representatives of 25 royal houses from Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia had come to Bangkok to honor His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great. To this day, he remains the longest reigning monarch in the world.
The world’s longest-reigning Monarch, who this year celebrated his eightieth birthday, and now sixty-one years on the Thai Throne, continues to be, as he has been for the six decades of his just reign, “The light of his land, the pride of his people and a shining example to all peoples of the world.”


International scoring for horse jumping event

The winner was Ms. Pimchanok Kuakulpitak from Horseshoe Point.

The Runner up was Ms. Manicha Mavichien from the PBSC Polo Club.

3rd place was awarded to Ms. Sailub Lertratanachai from Horse Lovers.

Pramote Channgam
Horseshoe Point in cooperation with the Thai Equestrian Association, the Thai Horse Riding School Association and the International Riding School staged the FEI World Jumping Challenger 2008 competition on March 23 and 24.
The horse-jumping event was for the under-100cm category and was held under the rules of the Federation Equestrian International, with all scores from the competition submitted to the FEI’s international rating system.
On the first day of the competition Ms Sailub Lertratanachai of Horse Lovers, riding Victory B, was announced as the winner, finishing the course with only a one-point deduction. In second place was Ms Pimchanok Kuakulpitak, who rode a horse named La Tanza from Horseshoe Point. She had four points deducted, but had a total time better than everyone else.
Day two saw Sailub come in at third place with a total time of 98.30 seconds, and with two points deducted. Second place went to Ms Manicha Mavichien, who rode Pirelli. She did not do well on the first day, but didn’t lose any points on the second day and finished with a total time of 79.28 seconds. The winner was Pimchanok, building on her first day results and coming in on the second day at 65.88 seconds and no loss of points.
The final results for the two-day competition in the under-100 cm category were, in winning place Ms Pimchanok Kuakulpitak from Horseshoe Point, in second place Ms Manicha Mavichien from the PBSC Polo Club, and in third place Ms Sailub Lertratanachai from Horse Lovers.

Clearing the bar during the event.

Beauty and grace…

The atmosphere at the competition.


New ablution centre for Baan Banglamung School

Bernie Tuppin,
PSC Charity Chairman

Baan Banglamung School is one of the oldest schools in our area. The grounds even contain a shrine that is over three hundred years old. The school itself is not that old, but when I visited recently [late in February] I was appalled to see that the area and conditions where the children washed their hands and obtained their drinking water could well have been that old.

Teachers and school administrators thank Bernie Tuppin (centre) and Nittaya Patimasongkroh (right) for the new, clean area.
For the more than 130 young students attending this school, not only was the existing facility unsanitary, it was located a considerable distance away from their new classrooms. Pornrud, the school director, asked for assistance to improve the situation, not an unreasonable request given the circumstances.
Plans and quotes were obtained in time for our coming executive meeting where approval was obtained to proceed with the project. That took place on the 8th of March and work commenced the following day. Construction was completed in 10 days, thanks to the work of Kamron our chosen builder. The cost was B75, 000, and I believe it was money well spent. The children’s smiles were an added bonus.
A presentation ceremony was held on the March 26, when Pornrud thanked the Pattaya Sports Club for their positive action to alleviate a poor situation. Below is a before and after comparison.

Before…

…and after.


Diana Group course prepares students for hotel industry career

Vimolrat Singnikorn
The Diana Inn held a ceremony on March 18 to present certificates to 29 students from Pattaya School No 3 who completed the One School One Hotel 2 project, which prepares them for further vocational training should they wish to enter the hospitality industry when they leave school.

Deputy Mayor Wattana Chantanawaranon (right) presents a certificate and scholarship to one of the 29 students who attended and completed the “One School One Hotel 2” project.
The ceremony also included the presentation of scholarships worth in total 120,000 baht to four of the students, the funds having been raised by two major charity golf tournaments held last year.
Deputy Mayor Wattana Chantanawaranon led the ceremony, which was well-attended by representatives of the governmental and private sectors, including Pratheep Malhotra, district governor-elect of Rotary International District 3340 and chairman of the Pattaya Mail Mike Franklin Classic Charity Golf Tournament 2007, the tournament’s director Mike Franklin, Bernie Tuppin, charity chairman of the Pattaya Sports Club, and Theera Prasertpinyo, head of Pattaya School No 3 Basic Education Course.

Chanyarat Kanchanabut (left), director of Pattaya School No 3, presents a bouquet of flowers to Sopin Thappajug, managing director of the Diana Group.

Sopin Thappajug, managing director of the Diana Group and her team welcomed the students and guests to the presentation ceremony. Mrs Chanyarat Kanchanabut, director of Pattaya School No 3 presented a bouquet of flowers to Sopin and to Pratheep.
Apart from the certificates distributed to the 29 students who had completed this project, there was also a distribution of scholarships to four students with outstandingly good scholastic results. They were Miss Piyaporn Harnkla, Miss Patchara Yimngarm, Miss Chatsuda Amwilai and Miss Maneerat Chaiyen, all of who are interested in a career in the hotel industry. The scholarships are for 30,000 baht each and will support them for further study for a vocational certificate from Sattahip Technical College. These scholarships were supported by two charity golf tournaments, namely the Diana Gold Charity Golf Tournament 2007, and the Pattaya Mail Mike Franklin Classic Charity Golf Tournament 2007.
The One School One Hotel 2 project was organized in conjunction with the Pattaya City Education Office. The Diana Group initiated the program in the 2006 education year, and Pattaya School No 3 was selected as the trial school for the project, which is now into its second year. The course provides basic knowledge on hotel administration and is designed to develop the abilities of students who are interested in the hotel business as a career. The syllabus included theory and practical experience.

Chanyarat Kanchanabut (left), director of Pattaya School No 3,
presents a bouquet of flowers to Pratheep Malhotra, District Governor Elect Rotary International District 3340 and chairperson of the Pattaya Mail Mike Franklin Classic Charity Golf Tournament 2007.

Students from Pattaya School #3 who have completed the “One School One Hotel 2” project pose with teachers and benefactors.


Thailand’s Condom King granted Skoll and Bill Gates awards

Sue Kukarja
Many of the problems of our modern world, ranging from disease to drugs to crime to terrorism, derive from the inequalities between the rich and the poor ... be they rich nation versus poor nation or rich community versus poor community. It is in the best interests of the well-off to help empower those who are not as well-off to improve their lives.” - Jeff Skoll
On March 27, on behalf of the Population and Community Development Association (PDA), Mechai Viravaidhya received the Skoll Award and Grant for Social Entrepreneurship Program.
The fifth annual Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship was held at the University of Oxford in England, and the awards were granted to 11 organizations working around the world in the areas of tolerance and human rights, health, environmental sustainability, peace and security, and economic and social equity. The recipients each received three-year grants of $1 million and join a growing global network of Skoll social entrepreneurs, now numbering 59, who have created innovative, proven solutions for tackling the world’s most urgent social and economic challenges.

Mechai Viravaidhya receiving the Gates Award for Global Health in 2007.

The Skoll Foundation was established in 1999 by eBay’s first president, Jeff Skoll, who serves as founder and chairman. The foundation’s innovative approach to philanthropy is based on the belief that small investments can spur significant social change.
This latest award comes less than one year after the PDA was granted the Bill Gates Global Health Program Award in May 2007 for its outstanding family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention program. The $1 million Gates Award - the world’s largest prize for international health - honors extraordinary efforts to improve health in developing countries. A jury of international health leaders selected PDA from more than 90 nominees.
PMTV communications director Sue Kukarja had a chance to visit Mechai, the founder and chairman of PDA at the Birds and Bees Resort and Cabbages and Condoms restaurant to find out more about their activities.
At this resort you are surrounded by a tropical rainforest with a spectacular ocean views. The tranquil environment makes for an idyllic hideaway for travelers and residents of Thailand alike. The complete facilities of the resort are set in a lush tropical garden overflowing with orchids and other native flowers with ponds and streams that provide a natural sanctuary for birds and bees, rabbits, and local fauna.

PMTV Sue Kukarja sits with Mechai Viravaidhya (right) for an exclusive interview.

And then we found out that this is not just about luxury and enjoyment. Both the restaurant and resort were created to provide financial support for the Population and Community Development Association or (PDA), Thailand’s foremost non-governmental charitable organization. Money spent at this resort contributes to Thailand’s rural development, education and scholarships, HIV/AIDS education and environmental protection.
As a young economist working for the government in Thailand, Mechai Viravaidya saw a link between rapid population growth and poverty. He launched the PDA in 1974 to distribute contraceptives and introduce sex education in rural communities and schools. The population growth rate dropped from 3.2 percent in 1974 to 0.5 percent in 2005.
In the early 1990s, when HIV/AIDS hit Thailand, Mechai harnessed the PDA network and media and launched an aggressive public education campaign amongst the rural poor in Thailand. Since then his name has been synonymous with prevention - literally. Many locals don’t use the word “condom” anymore; instead, they are called “mechais.”
“The world needs more leaders like Mechai, who are willing to tackle taboo subjects like sex and HIV/AIDS directly in order to save lives,” said Dr Nils Daulaire, president and CEO of the Global Health Council.
For Community Development and Social Entrepreneurship, the organization has enlisted private partners in over 450 Village Development Partnership programs that enable the poor to generate income without having to migrate to cities. By 2011, PDA plans to expand the partnership program to at least 100 more villages.
Mechai Viravaidhya served as a senator, a minister of the Office of the Prime Minister twice, in 1991 and 1992, when he assisted the former Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun in establishing a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS prevention policy and program. He has also served as government spokesman, deputy minister of industry, governor of the Provincial Waterworks Authority, and chairman of Krung Thai Bank Public Company Limited and the Telephone Organization of Thailand. He was appointed as the Ambassador for UNAIDS in 1999.
Mechai sets out his vision. “PDA’s mission is to eradicate poverty by tackling the root cause, not the consequence, of poverty. Traditional welfare approach has seldom succeeded, for it has only addressed the consequence of poverty. PDA believes the only road out of poverty is through business, by moving from aid to trade, and so we need more business entrepreneurs to join in the program as a partner or to help and teach the underprivileged people how to do business.”
For more information about the PDA, and how you can participate in the program, go to www.pda.or.th


PCEC meeting - fullest programme ever?

There have been some full programmes presented at the Sunday meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC) but the one which took place on Sunday March 23rd at Henry J. Bean’s was probably one of the fullest!

Cheered by lovely Henry J Bean’s staff Jib and Toc, Max cuts the seventh anniversary cake for Pattaya City Expats Club.

Firstly, the PCEC was privileged to welcome a number of honoured guests who were: Pattaya Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh; Banglamung Secretary General Pattnapong Chuanchob; TAT Director Chaiwat Charoensuk; Pattaya Traffic Police Superintendent Captain Sutin Naoprakone; and Chief of Banglamung Land Transportation Thodsaporn Suwanakorn.
This week’s MC Roger Fox started the proceedings by announcing that the PCEC was celebrating its 7th anniversary. Deputy Mayor Ronakit addressed the attendees by congratulating the PCEC on this anniversary and the overall success of the club. He commented that he had been aware of the club activities as deputy mayor and recognised the contribution that had been made to the community.
PCEC board member Max Rommel, the sole remaining founding member, provided a brief history of the club, which was founded on March 21, 2001. Having met every Sunday at Henry J. Bean’s for the past five years, membership has rapidly increased since that date with over 2000 registered members worldwide, most of whom receive the emailed weekly newsletter. Max concluded by making presentations of framed prints to the special guests.
In celebration of Easter Sunday, brightly coloured eggs were distributed. Also a large chocolate cake with seven candles, in keeping with the theme of seven, also appeared and then rapidly disappeared!

Police Captain Sutin Naoprakone, Chief of Pattaya Traffic Police, advises PCEC members of new drivers licence procedures.

Roger Fox reported that fifty members and their guests enjoyed the first of the one day excursions planned for this year. The group really enjoyed the aquarium at the Marine Institute of Science in Bang Saen which was followed by a great seafood lunch on the waterfront. Appreciation was shown to board members Darrel Vaught, Laurie McLoughlin, Michel de Goumois and Max Rommel for organising it.
Roger also provided an update of what was described as the Songkran getaway trip to Laos. He also commented that Vietnam was also being considered as a future destination. It is hoped that a trip of some kind will be organized every six weeks or so.
Richard Smith announced that the PCEC had been invited by the governor of Chonburi province and the Banglamung nai amphur to participate in the Chonburi Songkran Festival on April 13. Also on the Songkran theme, Richard announced that following last year’s success, a traditional Songkran celebration ceremony would be carried out at a PCEC Sunday meeting over the Songkran period.

PCEC founding member Max Rommel presents Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh with copies of sketches made of the Thai Royal Family, by one of his forebears, on a trip to Thailand in the late 1800’s.

Pattaya Traffic Police Superintendent Sutin Naoprakone then provided details of the process to obtain the new style driving licenses. The new license is of a credit card style and size plus the details appear in both English and Thai. He listed the documents which were needed to complete the application. Sutin then answered a number of questions regarding the traffic situation in Pattaya including the need to have full vehicle documentation available for inspection at any time.
Further light entertainment was then provided by Yamo, a magician from Finland and a member of the Finnish magic circle. Yamo engaged the PCEC in audience participation which included an unusual card trick. Following this a lucky draw was made for seven prizes.
The regular Open Forum was then underway with Sig Sigworth this week performing a solo act. As always it provided an opportunity for questions about living in Thailand with an emphasis on Pattaya to be asked. The Open Forum again proved to be the usual lively and entertaining session. For more information regarding not only PCEC Sunday meetings but also the varied mid week activities, please see the Community Happenings section of Pattaya Mail or, for more details, visit the Club’s website at pattayacityexpatsclub.com