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Adisorn’s charity auction raises 340,000 baht
At the presentation ceremony -
back row, left to right: Damien Trim,
Graeme Moore, Ian Morrison, Wayne Ketter, Russell White, Jim Brian,
Norm Thompson, and Tom Pattison. Front row, left to right: Robert
Heppenstall, Viet Tran, Eugene Koh, Adisorn Kheawsomboon
(wheelchair), Surasith Kasikram, Phil Chester, and David Cunningham.
Paul Strachan
The Three Roses Pub in Jomtien was the venue for a charity auction
on Saturday June 14 to raise funds for Clough (Thailand) planning manager
Adisorn Kheawsomboon, who underwent spinal surgery recently and is now in
recovery.
Adisorn was born with a degenerative disorder that meant he is exempt from
medical insurance, therefore his friends and colleagues at CTL decided to
put on a fun afternoon in order to ease Adisorn’s financial burden.
About 120,000 baht was raised prior to the event in a whip-round at Clough
and it was hoped that the auction at the Three Roses would raise a further
100,000 baht.
David Cunningham of the Three Roses laid on a great buffet replete with a
succulent pig on-a-spit and glasses were charged as fabrication yard manager
Wayne Ketter gave an opening speech and handed over the proceedings to the
ever-amiable John Collingbourne.
There were some great items ready to go under the hammer, including a laptop
computer, flat screen TVs, golf clubs and away-breaks to resort hotels.
John got things going using his wit and charm, which kept the crowd’s
attention, and a few bidding battles were fought over the flatscreen TVs.
The final tally from the whip-round, auction and raffle came to a whopping
340,000 baht.
After the event, Kevin Fisher from Cranes & Equipment Asia who has been
championing Adisorn’s predicament for some time said he was absolutely
delighted with the final count and that it far surpassed his expectations.
A lot more still has to be raised to pay for Adisorn’s treatment and you can
help by contacting Wayne by email at [email protected]
Death and taxes at PCEC weekly meeting
A very interesting topic was presented at the Pattaya City
Expats Club (PCEC) meeting on Sunday June 15 at Henry J. Bean’s Restaurant on
Beach Road. As an added treat for members and guests, prior to the regular
meeting getting underway, they were well entertained by the excellent guitarist
Dalton O’Sullivan.
This week’s MC, Gary Brown started the proceedings by inviting any members who
consider that they have a topic of interest to volunteer as a speaker or suggest
a speaker. He also announced that the PCEC Annual General Meeting will be held
on Sunday, July 6th. This is an occasion for members to hear a brief report from
the Board of Governors. It will also be an opportunity for members to make
comments and share any ideas or concerns they may have about the club.
 Bob
L’Etoile conducts the open forum where PCEC members can seek answers to the many
questions that arise about living in Paradise, Thailand.
This week’s speaker really needed no introduction as he is a person well known
in the Pattaya expat community, especially those that have dealings with the
International Department of Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, are readers of the
Pattaya Mail, or who have read his best selling book: “Farang, Thailand
through the eyes of an ex-pat.” Dr. Iain Corness recently commented on death and
taxes in his weekly Modern Medicine article for the Pattaya Mail, which was the topic
of presentation.
He noted that ex-pats live here in Thailand because we wish to live here.
However, one should think about not only living here, but also of dying here. He
said that Thailand is a great place to live, but not a great place to die in. In
most western countries, one can write a “living will,” which should really be
called a “dying will,” to set forth their wishes not to prolong their life in
the event of a terminal condition through illness or accident. Dr. Iain said
that because Thailand is a Buddhist country, the medical profession will do
everything they can to keep you alive, stuck with tubes until you die. He said
that is not the way he wants to go. Rather, he would prefer to go easily, with
the least discomfort, and die with dignity.
 Always
a popular speaker, ‘The Doc’ Iain Corness recommends PCEC members file a ‘living
will’.
Dr. Iain emphasized he was not talking about euthanasia, but about not taking
any extraordinary measures to prolong life. He said in Thailand, there is a
universal Patient’s Bill of Rights, one of which is to refuse treatment. But
this has to be done whilst of sound mind. So, if you are comatose or otherwise
incapacitated, it is too late to express your wishes.
Dr. Iain has prepared for himself a “living will,” setting forth what he wants
and doesn’t want in the event he should find himself in the terminal phase of
life. He also said that since a “living will” is a legal document, you should
run it by your own legal person. In order to convince Thai medical staff to
carry out your wishes, the “living will” needs to be registered (on file) at the
hospital where you are being treated. He also said that to ensure your wishes
are followed it is a good idea to have your spouse, partner, or friend(s) aware
that you have a “living will” so they can point it out to the doctors that are
treating you, if you are unable to do so. Needless to say, Dr. Iain had to
answer many questions from the audience.
The regular Open Forum was then underway with Bob L’Etoile leading the
proceedings. Bob’s regular assistant and sparring partner Sig Sigworth was not
present, so Jim Jones ably filled in for Sig. The Open Forum then continued,
providing an opportunity for questions about living in Thailand with an emphasis
on Pattaya to be asked. 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.
British Chamber goes to Ban Chang
Special Correspondent
Last week the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand held its monthly
Eastern Seaboard Networking Evening in Ban Chang. This was the first time the
BCCT had been to Ban Chang in years and it was rewarded by an excellent turnout
with many new faces making the effort to attend.
 Greg
Pitt, MD of Mackenzie Smith Law handing over a cheque to ‘Woody’ Underwood,
chairman of Care for Kids, for a Platinum sponsorship of THB100,000.
The sponsor was Mackenzie Smith Law and managing director, Greg Pitt, was
delighted to see so many people there. “The purpose of sponsoring Networking
Evenings such as these is to increase company profile and this is an excellent
way of doing it as many people in Ban Chang do not get the chance to come to
similar events elsewhere.”
Pitt was also pleased to be able to donate a cheque to local charity Care for
Kids. The amount was for THB100,000 which means that Mackenzie Smith Law is a
Platinum sponsor for the second year running. Receiving the cheque, Care for
Kids chairman, Lewis ‘Woody’ Underwood awarded Pitt with a plaque for his
generosity. Woody went on to say, “Care for Kids would not exist if it was not
for donations from people like Greg Pitt. Fund raising is going well this year
but, naturally, we still need more and if there are any more potential sponsors
out there then please contact us as soon as possible.”
Care for Kids was not the only charity minded organization there. The wine was
supplied by World of Wine in Pattaya. This company, owned by Richard Waller,
donates all of its profits to charity so the BCCT was delighted when they said
they would be able to supply the chamber even though the event was in Ban Chang.
Amongst others who were appreciating the wine was John Hamilton of WMS with his
wife. Also there was Peter Mewes of the London Consultancy who was seen talking
to Jon Fox of Q Cars. Lee Hunter of Premier Oil was especially pleased the BCCT
had come to Ban Chang as his new yard was in the process of being built there.
The ubiquitous Alan Vernstein from the Siam Gazette had come down from Pattaya
and was in deep conversation with Jim Fowler of Veritas. Mark Thomson of North
Star Marketing was seen appreciating the local fare with Greg Watkins, executive
director of the BCCT. Grindmaster was represented by Barry Soanes who was
chatting with John Black of Real Estate Thailand who have just joined the
chamber. Alistair Kirkwood of New Circuit Engineering was waxing lyrical with
Alan Dare of McConnell Dowell who hopes to launch its new fabrication yard just
outside of Ban Chang at the end of next month.
An excellent night was had by all and it reaffirmed the BCCT’s commitment to
take networking evenings to its members rather than making them travel into
Pattaya all the time.
UCSF-Africa HIV/AIDS Stigma Research Team
Dr. Iain Corness (center)
interviews Prof. Leana R. Uys of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and Prof
Minrie Greeff of the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa.
Dr. Iain Corness
A most interesting group came to Pattaya to discuss the problems
associated with the stigma of being diagnosed with HIV AIDS. With the World
Health Organization having a meeting the following week in Bangkok, the Research
Team decided to come to Pattaya for some multinational discussions on the
problems.
The Stigma Research Team has, in the last five years, developed testing
parameters which showed that the stigma went beyond the actual sufferers and was
also applied to the nursing group which looks after the HIV/AIDS patients.
Various strategies, based on the testing parameters, are now being put into
place, and these include joint projects with the patients, along with public
education.
Prof. Leana R. Uys of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said on a Pattaya Mail TV
interview that it was amazing after all this time that there was still so much
misinformation about the condition in the public arena. She was backed up by
Prof Minrie Greeff of the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, South
Africa, who said that they hoped the development of the testing for stigmata
would also assist in the public perception of the disease.
YWCA’s eggs-for-garbage
project is doing well
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya Center will continue its Love Pattaya Preserve the
Environment project, in which eggs are given to members of the public in
exchange for recyclable garbage, as it has proven to be very successful.
 Nittaya
Patimasongkroh leads the meeting.
The project was discussed during the YWCA’s monthly meeting, held on June 17 at
the Diana Garden Resort and headed by chairwoman Nittaya Patimasongkroh, along
with former chairwoman Dujduan Ruangwettiwong.
Members also discussed the donations collected in front of Chaimongkol Temple
over the period May 17 to 25 to help the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.
There was a donated amount of 151,567 baht over a period of nine days, and on
June 3 this was handed to Anan Panyarachun, former prime minister and UNICEF
Ambassador for Thailand for presentation to the Burmese.
The meeting also discussed the distribution of scholarships to
Sattahipwittayakom School and the Vocational College of Banglamung. Discussions
included asking the committee to follow the scholastic results of students from
the Warm Family Project, in order to continue presenting scholarships to
children in future years.
Nittaya said that the most recent Love Pattaya Preserve the Environment project
was held in cooperation with Pattaya School No 7, Nongpangkae. The project,
which is staged every three months, involves the exchange of eggs for reusable
garbage from communities in Pattaya City. The purpose of this is to support
conservation, and to show the children how to use valuable resources.
At each school the YWCA presents the prize of a bicycle to the student who
collects the most garbage, as a reward for doing well. “After one year, the
project has proved to be very successful,” said Nittaya.
Hard Rock launches Stage
Pass membership card
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Hard Rock Hotel held a launch party for its new Stage Pass membership card on
June 14, with director of operations Elyes Ben Brahim and marketing director
Rungtiva Chaipatanapruck acting as hosts, and a bevy of beautiful girls in
attendance to add a touch of glamour to the rock music.
Rungtiva said that the privilege cards are for Thai and foreign rockers in
Thailand who will receive discounts on rooms, meals and other facilities at Hard
Rock.
Anyone is eligible for the Stage Pass card, the membership fee being 4,499 baht
per year. This, said Rungtiva, could very quickly be earned back with discounts
of up to 50 percent on the hotel guestrooms, between 20 and 50 percent on meals
in the restaurants, other discounts at the spa, beach club and fitness center,
and discounts also at Hard Rock Cafe in Bangkok.
Amongst the guests at the party were Pitan Kanivichaporn, Mark Narade Markus,
and Nuno Caldeira da Silva, counselor at the political press and information
section of the European Union.
A mini concert was performed by Jo-Kong to celebrate the 37th anniversary of the
establishment of the first branch of Hard Rock Cafe in London.
Hard Rock launches its Stage Pass
membership card.
Charity Club donates
to Jaidee Appeal
The Children with HIV/AIDS will
benefit greatly from this money and we wish Alan all the best for his future
fund raising.
Christina Boden
On Sunday June 15, Malcolm Boden went along to the Caddy Shack to meet
with Alan Lewis. Alan was there to receive the money that was raised at the
Caddy Shack on St. George’s Day for the Jaidee Appeal.
The event raised 61,320 baht, which was raised from the raffle, auction and the
ticket money, as the fish and chips which Keith and Koy, owners of the Caddy
Shack kindly put on for free. A further 9,000 baht was donated by Steve Butcher,
which bought the total to 70,320 baht.
BHP staff relaxes with
a few dance steps
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Bangkok Hospital Pattaya held a dance-for-health session for its employees on
June 11 at the D1 conference room, the idea being to allow people to unwind with
some informal dance steps and to enhance relationships and teamwork amongst the
staff members.
 Dr
Iain shows that no matter how loud his shirt is, he can still wiggle to the
beat.
BHP director Dr Pichit Kangwolkij opened the session, which was attended by some
of BHP’s leading physicians including Dr Krittavith Lertutsahakul, Dr Narintara
Boonjongcharoen and Dr Surapant Taweewikayakarn, along with a number of nursing
and administrative staff.
Dr Pichit Kangwolkij said the idea was for the hospital’s doctors, nurses and
other personnel to relax after a full day’s work and to create unity and
friendship in the organization.
The sessions will be held every Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
19th Annual Canada Day
Celebration to be held
in Bangkok
Suzanne Thibault
The Canada Day Organizing Committee recently announced the annual Canada
Day party will be celebrated at the British Club on Saturday June 28. The event
marks Canada’s 141st birthday and the 19th year Canada Day has been celebrated
in Bangkok.
“Last year was a great success with about 400 people in attendance,” said
Suzanne Thibault, executive director of the Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce
and chair of the volunteer Canada Day Committee organizing the event. “This
year’s event promises to be as much fun as last year,” she added.
Officially, Canada Day is celebrated on July 1st each year, but the event will
be held early in Bangkok to accommodate school breaks and ensure that families
can attend the festivities. The aim of this annual event is to encourage
Canadians and their families, friends, and colleagues of all ages and
nationalities, to gather and celebrate Canada Day in a lively atmosphere, with
delicious food, exciting games and fantastic camaraderie.
Similar to last year’s event, tickets will be sold in advance with limited
tickets available at the door - based on a first come, first serve basis.
Participants are encouraged to buy tickets in advance to help coordinate a more
organized, hassle-free event.
As in past years, the Canada Day Celebration will feature children’s games,
tug-of-wars, and various sporting activities for adults, including the
ever-popular ball hockey tournament! A delicious buffet dinner with beef and
salmon will be served following the afternoon activities. Canadian wine and beer
have been shipped in for the occasion, as has clamato juice for the uniquely
Canadian Bloody Caesar. Ticket holders are also eligible to win a host of
fabulous lucky draw prizes.
Tickets are only available through the Canada Day Organising Committee c/o the
Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce (TCCC). Proceeds from the Canada Day
celebration will be donated to the Thai Fund Foundation (TFF) in support of a
youth education project in rural Thailand. More details on the project will be
provided by the TFF at the actual event.
Ticket prices (includes entry into the event, dinner and a chance to win lucky
draw prizes):
Adults: 800 baht in advance / 1000 baht at the door
Children (6-12): 400 baht in advance / 500 baht at the door
Children 5 and under: 100 baht in advance /at the door
Reserved Tables of 8: You can reserve tables to ensure seating arrangements (in
advance only; contact TCCC)
Tentative schedule:
15:00 doors open
16:00 children’s games
16:30 ball hockey, volleyball tournament & adult games
18:00 greetings and grand draw prizes
18:30 dinner
For further information, please contact the Canada Day Organising Committee c/o
the Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce, 139 Pan Road, Sethiwan Tower, 9th Floor,
Tel: 02-266-6085-6, email at [email protected]
For pictures from last year’s event, please visit: www. canadiansinthailand.com
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