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Caddy Shack donates
to Charity Club of Pattaya
Christina Boden
Keith and Koy, owners of the Caddy Shack held three games nights
over a period of weeks, two at the Caddy Shack and one at the Bowling Green
in Pattaya. The last one was held at the Caddy Shack. A great night was
enjoyed by all.
Malcolm and Christina Boden from the Charity Club of Pattaya were invited
along to receive the money raised. The 35,000 baht raised will be spent on a
new project in Isaan.
The Lighthouse Club shines again
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Cris Dunning of Connell Wagner and NZTCC
addresses the club. |
Richard St John
of Fisher & Paykel explains exactly what his
company is all about. |
A Special Correspondent
On Friday, August 22, the Lighthouse Club (LHC) met in the new Shenanigans
Jomtien. The event was co-hosted by the New Zealand Thai Chamber of Commerce.
Simon Dutton was there with his new manager, Stewart, to make sure that all was
well. The two main sponsors, Fisher & Paykel and Five Star Villas & Condos, were
delighted with the event which saw more than 80 people attend.
 Robert
and May Watson are more than happy with the proceedings.
May and Robert from Five Star said they were more than happy with the
proceedings and that the evening was exactly what they wanted. Richard St. John,
from Fisher & Paykel, gave a presentation and explained exactly what the company
was all about.
Dave Davey of Kiwi Fire Protection was chatting away and praising the All Black
performance of last week. John Seymour, now an important member of the
Lighthouse Club committee, was representing Northern Thai Insurance and
encouraging people to become members of the LHC. For those who are not familiar
with the LHC, it is a charity that cares for the families of construction
workers who cannot, for whatever reasons, care for them by themselves. All
proceeds go to those families who need our help.
Mark Thomson, chairman of the LHC, was seen here, there and everywhere ensuring
everyone was happy. He also announced that there would be a rugby dinner in
Bangkok on September 19 with three former Welsh Rugby captains speaking. All
proceeds will go to charity.
Paul Wilkinson from AGS Four Winds was there, as was Alan Verstein promoting the
Walking Street Journal. Kevin Fisher turned up looking hot and bothered only to
reveal he had just got out of the swimming pool.
John Pollard was a happy chap seeing how many people had turned up. He praised
the Pattaya branch of the LHC in getting such a large turn out and lamented that
the Bangkok branch could not do as well. Jimmy and Jenny Howard turned up and
the former headed straight for the superb spread put on by Shenanigans. Jenny
was her usual delightful self.
John Hamilton, from WMS, was accompanied by his wife, whilst Steve Hovey was
hoping that there would be no rain this weekend so he could play a decent round
of golf.
The next LHC function will be a combined event with the British Chamber of
Commerce Thailand. It will be held at Jameson’s on Friday, September 26 with a 6
p.m. start. The function will also be attended by regional members of the LHC
who will be coming in from Hong Kong and further afield.
Getting to know Sriracha
The regular Sunday meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club
got underway at the Amari’s Henry J. Bean Restaurant on Sunday, August 31st
when, after the usual morning announcements, MC Richard Silverberg introduced
Gavin Waddel. Usually Gavin, who is with the International Department of
Phyathai Hospital Sriracha, is introducing a talk by one of their medical staff
to the club. However, this time, he wanted to acquaint the audience with his
Thai hometown, Sriracha.
 MC
Richard Silverberg advises PCEC members on activities in Pattaya for the coming
weeks.
Gavin said that he has lived the past six years in Sriracha. Prior to that, he
lived in Pattaya but decided to move to quieter surroundings. Gavin wanted to
share his appreciation for Sriracha and its surrounding area and islands. Gavin
accompanied his presentation with some great pictures. He said that Sriracha has
a population of about 40,000; the western farang population is small, but there
is a very large contingent of Japanese. As a result, Sriracha is favored with a
large number of reasonably priced Japanese restaurants and nightlife that caters
to the Japanese. Thus, Sriracha is often called “Little Tokyo.”
Another feature is Sriracha’s Night Square, which has a giant flea market where
you can buy just about anything every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday
until about 1am. Also, in the vicinity surrounding Sriracha, is a popular Open
Zoo or safari park, which is supposed to the best in Asia. Another tourist
attraction is the Sriracha Tiger Zoo, which has more than 200 tigers and a large
number of crocodiles.
 Young
Scot Gavin Waddel shares with members the delights of living in Sriracha, about
midway between Pattaya and Chonburi. These include the many Japanese
restaurants, karaokes & night markets, as well as Koh Si Chang, home for a time
to King Rama the Fifth.
Although there are many things to do and see in Sriracha, Gavin highly
recommends visits to a couple of islands, Koh Loy Sriracha and Koh Si Chang. The
first island is linked to Sriracha by bridge. It has a public park and a Sea
Turtle Garden. He said it is very beautiful and well worth a visit. This island
also is where you can catch a ferry boat to Koh Si Chang that runs from 8am to
6pm. He cautioned that they leave on time and if you miss the last one back from
the island, you will probably have to spend the night there. Koh Si Chang is
made up mostly of limestone, but there is a small beach area. Gavin said he
first visited the island with the intent to stay one night. However, he found it
such a great place for snorkeling and swimming that he stayed for a week.
Although the island has many accommodations, he found a secluded place with
rustic African style bungalows.
Gavin noted the island had a longtime Royal presence with it being a favorite
place of King Rama V. The island once had the Judhadhut Palace, but it was
dismantled a long time ago and taken to Bangkok. However, he said the palace
grounds are well worth the visit as they have some beautiful gardens with
several ponds and bridges in European and Japanese style. There is also a temple
nearby, which has a bodhi tree that is over 100 years old. It was obvious that
Gavin was enamored with the island for its stunning views and more sedate
atmosphere. He recommended that the club consider sponsoring a trip to the
island, which appeared to be much in favor with the audience.
Gavin concluded by mentioning other sites in Sriracha, including a Chinese
temple. He also noted that there has been a lot of change in Sriracha’s skyline
during the past six years with the building of several high rises including the
Grand Peaks Sriracha, which is still under construction.
Roger Fox then provided a brief description of the recent trip by several Club
members to Hanoi. He said that he is currently working with Narin travel for a
trip to Malaysia, which is tentatively scheduled for October 28, 2008.
MC Richard Silverberg then brought everyone up to date on upcoming events. The
regular open forum began with “Hawaii Bob” Sutterfield again joining “Sig”
Sigworth in conducting the forum. As always, the open forum provided answers to
questions from the members and guests about living here in Thailand following
the Club’s motto - Expats helping expats. The forum was done, as usual, with a
bit of humor to liven the day.
Korean rock band visits Pattaya
Korean pop group SS501 pose for a
photo
at the Sudtangrak Restaurant in Pattaya.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
On August 31, the Korean teenage pop group sensation SS501 brought a
sparkle of fame and excitement to town when hundreds of their Thai fans said
farewell to the five singers at a local restaurant before the group flew home.
The singers in the all-boy group, Park Jung Min, Kim Kyu-Jong, Kim Hyun-Jun, Heo
Young-Saeng, and Kim Hyung-Jun, dined at the Sudtangrak Restaurant in Pattaya
owned by Bandit Siritanyong, who was delighted to welcome the ‘fab five’.
Many of the fan entourage came with the band on an “Exclusive trip with SS501 in
Pattaya” organised tour. One group of fans paid 8,500 baht to buy 5 wine glasses
that the group members had used during the meal.
Apparently the initial letter S in the group’s name stands for and sun and
stars, the second S stands for singer while 5 stands for the number of singers
and 01 means all are one.
‘Princess’ graces the PILC Book Club
The ladies of the PILC meet to
discus
the book titled ‘Princess’ by author Jean Sasson.
Sue K
The August PILC Book Club meeting was held recently at Debbie
Cavanaugh’s house and the book under discussion was ‘Princess’ by Jean Sasson.
Based on a true Story of life in a conservative Muslim society, ‘Princess’ is
the ghost-written story of the life of a royal princess, Sultana, of the ruling
Saudi dynasty of Saudi Arabia. She has four mansions on three continents, her
own private jet, glittering jewels and designer dresses galore. But in reality
she lives in a gilded cage, she has no freedom, no vote, and no control over her
own life - no value but as a bearer of sons.
Hidden behind her black floor-length veil, she is a prisoner, jailed by her
father, her husband, her sons, and her country. For the sake of her daughters,
she has decided to take the risk of speaking out about the life of women in her
country.
She tells of her own life, from her turbulent childhood to her arranged marriage
- a happy one until her husband decided to displace her by taking a second wife
- and of the lives of her sisters, her friends, and her servants, who share a
history of appalling oppressions, everyday occurrences that in any other culture
would be seen as shocking human rights violations: thirteen-year-old girls
forced to marry men five times their age, young women killed by drowning,
stoning, or isolation in the “woman’s room”, a padded, windowless cell where
women are confined with neither light nor conversation until death claims them.
By telling her story to a Western writer, Sultana has allowed us to see beyond
the veils of this secret society, to the heart of a nation where sex, money, and
power reign supreme.
The Book Club ladies had many comments of their own on the book and some
opinions were:
‘Because I’m from Germany, it’s sometimes very surprising for me, how women
from different countries interpret the books, depending on their personality and
their experience of life. About the book, I was only upset about the women’s
situation in the Arabian countries. My next thought was: okay, it happened 30
years ago, maybe things have changed. But then I read the book “the bookseller
of Kabul” by Asne Seierstad, about the society in Afghanistan nowadays, I saw
nearly nothing has change, it’s sometimes even getting worse.’
‘How should the western society react on this: should we tolerate, should we
only judge or should we try to influence and how? I have no answer. May be
globalization will help to improve the Muslim women’s situation.’
‘The book itself is written fluently and compact. The characters are described
very clearly. Because it’s an autobiography that describes the life of a real
person, the reactions are not always logical. I would recommend the book to
everybody, to learn more about Muslim societies, because we have to.’
‘My comment on the book Princess by Jean Sasson was that it was enlightening,
heart breaking, and made me angry at the fact that in the year 2008 women are
still treated in this manner. It also makes you think about the freedom you have
and that you should cherish it and keep fighting for it as well. ‘Women’s
freedoms have come a long way over the years and still have a long way to go for
many countries and religions and we should continue as women to keep fighting
for our equal rights.’
‘I really don’t have much to say about the Princess other than I am glad to live
in a Free Country where men and women are respected and not dominated. I often
wonder after reading books like this what men would do and how they would feel
if the tables were turned and they were subjected total dominance by women.
Wouldn’t that be an interesting twist?’
‘I didn’t find it hard to read but it’s not a book I would recommend it. Not for
the terrible things she’s writing about, I think life is/can be very hard for
women over there and they still have a long way to go, especially in Saudi
Arabia.’
‘We cannot stereotype the Muslims by some situations described in the book. It’s
usually the fundamentalists and people with power and money in any and every
religion that make up their rules to intimidate others.’
‘ It is sad that there are many of those who cannot accept diversity, either the
eastern to the western or the western to the eastern ways. One should learn the
different values, integrate and respect it, instead of trying to protest it.’
‘Sometimes I wonder if women in arranged marriages are content with their
situations. If they are staying in it because they are happy, they have no
choice, or they are afraid to leave their comfort zone and fight for their basic
human rights. And sometimes I have the same questions about the service girls in
south Pattaya.’
A big thanks goes to Debbie and Iris for providing a great lunch layout for the
book critics. The next Book Club meeting will be on Tuesday, September 29 at
Rosanne Diamente’s house. The next book on the table will be “Labyrinth” by Kate
Mosse, so don’t’ forget to do your homework of reading before you go.
Please note that the next meeting will be a “brown bag” lunch. That means that
everyone brings their own lunch (in a brown bag or other appropriate container).
Rosanne will furnish the drinks and the dessert. Contact her if you need more
information at mrdiamente [email protected], mobile: 081865 0714, Home: 038-306-083
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