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PMTV pays tribute to Mike Franklin

‘Books Caravan’ with bargains galore now on until January 18

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PMTV pays tribute to Mike Franklin

Paul Strachan
Mike Franklin was many things to many people, and here at Pattaya Mail TV (PMTV) the thing that was amazing about Mike was that he was always looking for new ways to get the message across. He was open to new ideas, which for a man in his seventies was an amazing feat.
His work with the Jesters for PMTV was exemplary, and of course who can forget his legendary TV feature “A Day at the Fountain of Life”. However, for me it was his ‘Insight’ programme that provided the platform for viewers to really see Mike at his best. When Mike and I first discussed the concept of this one-to-one interview programme, he had a vision. He wanted it to be friendly, informal and informative… looking back, many of his Insight shows were like an in-depth Parkinson show. It was my job to put this all together in a concise format that, like Mike, had its own identity.
With Mike’s enthusiasm and dedication, this was not only easy, but was also a pleasure.
Mike would insist on source material from his prospective interviewees, where they had to give him a stage by stage account of where the road started that eventually led them here to Thailand. This often included photographs taken throughout their lives.
This enabled Mike to set about the framework for his interviews, many of which had lengthy intros. And by the time the cameras were rolling, Mike had his self penned scripts rehearsed in his head, much the way an actor would. The magic of course was that he never made it sound like he was reciting, so for our viewers it was just like watching two mates have a natter on TV.
The series focused on many well know characters here in Pattaya, including Norie Whiter, Lewis ‘Woody’ Underwood, Russell Vickers, Rony Fineman, Bernie Tuppin, Norman Vernon, David Anderson, Bob Philp, Peter Cummins, Ingo Rauber, Jim London, Jens Maspfuhl, Claude Muhlemann, Nigel Cannon, Amber Litzroth, Rosanne Diamente, and Steve Ryser, with the last one in December being with the golf chairman of Pattaya Sports Club, Perry McNeely.
Mike was born on April the 1st (April Fools Day) and just for a laugh we did a couple of jokes for TV. One included a glove for elderly golfers that would be used once the putt had been holed out. The golfer would then press a button on the glove and the ball (using some magnetic force) would leap out of the hole directly into the golfers hand, saving him from stooping down to get it.
To make the joke work on TV all I had to do was reverse a shot of Mike dropping a ball into the hole; however, it proved to be trickier than either of us first thought. We took take after take with the ball missing or even going in the hole, only to bounce out. I remember Mike saying, “I would have more chance at 10 yards with an old club!”
Last year I called up Mike and said I wanted him to do a special ‘Insight’ show; seeing as his birthday was coming up, I wanted him to interview himself. As ever he jumped at the chance to do something a bit different. We filmed it against a green screen in the studio and I sent a 2nd crew to film a space in the tropical garden at Diana Golf Club, where all the Insight shows were filmed, which would be used as the backdrop for the interview.
Back in the studio we first recorded Mike as the interviewer, then he changed his shirt, moved to the other chair and answered the questions he was just asked. After we pieced it all together and added in some twittering birds for sound effect, we had a little piece of TV magic.
This again showed the lighter side of Mike and as ever he was game for making into a funny yet short piece.
This special ‘Insight’ is still online at the Pattaya Mail youtube website and stands as a very small testament of a very great man.
There is still a list of those that Mike wanted to get on-camera for his ‘Insight’ show; however, I find myself in the same position as many in the community, knowing that I could never do it in the way that Mike would have.

‘Books Caravan’ with bargains galore now on until January 18

Vimolrat Singnikorn
Asia Books is currently running a ‘Book Caravan Sale’ at the Avenue Mall in Pattaya with some great bargains on offer for all its customers.

Phumate Manuphibul, the Managing Director of Asia Books.
Managing Director of Asia Books, Phumate Manuphibul, says that up to 10,000 interesting books and magazines are on sale at prices of up to 80% off. Additionally, customers who spend more than 1,000 baht will receive a free voucher offering 10-50% discounts on books purchased at all Bookazines in Pattaya.
Asia Books promotes three distinct brands to reach as wide a customer base as possible. Alongside Asia Books, which is categorized as the premier brand, the Bookazine stores are set up to cater mainly to the tourist market, with the shelves lined with travel guides and many tourism and destination oriented magazines as well as popular fiction and non-fiction books. And thirdly there are the Book Outlets which are targeted to serve the Thai and domestic market and which offer a broad spectrum of literature.
Phumate said, “In the past we have focused on these three markets here in Pattaya because it is a tourist destination, therefore, we have to make sure that each market segement is not neglected.”
There are altogether some six branches of Bookazine in Pattaya; situated at the Royal Garden Plaza, Central Festival Center Pattaya, Carrefour, Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, Jomtein and The Avenue Pattaya. In addition a new 7th branch will be located in the new Central Pattaya Beach which will be opening soon under the premier brand of Asia Books. This new store will be part of the 70 branches of Asia books and Bookazines currently operating in Thailand.
On a general matter, Phumate Manuphibul also mentioned that online shopping does not seem to have had a negative affect on sales or reduced the amount of customers coming into book stores, as the majority of the readers still like to handle books and browse through them before they purchase in a store.

Customers browse through some of the thousands of books and magazines
on offer at the Pattaya ‘Book Caravan’.

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