City looks at widening Pattaya Beach
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Pattaya administrators have formed a beach renovation committee to
research the reclamation of land that could see the widening of Pattaya
Beach by at least 50 meters.
On March 2 at city hall, Mayor Itthipol Khunplome chaired a meeting attended
by Pichet Uthaivatananon, director of the Public Works Office, Dr Terdkiat
Sakkamduang, advisor to the mayor, and city councilors. Those at the meeting
agreed unanimously to set up a committee to review beach reclamation.
Pichet
Uthaivatananon, director of the Pattaya Public Works Office.
Mayor Itthipol said that this consultation on beach landscape had the
purpose of gathering proposals and ideas to modify the environment and
scenery to make the beach area better for the public, including increasing
recreational spaces, especially for the disabled, children and the elderly.
“Our city is an important tourism town and needs to be continuously
developed, especially the beachfront. This is the main selling point and the
beach is currently narrower due to it being seriously washed away. This
might affect tourism if it is left the way it is,” he warned.
The Marine Department, Marine and Coastal Resources Department, and Office
of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning have been tasked
with studying this issue and submitting a report for a future decision.
Public works director Pichet reported that Pattaya Beach is 3 km long and
10-20 meters wide. It has significantly been washed away due to geographical
changes and if it is left the way it is the beach will continue to narrow.
The issue of the reclamation of land began when the government commissioned
the Jaiga Company from Japan in 1990 to study this.
Nine projects to develop Pattaya tourism were also proposed to use a budget
of more than 3.6 billion baht. These consisted of constructing a pier, a
wastewater treatment system and included the reclamation of beach land using
a 666 million baht budget.
But the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning
disagreed with the proposal and stated that the beach did not have a problem
with being washed away and the project was halted.
Instead the Public Works and City Planning Department was ordered to study
beach erosion during a period of three years. They did, and concluded that
there was not an erosion problem.
However, Pichet said that more geographical changes have occurred causing
several rai of the beach being washed away.
Therefore it is appropriate to review and study the reclamation of beach
land again. The city studied this and found that sand can be transported
from the Rayong area by sea to replace what was washed away if need be, he
said.
That operation can be divided into five phases, and will increase the size
of Pattaya Beach by no less than 50 meters.
Pichet also suggested the review of other development projects, such as the
South Pattaya Road project.
For that city had hired a consultant company using a budget of more than 10
million baht to come up with a development plan for constructing an elevated
expressway 40 meters wide running a distance of 2.7 km to the Bali Hai Pier
to improve the flow of traffic.
But the government withdrew the project during the controversy about
demolishing the 101 allegedly trespassing buildings on Walking Street.
Pichet suggested that the project needed to be reviewed again.
City to help manage Utapao Airport
Rear-Admiral Surapong
Ayasanond, deputy director of Utapao Airport, explains proposed
modifications to Mayor Itthipol Khunplome and city administrators.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Pattaya City administrators recently discussed with Utapao Airport
board members the possibility of the city becoming more involved in funding
the planned upgrade and management of the airport. The view being taken is
that of using the facility as a gateway for tourists coming to the city.
On March 3 Mayor Itthipol Khunplome, city administrators and councilors
traveled to meet the director of Utapao International Airport, Rear Admiral
Sophon Bunchom, and his officers.
The parties discussed the airport’s upgrading that followed its brief but
crucial role recently as the area’s only operating international airport
when political protests closed Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports.
The meeting focused on improving the airport’s surroundings, expanding the
approach road from two to four lanes and erecting a billboard in front of
the airport entrance.
Admiral Sopon said the mayor and city councilors were invited to join in the
funding and managing the airport’s development and to propose changing the
airport’s name to Utapao-Pattaya.
Pattaya officials were asked to appoint a manager for the airport and to
help advertise through the mass media.
The Royal Thai Navy has already proposed a 995-million baht budget to the
government for constructing a new passenger hall to double the size of the
existing one, improving the runway, purchasing a security X-ray machine, and
providing a fuel depot and fire engines. This is to be completed between
2010-2012.
Elderly residents register
for special pension
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
On registration opening day, some 1000 elderly residents of Pattaya
put their names down for the new government pension payment of 500 baht a
month. The handouts will last for six months, starting in April and
continuing to September this year.
Deputy
Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn helps senior citizens register for their special
pension.
On February 26 at Pattaya City Hall, the Social Benefit Center was open for
registration of eligible senior citizens, according to new government
policy.
Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn was on hand to help with the registration,
and with many other officers supported the many elderly people who came.
Wutisak said that the government had urgent policy to give this pension to
senior citizens to help maintain their standard of living in current tough
economic times.
Criteria for receiving the pension are: 1. Aged 60 years and over from March
30 2009 (born before April 1, 1949) and a Thai citizen. 2. Have a house
registration within the municipal district. 3. Not receiving benefits from
other state agencies. 4. Hold no official government ranks.
Wutisak said that the 30 communities in Pattaya had been given the
information and eligible applicants can produce documents for registration
from February 26 until March 15 at the Social Benefit Center at city hall
daily from 8.30 - 4 p.m.
Information can be obtained from the phone number 038 253-261. After
registration, listed names will be posted in public on March 26 to make sure
that eligible people have not been missed.
Haunted rail crossing
causes a nuisance
A malfunction in this railroad
crossing gate and warning signal has locals thinking it must be haunted.
Patcharapol Panrak
At a rail crossing in Ban Huaytoo Village (Nernsamakkee) in Sattahip
where there had been many accidental fatalities, spooked villagers have been
seeing the train traffic light signal and gate operating by themselves when
no trains came.
The repairman sent to fix it gave up in disgust and boredom because the
crossing would work normally when he was there, only for him to be called
back again repeatedly later when the crossing again closed off traffic at
its whim.
Local residents are left with no other explanation than that the crossing is
haunted.
Nothing would happen when the repair technician was on duty, sitting there
waiting. But when he had left the signal would turn red and the gate came
down to block the road, sometimes for the entire day.
On March 2, Wilai Prachongsilp, 34, and former village head of Village No. 3
in Bangsarae, said that residents trying to cross the rail tracks to Nong
Nooch Tropical Garden in Najomtien were stopped by the stuck automatic train
light signal.
Sure enough on that day, the bar was down to close off the road and the
warning signal was sounding all the time.
Vehicles had stopped and motorbikes, cars and trucks were trying to back out
to take another route, causing a huge jam. Pedestrians were checking left
and right before crossing not sure whether the signal was lying to them or
not.
Wilai said if whatever it is at the crossing is ever rectified, some
residents may still ignore its warning out of habit and cross so more
accidents are likely to happen.
Python rescued from bar ceiling
Rescuers show off the
snake as tourists scramble
to have their photo taken with it.
Boonlua Chatree
A foreigner may have thought that he found a good drink when he
looked up to see a five-meter-long python hanging down from the ceiling
above the bar.
A bar girl rushed out screaming, not to escape from the snake but to buy
a lottery ticket or two with the numbers that she thought she saw on its
skin markings.
About 3.50 a.m. on February 27, the Sawang Boriboon Thamasathan
Foundation received a call to capture a python from the Kevin beer bar
in Soi Buakhao.
In a four-storey-high commercial building connected to other buildings,
a big python weighing more than 20 kilograms was found above the
ceiling, causing understandable consternation among the customers.
It was difficult to capture the snake since the area was very tight. The
snake attempted to flee through roof tiles. Rescuers had to break open
the roofing to see the snake, which took almost an hour to catch.
Seven men carried the snake out onto the road while onlookers took
photos.
A bar girl believed that it was a holy snake and saw the number 72-520
on its skin. Many lotteries tickets subsequently were bought with those
numbers.
Jaruwan Saengsrijan, 42, caretaker of the beer bar, said that she had
heard noises in the ceiling but thought it was probably a cat.
How long it had been in the ceiling no one knew but now the reason for
recent disappearances of puppies and cats may be clearer.
Rescuers released the python into its natural habitat.
Seminar held to help boost Nile perch export
Patcharapol Panrak
A seminar discussed ways for Thailand to increase its lucrative
export of the Nile perch, which earned 1,014.6 million baht for growers
in 2008.
On February 27, Nikorn Jumnong, advisor to the Minister of Agriculture,
presided over the third seminar on Nile perch export at the Ambassador
City Jomtien, attended by 381 aquaculture farmers from 13 provinces the
eastern region to exchange ideas on the world market demand for their
product.
Nikorn
Jumnong, advisor to the Minister of Agriculture, talks about Thailand
exporting Nile perch.
Nikorn said that the Agriculture Ministry collaborated with the Thai Frozen
Food Association to organize this seminar, entitled “Nile perch -
agriculturists meet exporters,” to plan better production of the Nile perch
(Lates niloticus), commonly known as Pla Nin in Thai, originally introduced
to Lake Victoria in Africa and can grow to a meter or more in size.
The best strategies must be planned so that by 2010 Thai production of Nile
perch can reach 300,000 tons, designating 50,000 tons for export to meet
worldwide demand, especially from the US, Western Europe and the Middle
East, he said.
Dr Jirawan Yamprayoon, deputy director of the Fishing Association, said the
fish is exported both live and frozen. In 2008, 16,733 tons worth 1,014.6
million baht were exported, 3255 tons more than 2007. The EU had imported
1,514 tons in the past 10 months from Thailand.
Our main competitors in this market are India, Vietnam, Indonesia and
Philippines. This seminar aims to boost Thai production to be the leader in
export of the fish in ASEAN. In the future Thailand may export Nile perch to
be used for collagen in cosmetics, leather, decorations or even production
of biodiesel, Dr Jirawan said.
HIV research team
seeks volunteers
Pramote Channgam
Thai and US researchers cooperating with Pattaya City are beginning
to research groups at risk of contracting HIV. They want to enlist the help
of 500 Thai sex workers and homosexuals as volunteers in their 10-year
study.
On February 26 in the conference room at city hall, Mayor Itthipol Khunplome
chaired a meeting of Thai-US researchers from the Armed Forces Research
Institute of Medical Sciences.
Mayor
Itthipol Khunplome presides over the research meeting.
The meeting was attended by Dr Somchai Sriplianchan, permanent physician of
the project, and representatives from Hop Group and Friends Foundation,
Swing, Fountain of Life Center for Women, Peoples’ Development Association,
Sister Center, Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand, Auspice Foundation,
Duang Pratheep Foundation and the Chonburi Office of Disease Prevention and
Control.
Mayor Itthipol said that this meeting sought study volunteers from 18-50
years of age to represent the age group at risk of contracting HIV.
Researchers plan to study a group of 250 female sex workers and a group of
250 male homosexuals and sex workers.
The aim is to contribute to worldwide research into developing a vaccine
against AIDS.
Dr Somchai said that this project would seek to advance our knowledge
regarding the first step of contracting HIV and how the body reacts when
contracting it. They also hope to learn more about how AIDS destroys our
anti-AIDS immunizing agents.
People at the first stage of AIDS will be studied to learn about the body’s
physical reaction and the development of microbes.
This research project’s data will be an important foundation in developing
anti-AIDS medicine and a vaccine in the future, he said.
This research project is the first international project since AIDS first
spread 30 years ago, being conducted at the same time in Uganda, Tanzania,
Kenya, and Thailand.
Each country will gather 500 volunteers and divide them into the two
research groups. After two pilot years, researchers will monitor for eight
continuous years of the life of each of the volunteers during those
contagious stages.
The Research Institute of Medical Sciences was established in 1958 as a
cooperative effort between the Royal Thai Army and the US Army to conduct
many projects to research the spread of diseases including malaria, dengue
fever and AIDS.
The research institute was the first laboratory in Thailand to be certified
by the College Of American Pathologists.
City plans new monorail
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Pattaya is once again looking to spend 3.6 billion baht on a
six-kilometer-long monorail over the heart of the city to ease road traffic
and improve public transportation for residents.
Mayor Itthipol Khunplome attended the meeting at city hall with relevant
officials and councilors to discuss the development of a monorail for the
future.
Based on his research, Dr. Vissanu Palayanont proposed a new transportation
plan aimed to solve the traffic problem, gain a better balance in the
environment and add value to properties in the city.
The proposal details a monorail project of some six kilometers starting from
the Dolphin roundabout, running down through Walking Street and ending at
Bali Hai Pier. This is to be built with a budget of 3.6 billion baht over
the next three years.
The mayor said Pattaya is a main tourist destination in the country
attracting six million visitors each year. The city ranks third in earning
income from tourism after Bangkok and Phuket but is the second most visited
city after the capital.
New convenient, cheap and safe transportation will bring more revenue to the
city and raise the quality of life of those living here, said the mayor.
New tourist police chief starts work
Boonlua Chatree
New commander of the Tourist Police, Pol. Maj-Gen. Adit
Ngamjitsuksri visited the Pattaya Tourist Police Station after taking up his
new position two weeks ago. He has vowed to support tourists and suppress
crime in Pattaya.
Thai
and foreign Tourist Police volunteers line up to salute new commander of the
Tourist Police, Pol. Maj-Gen. Adit Ngamjitsuksri.
On March 5 the commander officially visited Tourist Police Office 4,
accompanied by Pol. Col. Supapol Arunsit, deputy commander in chief of the
Tourist Police, Pol. Col. Krit Warit, superintendent of Tourist Police 2,
Pol. Lt-Col. Bunrod Angkab, deputy superintendent of Tourist Police 2 and
other officers.
Some 30 Thai volunteer police officers, 30 international volunteer police
officers and 38 Pattaya Tourist police officers stood in line to salute the
new commander as he arrived.
At his official welcome, Maj-Gen. Adit said that at this international
tourist destination Tourist Police must work strictly and efficiently to
suppress crime to protect the lives and property of tourists, including
providing prompt and effective serviced when required.
Angry villagers protest
beach quarry
Excavators are hard a work removing rocks
and sand from Hin Look Chang Beach in Sattahip.
Patcharapol Panrak
Angry seaside villagers in Najomtien Sub-district in Sattahip filed
a protest petition with police for the destruction of Hin Look Chang Beach
after the Aiyara Management Bangsarae Company began to quarry rocks, armed
with a license from the Marine Department.
On March 3 village headman Somsak Tabklad submitted a complaint signed by
some 100 villagers from villages number 3 and 8 with Pol. Lt. Supawat
Lattapreecha at the Najomtien Sub-District Police Station. They also sent a
protest letter to the governor of Chonburi.
They said that a Thai businessman “outsourced by a foreigner” had for three
days been using heavy equipment to quarry rocks and boulders from their
beach which destroyed its environment.
They are particularly angry that a rock called “Hin Look Chang” (baby
elephant rock), that fishers and villagers believe to be sacred and worship
each time they go out to sea for safety and good catches, had been taken
away.
Police had been to the scene but said that the company had a license from
the Marine Department to do the work.
Two boats, six backhoes, a crane and trucks were brought in to quickly
quarry the natural sea material and their work is continuing while villagers
urgently seek ways to stop it.
Chonburi Governor Surapon Pongtadsirikun asked the villagers to provide
documentary photos to be sent to the director-general of the Marine
Department for further procedures.
Headman Somsak said that Wittaya Chaiyanukulkitti, chief of the Marine
Department 6 Pattaya Branch, issued the license to the company to modify the
beach, and the license may be illegal as it was causing the destruction of
the environment affecting inhabitants and their livelihood in fishery and
tourism.
Sattahip district chief, Chaichan Iamcharoen, said that he knew of the
complaint filed by residents but did not know the details, leaving deputy
district chief, Surachet Kaewkam, in charge of this matter.
As the quarrying proceeds, villagers gather to curse those who have taken
their “Hin Look Chang” away, believing that the destroyers will surely face
a catastrophe.
Fire destroys Sattahip house
Patcharapol Panrak
A rental house owned by the president of Sattahip Municipality
Council, Tawee Kongsawat, near the Payub Temple in Sattahip burned in the
middle of the night, sending residents from the crowded slum escaping to
safety. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt.
The
house was gutted, but luckily no one was hurt.
At 4 a.m. on March 4, Pol. Lt. Ekachai Mullee at the Sattahip Police Station
received the fire alert from Somptob Deeying, 61, and leader of the Payub
Welfare Center Community. Two fire engines were dispatched to the scene.
The two-story wood-and-cement house was completely ablaze. Sattahip
Municipality Public Disaster Protection officers turned off the power and
sprayed water to stop the fire from spreading to neighboring houses. It took
more than an hour to put out the fire that was believed to have been sparked
by an electrical short circuit.
The house was completely burned but no one was injured as the house was not
occupied at the time. Primary estimation of damage is 200,000 baht.
Tawee came to the scene saying that the house belonged to him and that he
had leased it out to navy personnel. Luckily the renter removed his property
from the house only one day before it caught fire.
Walking Street urchins
causing headaches
Pramote Channgam
Popular Walking Street is a headache for Pattaya City as officials
continuously receive complaints from tourists about the nuisance of child
vendors, beggars, child pick-pockets and protected wild animals being used
for photos, all of which are proving a real handful for busy municipal
police.
Deputy
Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh.
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh consulted with Sunthorn Kangsirikul, president
of the Walking Street Community, and Somchai Sirorat from the Social
Development and Human Security in Chonburi, on March 4 at city hall.
The deputy mayor said that the lively street is an important evening
entertainment location well-known for its active nightlife.
“But allowing these problems to continue will affect Pattaya’s tourism
image,” Ronakit said.
Somchai proposed a solution concerning child vendors requiring more effort
from police to strictly control and arrest them. This includes driving the
urchins back home after being rounded up by police.
Five held for selling fake luxury goods
Police show off bags full of
confiscated fake brand-named goods.
Boonlua Chatree
In a police crackdown on the selling of fake brand-named goods,
deputy commander of the Chonburi Police Theerapol Jindaluang announced the
arrest of vendors selling pirated goods to foreign tourists.
Five vendors were arrested as they were allegedly selling clothing,
handbags, satchels and watches on Beach Road, at Thepprasit Market Fair and
Grand Hall Market Fair in Nongprue.
Arrested were Sasithorn Srianusorn, 22, from Samutprakarn, Chaweewan Surai,
31, from Chonburi, Somkit Supachinee, 41, from Chonburi, Worapol Mayom, 34,
from Pathumthanee, and Jesada Leehokseng, 23, from Petchaburi.
Police confiscated as evidence 297 brand-named clothes, 11 pairs of shoes,
70 wrist watches, 8 belts, 284 handbags, 608 hats and trousers, valued at
more than 700,000 baht.
Police charged the five with selling copied brand-named goods which had
already been registered in the Kingdom.
Police said the vendors purchased the copied goods from the Rong Klua Market
at the border of Cambodia to sell to foreigners at higher prices.
Pattaya music fest ready to rock
Over 100 artists will rock out
on stage
at the Pattaya International Music Festival 2009.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Amazing music may be added to the slogan “Amazing Thailand, amazing
value” as the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) again organizes the annual
Pattaya International Music Festival by the sea on March 20-22.
Mayor Itthipol Khunplome took the media, TAT and management organizations of
Chonburi and Pattaya City to a promotional meeting at Central World Bangkok
on February 26.
The festival has the support of many international recording labels such as
Korean S.M. Entertainment, EEG from Hong Kong, Ocean Butterfly from China,
House of Indies from Vietnam, Hala Music from Malaysia, AMJPHEAD from
Australia, INDEE records from Laos and AVEX Taiwan.
Performances will be on three stages at Bali Hai Pier, Central Pattaya, and
Pattaya Soi 4.
International artists include Golf-Mike, Pek Palitchoke, The Star, B.O.Y.,
Rynn Lin (Malaysia), Auf Pongsak, Ice Saranyu, Chin Chin Wut, Bee, The
StarCirque de Freak (Australia), Kym Jun-sha (China), Minh Thu (Vietnam),
Shinee (Korea), Girls’ Generation (Korea), Boy Peacemaker, Hangman, Zeal,
Clash, No More Tear, Cell (Laos), Potato, Ebola, Paradox, Big Ass, Bodyslam,
So Cool, Abnormal, Sweet Mullet, Taxi, Black Head, Playground, Pancake,
Nologo, Joey Boy, Jay Jetrin, Rose Saranthip, Beam Jaruwan, Mint Sawanya,
Lookpad, Toffee, Ploy, Kob Savanit, and many more.
New public health
volunteers ready
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
The Ministry of Public Health held a meeting on the new public
health volunteer scheme which will send 987,019 volunteers into the
community in the next six months to help improve public health standards all
over the country.
Chonburi Deputy Governor Pisit Boonchuang welcomed some 2,500 health
professionals at the Ambassador City Jomtien Pattaya, on February 27,
including Wittaya Kaewparadai, Minister of Public Health, Pisit
Pattanachote, advisor to Minister of Public Health, Dr Prart
Boonyawongviroj, deputy head of the Public Health Ministry and Dr Somyot
Deerassamee, dean of Health Support.
Also discussed at the meeting was the token payment of 600 baht per month
for public health volunteers starting from April and continuing to September
2009 to help them do their work.
Public Health Minister Wittaya said that the main objective of the scheme is
to promote health in the community for people to take care of themselves to
ease the burden on doctors and nurses in public hospitals.
The scheme will also support the growing number of senior citizens that is
forecast to increase from seven million in 2007 to 12-14 million in 2025.
Some 80% of the aged suffer from illnesses such as diabetes, high blood
pressure, obesity, heart diseases and paralysis. So a good strategy is to
encourage people to stay in good health at home as well as to improve public
medical treatment, he said.
The minister said that this meeting would make sure that the program is run
smoothly within budget.
Tasks for the new volunteers include:
Registering all pregnant women from March 2 and provide necessary support
where possible, visiting infants and their mothers, encouraging mothers to
breast feed their babies for at least six months and helping the elderly and
disabled in the villages, such as providing transportation to hospital if
necessary.
Wittaya reported that 987,019 volunteers showed up when the government only
set the budget for 834,000 volunteers. But the government wished to pay all
volunteers with token support, even if they do not want monetary gains in
return.
Thousands of health volunteers
turned up at the Ambassador Hotel in Jomtien.
School donates to YWCA
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Srisuvit School Education Day 2009 raised 100,000 baht for charity
through the YWCA as the school’s primary students graduated.
Nonglak
Fakroek (left), head of financial management of Srisuvit School presents a
donation for the YWCA to Nittaya Patimasongkroh, president of YWCA
Bangkok-Pattaya, and Elfi Seitz.
On February 28 at the Alcazar Theatre on Pattaya 2nd Road, Dr. Chalong
Tabsri, director of the international program of education at Burapa
University, handed out the diplomas with Nonglak Fakroek, head of financial
management of Srisuvit School, guests, parents, teachers and 395 students in
attendance.
Nonglak said that this diploma presentation event was a time for students to
be proud of their academic achievement and to gain inspiration towards
further knowledge. The event should also help build tighter relationships
within their families.
A total of 395 students graduated from elementary school in 2008. At the
event the school also gave a cash donation to YWCA-Bangkok Pattaya Center,
which was received by Nittaya Patimasongkroh, president of YWCA
Bangkok-Pattaya, and Elfi Seitz, a committee member.
Likae struggles in life’s play
Patcharapol Panrak
For one troupe of traditional Likae actors hard up for money the
repeated script of their daily reality is tough.
During
performances, dancers pass around a bowl to try and make some money to live.
The dancers of Saengmanee Duangnapa Group now perform on a mat at the vast
Sattahip market at night and pass a bowl around for cash from the meager
audience of housewives and transvestites gathered to watch them.
The actors, who paint their faces and sing and dance in their show that is
similar to Chinese opera, go around to find money on the ground at the
market and hold out bowls like beggars.
Owner of the group, Saengmanee Duangnapa, 47, said that it was always a
struggle now to make enough to feed her mother, children, nieces and
nephews, adding up to 20 souls.
The troupe can’t afford the 2,000 baht a night fee to rent a stage so now
performs at the market. On a good night, there might be 10 transvestites and
widows as the audience but some nights there are as few as two. But the show
goes on.
Audiences pity them and give jasmine and cash, making the troupe more
confidence with their performance.
As the main actor appeared to dance on the mat, other performers came out
with a bowl asking the audience and visitors for some cash. There were not
many watching but these gave generously and thousands of baht was earned.
Saengmanee said that they used to perform with Somsak Pakdee but had left
and performed all over the country for 30 years.
As prevailing popular taste shifts towards modern singers and bands, along
with TV and movies, the Likae has been very much left behind as a folk art
form.
In a year there may only be some 20 shows to do, therefore the group needs
to perform like this in order to make a living, she said.
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