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PCEC elects new board
The Sunday meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club got
underway at the Amari’s Henry J. Beans Restaurant on Sunday, July 5. Master
of Ceremonies Richard Silverberg welcomed everyone to the Sunday meeting. He
then announced that since this was the first Sunday in July, it was the
Annual General Meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club.
 PCEC
chairman, Canadian Michel De Goumois, presents the Annual Report to PCEC
members.
Therefore, the meeting would not follow the regular format. After the usual
announcements, Emcee Richard then updated everyone on upcoming events before
calling on Chairman Michel de Goumois to open the Annual Meeting.
Chairman Michel then gave his annual report to the membership, saying that
the Club continues to be an important focal point of the expat community
living in the Pattaya area. Further, through the Club, our members have been
able not only to share interests, information and concerns but also to
develop many activities which enhance their quality of life as well as bring
benefits to others in Thailand.
 Elections
Officer John Fishback announces the results of voting for the PCEC Board for
Directors for the 2009 - 2010 Board year.
Chairman Michel briefly went over some of the special interest groups and
other Club activities. He also mentioned that the Club had set up a Visa
Assistance Committee staffed by three of the Board members to provide help
to those that sought it on matters involving Thai Immigration. The Board had
also set up another committee to work on the design and implementation of a
better Club website and that this work was well underway.
He then highlighted specific events, excursions, and activities occurring
during the year and thanked current Board members and others that devoted
their time and energy to make the Club successful.
Michel concluded by noting that the Club has more than fulfilled the
objectives outlined in its Constitution, which is to facilitate contacts and
exchange of information among members of the expatriate community. Further,
the Club has gone beyond that by facilitating the development of common
interests and activities among its members as well as by fostering a better
understanding and appreciation of the expat community by Thai authorities
and society. Chairman Michel said that we can all look forward to another
fruitful year thanks to the interest and participation of all of the members
of the Pattaya City Expats Club.
 Newsletter
and website planner Darrel Vaught presents the new PCEC website, to go
online in the near future.
Upon completion of the Annual report, Electoral Officer John Fishback
announced the results of the election to the Board of Governors. Those
elected outright were Richard Smith, Al Serrato, and Darrel Vaught. There
was a three way tie in the number of votes for the remaining two vacancies.
Consequently, in accordance with the club’s bylaws, the two candidates with
the longest continuous membership, Max Rommel and Roger Fox, would fill
those two vacancies.
Emcee Richard Silverberg called on Darrel Vaught to give a short
presentation on the new website. Darrel began his presentation by displaying
a picture of the current website’s home page noting the steps necessary to
navigate through the website to obtain information. He then displayed a
picture of the redesigned home page and explained that the number of topics
had been reduced substantially, thus improving the ease of navigation.
Further, he noted that the redesign would facilitate keeping the site up to
date. Although the redesign was still in progress, Darrel was able to show a
portion of the new website and demonstrate how it will work. He pointed out
that the new website’s home page has the added features of listing the
speaker for the upcoming Sunday meeting as well as showing the latest
information on upcoming Club events. In conclusion, he said that it was
hoped the newly designed website would be online by the end of July.
Incoming board members (left
to right) Al Serrato, Roger Fox, Darrel Vaught,
Max Rommel and Richard Smith are presented to the members.
Charity Club completes clean drinking water project
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The Charity Club of
Pattaya asked administrators of the local wat if they could build a
fresh water system in the grounds for villagers to come and collect
water. |
Now villagers can collect clean drinking
water whenever they need it. |
Christina Boden
While checking the on going projects that the Charity Club have in Isaan
they noticed the disgusting water that the villagers were drinking. So, they
asked administrators of the local wat if they could build a fresh water system
in the grounds for villagers to come and collect water. That was at the end of
March and this project is now complete.
The system is up and running and the villagers can collect clean drinking water
whenever they need it.
The monks also collect villagers that cannot get to the wat, and take water to
those who cannot make the journey.
The majority of the money came from the St George’s Day event at the Caddy
Shack, which raised 74,720 baht so we thank Keith and Koy and everyone who
attended for their contribution.
For more information, contact www. charityclubofpattaya .bravehost.com or
[email protected]
French community celebrates Bastille Day at Town in Town
Paul Strachan
Members of Club Ensemble along with friends and family celebrated
Bastille Day at the Town in Town hotel on Friday July. 10
 Pascal
le Deunff, First Conseller, French Embassy addresses the gathering and welcomes
everyone to a fine event.
In France, Bastille day is called Fête Nationale (“National Celebration”). It
commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of
the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789; the anniversary of the storming of
the Bastille fortress-prison was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern
nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional
monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution.
At the Town in Town Hotel a grand buffet was laid on that included many French
cuisines and of course Thai food, finished off with a variety of desserts
including chocolate mouse and fresh soft cheeses.
The event attracted over 100 people including the French Consul, Sophie Renaud.
During dinner there was musical entertainment and clowns who kept the children
amused with face painting and fun games.
Following the Thai and French national anthems some members sang some French
songs much to the delight of the audience.
Cooking Thai food now as easy as A B C
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Easy ABC, a Pattaya language and computer school, has added cooking to
its menu.
 Wolfgang
Payer, managing director of Easy ABC.
Giving the public a taste of the new courses, managing director Wolfgang Payer
hosted a July 4 grand opening of the Easy ABC Thai-International Cooking School
and introduced the program’s new director, Tanaporn Bunlor, who has worked three
years as a professional chef.
Payer claims Easy ABC is the largest language school in Pattaya with branches in
South Pattaya and Naklua. All teachers can speak German, English and Thai and
the school also offers computer training.
The new cooking classes already have more than 10 Thai and foreign students,
with most expressing interest in learning how to whip up Thai favorites such as
sweet and sour sauce, tom kha kai and tom yam kung.
For more information call 038-251-952 or 038-226-119.
Easy ABC cooking school.
Cooking teacher Tanaporn Bunlor is
a former professional chef
Are you in business and enjoy a beer?
Well you will be pleased to know the two do mix...
Dan Cheeseman
It must be tiresome to have the same conversation every week in
respect of a flagging local economy resulting in slow business. You will get the
ever optimistic pointing out that the sterling is strengthening against the baht
‘which surely marks the start of a growth in tourism’, to the stark
pessimist suggesting Pattaya is doomed. Well rest assured this article will stop
here in respects of a fast becoming tired subject. There is always a cycle for
business and the economy, it just so happens we are at a particularly low point
at present.
The point is if you are in business in Pattaya you need to be finding ways of
doing business - whatever the state of the economy - and that is only achieved
by connecting with your customers. Fact. Don’t look for excuse or over
complicate the issue any further than that.
At this point I would like to introduce the Lighthouse Club, a local charity and
networking forum held each month. It would also be appropriate to give relevance
to the headline of ‘Business and Beer’ because that is where the club finds its
point of difference to other advertising channels. Do not mistake the club for a
stuffy and artificial group, there is often a stigma attached to the word
networking: For a low entry fee (cheaper still if a member at 200 baht) you get
free beer, wine and buffet whilst stocks last and a chance to meet key business
within real estate and construction. Held on the fourth Friday of each month
with forthcoming events confirmed via Mark Thompson on 084 7783304.
Get your business in front of an influential group in Pattaya. Business such as
the Nova group, Town & Country, Northern Thai and Paradise City Property have
all seen a real benefit in sponsoring an event. At 15,000 baht you get
exceptional value, just look at other advertising vehicles for comparison. For
this you get a chance to connect with all these members as sole sponsor; maybe
you are a developer or sell something connected with property (such as
furniture) - because this is the group you should be influencing and building
relations with. You also get media coverage across the board to get your
business into the wider community. Contact Mark for details of available dates
to sponsor.
As a charity the club donates to Sanuk, a charity that helps local orphans:
41,000 baht was raised at the last event which is ever needed for these
unfortunate kids. If you have any items you would like to donate to our raffle
then please contact Mark - we have had nights donated by hotels, maybe you could
offer a set amount of drinks if you are a bar, endless opportunity for things to
donate, so put your thinking cap on and offer something to our next raffle!
When you arrive in Thailand you are asked your reason for entrance: business or
pleasure, well in the Lighthouse Clubs case the answer is both - and both come
in abundance. Do come and enjoy a beer at the next event, it could be the best
thing to happen to your business in months!
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