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10,000 winning Chinese couples to marry in Thailand
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Chinese lovers have become a key part of Thailand’s plans to rebuild
tourism with 10,000 couples who win a special lottery getting to tie the
knot in Pattaya and other cities over the next year.
 Bandit
Siritanyong, Pattaya City advisor to the Thai-Chinese Culture and Economic
Council.
The first 100 of the weddings were held July 27 at the Dusit Thani Hotel. It
was hard not to imagine the brides being overwhelmed a ceremony featuring
gifts from local Thai-Chinese organizations, a guest list studded with TV
and movie stars and a celebratory parade by Pattaya school children.
The program sponsored by the Thai-Chinese Culture and Economic Council and
backed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand will see winners of a China-wide
lottery get married in Thai-style weddings in Pattaya, Chang Mai and Phuket.
The program will run until the end of next year.
TCCEC board member Bandit Siritanyong said the program is being funded by
donations from businesses here and abroad. If successful it will be extended
after 2010, he said.
Expats Club learns about H1N1
The Sunday meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club got
underway at the Amari’s Henry J. Beans Restaurant on Sunday, July 19 when Master
of Ceremonies Roger Fox welcomed members and guests. After the usual
announcements, Emcee Roger called on member Gavin Waddell to introduce the guest
speaker. Gavin is with the International Relations Department at Phyathai
Hospital in Sriracha and had arranged not only for the speaker, but also for a
nurse to do free blood pressure checks and body mass measurements in the back
alcove.
 PCEC
member Gavin Waddell from the International Department of Phyathai Hospital,
Sriracha, introduces Dr Netrchanok Samchai, of the hospital’s medical staff.
As a preface to the speaker’s topic, Gavin mentioned that Phyathai Hospital has
been inundated because of the current concern over the H1N1 (swine) flu
epidemic. He noted in introducing Dr. Netrchanok Samchai, M.D. that she along
with other hospital staff were concerned that with so many seeking diagnosis
about their flu like symptoms, it might cause other patients to avoid coming to
the hospital for fear of being exposed. Dr. Samchai came up with the idea to set
up a self contained structure for handling examination of individuals with H1N1
flu like symptoms.
Dr. Samchai started her presentation by explaining that H1N1 flu originated in
Mexico. Since then, it has spread worldwide. She said the virus is spread
primarily through respiratory droplets that are expelled by speaking, sneezing,
or coughing. The symptoms are fever, sneezing, coughing, runny nose, chills, and
muscle aches. If a person gets within one meter of someone with those symptoms,
they are at risk of catching the virus.
 Former
Chairman Richard Smith advises PCEC members of our upcoming trip to Underwater
World, Vihranra Hsien Museum (with genuine terracotta warriors), and to
Silverlake Vineyard and Winery, for a tour and dinner.
Her advice for persons who are well is to as much as possible: (1) stay a
distance of at least one meter from anyone with the symptoms; (2) refrain from
touching mouth or nose; (3) wash hands often with soap and water or use alcohol
based hand-rub; (4), reduce time spent in close proximity to a person who might
be ill or in crowded settings; and (5) improve air flow in your living space by
opening windows.
For persons who have the flu like symptoms, they should as much as possible: (1)
stay at home and follow local public health recommendations; (2) keep a distance
of at least one meter from well persons; (3) cover mouth and nose with tissue or
other suitable material when sneezing or coughing; (4) dispose of the tissue or
wash the material immediately after use; (5) wash hands immediately after coming
in contact with respiratory secretions; and (5) improve airflow by opening
windows.
Dr. Samchai said that masks can be effective to limit the expulsion of droplets
by a sick person; whereas they may not be that effective in prevention for well
persons. Further, she said that the proper wearing and disposal of masks is
essential. She then explained how this should be done. She emphasized that one
should dispose of the single use type of masks and not to reuse them.
She pointed out that most H1N1 flu cases do not require medical intervention.
She said the majority of persons infected do not have a severe case and do not
require medical treatment. For these milder cases, the person needs only to stay
at home to avoid spreading it to others and follow the steps she previously
mentioned.
However, if a person’s symptoms are severe or they have a fever for more than 3
days, they should seek medical treatment. In treating the virus, the first step
taken will be a laboratory test to confirm the existence of the H1N1 virus. If
confirmed, then treatment will generally be with antiviral medication, which can
reduce the symptoms. She said that Tamiflu can be used for treatment, but should
not be taken as a preventative.
Dr. Samchai noted that the news media has focused on the number of cases and
deaths associated with them. However, she said that most deaths occur in people
who are already sick with other illnesses. In responding to a question about
pictures of public figures vigorously sweeping and cleaning the streets, she
said that it was probably not necessary as any contamination of surfaces would
be infectious at most for only about 2 hours.
Emcee Roger concluded the program by announcing upcoming events and calling on
Richard Silverberg to conduct the ever popular and often humorous Open Forum.
The Forum affords everyone with the opportunity to ask question or make
observations about living here in Thailand, recommend a good restaurant or
movie, or even pass on a few jokes.
PCEC special interest group
‘Frugal Freddies’ enjoys dining at Pattaya’s many value for money, but quality
restaurants; in this case the 189 baht Indian buffet
at Kohinoor, on Pratamnak Rd between Pattaya Tai and Third Rd.
PSC renovate kitchen at Mercy Early Learning Center
Dale Murphy took his wife Puttida to the Mercy Foundation
Bandphrkhun Early Learning Center at Soi Ghopai 1 to make merit for their ninth
wedding anniversary and her birthday by having a lunch for the students and
staff.
 Dale
Murphy and his wife Puttida donate funds to Sukanya Seaton, Mercy Foundation
Chairwoman/CEO.
The Center with a staff of 5 teachers and assistants and over 70 students is a
pre-school for children age 2-6 from very low income families in the area.
While at the Center they noticed that the kitchen was in need of repair after
heavy use over the last three years. As a member of the Pattaya Sports Club,
Dale contacted the charity director Bernie Tuppin and together with Sukanya
Seaton, Mercy Foundation Chairwoman/CEO the kitchen was completely renovated
with new cabinets under a grant from the Sports Club.
Children and benefactors gather
for a group photo.
Two new scuba diving instructors for Pattaya
(From left) Aquanauts Dive Centre
Master Instructor Gary Tytler, IDC Staff Instructor Meg Smith, new Open Water
Scuba Instructors Andrew Jennings and Alison Breeze, and Course Director Roger
M. Smith.
While other foreign visitors were soaking up the sun and
partying until dawn, a pair of young Brits have been spending their holiday in
Pattaya getting up at dawn and studying into the night to become scuba diving
instructors.
Aquanauts Dive Centre students Andrew Jennings of England and Alison Breeze of
Scotland achieved their goal July 19 when they sailed through the Professional
Association of Dive Instructor’s three-day examination at the Discovery Beach
Hotel. They are now headed back to the U.K. for a breather before returning to
Pattaya later this year to continue their dive education.
“I came here on holiday and didn’t really know what to expect when I signed up,”
the 28-year-old Jennings said. “But it turns out to be the best decision I’ve
ever made.”
Aquanauts, a PADI 5-Star Career Development Center located on Soi 6 near Beach
Road, is one of the area’s largest professional dive training centers and its
students have a 100 percent pass rate on the PADI Instructor Exam for more than
two consecutive years. Jennings and Breeze participated in the center’s
“internship” program whereby students spend up to six months studying, diving
and getting real-world experience.
Aquanauts’ management demands excellence from their students, but the results
showed on the recent exam. Jennings, for example, posted perfect marks seven of
the nine times he faced the marking pen.
Lion members celebrate new clock tower
Saksiri Uraiworn
More than two years in the making, Pattaya’s latest landmark, a 23-meter
clock tower made possible by four area Lions Clubs officially has started
ticking.
 Thanks
to local Lions Clubs, Pattaya’s new clock tower stands proudly at Bali Hai Pier.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome and past Lions International District 310-C Gov. Kowit
Thianthongnukul opened the new Bali Hai structure funded in part by the Lions
Clubs of Pattaya, Taksin-Pattaya, Pratamnak-Pattaya and Naklua-Pattaya. The
clubs, under Kowit’s leadership, proposed building the tower in Naklua in March
2007 for 970,000 baht. City officials moved the tower - which ended up costing 3
million baht - to Bali Hai pier before construction started last year.
More than 2,000 Lions members attended the opening of the reinforced concrete
tower. Eight meters wide, the tower will be used not only to keep time, but
serve as a distinctive landmark and meeting place.
Tiffany Show boss earns
woman of the year award
Vimolrat Singnikorn
The director of Pattaya’s most-famous transvestite show has been
selected as “woman of the year” by Cosmopolitan Magazine’s Thailand edition.
 (L
to R) Public-sector worker Suliporn Bunbongkarn, Alisa Phanthusak, assistant to
the managing director for Tiffany Show Co. Ltd. and TV host Arisara
Kamthorncharoen receive their awards from Cosmopolitan Magazine.
Alisa Phanthusak, assistant to the managing director for Tiffany Show Co. Ltd.,
was named Pattaya Working Woman of the Year at Cosmo’s Reflecting On Time Awards
July 15 at Central World Plaza in Bangkok. The ceremony also bestowed prizes on
TV host Arisara Kamthorncharoen for her work in mass media and state official
Suliporn Bunbongkarn for her public-sector work.
Alisa, who also is the assistant to the managing director for Woodland Resort
Co. Ltd., was honored for being a role model to women.
“A competent woman is a woman who knows how to manage and balanced time, face
problems to solve them and how to work the system for a decision,” she said.
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