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French consul seeks information about adoption program
Father Michael Weera Phangrak
(left), director of the Pattaya Orphanage presents gifts to French Consul
Sophie Renaud (right).
Elfi Seitz
French Consul Sophie Renaud led an embassy delegation to the Pattaya
Orphanage Nov. 19 to tour the facility and gather more information about
adoptions.
 The
children are happy to meet the French Consul and friends.
Renaud said there is increasing interest in France about adopting children
from Thailand so she wanted to come herself to speak with Radchada
Chomjinda, director of the Human Help Network’s Pattaya branch and the
orphanage, about the process.
While there the consult was honored by the children singing select French
songs and she presented officials with gifts of food and necessary supplies.
Renaud she had long heard about the Pattaya Orphanage and was happy to have
finally seen the facility first-hand.
The children sing selected
French songs for the guests.
French Consul Sophie Renaud,
Father Michael Weera Phangrak, guests and children gather for a Christmas
photo.
Nong Ploy returns for check-up
Dr. Iain Corness
Nong Ploy Wannakrai, the little girl who had a long-standing
abscess on her chest and whose plight was picked up by the Bangkok
Hospital Pattaya after a news item on Pattaya Mail TV returned for
review after her surgery.
 (L
to R) Dr Iain Corness, Dr Pornchai Limudomporn and Nong Ploy Wannakrai -
the patient is recovering nicely.
Dr Pornchai Limudomporn, the surgeon who carried out the operation to
remove the granuloma, was satisfied with the appearance, with new skin
growing over the site of the excision, and Nong Ploy should have a
perfect result.
The general health of the little girl will also improve, now that she
does not have the chronic infection to contend with.
Although the hospital had carried out the operation and follow-up free
of charge, the child’s gift of a wonderfully bright smile was more than
enough payment.
Mike Shopping Mall hosts singing
contest for Father’s Day
Mike CEO Surat Mekawarakul
(front left) leads a press conference about the “His Majesty the King’s
Music Compositions and Thai Music Singing Competition” with Pakamanee
Indharamanee (front right), the managing organizer.
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Mike Shopping Mall will host “His Majesty the King’s Music Compositions
Singing Competition” to celebrate HM the King’s birthday Dec. 5.
 Talented
youths perform for the press release audience.
Mike CEO Surat Mekawarakul said at a Nov. 14 press conference the
Father’s Day event will be divided into two categories with children
aged 7-12 in one bracket and teenagers in another. Winners will receive
scholarships of more than 20,000 baht. Everyone in attendance will also
join in to sing the Royal Anthem and Sadudee Maharaja together.
The contest kicks off at noon and applications will be open until Dec. 1
on the eighth floor of the Beach Road mall. Contestants must prepare two
songs; one from one of His Majesty’s compositions and another piece of
Thai music. Judges will be music professionals.
There will also be an exhibition to honor of HM the King’s musical
talents.
Kate’s Project helping Au towards a better life
Tears of joy to see us.
Ingrid Cunliffe
Au is a woman living in a shack on Soi Siam Country Club who was
raped by two men while sleeping next to her dying husband. Roisin and
Andrew, the founders of Kate’s Project, found her and they have provided
a safe place for her to live and support her.
The fantastic thing is that Au’s daughter heard on the grapevine about
her long lost mom and they have been reunited.
 Au
stands by the porch where she sleeps now.
She is a delightful lady who is unable to speak but makes noises to
communicate, and as you can see from the pics she has a smile to warm
your heart.
As Roisin wrote in a letter to me recently, “(We) traveled for 10 hours
to the far north east of Thailand only 20 miles from the Cambodian
Border to see Khun Au where she now lives with her daughter and
grandchildren, a boy and girl 5 and 7.
“She is thriving and looks good. It is obvious she is being cared for
and loved, but I was shocked to find that she was sleeping outside on
the small porch, as her daughter’s home consists of only one room in the
middle of rice fields. So I set in motion the arrangements to build her
a small room attached to her daughter’s house and left enough money to
cover everything.
 Where
we are going to build a room for Au.
“I told them I would be back soon to visit to make sure they did this
immediately. Au has been through too much in her life to go back to
sleeping in the open again.
“She was delighted to see me but also cried sorely when the time came to
leave. Even the many pink outfits I brought for her could not bring a
smile as we got into the truck to commence the long journey back to
Pattaya.
“(After) plenty of time to think over the 2 days, I realize that Andrew
and I cannot solve every problem we come across, but there are a few
things in this world that we have the power to change and please God we
will be able to continue this for a long time to come.”
Face of an angel.
Daughter’s shack.
Au’s new family and
community.
YWCA donates Lego blocks to Pattaya area schools
Legos for everyone!
Committee members of the Y.W.C.A. Bangkok-Pattaya Center pose for a
photo with the teachers from the 44 schools receiving Legos.
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Pattaya area school children will be building castles, cars and
creatures with 1.2 million baht in Lego blocks donated by the Y.W.C.A.
Bangkok-Pattaya Center and the Danish Embassy.
Y.W.C.A. Chairwoman Nittaya Patimasongkroh and charity committee members
presented the 60 boxes of plastic building blocks to education officials
at Pattaya School #7 Nov. 13 as part of its continuing “Happy Family”
project.
The toys, intended for students in kindergarten through third grade,
were donated by the Lego Charity of Denmark through the Danish Embassy.
Nittaya said the Y.W.C.A. received 60 boxes to distribute in the
Chonburi area with another 120 boxes being sent to other schools in
Thailand.
(L to R) Y.W.C.A.
committee member Warapan Sukohnsit, Chairwoman Nittaya Patimasongkroh
and committee member Paichit Jaetapai present Legos to schools as part
of its Happy Family project.
Redemptorist Vocational School returns 60% of budget, seeks private funding
Saksiri Uraiworn
Pattaya Redemptorist Vocational School for People with
Disabilities will return 60 percent of the funds given to it by the
Ministry of Education this year and will look to charities and private
foundations to cover its expenses for everything except textbooks.
Worawut Saraphan presides
over a budget meeting for the Redemptorist Vocational School for People
with Disabilities.
At a Nov. 18 board of directors meeting, Chairman Worawut Saraphan
explained that while the school had received 520,710 baht from the
ministry in June for textbooks, supplies, uniforms and development
activities, it was informed later that special private schools of its
kind were not covered for any funding other than for books.
He said 212,444 baht was spent on textbooks and that the balance must be
returned.
“The government sees that a school of this type can obtain funds from
foundations and private organizations,” Worawut said.
Worawut and other directors then used the meeting to discuss the
school’s spending plans and how to raise funds for class supplies,
uniforms and activities. The board agreed it should discuss possible
funding from Pattaya City at a future meeting.
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