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Pattaya welcomes Year of the Tiger with 3-day festival

Jesters provide specialized footballs to blind athletes

Joint Chambers discover the Lost World

From 19 to 63, Aquanauts interns sail through scuba diving instructor exam


Pattaya welcomes Year of the Tiger with 3-day festival

Death defying feats by the lions and dragons are always crowd pleasers.

Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Pattaya welcomed in the Year of the Tiger with cultural shows, dragon parades and music during a three-year celebration that brought large numbers of tourists to the area for the holiday.

Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome kicked off the festivities Feb. 14 at the King Taksin the Great Monument at Pattaya City Hall where the legendary monarch and honorary father of Pattaya was honored with food, sweets and dances by Chinese-style lions and dragons. The events continued with a parade in Naklua.

Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome leads city administrators in paying respect to King Taksin the Great on Chinese New Year.

That evening, the mayor emceed the city’s Chinese New Year festival at Bali Hai Pier, featuring a dragon and lion dance show, lion and dragon fighting, fireworks and the spectacle of a Chinese lion climbing 20 meters into the air. The highlights of the night’s activities were a show performed by students from Tianjin Common University in Taiwan sponsored by the Sawang Boriboon Thamasathan Foundation and a concert from the Brazia Band.

Festivities continued each night through Feb. 16 with an “angel blessing dance” show, kung-fu exhibition, the Chinese Girl Pattaya 2010 pageant for kids ages 7-9, a dance to honor the Kuan-Im Goddess, cultural shows from mainland Chinese performers and concerts by popular artists.

The Chinese God of Wealth blesses people during the festivities at Bali Hai pier.

Eng-Kor-Pabu performers from the Look Praya
group out of Nakhorn Sawan lead the parade.

Folks of Thai-Chinese lineage worship their God and forefathers according
to their traditions on Chinese New Year.

People put money into the Dragon’s mouth with the belief that it will support honor, auspiciousness, and build their fortune.

The dragon climbing the pole to fight with the lion
draws gaps of amazement and plenty of applause.

Art students from Tianjin Common University in the Republic
of China perform during the opening night.


Jesters provide specialized footballs to blind athletes

During the presentation, Aurora (center), Woody (left) and Peter (right)
posed with the blind athletes for a group photo.

Lewis Underwood
Last year on Christmas Day, we were invited by director Aurora to come and listen to the students at the School for the Blind sing carols. In a day full of social obligations, it was a charming interlude that added accent to the day’s already mirthful mood.

When the singing was finished, Aurora had a favor to ask. She said they were in want of specialized footballs, as their old ones were worn or split and the playing season was coming up. The balls were needed for their athletes’ training for not only national events, but also regional ones, such as the Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled (FESPIC) and Asian Para Games.

Peter Makowski (left) after presenting special footballs to the students.

These balls are specially constructed with pellets inside them, so that when they are in play, they can be readily located by sound. They are also bigger than standard footballs, closer to that of basketballs, and specifically made for blind athletes. They have to be ordered from West Germany and are pricy at 4500 baht apiece.

By the way, these blind athletes play a modified game of football, sometimes called goalball, which involves two teams of three players, who each face each other across a court that is 9 meters wide and 18 meters long. The object of the game is to ‘bowl’ the sound-making ball over the opponent’s goal line at the other end. The opponents listen for the oncoming ball and attempt to block it with their bodies, which more often than not, means getting in prone positions. Once they are able to stop the ball and take control of it, they then become the offensive team.

So, after being softened up by the serenading and infused with the spirit of giving, with little hesitation, we announced that we would be more than happy to sponsor this significant equipment. After all, sports, like music, are important meaningful activities for these special children.

So fast forward to earlier this month, Peter Makowski, rock journalist and procurer of signed memorabilia from rock stars for our auction, is in town and we are in the process of visiting our projects, when Aurora calls. She said the balls have arrived and she wants us to come by and present them to the kids. And we said, perfect, we will be right over.

It was simple, spontaneous event and the kids were delighted to receive the balls, especially ahead of their annual Sports Day that took place last Wednesday on the 24th.

If you would like to learn more about how we benefit needy kids, please visit our website at www.care 4kids.info.


Joint Chambers discover the Lost World

Dr. Iain Corness
Despite some prior misgivings in some quarters, the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT) and the Australian Thai Chamber of Commerce (AustCham) held a joint networking evening at the new Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya.

(L to R) Brett Gannaway, executive director of AustCham Thailand; Andrew Durieux, president of AustCham Thailand, and Graham Macdonald, vice chairman of British Chamber of Commerce Thailand.

Cricket balls, tennis balls and rugby footballs were banned for the evening, which resulted in a most harmonious networking night. In fact, the executive director of AustCham, ‘Brylcream Brett’ Gannaway, admitted on Pattaya Mail TV that all he had to do was make sure the beer was cold and the wine never runs out. (What a job description! Where do I apply?)

The sponsors for the very well attended evening were Hemaraj Land and Development Public Co., Ltd., and the Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort itself. David Nardone, the quiet chairman of Hemaraj was in attendance, and at the Automotive Focus Group meeting before the networking. Unfortunately the GM of the Centara Grand Mirage was not able to attend (or was lost trying to find the Zulu room). It is certainly a diverse property, a kind of Las Vegas meets Jurassic Park with faux South American Mayan building blocks. Not to everyone’s taste, but all agreed that it is a spectacular resort.

(L to R) George Strampp, managing partner of Automotive Manufacturing Solutions; Pattaravadee Wangviriyaphan, marketing executive of Bangkok Hospital Pattaya; and David Nardone, president & chief executive officer of Hemaraj Land Development Public Company Limited.

When questioned directly on Pattaya Mail TV, the BCCT Vice Chairman Graham Macdonald denied that the joint networking concept was just to save money by splitting the overheads. Newly elected BCCT board member Steve Graham was his usual expansive self, though severely warning the TV crew that he was not going to be a subject for an interview, but did take time to publicly promote the current fund-raising project of Tracey Cosgrove (through the Melissa Cosgrove Foundation for disadvantaged children of construction workers).

Many lovely ladies in attendance, surrounded by rows of eager young networkers (and some not so young) like gerbils around a watermelon. Basking in some of the attention was Jaruwon (Jay) Buasri from PRTR executive recruitment, a most interesting “Thai-Aussie”; and Ann Wangvirayaphan from the Bangkok Hospital Pattaya.

(L to R) Korkaew Korwatana, assistant director of sales for Sheraton Pattaya Resort; Darunee Piriyarodtawee, sales coordinator of Sheraton Pattaya Resort; and Penpapasorn Eamsa-Ard, sales manager of Sheraton Pattaya Resort.

Other regulars included Cees Cuijpers (Town and Country), the BCCT executive director Greg Watkins, the two Eastern Seaboard Pauls - Paul Wilkinson and Paul Whyte, Peter Smith (AA Insurance Brokers), Mark Butters RSM, AustCham’s Andrew Durieux, Maurice Bromley and his lovely wife Renita, the sartorially very splendid George Strampp with his suit coat proclaiming it was tailored just for him, Mike and Roseann Diamente, Greg Pitt (McKenzie Smith Law) who was wondering if the Toyota recall would affect his “MG”, Colin Bartlet and Chris Thatcher, (the Sutlet Group), Simon Matthews (Manpower), Ian Robertson (Grant Thornton), Dr Salam Hoshang from Asian University, Bruce and Judy Hoppe and ‘tin legs’ Peter Mewes (and that is just a few of the throng).

It was certainly a very popular and successful joint networking evening, and the Brits and the Aussies are to be congratulated on not discussing sport. The next networking evenings for the two chambers will be publicized beforehand in the Pattaya Mail.

(L to R) Gaines Sumroll, Mike Danielson, Kung, and Tim Hunter.

(L to R) Greg Watkins, executive director of the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand; Maggie Waller, Richard Waller, chairman of The World of Wine Co., Ltd., and Graham Macdonald, vice chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand.


From 19 to 63, Aquanauts interns sail through scuba diving instructor exam

Aquanauts Dive Centre’s February 2010 dive instructor class. From left, Connor McBryde, IDC PADI Master Instructor Sally Rathbone, Lorna Green, Greg King and Master Instructor Gary Tytler.

Pattaya Mail Staff
A 63-year-old sailboat captain and English massage therapist were among the latest students to change their lives and become scuba diving instructors when Aquanauts Dive Centre again steered a class of foreign students through three-day PADI instructor exam in Pattaya.

Australian Greg King became the oldest participant in Aquanauts dive internship program to pass the Feb. 15-17 exam at the Discovery Beach Hotel near Aquanauts’ headquarters on Soi 6 and Beach Road. Also passing the exam were former spa trainer Lorna Green and 19-year-old student Connor McBryde, both of the United Kingdom, and Jonathan Eagle, who did his instructor’s course at Aquanauts after doing earlier training at new partner company Real Divers of Jomtien Beach.

“With age comes a little wisdom that says don’t rush, take it slower. It was the same for me here,” King said. “I could not hope to keep up with some of the guys who had recently come out college and were in the swim team. It was the same in the classroom where some of the interns have only recently been studying full time while it has been 45 years since I was in school.”

Nonetheless, King scored perfect marks in classroom presentations and turned in a strong open water test performance. Likewise, Green dropped only 3 questions out of four written exams and scored perfect marks across two days of swimming pool and open water testing.

The four new success stories start Aquanauts the same way it ended 2009 and 2008: Perfectly. The PADI 5-Star Career Development Center is the only professional dive training facility in Pattaya or Jomtien Beach with a 100 percent pass rate for the past 32 months, a record its owners attribute to its small class sizes and personal attention.

More information on Aquanauts’ professional programs and diving courses and trips for tourists can be found online at Aquanauts Dive.com.