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Pattaya journalists help disabled
Phasakorn Channgam
Pattaya-area journalists went from observers to participants for a day
when they provided lunch to residents of Karunyawet Home for the Disabled on
National Mass Media Day.
Members of the Pattaya Journalists Club serve lunch to
residents of the Karunyawet Home for the Disabled on National Mass Media
Day.
The recently formed Pattaya Journalists Club marked the
March 5 media day by collecting 30,000 baht to serve a hot lunch and ice
cream and donate adult diapers, soap and snacks to the home’s 400 female
residents.
The club received a warm welcome from Director
Sirilaksana Chai-Ngam, who said the donation was much appreciated.
Currently, Karunyawet has far more residents than staff
with only one attendant to take care of about 50 people. Their hard work
includes bathing and feeding the patients, many of whom have both physical
and mental handicaps. Anyone interested in helping with their care can
contact the home at 038-241-741/2.
4 million & climbing
Christina Boden
The Charity Club of Pattaya has just received an anonymous
donation of 300,000 baht for their projects in and around Thailand, and with
this very generous donation this has tilted the Charity Club’s account book of
money raised and spent to just over 4 million baht!
This money has made such a difference to a large section of
people and children in Thailand, especially in the North, where the people are
so incredibly poor.
2009 was a real challenge for Malcolm and Christina, the
husband and wife team who run the small Charity Club here in Pattaya with the
help of treasurer Vic King, of the Queen Victoria Inn. Even so, they battled
through and made a difference to so many.
2010 will be an even bigger challenge as there are now so
many large charity organisations in Pattaya, Christina is now starting to feel a
little swamped by them. But, as always, she will attempt to raise money for the
needy in Thailand.
The Charity Club are very proud to announce that since the
formation of the club in 2004 and with the help of the Charity Club’s valued
friends and supporters the total raised and spent has now gone over the four
million baht mark, 4,211,740 baht to be precise!
Listed below is what the Charity Club has spent the money on
as well as arranging clothing appeals and arranging parties for children with
HIV/AIDS.
The charities that have also benefited on more than one
occasion are:
The School for the Deaf, Street Kids of Pattaya, Wat Pong
School, Free Masons Pattaya West Winds Lodge Tsunami Appeal and various
charities chosen by the Free Masons, the Prosthesis Foundation Chiang Mai, the
Camillian Centre Rayong, scholarships for underprivileged children. The People
and Children of Isaan wheelchair and walking aids appeal. The club has provided
wheelchairs for the children with Able the Disabled, and the Mercy Centre
Pattaya, along with Christmas gift appeals for underprivileged Children. Donated
to Rotary organisations, built a kindergarten classroom for the Wat Wang Wa
Temple School, donated goods to a local orphanage, donated to the British Legion
Poppy Day appeal, and provided bicycles for children to attend school who live
in remote areas.
Their long -term projects are currently in Isaan, which
include covering hospital fees, travel, and accommodation for treatments for
children who need hospital treatment in Bangkok, providing special food for
children with eating disorders, providing rice and food parcels for the needy in
Isaan. Built a fresh water system for five villages in Isaan, built homes for
the homeless in Isaan, provided blankets for the elderly, wheelchairs for
disabled children in Isaan.
Announcement: The Charity Gala Dinner will be held again at
the All Season’s Hotel Pattaya on Saturday June 4th. The 1,800 baht tickets get
you Thai & International buffet, free bar, and live music.
If you would like to receive the Charity Club’s newsletter,
which will keep you up-to-date with all the club’s activities and events contact
Christina at this e-mail: [email protected]
PCEC members receive
spiritual guidance
As usual, a full and varied programme was presented at this
week’s meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC) on Sunday February 7th at
Henry J. Bean’s restaurant.
The morning got underway with this week’s MC Judith Edmunds
welcoming a large number of first time attendees at the Sunday morning meeting.
Judith also reminded the attendees that the PCEC does not endorse any services
or products which the speakers may introduce or mention during the course of
their presentations.
Health matters are always important to PCEC members and this
week the speaker presented a different aspect of this important subject, that of
spiritual health and healing. Sig Sigworth introduced Zaven Casarjian,
originally from Boston in the United States, who spoke about the alternative
approaches including the process of self healing.
Zaven provided an explanation of self healing, giving an
insight into the body’s energy fields which have a basis in science. The body
possesses an encompassing aura which penetrates the skin. This energy field, and
its interaction with others, can be photographed using a specialised camera. The
energy fields are scattered throughout the body and are associated with the 180
glands which produce the human growth hormones required of the body to ensure
regeneration.
As glands become less effective the body will react adversely
introducing such diseases as diabetes. By feeding ourselves properly by the
intake of much water, fibre and carbohydrates, for example, these conditions can
be avoided. There are 72 trace minerals essential for good health which promote
cell regeneration. 90% of affected people can recover from disease with the
correct nutrition and spiritual healing energy. It is recommended that
supplements containing calcium, vitamins, trace minerals and omega oils are
taken regularly.
The sources of spiritual healing can be from God, angels,
spirit guides, natural and astrological forces, aliens and connected humans.
Zaven commented further that it was never too late to connect to a spirit to
gain the benefits.
Zaven further commented that pharmaceutical medicines only
attack symptoms but do not cure the disease. He remarked that the body is full
of toxic substances as these drugs never leave the body can never be totally
removed. Similarly, the food chain in the Western world is adversely affected by
soil depletion, steroids in meat and transfats.
Following the main speaker, Richard Smith made an
announcement of importance to the PCEC that of the forthcoming refurbishment of
Henry J. Bean’s. The venue is due for redevelopment by the owners, the Amari
Hotel, which will mean that the Sunday meetings will need to relocate from 21st
March with a return scheduled for 18th April. The refurbishment is expected to
include the removal of the current multi level seating arrangement plus the
upgrading of the sound, video and TV systems. Much discussion and suggestions
followed regarding temporary and future venues.
The Pattaya International Music Festival will take place from
March 19th to 21st at the Bali Hai Pier and along Pattaya Beach Road.
The American Citizen Services of the US Embassy will be at
the Dusit Resort on March 24th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Pattaya City Hall has produced a leaflet which lists all
the forthcoming Pattaya events during 2010.
The regular Open Forum was then underway led by Richard
Silverberg. As always it provided an opportunity for questions about living in
Thailand with an emphasis on Pattaya to be asked. The Open Forum again proved to
be the usual lively and entertaining session. For more information regarding,
not only PCEC Sunday meetings but also the varied mid week activities, please
see the Community Happenings section of Pattaya Mail or, for more details, visit
the Club’s website at pattayacityexpatsclub.com.
Optimist Club and Back Yard host charity fishing day
Youngsters try their hand at fishing at The Back Yard in
Pattaya.
Keith Avery
Last week the local chapter of Optimist Club of Pattaya City put
on a fishing derby for 25 kids from the local boys’ home. The event was held at
a wonderful location on the east side of Sukhumvit called “The Back Yard”.
Although The Back Yard is officially a small pitch and golf course open every
day to the public, it also has 2 well stocked ponds.
Larry and his wife El invited the Optimist Club to host the
kids there completely free of charge. They provided a fantastic buffet of fruit,
garlic bread, beef kabobs, fried rice and the best baked beans ever created. The
children spent the whole day with their bamboo poles catching fish after fish.
They were well behaved and had a great time getting outdoors and just having
fun. They caught well over 30 fish they got to take home! Not bad for a couple
of golf course ponds!
The event was a great success and the club plans on doing it
every 2 months since it’s a great way to get the kids outdoors learning
something that they’ll be able to teach their kids when they grow up.
If you have an interest in joining us for the next fishing
day call or email Jerry Dean (club president) at 0831158475 or [email protected].
You can always just pop into Cherry’s Restaurant on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of
every month at 7 p.m. for our meetings, all are welcome!
Please support the local business that give so generously to
bring smiles these kids. Check out The Back Yard for a great place to knock a
ball around their amazing greens. Even if you don’t golf it’s a great spot to
relax, tip back a beer while enjoying one of the best burgers and most gracious
hosts you’ll find anywhere. For English directions, contact Larry on 085 160
5362; or for Thai call El at 087 605 5189.
Diana Group opens new conference center
Sopin Thappajug, managing director of the Diana Group, lights
candles
as Pra Ratrattanarangsi, the abbot of Kusinarachalermrat Thai Temple
and
Dharma Ambassador of Indian Heritage look on.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
The Diana Garden Resort inaugurated its new Jaktheppiman
conference center, which will see use as the site of the Diana Group’s new
Dharma Center.
The March 4 ceremony started with Buddhist prayers from nine
monks led by Pra Ratrattanarangsi, the abbot of Kusinarachalermrat Thai Temple
and “Dharma Ambassador of Indian Heritage,” who held a talk on the “Story of Two
Lands.” It was attended by Diana Group Managing Director Sopin Thappajug and
other guests.
Ratrattanarangsi also distributed certificates to students
and teachers from schools in Pattaya who won a writing competition under the
topic “Listening to Dharma and Using it for Conducting Life” on Jan. 19. Student
Kanokwan Thongpakdee from Pattaya School No. 8 and teacher Malee Paeseng of
Pattaya School No. 7 were the winners.
Ratrattanarangsi then went on to teach a lesson based on the
writing competition’s topic. He spoke about the Lord Buddha’s birthplace and
enlightenment in India. He said it was necessary to link Buddhism’s birthplace
with the home of Thai Buddhist beliefs.
In the evening, Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome headlined
the list of guests at a party marking the opening of the Jaktheppiman center,
which also featured a performance by the Jo Louis Puppet Theatre sponsored by
Niti Kongkrut, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Pattaya office.
The Jaktheppiman center is a two-storey building with a
conference hall seating 300 people on the top floor and the lower floor
featuring the Awatan Nakara Room, or living space for Lord Buddha, which can
hold 60 people. It will be used to broadcast lectures as part of the joint Diana
Group-Sophon Cable TV-Banglamung Cable TV Dharma series.
It is hoped that this building will influence the new
generation of youth to pay more attention to religion and is open to all Dharma
lecturers, Sopin said.
Itthiphol said the new conference center will be an important
place to teach the new generation morality and inspire them to pay more
attention to religion.
The party also saw attendees making merit by donating money
for construction of the Chetawan Mahawiharn Thai Temple at Sawathee and Kusinara
nursing care in Utara State in India. To date, 459,478 has been raised.
The evening was highlighted by a performance by the Jo Louis
Puppet Theatre.
Yamaha Young Talent finals set for March 21
Young stars and organizers pose for a photo at the Yamaha
Pattaya Young Talent 2009 contest announcement.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
More than 30 teams of talented youngsters will compete for
professional music and dance lessons at the finals of the Yamaha Pattaya Young
Talent competition March 21 at the Tiffany Theater.
The contest, sponsored by the Yamaha Music Institute and the
Tiffany Show, will see children and teens compete in five categories in hopes of
winning the HRH Princess Soamsawalee trophy, cash, discounts and singing lessons
from Siam Kolkarn Music or street dance teaching from Praw Studio.
More than 300 youth started out in the competition, with
categories being whittled down to five to seven contestants and teams during the
semi-final round held March 6-7 at Central Festival Pattaya Beach. Five children
under age 12 each now go on to compete in the Thai folk songs and modern Thai
songs categories while five teenagers will sing for prizes in the folks songs
category and seven in the modern category. Meanwhile, five bands will also
compete in the modern songs group and six street-dance teams will step up in the
finals for that category.
All the finalists received musical training from March 16-18
at Siam Kolkarn Music School in Pattaya to prepare for the finals, which will
run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m... Tickets are 100 and 200 baht and information can be
had by calling 038-421-700-5.
Singing winners will receive professional training from
qualified instructors at Siam Kolkarn Music School while all teams will win a
trophy, 2,000-5,000 baht each and honors from Siam Kolkarn. Band winners will
receive 10,000 baht cash and 10,000 baht in discounts from Siam Kolkarn while
runners up will receive 5,000-7,000 baht and discounts from the school.
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