There are sunken ships that offer great diving
opportunities around Pattaya. This was the message received from Sheena
Walls at the July 29 meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club. Master of
Ceremonies Roy Albiston introduced Sheena noting that she has been general
manager of Mermaid Dive Center for the past 5 years. Before catching the
diving bug, she was a sales director in the hotel industry having worked for
Marriott, Hilton and Le Meridian Hotels.
Manager of Mermaids Dive
Centre in Pattaya, Sheena Walls, describes Mermaids wide range of diving
classes and facilities with 4 boats, and approximately 30 staff. One of the
main points to come from her talk is the paramount importance of safety in
diving.
Sheena mentioned that she has been living in Pattaya for
seven years and that she came to Pattaya to get her instructor training from
Mermaid Dive Center. Later, she went to Cyprus and then returned to Pattaya
when she had an opportunity to work for Mermaid Dive Center. She began by
highlighting the services offered by Mermaid which include all levels of
diving instruction, equipment, and one of the latest video cameras for
capturing sports activities of all kinds as well as underwater pictures.
They also have four boats that they use to go to dive sites.
Sheena said that Pattaya does not have the underwater
visibility that divers can find in Phuket; however, Pattaya has something
that Phuket does not, that is sunken ships close by that can provide for
some excellent scenery while diving. She said that visibility in the waters
around Pattaya is generally around 5 to 15 meters.
Former PCEC chairman, Richard
Smith, updates members on the activities in Pattaya for the upcoming week.
The main scuba diving areas around Pattaya are located in
what is called the “Far Islands”. These are the second ring of islands about
20 to 30 kilometers from Pattaya. The islands are controlled by the Royal
Thai Navy, and no permanent structures are built there.
There are many different types of soft and hard corals,
and large schools of jacks, barracuda and tuna. On virtually every dive, you
can see blue spotted stingrays, porcupine pufferfish and moray eels.
The HTMS Khram was sunk by the Royal Thai Navy just south
of Koh Phi and has fast become a favorite among local divers. An incredible
amount of marine life already has been attracted to this sunken ship in a
very short period of time. The HTMS Khram is a former US Navy Landing Ship
Medium (LSM) given to the Thai Navy in 1962. The depth to the top of this
sunken ship is 15 meters and the depth to the sea bed is 30 meters. This
ship has been well prepared by the Thai Navy as a dive site as it is free
from armaments, oil and most hazards to divers. Also, large holes have been
cut in many areas and penetration dives through the ships passageways rarely
takes the diver out of natural light. The bridge/radio room is the highest
part with entry into the area being simple and safe.
Board Member Lawrie
McLoughlin conducts PCEC’s Open Forum, where answers to the mysteries of
life in the Orient may be slowly unveiled.
Another area is the Samae San area with two large intact
shipwrecks. The Petchburi Bremen is an old freighter sunk in 21 meters of
water in the Khram Channel (Sattahip). It is home to many Grouper and
Barracuda. The steamship Petchburi at the beginning of World War I was
interned in Bangkok and confiscated by the Thais. It was renamed the Kaeo
Samud. In 1920 on a voyage from Bangkok to Swatow she ran ashore near Koh
Sichang and sank. The Hardeep (S.S. Suddhadib) is a cargo ship sunk in 28
meters by allied aircraft during World War II. The Hardeep is completely
intact, and can be navigated from bow to stern entirely inside. It is lying
on its starboard side at a maximum depth of 26 meters, with two 1,000 pound
unexploded bombs nearby.
Sheena concluded her presentation with the showing of a
video of the Hardeep including some of the ordinance nearby. She then
answered several questions from the audience including that you do not need
to know how to swim to scuba dive and you are never too old to dive. In
response to some members who may have gained a few kilos as they aged she
said that they do have equipment available that would suit them.
The meeting concluded with MC Roy updating everyone on
upcoming events and calling on Lawrie McLoughlin to conduct the always
interesting and lively Open Forum where questions are asked and answered
about expat living in Thailand; Pattaya in particular.
Read more about the Club’s activities on their website at
www.pattayacityexpatsclub.com.
Some of Mermaids new students
go snorkeling off Pattaya’s far islands.
(L to R) Dr. Pichit Kangwolkij
(hospital director), Dr. Prayuth Somprakit (chief executive of the Bangkok
Hospital Group in the Eastern Region), and Secretary-general of the Emergency
Medical Institute, Chatree Charoencheewakul sign the MOU.
Phasakorn Channgam
Bangkok Hospital Pattaya continues to upgrade the area’s
emergency-rescue system with 33 more first responders and hospital workers
training to become fully qualified paramedics.
Under an agreement signed July 28 with the Emergency Medical
Institute of Thailand, the hospital pledged to continue offering the Beginning
Emergency Medical Technician course. As with the first course that ended in
April, this month saw another 33 people certified.
Training director Piyaporn Thippayarat said the EMT course is
designed to help develop private and public medical personnel to help patients
or accidents victims. BHP is one of 44 venues hosting training organized by the
EMIT.
Trainees underwent 110 hours of theoretical and practical
training by experts in cardiac, orthopedic, pediatric and psychological
emergency treatment. Classes were being taught at the hospital as well as
Banglamung and Somdej Phrabromratchathevi Na Sriracha hospitals.
Citizens interested in participating can contact Bangkok
Hospital Pattaya at 1719.
All 33 successful trainees of the
Emergency Medical Technician-Basic Curriculum pose for a class photo with
instructors and organizers.
Royal British Legion expands caseworker numbers
(L to R) Bert Elson Course
Trainer, Jaa Sukpirom, Tony Archer, Barry Williams, Nancy Lindley and John
Burnett at the Chiang Mai caseworker event.
Bert Elson,
Secretary/Welfare Chairman
When the Royal British Legion first formed in 2007 we had no
idea of the amount of welfare work we would become involved in. We were aware of
course that our primary aim was the care and welfare of those who have
served/are serving and their dependants; however, we had no idea of the amount
of ex service people who have either retired here or visit on holiday.
Our initial welfare team consisted of two, myself (Bert
Elson) covering Central and South Thailand and Glenn Croston who covered North
Thailand. Both were soon in action as untrained caseworkers and it soon became
obvious that A) we needed training and B) we needed more welfare caseworkers. It
was not uncommon for us to travel 12 to 15 hours one way to visit a case and
then return home to either Pattaya or Chiang Mai.
Everyone is studying hard.
Glenn was the first to complete a caseworker’s course in the
UK and I completed mine along with a trainer’s course in 2011. This not only
gave Glenn and myself the confidence to carry out our welfare work but also
enabled me to train the caseworkers we desperately needed to cover Thailand. Our
first Basic Caseworker’s course was soon held giving our branch seven more
caseworkers and allowing us to cover Bangkok, Central Thailand and some of the
popular holiday islands (Phuket and Koh Samui).
Our work has revolved mainly around either elderly veterans
who have retired here or some of the many younger ones (some still serving) who
visit the many holiday destinations here in Thailand. We also have a number of
widows under our wing who we ensure receive any entitlements they are due. Some
of our cases unfortunately fall outside of our guidelines, for instance private
medical care, so please whilst Thailand is a wonderful place to visit or retire
please remember that healthcare is your responsibility.
It was obvious on our very first welfare case that we may
have a language problem. If dealing with someone in one of the many private
hospitals we normally had an international representative to deal with. When
dealing with government hospitals where many of our clients are, we had no such
luxury. My wife soon became my and other caseworkers’ constant companion. Our
need for Thai involvement became even more apparent with the case of Sing Ram
Tang who, as a Karen lived in the hills bordering Thailand and Burma, Sing was
also a member of the North Kachin Levies (Late 3rd Burma Rifles) who fought
alongside the British in WWII and was awarded the Burma Gallantry Medal.
Graham Macdonald and Derek Brook
(with ties) have a drink with Chiang Mai members after the meeting.
Thanks to the many volunteer groups who work amongst the
Karen tribes our Northern caseworker Glenn was informed that Sing was unwell.
Glenn was soon on the job and although poor Sing passed away, with the help of
Susan and her head office team we soon almonised and provided help for Sing’s
dependants.
Our latest caseworker’s course was held a few days ago in
Chiang Mai and I am glad to report that on the course was our first Thai
candidate Jaa. Jaa is a trained nurse and has been a member of the Legion for
some time. She and the other candidates passed with flying colours giving
Thailand a total of 14 trained caseworkers. We also had a guest on the Chiang
Mai course, a Mrs. Nancy Lindley from Lanna Care, a local charity who assist
expats of many nations who find themselves in distress.
All smiles as Pattaya and Chiang
Mai members strengthen their relationship.
My visit to Chiang Mai was also to attend their Branch
Meeting and for this I was also accompanied by Branch President Graham Macdonald
and Branch Chairman Derek Brook. We received a fantastic reception before,
during and after the meeting and have made a pledge to go more often. The Chiang
Mai Branch are at present looking for a new home to meet so please watch this
space for future announcements.
We hope to hold two more basic caseworker courses soon, one
in Pattaya (with my wife as first candidate!) our busiest area and one in Phuket
that would also cover the South of Thailand. Anyone wishing to join the Legion
or who have served in the UK Armed Forces and need assistance please contact:
Pattaya - Bert Elson, bert@ tropicalberts.com or call in to
Tropical Bert’s on the junction of Soi 6/1 and 2nd Road.
Chiang Mai - Tony Archer, [email protected]
(L to R) Sujittra Roopjan (front
office assistant manager), Viroj Srisai (front office manager), Big C Mascot,
Panida Amnuayyonwaree (managing director), Udon Yalai (purchasing manager for
Aiyara Grand Hotel) and Tipawan Kripechra (project director, Big C Jumbo
Station) welcome guests to the Big C Jumbo booth at the Pattaya Food & Hotelier
Expo.
Warunya Thongrod
Wholesale retailer Big C Jumbo thanked customers attending
the Pattaya Food & Hotelier Expo with a cocktail party and special discounts.
Big C Project Director Tipawan Kripechra manned the booth
inside the PEACH Convention Center in Jomtien as attendees of the expo filed by
July 28. She showed off store specials and invited select customers to a
cocktail party to thank them for their business during the store’s first year in
Pattaya.
Tipawan highlighted benefits to shopping with Big C Jumbo,
including its free delivery within four hours and price quotes that are good for
15 days.
Tipawan said this was the second expo Big C has attended and
that the store wanted to hold the thank you event to mark its first anniversary.
Guests visiting the Big C Jumbo
booth are treated to a wine tasting.
