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King of Ayutthaya served
by Japanese Samurai bodyguards
Japanese Samurai served as bodyguards for the King of
Ayutthaya. This was one of the facts mentioned by John Toomey during his
lecture on the “Samurai of Siam.”
Margot Weinmann of the National
Museum Volunteers invites PCEC members to their upcoming lecture series.
On Sunday, September 1, the Pattaya City Expats Club in
conjunction with the National Museum Volunteers (NMV) Pattaya group had as
its guest speaker NMV member and lecturer John Toomey. He is well known for
his vast knowledge of and passionate interest in Asian art and history.
During the Ayutthaya period, the colony was home to about 1,000 Japanese
citizens, and was headed by a Japanese chief. Its most prominent chief was
Yamada Nagamasa, also known as the Samurai of Siam.
John began by describing events in Japan at the end of the 16th and early
part of the 17th century which resulted in many Japanese fleeing Japan to
Ayutthaya and other lands in Asia. The Colony’s inhabitants were a
combination of traders, Christian converts who had fled their home country
following their persecution by Japanese Shoguns of the time, and samurai
who, as a result of civil war, no longer had a master to serve.
Many of the Japanese were accepted into the small army of personal
bodyguards of the King because of their fighting skills and the quality of
their swords. The Japanese volunteered to be bodyguards because they were
grateful the King let them stay. John explained how Yamada Nagamasa joined
the community and rose to power and going from low Thai nobility rank to a
senior noble becoming the governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat province, located
on the Malay Peninsula in present-day southern Thailand. Yamada was born in
1590, in Japan, and died in 1630, in Thailand, with some speculation that he
was poisoned.
On Sunday, 1st of September, the
Pattaya City Expats Club in conjunction with the National Museum Volunteers
(NMV) Pattaya group had as its guest speaker NMV member and lecturer John
Toomey. He is well known for his vast knowledge of and passionate interest
in Asian art and history.
There was a history of strong trade ties between Japan
and Ayutthaya including communication between the King and the Shogun of
Japan. John described the “Red Seal” ships noting that the name came from
the document they were provided by the Shogun’s government allowing them to
trade with Japan. Much of this trade involved the export of deer-hide to
Japan and jars that the Japanese prized for the storing of tea leaves (used
in the important Japanese Tea Ceremonies). Also, you can’t really blame the
Shogun of Japan for a comment made in one of his letters to the King. After
all, he’d never made the trip to Southeast Asia. The Shogun’s ignorance of
the climate of Southeast Asia was demonstrated when he wrote a letter to the
King fostering trade relations in which he said, “Take care of your health
in the wintry season.”
Member Al Serrato reminds
members of the activities of the Spanish speaking special interest group.
When he came to Ayutthaya, Yamada Nagamasa established
himself as a trustworthy merchant, warrior, and leader of the Japanese
colony. He supported the military campaigns of the King Songtham, at the
head of a Japanese army flying the Japanese flag. Yamada may have been a
“masterless samurai,” but this is not known for sure. If so, he would have
had to become a samurai in Japan before the age of 21.
After Yamada’s death, the authorities in Ayutthaya, worried that the
Japanese had become too involved in the Thai economy and were gaining too
much strength, ordered that every Japanese person be killed. So, the people
in the Japanese colony went through good times and bad, but, as John said,
“They were caught between the devil and the deep blue sea” because they were
also not allowed to return to Japan on penalty of death. Some fled to
Cambodia and others were killed. Eventually, however, the Japanese who
remained in Ayutthaya (that were not killed) were given tracts of land.
John said that Yamada Nagamasa is a well-known historical figure in Japan
and there have been 20 books and novels written about him as well as a Thai
movie. You can learn more about Yamada Nagamasa by visiting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamada_Nagamasa and www.simandan.com/?p=6472.
Also, you can view the movie on You Tube at www.youtube.com/watch?
v=JI0D4vq2KRY (has English subtitles). If you missed the free lecture at the
PCEC, NMV in Bangkok will host this lecture on October 1. John’s lecture
will start at 10 a.m. in the museum’s auditorium. Admission fee is 200 baht
for nonmembers and 100 for members. Call 084-942-1012 or email
pollneranette@ yahoo.co.uk for more information.
After John’s presentation Master of Ceremonies Richard Silverberg brought
everyone up to date on upcoming events and then called on Roy Albiston to
conduct the interesting and informative open forum where questions are asked
and answered about Expat living in Thailand.
For more information on the many activities of the PCEC, visit their website
at www.pattayacityexpatsclub.com.
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Centara Grand Mirage celebrates 2013 awards
Robert John Lohrmann (back left,
with glasses), general manager of Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya and
hotel administrators pose for a commemorative photo with employees who had won
awards in the Pattaya Food & Hotelier Expo and Pattaya Bartender Contest.
Warunya Thongrod
The Centara Grand Mirage Resort Pattaya celebrated winning a
“certificate of excellence” from travel website TripAdvisor with a staff party
at the Wong Amat hotel.
General Manager Robert John Lohrmann touted presentation of the award, which the
hotel was given May 23, at an Aug. 30 staff awards party that also celebrated
the hotel’s successes at the Pattaya Food & Hoteliers Expo and the Pattaya
Bartender Competition.
Lohrmann praised and thanked employees for working hard to earn the hotel many
awards in various competitions, including the TripAdvisor certification, one of
22 doled out to Centara hotels in Thailand.
TripAdvisor, which sells advertising listings to premium hotels and collects
commissions off their room bookings, gives its Certificate of Excellence to
hospitality businesses that have received positive reviews from website users.
TripAdvisor says only 10 percent of the businesses listed get enough positive
reviews to warrant the prize.
The staff party, however, was devoted to more than just the website award.
Staffers were also lauded for Centara Grand Mirage winning a bronze medal at the
ThaiFEX show and 12 prizes won at the Pattaya Food & Hoteliers Expo. The most
recent awards came just two days earlier at the Pattaya Bartender Competition,
where the Centara took two first-place prizes and second place in the “flair”
bartender contest.
“I am happy and proud that the hotel had received many awards, a win for the
hard-working employees reaching their goals in impressing customers,” Lohrmann
said. “This success is from selecting employees with potential to serve
customers plus we give importance to constant development of personnel in all
levels and promote the employees to think new ideas, implementing those ideas in
their work, or when they are out in competition.”
Speeches completed, the party kicked into high gear with winning bartender Dao
Tiempa showing off her mixing skills with a flurry of bottles set to music.
Chef Thunyaporn Petboot then showed off the killer moves that won her third
place in the seafood papaya salad dancing competition at the hoteliers expo.
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Opportunities in Government
Derek Franklin
The employment opportunities for people with disabilities have greatly
improved over the past decade. Recent new laws introduced by the present and
previous governments have given people with disabilities the chance to join the
workforce as equals, free from discrimination and prejudice.
A sign language translator was on
hand to assist the deaf delegates.
Current employment law states that every company employing
more than one hundred workers must employ a person with a disability. Today
people with a disability can be seen working in shops, hotels and factories and
not just in companies employing more than one hundred workers.
Fear and a misunderstanding of those who are seemed to be different to others
was the main reason why companies in the past refused to employ anyone with a
disability. This improvement in the opinions of the general public and national
government is due in part to the continuous lobbying by the Pattaya based
Redemptorist Foundation for People with Disabilities.
A recent two-day seminar, organized by the Foundation, was held to prepare
people with disabilities who wish to work for the government. Those working in
the various government departments, either at a local or national level, are
entitled to benefits including a high salary, a pension and health care benefits
for the worker and their family that are not always found in the private sector.
Ussa Hongkanchana, director of the National Office of Empowerment of People with
Disabilities, addressed the seminar, which included participants from throughout
Chonburi and from as far away as Chiang Rai in the north and the southern
provinces, most of whom were representing their local support groups.
As Thailand, and in particular potential employers, becomes more aware of the
abilities of people with disabilities they will realize that having a disability
does not always mean a person is disabled.
Ussa prepared those wishing to work
for the many government departments.
Several students from the vocational
school also attended the seminar.
The delegates came from all over
Thailand.
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Growling Swan & Pattaya Sports Club
combine their efforts
There is always a rush for the water.
William Macey
It is 33 degrees with humidity in the mid-80s, not an unusual situation
in Pattaya. There are 1800 children in school No. 9 and, when not in the
classroom, they are running around expending energy like it went out of fashion.
The one thing they need right now is a cool glass of clean drinking water but,
as you can see from the photograph, there is often a rush to have some
refreshment. It does not help when the filtration system is old and gone past
its sell by date, breaking down with monotonous regularity.
Water is essential to maintain a healthy body, has so many benefits and it is
said that we should drink 2 litres of water per day. It is essential that
everyone has access to clean drinking water but particularly for children just
developing into adults for it is far too easy to drink less than the recommended
amount and suffer dehydration.
The Growling Swan has been raising money for the underprivileged since they
opened in Soi Chaiyapoon with a system of fines for almost anything, being late,
putting a golf ball in the water, spilling their beer (unheard of surely) and
many more. Deefa the Dog is passed around for fines to be paid but there is no
objection from the members for it is all in a good cause. When the Growling Swan
approached Pattaya Sports Club with funds that had been collected at the same
time as School No.9 wanted help with the filter system, the timing could not
have been better.
A quick inspection of the existing antiquated system confirmed the need for an
upgrade as soon as possible. A quotation for replacement filters was obtained,
the balance agreed upon by the PSC Committee and installation was only a week
away. It is now functioning perfectly, the old filter consigned to the museum
and the children no longer have to hope that water is available.
The new filters are in place.
The children are happy - an endless supply of water.
Peter and Peter from the Growling Swan.
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