PATTAYA - our home

An Expatriate family talks about life in Pattaya

Tony and Moira Newcombe came to Pattaya five years ago with their two children, Robert 14, and Ellen 7. Tony, who is the Manager of Pioneer Concrete, an Australian Company, was born on the Gold-Coast of Australia. Moira, a teacher, originally comes from England.

Both being on the adventurous side of life, first came to Asia on a four year contract to Hong Kong. When Tony’s company asked him to work in Thailand, he agreed happily. “I love Asia”, he said. “After getting used to Asian life in Hong Kong, it was a great challenge for me to go to Pattaya, and it still is. I love my work here, even though it takes a lot of follow up to keep everything going. But it’s getting easier. When I arrived, there were no bilingual workers around the place. Now we do have a few.”

Within two months, Tony settled down, got a house, and Moira followed him with the children. Moira is very happy with her new home on Jomtien Beach. “Our house is beauti-ful, though quite expensive, but I even have a European style kitchen. That makes life much easier for me. I usually do not mind doing all my house work alone, except maybe for the laundry part - I hate pressing clothes. Right now, I am still studying for my bachelor degree in English Language and Asian studies. I have a maid who comes in every morning for about two hours to help me clean the worse. That’s enough, any more would be too much. I don’t like to have some stranger around my family all the time because it takes away from having a private life.” She explains, “My husband works all day and my children go to school, that gives me enough time to do my work and my studies at the same time”.
I asked her for her opinion on the education system in Pattaya. “When we first got here, there were only two English teaching schools. ‘Whiz Kids’ and ‘Montessori School’. Now there are many and all of them are very good. If education wasn’t good here, we would have left long time ago.”

The Newcombe family, Moira and Tony at the beach, 14 year old Robert and 7 year old Ellen, enjoy their expat life in Pattaya, Thailand.

Tony continues, “I agree totally with my wife. I believe the education system is very good. Our son Robert will have to finish year 12 in Pattaya. After that, we have to send him back to Australia, probably to Melbourne, to go to University. The problem is, Australia won’t except degrees from foreign countries, otherwise he could study in Bangkok. Another reason to send him off is the Thai language. At all universities here, one has to speak and write perfect Thai to be allowed to join. We also believe it is important for him to go back to his roots first and start working for his future in his native country. From there he can decide what he will be doing later on”.
“Will he be going to a boarding school in Australia or will you go back with him?”, I asked.

“No, we will be staying here. We still have a long term contract and, God knows, we might even ex-tend it. Eventually our kids will grow up and become independent. They would leave home anyway when going to university.”
Moira said, “We try to give our children the right background. I believe this is very important. It all depends on family life to show kids the right way. Our son is allowed to go alone to movies or meet his friends, most of whom are from his school anyway”.
“Aren’t you afraid some bad influence might occur?”
“There can be bad influences every in the world,” says Tony, “the only way to avoid temp-tation and distraction is to be honest with your children and explain everything to them.”
“Distractions, isn’t there a lot in Pattaya? Aren’t you annoyed by all those many bars and bar-girls?”
“We are not offended at all. Bars exist everywhere. Take Kings Cross in Sydney, for example. It’s much worse there than here in Pattaya,” Tony replied.
Moira added, “If someone doesn’t like to go to those places, nobody will force them. And if they do go, they usually don’t get bothered by bar-girls. We still go to bars in South Pattaya, simply to meet friends there for a drink and a chat. Sometimes it can be a lot of fun. Of course, it’s not so nice to see many Farang men sitting with very young girls. I believe those men might have trouble back home getting a decent girl, if at all. What I really hate is child prostitution. It angers me to see many young girls or gay boys offering their ‘service’ to Farangs. I always thought prostitution is prohibited in Thailand. How come the government is doing so little about it?”
“Other than that”, she continued, “normal night life here is great. Lot’s of good pubs and restaurants are around. We love Thai food, it cannot be spicy enough for us.” Her smile got deeper thinking of all the ‘goodies’. “Generally, we do enjoy, and love, life here. It’s great. Of course it’s not all honey and roses, like the pollution, the dangerous traffic, especially when you know your children have to be on a bus to go to school. Pollution seems to be a big problem in Pattaya. We live next to the beach, and every morning I usually walk to get my daily exercise. Sometimes the smell is terrible. There is a lack of toilets on the beach, and many people are using [the beach] for the wrong purpose - that’s smelly!”
Tony agrees, “Having only one park in Pattaya is not enough. There should be at least one or two more. No greens around, except on golf courses, but not everyone can play golf, it’s usually too expensive. City Hall should try to give Pattaya a more pleasant look. You know, Thailand is a tropical country, yet, staying in Pattaya, one can’t see too much of it”.
“How is your social life in Pattaya?” was my last question, “do you have many Thai friends?”
“Our social life is mostly with Farangs. Some of them are married to Thai women, but to make friends with Thai people only, one should be able to communicate with them in a proper way. Our Thai is still too poor to make a decent contact, but we are trying”, said Tony. “Still, we do like Thai people. Their generosity and friendliness is unique. We love it here in Pattaya and we have never regretted our decision to come here. It is a great experience for all of us and, thinking of the future, we might feel very homesick when we are gone”.
Well, thank you very much, Moira, Tony, Robert and Ellen, for staying with us in Pattaya. We hope it will be for many more years to come.

Wind in the sail

Decha Hommanee, Thailand’s Wind-surfing Champion, is at home on the sea.

by Ayrada
If someone would ask around where Thailand’s Wind-surfing Champion comes from, most people might guess: ‘Phuket? Hua Hin? Kho Samui?’ All wrong! The right answer would be: Pattaya.
Decha Hommanee, nicknamed Ngaen, was born in Pattaya on April 17, 1966. His parents ran a tour operation for boat trips and excursions to the Islands. Little Decha grew up on the water and feels as secure as a fish. At the tender age of 12 he started wind-surfing. During school holidays he helped Mr. John, who at the time owned the only wind-surfing school in Pattaya.
Decha’s natural talent was not to be over looked and when he was 16 years of age, he was called to join the Thai National Team. He joined his first international competition the very same year at the ‘Singapore Open’.
Q: “[At your first competition, the Singapore Open] Did you finish at the top?”
A: “No way, I can’t even remember what place I made, but it was definitely not a good one. But it gave me my first experience for the future.”
Q: “Are there different classes in wind-surfing?”
A: “There are two different kinds. Fun-board and Race-board. Weight classes are light-weight and heavy-weight.”
Q: “That sounds like boxing. Looking at you, I am sure you are not heavy-weight.”
A: “I am in the light-weight range. I am 170 cm tall and weigh 60 kg. To be heavy weight, you have to bring at least 70 kg to the scale.”
Q: “You mentioned Fun-board and Race-board. Are you competing in both categories?”
A: “Yes, of course. In Fun-board I’m still the reigning Thai Champion. How many times? Let me think about it. I believe 10 times. Or was it more? I cannot exactly remember, it’s been too many times already. I would have to check my trophies. What I remember best is that I was Asian Champion in 1988, which was held in Pattaya, and I won the Siam World Cup in 1990 out of approximately 300 competitors. These titles I’ve made on the Fun-board. Oh, I almost forgot, I achieved my latest title about two months ago at the Banburi Games. 60 racers of 10 different countries were on the start. On the Race-board, I have only won the Singapore Open once and last year I was the overall winner at the Siam World Cup.”
Q: “Only, you say! Does that mean you will be going for more?”
A: “Sure thing. In both categories. On March 22 there will be a Fun-board competition in Hua Hin and next month, one day after my birthday, there will be a grand event. My goal is to make it amongst the top four places, for they can go to France and Germany for about two months to join international competitions over there.”
Q: “Have you ever been to Europe?”
A: “Actually, I’ve been a few times already. I’ve visited 20 foreign countries so far and, besides surfing there, I’ve had the opportunity to travel around the country side as well.”
Q: “Now I understand why your English is so perfect. Having seen so many different places, have you ever thought about settling down in a foreign country?”
A: “I have been to almost every continent and I’ve seen a lot of different countries. Still, I couldn’t imagine leaving Pattaya. This is my home, this is ‘sabai’. No, I wouldn’t like to live somewhere else. I have my family here, my wife and my two children. My son is 4 years old and my baby daughter 2 1/2. They should grow up like I did. Next to the sea, next to nature.”
Q: “Talking about nature, don’t you think much more must be done much to save the environment?”
A: “Yes! Three times yes! I live next to the sea, and over the past year I have noticed the water is getting cleaner. Thanks to the new law. Now, all hotels and big condominium buildings have to be connected to the waste water system. That helps a lot. For once the Government has made the right decision by enforcing this law. Still, more could be done. There’s still a lot of pollution coming from the islands and from all the boats. I am always talking to the boat people, trying to educate them about the environment, but people either don’t seem to understand or don’t care. They throw everything in the sea, destroying their own life-stream by doing so.”
Q: “Decha, listening to you about the environment makes me feel good. I wish there would be many more people that think like you.”
A: “You know, I’ve spent my whole life more less on the beach. Now I have my own business here. About 10 years ago, I took over ‘Club Loong Chat”, the surfing school of my uncle. (By the way, this is the only beach - from the Jomtien Road corner until Pattaya Park - where no motor scooters are allowed.) Two years ago I opened a small restaurant next to it. Now I am planning to build 10 bungalows to rent out to tourists. I depend on tourists to operate my business. If the environment is going down the drain, I am going down the drain with it, we all will. My bungalows will be built of wood only. No concrete, only natural material.”
Q: “That sounds nice. There are too many concrete condos along the beach already. You must be a very busy man. Are you working only, or do you have time for some fun also?”
A: “You’ve got to understand, surfing is fun. Surfing is my life. The sea is my home. I love my work. I have achieved my international instructor license in Germany and now I am teaching at Bura Pha University, which I enjoy very much. When I have time I like to go scuba diving or water skiing. Tell me any water sport I don’t love. Except motor boat racing. Too dangerous for the health and for the environment. I have a Jet-ski but I usually use it only to pick up surfing students if they can’t manage to get back on their own. It’s the fastest way possible to save them.”
Q: “Are you still teaching ‘normal’ people, like tourists?”
A: “Yes, definitely. Being a champion doesn’t mean you have to be stuck up. My teaching fees are only 100 Baht per hour and to rent the equipment will cost another 200 Baht per hour. I believe those prices are very reasonable. During the weekends we are very busy. We have 5 Concept-boats to rent out and about 15 surfing sets, and one big boat to make excursions to the Islands or to go scuba diving. My business already keeps me quite busy, but then I still have to be in training all the time.”
Q: “Apropos training, do you have to train regularly? Are you on a special diet before competitions?”
A: “My training time per day, right before a competition, is up to 7 hours. No special diet but a lot of jogging and weight lifting has to be done to keep your muscles strong. I usually jog at the beach before I jump on my surfboard.”
Q: “Decha, it was a great pleasure talking to you. I hope you keep up your good performances and, how do you say in surfing, good wind or good balance for your next competitions. We would be very proud to have a Pattayan World Champion for the next decade.”

Airborne over Pattaya

 Seconds before jumping. A five man “stick” of static-line paratroopers waits to go, while the kneeling jumpmaster watches the approaching drop zone.

by Ken Bailey

So you thought the view from the top of Pattaya was good. Well it is, but nowhere near as good as the view gained by eight falangs recently when they completed two parachute descents with the Sattahip based Royal Thai Marine Corps.
Organized by Patrick Van Den Berghe of Patrick’s Belgian Restaurant (Central Shopping Arcade), the eight ex-paratroopers from four countries were put through a day’s refresher training at the Royal Thai Marine Corps (RTMC) Airborne School on January 14. This was followed the following day by a parachute jump into the open fields next to Lake Nong Hin, just off Sukhumvit Road, about 7 km out of Pattaya.

Lt. Suraphol of the Royal Thai Marine Corps issuing instructions at the Corps’ Airborne School in Sattahip.

Two days later, on January 17, the exercises culminated with a water-jump into Lake Nong Hin, and a function with Marines at Bamroong Resort on the lake’s bank. Hosted by the RTMC’s Recon Battalion, the falang squad consisted of Patrick Van Den Berghe of Belgium, Richard Bekkers of Belgium, Andrew Detriz of Belgium, Pascal Evrard of France, Laurent Fournier of France, Bernie Hasenbien of the U.S.A., John Anderson of the U.S.A., and Ken Bailey of Australia (ANZAC Hotel, Pattaya-land Soi 1).
Refresher training covered such things as what to do in the aircraft prior to jumping, conducting the parachute descent itself, and landing safely. The highlight of training was a jump from the 35 metre training tower. Fitted with dummy parachutes and wearing jump helmets, we hurled out of the tower screaming, “one thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand, check canopy!” The fall literally takes your breath away and is followed by an enormous jolt as the flying fox breaks your fall. Bobbing up and down like yo-yos, it was a 100 metre trip to the end.

For the next few seconds it is like being in a giant blender. Bouncing, legs being whipped up and above the head, and spinning like a top all at once.
All of the falangs agreed that the training techniques and safety standards encountered were a credit to the RTMC. We would all like to thank Lt. Surapol of Recon Battalion, who conducted the training along with CPO Yofruk Pranom (Mike). Both men provided excellent guidance during the pre-jump and jump phases, as well as good friendships which were developed during the several social occasions.

Chief Petty Officer Yofruk Pranom of the Royal Thai marine Corps hooks up Bernie Hasenbein, formerly of the US 82nd Airborne Division, for a jump from the Airborne School’s 35 metre training tower.

Early on January 15 the falang squad and a detachment of Recon Battalion convened at U-tapao Royal Thai Navy airfield, fitted and checked parachutes, and were soon in flight in a Thai Navy Fokker 27 aircraft, for the Drop Zone (DZ) just out of Pattaya.
Military paratroopers world-wide employ both static-line (parachute opened by cable in aircraft) and free fall (jumper pulls rip cord to open parachute) parachuting. Both types of deployment were used this day. Four of the foreigners static-line jumped with most of the Marines from a height of 1500 feet. The other four joined the elite of Recon Battalion for an 8000 foot free fall jump.
Jumping with the static-line group, I lined up in the bouncing Fokker with the other four who would jump with me in one pass over the DZ. We were the ‘stick’ which would jump on the aircraft’s third pass, and had watched the first two go without a hitch.
The engine’s slip-stream hits you like a tornado the moment you throw yourself out. Falling diagonally, you count, “1000, 2000, 3000, 4000,” and look up to make sure that the parachute has opened. For the next few seconds it is like being in a giant blender. Bouncing, legs being whipped up and above the head, and spinning like a top all at once.

Highly skilled at precision free fall parachuting, this Royal Thai Marine Corps paratrooper prepares to land at the end of an 8000 foot jump.

After a few seconds I stabilised and began my slow descent. Gently floating, I took in the magnificent panoramic view. To one side the Pattaya skyline with the sparkling bay as a backdrop. To the other side sprawling fields, bordered by mountains on the horizon.
Going through my drills, identifying my position and drift, I found Laurent Fournier of France heading straight for me, picking up speed, and looking in the other direction. Shouting, “Oui!”, and steering away from Laurent could not prevent him colliding with my parachute’s canopy. The presence of Laurent in my canopy collapsed it. My body and canopy being under Laurent’s robbed his canopy of air, collapsing it as well. With both canopies collapsed, and at about 1000 feet above the ground, we began to fall.

Gently floating to the ground with a panoramic Thai backdrop is an experience none of the farang ex-paras will ever forget.

Looking down I could see the ground approaching at great speed. Just as I was about to pull the handle to deploy my reserve parachute, Laurent freed himself from my canopy, and we drifted apart, both parachutes re-inflating.
As my heartbeat returned to normal, I prepared to land. I turned my parachute so that I was facing into the wind, this stops the horizontal drift and provides a soft, vertical landing. With my feet and knees together, elbows tucked in, I hit the sandy DZ no harder than jumping out of bed. A perfect landing.

Royal Thai Marine Corps jumpmaster and free fall parachutist chief Petty Officer Pichit Bua Nak beams with confidence as the Fokker aircraft nears the drop zone.

Safely on the ground, everyone related their own version of the jump as the Fokker went up to 8000 feet to dispatch the free fallers. During this time the Thai Marines and the falangs continued to get to know each other and make friends. From a falang’s point of view, one of the most satisfying aspects of the experience was the friendships made with the Marines. They proved to be keen hosts and were pleased that westerners had come from several countries to jump with them.
The free fallers put on a tremendous display of precision skydiving. The role of the Marines is to jump in small groups close or behind enemy lines for reconnaissance and sabotage missions. Led by Lt. Surapol, most of the free fallers landed close to their designated spots.
Two days later, dressed in shorts, T-shirts, and running shoes, we reconvened at U-tapao for the water-jump into Lake Nong Hin. This was the first time that anyone had parachuted into this lake, and we all looked forward to splashing down in its cool waters.

Practising what to do during the parachute descent itself is an important part of refresher training. Here Laurent Fourier of France hangs in the training harness waiting for Royal Thai Marine Corps instructor Yofruk Pranom to put him through hs paces.

Waiting on the lake were Marines in zodiacs tasked with retrieving one jumper each time the Fokker did a pass over the lake. To ensure jumpers were out of the water quickly, the zodiacs followed their designated jumper from the moment they left the aircraft to the moment they splashed down.
Feeling the usual pre-jump nerves, I stood in the aircraft watching the countryside pass below as I waited to jump. Again the exhilaration thrilled me as I plunged feet first towards the ground. Again I was thrown around like a puppet as my parachute deployed, breaking the fall.
Keeping an eye out for suicidal French-men, I absorbed the view, which was complimented by the jade-coloured water of Lake Nong Hin below.
At forty feet from the water, I locked in for landing, looked down and saw Andrew Detriz of Belgium waving up at me and grinning from a zodiac. Splashdown was just like diving into a swimming pool. As I plunged into the water, I released myself from my parachute and harness, and re-surfaced, buoyed by the life jacket that is worn for water jumps.
Within moments Andrew was helping me into the zodiac as the Thai crewman dragged in my water logged parachute. The zodiacs deposited us on the lake’s bank, next to Bamroong Resort. Here a growing group of drenched paratroopers chatted excitedly about the wonderful experience, and watched as the free fallers put on another precision display. One free faller was a little less precise than the others, splashing down on the far side of the lake with his zodiac pursuing at high speed.
Nestled on the bank of Lake Nong Hin, Bamroong Resort provided the perfect location for the post exercise function, which included a parade for presenting the falangs with the official RTMC parachutists wings.

With both canopies collapsed, and at about 1000 feet above the ground, we began to fall

Commander Kosal Han Gla, of the RTMC Recon Battalion, presented the wings and thanked the foreigners for their participation. Patrick Van Den Berghe made a speech thanking the RTMC for their efforts and camaraderie. Ad-ditionally, the falangs presented the Marines with a donation of 20,000 baht for a children’s charity on the Thai-Cambodian border which is supported by the RTMC.
Karaoke, spicy Thai food, beer, whiskey, and making friends was the order of the afternoon as the Thais and falangs celebrated a well executed and injury free joint parachute exercise.

Patrick Van Den Berghe, of Patrick’s Belgian Restaurant, gives the thumbs up as he carries his parachute to the meeting point after a perfect 8000 foot free fall parachute jump.

PATTAYA - our home

Wind in the sail

Airborne over Pattaya