Pattaya Mail — News

Pattaya's Cultural Extravaganza

Kaleidoscopic display of performing arts

The organisation of the 12th International and National Cultural Festival is now progressing with celerity and will be held November 9 - 15th on the lawn of Pattaya City Hall. The festival will demonstrate the Thai way of life and features a bazaar selling Thai products.

Some highlights:

Regional Performing Arts: Performers are coming from centres throughout the country to present lively dances and other traditional performing arts of their region. There will be performers from China, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Laos and Russia.

Demonstrations of Thai traditional life-style: The faculties of two universities and several high schools will demonstrate traditional life-style.

Thai Products Bazaar: One can see and buy products of the various regions, such as full head masks from the traditional Thai Khône drama, textiles, Neillo Ware from the South and various products from the crocodile farm.

The opening ceremony will be on Beach Road at 4:30 p.m. on November 9th, a grand spectacle displaying the splendour of the Thai culture. The ceremony will receive nation-wide television coverage.

A flotilla of floral floats, entitled the ‘Parade of Region’s’ will glide by, carrying the regional performers, with officials riding in positions of honour on traditional vehicles, such as ox-carts.

Next will be the parade of nations, adding a prismatic glow of colour from all points of Asia. Russia, Indonesia, The Philippines, The People’s Republic of China, Japan, Laos, and Malaysia will be represented.

Thai participants will follow the guest nations. There will be Thai boxers, floats from the North, South, Central and Isan regions and a special group representing the culture of Chonburi. Three kilometres in length, the parade will move along Beach Road and wind its way to City Hall.

To add to the Thai atmosphere of the festival, the public and tourists are encouraged to wear Thai regional dress.

The organising committee suggests visitors wear the classic Pha-Khao-Ma cloth. This is the tartan-style cloth usually worn around Thai men’s waists, along with a peasant outfit of loose trousers and collarless shirts. Organisers hope the less adventurous will wear at least one component of the outfit. With everyone wearing an outfit from one of the four regions, the fair will have a festive, ‘Thai atmosphere’. Those who do will receive special discounts at various events and entertainment venues in the city.

Hotels, which are members of the Thai Hotels Association, Eastern Seaboard Chapter, offer discounts of 50% on room rates. Participating hotels are Dusit Resort Pattaya, Bangsaen Beach Resort, Cosy Beach, Merlin Pattaya, Royal Cliff Beach Resort, Sunbeam Hotel, Siam Bayshore, Siam Bayview, Town-In-Town Hotel, Woodland’s Resort, Asia, Pattaya, Golden Beach, Grand Jomtien Palace, Grand Sole Pattaya Centre, Royal Garden Resort Pattaya, Tropicana and City Hotel Sriracha.

Many businesses will give discounts or free entry to those who wear the Thai national costumes. Mr. Kuab stores in Bang Pakong, and Ban Chang Housing Estates, which will give a 20% discount.

A ‘quiz rally’ will also be held. This course of the rally, called the Pha Khao Ma is between Pattaya and Bangkok. The winner will receive a plaque from the Minister of Education. The rally will be held on November 8-9. Entry fee is 1,500 baht for two people and 2,500 baht for families. Accommodations are included in the entry fee.

Those interested should contact the Thai Cultural Centre at (02) 247-0028, ext. 212, 230 or the direct line at (02) 245-7742.

‘Amazing Thailand Grand Sale’

This promotion is the brainchild of the Ministry of Commerce and the Department of Export Promotion.

The sale will be a bonanza for tourists and locals wishing to purchase Thai products at bargain prices. The items may be purchased at many shopping malls throughout the country. The discounts, from 20%-80% should be a powerful magnet in drawing foreign exchange into the country.

Mr. Arjin Phutrakul, Director of the Export Promotion Centre for the Eastern region said that this marked the first co-operative effort of the Department of Export Promotion, The Retailers Association of Thailand and the Tourist Authority of Thailand in promoting sales of Thai products.

Photo: The battle between Thosakan and Hanuman is vividly dramatised in a miniature doll form, one of the thousands of items available at the Grand Sale.

He continued saying that all products are export quality goods. The sale in the northern region is in Chiangmai province, Nakorn Rachasima (Khorat) and Khon Kaen provinces in the Northeast, Phuket and Had Yai in the south, Bangkok in the Central area and Chonburi and Pattaya in the Eastern Region.

The Chonburi and Pattaya ‘Amazing Thailand Grand Sale’ is from 14th November to 14th December.

There are ten retail outlets participating in the sale in Pattaya and Chonburi: Mike’s Shopping Mall, Royal Garden Plaza, Central Department Store Festival Centre, Big C Super-Centre, Laem Thong Centre, Laem Chabang, Laem Thong Centre, Sriracha, Safeland, Bangsaen, Phoenix Department Store, Chonburi and True Blue Centre, Chonburi.

Stores may be identified by the logo, which is a hand holding a shopping bag.

The sale will commence at the World Trade Centre in Bangkok. In Pattaya, this shopper’s dream will begin November 14, on Beach Road, near the famous ‘walking street’.

The sale will be opened with a cultural performance from the Nongnuch Village and an international cultural presentation.

The opening day falls on that of the Loy Krathong festival.

Everyone who appreciates Thai culture and likes to ‘shop ‘til you drop’ should not miss this once in a lifetime event.

Map Ta Phut Factories ask for more time

The committee assigned to solve the problems of noxious fumes met again on October 31, 1997 in the meeting hall of the Mab-Ta-Phut Industrial Estates.

Mr. Veera Mavichak, Chairperson of the committee to oversee the eradication of the pollution told the meeting that air pollution had decreased due to the change in wind direction. The wind was blowing the fumes out to sea.

Factories installing plastic covers on waste-water treatment tanks also contributed to the lower levels of pollution. Mr. Veera continued, saying the problem was not yet solved to the committee’s satisfaction and further work was necessary to bring air quality to acceptable standards. The quality of sea water in Nong Faeb and the Rayong Sea Outlet was deemed acceptable as far as 100 meters offshore.

The committee reported that Bayer Premiere was continuing to make covers for their waste-water plants and fume levels had significantly lowered.

The committee’s consulting company suggested that improvements be made by a pre-separation of oil and water before releasing them into the treatment facilities.

Star Petroleum’s treatment facilities have been improved. The company’s plant is now in its yearly ‘shut-down’ period, as is that of the Rayong Oil Company. At the Tuntex (Thailand) Co. Ltd there is still a bad smell at the water treatment plant and the committee have suggested that they follow the example of Thai Chinkong Industries Corporation who have succeeded in solving the problem. At the RRC sulphur fumes are still escaping from this factory, which has requested an extension until next January, and at which time they expect emissions to be under control. At this time, the company is waiting for an overseas expert to check the plant.

There were no progress reports on the other factories.

Mr. Veera reminded the Industrial Estates that they had been told to set up in-company environmental committees but had not yet done so. He warned company representatives that this must be done soon.

Construction begins on sewage pipeline

The Samprasit Company began the 1,800 million baht waste-water plant treatment project by digging up the Pattaya-Na Klua Road, across from Soi 11. The company assures us this will have no adverse effects on tourism.

After signing the contract, the company began work, despite protests from the Pattaya City Council and the business community, who wanted the construction to begin after the National Cultural Festival and the Thailand Grand Sale.

The company is not able to comply, as the contract states the work must done by the date specified in the contract.

The construction is now blocking two lanes on the left side of the Pattaya-Na Klua Road. This is causing minor traffic congestion on weekdays and moderate congestion on weekends.

The company promises to keep traffic congestion to a minimum and the area debris free as it realises the importance of tourism.

The contract stipulates that construction must be completed 600 days from the beginning date of October 20, 1997.

Police Briefs

Don't abuse the uniform

The head of the Tourist Police Volunteers Association told the press that people fraudulently dressing in official uniforms for any reason would be severely penalised. There has been a recent outbreak of people posing as officials of various government and private volunteer organisations using the uniforms for personal gain.

Back to prison food

Police caught a former prison inmate prying open the door of a shop. The offender, who served 18 months in prison for theft, confessed to the crime, telling officers that since his release from prison it had been impossible to find work.

He admitted that he had committed thirty such robberies. At his residence, an abandoned house where he kept his loot, police found a veritable Ali-Baba’s cave of stolen goods.

Among the items were a security system which he had removed from a house before he robbed it, 2 satellite dishes, a valuable antique pocket watch, and expensive ladies accessories by such designers as Christian Dior and Estee Lauder.

Finn found dead

A Finnish national was found dead at the Jomtien Condominium. The coroner’s initial findings show the man died more than a week ago.

Police found the body of Timo Leto Tomias, 40. The body showed no signs of foul play and there were no signs of a struggle at the scene.

Police questioned Mr. Saroj Muangchalerm, a technician at the condominium. He reported that a stench was issuing from the man’s condominium unit and suspecting the worst, he used his passkey to enter.

Police broadly conjecture that the reason for death could have been that the man had TB and a predilection for strong drink, which led to shock.

The coroner felt that an autopsy was necessary before coming to any conclusions.

Copyright © 1997 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
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Created by Andy Gombaez