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Khao Larm, a delicious treat from Chonburi
by Boonleua Chatri
Thai people love to eat. Those who have lived in Thailand for a sufficient period of time know that each province has a famous ‘local delicacy’. Thais who travel to other provinces will usually bring these back home as gifts. In Petchburi province, one must try Khanom Mor Kaeng. Khon-Kaen province is famous for its sausages. One cannot leave Nong-Khai without a few kilos of Moo Yor, the local pork delight.
Chonburi is famous for Khao Larm.
Khao Larm is very easy to make, if you know how. First, glutinous rice is rinsed many times until it is very clean. It is then soaked in cool water for at least three hours. After that, it is drained and black beans, coconut milk, sugar and salt are added and thoroughly blended and strained.
Large bamboo trees are cut into one foot lengths. The rice mixture is packed into the bamboo and flooded with extra coconut milk and sealed.
The lengths of bamboo are then inserted in the earth and a coconut husk fire is lit. After approximately one hour, the lengths of bamboo are taken off the fire and allowed to cool.
Khao Larm is one of Chonburi’s main products, especially in the Saen Sukh District. Many people make Khao Larm, but certain women become very famous due to their skill. Some of these are Mae Khai, Mae Nual and Mae Sri.
Those passing through Chonburi City may buy Khao Larm at very reasonable prices.
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Christmas in Thailand or
Blessed Why is It Better to Give than Receive?
by Jay Patterson
Thai people, aside from enjoying a good time, have a great respect for holidays.
They strictly observe such solemn fêtes as Chinese New Year, Christian New Year, Druid New Year, Halloween, (which is Druid New Year, but never mind), and Valentine’s Day. Everyone in Thailand knows that Waa-len-tie is that heart shaped symbol and the celebration is the western world’s tribute to its doctrine of ‘Fee-Sek’.
But a special place is given to Kit-sa-mat. Thai people, very media conscious, know this most western of western holidays is dedicated to shopping. It gives merchants and department stores an opportunity to clear out old stock, and seduces everyone into an orgy of spending.
Thai people think this is sensible, as it makes Khee-niow Farangs part with their money, at least once a year.
How does one know the Christmas season is approaching?
The first is the Christmas song, JINGER BEN. It is played and sung on radio, television, in elevators and Department Stores (usually by the nauseating Ray Coniff Singers.). Even the horns of ten wheel trucks play the first eleven notes of this song.
Pardon me if I digress, but JINGER BEN is a demonstration of the true spirit of Christmas The words were written by the American millionaire, J. Pierpont or J.P. Morgan. Morgan wanted his words set to music and sung at his 60 room mansion on Christmas.
With true Yuletide spirit, Morgan commissioned a starving composer to write the music. He paid the freezing musician US $5. In a burst of inspiration, the immortal ditty was completed in 2 days. No fool, old JP knew he had a major hit on his hands.
Did he commission the composer to write more songs?
Nope. With true penurial, uh, entrepreneurial spirit, he forced the man to sign a contract relinquishing all rights to any proceeds from the song, in perpetuity. Morgan knew that ‘charity begins at home.’
The composer, his five bucks spent, sank back into poverty and died very young.
Ebenezer Scrooge cackled with delight.
I hope this opens up a whole new vista on the idea of giving.
Department Stores stocking their shelves with gigantic stuffed animals is the other sign that Christmas is ‘round the corner. The Jurassic Park sized T-bears and Veloci-rabbits terrify young children but are adored by adults.
For a very special person, one of those huge clocks that look like the Statue of Liberty’s ugly sister swinging a mandolin is the non plus ultra of gifts.
That is what Thai people buy each other for Christmas.
Thai people love getting Christmas presents from westerners. This helps the westerner gain great merit and puts them on the path to being a real human being in their next life.
You, as a westerner, will be expected to stick to traditional gifts, though.
The first Christmas gifts were, of course, Frankincense, gold and Myrrh, which the three Magi offered to the Infant Jesus.
Everyone in the western world thinks of Frankincense and Myrrh as exotic. Here in Asia, we got loads of the stuff. Frankincense is sold in supermarkets. And Myrrh??
Before Colgate invaded, Asians used Myrrh to make toothpaste.
Both of these are very expensive in the west. Gold is the cheapest and easiest to find of the three and unlike Frankincense and Myrrh, you can put it on your Visa or American Express card.
So, to please any Thai ((or Indian)(or Austrian)(or American)), give gold.
Think of the money you’ll be saving!
Your Thai friends won’t feel that you’ve gone to too much trouble looking for expensive, aromatic substances.
And think of the merit you’ll gain.
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Unit-Linked Investments versus Unit Trusts
I am often asked to explain the difference between unit trusts and unit-linked insurance policies. When discussing a unit-linked insurance policy, some people say to me, "I don’t want to buy insurance - I’ve already got enough; I only want an investment vehicle."
Well, a unit-linked insurance policy is an investment vehicle, just as a unit trust or mutual fund is. They both give you access to collective investments - professionally managed funds - which in turn access specific stock markets, bond markets, or commodity & futures markets, depending on the particular fund or funds you select.
The primary difference between them is that with a unit trust you buy units in your chosen fund directly, while with unit-linked insurance policies you access similar funds indirectly, through a designated vehicle.
These vehicles, while primarily investment instruments, are technically insurance policies, and there are many different ones available from the various international insurance companies which offer such schemes.
These are designed to accommodate both short-term and long-term investments, large and small, lump sums or savings, with or without any significant life insurance coverage.
A unit-linked insurance policy may charge you no premium at all for the inherent life coverage; the insurance benefits in such cases are minimal. (For example, should you die whilst holding one of these policies, the payout is typically 101% of the portfolio-holdings’ value; unit trusts on the other hand would pay out 100%.)
On the other hand, a substantial amount of life coverage can be built into some of these plans, and at a competitive premium. This can simplify matters tremendously when considering what vehicles to use, for example, to pay off an overseas property mortgage, or to build a fund for your children’s education.
Tax Advantages
If, however, you don’t require any built-in life coverage, why not simply use unit trusts?
Well, one of the main reasons that the unit-linked industry developed is because there are tax loopholes in certain regimes whereby insurance policies could potentially give holders tax advantages which investment vehicles like unit trusts would not.
And the astute people running the insurance companies - (notably in the U.K. - which is one of the main reasons British insurance companies now dominate this part of the business) - saw this as a great opportunity to develop a whole new branch of the international investment industry, to their and their clients’ mutual benefit.
One such vehicle is the well-known "qualifying policy", which allows a holder legally to avoid any tax liability on drawing down the proceeds in the U.K. This is simply a regular savings plan which must run for at least 10 years, and has a minimal insurance "wrapper" around it which guarantees in the case of early death to pay out at least 75% of the total contributions that would have been made had the policy gone to maturity. The premiums for this coverage are quite small, and usually deducted from contributions in the early years of the plan, while the insurance company is still carrying a substantial risk.
The primary benefit of this particular vehicle (other than the obvious one of seeing some growth on your investment) is legally to avoid paying tax - which could otherwise run as high as 40% of the growth under current U.K. tax rules - when you come to withdrawing the money.
This type of plan is, however, still just an investment vehicle - albeit a potentially very tax-efficient one.
Thus, for someone intending eventually to be resident in the U.K. (whether British or otherwise), and who wants to put aside a regular amount for at least 10 years, one of these potentially qualifying unit-linked insurance plans could well be more appropriate than saving regularly into a stand-alone unit-trust savings plan - which would have absolutely no tax efficiency in the U.K.
Similar tax breaks apply in certain other countries - France and Germany to name but two.
In France, for example, a unit-linked insurance policy held for at least 5 years starts to get tax advantages, and if held for 7 years could potentially avoid any tax liability altogether.
Similarly in Germany, a unit-linked policy held for 12 years (with certain other criteria attached) becomes tax-efficient.
Governments are getting wise to these loopholes in their tax systems, however, and are trying to close them up. In Australia, for example, similar rules to those in the U.K. used to apply; but a couple of years back the Australian government changed the laws - and retrospectively. As a result, Australian residents holding offshore investment schemes now have to pay tax in Australia on the growth even if they haven’t drawn it down yet!
Similarly, the German authorities tried to amend the rules this year, but fortunately for German clients, the bill didn’t go through.
The British government also has said that it intends to close some of the tax loopholes; but whenever amendments to the U.K. tax laws have been made in the past, at least they haven’t been made retrospective, so clients holding tax-efficient unit-linked policies don’t need to worry just yet!
‘Switching’ Costs
Another advantage unit-linked insurance policies have over unit trusts only really comes to light over time.
If you want to change from one unit trust to another - but still keep your investment with the same company - most unit trust companies levy a charge of 1% of the value of the holdings you’re switching.
If you’re holding only a small portfolio, this may not amount to very much. But 1% of a portfolio worth US$100,000 is US$1,000 - which is hardly chickenfeed. And if you rearranged this whole portfolio every two years, over a 10 year period the charges for doing so would amount to 5% of the portfolio’s value - or at least US$5,000 (depending on how much it had grown in the interim.)
Unit-linked insurance policies, on the other hand, are charged only a nominal administrative charge or nothing at all for switching your funds around.
Unit-Linked carry Penalties
On the other hand, some people complain that the initial charges associated with most unit-linked policies are generally higher and more complex than with unit trusts, and there can be penalties for stopping them "early" - i.e., before the contractual period is up.
This is true in most cases (although not all). However, many unit-linked policies offset these higher initial charges by giving "loyalty" bonuses to longer-term investors, which can actually make them more cost-effective over time than unit trusts, which typically offer no "loyalty" bonuses.
So which is better?
The answer to whether a unit-linked insurance policy or unit trust is better for any specific case (whether savings plan or lump-sum investment) is: "It depends."
It would depend very much on the individual investor’s requirements and circumstances, and no two individuals’ needs are ever the same. Needs and circumstances may also change over time, so what was appropriate four or five years ago may no longer be so applicable.
However, and speaking only in the very broadest sense, if someone is looking to invest for the longer term, either to accommodate savings or a lump-sum, unit-linked insurance policies could be more appropriate - especially if tax-efficiency is an important consideration.
If, on the other hand, the intent is to accommodate relatively small ad hoc amounts or for a relatively short term, and tax-efficiency will never be an issue, unit trusts may be the more appropriate route to follow.
Before making any commitment to either route, therefore, it would be wise to discuss your own particular needs, circumstances and investment criteria with a professional financial advisor who will take all these factors into consideration before making specific recommendations.
If you have any comments or queries on this article, or about other topics concerning investment matters, write, fax or e-mail Leslie Wright, c/o Family Money, Pattaya Mail, or e-mail him directly at [email protected].
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In the Refrigerator and in the Freezer
by Laura Zubrod, Registered Dietician
Good health and nutrition include keeping perishable foods as fresh and safe as possible. Here are some hints for the freezer and refrigerator to keep your food at its best.
Take your refrigerator’s temperature with an inexpensive refrigerator thermometer to check that it’s between 34 and 40( F (1 and 4.5( C). If the kitchen area is warm or your refrigerator is full, the temperature may need to be turned down to keep food optimally cool. Avoid overloading your refrigerator since cold air needs room to circulate. Keep your freezer as cold as possible. When storing foods long-term, a temperature of 0( F (-18( C) is best. However, the freezer compartment of the household refrigerator usually won’t get that cold so plan to use foods stored there more quickly.
Thaw foods in the refrigerator or microwave, not on the counter. Bacteria thrive at room temperature. Put a plastic bag or plate under thawing food, especially raw meats, to collect the juices and prevent them from contaminating other foods.
Use the special compartments in your refrigerator. The meat keeper keeps meat extra cold while the vegetable and fruit bins help maintain moisture. Eggs, however, should be kept in their cartons and not the egg tray to keep them fresh longer. Eggs are best if used within 3 weeks.
Use beef, steaks, roasts, deli meats, and poultry within 3 to 4 days. Use ground meat, ground poultry, organ meats, and fish within 1 to 2 days.
Keep leftovers where you will see them. If you haven’t used up the leftovers within 3 to 4 days, throw them away.
Keep all foods in the refrigerator wrapped or in a container to prevent loss of moisture and absorption of off-odors. Keeping foods properly wrapped in the freezer is important for preventing freezer burn. Freezer burn is the white, dried-out patches on improperly wrapped frozen food. Freezer burn won’t make you sick but it will make food tough and tasteless. You can prevent freezer burn by wrapping unfrozen food in aluminum foil, heavy freezer paper, or plastic freezer bags. Make sure all the air is out of the package before sealing. Plastic containers work well also, but wrap the food in plastic wrap first so the air inside the container does not cause freezer burn.
Keep your freezer organized. Label packages and containers with the food and date. Rotate foods, keeping the oldest in front so they are used first.
When the power goes out, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed so the cold stays in and the heat stays out. Most refrigerators stay chilled for at least 4 to 6 hours if the door is not opened and depending on the warmth of the kitchen. If the power is out longer, you may want to buy a block of ice to keep the refrigerator cool.
Fresh fruit and vegetables, hard and processed cheeses, butter, margarine, and condiments like ketchup, mustard, and oyster sauce often keep for several days at room temperature.
During a power outage, a full freezer can keep frozen foods cold for about 2 days, if the door stays closed. A freezer that is half full remains cold for about 1 day. Frozen foods act as blocks of ice, helping to keep other food around them cold.
Following these guidelines for food storage in the refrigerator and freezer can help to ensure that your foods are safe to eat, fresh, and at their nutritional best.
Readers may write Laura care of the Pattaya Mail with questions or special topics they would like to see addressed.
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Mayor and Rotary visit MV Lummus
Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat headed a list of local dignitaries that included selected members of the Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya, invited to lunch and tour MV Lummus, the flagship of the U.S. Maritime Preposition Squadron stationed in Guam.
Commodore Bertsch and his staff were aboard the flagship on a routine port of call in Pattaya from December 7 through 14.
MV Lummus is similar to the vessel which will be conducting integrated MPS support at Sattahip for exercise Cobra Gold 98 this coming May.
Photo: Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat (center) presents keys to the city to Commodore Bertsch (left) and Captain Harold Venderploeg (right), the ship's civilian master.
The mission of the Military Sealift Command is to provide ocean transportation of equipment, fuel, supplies and ammunition to sustain U.S. forces worldwide during peacetime and in war for as long as operational requirements dictate. During a war, more than 95 percent of all the equipment and supplies needed to sustain the U.S. military are carried by sea.
Numerous international crises in the 1990s have underscored the vital role of Military Sealift Command as a major contributor in the execution of U.S. national strategy. The command operates ships for U.S. Navy fleet support; provides special ocean missions support to U.S. government agencies; prepositions U.S. military supplies and equipment at sea; and provides ocean transportation of defense cargo in both peacetime and war.
MPSRON Three is the third of three squadrons designed to pre-stage USMC and USA equipment and supplies near areas of potential conflict. The mission of the Maritime Propositioning Force (MPF) is to support the rapid development of a Marine Corps Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTAF) or Army Heavy Brigade by delivering combat and logistics vehicles, fuel, ammunition, rations and supplies to the Marines and Army units where needed throughout the world. These ships provide the Unified Area Commander-in-Chief, within days, with equipment and supplies as a strategic deployment option to locations of potential or actual conflict.
Both the mayor and selected Rotary members were impressed with the size of the MV Lummus and the amount of cargo she was holding.
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Presented by Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital
Accidents and violent falls are the most common cause of children losing teeth. If the lost tooth is a ‘baby’ or milk tooth, your dentist will not attempt to reattach the tooth. But if it is an adult tooth, the following procedures should be followed:
1. Find the tooth as soon as possible. Hold it by the tooth and not the root.
2. Do not touch the root of tooth.
3. Put the tooth back in the socket as soon as possible.
4. If not possible, immerse the tooth in plain, unflavoured, whole milk. This will keep the tooth ‘alive’. It may also be immersed in antiseptic saline solution.
5. If both of the above are impossible, the tooth should be immersed in the child’s saliva or held in the mouth next to the cheek.
6. If all of the above cannot be done, immerse the tooth in clean water.
7. Go to see your dentist immediately. Re-insertion in the socket within 30 minutes is the best way of ensuring retention of the tooth.
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To look well-groomed, smart and clean: Express can help!
How many times do your shirts, skirts, blouses, and bed-sheets come back "coloured" from your laundry? Or your T-shirts are nicely pressed and on a hanger, while your dress, exactly the one you were going to wear this very evening, comes back folded and needs new pressing? It happened to me many, many times. Finally, I got lucky: Express Dry Cleaning & Laundry opened. It is operated under German management, all the machines come from Italy and the Thai staff is well trained.
Uwe, the owner, has lived in Thailand for three years and, coming from a family who owns dry-cleaning shops in Germany, had the great idea to open exactly the same type of laundry in Pattaya, which he opened one year ago. The shop looks like a European laundry; it is and smells very clean, almost sterile.
Uwe explained the difference between dry-cleaning and laundry: Dry cleaning is not so dry as some might believe. The clothes are washed in a huge washing machine, but instead of water they use a special formula. This formula doesn’t get into the fibre, opposite to water; it ‘swims’ around the threads while cleaning. Therefore the fibre neither changes shape nor the colour - presuming it has good colouring.
For stains, 20 different stain removers can be used. All remedies are imported from Germany and are very mild. Though for some stains, like coffee, tea, beer, milk, a.s.o., the dry-cleaning doesn’t work too well. "Washing is better in that case", Uwe explains.
Every single piece is separated and treated under his supervision. Very bright lamps expose even the smallest stains. The dry-cleaning itself takes app. 1 hour in the special washing machine, as does the drying in the dryer. The formula being used for dry-cleaning is environmentally friendly and can be used again and again, since it cleans itself in a special procedure.
Have you ever gone through the trauma of having to wear a jacket or trousers with glossy lapels, seams or pockets? Well, not anymore. The pressing at Express is done with special coated irons, fixed on iron-boards with a steam generator and a steam vacuum pump. That leaves the clothes completely dry after pressing and avoids the certain bad smell that some washing can have if its not dry enough when folded and stored.
Jackets are pressed by steam only. A dummy, wearing the jacket to be pressed, is blown up according to the size of the jacket and the ascending steam, again in combination with a steam vacuum pump, gives it the right shape back - without glossy parts.
Express offers special packages: 45 pieces (laundry & dry cleaning) for 900 baht per month and 90 pieces (laundry & dry cleaning) for 1,650 baht per month. The regular prices for single laundry or dry-cleaning are also very reasonable. Prices range from 10 baht to 80 baht for laundry, and from 30 baht to 210 baht (an overcoat) for dry cleaning.
The washing can be picked up and delivered. Within town, Express charges only 100 baht per month, delivery to Naklua and Jomtien will cost 300 baht per month extra, and everywhere opposite Sukhumvit Road; 500 baht extra per month.
The motto of Express is: "Look well-groomed, smart and clean" and it stays to its word.
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Copyright © 1997 Pattaya Mail Publishing
Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand
Tel.66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax:66-38 427 596; e-mail: [email protected]
Created by Andy Gombaez