FCCT members meet Pattaya city fathers - and the message was good

by Peter Cummins

In fact, there was almost a carnival atmosphere - created, doubtless, by the impromptu "cabaret" performed by the HJB staff during lunch - as the group posed for pictures outside before heading off to City Hall for the day’s OTHER important business.

Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat, Khun Supadit Maneeratcharatsri, President of Pattaya Business and Tourism Association, Pol. Maj. Supasate Chokechai Chief of Pattaya Tourist Police and other city officials were at City Hall to greet the FCCT group and a number of others, from both the public and private sectors who came to attend this special event.

Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat, Philippe Decaux, President of the FCCT, and Pattaya Mail’s Peter Malhotra formed the panel, with Peter as moderator and translator "par excellence".

Peter opened the meeting, pointing out that this, the second FCCT visit to Pattaya, would become at least an annual event in the future. It was important for the outside world to know that Pattaya was on the road to vast improvements and it was through the press and media that this image could be carried to the world at large.

Mayor Pairat thanked the many sponsors for making the FCCT visit possible, a visit which he and the city administrators also thought most valuable for their efforts to improve the city"s infrastructure and consequently the city’s image - at home and abroad.

The meeting spanned a range of relevant topics, ranging from future utilization of U-Tapao airport as a hub for tourist arrivals, to the water treatment operations which the group had visited the day before, both in Pattaya and Laem Chabang.

The mayor fielded questions on these and other related subjects, emphasizing that U-Tapao is currently being used for charter flights and could well feature in future tourism ventures. It was not within the city’s jurisdiction to initiate any developments or changes, however.

The mayor, in answer to specific questions about water treatment, noted that the major treatment plant (a l.8 billion Baht project) will be on-line within 18 months and its operation will be an enormous gain for the environment, especially the sea.

The mayor pointed out that the city had accepted an OCEF grant/loan of 130 million Baht for a massive beautification programme of trees, nature strips and plants to be implemented all around Pattaya, with the master plan incorporating an upgrading of Koh Larn in line with Pattaya’s future standards.

At the same time, he lamented the total lack of fiscal and administrative support from the central government, being forced to operate on a Baht 160 million subsidy - "totally inadequate," he reiterated strongly.

Khun Supadit informed the group that efforts were being made to rationalise the "baht bus" system presently used for Pattaya’s main intra-city transport. Noting criticisms of the water scooter/jet ski proliferatio along the beaches, the mayor pointed out that funds would be allocated to fence off safe areas for swimmers and bathers, and the machines themselves would eventually be assigned to operate from fixed areas at strategic points around the beaches.

The group delved into such areas as the types of ‘undesirables’ who chose Pattaya as a base for operations. The panel observed, however, that as long as even an ‘undesirable’ stayed within the letter of the law, no one person could be singled out. In regard to ‘zoning’- keeping certain activities in set areas - that, too, the panel noted was difficult to police, as long as the particular establishment had a license for its activities.

The idea of a "waiter race" was mooted and it was agreed that such an event would be great for Pattaya and it could perhaps be conducted in conjunction with the Pattaya Festival or the Pattaya Marathon.

To a comment that the upgrading of the physical environment should also include the cultural aspects, it was observed that the Royal Cliff, under the direction of the late Executive Vice President, Alois X (Louis) Fassbind, had ongoing concerts, philharmonic performances and other cultural activities.

A new convention centre, now under construction at the hotel, would also facilitate such ventures.

FCCT President Philippe Decaux posed the question as to what was being planned to commemorate the memory of Louis, whose untimely demise last week closed a chapter on more than 25 years of dedication which had made Pattaya a world-famous tourist destination.

A number of ideas were placed before the panel, with Catherine Bond, President of the Pattaya International Ladies Club, suggesting a "Fassbind Park", with open air concerts, people’s rest areas and other facilities. It would not only be a great commemoration of "Mr. Pattaya" but it would also alleviate Pattaya’s acute shortage of green and recreational areas, Catherine added.

The panel agreed to pursue this.

The mayor again urged the FCCT to publicize the efforts of City Hall to rejuvenate Pattaya, to which President Philippe replied that they would not only publicize positive stories about Pattaya, but such press would tend to counter hitherto reports of "crazy journalists" spreading negative, and often unsubstantiated stories about the resort.

Philippe noted that several water sports of the forthcoming Thirteenth Asian Games would be held in Pattaya and requested an "Asian Games" night at the FCCT, before the event, so that the members could be briefed by the Asiad organisers. A Friday night in November was tentatively set.

Noticing a gentleman sitting at the back of the mayoral meeting room, ‘sporting’ a large head bandage, Philippe apologised, fearing that the FCCT group’s ‘assault’ on Pattaya may have been the cause of poor Amorn being bashed over the head as he left a rather ‘lively’ night at a local pub the night before, where the press people were rather high profile.

Michael Vogt, G.M. of the Thai Garden Resort, summed up the most interesting round table discussion, pointing out that this year’s meeting was so different to last year when a vitriolic bunch of participants dragged out every peccadillo from Pattaya’s darkest corners.

While acknowledging that all Pattaya’s sins are still around, nevertheless this year’s group elevated the discussions to a high level of concern for the major issues of environment, improvements and the many other positive faces which Pattaya, through the diligence of the Administration, the hoteliers and many other concerned citizens, is showing.

Echoing those thoughts, Philippe Decaux observed that he felt this year’s meeting was so successful that the FCCT will examine the possibility of an FCCT chapter in Pattaya, to maintain close lines of communication which were evident today.

All present agreed that Pattaya had changed in a positive way and was now presenting the "cleaner, smiling face" for which the resort was once famous. As the weekend for the FCCT group was also in the nature of "R and R" there is little doubt that there will be repeaters for years to come!

Excellent sponsorship of the Thai Garden Resort, the Central Wong Amat Hotel, Delaney’s and the Henry J Bean’s who all regaled the press corps with sumptuous ‘F and B". Accommodation, too, was top rate, with six of Pattaya’s finest providing the rooms; the Dusit Resort, Garden Beach, Green Park, Markland, Royal Garden Resort and the Montien Hotel answered the call.

It is no wonder that the ladies and gentlemen of the Fourth Estate want to come again to talk to the City Fathers.

Dolf Riks: Early arrival in the new world

The enigmas of how, when and by whom the American continent was first peopled has fascinated me ever since I was a pre-teenager. It has been accepted by most archaeologists and anthropologists in the present age that it were not the "American Braves" we know from the Wild West epics, which were the first to wander or paddle in their canoes across the barren lands and arctic seas into Alaska. They were probably the last ones to arrive.

When we speak of American Indians we have to specify whom, because they are even more diversified than the Europeans in language, race and customs. The savants are nowadays mostly of the opinion that the first Americans must have been Negroid (not to be confused with Negroes) or Australoid. The latter were the intrepid travellers who, millennia ago, peopled the Melanesian islands in the Pacific, the Australian continent, as well as New Guinea and the eastern islands of Indonesia, with among them Timor and Ambon. Remnants of these people can still be found in the south of Thailand where they are called "Sakai" and in Malaysia where they are Orang Asli or "the original people".

In the beginning of this century it was thought that the first humans arrived in the New World at the end of the last ice age. This was about 12,000 BC, but nowadays the general opinion is that it must have been much earlier and probably 25,000 or even 45,000 years ago. In the northeast of Brazil, French and Brazilian archaeologists have discovered elaborate rock paintings which are at least 12,000 years old. Considering that it took centuries to slowly migrate southwards, the people who made these works of art must have moved out of Asia probably a 1000 years earlier. Astonishing is, however, that other artefacts in the cave proved to be as old as 32,000 years. Through the haze of time we are able to imagine how these people travelled or migrated from the Asian side of the Bering Sea to the Brazilian jungle and even more south to what is now called Tierra Del Fuego or "Fire Land". The process must have been a slow one sometimes staying in one place for hundreds of years and then forced by starvation or aggression of other tribes they moved to greener pastures.

In 1989, at a conference at the University of Maine, a French archaeologist of the Institute of Advanced Social Science Studies in Paris astounded the other participants of the gathering, when she said that she had evidence that those caves were occupied by Homo Sapiens as long ago as 45,000 years. Whether this was disproved later I do not know. Archaeologist and other scientists are notorious for their stubbornness to accept new ideas and it was not surprising that her findings were received by some with a great deal of skepticism.

Through studies of their different stone implements, like spear points, scrapers and knives, some scientists have come to the conclusion that some might have been related to the early Europeans, who were almost identical to modern man. They may all have originated in Central Asia and migrated East as well as West.

Interesting is that certain artefacts like the Kaen Flute, so popular in Laos and the North East of Thailand, reoccur in Panama and the jungles of South America. Astonishing is that the scale and pitch is exactly the same as those from this area and the Solomon Islands (See illustration).

When did the Americans become Neolithic? This depends of course on the location and the circumstances. Some tribes in South America are still food gatherers and hunters, although with the modern world advancing, this may soon be a thing of the past. A fact is that without beasts of burden, except for the Llama in the Andes, they achieved miracles. They discovered and cultivated plants unknown to the Old World. One of them is maize of which botanists have been unable to find a wild ancestor and which can not propagate without our help. Pumpkin and other food plants like beans might have preceded the cultivation of the Indian corn. Ears of maize were found in a cave in Mexico and dated 4500 years ago but to develop corn it must have taken man much longer. Some Botanists estimate that it may have taken several millenniums to get to the large variety and sizes of this marvellous plant.

In 1492, when Columbus arrived in the Americas, it was estimated that there were at least seven hundred varieties of corn growing. Maize is now grown all over the world. It is one of the most important staples in the world, second only to rice. Not only eaten by men but also used as fodder for the domestic animals like cows and pigs. It grows in Canada at a latitude of 58 degrees North and in Argentina at 40 degrees South. It grows at altitudes of 4000 meters in the Andes and below sea level in the Caspian plains and in the "polders" of Holland. Some question the theory that it was not known in Asia in pre-Colombian times, as the Chinese, who kept accurate documentation of foreign, imported plants, never mentioned Maize. It is also said that the people in the wild lands of Burma, the Nagas in India as well as the primitive people in Borneo, Sumatra and Taiwan, cultivate popcorn in the same way as the Incas in South America. Could it have come with the migrants from Asia? Another point is that Asia has more wild grasses than America.

Other plants cultivated by the Americans (the list is extensive) are: tomatoes; potatoes; peanuts; lima and kidney beans; manioc or tapioca; chilli peppers; pumpkins; pineapples; avocados; strawberries; custard apples; cacao; papaya and tobacco. There are many more plants on this list while there are numerous plants and vegetables, which grew in the wild like the rubber tree, the quinine tree, the soursop (fruit) and wild rice. What would we have done in Europe without potatoes and tomatoes, and what would the Southeast and Southern Asians have done without the chilli pepper or the Laotians and Isarn people without the unripe papaya for their Som Tham? It boggles the mind!

Eliminating visas and border barriers - Asia-Pacific countries seek creative ways around the problem

by Imtiaz Muqbil
Executive Editor, Travel Impact, Bangkok, Thailand

With national tourism marketing funds drying up, and airlines undergoing major shake-ups, Asia-Pacific immigration authorities are coming under increased pressure to take the fastest route to increasing visitor arrivals: liberalizing frontier formalities and visa requirements. At a major seminar on regional travel facilitation in Phuket, Thailand, between July 28-30, representatives from several major countries discussed a series of measures that will evolve in the not too distant future to either waive visa applications entirely or make it eminently easier for people to get visas.

Said Mr. Mohammed Rahmatullah, Director, Transport, Communications and Tourism Division of the United Nations’ Asia-Pacific economic commission (ESCAP), "There is growing recognition that visas and frontier formalities are a major impediment to travel. As countries need all the tourism dollars they can get in these difficult economic times, they need to study what good these restrictions are doing and whether in fact many outdated practices can be reviewed and relaxed, if not eliminated entirely."

Relaxation of visas and frontier formalities will change the structure and shape of Asia-Pacific travel & tourism, especially road travel which accounts for only about 10% of the tourism in Asia, as against roughly 60% in Europe. Major new initiatives like the Silk Road, stretching from Shanghai to Istanbul, and the Asian Highway which would make it possible to drive from Singapore to London, are bottlenecked at border check-points. The Asian Development Bank is funding billions of dollars worth of highways in the Greater Mekong Sub-region where the major hub country, Thailand, has long complained that of the 23 border check-points it has with neighboring Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, only three are crossable by international tourists, the rest being only for citizens of the two neighbors themselves.

Visa policies, too, range from the Maldives, a Muslim nation where anyone, even Israelis, can go without a visa, to Australia where everyone needs a visa, except New Zealanders. Vietnam joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) last year but still requires citizens of ASEAN countries to have visas, and vice versa. The biggest problem areas are India and China, which have both the biggest potential for both outbound and inbound tourism, as well as the most complex and time-consuming processes for inbound and outbound visa procurements. Certainly, many countries have legitimate fears about being invaded by hordes of Indians and Chinese illegal immigrants. How countries tap the potential of legitimate outbound tourism of these mega-million giants without compromising security is going to be the subject of many a story in the years to come.

In the days when both economies and tourism were booming, Asia-Pacific immigration and military authorities could afford to resist pressure for change, citing security concerns. Losing a handful of tourists made little difference. Now, there is a realization that waiving a visa requirement could be the cheapest way of promoting tourism. Thailand has a visa-free and/or visa-on-arrival policy for 158 countries. As many of these same nationalities do not require visas in other ASEAN countries, the entire region benefits. By contrast, South Asia loses, largely because of the nuisance visa-requirements of India, the hub country for visitors who may be planning an extension into Nepal, Sri Lanka or Pakistan. As the ASEAN countries expand their list of visa-free countries, they will take further market share from the SAARC countries, especially as advance travel booking periods become shorter and shorter.

For many, visas are also a source of funds. Vietnam charges US$25 for a visa on arrival. India levies US$100 for five-year multiple entries. Reciprocity is also cited as a reason for visas but this is generally considered to be bunkum. Europeans, Japanese and Australians are allowed visa-free access to many Asia-Pacific countries but do not reciprocate.

During the seminar, which was co-organized by the World Tourism Organization, some discussion centered on the fact that countries can prove damage to national economies by estimating how many visitors have been lost due to visa restrictions. Just as econometric models can reliably show much foreign exchange travel & tourism generates for economies, delegates were told that it should be possible to prove how much economies are losing by continued restrictions. If the results can be communicated to their respective ministers of trade, finance, transportation and security-related agencies, a better case can be built for relaxing restrictions. If the same information is conveyed to the media, it takes on a whole new dimension. Said Mr. Rahmatullah, "Facilitation is not just a tourism issue but also a trade, transportation and security issue. It involves everyone, and the more they are involved, the better."

Indeed, there is no shortage of options and alternatives to visa-restrictions, and facilitation of visa applications. These include smart cards, the Australian Electronic Ticketing Authority, Schengen visa, machine-readable passports, finger- and hand-recognition technology, etc. Converting many of these options into reality is potentially expensive and politically explosive. Even so, the Schengen visa interests the Mekong region countries. The Uzbeks want to explore visa-issuance over the Internet which today is already being used by many countries to provide precise information about where and how to get visas. The Indian embassy in the US has posted its visa application form on its website. However, that form is only for applicants in the US. Why can’t one form be posted for use world-wide? No-one knew.

Delegates also exchanged views on the area they consider having the greatest potential - road travel. It makes for great packaging of products with rail, air, sea and river transportation. Most significantly, road travel can help raise visitor arrivals without requiring national tourism organizations to go cap-in-hand to national airlines and aviation authorities with requests to liberalize traffic rights agreements.

The seminar also heard another unique suggestion; use the visa application data as a direct-mail mechanism to generate repeat traffic and customer loyalty. If people have been to a country, and enjoyed the experience, they may respond well to receiving a letter from the NTO of that country thanking them for their visit and encouraging them to come back. But security officers don’t think like marketing people. As the seminar was told, visa applicants mostly are considered guilty until proven innocent. As the people who impose the visa regulations seldom have to actually apply for one, they don’t realize that a visa-office is the least friendly place to begin a travel experience.

Nevertheless, papers presented at the seminar showed clearly that Asia-Pacific countries are beginning to think outside the box in their efforts to bring about change. One idea being floated, for example, is to waive visas universally for senior citizens over 65. Authorities also know that efforts to liberalize their economies and investment regimes cannot be segregated from efforts to liberalize entry/exit barriers. But political tensions and suspicions run high, and old-guard bureaucrats and militaries still rule the roost. As they fade from the scene, so too, will the restrictions. That process is now well under way.

Postcard from Khao Yai

Story and photo by Margaret Grainger

If a serene, peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of the working life appeals for a holiday and magnificent mountain views, forest walking and exotic animals attract, then Khao Yai is the place to visit.

An inquisitive gibbon approaches.

About 200 kilometres northeast of Bangkok, Khao Yai is one of Thailand’s largest National Parks covering 2200 square kilometres of mostly mountainous terrain. Declared a Nature Reserve in 1959, it is home to 153 species of animals protected by law.

Khao Yai National Park includes intact jungle, with pretty mountain streams and spectacular waterfalls. Animals within the vast park include wild elephants, buffaloes, deer, porcupines, monkeys, parrots and huge hornbill birds.

Bears and tigers live here but are difficult to see. A nightly spectacle is the flight of a million bats which depart each evening at dusk like a river in the sky in search of food.

Organized wildlife tours are readily available and the assistance of a guide allows one to explore the jungle in safety. Long and short treks are possible. Nine hundred and fifty baht buys a one and a half day jungle trek.

This includes visiting underground limestone caves and seeing the bat caves at sunset. At night there is spot lighting for the elusive animals. The second day includes a trek to see gibbons and other animals such as wild elephants and deer. There are also jungle walks to scenic lookouts and waterfalls.

Khao Yai offers an abundant choice of accommodation at nearby Pak Chong and on the road from Pak Chong into the Park. Prices range from 100bt a night to about 2300bt.

The Garden Lodge Resort, run by Klaus Derwanz, is located in the mountains 16 kilometres from Park Headquarters. Wildlife tours depart from here and Klaus is happy to tailor a special itinerary. Accommodation is comfortable. Meals are reasonably priced and the menu includes European and Thai favourites.

Khao Yai is accessible by car, bus or train. Buses depart from Bangkok’s Northern Bus Terminal every thirty minutes for Pak Chong. From there catch a motorcycle taxi or baht bus to the Park or to accommodation.

Trains depart from Hua Lampong Station in Bangkok three times each morning. The journey to Pak Chong takes three to four hours.

Car access to Pak Chong is easy as it is via major highways. The drive from Pak Chong to Khao Yai is very picturesque with temples, large Buddha images on mountainsides and fresh produce markets.

Alternatively, the Garden Lodge offers a door to door service from Pattaya or Bangkok. Ring 044-313567 or 044-312143.

Khao Yai is one of the world’s best national parks. It is not to be missed.

Successfully Yours: John Adamson

by Mirin MacCARTHY

John Adamson is the Academic Co-ordinator of the Laem Chabang School of Engineering. At thirty-six, he is young to be in this position and is an unabashed, totally immersed academic. "Gosh, why would you want to interview me?" he said shyly on first meeting.

It was during his Grammar School years in the U.K. that he found he had an extra-ordinary gift for languages. He excelled in German and French in addition to his native English. That gift was later to become his life, his raison d’être and his consuming passion.

Not from an academic family background, John perhaps developed his passion for linguistics and teaching in spite of that. He recollects, "My father was a draughtsman, though he couldn’t teach me anything. He would always blow his top, so I became the opposite and developed patience."

John studied with the Royal Society of the Arts to gain his diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. He also believed it was important to get European qualifications, so he did an M.A in Business Administration in Germany. John glosses over the difficulty of doing exams in a foreign language although admits it was exciting for him when he finished his degree and got his first job there in automotive component sales.

With English teaching becoming prominent for him, he went to Japan in 1986 and taught there for eight years. "It was terrific fun teaching business English in Japan," he said. "It is a big responsibility, you are the manager of your own classroom. Being a teacher, a "sensei" in Japan, has a lot of respect attached to it like an "ajharn" in Thailand."

All John’s pastimes involve his first love - language. He reads about language learning and linguistics and even lists serious reading as his recreation, not for him airport novels! John’s favourite author is the Czech, Milan Kundera who wrote the "The Unbearable Lightness of Being". John recommends everyone read his latest novel entitled "Identity".

John Adamson is more than simply in love with his profession, he is married to the entire concept of language teaching. He believes it is important to impart core values, not only the language. For English, this would include such items as punctuality and team participation, safety, and work quality, even body language itself. All-important aspects for two cultures to be able to work together effectively. "It is rewarding, not only getting the language across but also the whole socio-linguistic message." That reward spells success for John.

He has been in Thailand at the LCSE for eight months. Interestingly, he gained this position while in the UK, by being interviewed at length on the Internet. "I answered questions for over a week. It was rather daunting," he admitted with his shy smile.

John believes the qualities necessary to make a good teacher are patience, valuing the students’ cultural backgrounds, teaching them to be culturally open minded and motivating them. His eyes twinkled behind the academic glasses as he said enthusiastically, "Teach them that it is cool and fun to read. Show them that reading is a painless way to absorb literacy and vocabulary."

John is a firm advocate that the secret of success is in continuous education. He is applying this principle to himself and is excited about completing his Doctorate in Linguistics which he is currently studying part time. His advice to those contemplating being foreign language teachers is to become qualified first. "Take a basic diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, then after that learn the methodology and continue to study for further degrees in the science of language." It is certainly working for John Adamson.

AutoMania

by Dr. Iain Corness

Deutschland Uber Alles

It is interesting looking back at the last thirty-odd years of the motoring industry, and seeing the changes in power base which have occurred in that time.

Hearken back to the 60’s and I believe that the USA was the leader in those days. Perhaps not so much in the new technology of the individual car, but in the technology of vehicle production. The giant corporations like GM and Ford flourished and the others were left behind.

During the 70’s the American supremacy waned, along with its fortunes in the VN conflict. The Japanese were then the next to take up the running. The enormous growth of Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi saw them become household names, if the household didn’t actually have one in the garage as well! The Japanese have had twenty years of phenomenal expansion, but recently, this has ground to a halt.

The reasons for this are not all "Asian Economic Downturn". I believe it was just not possible to maintain this growth and rate of production. The Japanese were guilty of over-production. The market for "ordinary" cars had become satiated. Just how many Corolla’s can the world buy?

In some ways, the cars had become too good - the life span for a modern mass-produced Japanese car is prodigious and the "ordinary" motorist began to hang on to his or her Corolla. It hadn’t worn out, so why replace it? (Look at Bangkok taxis, if you don’t believe me!)

In the mid 90’s the manufacturers began frantically looking for new markets to place the cars rolling off the assembly lines. Indonesia, China, Malaysia, India, and emerging Europe (after the lifting of the hammer and the sickle), were all to see the Japanese invasion. But it was too soon in the world’s history and it was, by then, too late for the oriental manufacturers.

The individual countries could not afford to pay for the roller-coaster of Corollas and their ilk, so Japan had to rein back production and thus the seeds of recession were born in the Japanese Auto industry.

So where does that leave us now? It is my view that the next five years will bring on the Blitzkreig that Adolf and his mates couldn’t do all those years ago. The European Motor Industry is in good shape, the products are sound, the European Common Market will strengthen their power and Europe is ready to take over where Japan held sway only a couple of years ago.

And the Europeans with the most potential? Germany. Look at the strength and depth of VW. Where is Mercedes-Benz worldwide? The market penetration of BMW and the aggressive Audi. I believe all the pointers are in place. Additionally, the might of the US car-makers is also centered in Germany, with Ford and GM already firmly dug in.

Mark my words, the next motor car "super power" is Germany. The currency is stable, the products are well engineered, the management are "switched on" and Germany is ready to replace those Corollas in homes all over the world. It will be Deutscheland Uber Alles. Mind you, I could be totally wrong, but I don’t think so!

Autotrivia

Last week I was so engrossed in writing the column I forgot to put in an Autotrivia Quiz question. How remiss of me! I’ll correct that mistake right now. We have spoken of Porsche last week and their famous 911 series. However, long before the illustrious Dr Porsche built the cars bearing his own name, he was famous for designing cars powered by electric motors. What was different about the placement of the engines for these cars? The usual Automania FREE BEER of the week to the first correct answer. Fax or email the Editorial Office! First in, best dressed!

It is interesting to note that the original 911 Porsche manufacturing crew still has an enormous impact on the motoring world today. The head of the engine design team for the 911’s was Ferdinand Piech, now the boss of the VW conglomerate. His attitudes to build quality, which stems from those years, is one of the reasons the cars under his umbrella are enjoying such a high reputation in the present day.

I must admit I have an enormous admiration for the cars from the Porsche factory. The attention to detail, the fit of the body panels, the materials used in construction and design are truly first class. This is one make of vehicle which has earned its reputation through quality and performance, not through slick advertising campaigns. As a friend of mine said, who used to work in a Porsche outlet, "I don’t sell these cars. People come in and buy them." There’s a world of difference, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Fuel for Thought

Filled up at a servo (Oz slang for "Service Station") the other day, out in the countryside surrounding the Eastern Seaboard. So what’s so strange about that, I hear you ask? Nothing really, other than the petrol seemed very much more "aromatic" than the stuff I get locally.

Mira hadn’t gone more than a couple of clicks down the road when it began to lose power. Quick check of the gauges showed all the needles hanging in the right place, no warning lights, no overheating. But the car was definitely labouring and I could detect that strange aroma again.

Almost on the point of pulling over, the engine picked up again and we were off. It did this a couple of times on the way back to Pattaya, and every time there was the strange smell.

Apparently, what happens at some of these more undisciplined petrol outlets is they mix cheap aromatic solvents in with the normal petrol. The resultant brew probably has an octane rating around the 70’s or 80’s and some constituents do not even mix particularly well with the petrol. Hence the poor performance and funny "nose".

You can get commercial additives to disperse these contaminants, but the cure is to stick with known reliable stations. "Caveat Emptor"!