H.M.S. Chakri Naruebet’s day out

On June 4th, the Royal Thai Navy took Southeast Asia’s only aircraft carrier, His Majesty’s Ship the Chakri Naruebet, out to sea for a little shake down training. The press was invited along, and Pattaya Mail’s staff reporters turned in the following report.

Admiral Narong Yuthawong, Sattahip Naval Base Commander (left) and navy staff members address the press during the operational demonstration.

During the demonstration, H.M.S. Chakri Naruebet and H.M.S. Taksin showed how they transfer equipment between the two ships by helicopter, as well as procedures for evading air attack, surface water danger training, and the pursuit of submarines.

While the ship headed out to sea for the training, Admiral Narong Yuthawong, Navy Fleet Commander, explained and showed a video to the press about the Fleet’s various missions. He also made himself available for answering questions.

A Sea Harrier (AV-8) sits at the raady aboard the H.M.S. Chakri Naruebet.

Since June 1998, the main mission of the ship has been protecting and ensuring the nation’s independence and sovereignty. The carrier shares patrolling responsibilities with other ships. In addition, the ship participates in the joint exercises involving foreign ships during the Cobra Gold and Carat exercises.

The carrier may also be called on to assist the public during natural disasters and incidents occurring on the sea.

...to another while out to sea.

An example of the Navy’s public assistance occurred during December 1998, when the H.M.S. Sukothai was called upon to transfer tourists from Tao Island to shore during a heavy storm. The ship transported more than 120 Thais and 280 foreigners.

The navy has also been involved in over 250 other incidents ranging from piracy to providing fresh water to residents during the dry season.

In 1998, nine Sea Harrier aircraft (AV-8) were acquired and assigned to the H.M.S. Chakri Naruebet. Stories have circulated that the aircraft are non-operational due to maintenance problems, especially the unavailability of spare parts. However, Admiral Narong explained that this is untrue. The parts are available and are produced to this day. Spare parts are ordered from both the U.S. and Spain.

Trying to distract the onset of seasickness parhaps? Crewmembers and reporters participate in ship games.

H.M.S. Chakri Naruebet leaves port for training once every two months. Each of these exercises costs one million baht. It costs 50,000 baht per day to maintain the ship at dock.

The cost of training pilots, which comes to about 10 million baht per pilot, must also be considered along with the maintenance cost of the aircraft, the Admiral said.

After the demonstration, the ship docked in the afternoon hours. All were invited to gather at the Royal Naval Fleet Club for dinner.

The 5 S’s Activity Project introduced to Pattaya schools

Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat visited Pattaya School #3 to present the 5 S’s Activity Project. The 5 S’s project was recently introduced to city administrative officials as a method of increasing efficiency in the work place. It is now being introduced to Pattaya’s public school administrators.

The mayor, students and teachers of Pattaya School #3 gather to promote the 5 S’s Activity Project.

The 5 S’s transliterates to:
Sa Sang: Discard unnecessary items
Saduak: Arrange in convenient order
Sa-ad: Maintain cleanliness
Suk Laksana: Create a cheerful atmosphere
Sang Nisai: Build self-confidence and discipline

The importance of the 5 S’s was explained to students. The 5 S’s contain the following objectives: 1. To become the basis of school development according to the ISO 9000 Quality Standards. 2. Increase efficiency in the work place for both teachers and administrators. 3. To maintain the school in a clean and orderly environment both in the classroom and outside of the school. 4. To give the faculty and students a new guideline to follow with a new out-look impressing anyone coming to Pattaya schools.

Local hotel staff trained on firefighting and battling drug abuse

The Fire-fighting training day, recently held at the Thai Garden Resort, got under way with a speech from Pol. Lt. Col. Jirat Pichitpai, head of the Ban Poonsri Drug Rehabilitation Center in Pattaya. The Lt. Col. Spoke about the danger of drugs in general, and especially about drug misuse by anybody.

Hotel and security staff watch carefully the rescue of a “victim”.

Some 84 people from the Thai Garden Resort, 30 people from the Gulf of Siam Hotel and 6 members of the security company UPS were then separated into three groups. The groups were all taught the necessary procedures to follow in case of a fire. They were also taught how to rescue people and give first aid following such an accident.

Although the activity took one whole day and was certainly a serious one, it was also a lot of "sanuk" for all participants who enjoyed themselves while training.

BCC introduces Thais to the Internet

The British Chamber of Commerce, in association with ECC (Thailand), is presenting a full day seminar entitled "Introduction to the Internet". The seminar will take place at ECC (Thailand) in Siam Square on Friday, July 2nd, beginning with registration at 9:00 a.m. through to 4:30 p.m. The seminar will be limited to 20 participants and will be conducted in the Thai language.

The seminar is aimed at Thai junior to middle managers with no previous experience on the Internet. The seminar will introduce participants to the History of the Internet, allow them to send E-mail with Eudora and browse the World Wide Web using Netscape Navigator.

The cost per participant is Baht 980 inclusive of VAT, two coffee breaks and course materials. Lunch will not be served but there are many eating outlets in Siam Square. Please send the name/s of participants to the British Chamber office, fax (2) 651-5354. The first 20 bookings received with payment will be accepted. Those not attending after having booked a place will be invoiced.

Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya seeks help for little boy

by Elfi

The Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya has many charity projects. One of them is the Eye project, so far one of their most successful projects. Yet, sometimes even the usually willing, giving hands of the members of the Rotary Club become tied and help from the outside is needed.

During a Comrel with the US Navy at Wat Suthawas School in Nongprue, some Rotarians were made aware of a little boy, Shane, age 9, who faces the terrible fate of losing his eyesight. He is suffering from a cornea disease in both eyes. The cornea is the clear front "window" to the eye through which light passes. The normal cornea is completely transparent, living issue. As a result of injury or disease, the cornea may become damaged and opaque. Light may no longer effectively pass through the damaged cornea, resulting in diminished vision. A corneal transplantation procedure can sometimes help.

After finding out about the boy’s problem, the Rotarians, without hesitation, promised to help. Consultation at the Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital and several other hospitals in Bangkok made it clear that the operation necessary would be very difficult and expansive. Far too expensive for the charity fund of the Rotary Club, since Corneal Transplantation on both eyes would be necessary to provide the boy with a way out of a life of darkness.

The eyesight of the boy, who once had a laser treatment at the Chonburi Hospital, yet without success, has become worse during the last few weeks. So bad, in fact, that he is already unable to read and follow his school lessons.

Made aware of this urgent problem was Rudy Knobben of Holland, a man who has already donated a lot of money to various charities projects, and he immediately jumped in to pay 100,000 Baht of the needed 250,000 Baht for this difficult operation.

The Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya is asking for more help through Pattaya Mail and pleads with the public to help a little boy save his eyesight. Donations can be made to the president elect of the Rotary Club Jomtien Pattaya, Ms. Erika Keller, Tel. 250 820, Fax: 250 417 or E-mail: [email protected]. Erika would also be able to give exact information.

Vive la Chaine de Rotisseurs!

by Elfi

After a full year, last Thursday the sleeping beauty know as Pattaya’s the Chaine de Rotisseurs finally awoke with a sweet smile, looking better than ever. Jean-Fernand Wasser, Executive Vice President of the Royal Cliff and new Baillie of Pattaya’s Chaine de Rotisseurs, managed to organize one of the best dinners during the Chaine’s history in Pattaya. Being held in the kitchen of the Royal Cliff Grand, the dinner, rather informal, was not only served fresh from the oven by uniformed waiters, but it was also absolutely superb.

Surprisingly able to stand after such a great culinary experience, members are somehow able to muster a toast.

Some 45 guests enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, the excellent food prepared by Executive Chef Walter Thaenisch, and the wise choice of wine from Vanichwattana. Amongst them were Khun Yuvarat Gamolvej, former Governor of Chonburi and Chevalier Honoraire, Sutham Phanthusak, Baillie Honoraire, and his charming wife and two of his beautiful daughters.

Jean-Fernand Wasser explained during his tongue in cheek welcoming speech that there are three rules during a Chaine dinner: 1. No speeches; 2. No salt and pepper or other spices are allowed on the table; 3. No smoking until coffee is served. He added a fourth rule, namely that there wouldn’t be any water served during dinner so as not to spoil the taste of the wine. Jean-Fernand did allow one exception, however, since 14year-old Daisy, the lovely daughter of Michael Vogt, Charge de Mission, was too young to drink wine.

Chef Walter with his cooks and waiters surround Sutham Phanthusak (center).

Peter Malhotra, Publisher of Pattaya Mail and also Charge de Presse, showed once more that not much gets by him. He had prepared a bunch of flowers for Khun Orawan to present to Khun Yuvarat on the occasion of his birthday the same day.

At the end of the dinner, almost at midnight, Jean-Fernand announced that the next Chaine dinner will be held at Woodland’s Resort sometime during August. He also appointed four non-professional members and guests to prepare the food for the professionals at this coming dinner. It promises to be another very interesting festivity indeed, since the "chefs" are all international and have to prepare a dish of their original country. Peter Malhotra - Indian food, Jan Olav Aamlid - Norwegian food, Monika Rottmann - German food and last but not least, Khun Yuvarat - Thai food. According to the local gossip, all the "chefs to be" have already recruited help from their friends.

Pattaya Mail will make sure that our readers will be informed in time to be able to join this special occasion.

Origins of old sayings

Ever wonder where a lot of our sayings and practices came from? Many came from the 16th Century! Look at these examples:

Life in the 1500s: Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and were still smelling pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the b.o.

Baths equaled a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water."

Houses had thatched roofs. Thick straw, piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the pets... dogs, cats and other small animals, mice, rats, and bugs lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, "It’s raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could really mess up your nice clean bed. So, they found if they made beds with big posts and hung a sheet over the top, it addressed that problem. Hence those beautiful big 4 poster beds with canopies.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt, hence the saying "dirt poor". The wealthy had slate floors which would get slippery in the winter when wet. So they spread thresh on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on they kept adding more thresh until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed at the entry way, hence a "thresh hold".

They cooked in the kitchen in a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They mostly ate vegetables and didn’t get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes the stew had food in it that had been in there for a month. Hence the rhyme: "peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old."

Sometimes they could obtain pork and would feel really special when that happened. When company came over, they would bring out some bacon and hang it to show it off. It was a sign of wealth and that a man "could really bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat."

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with a high acid content caused some of the lead to leak onto the food. This happened most often with tomatoes, so they stopped eating tomatoes... for 400 years.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the "upper crust".

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock them out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a "wake".

England is old and small and they started running out of places to bury people. So, they would dig up coffins and would take their bones to a house and re-use the grave. In reopening these coffins, one out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they thought they would tie a string on their wrist and lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night to listen for the bell. Hence on the "graveyard shift" they would know that someone was "saved by the bell" or he was a "dead ringer".

Is your country ready for the Y2K bug? Part 3

The global travel & tourism industry is looking at the prospects of the turn of the Millennium being anything but a financial bonanza. As the nigh nears, and so does suspense over the impact of the Y2K bug, holiday-makers will be asking potential destinations: Is your country ready for it? Those who can say "yes" are going to make a heap of money. Those who are not sure, well, wait and see...

From Imtiaz Muqbil,
Executive Editor,
Travel Impact Newswire

Investment and 401(k) accounts

What could go wrong: Under the watchful eye of the Securities and Exchange Commission, brokerage firms, mutual-fund companies, and the securities exchanges are far along in addressing their most critical Y2K problems. But as with banks, problems with transactions could arise due to power or telecommunications glitches.

The value of shares of publicly traded companies that aren’t Y2K compliant could decline. Also potentially at risk: Municipal bonds issued by local governments that lag in Y2K readiness, and mutual funds or corporate securities with significant exposure to emerging-market economies. But there’s opportunity in Y2K, too: Companies that survive the millennium bug largely unscathed stand to gain ground against their less ready competitors.

What to do: Review your investment portfolio, and if necessary adjust it so it continues to meet your long-term goals and to reflect your comfort with risk. If you are investing for long-term goals - more than three years off - stick with your current investment plan. But if your time horizon is shorter, consider reallocating a portion of your stock holdings to fixed-income securities such as U.S. Treasuries - a good practice under normal conditions and one that’s especially applicable now.

For more information: Check the Securities and Exchange Commission’s web site (www.sec.gov) for Y2K-readiness reports filed by financial advisors, brokerage firms, and mutual funds. (Another good source is available right here in Pattaya - contact Leslie Wright, our Family Money columnist. His column and contact details appear weekly on page 6).

Insurance

What could go wrong: Your homeowners and auto coverage won’t change next New Year’s Day, and covered damage from incidents caused by Y2K related events will be reimbursed. However, insurers probably won’t pay to replace or repair a device that malfunctions due to the date change, and you could find claims taking longer to resolve. Home-based business owners who suffer business losses resulting from Y2K disruptions, however, will likely find that they are not protected.

What to do: Review your policies carefully so you know what’s covered and for how much. One potential Y2K risk, sewer backup, usually requires a separate rider; coverage for $5,000 would cost about $40 a year through CNA. And make sure you have new health-insurance cards in hand before Jan. 1.

For more information: See the Department of Commerce web site (www.doe. gov/oca).

Credit cards

What could go wrong: Millions of major credit cards already in use in the U.S. expire after December 1999. Visa USA is at work on contingency plans to authorize merchants to accept charge cards even if power and phone lines fail. Still, you could experience billing and credit errors - and potentially harm your credit record - if any of the links in the credit chain succumbs to a Y2K glitch.

What to do: Hold on to all credit-card receipts, and compare them with charges that appear on your statements in the months just prior to and following Jan. 1. Scrutinize the monthly statements from your card issuer to ensure that your payments are properly credited, that the interest rate on revolving balances is correct, and that you aren’t assessed any unwarranted late-payment penalties. To safeguard your good credit, check up-to-date copies of your credit report from each of the three major credit-reporting agencies late in the fall and again in early 2000 to make sure no erroneous adverse information has been introduced. Each charges $8 per report in most states; if you’ve been denied credit within the past 60 days, you are entitled to a free report.

For more information: Credit reports can be ordered from Trans Union (800 645-1533), Experian (888 397-3742), and Equifax (800 685-111).

Health

The millennium bug could lurk everywhere in the healthcare system, from high-tech medical devices to the software that manages your doctor’s office. A U.S. Senate special committee reports that "healthcare lags in its progress towards Y2K preparedness."

Hospitals and nursing homes

What could go wrong: Most large hospitals and hospital chains are well along in identifying and fixing Y2K problems. But testing of Y2K fixes is not standardized, and some hospitals are relying on the word of their suppliers that equipment and services are compliant. In Y2K readiness, small hospitals and those in rural or poor inner-city neighborhoods generally trail big-city medical centers, and smaller nursing homes and long-term-care facilities generally lag behind the rest of the health-care industry. Many institutions are just beginning to make contingency plans to work around potential Y2K disruptions, such as electric-utility or telephone-system problems.

Sometimes the Y2K cure can be nearly as bad as the disease itself. For example, one health-care network based in upstate New York, which relied on a vendor to install a Y2K upgrade to its patient-information system, discovered that the upgrade erased all records of who needed to be contacted for follow-up appointments. And it turned out that the upgrade itself was not Y2K compatible.

What to do: Schedule elective hospitalizations before December 1999 or well into 2000. If you have a choice in an emergency, choose a large hospital or a member of a large chain. If a family member is in a nursing home, check with the home about its Y2K readiness. As the new year approaches, and for several weeks thereafter, visit or call regularly to check on possible developing problems.

Continued next week...

Copyright 1998 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 Gombaz, assisted by Chinnaporn Sangwanlek