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Family Money: Internet
Trading
By Leslie
Wright
Whatever business you operate or wherever your company
is, the Internet can help you meet your clients easily and comfortably.
(At least, so long as your phone lines work and you can get connected to
your service provider in less than fourteen attempts.)
Internet trading - also referred to as Electronic
Commerce (e-commerce) - is increasing in popularity in Thailand. The
arrival of this new technology has changed the face of trading.
Competition in the e-commerce business is getting more serious day by day
and has become an increasingly important factor in all business
activities.
Ever-increasing access to advanced technology has even
given ‘small’ investors the opportunity to play the stock markets on
the Internet. This is in fact fast becoming a growth area of the global
financial services industry, and already widely used in the United States
and Europe.
If you are investing in the Thai stock market, you may
already know that securities trading through the Internet is available -
though it is not widely in use, as the decision to buy stocks must take
many factors into account, particularly the risk factor. Carefully
screening the securities companies with whom you deal is important too.
How it works
Securities trading through the Internet can be
categorised into two types.
The first is direct on-line securities trading outside
the stock exchange. This type is called the Electronic Communication
Networks (ECNs). Buyers and sellers can send orders to each other through
a computer network.
With the second type, trading is carried out either
directly on the stock market through the stock market or - more popularly
- via a broker.
What comes to the mind of a prospective investor, in
either case, are the regulations. Here in Thailand regulation of on-line
securities trading has been strictly implemented by authorised agencies
such as the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Stock Exchange of
Thailand (SET). This is to try to prevent potential damage from Internet
trading.
The rules
If you want to make on-line transactions, knowledge of
SET rules is a must. Investors should be aware of four important points:
1. On-line securities trading may be done only through
licensed, registered brokers. Your local broker can help you with your
trading application. As soon as your request is approved, you will receive
a Username and password to send orders through the Internet.
2. Volume of orders, buying and selling prices must be
clearly identified.
3. On-line securities trading can be carried out only
on a cash basis. Investors have to open an Internet account and brokers
will control the amount of money for trading.
4. Investors must provide enough cash as guarantee
before sending buying orders, and can buy stocks not exceeding their
account credit balance. To sell a security, investors must complete the
securities’ transfers and send this to their broker. They can sell only
their stock balance - (i.e., they cannot speculate with ‘short’
selling.)
To have a clear picture one must be aware of the
advantages and disadvantages of on-line securities trading.
The first advantage is convenience: it saves time and
enhances the channel of stock trading.
Second, it makes it easy to access both foreign and
local markets.
Additionally, investors are able to use other
complementary services in the website provided by brokers - such as
investment analysis, for example. The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) is
also taking necessary steps to develop its trading system to meet
international standards.
On the downside, investors have to take full risk for
sending buy and sell orders.
Second, because of the full cash guarantee required,
investors may also lose the opportunity to use this money for gaining a
return from other investments.
One major concern following widespread on-line stock
trading is illegal stock trading, stock manipulation, and the use of
inside information for unfair trade. The regulatory authorities need to
find ways to prevent this misconduct. Investors should therefore be very
careful in making their investments, while brokers need to have high
standards, strict ethics and be morally strong to perform their duties
properly.
Securities trading through the Internet will inevitably
increase in popularity due to the convenience and cost-efficiency.
Investors are able to trade stocks from their living room rather than
going to the trading room.
Many brokers are preparing to launch this service to
maintain their client base amid tough competition in the brokerage
industry. Currently, a total of six brokerage firms* have obtained
approval from the SET to operate on-line securities trading service.
Philip Securities (‘Thailand) is the first Thai
securities firm providing on-line service. Investors can visit their
website at <www.poems.co.th>. The other five companies are Capital
Nomura Securities <www.cns.co.th>, Semico Securities
<www.semico.com>, Kimeng Securities <www.kimeng.co.th>,
National Securities <www.natsec.co.th>, and ABN Amro Asia Securities
<www.ast.co.th>.
Additionally, Yuanta Securities (Thailand) in
collaboration with Internet provider KSC recently launched an Intranet
trading service called “Yuanta Profit Program” to serve investors. To
enter this program, investors must register to be a member of Internet
KSC, pay the monthly fee, as well as be clients of Yuanta Securities.
Clients can then trade securities without a cash guarantee. Under this
program, the system requires clients to connect to Internet KSC centre for
making transactions.
If you are interested in direct securities trading
through the Internet or the Intranet, try checking out the websites of
brokers mentioned* above. They may help you reach a decision - but look
before you leap.
*The firms listed are for information purposes only,
and should not be taken as support or endorsement for any one of them,
either singly or collectively. Investors should be aware of the risks
involved and remember that the value of securities held may go down as
well as up.
Leslie Wright is Managing Director of Westminster
Portfolio Services (Thailand) Ltd., a firm of independent financial
advisors providing advice to expatriate residents of the Eastern Seaboard
on personal financial planning and international investments. If you have
any comments or queries on this article, or about other topics concerning
investment matters, contact Leslie directly by fax on (038) 232522 or
e-mail [email protected].
Further details and back articles can be accessed on his firm’s website
on www.westminsterthailand.com.
Editor’s note: Leslie sometimes receives e-mails to
which he is unable to respond due to the sender’s automatic return
address being incorrect. If you have sent him an e-mail to which you have
not received a reply, this may be why. To ensure his prompt response to
your enquiry, please include your complete return e-mail address, or a
contact phone/fax number.
The Computer Doctor
by Richard Bunch
This week is Part 4 of the security and privacy on your
computers topic. In the previous three parts we have covered firewalls,
Internet sharing, miscellaneous security related issues and Parental
Control over the PC’s use. In this final part we will touch on some of
the anti-virus software available.
AntiViral Toolkit PRO: This has to be one of the
simplest and fastest anti-virus programs out in the market. It is
child’s play to operate this program with just a few mouse clicks. It is
a complete anti-virus program, which scans many different files for
viruses. It also scans compressed files such as zip, arj, rar, and many
more compression types. One nice thing about this software is that it
offers free updates for your anti-virus definitions, unlike some other
anti-virus software where you have to pay for updates. As with all
anti-virus software, make sure you keep the definitions updated!
Panda Anti-virus: This is a great little anti-virus
program for your home computer providing full protection from nasty
invaders. It protects you from the latest computer viruses that are being
created and from the Internet where many viruses are coming from. This
program scans and eliminates viruses effectively, whilst respecting the
integrity of the data stored on your computer.
The Panda anti-virus has a state-of-the-art user
interface and it’s a user-friendly application with many great features
to configure to suit your needs. This application also comes with an
on-line updating feature to keep up with the growing list of viruses being
released.
The Cleaner from MooSoft: This is a fantastic piece
of software for scanning and destroying trojans that may be lurking
unbeknown to you in your computer. With its clean and effective interface,
this is one of the best anti-trojan software applications available and
along with a great database of trojans to seek and destroy those annoying
invaders. With a click of a mouse button, you can scan all your drives and
even network drives for trojans quickly and easily. It scans for all
famous trojans such as the BackOrifice and ICQ trojans. An on-line update
feature is usefully included thereby ensuring you have the latest trojan
definitions so you’ll never have an excuse for not finding the latest
definition. “The Cleaner gives an electrifying experience to
trojans...”
McAfee AntiVirus: The now infamous McAfee
anti-virus software. This software is an excellent anti-virus program with
many different configurations and features to get that virus out of your
computer for good. This program also protects DOS from virus and scans all
the files downloaded from the Internet before being opened. McAfee also
offers free updates for its program to prevent new viruses ruining your
computer. Whilst this is undoubtedly an excellent product, for peace of
mind I recommend subscribing to McAfee Clinic on-line. This is
configurable, and at a time pre-determined by you and on a daily basis it
will connect to the Internet and check for updates. You really have no
alternative but to connect as it will keep trying to connect until it is
successful. Annoying? Yes, but that is surely by design! If an update is
available then it will display a message box to that effect and you then
have the choice of whether to download or not. You would of course be well
advised to update; these are only smallish downloads and well worth it.
Bearing in mind the damage caused by recent viruses, and the mutations
that proliferated, I don’t consider daily updates are over-the-top.
Send your questions or comments to the Pattaya Mail at
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, 20260 or Fax to 038 427 596 or
E-mail to [email protected].
The views and comments expressed within this column are not necessarily
those of the writer or Pattaya Mail Publishing.
Richard Bunch is Managing Director of Action Computer
Technologies Co., Ltd. Providing professional services which include
website design, website promotion (cloaking) turnkey e-commerce solutions,
website hosting, domain name registration, computer and peripheral sales
service and repairs, networks (LAN & WAN) and IT consulting. Please
telephone 038 716 816, e-mail [email protected]
or see our website www.act.co.th
Successfully Yours: Manit
Boonchim
Khun Manit Boonchim, the new Director of the Tourism
Authority of Thailand here (Region 3) has spent his entire working life
promoting Thailand. Born into a family of 12 brothers and sisters, with a
musician father and a business-woman mother, he had an idyllic younger life,
despite the enormous amount of hard work his parents had to do to care for
such a large family.
Living on the outskirts of Bangkok, near the floating
markets in a place called Phasrichareon, Manit reminisces, “It was a like a
garden then about thirty years ago with orange trees, many canals and we were
given two baht a day for food. Back then 2 baht would buy a bowl of
noodles.”
At high school Manit lived with his grandparents and
attended Wat Ragvua which means lotus river in Thai.
After studying in the Faculty of Arts at the Silpakorn
University for four years, Manit majored in geography and minored in political
science. He then joined the TAT with whom he has been ever since.
None of his positions were routine and boring however. He
has travelled all over Thailand, America, Canada and Europe, covering vast
territories and in challenging positions. His first job was promotions officer
for tourism for a year, working out of the head office, in Bangkok. It was
there that he proved his merit and then was transferred to Kanchanaburi for a
year. Although it was a heavy responsibility with the development of eight
provinces, Manit reflects, “Khanchanaburi was very lovely 23 years ago, a
very natural province.
He did not sit back and bask in nature though, Manit
started a survey, the first of all the tourist attractions in the area, and at
the same time he also, produced a map and brochure - again the first, for
promotion and development of the area.
After this stint he spent 3 months back in head office
where he was then sent to Korat. It was during these 5 years spent travelling
around the north east provinces that he developed his affection of the Isaan
people. “I love the people, they are very gentle, I would like to go back
one day.”
In fact, it was there sixteen years ago that he met his
Thai wife Khun Vorawan. The couple have one son aged 15 years.
Then Manit was transferred to America to be assistant
director for the Los Angeles team for four years. Was this a shock after laid
back Issan? “Not really”, smiled Manit, “Did you know that outside
Thailand L.A. has the biggest expat community of Thais in the world, with
approximately 200 thousand Thais in the city area?”
He travelled widely and was responsible for the entire west
coast of U.S.A. and Canada. Then it was off to the New York office for another
four years with another huge area of responsibility of the Eastern coast of
America and five Canadian states, travelling 15 days out of every month. He
said with a wry grin, “No my wife didn’t mind, I guess she was used to it
by then.”
When he is not working long and hard, Manit enjoys a little
golf and classical Thai music. Years ago he studied classical Thai music at
the university of Nakorn Pratom and learned to play the Thai xylophone, the
Ranard Thum.
The most important endeavour for Manit is spending his
working life to help the Thai community. “I feel it is valuable for my life
to be able to do something for the Thai people.” He firmly believes the
areas that need much development here are tourism and agriculture.
Manit’s plans for the future are to keep on doing just
that, “Iwant to work for the TAT as long as possible, it is important to be
involved with creating and developing everything that tourism does for our
country.”
America was fast paced, yet Manit learned from the good and
the bad. He laughs, “Working in America I became more aggressive, yet I
learned the American education system is a good one, where children are taught
a broad vision and a way to co-operate in the learning process which is
valuable. Now I think the Thai government is starting to realize the
importance of philosophy of education and are starting to address this. The
aspect which saddened me was the lack of care for the community’s elderly
there. In America there is little sense of family with children leaving home
early, and the old people are on their own and discarded, rejected, not
respected at all.”
“The Thai culture is very important for tourists, it is
difficult to find another similar country. When I retire I want to teach the
new generations in the tourism industry, to let them understand how to help
the people develop this country.”
Manit’s advice to Thai school leavers, “It is important
that we all work very hard together to develop both agriculture and tourism
and remain strong and proud of our Thai culture.”
His advice to foreign businessmen is, “Not to work in the
entertainment areas that exploit and is sad for the Thais, but to take this
opportunity to work in areas to develop not only this society, but our
community, our country, and our world. To be both economically and physically
in harmony, so globally we can all be at peace and happy and there will be no
more wars.”
Truly a man with a broad vision and high ideals.
Snap Shots: The
Beholders Eye
by Harry Flashman
Harry here came up with this week’s topic while
browsing through some of his photo books. One of these, the Better Picture
Guide to Black and White Photography by Michael Busselle (ISBN
2-88046-327-0), has a portrait which Busselle had described as breaking
all the rules about framing and positioning the main focus of interest,
with very striking effect. He went on to say that this had created an
image with a strong feeling of tension and ambiguity.
 Please
look at the picture and tell me what you think! It certainly produced
tension and ambiguity for me. It made me tense and even angry that
something as awful as this could even make it into a classic tome on
photography, and compared to the majority of excellent photographs in the
book, for me the ambiguity was in the comparison with the good ones.
However, there will be those of you out there who will
agree with Busselle’s description and not Harry’s. This does not mean
Harry is wrong, or Busselle is wrong. It simply means that “Beauty is in
the eye of the beholder” as the old adage said.
So let us look critically at this photograph and in
doing so, we should be able to understand a little more about the subtle
art of portrait photography. Harry believes that the first rule of any
portrait is to make the subject the “hero”. Heroes get star billing,
usually. Name in large letters on the top. So it should also be
photographically. The hero should fill the frame, be dominant and be the
star. This poor chap sitting as he is in the bottom corner of the frame is
certainly no hero in Harry’s book. There is more cupboard than there is
man. (By the way, Harry believes the subject is male because Busselle
writes about “him” looking out of the frame. Until then I was as
confused as you. And what is that thing on the top of his head?)
One of the other “rules” is that to get a striking
portrait, there should be eye contact between the subject and the viewer.
Certainly broken here, though this is frequently the case if you are
attempting to get a more candid or even voyeuristic approach to the
portrait. Many “workplace” portraits are done this way, with emphasis
being made of the subject within his or her working environment. What this
chap is doing with his back to the cupboard escapes Harry!
Another “rule” is that generally if you are not
going to have eye contact, then the subject is placed so that he is
looking “in” to the picture, and not out of it. The viewer’s eyes
will naturally go in the direction of the subject’s eyes - and in this
case it is out of the picture entirely!
The Rule of Thirds has also been totally thrown out the
window, with the subject’s eyes almost exactly midline and one quarter
in from the picture’s border. This also leaves that huge aching void
behind the subject’s back. One naturally feels that there has to be some
reason for this - but for Harry, that reason is not apparent in the
photograph. If the cupboard door had “St. Swithin’s Home for the
Mentally Deranged” then the portrait would start to have some meaning.
The subject has become insignificant. He is a victim of the system. The
past is all behind him, he is nothing and he is looking forward into
nothing.
Unfortunately, the title of the photograph is,
according to Busselle, “The Subject’s Home”, so the St. Swithin’s
scenario is thrown straight out the window. For Harry, the photographer
was obviously trying to tell us some sort of story, but he missed it. What
was left is not tension and ambiguity, but more a feeling of “what”
and “why”. Well, that’s the way Harry sees it!
Modern Medicine: Hermaphroditism
- is it the best of both worlds?
by Dr Iain Corness
I was sent a newspaper cutting about a young female
athletic gold medal winner in Vietnam whose gender was challenged by the
runner-up. At the medical examination later it was found that the person
had both male genitalia and female ovaries.
It was suggested to me that I might use this as the
basis for one of my “funny” articles, but unfortunately, I fear I must
disappoint the writer. Gender confusion (dysphoria) is one of the saddest
events in the world. It produces pain, sadness and psychological
suffering, the depth of which is almost impossible for the “normally”
developed genders to understand.
Sex, or rather gender, suffers from the simplistic
Judeo-Christian dichotomy of Adam and Eve, male or female, outsy or insy.
But it isn’t that simple. One out of every two thousand children in
America is born intersexual. These infants are neither clear-cut male or
female. Some are true hermaphrodites, very rare, with complete sets of
both reproductive organs. Some have mixed sexual characteristics, now
known as Intersexuals.
What has to be understood is that these children are
not deviants, perversions or freaks. They are “different” but no more
so than the child born with 12 toes. Development in the womb has gone in a
different direction than the usual - note I said “usual” and not
“normal” - but this does not make the child a freak.
In the past it has been the practice that medico’s
took it upon themselves to carry sexual assignment, by surgery, in
infancy. In my training, I was told that in cases of doubt, make the
infant a girl, because it was easier to do surgically. Quite frankly, this
was mutilation of the worst order. We are now just starting to understand
the psychology of gender. Lopping off extraneous bits does not work. In
the words of one intersexual, “For some intersexuals, whether they are
boys or girls is never really clear to them. Many argue that the practice
of surgical reassignment should be discontinued, giving the intersexual
the right to choose, or not to choose, surgery once that person reaches
adolescence. But whatever the surgical choice, intersexuals show us that
gender is infinitely more complex than shape of our genitals.”
There is now a movement all over the world to ban
reassignment surgery of infants, and I would have to support it. We, from
our bastions of “normalcy”, do not have the right to attempt to push
any infant into our nice, neat categories of girls and boys. It is time
for a little more thought and a lot more tolerance.
I fully realise that my friend who sent me the cutting
did so in good faith, to give me a subject for this weekly column. What he
did not know, (but hopefully now does) was the real life situation for
these people.
Best of both worlds? I think not - more like the worst
of both.
 Dear
Hillary,
In answer to the letter from Mitzy (Vol VIII No. 31) I
can only say as a regular visitor to Boys Go Go Bars that she is handling
herself all wrong. I have never been ‘mauled’ and indeed you only get
touched if you encourage them to do so. On the whole they are pleasant
young men trying to do a job and are usually extremely grateful to have a
lady to sit next to for a change. It is a perk for them to sit and have a
drink rather than gyrate around on stage and if you are willing to offer
more than just a drink, they will be eager to take you up on it but I have
to say I have never yet been asked to take one out to dinner! I suggest
Mitzy gives me her phone number and I’ll show her the ropes.
Poppy
Dear Poppy,
You are such a disappointment, Poppy my poppet. Hillary
was just gearing herself up for a proper mauling session and you spoil it
all. Bit worried that none of them have asked you to take them for dinner,
though. Perhaps it could be your deodorant? Or maybe it’s your
aftershave? By the way, Mitzy did seem to be more worried about the way
the boys were handling her, rather than the way she handles herself as you
suggest in your letter.
Dear Hillary,
Is bartering really the only way you can buy anything
in this country? I have not been here very long and I am not very good at
it, but if I send the maid to do it, even though she gets it at a much
cheaper price, she generally comes back with the wrong colour, size or
whatever. The whole scene is driving me mad.
Bartering Betty
Dear Bartering Betty,
Relax a little. Bartering is half the fun of shopping
here, so just practice and smile a lot while you are doing it. It’s a
game really, and while you are here, you may as well get to know the rules
of the game. Begin with offering around one third of the asking price and
then slowly creep up as they slowly creep down. If you end up paying
around two thirds of the initial ask then you are doing fine. However, do
remember that shopping centres and department stores are fixed price - but
the shopgirl will soon tell you. Hillary has often tried it out and scored
10% off if nothing else.
Dear Hillary,
I know this is bizarre, but have you any idea why
American women like to use “Murphy” as a first name? Is this some
Irish practical joke that has been put on the fair maidens from the US?
Surely they know the name “Murphy” is an Irish surname?
Hickory
Dear Hickory,
This appellation comes from the oldest law of all -
Murphy’s Law. American women have felt for centuries that they were
repressed by it, so have rebelled and adopted the name themselves in
protest. Strange names is only one of the symptoms afflicting American
women - which is why an American wrote the “Women are from Venus”
books. American women also smoke cigars, get tattoos, join women-only
clubs, play football and indulge in lots of other previously male
dominated areas. This of course threatens American men, who then come to
Pattaya for refuge, where they can often be seen seeking asylum in dark
secluded spots in a bar. However, some American ladies are so industrious
in their relations they can make it right to the top - though a woman
hasn’t got the top job in the Oval Office yet, even though some have
certainly visited it.
Dear Hillary,
Why are there so many “taboos” in this country.
Like pointing at people, or using your feet to close doors and such like?
The Thai people seem all very modern, with BMW’s and Mercedes Benzes
wall to wall, yet hang on to these strange traditions. Why?
Wondering
Dear Wondering,
Thai people have no more strange customs than you have.
Doffing your hat to strangers, walking on the gutter side of your
companion, eating fish on Fridays (even though it is not mandatory any
longer, Friday is still “fish night” in the UK). Shaking hands with
people - the list goes on. We all come from different cultures, so we all
do the same things but differently. Be thankful that Thai people have not
lost the ability to accept others with their differences. It is time you
did too (or Hillary will point her foot at you)!
Dear Hillary,
Why are all Thai girls so avaricious? All the girls in
the bars want to do is get into your wallet it seems. Can you tell me why?
Willy Wallet
Dear Willy Wallet (or is that Wily Wallet?),
Because that’s their job, Willy. But really, are you
daft or what? What rubbish - “all Thai girls”. You could say the same
about girls in London’s Soho or certain areas in New York or Amsterdam.
You cannot possibly be real if you think that the bar girls represent the
bulk of Thailand’s fair maidens. Did I determine a little wink there -
or were you always a winker?
GRAPEVINE
|
Golfer antz
A respectable Pattaya lady, who prefers to
use the pseudonym Fiona, had her golf game rudely interrupted after a
nude man jumped yelling from a tree just as she was about to fire her
six iron a goodly distance. Police were summoned to the scene but were
not allowed to drive their ageing truck onto the fairway. The man
explained that he had climbed the tree looking for mangos but had
unfortunately trodden on a nest of fiery red ants. He had stripped
naked in an attempt to free himself from the pesky pests. However, the
biting continued around his nether regions so he jumped down in agony.
Police took away several dead ants for forensic examination, but said
prosecution was unlikely. The course marshal ruled that Fiona could
take a free drop after slowly recovering from this most alarming
experience.
Bank accounts again
A farang, who has neither a work permit nor
a residence book, was asked to report to the admin counter of his
Pattaya bank because his passbook was full. He feared, like a lot of
others, that he would be told to close the account as farangs are no
longer welcome to keep money here after a Bank of Thailand circular
complaining about money laundering. Not a bit of it. He was told
simply to obtain a copy of the tibean bahn (house registration)
of the bungalow which he rented or to obtain from the immigration
police a letter certifying his current address. He offered his Thai
driving license and was told, “Fine, no problem.” He was also
allowed to keep his ATM card. It looks to Grapevine very much as
though the ban on foreigners is a theoretical move which individual
banks can interpret as they like. Rumor has it that Bangkok Bank is
the most restrictive, but others including Siam Commercial and Bank of
Asia still want your cash. Provided, of course, you can make do with
tiny interest rates. Remember there are billions of baht sloshing
around in Thai banks without anything constructive to do. So cash
investors are not being courted right now.
Reader queries
WV asks whether it isn’t about time Western Union opened
a branch in Pattaya to deal with emergency cash transfers from abroad.
In fact, several banks will offer this service if requested. The
latest is Bangkok Metropolitan Bank on Beach Road in North Pattaya,
very close to the Caf้ Amsterdam soi, which has a large outside
notice displaying the service. You don’t need a bank account to make
use of the service. The English speaking staff are helpful, we
understand, and will quickly put you on the right lines. The whole
process can take less than 48 hours if you are lucky, but weekends and
public holidays will certainly delay the electronic transfer… JG
wants to know what’s the difference between paying a speeding fine
on the spot or going to the police station later. The answer is
you’ll usually save 200 baht by paying immediately but no receipt
will be given. If you insist on paying at the police station, perhaps
believing you are helping in the drive against corruption, remember
that your passport and driving license documents may well be
scrutinized. If there is anything not quite right, expect to make a
much weightier contribution to an appropriate charity which will
certainly not be of your choice.
|
Sex and the law
Just one more time now. All prostitution is
technically illegal under a 1960 act, but activities between
consenting adults 18+ are not normally the domain of the authorities
unless a complaint or violence is involved. The age of consent is 15
but only provided no monetary reward or inducement is offered.
Therefore, the safe age of consent is still 18 as far as almost all
farangs are concerned. Child sex, however you want to define the term
and it hardly matters after arrest, is illegal and very dangerous and
there are no safe havens as far as the police undercover squads are
concerned. Thai law does not prohibit pre trial publicity, even of a
garish kind, whilst entrapment methods, which might well be frowned on
in European courts, will scarcely raise an eyebrow out here. The most
recent legislation is the Sexual Offences Act of 1996, but
prosecutions can also be brought alleging kidnap, encouragement of
minors to perform a lewd act and even conspiracy charges. Pattaya
police now have a women’s and children’s protection unit which
works around the clock with other agencies such as the tourist police
and NGO representatives. To state the obvious, this crackdown is for
real.
Food news
Yorkie’s Pork Platter, out on the Jomtien
Beach Road, is preparing even more delicacies for your taste buds.
Grapevine had a mouthful of a most yummy pork and sage meatloaf, still
at the testing stage, which is going to make irresistible almost any
salad… The best value sausages, mash, peas and onion gravy (and
there’s a very generous portion of everything) has gotta be at the
Rising Sun in Soi Yamoto… The Delaney’s Paddy/Mex Mexican night
has now been extended to two nights, Wednesday as ever plus Saturday,
as a lot of working guys and gals can’t get into town mid week. And
don’t forget about their lethal Margaritas… Excellent reports
about the submarine sandwiches and spaghetti dishes at the Viking
Beachcomber on Pattaya’s leading entertainment street, Pattayaland
Soi Two. Eat well. |
Dining Out: Ciao
- definitely not goodbye!
by Miss Terry Diner
We have had a couple of readers who have written to Miss
Terry suggesting she should take the Dining Out Team to Ciao restaurant in
South Pattaya. The other evening, the opportunity presented itself and we
arrived unannounced and incognito, a team of three.
The restaurant is not large and on our night (a Thursday)
it was very busy - always a good sign. The atmosphere is cheerful, with
brightly coloured paintings on the wall, colourful tablecloths and nicely
padded seats. On one side is a bar area with alcoves on the opposing wall, and
free-standing tables and chairs in between. Joe Parlati, the enthusiastic
manager, introduced himself and advised on wines and dishes.
 The
menu is quite a large broadsheet, with 68 Italian items and an extra 11 Thai
food dishes. It begins with Antipasti, (50-350 baht) including Bruschetta
(toast with garlic and olive oil) right through to Misto with Italian salami
with cheese and olives.
The next section, or Primi Piatti is generally around 180
baht and includes most pasta/spaghetti dishes and a minestrone soup (130
baht). Following that there is a seafood section (120-180 baht for the
Antipasti and Primi Piatti through to the mains 200-400 baht). Salads are next
up followed by the meat dishes generally in the range of 200-300 baht and with
beef and pork predominating.
There’s no Italian place without pizza and Ciao is no
exception. Nine pizza styles at around 160 baht, including a vegetarian one.
Good thinking, Joe Parlati. Finally, the Thai standards at 100-120 baht per
plate.
We chose a bottle of 1998 Palazzoli Verdicchio de Marelica
- how did you guess it was an Italian wine (dry white), to go with the first
course which included the Antipasto Misto, a Tortelli (stuffed pasta) and the
Minestrone soup for myself. All three of us voted our individual choice as
excellent, and I must admit that after sampling the other’s, they all were!
Mains were up next, with Madame choosing the Fettuccine Al
Funghi Porcini (home made egg noodle with porcini mushrooms), our second
member taking the Carpaccio (sliced beef with lemon, parmesan cheese and olive
oil) while I chose the Scaloppini Al Limone (pork cutlets in the lemon sauce).
Madame just adored her fettuccine dish but found the large
serving was almost too much. However, the Carpaccio was incredible. On reading
my notes, I had written - “this was more than food - this was theatre”.
With deft flourishes, our Joe had poured the olive oil over the rare beef,
followed by several wedges of lemon squeezed over it. My Scaloppini also came
with a side plate with Asparagus and Spinach in a mayonnaise and white wine
sauce with lemon and garlic. If you think that sounds good - wait till you
taste it. Simply fabulous!
Again all three of us enjoyed our choice of dish, and
again, my sampling of the others confirmed that these were all seriously good
example of Italian food.
At Joe’s insistence we tried the Sambucca and home made
vanilla ice cream dessert, complete with coffee grounds - a beautiful
bitter/sweet contrast, washed down with Grappa as the perfect Italian
‘digestif’ at the end.
This had been another of those evenings that showed the
depth of talent in some of our Pattaya restaurants. This was superb Italian
cuisine and is a restaurant that you can happily take anyone to if Italian
food is their choice. If it isn’t, take them there anyway - there could be
nobody who would leave Ciao unimpressed!
Ciao is in Soi Saensamran, a small soi running from Walking
Street (between the Marine Bar and Simon Cabaret) to the Marine Plaza hotel. I
am reliably informed that “Ciao” in Italian means “good bye”. From the
Dining Out Team’s point of view, it is definitely “Hello” to another
great restaurant.
Animal Crackers:
Pelicans - the Super Scoopers
by Mirin
MacCarthy
There is a very famous limerick that was written by Dixon
Lanier Merritt in 1910 which ran:
A wonderful bird is the pelican
His beak can hold more than his bellican
He takes in his beak
Food enough for a week
But I’m darned if I see how the helican
Well, the way he can is because pelicans have a huge
“bag” of leathery skin that is attached to the lower part of their
bills, and by diving into the water, the pelican can “scoop” up fish
into the pouch and then with a deft flip of its bill, toss the contents down
its throat. In shallow water, the pelicans also stand still and then scoop
up as much as 20 litres, straining out the young, warm-water fish,
salamanders, frogs and aquatic invertebrates. When fishermen are throwing
away unused bait, the pelicans will descend in noisy throngs and are very
adept at catching fish morsels in mid air, mouths agape as they squawk for
more!
White
pelican
This diving headfirst to catch their food does require
some fairly accurate work by the pelican, who needs at least 2 kg of fish a
day to maintain his lifestyle - especially as adult pelicans can weigh up to
10 kgs in some species.
Pelicans are represented all over the world, and are all
related to each other, with differences in plumage being the main
difference. The eight main species are the American White Pelican, the Brown
Pelican, the Peruvian Pelican, the Dalmation Pelican, the Australian
Pelican, the Spot Billed Pelican, the Pink Backed Pelican and the largest -
the Eastern or Great White Pelican.
With their enormous wingspan - over 3 metres in the
larger birds, the Pelican takes off from the water by facing up-wind and
running along the surface with its webbed feet while stretching out its
wings. Very quickly it becomes airborne and with a couple of large flaps,
tucks its feet and legs underneath its body like an airliner retracting its
undercarriage. The Pelican is off and into the thermals, where it can glide
for hours over the oceans, looking for surface feeding fish.
Some species of the pelican have been considered
endangered, but with some more responsible attitudes, the numbers of these
huge birds are on the rise again. The most significant effect on pelican
populations is disturbance of their breeding sites, by humans or industrial
activity. The birds may abandon an entire nesting colony, leaving eggs and
young chicks to be trampled or exposed to harsh weather and predators.
Changing water levels due to drought, irrigation and recreational use may
also cause the birds to abandon a colony, at least temporarily.
In the wild, pelicans can live up to 15 years, though
some in sheltered breeding areas have been reported as living up to 30
years.
Indeed, what a wonderful bird is the pelican!
Down The Iron Road:
Signalling on a single line
by John D.
Blyth
Introduction
A moment’s reflection will be enough to bring home the
fact that signalling trains in safety where there is only one running line
for all trains, in whichever direction they may be travelling, needs some
additional safeguards compared with double line working (so rare in
Thailand!) that we have looked at up to now. The SRT has many kilometres of
single line but very little double at all; a severe limit is imposed on the
number of trains that can be run, from this simple fact. In highly
industrialised countries, like most of those in Europe, double lines have
been the norm for many years.
Two old fashioned methods of working
In Britain there used to be two very simple ways of
working a single line. One was called ‘One Engine in Steam’ - the
reference to steam dates it! Its beauty was its simplicity as it cost almost
nothing. The engine driver’s authority to enter and stay on a section of
line was a ‘wooden train staff’, a substantial wooden rod with a brass
plate firmly attached with the names of the boundary stations engraved on
it. The driver had to have this all the time and hand it in when he left the
section. The other was more flexible: the ‘train staff’ was still there,
but now it had a key on the end, giving the signalman access to a box, kept
locked, containing a supply of printed tickets, one of which could be
completed with details for each train. One ticket to be withdrawn at once
and the staff to be shown to the driver as evidence of its presence, and the
ticket to be carried to the signalman at the other end. By this means a
number of trains could be despatched, each with a ticket, all in the same
direction, the last of the group carrying the staff, so that trains could
now be sent by the same means from the other end. It has some flexibility.
The electric Token block system
Other than the fact that most of the equipment is of
German type (as are semaphore signals where still in use), this has much in
common with the system in use in Thailand on lines where colour light signal
and track circuiting has not yet been adopted. In Britain a number of
different types of ‘Token’ instruments were in use, of which some were
developed by the railways, others by private industry. The principle was the
same: an identical instrument at each end of the section, each containing a
number of ‘Tokens’ (different equipment, different names), of which only
ONE could be out of a pair of instruments at one time - as every train or
engine had to carry a Token, only one train could pass through the section
at one time in any direction.
 Standard
Great Western Electric Token Apparatus
The first diagram shows the more ‘modern’ type of
instrument, using quite small Tokens of which one is shown; a good supply is
kept in the four upright slots being taken out or replaced through the
central hole near the top. Each instrument has a plunger and a bell. To send
a train from ‘A’ to ‘B’, two Token stations, the following was the
method: ‘A’ sends ‘Call Attention’ (one beat on the bell), which
‘B’ returns; ‘A’ will then send the ‘Is Line Clear?’ for the
type of train which ‘B’ will return, holding in his plunger on the last
beat until he sees the needle of the indicator at the top regain the upright
position; this shows him that ‘A’ has released a Token. Both will turn
the pointer on the left of the instrument to show if a Token (here called a
‘Key’), is out for an Up or a Down train.
The Token is carried through the section to ‘B’ on
the engine, or the rearmost if there is more than one, and must be received
by the Signalman at ‘B’. Tokens are passed to the driver by hand if the
train is stationary, by deft catching if it is on the move, or by taking
from or placing on a lineside exchange post; where exchanges on the move
take place it is usual for the Token to be protected by a leather casing
with a hoop to make catching less painful. The Token will be placed in the
instrument at ‘B’, from which ‘Train out of Section’ will be sent to
‘A’. A driver who takes his train into the Token section without being
in possession of the correct Token, or against the indication of the signal
at the entrance to the single line was liable to dismissal - I hope that is
still the case. It is impossible to place a Token in the wrong instrument,
even if they seem to be the same; there are small differences to prevent
this.
 Tyer’s
No.6 Electric Tablet Apparatus
The operation of the Tablet instrument shown in the
second diagram is much the same in principle, the Tablet being in fact a
small circular disc, a pile of which can be seen in the ‘window’ of the
lower part of the appliance. The Signalman withdrawing a Tablet has first to
turn the Commutator, below the dials, while the Signalman at the other end
of the section is holding in the plunger at his end of the section. He must
then withdraw a Tablet by means of the handle on the slide. The Tablet is
replaced in the instrument by lifting the pile of Tablets by the handle on
the left of the casing.
These devices were all very reliable, although there had
to be procedures laid down to keep things moving in safety in the case of a
failure. The most common trouble on busy lines where there would be a quite
sophisticated cab-side ‘catcher’ to pick up Tokens at up to 80 km/h,
seemed to be that sometimes it would ‘miss’ and the Token would be
flipped away into the long grass! This would entail a frantic search for
this valuable piece of metal otherwise time would be taken up setting up
emergency working with a Pilotman, who, in effect, became the Token in human
form.
Someone in the Plymouth Division seems to have taken this
a bit too literally on one occasion, when a Token was allowed to fall from
the engine in a most inconvenient spot - on the Great Royal Albert Bridge
which connects Devon and Cornwall by rail. The instruction states that Pilot
Working must continue until it is ‘...beyond doubt that the lost Token
cannot be found...’ It was, in fact, at the bottom of the River Tamar and
very unlikely indeed to be found, yet legend has it that Pilot Working
continued for three weeks, until a reply was received from the Admiralty in
London to say that they were not willing to dredge the River for a bit of
metal! A tale from an impeccable source!
Woman’s World: Our
Crowning Glory?
by Lesley Warner
I was sat in a restaurant the other day counting blonde heads
and what a variety of different shades there are. Living in a tropical climate
we need to pay special attention to how we colour and take care of our hair, so
here are a few tips.
Choose your colour carefully and ask for advice; the rows of
options can be quite intimidating. Take into account the colour, texture and
condition of your hair and shop appropriately. Don’t just grab the same box of
colour your friend uses - what looks great on her hair might have dramatically
different results on yours. Be careful, as I found to my cost some of the
colours translated from Thai are not what they say!
Don’t go it alone - especially if you are lightening medium
to dark brown virgin hair (hair that has not been coloured before), it’s good
to have someone help you. The first time lightening application should be
applied approximately one half to one third of an inch from the scalp to the
ends. Follow processing time instructions and then apply the lightener to the
roots 15-20 min before time is up. Heat from your scalp speeds up the process
and can bleach the roots lighter than the rest of your hair. Leaving the roots
to the end will even out your colour and help to avoid hair that is orange on
ends.
Check the colour before you wash it out by towel drying a
stand of hair. If it is not the desired shade, leave the colour in an extra
10-15 min and then wash out.
Colour three to five weeks in advance if you are colouring
your hair for a special occasion to allow time for correction. If you are using
a brand to get those really dramatic colours, remember that the lighter your
hair, the harder it is to get out. Shampooing is often not enough. With these
brands dying should not be considered temporary, as the colour gets right into
the hair shaft, especially if the hair has been bleached.
As you are probably aware if you’ve been highlighting or
colouring your hair for a long time, not only does it put an enormous strain on
your hair, it also requires special maintenance and frequent touch-ups, meaning
costly trips to the hairdresser. But many people when they decide that they’re
fed up with all the hassle find that growing out coloured hair can be a
difficult process.
There are a few ways to make the nightmare of unsightly roots
more acceptable. Most people assume that the growing-out process will be easier
if they cover their current colour with a dye that matches their natural colour.
This method is not widely recommended by hairdressers, as it can damage your
already processed hair. Constant dyeing causes your hair to become very porous;
this means the way it absorbs the new dye can have unexpected results on the
tone of the new colour.
If your roots are grey and you have decided to let your hair
go grey all over, you can’t dye your hair grey; it’s the only natural colour
that can’t be duplicated. Your best bet is to avoid further damage to the hair
and be patient, cut it short and let it grow out naturally.
If you’re growing out one colour (no highlights) the
easiest option is to cut you hair as short as you can. You can ease the process
by getting some highlights a few shades lighter than your natural colour around
your face; this is where roots are most noticeable. Growing out highlights is a
bit easier. So that it doesn’t appear too obvious you can just get fewer
highlights each time you go for a touch-up. A good idea would be to get a few
lowlights near to your own colour. This will help the colours blend and the
appearance of the roots will be minimal. To keep you hair healthy, deep
condition once a week for at least an hour.
Nightmarch
Anybody who has been reading the Letters to the Editor page
in recent weeks in this newspaper would have noticed the anger expressed by
locals and tourists alike over the ‘rash’ of canvassers ostensibly asking
the unwary perambulator if he or she would participate in a ‘holiday’ survey
but in reality looking for potential clients to purchase timeshare
accommodation.
From talking to people around the traps it is clear that the
letters to the editor are merely the tips of the timeshare iceberg.
The bottom line is that a one-week timeshare will cost a
minimum of around 500,000 baht. The company claims to sell a maximum of 40 weeks
for each unit. At the base price that means each unit is being valued at around
20 million baht. Multiply that by the number of units available and you can see
why a phalanx of canvassers has been employed to flog the idea to tourists.
There’s a fortune to be made out there.
What I find of particular concern is the hard sell approach
taken once an unsuspecting tourist has been transported to the site.
I have in my possession six pages of material that are given
to the sales reps as the blueprint to use in their efforts to make a potential
client part with his or her hard-earned cash. The pages are enough to make a
second-hand car dealer blush.
Space does not permit me to elaborate but I would like to
share a few of the more interesting and disturbing pieces.
Potential investors are referred to as ‘ups’. I have no
idea what this means other than being an acronym that might translate to
Unsuspecting Potential Suckers.
For example: ‘never be out of arms reach from your
ups...this is in order to maintain rapport contact & control’
‘Remember people like to give advice, so ask for it! Let
them think they are smart!’
‘You must take and maintain control the whole tour! You
tell them when they can eat, when they can drink, when they are going on the
walking tour...’
‘Remember anything they say can and will be used in
evidence against them in the back end’
‘Talk about their job! Even if they work in a biscuit
factory, show interest.’
‘Remember persistence overcomes resistance.’
‘Use a sob story in your warm up, this proves that you’re
human just like them!’
‘Anybody can be sold, you just have to find the deal and
sell it!’
None of what I have written above has been taken out of
context and what I find most intriguing is that at no point in the spiel is
there a statement about the quality and worthiness of the timeshare. A good
product really doesn’t require a hard sell approach complete with a snow job
in fine print.
Sadly, these timeshare peddlers just add fuel to the fire of
those who would like to portray Pattaya as a scam factory where shonky and shady
characters can set up operations with impunity and prey on unsuspecting
tourists.
In the Hot Spots: Rodeo Girls (Pattayaland Soi 2) started
life as a theme bar with the dancing maidens attired in cowgirl-style outfits.
It was a theme that seemed to meet with approval from battle-weary veterans.
However, for some reason best known to themselves, the management decided to
revert to the boring old g-string bikinis for the girls and the cowgirl uniforms
are now only on show on Fridays and Sundays. Still, the music is worth going in
for as they play the likes of Roy Orbison, Credence Clearwater Revival and Jimmy
Buffett.
Around the traps: You can really tell it’s low season
when even Beach Road locations start to get serious about snaring the boozing
baht. The Poppy Garden (corner of Beach Road and Soi 7) has a whopper of a sign
out the front emblazoned with the words: Price War Promotion. The boozer is
flogging bottled Singha at 47 baht and Chang at just 27 baht. A glass of Coke or
Sprite will set you back just 20 baht while nips of the harder stuff like Vodka
and Gin are a mere 55 baht. The Poppy Garden also has a band that kicks off
around 9:00 p.m. and goes on into the early hours. The promotion is set to
continue until the end of the low season, whenever that may be.
Quote of the Week: “If you look like your passport
photo, you’re not fit to travel.” (Foreigner outside Pattaya Immigration
Office in Soi 8)
My e-mail address is: [email protected]
Copyright 2000 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] |
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