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Family Money: Keeping
it clean
By Leslie
Wright
A considerable number of expatriates call Pattaya home.
Many have effectively severed all ties with their home country, and either
work here legally with work permits or live here on retirement visas.
Others have lived here for years on tourist visas,
doing the regular trip across the border to Cambodia or Penang, or other
locales with equally accommodating Thai Immigration staff. (Although one
gathers that the authorities are starting to toughen up on granting
never-ending tourist visas to people who are getting them renewed like
clockwork every 90 days and hence are clearly living here
semi-permanently.)
Most expatriate residents (official or otherwise) have
established local bank accounts. Many people were concerned and others
incensed some months back when one or two of the local banks moved the
goalposts with regard to opening new accounts, or refusing to renew
passbooks on existing ones.
Those goalposts have now been moved back, and new bank
accounts are available to expatriates upon production of a valid passport.
Some banks also ask for proof of residency. (A copy of the house papers is
the usual prerequisite - which in fact almost never show tenants as
resident in the building they’re renting; but this requirement doesn’t
have to be any more logical to the expatriate mind than any other
regulation in Thailand.)
What many people missed in their ire and confusion was
the reason behind the moving of banking goalposts.
The confusion that arose was in fact due to different
banks’ differing interpretation of new rules which were issued by the
Central Bank of Thailand back in April, as part of this worthy
institution’s effort to come in line with international regulations on
money laundering.
A four-day Money Laundering and Financial Crime
Conference held recently in Vancouver brought together more than 700 law
enforcement, government, legal and financial industry representatives from
50 countries to address this issue, which has reached epidemic proportions
worldwide.
A senior police officer from Hong Kong cited financial
kingpins in Asia, particularly in Hong Kong and Singapore, as leading the
fight to combat drug trafficking and financial crimes, the chief sources
of illicit proceeds.
Hong Kong made money-laundering illegal 11 years ago.
By contrast, Thailand passed its first anti-money laundering laws only
last year.
As internationally-orientated investors will have
discovered, it is easy enough to move money out of Thailand provided one
can show that it was remitted into Thailand in the first place - but very
difficult otherwise for more than quite modest amounts.
There may be delays at certain banks that use Central
Bank of Thailand rules as the reason (or some would say excuse) to delay
remitting the money overseas for several weeks. But eventually that
permission comes through and the money can then be remitted out to
wherever and, within certain limits, for whatever purpose you wish.
My firm is frequently approached by potential investors
looking to move money out of one country and deposit it in a tax-friendly
offshore regime. Provided it can be shown that the money originally
derived from another investment or bank account in one’s own name
overseas, there is little problem in arranging a suitable offshore
investment vehicle for these clients.
The liability to taxation is another issue, however.
While it is true that an offshore investment will not
be taxed at source, this does not necessarily mean that you will have no
subsequent liability to pay tax ever again. It depends what nationality
you are and where you will be drawing down the investment.
Indeed, amongst my multinational clients, those who
seem to be most concerned at trying to avoid tax are Americans. Perhaps
this is because Americans are taxed on their worldwide income and have to
declare all offshore holdings over $10,000 in their annual tax returns.
If working overseas, Americans are granted $70,000 p.a.
tax-free allowance, but are liable to tax on everything else.
While failing to file a return is only a misdemeanour
under US tax laws, filing a false return is a felony - a much more serious
crime which could potentially lead to jail time and confiscation of assets
over which the tax authorities might be able to exercise control.
Remitting money out of the States doesn’t clear the
slate, as there is always a paper trail: any overseas remittances of
$10,000 or more are automatically ‘flagged’ by the banks and reported
to the Federal Reserve, and hence the information is available to other
interested parties like the dear old IRS.
This contrasts sharply with many other countries whose
nationals are able to use their countries’ more lenient tax laws to some
advantage.
Brits, for instance, have to be out of UK only 105 days
in any one financial year (April 5th to April 4th) to avoid UK tax
liability on offshore income. (They would still have a tax liability of
income derived in UK - from renting out their house, for instance - but
they would be able to mitigate this by offsetting their tax allowances
against this income.)
Where it comes from
Enormous amounts of ‘funny money’ are sloshing
around the world’s economy from illicit business. For instance, about
US$1 trillion a year or roughly 43 trillion baht - that’s 43 followed by
twelve zeros, in case you weren’t sure - is laundered from illicit
drugs.
International drug barons would be only too pleased to
be able to move some of their ill-gotten gains into legitimate offshore
investments. Quite often, this is effected by moving the money through an
intermediate country where money-laundering rules are applied laxly, if at
all.
Thailand is one of four Asian countries that have been
blacklisted by the Hong Kong police as money-laundering havens.
Experts estimate 20% of Thailand’s gross domestic
product comes from illicit money connected to prostitution and the drug
trade.
Burma, Cambodia and Laos have failed to attack the
problem and comply with international regulations. Surprisingly however,
the four Golden Triangle countries were left off the Financial Action Task
Force’s money-laundering list of 15 countries and territories considered
the worst offenders.
On this list, compiled by representatives of
industrialised nations including the United States, Britain, Australia,
France and Canada, are the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands,
Dominica, Israel, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue,
Panama, the Philippines, Russia, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent and
the Grenadines.
You will note that the only Asian country that made the
international blacklist was the Philippines - yet curiously it is not
included on the Hong Kong police’s blacklist.
How it works in Thailand
While most investments into Thailand are quite
legitimate, some are suspected to derive from illicit overseas business.
An ‘investor’ moves quite significant sums of money
into Thailand, sets up or takes over an existing business (often throwing
what seem like inordinate amounts of money into it), and then seeks a
buyer to take over what appears to be a legitimate and going concern.
The proceeds of the sale can then be remitted out of
the country, perhaps into other legitimate investments; and what was
originally ‘funny money’ has been nicely cleaned up in the process.
Individuals may have accumulated money either locally
or overseas from activities that might not bear too close an inspection,
and seek to legitimise this money.
Before strict compliance measures were introduced
amongst the international financial community, one way was to send it to
legitimate financial institutions, and then encash these investments into
legitimate ‘clean’ bank accounts.
Dubious investors were only too willing to pay what to
them were relatively modest penalties that applied to encashing such
investments ‘early’ if they were then able to transfer the squeaky
clean proceeds back to legitimate bank accounts.
Reputable international financial institutions became
wise to this practice years ago, and all now insist that either the
investor or his brokerage declare the source of the funds.
These institutions are substantial enough not to run
the risk of international scrutiny being applied to their legitimate
investors - for the majority of whom confidentiality is a sacred criterion
- by accepting ‘funny’ money. If there’s any doubt, there’s no
doubt, and they’ll refuse the investment.
It is always saddening to have to tell a quite
legitimate investor, who just happens to have struck it lucky in Las
Vegas, that there is no way we can accept his application for a
substantial offshore investment.
The international financial services’ industry
standards on money-laundering are strictly applied nowadays, and protect
all legitimate investors against intrusion into their affairs by ensuring
that all monies received for investment are ‘clean’.
Indeed, due to the increased activities in recent years
of the United States’ Internal Revenue Service to chase after expatriate
American tax evaders, many large international financial institutions will
no longer accept American clients. Others will, provided the money did not
derive from a US bank account. Yet others don’t mind who you are,
provided the investor or his broker will sign a declaration that the money
derived from legitimate sources.
But as regulations are tightened and implemented across
borders, it is becoming increasingly difficult to launder dubious money
into clean money.
International banks and financial institutions are
co-operating more and more to keep their act squeaky clean and thus
protect the interests of all legitimate investors, and these protocols are
finally and belatedly being implemented in Thailand.
A new law requires banks and other financial
institutions to report to the authorities all cash movements of more than
two million baht, and transactions of assets worth five million baht or
more.
These procedures and protocols may be frustrating to
some people, but are in the long-term best interests of all legitimate
investors.
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.
Interesting People: Al
Avalon
By Mirin MacCarthy
Alfred Avallone has been married five times. That alone
must make him an interesting fellow, or a masochist! However, when you find
that he was a Hollywood actor, it all starts to fit. Having produced a long
running TV series called “Divorce Court” may have also assisted the much
married man as well.
Alfred comes out here regularly on holidays (three months
of the year) and we caught up with him at Cafe New Orleans on Soi Pattayaland
2.
Alfred, or Al Avalon as he is better known by his stage
name, has rubbed shoulders with the “greats” of the movie and
entertainment business - Marlon Brando, Lee Strasbourg, the Ventures. Al has
been there and done it all.
So just how did he get there? Al was born in Boston but
grew up in New York with his English Jewish mother and an Italian Catholic
Father. Not your usual couple next door, that’s for sure! His mother was a
writer for the Hearst newspapers and mixed with literary people like Dorothy
Parker and Scott Fitzgerald when he was growing up. “Even at age nine I
wanted to be James Cagney or Humphrey Bogart.” It was at that tender young
age that Al saw an ad wanting child actors in New York City. He got the part
of a choirboy in The Family Upstairs after his parents reluctantly drove him
to the theatre after school.
When he finished school he was too starry eyed to entertain
thoughts of law, the career his mother wanted him to follow, so Al chose to
study acting at the American Academy. He then studied at a New York Dramatic
Workshop and intermittently studied for three years with Lee Strasbourg, then
Paul Mann for a year and later Madame Ouspenskaya, a prominent Hollywood
actress of the day.
But treading the boards is not always easy. When he was
with the American Academy Al played the part of Dorian Grey in a play called
Hell’s Own. “It had terrible reviews,” laughed Al, so he retreated to
the electronic medium where he won a contract for two years as a TV announcer
in Detroit. Then he was assigned to New York City as a co-host announcer in
what became the first “Tonight Show.” Al was not one for the pre-recorded
TV done so much today, “Most of my TV shows were live; doing it was a horror
but looking back was fun.”
In 1964 Al went to Japan for four years as the Asian
manager for the U.S group The Ventures. “It was quite an experience. They
were the No.1 instrumental group in the world at that time. I traveled the
world six times. The sixties was when I was coming into prominence and doing a
lot of theatre, but when I went back to Hollywood I found I couldn’t just
resume where I left off. You had to have a current film.”
After this slight setback, Al used his savings and took a
trip around the world with a doctor friend for a year and returned to
California in ’69. It was then the producer of the new show, “Divorce
Court” asked him to help produce a live TV show. Al was Associate Producer
and Director. “That was a lot of fun, we did 130 shows over two years.”
His first trip to Hawaii came in 1972 with the well
remembered TV series, Hawaii Five 0. Al retired from acting then and wrote
scripts for a movie producer, but after his third trip to Hawaii he bought a
condo, and opened a fine arts business there.
And the Mrs Avalons? His first wife, Marilyn Harvey, was an
actress from an old Connecticut Yankee family whose history went back
generations. His second wife a Texan multi-millionairess, his third wife a
Japanese attorney from Hawaii who had never been to Japan. His fourth wife an
Indian lady from Bombay who was taken to America as a child. Like Al, they
were certainly different.
So what about Mrs Avalon number 5? Eleven years ago he met
a Filipino girl in Hawaii, who really set him back on his heels. He mentioned
her to his friend Rick Marlowe, the songwriter for A Taste of Honey, who
encouraged Al, saying, “Why don’t you go back and marry her?” I told him
I was concerned about the age difference of thirty-five years, “So,” said
Rick, “If she dies she dies.” That was all the encouragement Al needed to
marry wife number 5 and adopt her two children. “My son Tennessee is
fourteen and my daughter Frenzy is twelve. They are my life. They are well
settled in Hawaii, multi racial and multicultural. They are what keep bringing
me back to Hawaii.
Interestingly, Al is brave enough to say that he wouldn’t
do it all again, given the chance. “If I had my life over and know what I
know now, I would do things differently. I would probably finish law school.
What held me back the most is that I continued to get married. I love
women.” Well, he certainly has demonstrated that!
But he did not stop there, “My idol Spencer Tracey once
shocked me by saying ‘Acting is no business for a man’. Though it was more
of a shock to me when I met Marlon Brando. It was seven years ago and I was
selling Anthony Quinn’s art and he brought Brando along. He said he was
sorry he ever became involved in the industry, but where else could he make so
much money? He could say it because he was Marlon.”
Back in the “real” life, the most important values to
Al now are his children, “Trying to stay alive until my children go to
college. It may be a Pygmalion complex. I care about staying healthy until
I’m 88. I’d like to see my kids through college, they are both bright and
they are American. I might be able to bring them over here then.”
Al Avalon - a very interesting man!
Snap Shots: A
better mousetrap
by Harry Flashman
All the way through history, man has been trying to
build a better mousetrap. Photographically this is still the case. From
the old box brownie of 70 years ago, we now have the all singing, all
dancing, electronic marvels of today. Cameras that will even “think”
for you and work out the required shutter speeds for the kind of shot you
are going to take. With these sorts of mousetraps we should all be
wonderful award winning photographers. Unfortunately we are not.
The reason for this is simple. While the modern camera
can get the exposure close enough and the correct shutter speed for the
type of shot, it cannot arrange the items to be photographed in the
correct position. Nor can the camera position itself in the right place
relative to the subjects to be photographed.
To illustrate what I mean, take a look at the first two
shots. The brief is to photograph someone on their trip to Thailand, and
show them in front of the hotel they stayed at. Now I actually see this
shot being taken every day, and every day the photographer on holidays,
complete with shiny new mouse trap, takes the left hand side photograph
and ends up with a tiny person in front of the large hotel. This was not
the shot the photographer had in his or her mind - that shot is the one on
the right.
One of the principal “rules” of photography is to
remember just who or what is the “hero” in the shot. This is one thing
the better mousetrap does not know. It is not a mind reader. You have to
arrange the items and compose the shot to make the subject the hero.
With these types of “people in front of a special
place” shots first you have to compose the picture by moving the camera
into place so that you have all you want of the special building, for
example. Having done that, now put your subject in front of the camera and
you will instantly note that the person (if human) will immediately move
backwards to be closer to the building, almost as if making sure of
ruining the shot for you, before you begin! What you now have to do is to
look through the viewfinder and call the person forward till they fill the
viewfinder. Even go for a waist-up view to get the person even larger in
the photograph if you wish.
 Another
“rule” that I have to continually have to tell new photographers is
the “Walk several yards (metres) closer” approach. More good shots are
rendered useless by being too far away from the camera, than by being too
close to the lens. Look at the second pair of shots - which is better? The
right hand one of course!
While it would be nice if the better mousetrap could
ring a bell and tell you that you are too far away, its electronic
“brain” isn’t that good yet. You have to use yours. That is one
reason why good photographers will never be replaced by better mousetraps.
The technology may belong to the camera, but the “eye” is yours. Just
remember to use it!
Modern Medicine: Your
intelligence is in your jeans?
by Dr Iain Corness
Sorry, in your genes!
In many studies of human beings, their development and
their frailties, it comes down to a discussion of Nature or Nurture. My
doctor son, for example; does he get his academic brilliance from me and
his reluctance to fight bureaucracy from being raised by his mother?
Nature versus Nurture again. Or how deep is the gene pool?
One area which always interests prospective parents is
their likelihood of getting intelligent children or drones. Much has been
written about the inherent dangers to the unborn child while it sits,
waiting in the wings, so to speak, for that awfully long drawn out 9
months of gestation. Mind you, it could be worse - we could be elephants
and have to wait years to see how a brief encounter in the bush turned
out!
Many factors can influence the child in utero, as we
doctors like to call that “bun in the oven” stage. Most of these
developmental influences produce children that are smaller than the
average - smoking by Mum-to-be being a prime example.
Some clever chaps in Norway sat down and followed
around 700 kids from birth to age five. Around half of these children were
of low birth weight, and the other half “normal”. So at age five they
assessed the children for Verbal Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Non-verbal
IQ.
The results were interesting. While the smaller babies
did have a very slight lowering in the two IQ scales measured, it was not
much. However, the factors that did alter the results were Mum’s
non-verbal problem solving abilities and child rearing style. In
percentage terms, this accounted for between 20-30% of the variance in the
observed children, while birth weight accounted for 1-2% only.
Now before you rush out thinking that it is all genetic
and wonder what you have to do to increase the depth of the family gene
pool, did you notice that not only were there genetic factors at work
(Mum’s non-verbal abilities) but also child rearing style, which is not
genetic, but a learned response from her mother. Definitely “nurture”.
To my mind, this shows there is almost certainly a
predominance of effect on children by their mothers. Both genetic and
nurturing. I’m sorry, Dad. It might take two to tango, but Mum is the
all-important one - especially in the first few years of a child’s life.
Now at the risk of being sent hate mail by the lady
liberationists out there, I do believe that this demonstrates a very
“normal” behavioural pattern. The male of the species homo sapiens was
the hunter-gatherer, while the female stayed at home to cook and raise the
offspring. Of course the mother has a greater influence on the
pre-schoolers mind (and the abilities of that mind).
So in answer to the vexed question of how to get
intelligent kids, it’s easy. Simply find an intelligent healthy woman,
who wants to stay home and raise your brood of geniuses. The hard part is
finding one that wants you for her mate!
 Dear
Hillary,
What do you do about house guests that keep on arriving
from the old country? I’ve had five sets this year and it looks like
there are more coming for Xmas. If I had nothing else to do other than
entertain old friends then it would be fine, but I have work I have to do
as well. I don’t want to give old friends the cold shoulder, but I’m
at my wits end, honestly! What should I do?
Guesthouse Gertrude
Dear Gertie,
This is a very common problem when you live in a place
that other people save for 11 months to come and visit. It is also very
normal for your old friends to want to see you, and possibly save some
money by staying with you. You actually have the answer already when you
called yourself “Guesthouse” Gertrude. Hillary suggests that you run
the home more on the guesthouse lines. Tell your friends that as you have
other work to do, you will leave everything out for them for their
breakfast and then you will meet them for dinner at 7 p.m. and do things
together from there. I am sure your friends will appreciate that even
though they are on holidays, you are not. They need time to themselves too
and will be grateful for the chances to explore on their own. Have some
brochures in their room with suggested trips like the Sriracha Tiger Zoo
and let them take it from there. They will be happy you can do your work,
and you can enjoy each others’ company at night. Just think about it,
you can even get one of those nice wooden signs with “Gerties Guest
House” carved into it.
Dear Hillary,
One of my close friends is worrying me a lot. He has
dark moods and gets depressed very easily. When he is down, everything is
“wrong”, but when he is not depressed he is really a great person. He
is only in his 40s, but I worry that he will get worse as he gets older.
Have you any suggestions, Hillary, as I like this man and would like to
help him. Would psychoanalysis help?
Julia
Dear Julia,
First, Hillary is not an analyst, but what you are
describing is very common. When people get depressed, they naturally think
that the world is dark and gloomy. This is not something that you should
tackle on your own, as skilled help will be required. When your friend is
in one of his happy times, you can try and discuss whether he thinks he
would like to see someone professionally, but don’t try and fix the
problem yourself. It will end up in tragedy if you do.
Dear Hillary,
One of the women in my office was always meddling in
everyone else’s business, telling them what to do, and generally being
very aggressive about it if anyone crossed her or contradicted her. Nobody
knew what to do about her and she was becoming a real tyrant. When she
left the company we were all very pleased, and it became a good place to
work again. However she has started doing part-time work in the office
again, and we are all dreading what is going to happen when she decides
she wants to work full-time again. She has known the boss for many years
and he seems reluctant to intervene. This has depressed everyone of us.
What should we do?
Dora
Dear Depressed Dora,
If there’s enough of you, then just ignore her and
refuse to work with her. You all got along OK without her, so surely you
can continue doing that. If that doesn’t work, then there’s always
other offices to work in. Unfortunately these types of people do spoil it
for everyone else, and there is not much you can do without the support of
those higher up. Hillary feels sorry for you.
Dear Hillary,
What do you do about your husband drinking too much? He
has a drink after work every day, drinks with dinner and then drinks after
dinner at home, or goes down the pub with his mates. This is surely too
much? He is not violent or anything, but I just worry that he can’t be
doing himself much good with all this drinking. Please don’t suggest I
go drinking with him as I do not drink.
Wilma
Dear Wilma,
You’ve got it all wrong, my petal! Hillary doesn’t
have a husband, so I don’t do anything! I sent the last one packing
years ago - but it wasn’t for drinking after dinner. If you’re worried
about hubby’s health, then get him to go for a check-up. If you’re
worried about what he’s doing while out drinking, then go with him.
Nobody said you have to drink alcohol. All of the pubs Hillary has a quiet
one in also sell orange juice and soft drinks. Honestly, I think you are
the one with the problem, my love. Time to lighten up and look at your own
attitudes, darling.
GRAPEVINE
| Dopey
punter
A nightclub hostess has been charged with relieving
a 56 year old American of his treasured valuables. The two met in a
notorious Pattaya dive and adjourned to the farang’s hotel for what
can best be described in a family newspaper as sport and leisure. When
he woke up some hours later with a thumping headache, everything had
been removed from his wallet except a one baht coin and the calling
card of a Connecticut plumber. The woman was later arrested but said
she had taken 6,400 baht and three credit cards to buy food for her
lover in case he was hungry. Unfortunately, she had then forgotten
where the farang’s hotel was and was considering donating the money
to a charity when she was apprehended at an ATM machine.
Guilty of assault
A former Indonesian cabinet minister has been fined
50,000 baht for assaulting two airport workers in June, news reports
have announced. Lukusi Pinit, a former minister for fisheries, pleaded
guilty to assaulting two porters at Bangkok International Airport. He
admitted punching the workers in the face and body for being too slow
in bringing a wheelchair for his sick mother who had just arrived on
an international flight. The former cabinet minister was in Bangkok to
attend an international conference on protecting the rights of workers
and improving industrial harmony in giant corporations.
Chinese lifestyle
Although Shanghai is said to be China’s most
liberated city, most parents there are nervous of teaching their
children about sex. They say they don’t know enough about the
subject, which may be a bit of a worry in the medium term. One father
admitted he had failed to notice a packet of strawberry flavored
condoms in his son’s bedroom, assuming they were sweets. Another
claimed it was pointless to talk to his family about homosexuals since
all these had fled to Taiwan in 1949 and could not get visas to return
to the mainland. The survey was conducted in the city’s four
sections which include both the rich and the poor classes.
Visa curbs mooted
Pattaya’s expat community is again jittery that
the authorities want visa-free entry privileges for citizens of some
countries revoked in the battle against transnational crime.
Currently, passport holders of 58 countries can stay for a month
without a prior visa and citizens of 96 others can come as tourists
for up to fifteen days. Worries are growing that Thailand is becoming
a haven for foreign criminals because it is relatively easy for them
to enter the country unobstructed. Possible blacklisted countries
could include Mali, Gabon and Bhutan.
|
Petrol up and up
There has been very little publicity in Pattaya
about the price of gasoline which has well nigh doubled in the past
couple of years. But the prices of what you buy continue to creep
upwards. Amongst the latest inflationary spiral are EMS letters and
small packets which now average 30 rather than 20 baht and supermarket
leaps in basic commodities such as washing powder and, starting next
week, fresh milk. Taxis operating from Pattaya to Bangkok airport now
demand well over 1,000 baht (traditionally much cheaper than the other
way round) and often expect the customer to pay for freeway tolls on
top. You could try the Bangkok registered taxis often standing on
Second Road, at the corner of Soi Toyota Karaoke, where negotiation is
said to be possible to avoid the drivers returning empty to the
metropolis.
Bank problems
Reader WP recently changed her Pattaya address and
wrote to her European bank to so inform them in order that statements
would not go adrift. But the bank wrote back and said they required
independent and notarized confirmation. She wants to know what to do.
The bank is probably trying to protect WP’s interests in case some
would-be criminal has gotten hold of her details. In other cases that
we know of, overseas banks have been satisfied with an oath swearing
letter in English from a Thai lawyer (whether a notary or not),
accompanied by a photocopy of the passport, or a letter of
confirmation from the appropriate embassy. Neither of these services,
mark you, is likely to be free.
More bank problems
Although the Bank of Thailand heat is now off
farangs without work permits wanting to open or retain baht accounts
in the kingdom, some Pattaya banks are making spot checks as your
passbook becomes full. To get a new one, you may need to show your
passport, confirmation of your Thai address and some form of ID from
your home country. On the other hand, you may not. Nothing is ever
certain in our fair city. But the heat is likely to be on this month
and next as the Bank of Thailand circular originally specified the end
of the current year for the banks to get their accounts in order.
Thought for the week
“Probably nothing in the world arouses more false
hopes than the first four hours of a diet.” (Dan Bennett)
|
Dining Out: Aloha
Diner and Bar
by Miss Terry Diner
Dining under the waterfall
The new Aloha Restaurant has only been open for two months,
but in that short while the Dining Out Team has already received good reports
about this place, so we decided to go there unannounced last week.
The restaurant is on Second Road, almost opposite
Shenanigans, and the exterior of the building is done as a huge boulder, with
two waterfalls over the windows. You will not miss it. There is parking out
front and round the back as well.
 We
were met at the door by a very charming waitress and escorted to a window
alcove beneath the waterfall. The interior is fitted out in a Polynesian
theme, with timber and rattan everywhere, along with carved wooden masks,
fertility dolls and seashells. The service people are also decked out in
Hawaiian themed outfits. In the far corner there was a duo producing easy
listening music, and the whole atmosphere is one of friendliness. Top marks to
whoever trained the staff.
The menu is a large foldout cardboard number and commences
with fourteen Chef’s Recommendations ranging in price between 95-260 baht
and includes baby clams in garlic butter, a crab and lobster bisque and a half
cherry duck.
Into the menu proper and next up are tidbits and finger
food, all coming with Aloha’s special table sauces. Generally around 150
baht, with cheese bings, BBQ spareribs, chicken wings and the like. There is
also a combination dish with four different items for 210 baht.
Starters are next (95-160 baht) and include an interesting
Bongo-Bongo veloute oyster spinach cream soup. On to the Polynesian dishes
(160-260 baht) which has on offer twelve mains such as salmon steak with
lemongrass and butter sauce, grilled pork knuckle with baked banana and
pineapple or a black peppercorn steak in a cognac sauce.
The menu is not over yet - there is a choice of additional
side dishes (though the mains come with a choice of rice, french-fries or
baked potato. Next are some Thai favourites (85-120 baht) and finally some
desserts.
There is a separate wine list, with beers around 80 baht.
There is also a cocktails list and we were assured that Aloha’s cocktails
are strong full bodied ones!
We began with a Cho-Cho (Teriyaki) beef, which comes on
skewers with its own mini-hibachi BBQ. Along with those we had the finger food
combination. This comes with a small container of the special sauces. The red
one has a ketchup and chilli base, while the yellow “Chinese” mustard has
horseradish in it, to pack the wasabe style wallop at the back of the nose.
The BBQ beef was wonderful (especially with the Chinese
mustard), and the deep fried items in the finger food were delicately done and
not soggy or greasy. The prawn butterfly was really tender, and the cheese
bings were certainly cheesy and very tasty, and the chicken wings were so
meaty, I almost thought they were drumsticks! Of course, along with these
items there are hot towels to allow you to wipe your fingers before heading
into the next course.
For myself, the next course was the salmon steak with
lemongrass and butter sauce, while Madame said she was too full after the
first course and went straight to the desserts, choosing a fruit salad in half
a scooped out pineapple.
The salmon was a good thick steak and not overcooked. It
came on a correctly pre-warmed plate with a baked potato, a selection of
steamed vegetables, half a lime and a pepper grinder - no need to ask! Again,
well done Aloha. The salmon was very good and the lemongrass butter sauce
sensational. The two married up magnificently.
As for Madame, she was making cooing noises over her
dessert, which had orange curacao as the secret ingredient.
The Team heartily endorses the good reports on this
restaurant. Good food, not overpriced and fabulous ambience. You will enjoy
this place, and do try the special sauces!
Aloha Diner and Bar, Second Road, Central Pattaya.
Animal Crackers:
Fact or Fantasy
by Mirin
MacCarthy
 A
Tasmanian Devil is not a myth invented by some perverse Australian, but a
mammal that lives now only in Tasmania. It is not at all ferocious, in spite
of its appearance, but is a rather shy nocturnal animal that lives alone in
a burrow or hollow log.
Habits
When it is fighting over food it snaps and snarls, but
hardly ever hurts a companion. The Tasmanian Devil mainly eats rotting meat
and young wallabies and rabbits.
Size
It is not a huge beast either, only the size of a medium
dog. The male Tasmanian Devil is about 90cm long and weighs about 8
kilograms, with the female slightly smaller. Its colour is usually black and
white with white bands under its neck and rump and it has a fairly long
tail. The odd specimen is occasionally entirely black or brown with no
banding.
Why the Name Devil?
When settlers heard the unearthly nightly mixture of
snorts, hisses, growls and screams they thought the bush was filled with
devils, and that is truly how the Tasmanian Devil got its name.
Habitat
The Tasmania Devil is now restricted to the coastal scrub
and eucalypt forests in Tasmania, including around settlements. When the
first European settlers arrived the Tasmanian Devil was found all throughout
Australia, but farmers thought they were killing all the livestock, so they
killed most of them off.
Relatives
It is fascinating that the Tasmanian Devil is related to
the extinct Tasmanian wolf, which was the largest meat eating marsupial on
earth, but these the settlers wiped out successfully, because they thought
they were another threat to livestock. It has been noted that early
Australian settlers tended to live by the maxim, ‘When in doubt, shoot!’
Now the Tasmanian Devil is the largest meat-eating marsupial existing today.
Characteristics
In a way, devils are reminiscent of hyenas with their
powerful jaws and sharp teeth, which allows them to crunch up all of a
carcass including fur and bones. Typically all that is left of a dead wombat
dinner is the skull.
Devil by Nature?
They can be readily tamed when young; however, some
individuals remain surly. A mother with young will defend them fiercely and
would be dangerous to attempt to handle.
Devil of a Baby
The Tasmanian Devil breeds in March or April. The male
and female pair up for two weeks before mating, and the female stays in the
male’s den. A month later three to four babies are born undeveloped. They
are kept snug in the mother’s pouch, which is large and roomy and opens
backwards to prevent dirt entering while she is digging. After a few months
the young are big enough to leave milk for a carnivorous diet, though it
will be at least two years before they are fully mature.
Down The Iron Road:
Portugal’s “Siamese Twins”
by John D.
Blyth
Forward
The hobby of building and operating model railways is
well-established in many countries (but is virtually unknown in Thailand).
It is big business in much of Europe, North America and Japan, where
specialist firms make a lot of the “bits and pieces” needed to make a
layout and the tiny trains to run on it, but also, in many cases, also
publish magazines about model railroading, also including items of interest
on the full-size railways we all know. The PECO Company, located in
well-named Beer, a coastal town in Devon, England, is such a firm, and the
editor of one of its magazines, Andrew Burnham, is an old friend who kindly
sees that a copy of his product, “Continental Modeller”, aimed at
those who wish to model railways outside England, reaches me each month.
“Full-size” items are a regular feature, and one of these took my fancy
as something that might, I hope, amuse “Mail” readers.
Drawing
by Robert Telford, reprinted with permission
The Twins from Winterthur
The main drawing shows a pair of twin locomotives,
provided to the then Villa Regoa to Vila Real Tramway, by the Schweitzeriche
Lokomotiv – und Maschinenbau, A.G., of Winterthur in Switzerland. The
drawing first appeared in the English “Engineer” of 27-12-1878.
The tramway was 28 km long and of a gauge of 900 mm. The current names of
these two towns are now a little changed, to Regua and Vila Real; the first
is a not-too-pleasant town on the River Douro at the confluence of the Douro
and its tributary the Corgo. Vila Real is a much nicer place, and
winebibbers will know it as the home of the pleasant light wince, Mateus
Rose. The railway that replaced the tramway served these two towns, but was
extended far up the Corgo Valley to Chaves, which has now lost its passenger
trains, although freight may still run. The main railway along the Douro is
that from Porto, Portugal’s second city, almost to the Spanish border.
 Drawing
by Robert Telford, reprinted with permission
The drawings will reveal a pair of identical small
locomotives facing one another and connected by a pair of girders, lined
with what seems to be wooden planks, the object being plainly to carry some
unknown objects thereon. The locomotives will be seen to embody the unusual
indirect drive from the cylinders to the wheels through a crank, invented by
one Charles Brown of the Winterthur Company; it was modestly popular for
some time but not in Portugal, although Spain had some for years. It was
always referred to as “System Brown”. The circular firebox suggests an
earlier era - could these have been from some second-hand locomotives? The
girder platform was supported by vertical links fixed on each side to the
tank top (possibly partitioned and not containing water).
But what was it for?
The idea of carrying “something” in all this is plain
enough, but what? – And why could it not be carried in ordinary wagons
pulled by a rather larger locomotive? Could it be that it (whatever it was)
had to be moved to, or from, a point on the tramway where it was not
possible for a single locomotive to “run round” its train, and that
propelling wasn’t permitted, desirable, or even thought of? We just
don’t know, and “The Engineer” is silent, merely saying that
the “Twins” were an experiment, which had proved thoroughly successful,
but without explaining what the experiment was. It is plain, too, that
whatever was the intention, no more “Twins” were ordered.
The fate of the locomotives is unknown, too; they seem a
bit small for a metre-gauge railway on quite severe grades, whether or not
converted to be able to haul ordinary trucks, etc. It was not until the
“Twins” and their finder were nineteen years old that the tramway was
completed, mainly along the track of the tramway, which almost certainly
followed the route of the present railway along the banks of the Corgo
River. Had the “System Brown” fallen from favour by then – it was,
after all, unique in that country? We just don’t know!
A reader of “Continental Modeler”, Robert
Telford, has carried out the research for the article; he also produced the
excellent scale drawings of the locomotive from each side, the tip, the
front and the rear. In his article he comments, somewhat cautiously, that
the “Twins” would provide a subject for a unique and extremely
attractive model. It is difficult to disagree with that, and as the issue
where the article appeared was dated February 1997, we may hope for a “how
I did it” article, ere long.
Andrew Burnham has been kind enough to give me permission
to use the article freely in writing the above, and I am most grateful to
him.
Woman’s World: How
not to clear a room!
by Lesley Warner
I find you have to be very careful in this heat with the
perfume that you wear. Try and create perfumes and body splashes to suit
your own unique personality and taste. It’s simple, don’t be afraid to
experiment, but get an honest opinion before you go out in a crowd.
I thought these recipes would be fun to try.
Citrus Blooms Body Splash
2 cups distilled water
3 tablespoons vodka
1 tablespoon of each: orange and lemon peel (finely chopped)
5 drops lemon verbena essential oil
10 drops mandarin essential oil
10 drops orange essential oil
Combine the fruit peels with the vodka in a jar, cover
and let stand for 1 week. Strain the liquid; add the essential oils and
water to the liquid. Let stand for 2 weeks shaking jar once a day. Keep in a
dark bottle or keep in a cool dark area (I know, a little difficult here).
Soothing Summer Body Spray
1 tablespoon witch hazel
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon cucumber extract
1 cup water
For a refreshing cool feeling, make an after shower spray
by combining all the ingredients. Place in a pump spray bottle.
Orient Nights
4 drops sandalwood
4 drops musk
3 drops frankincense
2 teaspoons jojoba oil
Mix all the ingredients together, shake well. Then allow
the perfume to settle for at least 12 hours. Store in a cool dry area.
Whispering Rain
2 cups distilled water
3 tablespoons vodka
5 drops sandalwood essential oil
10 drops bergamot essential oil
10 drops cassis essential oil
Mix all the ingredients together, shake well. Then allow
the perfume to settle for at least 12 hours. Store in a cool dry area.
Falling Stars
2 cups distilled water
3 tablespoons vodka
5 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops chamomile essential oil
10 drops valerian essential oil
Mix all the ingredients together, shake well. Then allow
the perfume to settle for at least 12 hours. Store in a cool dry area.
Enchanted
2 cups distilled water
3 tablespoons vodka
5 drops everlasting essential oil
10 drops peony essential oil
10 drops sandalwood essential oil
Mix all the ingredients together, shake well. Then allow
the perfume to settle for at least 12 hours. Store in a cool dry area.
Amaze
2 cups distilled water
3 tablespoons vodka
5 drops hypericum perforatum essential oil
10 drops cypress essential oil
10 drops rosemary essential oil
Mix all the ingredients together, shake well. Then allow
the perfume to settle for at least 12 hours. Store in a cool dry area.
Making homemade massage oils can also be fun! Next week
I’ll find some recipes for you.
Coins of the Realm: Coins
on stamps
by Jan Olav Aamlid -
President - House of the Golden Coin
http://www.thaicoins.com
In 1991 the World Bank International Monetary Fund annual
Board of Governors meeting took place in Bangkok. Several collectors’
items were made especially for that meeting.
For instance, the Bank of Thailand made special
banknotes, the Treasury Department had the Royal Thai Mint strike a number
of coins, and the Ministry of Communications had the Postal Service print
four stamps: two, four, eight and ten baht. The motifs on the stamps were
taken from the numismatic history of Thailand.
 The
ten baht stamp shows three coins. The coin on the left is from the Funan
Empire, 1st to 6th Century. Funan was located in what is now central
Thailand, at U-thong in Suphan Buri Province. On the obverse of the coin,
which is shown on the stamp, there is the “Phra Athit” or rising sun.
The reverse shows a temple motif. In nice condition this coin costs about
4,000 baht.
The coin in the middle of the ten baht stamp has the
motif of two cows. This coin was used in the 6th century and was found in
diggings in the Nakon Pathom area. On the reverse it is written, “Sri
Dvaravati Svarapunya” which means “the good merit of the King”. This
coin is rarely seen on the market, and would probably cost 20,000 to 30,000
baht.
The coin to the right on the 10 baht stamp is a so-called
Namo coin produced during the Srivijaya Empire, 8th to 13th Century. These
coins have been found in the southern part of Thailand and in Ayudhya. These
coins can be found costing about 2,000 baht.
 To the left on the 8 baht stamp there is Chiang-Money,
which was used in the northwest of Thailand in the Kingdom of Lanna. In the
year 1296 Chiang Mai was selected as the capital city. Chiang-Money was made
in different cities and in different sizes, from silver ornaments, and bears
three distinctive marks, the Royal Seal, the principality of origin and the
weight value. The most common seen for sale today is the four baht, weighing
about 60 grams. The price for a piece of Chiang-Money from a common city is
about 2,000 baht.
The
coin to the right side of the eight baht stamp is “Hoi Money”. These
boat shaped coins were the most commonly used during the period of the
Langchang Kingdom, founded in 1353. The coins were produced in copper and
silver in different sizes. Those in copper cost a few hundred baht.
 On the four baht stamp there are two different sizes of
bullet coins. Bullet coins were the most common form of payment in Thailand
for more than 600 years, and were used up until 1908. Bullet coins can be
found in many sizes, both in gold and silver. The smallest bullet coin
weighs less than one gram and the biggest, one Chang, weighs more than 1.2
kg. A one baht bullet coin can be bought for as little as 500 baht in decent
condition.
 On the two baht stamp there is a two baht coin from the
time of King Mongkut, Rama IV (1851-1868). This is a crown size coin, 37 mm
in diameter, weighing 30 grams. This coin, issued in 1863, is popular among
collectors all over the world because it is the only regular crown sized
Thai coin that circulated during the reigns of King Mongkut and King
Chulalongkorn, Rama V (1868-1910). This reflects on the price, and a coin in
beautiful condition can cost about 50,000 baht.
If you do not wish to spend this kind of money for the
coins, the four stamps can be bought for 50 baht in unused condition.
The Computer Doctor
by Richard Bunch
From Steve Martin, New Zealand: I would like to buy a
laptop cheaply, and to be honest I really don’t know the difference and
could easily be talked into purchasing something from a salesman just
because of my naivet้. What would you suggest? I know that I don’t
need the latest, most expensive laptop. Is there such a thing as second hand
market for laptops?
Can you recommend where I can buy western MP3s? And what
do you know about taking this kind of thing out of the country? Have you
heard of anyone having pirated CD’s confiscated at customs? I would like
to take a few for Xmas presents to NZ (not bundles for commercial purposes).
I hope that the nature of my questions doesn’t offend you and you’ll
reply soon. I want go shopping in early November if possible.
Computer Doctor replies: Steve, in answer to your
first question, I don’t know whether you are intending to purchase a
secondhand laptop here in Thailand or in New Zealand, but for the market
here, second hand units that come onto the market tend to be low
specification, processor, hard disk and memory. Although you say you don’t
need the latest machine, I imagine you will want to run some fairly
up-to-date software and with this in mind, I suggest you look for a Celeron
based PC with 64Mb RAM and at least a 5Gb hard disk. I think to buy anything
less will prove expensive in the long run. Remember that laptops are not
generally economic to upgrade; even RAM is more expensive than that for a
traditional desktop PC. Also, if you need to type Thai, often laptops
available here will have a Thai/US keyboard whereas overseas US, European is
the norm. Good luck.
Western MP3s are readily available here in Thailand. Most
of the CD stores stock a limited selection but a visit to Pantip Plaza in
Bangkok will prove very rewarding. Generally these are in the region of 150
– 200 baht each. With regards to having pirated CD’s confiscated, I have
heard of this happening. Also, many people remain unscathed. If you accept
the fact that it is illegal then you have to accept the risk and be prepared
to take the consequences. Generally speaking, the problem is with customs on
home soil rather than here, but…
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 information technology and
Internet services which include custom database and application development;
website design, promotion and hosting; domain name registration; turnkey
e-commerce solutions; computer and peripheral sales service and repairs,
networks (LAN & WAN) and IT consulting. For further information, please
e-mail [email protected] or
telephone/fax 038 716 816 or see our website www.act.co.th
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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