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Family Money: Offshore banking
By Leslie
Wright
A surprising number of British expatriates still don’t take advantage of the fact they can bank offshore, rather than in the UK.
The main advantage is that all interest earned on savings accounts is added or remitted free of tax, without any need to declare non-resident status as
with an account in the UK.
There can sometimes be a greater degree of confidentiality offshore than in the UK; indeed, in some jurisdictions there is almost an element of secrecy.
Nonetheless, all respectable offshore jurisdictions operate strict measures against money laundering.
Safety rules
Many expatriates cite safety as a reason for keeping money in the UK rather than offshore. Safety does vary between jurisdictions, but the major ones are
just as safe as - perhaps even safer than - the UK.
The Isle of Man and all EU states including Gibraltar offer a deposit protection scheme in the event of a bank failure, while Jersey only licenses banks
which are backed by the world’s top 500 financial institutions. Guernsey also enjoys a good record on bank security.
Another reason for banking offshore is that because offshore banks deal with customers worldwide, they understand the needs of people who move overseas.
HSBC International, formerly Midland Bank Offshore, was a pioneer of 24-hour telephone banking so it could talk to customers in different time zones. It is
planning to add the Internet to its communications system, as have many of its competitors.
E-commerce is a continuing buzzword in international banking, following the successful launch of two Internet banking specialists - Fsharp and first-e -
both of which are based in offshore centres.
Services
Customers of offshore banks should expect a wider range of services than offered by domestic ones, including accounts in different currencies, easy money
transmission, share dealing services, offshore investment funds, protected capital investments, as well as advice on relocation and tax.
Apart from handling savings, many offshore banks also offer loans, usually mortgages for buying property, but some will lend on securities.
“Wealth management” is another service which has become a buzzword among offshore bankers. Basically, it means managing clients’ investments.
The level of service depends on how wealthy you are. Some services based on fund portfolios require a minimum of ฃ10,000. But to obtain a real
private banking service, the minimum is closer to ฃ300,000.
Offshore banks offer a wide range of services involving money transmission and day-to-day spending, but are often less competitive than offshore building
societies and former building societies when it comes to interest rates offered on savings accounts.
This means that it may be wise to split money needed for day-to-day living from longer-term savings and emergency money.
There are a few situations where UK savings institutions offer a better deal than offshore ones. Some of the newer domestic UK telephone and internet-based
savings institutions beat offshore rates. Some will not accept expat customers, but others will accept expats if they can provide a UK address.
Anyone resident in the UK for tax-purposes even for part of the tax year is eligible to domestic tax-free Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs).
The risks?
International savers should ensure they know what financial protection is in place when they invest offshore.
The last big international banking collapse, Bank of Credit and Commerce International nearly a decade ago, lost depositors billions of dollars. Eventually
much was recovered by the liquidators but the process has taken a long time.
Some jurisdictions where BCCI operated had compensation schemes or safety nets which pay out to depositors in the event of a bank collapse. But the maximum
payout was about ฃ15,000 for each customer - little comfort for big depositors.
Customers in the Isle of Man, Britain and Luxembourg had this protection, but at the time, there was no such protection in Gibraltar.
The Channel Islands’ authorities refused to license BCCI and still do not have a banking safety net, relying on prevention as being better than cure.
Bermuda licences only four banks and, like the Channel Islands, relies on the quality of its supervision.
The lesson from the BCCI fiasco is that savers should look at the financial strength of a bank as well as the quality of supervision in particular
jurisdictions. A good guide is whether they are in the world’s top 500.
Jersey only licences banks if their parent organisations are in this league. However, several British building societies and most former societies have not
made the top 500, but are sound organisations. All undertake to back depositors offshore in the event of any problem.
At present all EU jurisdictions operate a banking safety net which pays a maximum ฃ18,000 to investors who have lost out on deposits in currencies of
any member state.
The Isle of Man pays a maximum ฃ15,000 but its scheme applies to all leading currencies including dollars. It paid ฃ23m to customers of BCCI.
The success of offshore centres in maintaining banking safety shoots down the popular myth that they are unsafe.
The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands legal system is similar to Britain’s, where there is banking confidentiality.
One senior offshore banker explains, “Confidentiality does not mean absolute secrecy. A banker owes a duty of confidentiality to keep customers’
affairs private and not to disclose them to third parties except in certain circumstances. These include investigations of criminal acts such as money laundering or insider
trading.”
Some countries - notably Luxembourg, Austria and Switzerland - have laws upholding banking secrecy. But even there, accounts are open to investigation in
cases of serious crime.
There are still many international investors who don’t think they are rich enough for private banking, or who claim it is too expensive and
old-fashioned. However, like the South of France and the Caribbean, private banking and investment services are no longer solely the exclusive preserve of the super-rich.
In a similar way to the up-market package tour operators, some of the world’s top banking groups are rolling out new services for the comfortably
wealthy.
This is a development closely linked to the success of the Internet, which will not only revolutionise run-of-the mill savings and banking services but
will spread specialised investment management and private banking services to a wider international customer base.
Such new services are targeted at people used to using the Internet and information technology - indeed they may have earned their wealth from this sector.
A leading European banker commented, “There are people who have gained most from years of economic growth, rising incomes and rising stock markets, but
feel the investment services they receive have not improved in line with their new-found affluence.”
Market research produced for one Europe-based international bank showed that European investors have similar requirements, whatever their country of
residence. Their main need is to feel in control and receive face-to-face advice.
However, that research found that UK investors are more used to buying insurance direct; Germans have higher than average confidence in their ability to
select stocks; Italians believe banks are inefficient; and Spaniards prefer to hold savings in cash.
Developments
One leading European bank - Credit Suisse - recently launched an on-line investment service for what it calls the “newly affluent” in Western Europe.
The bank believes that by using new technology, they can offer a faster, and lower-cost investment service.
Among its highlights are on-line trading facilities for 15 major world stock markets, a fund “supermarket” with five investment houses as providers,
and a choice of four currencies for deposits: Sterling, Dollar, the Euro and Swiss Franc.
The bank says it is targeting EU residents with a minimum 50,000 Euros of “investible assets”. But only 1,000 Euros, about ฃ600, is needed to set
up an account.
However, $100,000 is the wealth threshold for a new on-line wealth management service announced earlier this year by banking giant HSBC and US investment
house Merrill Lynch.
This joint venture between the two groups is targeted worldwide except for the United States, and is aimed at investors who might traditionally look to
private banking services.
Banks which traditionally target the affluent are also using the Internet more. In many cases their customers make the running by communicating with their
bank through e-mail. It may not be face-to-face but it solves the problem of different time zones.
Money funds
An alternative to traditional bank accounts for transactions other than clearing cheques and standing orders is to use money funds.
With these you get wholesale rates of interest across the board, rather than a sliding scale depending on how much you have on deposit and how long you are
willing to commit to leaving it untouched.
The interest rolls up in the units you buy, so you actually get capital gain on your units rather than simple interest.
As money funds are offered by long-established banks - such as Rothschilds - or internationally-recognised fund management houses such as Investec Guinness
Flight or Jardine Fleming (to name just two), one may be confident of a high degree of security in cash investments placed with such institutions.
Generally they offer free switches between currencies (unlike banks which typically charge a percentage spread when you change your money from one currency
to another) and in many cases free telegraphic transfers of money from your money-funds account to your local bank.
The only things they won’t give you are a credit card (except in the relatively rare case of your maintaining substantial amounts on deposit) or a
chequebook.
But money funds are well worth considering for your emergency capital reserve, as compared with the monthly cash flow & budget account you maintain in
your local or offshore bank.
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 .
Successfully Yours: Sirirat Tunsanthong
By Mirin MacCarthy
Just to speak to Sirirat Tunsanthong (known as “Or”) is to be inspired by her truly amazing attitude to life. Khun Or is the office manager of the Pattaya
Sports Club, which she does with grace and charm and efficiency from the confines of a wheelchair.
Born in the north of Thailand in Lampang, with one brother and sister, Or’s earlier life was not easy following her being struck down by polio at the age of
three. “I can never remember being able to walk,” she said simply. “Although my mother has told me that I could walk well before I became sick.” Or attended primary
school in Lampang and undaunted, studied secondary schooling herself.
 Four years ago she came to Pattaya to spend a year at the Redemptorist School learning
business management and gaining computer database skills. She returned home for a couple of months as there appeared to be no work here, but returned when her teacher found her a
job as a shop assistant selling electrical goods. She was there for only one month when she was offered the position as office administrator of the Pattaya Sports Club. She has
been working for the PSC for two and a half years now cheerfully helping others and grateful for the opportunity to make a positive impact in others’ lives.
Or is independent and lives alone in a room in North Pattaya and gets transport to and from work every day. I had to ask her, ‘how does being in a wheelchair
affect your life’, as if it were me I’m not certain I could be so cheerful. “Sure it is difficult,” Or said and laughed, but I am happy 90% of the time until I hear
somebody say something not good about the disabled.” Hopefully that is not too often.
Her spare time is spent taking care of herself, doing housework, shopping and reading. “Every day is different,” she said and giggled. Currently she is
studying the dictionary to improve her English.
Like all of us she has dreams for the future. For Or, her dream for the future is, “I hope to have a small shop maybe selling books or electrical supplies. I
would like to own my own business. I am not sure how I could do that though. It is not important to me to have a lot of money. For me success means that both my family and I are
happy. If I am important for somebody, then I can help many people. I have to be happy first and then I can make the people I love happy.”
The most essential values to her that she would want to teach her own children are, “Not to look at people from the outside. You have to look at what is in
their heart. It is important to be a nice person yourself first of all.”
When asked what advice she would give to other disabled school leavers, Or smiled and picked up the dictionary in front of her. “I know the word in Thai but
I don’t know how to say it in English. Here it is; keep trying, do not lose heart, do not be in low spirits. You have to try to do everything the best you possibly can every
day and then they will have a good future.” Definitely a very positive person is the PSC’s office administrator.
This statement packs a punch and I just had to ask, ‘How do you maintain such a positive attitude?’ “I am luckier than many of my friends, I have this
job I love and I stay in good spirits because of my family. I want to be able to look after them. Now they are too old, I want to be able to do as much as I can to help them.”
Or likes living here in Pattaya because of the people. “People here don’t seem to care about disabilities, they don’t stare, while even at home they
would stare. In Pattaya people are prepared to give a chance to the disabled.”
If she won 20 million baht what would she do with it? She thought for a minute then said simply, “I would give some money to my parents and some more for the
Redemptorist Centre. Then I would look at starting a business for myself.” Khun Or is a shining example of an undefeatable attitude to life. She is a lady who has learned that
self-pity is not good medicine. She is a lady with her heart in the right place and deserves everything that she will gain in the future. A future she will work for, not one that
she expects to be given. An afternoon with people such as this young woman is certainly an uplifting experience.
Snap Shots: Start a Portfolio
by Harry Flashman
One of the best ways to improve your photo shooting skills is to begin to put together your own portfolio project. This is not just a collection of your
best shots, but should illustrate a theme. The good news is that you get to choose the subject matter!
When Harry Flashman was setting out on his early photographic adventures he worked at producing images for a book on national patriotism. As he worked
through the supposed “book”, the exercise for the mind became an exercise in photographic technique which eventually produced professional imagery. In fact it was one
shot from that exercise that resulted in the first commercial contract. So your own portfolio project could be the start of your new career.
 Car Art as a “collectible”
project
Of course, you don’t need to be setting out on a new career path, you can do this exercise at any time in your life. In fact, one of Harry’s
photographic friends, Ernie Kuehnelt, who is more at the retirement end of life than at the beginning, came up with a great project the other day - he is photographing people
on motorcycles. You know the sort of things - families of five on one motorbike, little kids hanging onto the rear view mirrors, girls riding side saddle, etc. He started his
project and then realised he was not getting close enough to the action so has now decided to use a 200 mm telephoto lens and see what results he gets from that. He had
already found he needed to get a reasonably high vantage point, or the motorcycles got lost in the sea of motor cars. As I said previously in this article, “the exercise
for the mind becomes an exercise in photographic technique” and Ernie has already discovered this.
The important part of this exercise is to pick a theme that appeals to you first, not to sit and try and work out what kind of shots you want to take. Once
you have the project, the excitement of actually bringing it to life will spur you on to greater understanding, and incidentally, greater pictures!
Photo tips
One of the greatest drawbacks in amateur photography is that by the time you get your shots processed you have forgotten why you even took the shot! The
pro’s who are used to shooting many rolls of film a day get this instant feed-back. “Yes! The shot worked,” or even, “should shoot it later in the day” feeling so
they can go and do it again to get the desired result.
However, did you know you too can get the instant adrenaline rush? It is done by the simple expedient called processing partial rolls. Let’s imagine you
have just shot some pictures of your dog. Look at the film counter and note what number it is and then rewind the film. When you get it processed, tell the girl you only want
the first “X” number of pictures and you want the rest of the unexposed film back. It’s that simple.
Mind you, if your processing outlet looks blankly at you, go to one that does understand. I have often mentioned the Kodak Easy Express on Pattaya 2 Road,
just up from the Golden Beach Hotel and almost opposite Soi 9. They can do this for you (they do it every day for me) and all you have to do is remember that the “new”
roll of film you put back in the camera is a “short” one. Harry has always slipped the end of the film box into the slot on the back of the camera and turned it blank
side out when shooting short rolls, so I don’t think I’ve got 36 shots on, when there is really only 15!
But this way you get to see the results of your labours straight away, no waiting till you’ve taken the other 26 shots next month to see how the
photographs turned out. Of course, when you start getting enthusiastic about your picture taking you’ll shoot more film too! Film and processing are the cheapest parts of
photography.
Modern Medicine: Do doctors make children drug addicts?
by Dr Iain Corness
I had the misfortune, or perhaps good fortune to tune into a TV show the other day that was pronouncing some medical “break throughs”. Naturally I sat
up to see what has been happening in the rarefied atmosphere of academia.
The announcer breathlessly told the world that researchers in the USA were postulating that mothers who were given pethidine during childbirth were likely
to give birth to babies that would become drug addicts later in life. The programme went on to say just how important this finding was, and the significance for the future.
Of course, there was a little bit to say that this was the preliminary results of the research and much further work would have to be done to follow this up. Some British
“experts” were then interviewed who said that with anything like this it was not wise to be too hasty, but further evaluation would be necessary etc etc etc.
Let’s begin with the premise put forward. Pethidine to Mum in labour equals drug addiction in teenagers. Let me assure all you Mums out there who were
given pethidine by their obstetrician during labour - you have not condemned your children to the back street alleys of the drug underworld. Absolute bunkum! The effects of
the small amount of placentally absorbed pethidine by the newborn are worn off in hours. There has been no “imprinting” to make the child an addict 17 years later. If
this were the case, we would be vaccinating at birth. The reason we wait is because the immune system isn’t fully developed by birth - bub gets much of its initial immunity
through its mother, especially in the breast milk (hence the importance of breast feeding).
The “statistical” research here is totally flawed. So many mothers in the western world get pethidine that undoubtedly a great percentage of drug
addicts were exposed to pethidine during birth. However, the vast majority of children exposed to pethidine in this way do not become addicts later, but the researchers
happily ignore this. The same addicts also had mothers who used soap and water, wore shoes and used baby powder and shampoo on their children. None of these either “made”
the child into an addict years later.
What I was witness to, gentle reader, was the mechanism by which “research” groups get their funding. In these financially strapped times, academics
have to generate interest in their research and thereby some dollars to fund it. A little bit of controversiality always goes a long way to get world-wide publicity too.
Particularly if you can tug at a few heart-strings along the way!
So relax, the BIG BREAKTHROUGH regarding drug addiction has not been found. Perhaps there will be one in the future. This was a bit of pseudo-scientific
froth and bubble wasn’t it.
 Dear Hillary,
I have a very embarrassing problem with “wind”. I work in a busy office, with the usual shop-house design toilet facilities under the stairs to the
next floor. Every time anyone goes to the toilet you do so with all the eyes of one’s fellow co-workers following you. For me, the problem is worse. I seem to be unable to
go quietly once I have safely locked the door, and great thunderous roars accompany my every movement, if you understand me. When I come out, I am sure everyone has been
laughing at me and I cannot stop myself going red with embarrassment. What can I do?
Flatulent Freda
Dear FF,
You certainly do have a problem, but never fear, petal, there is help available. It’s called “Bowel Training” and you don’t have to send your bowel
off to school for expensive lessons either. You simply have to start every morning after breakfast by giving yourself ten minutes of quality toilet time. A good book, or even
the Pattaya Mail itself will do. Quality time is so important my dear. If you can do the doings, so to speak, then fine, if not, then you try again tomorrow and tomorrow and
tomorrow. Eventually your bowel will get the hint and you can co-ordinate your movements to fit in with your non-working hours. In the meantime, use the loo in the nearest
hotel!
Dear Hillary,
One of my colleagues at work keeps on suggesting I go out with him to go bar hopping one night. When I asked which bars he intended to visit, he was very
vague and was trying to dodge the issue. What do you think he is trying to do? He would be around 40 years old with a Thai wife. I am 27 and unmarried.
Perplexed
Dear Perplexed,
Why are you trying to “read” something into a situation before it has made itself evident? You are in charge of your own destiny and if you don’t
like the bar, then you move on. If you think he is trying to seduce you, then again you are in charge of the situation. Nobody is going to throw you flat on your back on the
bar counter, are they? Suggest to him it would be a great idea to go out and to bring his Thai wife with him. His next move will show his hand, I am quite sure. Unless his
wife wants to seduce you!
Dear Hillary,
I am about to try and learn the Thai language (for the third time) and I have been getting some conflicting advice and am hopeful that you, dear Hillary,
can put me on the right path. Some of my friends say I should just learn how to speak conversational Thai and forget about reading it, while others I know who speak Thai
fluently say I should learn to read and write the language at the same time. I’m confused enough as it is, what do you think?
Confused of Wong Amat
Dear Confused of Wong Amat,
No need to worry. Look at it this way, do Thai children learn to read and write first or learn to speak the language first? Do American kids learn to read
and write before they speak English? Of course they don’t. Children learn like parrots (but eat like pigs). Sure, it helps to recognize some words in Thai, but Hillary says
take the easy way and you should start like any Thai child and speak before you write.
Dear Hillary,
I think my boss expects me to be a mind reader. Whenever he has something on his mind he presumes that I will know about it and complains when I haven’t
done anything about situations I had no knowledge of! This makes it very hard for me, as he can get quite angry at times. Maybe I should stand up more for myself, but I
don’t know how to tell him he is being unreasonable. Do you know how to?
Worried, Wong Amat
Dear Worried from Wong Amat,
Two letters from Wong Amat makes Hillary think it must be a dangerous place to live in! So how do you tell a boss he’s being unreasonable? Easy my poppet,
you just say, “Sir, I believe you are being unreasonable.” Then go on to say just why you consider he is being unreasonable. Make sure you have your facts all straight
first and do stand up for your rights. After all, what’s the alternative? Working under a strain and writing to agony columns won’t take you through life, that’s for
sure. Be brave, don’t be a “Wimp from Wong Amat” and assert yourself. Remember that if you lose the battle, you haven’t lost the war. You have the ultimate weapon -
flee!
Dear Hillary,
We want to start a Hillary Fan Club. Would you be the patron? Where can we contact you?
Your Fans
Dear Fans,
Hillary is blushing, but you are really very silly people. How can you contact me? You just did, petal, didn’t you? But if you really want to start such
a club, I will be patron provided you charge a decent annual subscription (keeps the riff-raff out) and the money is donated to my favourite charity, the Champagne and Caviar
Fund for Aging Agony Aunts (Pattaya Branch). Let me know when you’re up and running, petal.
GRAPEVINE
| Ear ear
Cheap glue proved the undoing of a Russian criminal, actually a dangerous fugitive, who tried to exit via U Tapao airport using someone else’s
passport. His huge fake ears came unstuck in passport control and fell onto the ground where they were noticed by alert security staff. Yussipe Breen quickly confessed that
he had borrowed the passport of a friend who looked fairly similar but had much larger ears. Yussipe blamed his misfortune on locally produced glue which is apparently not
sticky enough when applied to the human face.
Golf drunk in charge
A tourist has been arrested for drink-driving in a golf buggy. He borrowed the cart after a heavy drinking binge following a charity golf match near
Rayong. He set off from the course, crawling along at 5 kph, but was stopped by police near the Sukhumvit highway. Leon Obert from Brussels apologized for driving so slowly
but pointed out there were no gears on the buggy. Asked what he was doing in the first place, he explained he was looking for a lost ball.
No chocolate delights
Although Marks and Spencer in Europe may be having serious financial problems, Pattaya’s TOPS Supermarket can’t keep up with the demand for their
chocolate digestive biscuits and keeps running out of stock. TOPS, incidentally, is a great shopping store but their cafeteria section is not quite on the ball yet. It can
be confusing to order and the blackboard menu choices are only in German and Russian, or were when Grapevine vigilantes stopped for a snack. If you want a cake or a
croissant, you have to use a different eating station near the bread section at the other end of the building.
Squaring the duck
As the billboard tells you, there are now 700 or so retail outlets at the new Duck shopping plaza at the intersection of Third Road and Sukhumvit. The
greatest advantage is that you can drive around and usually park directly outside the unit of your choice. There’s not so much “new” on offer, but browsing in a
hassle free environment is a major plus. So far, however, the complex has not taken off in the marketing sense. There are too few punters and too many bored looking shop
assistants especially after the sun has gone down. If The Duck is to become a major tourist attraction this high season, changes are required. For a start, shops should
consider marking their prices. Those which do already, for example the golf shop, seem to be doing better than the rest. The restaurants and cafes near Sukhumvit are worth
a visit, notably Taffy’s Pub which has a daily buffet for 190 baht.
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Reader query
HK asks whether there’s a car breakdown service in Pattaya. The one we know of is Car World Club or CWC on Sukhumvit Highway beyond North Road and
heading into Naklua. There are usually a couple of yellow breakdown trucks outside. There’s a one-off joining fee of 300 baht and the insurance cost for one year to
receive roadside assistance starts at just under 2,000 baht. There’s a limit on three breakdowns a year and a supplementary charge if the vehicle is more than thirty
kilometers from the office. Resident farangs should take along all their ID and the log book of the car in question.
Lock up time
Latest news on Pattaya’s new prison is that it is scheduled to open early next year out there on the main Rayong Road. This will complete Pattaya’s
independence on legal and juristic matters since nearly all court cases and bail hearings are already heard in the city’s courts rather than in Chonburi as previously.
From the new year, most farangs and Thais convicted locally will serve their sentence in the new jail. However, short sentences (say the one month for visa overstay
followed by deportation) will continue to be sweated out in Pattaya police station as now. Not recommended.
At the tattoo parlor
Things you don’t want to hear whilst having a tattoo.
Eagle? I thought you said Beagle!
There are two 0s in Bob, right?
Anything else you wanna say? There’s lots of room back there.
Oops…
We’re right out of red, so I used pink.
I hate it when I get hiccups.
Thought for the week
“I’m opposed to millionaires, but it would be dangerous to offer me the position.” (Mark Twain).
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Dining Out: The Balcony - much more than a Bakery
by Miss Terry Diner
The Balcony Restaurant has been around for five years and it has been some time since it was reviewed. The Dining Out Team felt it was time to change that and
accepted an invitation to dinner with the owner, Khun Rachain.
The restaurant is actually much larger than it initially appears, with a mezzanine dining floor area in addition to the main ground floor restaurant and
“Salon de The” (Tea Room).
The ambience is quiet understated “class” with marble tiled floors, pale pastel walls and large picture windows, salmon coloured table cloths, starched
napkins, glasses of cold water on the table and uniformed service staff.
The menu is large, both physically and numerically, with over 60 items, plus the rotating chef’s specials. The cuisine is international with two pages of
Thai favourites as well. Additionally, the desserts and wine list both have their separate menus. Wines are generally from France and Italy and are in the 600-2000 baht range.
The menu begins with a choice of seven soups between 60-80 baht, with the pumpkin variety being a favourite, according to Rachain.
Next up are ten salads (60-230 baht) including salmon, roast pork and tomatoes with tuna and anchovy and then seven hot hors d’oeuvres (100-150 baht)
including Quiche Lorraine, Mushrooms Provencale and clams in white wine.
A page with eleven pastas is next (150-180 baht) followed by Main courses split up into beef, pork, chicken, lamb and seafood (170-350 baht) featuring items
such as fillet steak with green pepper sauce, salmon steaks, fried lamb chops with mint and green pepper sauce and even an Indian style chicken curry.
After that there are the two pages of Thai food (150-170 baht) with some different items like duck curry with grapes or fried broccoli with shrimps as well as
all the usual standard items.
We began with a salad each, a “Balcony” ripe mango salad with spring bean and shrimp for Madame and a smoked salmon salad with mustard sauce for myself. To
go with the meal, Rachain chose a French Bourgogne Chardonnay, a very smooth white with a delightful bouquet.
 The salads arrived and looked sensational and beautifully presented. Upon sampling
them, they also tasted sensational! Madame’s had mango, almond, snow peas, prawns and asparagus with a delightful sauce, while my salmon was just simply the best. The salmon
was imported from Norway and had that full flavour from the fjords. It was also interesting to find out that the chef was Norwegian trained, hence his insistence on the imported
product. The mustard dressing was exceptional and both of these salads were two of the best I have had in Pattaya, bar none.
For mains, Madame chose a grilled sea fish with lemon and paprika, while I had ordered a chicken in white wine and cream sauce with boiled potatoes. The meals
were again artfully presented on sparkling clean and hot white plates. A touch that so many of our restaurants forget. The servings were also of a good size and not of the
miniscule “nouvelle cuisine” size that one can often be subjected to. The potatoes were cooked through, the sauces were perfect and both Madame and I were more than impressed
with our main courses.
We finished the evening with coffees and chocolate cake from the Balcony’s own bakery and sat back to take stock. The Balcony has been well known for some
time for its excellent cakes and pastries, perhaps too well known, as the restaurant side has become “hidden” behind the reputation of the cakes! To my mind, the Balcony has
some of the finest food in Pattaya, and when compared against the price, makes it the best “class” restaurant around. If you think that I am exaggerating, let me assure you I
am not. The other first class restaurants should not rest on their laurels, the Balcony is certainly up there with the best of them. Very highly recommended indeed.
The Balcony Restaurant, Soi Ananthakul, just off Pattaya North Road opposite city hall. Phone (038) 425 108.
Animal Crackers:
Mongooses, Mongeese or Mongi?
by Mirin
MacCarthy
Actually the first and last names can be used, but the group should never be called mongeese! These are small “rodent-like” carnivores native to Africa,
southern Europe and Asia. All mongooses are members of a family of small to medium-sized carnivores called the Viverridae, which also includes civets and genets. These mammals
are all characterized by an elongated body, a face with a pointed muzzle, short legs and, generally, a long, furry tail. For the students of Rudyard Kipling, “Ricki-Ticki”
was a mongoose!
Mongooses come in several sizes, with the smallest, the Dwarf Mongoose being around 300 mm long, while the large Grey Mongoose can grow up to 1.2 metres. One
of the largest species was considered a sacred animal in ancient Egypt. It checked the increase of crocodiles in the River Nile by eating their eggs and gained the popular name
of the “Pharaoh’s Mouse.”
The Dwarf Mongoose is an interesting animal, being another like the Meerkats featured last week in having a very “social” nature and moving in packs.
This mongoose is the smallest of the African species. It is stocky and has a fairly short muzzle. It is usually speckled brown or reddish in colour.
A Dwarf Mongoose pack of 12 to 15 individuals covers a range of approximately 75 acres that overlaps with the ranges of other packs. A range usually contains
20 or more termite mounds, which are used as den sites, lookout posts and sources of food.
Unlike the meerkats, the Dwarf Mongooses are nomadic, and packs seem to be constantly on the move about their range, seldom using a den site for more than a
few days at a time.
These Mongooses are diurnal in habit, living in their burrows (dens) at night and coming out in the morning at sunrise to groom themselves and each other,
while the youngsters indulge in play.
If the young are small, like the meerkats, they stay at the nest site with a babysitter, but if large enough to keep up with the pack, they all move off with
the adults to forage for food. During the heat of the day the pack often returns to the den to rest. They forage again in the afternoon, and sun and groom themselves before
returning to the den for the night.
Again similar to meerkats, the dominant pair is likely to produce most of the young in the pack. When the young mature they usually join a smaller pack or
link up with other emigrating animals of the opposite sex and establish a new pack, thus reducing the level of inbreeding in any given pack. All of this is very important for
the longevity of the species.
Dwarf mongooses mainly feed on insects like termites, locusts, beetles, grubs, larvae and spiders. When they forage, they keep in contact with short chirrup
calls, one of many vocalizations they use. Interestingly, even though they often cooperate in hunting, adults generally do share food. They also collect and carry insects to
the young. The lifespan of the Dwarf Mongoose is generally around 8 years.
Down The Iron Road:
Steam-Hauled Special Trains
by John D.
Blyth
Introduction
When I saw my first highly-polished Thai steam locomotives, in early 1972, it was hard to imagine that they had only about four more years to run. About 200
were then in stock, far less than that in service, but a big order for main-line diesels had been placed with Alsthom of France, which would displace the remaining steamers. A
world shortage of oil in 1973 led to a possible cancellation of the diesel order, and retention of steam, but the decision was made to carry on as planned. By 1976 very little
steam activity was being reported, possibly one or two on shunting work at stations on the southern line, and soon even that had stooped.
Three times a year
Is it not something of a miracle that despite all this, in a country not known for its deep interest and love for steam locomotives, we can, in a new
Millennium, still find days when steam trains once more leave the main station in Bangkok, and take the public on a day’s outing to Ayutthaya and back, over the first section
of the State Railway to be opened, and on which King Rama V made the first Royal journey in the history of Siam, on 26th March 1896? Each day this is known as “Railways
Day” and on this day annually the Ayutthaya steam train runs, hauled by two ‘Pacific” type locomotives (824 and 850) usually with a train of ten coaches. The other two
days are 23rd October, ‘Chulalongkorn Day’ when the work of this great King is remembered, and 5th December, the birthday of the present King of Thailand. Before 1994 there
seems to have been a train on 12th August as well - birthday of H.M. Queen Sirikit, but in that year it was replaced by a religious function in Thonburi station.
 The steam special for Ayutthaya
leaves Bangkok on 26 March 1995; ‘Pacific’ locomotives, Nos 850 (leading) and 824, both built in Japan. 850 was the last steam locomotive delivered to the State Railway.
For the benefit of photographers the two locomotives run ‘back-to-back’ so that the front one runs ‘chimney leading’; the time of departure used to
be about 8:30 a.m., but recent timetable alterations may have made an earlier departure necessary. Book in advance, and check the time! The return is about 4:30 p.m. and a tour
of historic Ayutthaya is available.
Three trains in a day
In 1994 a unique event took place, the reason was said to have been a ‘Centenary’ but of what has never been made clear. The 26th March event became
three trains, instead of the normal one. Very early, two five coach trains went out from Bangkok, one to Lop Buri, hauled by one of the ‘Pacific’ and one to Kanchanaburi,
with two of the Japanese C 56 type 2-6-0s brought into Thailand in 1941, No. 713 and 715, and finally, at the normal time, the Ayutthaya train, with a freight 2-8-2, the second
‘Pacific” being under repair. This amazing feat was not repeated, and the precise reason remains uncertain.
River Kwae Week
The famous Bridge on the River Kwae was bombed during the war, and two spans were put out of action. The bridge itself was brought from Java, and no spares
were to be found, so a temporary bridge was built alongside and ‘made do’ until the war was over, and two spans of a different type were used.
 The freight 2-8-2, No. 953,
passes Bang Sue on the way to Ayutthaya on the morning of 26 March 1994, the day when three steam trains ran.
At the end of November each year there is held a ‘River Kwae Week’, with various events round the bridge, the river, and Kanchanaburi town. One of the
best known and most popular is a ‘Son et Lumiere’ event to commemorate the bombing; one of the Japanese C 56 locomotives, in steam, is run on to the bridge, among
fireworks, bombs, flares, and much noise. It is, of course, carried out after dark, and is said to be very spectacular! I confess to not having seen this event!
Amazing Thailand - the tourist event
Most will recall this very big two-year event aimed at enticing even more visitors to the Kingdom. The State Railway decided that their contribution should
be a daily train for tourists from Kanchanaburi to Wang Pho, on the remaining part of the notorious railway, which formerly connected with part of the Burma railway system by
way of Three Pagodas Pass. At first the two available Japanese C 56 locomotives were provided, but this did not satisfy authority, and two ‘Pacifics’ had to be sent up,
with 953, the freight locomotive as a standby. The train ran daily with a locomotive at the end of three coaches, but passengers were very few as the State Railway, for some
reason, would not advertise the service. A colleague even asked at the T.A.T. Office at Don Muang Airport, and they had no knowledge of the train either! But, after a while a
very fine coloured poster was produced, but could only be seen at stations, generally on the platform, so those millions who never enter a S.R.T. station would still never see
it. On a reduced basis the service did continue through the two ‘Amazing Thailand’ years, but has now been withdrawn. I have a copy of the poster, as a memento!
 The evening of 26 March 1994: the
train from Kanchanaburi stands in Bangkok station on arrival, with the two class C. 56 locomotives, 715 nearest the camera, and 713.
The line through Pattaya
This line, to the port of Sattahip, is one of the most recently built in the Kingdom. Some years ago a group of British rail-buffs asked for a steam train to
run to Pattaya had it done so, it would have been the first in history, but for reasons not quite clear, it did not do so. There has thus been no steam train for the public on
our local line at all. But news reached me last November that the two C. 56 locomotives had been seen at Sattahip on a filming or T.V. contract. They seem to be the only steam
locomotives to visit the branch, and may be the last.
Woman’s World: Crepe paper?
by Lesley Warner
It can make one really depressed writing this column! There are so many different things waiting in the wings to grab us; if it’s not wrinkles it’s
stretch marks! Two common factors that keep coming up appear to be diet and moisturiser, and it might be well to bear this in mind.
According to statistics, about 75 to 90% of all pregnant women develop stretch marks, usually during the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy. The stretch
marks are referred to as “striae” in medical terms. The appearance is purplish or reddish in color, and stretch marks fade after delivery to shallow scars that are lighter
in color than the surrounding skin. Pregnant women are not the only ones susceptible to the development of stretch marks. Adolescents in a growth spurt, and athletes who
practice strenuous, repetitive exercises, such as bodybuilding, are also vulnerable to stretch marks. Also included are individuals with excessive amounts of weight loss or
gain, and the obese are particularly prone to develop these marks.
Stretch marks develop in the skin’s middle layer, called the dermis, an elastic layer consisting of fibers known as collagen that allows our skin to snap
back into shape. When this layer is continuously stretched over a long period of time, the elasticity begins to weaken. The skin tries to reinforce itself by increasing the
amount of collagen in the over-stretched tissue, resulting in the scars we call “Stretch Marks”.
Are stretch marks preventable? Curable? Various theories exist, implying that the issue is still open to debate. Many healthcare professionals suggest that
stretch marks are a genetic trait and are not preventable. However, many of these same professionals advise that massaging a moisturising cream into the stretch marks on a
daily basis, beginning when they first develop, may help them fade.
Commonly suggested remedies such as cocoa butter, vitamin E oil and other preparations or creams have no evidence that they actually work. It’s believed
that eating a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, and using an all natural salve made specifically for softening skin tissue will result in the chance of reducing the
severity of stretch marks, if not preventing them altogether. More importantly, weight control is a crucial factor.
During periods of rapid weight gain, skin stretches to accommodate increased body volume. Because skin is elastic, it will tolerate significant stretching
over a short period of time, such as during pregnancy. At some point, however, the skin reaches a limit, and the deepest layer will tear instead of stretching further. When the
deep layer tears, the overlying skin remains intact but appears thin and streaky. These streaks are called stretch marks. Once stretch marks occur, they are permanent.
Fairly new studies show that a 1% Retin-A (or tretinoin) cream, an anti-acne cum anti-wrinkle medication, can be very helpful, particularly when used on
relatively new stretch marks. You need a prescription from your doctor to get Retin-A, and it is not recommended if you are pregnant or nursing.
Beware; although some physicians claim that lasers are effective in removing stretch marks, there is no evidence to support this. Most plastic surgeons think
that lasers are ineffective in treating this problem. Lasers are only effective in removing, vaporising, and breaking down tissues. They do not generally repair tissues.
Stretch marks represent torn tissue. Hence, improvement should not be expected from laser treatment. Moreover, clinical studies have shown no improvement in stretch marks after
laser treatment.
Abdominal stretch marks occur primarily below the belly button. Because much of the skin below the belly button is removed during a Tummy Tuck, stretch marks
in this area are also removed. If you have stretch marks below your belly button and are also interested in having a tummy tuck, then this operation will remove those stretch
marks. There is no other proven treatment for stretch marks. But as always I say take care to check out any physician for cosmetic surgery before you have treatment.
Social Commentary by Khai Khem
Financial Journalism, Can We Trust it?
Any reader who has money invested in some kind of stock or bond portfolio, pension or mutual fund, knows that in order to protect his capital and still make
his money grow, he needs to keep on top of what’s going on in the financial arena. That means keeping up with the news and the mountain of financial information with which we
are now bombarded. And to sift through all that daily information is a momentous task. To actually understand it enough to make sensible decisions based on some of that
information can be utterly overwhelming. But to be out of the information loop can be a costly mistake.
Since much of the financial journalism these days is confusing and contradictory, just how much can we trust these so called experts? When journalists cover
politics, no single reporter can affect a political campaign unless several news organisations pound away in unison and throw a politician on the defensive. However, much of
the public in most countries mistrust the press, muting the impact of a concerted editorial attack on a national leader.
In the business arena, however, the financial journalists are the players. They make things happen instantaneously, and their impact is gauged not by
subjective polls, but the starker standard of stock prices. A single negative story, true or not, can send a company’s share price tumbling in a matter of minutes.
Conversely, a report about a possible takeover attempt can immediately pump up a stock, adding millions of dollars to a company’s net worth.
Journalists, of course, don’t spew out information and speculation in a vacuum. They are used every day by CEOs, by Wall Street analysts, by brokerage
firms, and fund managers who own stocks they are touting, or are betting against the stocks they are trashing. These money men are as practised in the art of the “spin” as
the most slippery politician. Instead of measuring their success in votes, it is measured in money.
Amid this daily deluge, there is one inescapable problem: Nobody really knows anything. Now these are savvy people to be sure, but all of them, the
journalists, the commentators, the brokers, analysts, and the traders, are feeling their way through a blizzard of their own information, desperately trying to filter out the
white noise to make out the next trend or market movement or sizzling stock. They swim in a strange soup-like mixture of facts, gossip and rumour. They desperately pick each
other’s brains and milk each other for information, frantically searching for someone who may know just a little bit more than they do. And they promise untold riches as they
peer into what is primarily a modern day crystal ball.
Still, they wield great influence. In our modern world where everyone is jockeying for advance intelligence on what to buy or sell, information is POWER.
Some reporters, to be sure, ferret out useful stories amid the blurry landscape. But there is no real penalty for being wrong. They escape by blithely
chalking up their mistakes to the market’s unpredictability and quickly turn to the next day’s haul of hot new information. It is a mutual manipulation society that affects
everyone with a direct, or even indirect stake in the market.
This is not to say that there are not trustworthy financial advisors in the profession who are competent and who are sincerely motivated to work for their
client’s best interest. For example, this publication’s esteemed columnist, Mr Leslie Wright, takes us through the world of finance every week. Mr. Wright walks his readers
through the various possibilities of sound investment. He also anticipates that his readers are of different nationalities and income brackets and thus addresses the needs of a
wide variety of people.
We are discussing here the financial media hype which has taken the world by storm in the past few years. Like so much of life in our rapidly changing world,
we must pay attention and use our common sense. In a time of head-spinning volatility, these mass media financial gurus are not the slightest bit interested in the average
investor’s hard earned life savings. These Wall Street prophets are entertainment stars for a more sophisticated audience. Riding the tail of the tiger can be a high
adrenaline sport. But only for those with nerves of steel.
The Computer Doctor
by Richard Bunch
I often get asked about ways to optimise and keep systems running in tiptop condition. Whilst there are many things to consider in this regard, one of the
most efficacious things you can do is defragment your hard drive/s. Whether you are running Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000 or NT or your file system is FAT16, FAT32 or NTFS, hard
drives become fragmented to a lesser or larger extent. This fragmentation means that it takes longer to address a file since it is fragmented and the individual parts of it may
be spread over several areas of the hard disk; when requested these are then assembled on the ‘fly’. Disk fragmentation is a normal occurrence that happens over time as you
edit and save files. To boost performance you should regularly defragment your hard drive. The Disk Defragmenter included with the operating system is a stripped down version
of Executive Software’s Disk Keeper, which is available for all Windows platforms and now in version 6.
Whether you use the operating system Disk Defragmenter or Disk Keeper this task should be performed regularly. It is also wise to select the Analyze option
first; this will provide you with a graphical display that shows you how bad the file fragmentation is on your hard drive. It will also create a report that you can save or
print. Selecting the Defragment button, the defragmenter software will display the graphical analysis and then immediately begin defragmenting the files on you hard drive.
If you have used fragmentation software before, you will no doubt have noticed that it has a fairly high overhead and that working whilst this task is
undertaken, particularly on lower spec’d systems can become impossible, also, other than on Windows 2000/NT, continually accessing files causes the defragmentation process to
restart. However, as the process uses a lot of system resources I still recommend that you run Disk Defragmenter when you don’t need to be using your system. Using Disk
Keeper also opens up several other options, including ‘set It and Forget It’ and now in version 6 this has been further enhanced and is now intelligent, although
this can be overridden if desired. It is also by far the quickest defragmentation engine I have come across.
One final note, not specifically about system performance, but… have you got Anti Virus software installed? And if so, are the virus definitions
up-to-date? If the answer to either is no then this should be your priority! Viruses are becoming more destructive and I have seen many systems destroyed recently. Remember
that these will now track across network drives so a backup to a network drive really is inadequate contingency and you should be backing up to removable media. My personal
favourite is to CD since these are not writeable to other than by CDR writing software, so even if a virus is copied, it remains cocooned.
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
includes; 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
Nightmarch
Heard This One: An American man, who claimed to have been a regular visitor to the Land of Dancing Maidens for five years, recently paid the bar fine for
a young lass whose command of the English language was marginally better than that of the cast of East Enders. The man took the girl to a nice feed bin but, as he soon
discovered, conversation was not one of her strong points. So, he brought her back to the ogling den, depositing the princely sum of seven Baht on her. Although no horizontal
exertions had taken place, the girl was understandably miffed at copping a mere seven Baht. When the owner of the den added his three Baht’s worth, telling the Cheap Charlie
he was insulting the girl, the American’s reply was that he’d shown her a good time by taking her out for a slap-up feed in a nice nosh house. The owner’s reply was that
she’d probably have been happier chewing on a bowl of 20 Baht noodles and the least the Yank could do would be to give her a more acceptable remuneration. Offended, the
American then threw 200 Baht at the girl and stormed off. He was last seen heading back to Florida where he hoped to get a job counting holes in ballot papers.
Niche in the Market: For months now the gay community of Thailand has been hearing about a new book, designed to be a kind of Lonely Planet guide to the
gay areas of the Land of Toy Boys. The Gay Guide to Thailand was due to be released in October but, Thailand being Thailand, a series of unforeseen delays meant that the
lengthy tome didn’t hit the bookshelves until the end of November. According to those in the know, the guide fills a much-needed gap in the marketplace and at 450 Baht seems
reasonably priced. The book is produced by Asia Publishers and for more information you can contact them by email at: [email protected]
My e-mail address is: [email protected]
Sea Worlds: Ocean Magic
by Apichart
Water. It is the magic element which makes Earth unique among the planets, and it is the one substance in our world which exists in three states: solid,
liquid, and gas. Earth is unique because of the great seas that blanket 71 percent of its surface. Without this massive volume of water contained in the oceans, Earth would be
intolerably hot by day, and freezing by night. Our seas absorb the sun’s energy, move it around the globe, and release it into the atmosphere. This tempers the earth’s
climate. The oceans’ enormous energy and the diversity of elements dissolved in its waters and gave rise to life about three and a half millions years ago. Today the seas
teem with multitudes of creatures comprising hundred of thousands of species.
 Cherry blossom anthias
There is water elsewhere in the universe, in the dirty ice of Haley’s comet, for example. There may be oceans elsewhere. Titan, Saturn’s giant
moon appears to have an ocean of ethane perhaps a mile deep. But the Titanic ocean is not the sort of place where the life we know can endure. Photographic evidence shows old
canyons and washes, which suggests that there were once oceans and rivers on Mars. But Mars is now a desert planet. Our ocean (for all the oceans and seas are joined as one) is
what makes us unique. The only known water planet is ours. No other watery, blue-green orbs circle our sun. For life-forms based on carbon, this third sphere from our sun is
the only one; what we call the blue planet. Ocean is what distinguishes us. Its breath, coming as wind, swirls and marbles the planetary surface, changing the patterns of the
clouds. The ocean’s capacity for heat controls planetary weather, stabilising our earth’s surface temperatures, and insulating life in the ocean. Earth’s oceans are
interconnected, making a single reality. But this one reality has a thousand moods. It is here where the planet lives, a habitat with vastly more volume than land.
Almost all Earth’s water (320 million cubic miles of it) is in salt ocean. If the magic on this planet is contained in water, then most of that magic lies
in the seas. We have always been curious about the nature of the ocean. Until recently, lack of access to the depths kept us largely ignorant of even the most prominent ocean
floor features. Now with giant leaps in modern technology, man can at last explore the depths of the sea. But we have only begun to discover what lies in this underwater world
of secrets. We know more about the surface features of Mars than we do about the ocean’s floor. To date, we have seen less than one percent of the deep sea floor. That leaves
a world within a world to investigate and explore. We need to heighten our appreciation of the ocean wilderness and mystery. To understand the rhythm of the sea and to hear its
music is to understand that our life-filled, life-giving ocean is among our greatest treasures.
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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