COLUMNS

HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:
 
Family Money: Cleared of all charges
 
Snap Shots: What should you buy?
  
Modern Medicine: Coughs and sneezes spread diseases

Heart to Heart with Hillary
 
Grapevine
 
Social Commentary by Khai Khem
 
Women’s World
 
Animal Crackers
   
A Slice of Thai History
 
Antiques, are they genuine?
 
Shaman’s Rattle
 
The computer doctor

Family Money: Cleared of all charges

By Leslie Wright

I’m a great believer in transparency. Investors should know exactly what they’re buying, and the charges that apply to the investment instrument they’re committing to.

When I was M.D. and compliance officer of a leading Hong Kong brokerage before establishing my own firm in Pattaya, any complaints from clients would come across my desk, and I was required by law to investigate them.

Fortunately there were very few - but of those that I did have to handle, the majority had to do with the charges not having been made clear to the client.

Typically, the client wanted to cash up a long-term savings plan before its maturity date, and was upset to find that penalties would be applied for so doing.

All investment vehicles have charges attached to them. It may come as a surprise to some readers that the institutions that devise them are in business to make money not only for their clients but for themselves also.

The way they do this is by having a set of built-in charges - some simple, some complex, depending on the investment vehicle in question, and how it was designed, and for what purpose.

When I was training new recruits I taught them to explain the charges carefully to the client - but sadly this procedural rule does not apply universally to all brokerages. It is also difficult to monitor and enforce.

Over the years I have come across many instances of weak consultants failing to explain the charges adequately to the client, for fear of losing the deal.

The client would then have some justification in claiming that the investment product was miss-sold. (They usually claim they were deceived, although it is really up to the client to read the product brochure carefully and ask questions on anything that’s not clear - but this they often fail to do.)

Rules in HK

The new procedural rules that were introduced into Hong Kong in 1996 have gone a long way to reducing complaints from investors about charges not having been explained to them, and eliminated most accusations of mis-selling.

Under that legislation, financial consultants are required to show the client a printed illustration of how their investment is likely to perform - and the effect of charges. Hence, the client can never say he didn’t know about the charges or penalties that would be applied if he cashed it in early.

The client is asked to sign a copy of that illustration, which has to be submitted to the issuing institution together with his application.

If the consultant fails to submit a signed illustration, the institution will not accept the business.

This procedure caused an uproar amongst the financial services community at the time, who felt it would limit their ability to write business, and as the vast majority earned commission, that it would drastically affect their income.

My view was that this procedural rule was a good thing, because it meant that the investment vehicle would be properly explained to the client, who would then be making an informed decision; and the consultant could never afterwards be accused of failing to inform the client about the charges & penalties. (And it is worth mentioning that in the few cases I encountered of such an accusation in the firm I worked for at the time, the objective of the canny client in many of those instances was to exert pressure on the firm to swallow the penalties for him/her when he/she wanted to cash up a long-term savings plan after only a few years of contributions, often to reinvest the proceeds into some get-rich-quick flavour-of-the-month investment opportunity. This despite the fact that the charges are clearly spelled out in the investment documents they receive, which all too few investors ever bother to read, let alone ask questions about.)

But that’s Hong Kong. What about regimes where such regulations either aren’t enforced or don’t exist? Thailand is one such.

Here I have heard of many cases of investors signing up for a long-term program who were told that they could cash it in after a year or two if they want to. That the plan has a high degree of flexibility. That their money is not locked away.

All of that is true - but what the salesman failed to inform the client was that if he/she did cash in a long-term plan after just a couple of years, pretty hefty penalties would be applied in most cases.

In my view, it should have been not only made clear but emphasised that if the client were to suspend payments into or cash up a long-term plan after a short period, he would suffer penalties.

This is really no different, fundamentally, from a fixed-term bank account which offers a higher rate of interest provided you keep your money there for the full term. Yes, you can cash it in early - but typically you lose all the interest if you do. Isn’t that a penalty?

A long-term plan is a long-term plan; it isn’t a short-term one.

If a client thinks it likely that he will be unable to continue contributing into his savings program for X years, or need the accumulated capital before that period is ended, he shouldn’t be signing up for a plan for X years. He should be asking about a short-term or open-ended plan. (These typically aren’t as cost-effective, but you trade off cost-effectiveness for accessibility, just like with a passbook bank account versus a time-deposit account.)

Typically, though, the salesman will be motivated by the fact that he will earn more commission from the long-term plan than he will from a short-term or open-ended plan, which may pay him only a dribble each month the plan is maintained, rather than the full amount of commission up front.

And as all too many financial salesmen don’t plan to be around long enough to look after the client and ensure he keeps the plan going, they will look after their pockets first and their clients very much second (or last).

And then they wonder why our industry has acquired a bad reputation, and why they encounter resistance when they call up their list of prospects to get an appointment.

(continued next week)

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Snap Shots: What should you buy?

by Harry Flashman

At some stage in your life you are going to buy a camera. If not for you, then for your children. So what should you buy? That question is about the same as “What car should I buy?” You see, the confusing part is that these days all cameras will produce reasonable photographs. However, like all cars which will get you from A to B, some are capable of doing it better than others. The same goes for cameras.

Before you start rushing off to the camera store, picking up brochures or thumbing through photography magazines there is one vital step that has to be done first. How much do you want to spend? It is a total waste of time looking at new BMW’s if all you can afford is a second hand Corolla. Set a ceiling on your budget and work from there.

The next item in the search for a camera is what you want to do with it. Sure you want to take photographs, but do you want to be a creative photographer, or just take snaps of family outings at Sattahip Beach? If you do not want to “get involved” with photography, then a simple compact “Point and Shoot” is all you need. However, if you want to try and master the art of photography then you must look at getting an SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera. Certainly, the top of the range compacts have lots of features these days - but nothing, repeat nothing, beats an SLR.

At this point, let’s get the “digital” or “conventional” question out of the way. Digital devotees will say how much money they save by not having to get films developed and printed, how they can see straight away whether they have got the shot they wanted and how they can manipulate the shot they have taken on their home computer. What they do not say is how they can show the photo to their friends. Lug the computer round to Aunty’s house? Or buy an expensive printer, loaded with expensive photographic quality paper and then make prints yourself? Personally, I believe the choice is simple. If you are taking shots to send via email, then go digital. If your photographs are to be kept in albums to show to your friends then stay conventional.

So now let’s look at compacts first. I suggest that you look at any one that has a range in the focal length of the lens. Generally these are called something like 28-70 or 38-105. This sort of range gives you the advantage of a wide angle lens and a small telephoto all built in. What to look for here is just how easy is it to look through the viewfinder and see what you are going to get in the different lens positions. Many times there are two sets of lines that you are supposed to use and very often these are totally confusing. Some compacts move the viewfinder in line with the lens and this is much superior in my opinion. A few to look at and consider are the Olympus MJU’s, Nikon Zoom 310, Konica Z-up 110, Canon Sure Shots 270 W and Z 135 or Pentax Espio 90 MC.

While still on compacts, there is a new breed called APS cameras. These use the new Advantix type films. These are easily recognised with the oval film cassettes that just drop into the cameras, with no leader strip to pull across. These cameras will allow you to take panoramic shots as well as standard shape ones. They also give you up to 40 shots on one roll and a proof sheet so that you can check the shots you want printed full size. Unfortunately, these tend to be the more expensive compacts. One of the most impressive (and expensive) is the Canon Ixus Z70. Check out the APS range, they do have many advantages over standard 35 mm Compacts.

Next week I will deal with buying SLR’s - the serious shooter’s equipment.

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Modern Medicine: Coughs and sneezes spread diseases

by Dr Iain Corness, Consultant

What with the current “scares” on anthrax, everyone who gets the slightest chesty cough seems to think that they have been singled out on the terrorist “hit” list. Let me assure you that downtown Pattaya is not high on the terrorist agenda. There are a few other more important downtowns first.

However, there has been quite an epidemic of coughs and colds recently, so if you didn’t get a cough consider yourself to be lucky. The latest bout has been a form of Tracheitis. This is inflammation of the trachea, that part of your breathing tube to the lungs before it splits to become the right and left bronchus. The clue is in the ending - “itis” which generally means inflammation and / or infection. Thus you can get Appendicitis (inflammation of the Appendix) and Pharyngitis (inflammation of the pharynx) etc., etc., you get the picture.

Infection and irritation of the breathing tubes is, as we said in the beginning, very common. The most usual cause is however, our old friend cigarette smoking! If you don’t believe that cigarette smoke is irritating, try letting it waft into your eyes and see how they will sting and water. Your Trachea and Bronchi do just the same!

With Tracheitis, it generally begins as a slight irritation deep in the back of your throat. There can be some soreness as well, even on swallowing. Unchecked this develops into a ‘productive’ cough, with loads of gunk being coughed up, which we refer to as ‘sputum’.

One of the signs and symptoms your doctor will want to know is, “What colour is your sputum?” This gives us a chance to see if your cough is from an irritation or infection. If you are bringing up large lumps of yellow or green goo then you have an infection, but if the mucous is clear then you probably do not harbour a nasty little bug in your throat. If however, the sputum is red and bloodstained then you may have burst a little blood vessel in the throat - or of course, this could be an early sign of lung cancer but don’t panic yet!

If the sputum you are coughing up is thick, green and gooey, this is fairly suspicious of a bacterial infection, and sometimes we will attempt to “grow” the bug to identify it. No, this is not for germ warfare, it is just so that we can feed the tracheal bug some different antibiotics to see which ones exterminate the bug best. This is a much more accurate way of choosing the correct antibiotic, than selecting ones by the pretty colour they are on the pharmacist’s shelves.

If you have gone over a week and your cough is showing no sign of letting up then it really is time to line up with all the other coughers at the outpatients department. Just make sure you can describe the colour of your sputum!

I should have mentioned that if you are a smoker, the chances of the cough lasting longer are much higher, as well as being more likely to catch the couch from someone else.

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Dear Hilary (sic),

I bet you don’t publish this. After having read your heavy handed reply to James’s letter about his girl friend, (Pattaya Mail Vol IX, number 32) I feel I must make a short comment about this reply. Firstly, I assume this girl is paying no rent? yes?, secondly she’s not paying for her food?, right? and probably she’s never had to buy any food? or clothes?, yes?. If she wants more money why doesn’t she get a job? or does she just want to free-load for ever. I sense from you Hilary (sic) some hostility towards foreigners/men?

In most of Europe the couple both work - as the cost of living is so high and every expense is shared. So I would say this girl is doing rather well. Who the hell would spend 2000 baht on a bottle of wine anyway apart from some rich show off?

Scott

Dear Scott,

To bring the readers up to speed, your friend James was feeding and housing his new girlfriend and giving her 2000 baht a month to live on. In return, she would have been cleaning and looking after the house as well as certain matrimonial style favours. Now 2000 baht a month is 500 baht a week, or in even more basic terms, around 70 baht a day. James goes to work, as we know from his letter, as they pay for the condo and the consumables therein (not philanthropic James). So what does James’ girlfriend do after she has finished her “home duties”? Well, in the afternoon she might go and have some som tum with her friends and go to a movie - that’s today’s 70 baht down the drain. I just hope she didn’t get a popcorn while at the movies, because she’s now overspent James’ magnificent handout. Scott, my little Poppet, it is useless telling me what couples are doing in Europe - it has no bearing on what is going down here. You may as well tell me what couples are doing in Iceland - she sits at home gnawing whale meat while he goes out pig sticking polar bears - again it has no bearing on what happens here. Hillary (note two “ells” my Petal) stands by her judgement, that in this case in Pattaya, your friend James is the “free-loader” here, not his Thai girlfriend. If he wants her to work as well, then get a maid and find his girl a job - and I am sure he doesn’t want her to go back to working in the bar he found her in!

Now then, snotty Scotty, as far as hostilities are concerned, many of Hillary’s friends are male foreigners and they are not rich show-offs, but are quite happy to share a 2000 baht bottle of wine with Hillary. They do not have long pockets and short arms.

Finally, Scott on the spot - you just lost the bet too, didn’t you, darling! Hillary will accept a suitable box of chocolates or a decent bottle of wine as your losing wager. Left at the Pattaya Mail office will be fine, addressed to Hillary.

Dear Hillary,

I have recently in the last four months met a young woman and we have begun to form a relationship. She lives with her aunt, but this woman seems to have some kind of powerful hold over her. When we go out, her aunt must not be told, we have to meet in the supermarket and I have to drop her back one block from home so that her aunt does not see us. She is Thai, 23 years old and single and works in her aunt’s business, while I am Canadian, have been married before and am 50 years old. The age difference does not seem to worry her (though it worries me), but the aunt is certainly making life difficult as far as allowing this romance to grow. We have very strong feelings for each other, but what can I do? Have you any suggestions Hillary? How can I get my girl to be straight with her aunt, or how do I get the aunt to accept that my girl wants to see me? I am totally confused by all this, and if I didn’t feel so strongly about this girl I would have given the whole thing up as a bad job months ago. Should I go and speak to the aunt in private or what? You must know what to do in these circumstances Hillary.

Stymied

Dear Stymied,

There is so much within the culture of Thai families that you as a foreigner will not have ever experienced, my Petal. First, she lives with her aunt, so the aunt has responsibilities to the girl’s mother and father. Those responsibilities include protecting her from unsuitable suitors - and in the aunt’s eyes you might just be in that category, there is as you say a large age gap between you. There may also be other family agenda that you are not aware of. Perhaps she is being groomed for some other family responsibility, and an older farang is not part of that scene. Hillary would not recommend that you take the step of speaking to the aunt, before you have a long chat to the girl. Be prepared for disappointment. Look for someone more “available” next time.

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GRAPEVINE

Hurricane Hercules

A local man has been arrested after making obscene phone calls to a TV weathergirl. He explained that he thought her descriptions of the weather were coded messages of love to him personally. Amongst the phrases he took to be amorous invitations were ‘hot and steamy, ‘storm climax’ and ‘my favorite hotspot’.

Serial kisser

Jose Mourra, said to be a tourist with a problem, was ordered to leave the city limits after trying to kiss every woman he encountered in a well known superstore on Sukhumvit. Mourra explained he was only trying to be friendly. He had previously been hurled off a tennis court after unsuccessfully trying the deep throat treatment with Martina Navratilova. Not surprisingly.

War of the pies

After years of nothing at all, the choice of English style pork pies in Pattaya is truly staggering. You can try Simple Simon, Yorkie’s Pork Platter, M and M and Seventh Heaven. The first two, both Jomtien based eateries, do a gut-buster fried breakfast for around 150 baht which will make your eyes pop as well as your stomach. Don’t try both on the same morning.

GEOC Awards

Over the next few weeks, GEOC (Grapevine Eating Out Collective) will be preparing its annual awards for best value for money Pattaya food based on incognito visits we have made in recent months. Odd, though, how even good restaurants often spoil themselves by charging extra for a glass of water or providing only that awful powder with the post prandial tea or coffee. A really good restaurant offers customer service and not just a meal.

Work permits

TS asks whether it is actually safer to have a non immigrant visa, rather than a tourist visa, if you are working in Pattaya. No, neither carries the necessary authority. The only partial exception is that a non immigrant type ‘B’ visa just might see you through for a month or two, provided you have the papers to show that an application for a work permit has been made to the Labor Office. See your lawyer quickly.

Terminal advice

It’s a gruesome thought, but how do you claim back for cremation a farang body? The police will initially take the cadaver to Banglamung mortuary, and quite likely on to the police autopsy laboratory in Bangkok. The appropriate embassy will not release the paperwork until the next of kin have been contacted to ascertain their wishes, whether that’s in Thailand or abroad.

The real thing

If you don’t want the bother of making fresh orange juice yourself, the cheapest in town (no sugar added) has gotta be the South Road fruit stalls immediately opposite Center Condo. Just 20 baht for a decent sized plastic bottle. They are packed in ice and the brisk turnover means they sell freshly and deliciously.

Technologically challenged

An exasperated caller to Dell Computer Tech couldn’t get her new Dell Computer to turn on. After ensuring the computer was plugged in, the technician asked her what happened when she pushed the power button. Her response, “I pushed and pushed on the foot pedal and nothing happened.” The foot pedal turned out to be the computer mouse.

All the gen

You can’t survive long in Pattaya on just bars and stars. If you’re looking for golf, a friendly welcome awaits you at The Bunker, top of Soi Chayaipool. Chess people looking for a game sometimes congregate in Royal Garden Plaza, top floor. Playing card games can be iffy for legal reasons, but there’s a registered bridge club at Pattaya Beach Condo, Mondays only just before 14.00 hours.

Tailpiece

Overheard in soi eight during the crackdown. “You can’t order another Carlsberg, sir, because it’s illegal after two o’clock.” To which was the response, “OK, gimme a Heineken.”

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Social Commentary by Khai Khem

Are we all getting fatter?

Am I the only one who thinks the world is getting fatter? Or at least more plump? I just read some statistics that in the 1970s two third’s of the world’s population lived below the poverty line. Today that number has been reduced to about one third. Wealth distribution, better education, the Green Revolution and modern agriculture techniques certainly account for much of this progress. When I think about people getting fatter, it is not the lower income peoples of Third World countries I am wondering about. I suppose the people I observe could be called the middle class or upper middle class in more nations than just a couple of rich democracies.

Now, before the brick-bats start flying, let me state that I do not have a hidden prejudice against obese people. A curiosity about a social phenomenon is not the same as being a bigot. I simply see a lot of very fat people in every country I travel in the past few years, which makes me realise that the eating habits of huge portions of the world’s population have greatly changed. Therefore there must be some cultural changes taking place which seem to effect people’s appetites. Fat people are springing up in nations which traditionally did not have a problem with obesity. So why is this?

There are many opinions as to why this could be. We have been discussing this problem for years...it is not new. Some people think it is simply that ordinary people really don’t know the way food chemistry works in the body; which food contains what and how it metabolises when digested. Others think perhaps modern life and its conveniences don’t make us work hard enough. Not work hard enough? I’ve never seen people so driven by their work as they are in this day and age. Too many modern conveniences? Not enough exercise? Too much money? Too much food? Ah, there we may have struck on something.

Food is big business and very political now in every nation. Countries which produce more than they consume export the excess, and those which do not grow enough of something in demand must import it. Advertising in all its forms pumps out propaganda on food 24 hours a day in one form or another. How about choices? Pay dirt! So many choices and so much competition would account for the bombardment of advertising. But the food must get to the mouth before it turns to fat, right?

I think I really have the answer to this particular social idiosyncrasy. Many societies base their cultural interaction on food, and the ceremony with which it is accompanied. Even cave dwellers held ceremonies after the kill of the beast and the fire was struck. But they were not obese, not even pleasingly plump. I believe the problem...if it is one, comes from something much more connected to the human condition than cultural ceremony and national cuisine. It comes from curiosity. All of those new products on the shelves need to be sampled. There is an endless supply and human ingenuity will always come up with new products and new recipes.

One doesn’t actually have to be of a certain race or ethnic background to get fat. In other words, Northern Europeans, tall, hardy and stout are not the only people who’s girth increases to mammoth proportions. But I will admit that cultural cuisine has a lot to do with adding those extra pounds or staying lean and mean. Western food can be incredibly mouth-watering, but the portions and the calories can add up if one doesn’t actually dig ditches for a living.

I have Thai friends who went to study or do business in the USA and Europe, and after two years came back to Thailand as plumb as pickles. Why? Because they had never seen so much food in their lives, and of such variety. They wanted to try it all. They had no idea what the ingredients were in anything they ate. It was scrumptious, and even as they grew out of their clothes, bought bigger ones and stretched the new ones to the limit, they ate, and ate. Always trying something new, always more dishes to taste. Thais are curious and food is their passion.

And so we have the beginnings of an obsession. Food is something we of every nationality all have in common, and so people will always talk about food. What they are eating at the moment, what they ate yesterday, what they will eat tomorrow. I realise Thais have been accused of being total bores on food. But that is because they are not scintillating conversationalists by nature. Americans and British however, can be fabulously witty, interesting and informative. But when a group of them gets together and food is in the offing, many times the conversation turns to IQ 64. For example, in a restaurant, when my native English speaking pals all have menus and are about to order a meal, talk leaps around the table and the basic topic is “great meals I have eaten” while the waiter takes the order. Other friends and associates email information to me on dozens of different topics. My English speaking friends do that too, AFTER they have told me what they had for breakfast, lunch and dinner, what their friends and kids are eating, and what their neighbours are cooking. My German and Austrian friends all gather to discuss philosophy and the meaning of life. Come to think of it, what else could we discuss over a pig’s knuckle and a heap of sour cabbage?

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Women’s World: Another pioneer

by Lesley Warner

As my last courageous woman at war for a little while I have chosen a young English woman named Amy Johnson. Amy was born on July 1, 1903, in Hull Yorkshire and lived there until she went to Sheffield University in 1923 to read for a BA. Later she worked as a secretary for a solicitor; she did this for three years and while there she became a member of the London Aeroplane club, located at Stag Lane. This was in the winter of 1928-29 and her hobby soon became an all-consuming determination, not simply to make a career in aviation but to succeed in some project that would demonstrate to the world that women could be as competent as men in a hitherto male dominated field.

Amy Johnson

While Amelia Erhart flew because she loved to fly, it has been said that Amy flew in the pursuit of fame and fortune. Whether it is true or not, it suited the ‘powers that be’ at the time, as they were keen to convince the general public that flight was exciting and safe, so Amy was promoted by the press.

Amy’s first important achievement was to be the first female pilot to fly alone from Britain to Australia, which she achieved at the age of 26. She then became the first female ground engineer licensed by the Air Ministry and was awarded the C.B.E. for her flying achievements.

Although reported to be a dreamer without much in her head, Amy obviously had ambition when she leaked to the press that she’d been picked to fly a new experimental airplane to Australia. The ploy worked. The public took an interest in her and she managed to get her hands on a De Havilland Moth biplane.

Amy set out to beat Bert Hinkler’s record for flying to Australia; it had taken him 16 days. Amy set off alone in a single engine Gypsy Moth from Croydon on May 5, 1930 and landed in Darwin on May 24, an epic flight of 11,000 miles. She was the first woman to fly alone to Australia. Her trip took 19 and 1/2 days and she became and instant celebrity. When her battered airplane arrived in Darwin she was given a hero’s welcome. The Daily Mail gave her a 10,000-pound prize and scheduled her on a flying tour of Australia. The stress of the tour was worse than the stress of the flight. It left her close to a nervous breakdown.

In July 1931, she set an England to Japan record in a Puss Moth with Jack Humphreys. In July 1932, she set a record when she flew solo from England to Cape Town. In May 1936, she set a record from England to Cape Town, again, to retrieve her 1932 record.

In 1933, with her husband Jim Mollison, she flew nonstop from Pendine Sands, South Wales to the United States. They also flew nonstop in record time to India in 1934 in the England to Australia air race.

Amy finally joined the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) in the early days of WW-II, then, while flying from Blackpool to Oxford, she overshot her destination by 100 miles. Amy ditched in the Thames Estuary after running out of fuel, and although a convoy trawler tried to rescue her she drowned on January 5, 1941.

All her accomplishments were well recognized at the time. Not only did dignitaries formally acknowledge her but she also received much public interest, becoming a celebrity of the day. The British Women Pilot’s Association has an annual award, the Amy Johnson Memorial Trust Scholarship, to help outstanding women pilots further their careers.

For whatever reason Amy Johnson chose to fly she took on courageous challenges and succeeded.

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Animal Crackers: Some sea snakes are killers

by Mirin MacCarthy

Persistent myths about sea snakes include the mistaken idea that their short fangs cannot bite very effectively. This is simply wishful thinking; their short fangs (2.5mm to 4.5mm) are quite capable of penetrating a man’s arm. They can open their small mouths wide enough to bite a tabletop, or swallow prey twice as wide as their neck. All sea snakes have venom that is highly neuro-toxic, though some are more pacifist than others.

Habitat

Sea snakes inhabit warm tropical waters from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. They are particularly abundant in the Persian Gulf and the Bay of Bengal.

Different Species

Usually classified in two subfamilies, the Hydrophiinae which are found in tropical waters everywhere and the Laticaudinae. All the species of Laticaudids are restricted to the waters of Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific. Called sea kraits, they are much more land dependant than the others and must come ashore to lay eggs, whereas the Hydrophiinae give birth to live young at sea. Sea kraits are usually of inoffensive disposition, they frequently do not attempt to bite even when caught and handled and are therefore considered non-dangerous.

However, some species of Hydrophiinae are both aggressive and curious and may chase and bite divers with the minimum provocation. In particular there is a mean tempered type, the ‘Enhydrina schistosa’ which swims off Malaysia. It will inject large, lethal doses of venom and has been responsible for human deaths.

Tails

All sea snakes have flattened compressed paddle-like tails for propulsion in water. The sea kraits also have strap-like ventral scales similar to land snakes. These provide traction and movement over the ground. The Hydrophiids, which rarely leave the sea, have reduced belly scales.

Prey

Many species feed on elongated fish, such as eels, which they paralyze with their venom. Others specialize in gobies or catfish, while believe it or not two Australian species eat only caviar. They forage fish eggs from rock and coral crevices.

Size

Adult sea snakes are not large, ranging from about 1.6 to 3.3 feet (.5 - 1 m) in length, although Stokes’ sea snake can reach nearly 6 and a half feet. (2 m). Most are slender and the sexes tend to be different sizes in various species.

Shedding

Sea snakes have a good anti-fouling mechanism; they shed their skin every two to six weeks. This removes barnacles and algae and maintains their streamlined hydrodynamic shape.

Breathing

Sea snakes have valvular nostrils and close fitting mouth scales that both give watertight seals. Unlike eels, they have no gills and must rise to the surface of the water for air, but they can remain underwater for several hours. They achieve this feat because of a specially adapted three chambered lung that extends the entire length of their body. This allows for respiration, gas exchange and air storage with long periods of breath holding, adapting the sea snake as the perfect diver. The sea snake’s skin is impermeable to water but they can extract 20% of their oxygen needs through their skin from oxygen dissolved in seawater.

There is very good reason to stay well out of the way of these fascinating creatures unless certain whether they are the passive or aggressive type.

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A Slice of Thai History: Prince Bira, Thailand’s greatest sportsman

by Duncan Stearn

Part One, The Early Years: 1914-1937

The sporting achievements of Prince Birabongse Bhanutej Bhanubandh, or Prince Bira as he was better known, have led many pundits to declare this grandson of King Mongkut (Rama IV) as the one of, if not the, greatest sportsman produced in Thailand.

Considering the breadth of his performances, undertaken on land, sea and in the air from 1936 until 1978, it is difficult to find a serious challenger for that title of ‘greatest sportsman’.

Prince Bira was born on July 15, 1914 in Bangkok, the third son of H.R.H. Prince Bhanurangsri Bhanubandh. In 1927, aged 13, he was sent to England to attend that most famous of all public schools, Eton College. It was here that he had his name shortened to ‘Prince Bira’ by a teacher who could not pronounce, let alone spell, his full name. She simply began referring to him as ‘Prince Bira’.

The 1932 revolution that ended the absolute monarchy in Thailand and eventually led to King Prajadhipok’s (Rama VII, Bira’s uncle) abdication in 1935 had little real impact on the Prince. He simply remained in England, going on to study at Cambridge University.

In addition to being a keen sportsman, Prince Bira was also a man of culture and was studying sculpture in London when he, via his cousin, became interested in motor racing.

Prince Bira’s cousin, the 27-year-old Prince Chula Chakrabongse, headed up a motor racing team called White Mouse Racing and Prince Bira decided to try his hand at piloting a racecar. He proved a natural.

In 1934, the then-20-year-old Prince had met and fallen in love with a 17-year-old English girl named Cheryl Heycock. She later wrote, “I found him incredibly good-looking; he was beautifully proportioned with slim waist and hips, broad shoulders and very strong arms and legs. He had smooth, pale gold skin and his black hair shone.” Three weeks after their first meeting, Bira asked Cheryl to marry him.

The couple’s circle of friends and acquaintances ranged from members of the Thai and British royal families to people like Noel Coward (the famous playwright, composer and actor) and even Foreign Office official Guy Burgess, later to defect to the Soviet Union, and Anthony Blunt, the art historian who was to be unmasked in 1979 as the ‘fourth man’ in the Soviet spy ring that included Burgess.

In 1936, the White Mouse Racing team purchased an English Racing Automobile (ERA) for Prince Bira’s 21st birthday. His first race was at Dieppe in France where he finished a creditable second. His first major win came in the 1936 Brooklands International Trophy and he also won the Coup de Prince Rainier at Monte Carlo. In May 1937 he won the first race conducted on the new Malcolm Campbell Circuit. Campbell had set a new world speed record in his car ‘Bluebird’ just two years earlier.

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Antiques, are they genuine? : Collectors and Collections

by Apichart Panyadee

It is important at this stage to understand the strength of the English furniture industry of the 19th century in relation to copies of earlier pieces. The whole of Europe saw a vogue for the Romantic and England was no exception - indeed England was responsible for a huge production of furniture in the 18th century styles, especially those of the Louis. Alongside this manufacture, many of the Bond Street dealers, such as Edward Holmes Baldock, were buying antique pieces direct from France. Many of these items, some branded with Baldock’s initials, were ‘improved’ and additions were made to cater for contempory taste.

This small secretaire was once thought to be Louis XV. In fact the porcelain mounts are 18th century Servres, but the carcase is c.1840.

The great 19th century collectors such as Lord Hertford, the Duke of Hamilton, the Rothchilds and John Jones bought such pieces. Their taste was reflected in the shops selling both contemporary and antique furniture and, when their collections were eventually dispersed, they in turn renewed the enthusiasm for the Louis styles. Many pieces were copied, for example after the Hamilton Palace sale of 1882, likewise on the bequest for the Jones Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in the same year. A small table which was once part of the collection of Lord Roseberry and was included in the Mentmore Towers sale of 1977 is an example of a redressed 19th century piece which probably dates back to c.1840-1850, for the wood and metal work are both of that period. But the plaque is an 18th century Sevres original, so this enhances the value of the table considerably, especially since the plaque was not damaged. Naturally, condition is a shaky factor in determining age.

This valuable ‘redressed’ table was once in the collection of Lord Roseberry.

The great 19th century collections consisted therefore in part of authentic antique furniture redressed to contemporary taste and in part of copies. More and more interest is being focused on these copies. They are to be seen at most of the better museums in Europe. American museums have had to concentrate more on period or contemporary innovative design. They have not had large quantities of excess furniture at their disposal and have therefore spent their resources on ‘purer’ examples. Though there is a tendency today to dislike or even scorn the copy, this will pass as they and the background that fostered their manufacture become better understood.

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Shaman’s Rattle : What’s in a metaphor?

by Marion

If you had to choose what one book to take with you into solitary confinement, what would it be? War and Peace, The Bible, The Complete Works of Shakespeare, How to Stay Sane Locked in a Lift? I am a committed bookaholic and my choice would be a slim 100 page book, “Notes From a Friend” by Anthony Robbins (ISBN 0-7434-0937-X). Of the thousands of books I have read this is one of the best, a simple and indispensable guide to taking control of and immediately increasing the quality of your life no matter the circumstances. It is a small but powerful book and it is truly amazing, only baht 400 but ten times the value.

Have you ever felt stuck with no way out?

Have you ever lost your sense of proportion? Have you ever been so far down a hole you just felt like not bothering to climb out but lying down and dying? This book will change your mind, help you climb out of that hole with glee. It deals with ‘Feeling Overwhelmed and How to Turn it Around, There are no Failures, Building Beliefs and Blasting Off’ and much more. Inspiring and life changing it is the type of book you can pick up and read at any chapter. It makes you feel great and motivated and you can turn to it like an old friend again and again. Indeed a friend of mine who has met the author said he is the most enthusiastic person she has ever met. Anthony Robbins main theme is, “There are no problems only solutions.”

Break through a wall with a new metaphor

Robbins’ ninth lesson - just three pages on - “How to Break Through a Wall With a New Metaphor” is a superb example. The author says, “What do all these statements have in common? - I’m at the end of my rope. I can’t break though the wall. I’m floating on air. I’m as happy as a lark. Life is a battle. I’m drowning. Life is a beach. I’ve reached a dead end. Life is a bowl of cherries? They are metaphors, symbols: a quick way to say a lot. Describing something as being like something else. Metaphors make a difference. When you choose a metaphor to describe your life or your situation, you choose the beliefs it supports too. So be careful about the way you describe your world - to yourself or anyone else.”

What’s in a name?

“What difference does it make to you personally to describe life as a battle or life as a beach?” Think about it. “I can hear you saying, ‘Fine but right now I feel totally fenced in’. Great, just find the gate and open it. ‘Yes but, I’m carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.’ So put the world down and move on,” advises Robbins.

“How do you describe your world? Is it a test, a struggle? What if life was a dance or a game or a flower garden? If life were a dance what would that mean? What if life was a game? What if life was a garden? What do you think you need to make life whatever you want it to be?” This book really makes you think and ultimately realize that nothing is such a great problem after all, you ain’t really stuck at all, there is a way out, there are solutions!

Problem solving

“Notes From a Friend” gives great problem solving questions also. Ask yourself:

1. What is great about this problem?
2. What is not perfect yet?
3. What am I willing to do to make it the way I want?
4. What am I willing to no longer do in order to make it the way I want?
5. How can I enjoy the process while I’m making it the way I want?

Asking yourself these simple questions certainly puts a new perspective on things.

Power your day

“Notes from a Friend” gives fabulous Morning Power Questions and Evening Power Questions to ask yourself and I quote Robbins, “That set me up for feeling great all day and end my days on a high note.” These power questions are just that powerful, and they really put that smile back on your face.

“Morning Power Questions”

1. What am I happy about in my life right now? What about that makes me happy? How does that make me feel?

2. What am I excited about in my life right now? What about that makes me excited?

3. What am I proud of in my life right now? How does that make me feel?

4. What am I grateful for in my life right now? What about that makes me grateful?

5. What am I enjoying most in my life right now? What about that do I enjoy and how does that make me feel?

6. What am I committed to in my life right now? What about that makes me feel committed?

7. Who do I love? Who loves me? What about that makes me feel loving? How does that make me feel?

“Evening Power Questions”

1. What have I been given today? In what ways have I been a giver today?
2. What did I learn today?
3. How has today added to the quality of my life? How can I use today as an investment in my future?

Life enhancing

The evening power questions are simple and superb, “What did I give, what have I given, what did I learn today? How can I use today as an investment in my future?” are just such magic ways to reap positive rewards in the future. I have to say my lesson was to focus and each morning to write down a priority list of goals for the day. As it is extremely easy not to bother to dress or put makeup on if you work from home, let alone write priority lists just possibly that will be life enhancing for me and the unfortunates who knock on the door too. As you will see from the excerpts this small book really works and gives you a boost all day and night. It’s magic!

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The computer doctor

by Richard Bunch

From Mark D Saul: In response to the reply posted in a recent article, I hope you were able to verify the writer’s job title and company as you have given him and any other person willing to buy a stolen pc the key to unlocking the bios password. I’m sure you know this but thought I would voice my concern. Unfortunately no one checks for a bios password before stealing a pc so it doesn’t really matter anyway.

Computer Doctor replies: The short answer is no; readers letters are taken as bone fide and responded to appropriately. Whilst what you say is partially true, you would be amazed at the frequency with which this information (which is freely available in the public domain) is needed legitimately. Disgruntled employees will often try to ‘throw a spanner in the works’ and setting a BIOS password is an easy target unless the precautions I outlined have been taken. If the article is read in context then for the legitimate company or indeed user, the revenge attack can be averted.

From Jenny Waddle, Jomtien: I have a laser printer which has started taking in many sheets of paper at a time, sometimes 20 or more. It is now coming up for five years old and although I print very little, I prefer the laser quality to the inkjet. I am loathe to take it for repair as I think the repair cost could be prohibitive but also I cannot afford a new laser printer but could stretch to a low end inkjet which will not give me the results I want. Any cheap solution would be appreciated.

Computer Doctor replies: Unfortunately, laser printers of this age do start to show signs of wear. There are fortunately a few things you can try yourself at virtually zero cost. Firstly you need to open the printer up as much as possible without removing screws, but removing the toner cartridge, and then with a lint free cloth moistened with alcohol/methylated spirit, carefully clean the transport wheels. Be sure you don’t catch the corona wire! Next you need to remove all the debris that has accumulated over the years; this is best done by blowing compressed air through, don’t use a vacuum cleaner as the static these generate is a killer to circuit boards. Let it thoroughly dry out and then replace the toner cartridge, etc. Hopefully all will be OK, if it isn’t, it may still be worth you obtaining a quote for repair, this is likely to cost in the region of 500 - 750 baht. Also bear in mind that at this time of year, humidity is particularly high which results in paper sticking together. For this reason it is worth only having a minimal supply of paper in the printer, the main stock is best kept in an airtight container in a room that has a constant temperature.

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. For further information, please telephone 01 782 4829, fax 038 716 816, e-mail: [email protected] or see the firm’s website www.act.co.th

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