HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Family Money

Snap Shots

Modern Medicine

Women's World

Heart to Heart with Hillary

Grapevine

Antiques, are they genuine?

The computer doctor

Social Commentary by Khai Khem

Roll over Rover

A Slice of Thai History

The Message In The Moon

Coins of the Realm

Family Money: Is now the time to buy “Guaranteed” funds?

By Leslie Wright,
Managing director of Westminster Portfolio Services (Thailand) Ltd.

In times of market uncertainty, many investors jump at the magic word “guarantee”. If markets have fallen 20%, as they have over the past two years, it is easy for a financial adviser to say: “If you had bought this guaranteed product, you would not be sitting on a loss now.” But hindsight is a wonderful thing. Two years ago would probably have been an excellent time to purchase guaranteed funds - but is it the right time now?

Ideally, you want to lock in your profits at the peak, not limit your growth potential from the bottom. So the time to buy a guaranteed product is at the top of the market, not after a two-year bear market. Going in now would be shutting stable doors after the horses have long disappeared over the horizon. Now is the time for girding loins and grasping opportunities!

When all is doom and despair, it’s a sure sign that the market is at a nadir and buying capital guarantees simply wastes money. For instance, the FTSE 100 has never fallen over a five-year period. To keep this trend going, the market needs to rise about 30% over the next three years. Even if you think returns will be lower than this, most analysts agree there will be some growth.

Guaranteed products’ biggest problem in recent years has been market volatility. The majority of these products work by purchasing options either on individual stocks or indices. In the early years of structured products it was common to see products linked to the FTSE 100, Eurotop 300, Nikkei 225, or the S&P 500. A lot of products were launched which were very creditable: investors had full capital guarantees regardless of index performance, a minimum return over the five-year term of around 5% simple interest per annum, and a return based on the performance of the index during the defined period.

The worst case scenario was that you would be left with simple interest as a minimum return; the best was an equity style return from a guaranteed cash product. Investors decided that the risk of only receiving simple interest was worth taking, and these products quickly became best sellers. Many of these matured during 2001 and despite the large falls in the markets during the last two years, the returns were very satisfactory.

It was therefore interesting to read the advertising leaflet that dropped out of a financial adviser magazine last month. The life company shall remain nameless, but the literature certainly looks tempting with the promise of 11% income over the next three years and a full return of your capital - as long as none of three indices falls by more than 30% from the opening position over the period. While you may deem this unlikely from current levels, continued negative sentiment, let alone another terrorist attack or major earthquake in Tokyo, could have a devastating effect on the markets. Anything is possible.

A lot of opportunistic financial advisers will be calling their clients to sell them this opportunity. After all, with this particular product, you need no stock market growth to have a full capital return. But what no company does when promoting these products is to actually say what the worst case scenario is. It is fine talking about index or stock past performance, but if it all goes wrong what is the worst you can get back? If you read the literature very carefully, you discover that you are in fact subject to the same losses as the markets to which you will be exposed - plus the rather high product charges.

It may be unfair to pick on this one product: there are other more risky investments being promoted under the auspices of safety and capital protection. Two recent ones, from Eurolife and NDF respectively, are linked to just 10 stocks. (Remind me how many unit trusts can invest in just 10 stocks - and if they could, would you invest in them)?

In order to receive a full capital return, none of the 10 companies can be below 80% of the opening price at the end of the period. If you look at some of these companies over the last couple of years, many would fail the test.

BT is about 20% of its price two years ago, Vodafone is under half its all-time high, and even Lloyds TSB is 25% off its peak. Just because they are big, well-known companies that make up around 50% of the FTSE 100, does not make them low risk. In fact only four sectors are covered: banks, oils, pharmaceuticals and telecoms. It has to be said that some of these perform well in defensive markets and some in growth markets - but it is unlikely that they will all perform consistently well together.

The reason for the risks being taken is simple. The price of options has increased due to market volatility. As the price has gone up, the number of options purchased has gone down in order to keep the headline rate of either growth or income at a level designed to attract investors. The number of stocks has steadily gone down from 50 or 100 to 30 this time last year, then 20 and now 10. You almost have to ask the question can these products get any riskier? Will we see a product linked to just five stocks later this year?

I have nothing against new financial products - on the contrary - innovative products give investors wider choice (and in some cases greater confusion).

However, many guaranteed and structured products are designed with attractive, headline-grabbing income payments or fixed growth which many investors buy into without realising the true dangers. If there is a true capital guarantee that does not reduce your investment, even if the underlying index or company falls to zero, then it may be worth looking at. But as far as I’m aware, no such animal exists at present.

At least with a unit trust if the value goes down 30%, 40%, or even 50% you do not have to sell at the end of a three or five-year period: although it can be financially painful, you can hold on until you have recovered your investment. But there is no such luxury with fixed life products: at maturity you get back more, less or what you put in, and that’s the end of the story.

Snap Shot: Has Nikon reinvented the wheel - or built a better mousetrap!

by Harry Flashman

The hot news in the camera field has been the release of the Nikon FM3A. Not a digital, not an auto everything, but the latest development of the Nikon F series cameras, of which Harry Flashman has been a great fan.

My love affair with the Nikon F series began many years ago in the darkroom of a national daily newspaper. I had just joined the list of part time contributors and was given rights to the darkroom. I had also been given the very latest auto camera from one of the major camera makers. It had auto bracketing, auto rewind, auto fill flash, several auto modes, the works. But when I watched my prints develop in the darkroom, they were not pin sharp. The press photographers who also inhabited the bowels of the daily newspaper spent I am sure several hours in the pub, before, after and during work. They also had the most battered cameras I have ever seen. But they also had pin-sharp photographs!

I confided in the chief photographer who just reached into his desk drawer and (literally) tossed me a Nikon FM2 to try. Suddenly I too had pin sharp pictures and became a Nikon fan at the same time.

These days I have an FA and an FM2n, both of which do sterling service and both of which are no spring chickens. But they produce sparkling sharp photographs. The FA is electronic, while the FM2n is a manual camera. No batteries included and you can use it on the North Pole. A bullet proof picture taker.

So now Nikon have released the latest in the F series, called the FM3A, and the magazines have been almost 100% in their enthusiastic appraisal of this camera. It seems to be everything the FM2n has been - but better in many respects.

First aspect to master is that this is not another AutoFocus (AF) camera. This one is a Manual Focus camera which incidentally will still take the majority of the AF lenses as well as the manual focus lenses - and a damn fine range of good glass they are too, I might add.

Secondly, this is a manual exposure setting camera. That is, you do it yourself in the best Ansel Adams tradition. It does have its own metering system, so you have a guide, and a very accurate one, according to the reports. In fact, the meter is more accurate than the ones in my FA and FM2n, and they work well as far as Harry is concerned. However, as opposed to the manual FM2n, there is an Aperture Priority auto mode that can be used as well.

Auto wind-on? Sorry, but you will have to buy the Nikon MD12 motor drive if you want that level of sophistication. Auto take-up when you put the film in? Sorry, none of that either. Those are probably about the only “new” technology features that you would miss. All the other features are there, in spades!

A dead-set accurate shutter speed from 8 seconds through to 1/4000th of a second. Very accurate metering. A viewfinder that shows almost 100% of the final picture and TTL (Through The Lens) flash metering (provided you are using a dedicated Nikon Speedlight).

The body is made of aluminium with brass top and bottom plates - a welcome reversal to the injection moulding plastics used so often these days. On the top, you see the traditional shutter speed dial with the exposure times from 1/4000 of a second to one second, as well as “B” (bulb) for longer, timed exposures. Remember that these are mechanical shutter speeds, unaffected by battery power. One “notch” after 1/4000 is “A” or aperture priority and this gives you step-less shutter speeds right through the whole range.

There’s lots more, but just take it from me that if you want a camera to leave to your grandchildren - then this is it. Prices in this country are around 25,000 baht for the body only. And worth every satang!

Modern Medicine: Should you dilute your water with scotch?

by Dr Iain Corness, Consultant

Everyone seems to know that water is an important ingredient in our everyday lives, but there is certainly confusion as to what kinds of fluids are good for us. Unfortunately, they are not all the same. The fluids that come in dark brown or green glass bottles react in our bodies quite differently from the fluids that generally come in clear plastic bottles.

The way we absorb nutrition from fluids is also a very important factor. I am sure you have visited someone in hospital and seen a “Fluids Only” sign above the bed. I can guarantee you will not see a “Solids Only” sign. From our health’s point of view, fluids are very important and in fact very necessary for us to exist.

Did you know, for example, that you can do without food for 14 days but you can only live without water for 7? In other words, water is twice as important as food! Our bodies are made up of a large percentage of fluid and much of our biochemical systems are involved with just maintaining the fluid levels. For example, the colon is a water absorbing organ (that is why poo is semi-solid), the lungs excrete water (that is how you can “mist up” your glasses when you breathe on them) as well as one of the main water regulators, the kidneys; your blood is just water with cells and electrolytes in it and even the skin is involved in fluid balance. That is why you get sweaty armpits, chaps!

As well as being a daily requirement, water can be a therapeutic measure as well. What is the best treatment for chronic constipation? Double your fluid intake. What is the most important factor in the treatment of diarrhoea? Fluids, fluids and more fluids. What should you take for a hangover? Fluids (but not alcoholic I hasten to add)! Sunstroke? Fluids. The list goes on.

One of the greatest threats to young babies is dehydration. With the diarrhoea of infants, it is not an infection that kills the little bubs - it is the dehydration that does it.

So just how much fluids should we drink in a day? Well, the first thing is to qualify what we mean by “fluids”. These must be water based and not alcohol based. (Unfortunately alcohol tends to stimulate the kidneys and increases fluid output, putting the system into dehydration. That is why there are large queues at the urinals in pubs! It is also that dehydration that gives you the hangover headache!)

The physiologists would tell us that we should drink at least one and a half litres of fluid a day, and that is a lot more than most of us take. Put one and a half litres of water in the door of your fridge and drink from that container all day and see what I mean. If you are out of doors and sweat heavily, then you should increase the fluid intake even further. In fact double it at least.

So the next time you “Chok Dee” and clink glasses, make one of them water. Your body will thank you for it. The elixir of life is here already. It is called drinking water.

Women’s World: A relaxing drink

by Lesley Warner

I was interested to discover after reading about the subject that alcohol has more effect on women than on men (typical). Over the past 40 years the percentage of women who drink alcohol has increased from 45 to 66 percent.

Drinking every night to relax is a major sign of trouble, even if you aren’t drinking that much; this was a shock to me. When I am tired, like many of us, especially when I get home from work it is nice to relax with a drink. It appears that this so called relaxing drink can actually have the opposite effect. Drinking alcohol does not produce true ‘relaxation’ - it ‘drugs’ or ‘tranquilizes’ the drinker, and alcohol cannot only disrupt sleep, it can cause stress.

Many women drink because they are depressed; alcohol, being a depressant, brings you down even more and can create a feeling of hopelessness. The toxic effects of alcohol can manipulate the brain’s neuro-transmitters, which are responsible for mood and judgment. This can cause an even deeper depression and even bring about thoughts of suicide. It can also create a continuous cycle of drinking and depression: the more you drink, the more depressed you become and the more you drink.

I’m sure everyone was pleased when they heard the reports stating that the occasional drink has the ability to lower heart disease risk but be warned, this benefit applies mainly after menopause and higher than one drink a day can be harmful to both post and pre-menopausal women. Also, medical researchers warn that alcohol is the chemical most clearly shown to increase breast cancer.

Men and women are not equal in their response to the consumption of alcohol. Since, on average, women are smaller than men, equivalent doses of alcohol produce higher levels of concentration in women’s bodies. For example, if a woman drinks the same amount of alcohol as a man she will have a 25 to 30 percent higher blood alcohol level because of her lower body weight. The average female carries 10% more body fat than the average male and body fat does not contain much water. Consequently, most women have less body water to dilute the alcohol, leaving a higher concentration of alcohol in the body.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase is a metabolizing enzyme that helps the body get alcohol out of its system. Women have less of this enzyme than men, so more of what women drink enters the bloodstream as pure alcohol. In other words, women can expect substantially more alcohol-caused impairment than men at equivalent doses. Women tend to have a much shorter drinking career than men before the onset of serious medical problems, such as becoming addicted or developing liver problems. Even if they drink less alcohol or drink for a shorter period of time, women are substantially more likely to develop high blood pressure even when their level of drinking is moderate.

When your male partner feeds you alcohol to enhance your sexual appetite he’s making a big mistake, most of the effects of alcohol on sexual functioning are negative even though a person may feel sexier.

Then there are other problems caused by alcohol, especially in young women enjoying the freedom of disco’s and parties. Alcohol induces unnatural feelings and makes people act out of character; it’s very easy to find oneself in a frightening situation.

She can wake up to find herself in a compromising situation, not in her own bed and not alone. Then she asks herself the questions, did we have sex? Did he use protection? Could I be pregnant? Could I have a sexually transmitted disease?

In a survey I read a quarter of the women questioned admitted having an alcoholic drink every day, with the same number drinking more heavily at weekends. One in five of 18 to 24 year-olds said they drank because of work pressure, while a quarter of all mothers between 35 and 44 said they needed a drink to help them deal with being a parent. More than 40 percent of women said they treated alcohol as a reward for getting a household or office task completed successfully, including getting the children to bed or pressure at work.

Well I’m sorry to pass on such depressing news. I need a drink, to relax after writing this story!

Heart to Heart with Hillary

Dear Hillary,

I have a really great relationship with my new Thai girlfriend other than one thing - she kisses funny. I have always thought that kissing is where you put your lips on her lips and go “smack” but Noi doesn’t do that. She sort of puts her lips on my upper lip and then sniffs. First time I thought she just missed my mouth. The next time she did it I thought she had a cold or something. The next time she did it I thought I must have bad breath so I cleaned my teeth till the gums were practically rubbed raw. What am I doing wrong, Hillary? Or is there something strange about Noi?

Kissing Ken

Dear Kissing Ken,

There is nothing wrong with either of you, my Petal. Well, nothing that I can deduce from your letter anyway. You have been “sniff kissed” Ken, a unique Thai way of showing a romantic endearment. While foreigners get all wet and mushy, the Thais can do it without even smudging their lipstick. Enjoy your relationship. Noi likes you! But please do keep brushing your teeth. You can’t be too careful.

Dear Hillary,

I am German. So please forgive me my language mistakes. Some issues back, maybe issue No. 10, in a letter to you an American asked what to do about the security for his house while he is in America for a couple of months. I want to live in Pattaya with my Thai wife for a couple of months, starting end of August. So if it is possible for you give him my email address. May be I can take care of his house while he is away and rent it from him.

Dr. Heinrich (MD)

Dear Dr. Heinrich,

Thank you for your letter, and don’t worry about your English. Let me assure your English is better than half the letters Hillary gets from “English” people. I contacted the people with the house on your behalf, but unfortunately they have decided to postpone their trip till some time next year. However, if there is anyone out there looking for a house sitter from the end of August for a couple of months just contact Hillary, c/o Pattaya Mail or email [email protected] and I will put you in touch with the good doctor.

Dear Hillary,

We are new to Pattaya (or even Asia for that matter - we come from Canada) and both my husband and I are interested in playing golf while we are here (6 months). We are not good golfers, but we do enjoy the exercise. My husband had a handicap in the mid twenties, while I play off the maximum allowed. Since we are only here such a short period of the year it is not worth our while joining a golf club. What suggestions do you have? We would like to play about once a week.

Wooden Tiger

Dear Wooden Tiger,

There are plenty of places to cater for you. Firstly I would recommend you join the Pattaya Sports Club (PSC) as they can advise you on all your queries. The PSC advertises in the Pattaya Mail every week in the sports pages, so just thumb your way towards the back (but take the golf glove off first, there’s a good girl). There are many discounts available to PSC members which more than cover the small annual fee for this charitable organization. Then there are many competitions which are run by groups such as the Shenanigans Very Friendly Golf Society who assure me they are looking for people who play for fun, rather than the very competitive golfers. Having seen the antics the “Dream Team” get up to on golf days, I am sure you would fit in just perfectly, but try to avoid breaking 200 for the round as it might embarrass them. But start with the PSC, that’s the way, Petal.

Yoh Hillaray (sic),

Haven’t you seen the papers? Samak quoted that not only in Bangkok but also for the rest of Thailand during Sonkran (sic) it is not allowed to wett (sic) people outside its zones. If you do abuse this law the abuser gets fined or even jailed.

Raymond

Dear Raymond,

And a wet “Yoh” to you too. Hillary is so pleased that you spend some time reading, even though it does not seem to have done much for your spelling, my Petal. Perhaps a lesson or two from Dr. Heinrich (MD) won’t go astray. As regards whether or not Hillary has seen the papers, Hillary writes for the papers, so of course I’ve seen them, even the ones from Bangkok. After all, it is important that we see just how far behind us are the other rags. I also take it you haven’t been here very long. Just because there is a “law” in this country doesn’t mean that it gets enforced. Try some of the traffic ones to begin with. However, I would agree with anything that can be done to reduce the number of days involved in Songkran. The week long wet in Pattaya is too much. I just sit at home and console myself with chocolates and champagne until the idiocy is over.

Grapevine

Antiques, are they genuine? Casting in plastic resin

by Apichart Panyadee

Since the mid-1970s large numbers of deceptive netsuke and figures have been produced by casting in plastic resin using a flexible mold. These are extremely difficult to detect as they are taken directly from originals, usually those of okimono type from the second half of the 19th century.

The base of this plastic peasant figure shows the characteristic parallel lines of simulated ivory.

The process is so sensitive that it picks up every detail of the original, including undercutting. After casting they are stained in deep sepia, which is thinner on the proud surfaces and gives a realistic impression of wear. They can be found in antique shops, antique fairs and country auctions, frequently with lower proportions retaining quantities of dust, suggesting they have come from an old, neglected collection. In fact, dust is blown into the crevices from the wrong end of a vacuum cleaner’s part of the finishing. Turn-of- the century plastic netsuke and okimono are lighter in weight than the originals but this problem has been overcome with the modern copies.

The base of a genuine elephant ivory carving showing concentric rings of lighter and darker color.

There is no substitute for handling a lot of genuine items in this class of antiques. There are, however, a couple of ways of distinguishing the modern products. A chip on a genuine ivory piece shows an irregular new surface of similar color but perhaps slightly paler in tone. The modern resin chip is more akin to glass, with a shiny white surface. The other aid to identifying the plastic forgery is temperature. Ivory feels much colder than the reproduction as it conducts heat away from the skin far more readily.

The definitive temperature test is burning. If you have ever had a tooth drilled, you will know the characteristic smell of burning tooth. Hold a pin in a pair of pliers and heat it until it glows hot. Then stick it in some inconspicuous part of the carving. On ivory the pin will barely mark the surface, but there will be a burnt tooth smell.

The base of this walrus tooth carving shows the granular, translucent appearance of the core which was disguised by the lotus carving.

On the plastic it will enter readily and throw up a burr at the edges of the hole. There will be a strong smell of burning plastic. Some experts with a good sense of smell say that it is enough to rub a plastic reproduction on a piece of fabric or clothing. This warms it enough to release volatile oils and therefore the smell of plastic.

Collectors should always check the base of a figure. The base of a plastic piece will show characteristic parallel lines of simulated ivory and if there is a signature, it will also be molded. The base of an ivory figurine will show the radiating, intersecting lines forming minute lozenges and concentric lines of lighter and darker color. The nerve canal will often be inset with a lacquer panel where the artist will carve his signature.

The Computer Doctor

by Richard Bunch

PayPal or PayCon?

How many times have you been surfing the Web and wanted to buy a product or service? Often the means of payment is by credit card which is normally convenient, effective and secure. For the smaller Web trader, the expense and procedures involved to set up their own merchant account and processing is prohibitive so an option is to use the services provided by third party processors such as PayPal.

However, I have recently had two cases brought to my attention by traders whose accounts have been frozen by PayPal. The brief details are that both traders had been trading on the Web for around three years and have unblemished records with PayPal and many satisfied customers some of whom have bought regularly. Without any warning their accounts were restricted by PayPal. When an account is restricted funds can be received into PayPal but no funds can be withdrawn.

Normally, as funds are received, the trader is notified and can then elect to transfer the funds to a normal bank account. In order to lift the restriction PayPal request certain information is faxed to them, for instance, bank statement, passport, and driving licence. Both traders did this immediately although could not understand why it was necessary. Despite many form based mails to PayPal (they do not provide a normal e-mail address) and telephone calls to them over a period of six weeks, their accounts remain restricted. They cannot process orders they have received until they receive payment to their bank account. Understandably the purchasers are becoming anxious and they too have tried to get PayPal to either release the money or return it to them, but their pleas also have fallen on deaf ears. The traders have been forced to temporarily suspend trading as they do not want any more clients to fall into this black hole.

Also disturbing is that in the case of one trader, confirmed credit cards and bank account inexplicably vanished from his PayPal account and as yet PayPal haven’t provided any explanation for this. Obviously the integrity of their systems is brought into question.

During the course of this investigation I have found that the Web is littered with people who have had similar experiences with PayPal. These websites make interesting albeit worrying reading; www.paypalwarning.com, www.paypalsucks.com, www.boycott-paypal.com

It needs to be borne in mind that PayPal is not a bank and clearly operate without any integrity or control. At the whim of PayPal, any bone-fide trader who has developed a reputation as a reliable supplier can have their credibility ruined without any justification. It therefore seems prudent for both traders and purchasers alike to be wary about dealing with PayPal.

If anyone has a story to tell about PayPal or indeed can recommend a reliable and cost effective alternative to them, please advise me and I will pass the information on.

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 0 1782 4829, fax 0 3871 6816, e-mail: [email protected] or see the firm’s website www.act.co.th

Social Commentary by Khai Khem

A good cigar

Smoking is now considered to be such a noxious and anti-social habit that anyone who has a good word to say about tobacco risks being beaten around the head with a rolled-up copy of the latest surgeon general’s report. The cigarette has been condemned as a villain. To a certain extent, its longer, fatter, deep brown cousin has also been tarred with the same brush and that is unfair. Smoking a cigar is altogether different from dragging on a cigarette. Usually the smoke is not inhaled, and therefore the body is not affected in the same way. Presumably, the absorption of nicotine and other substances is arguably less. Yet the enjoyment, for the man or woman who knows how to treat a cigar, is infinitely greater. Some say it is the difference between a sandwich at your desk and lunching at Maxim’s.

Of course it has to be a true cigar. We are not concerned here with those small mud-colored tubes wrapped in recycled paper, coated with syrup and tipped with a plastic appendage. These may be called cigars, but they bear little resemblance to the real thing. A connoisseur of the good cigar would leave them in decent obscurity, where they belong: on the candy store shelf.

Good cigars come from several parts of the world. Brazil, Mexico, Jamaica and Holland, for example, all produce a respectable selection, varying in length and strength, from the little Dutch Schimmelpennicks to the more impressively sized Jamaican Macanudos. But as worthy and well made as these undoubtedly are, there is no real argument about where the best cigars come from, and that is Cuba; home of the puro. Famous writer Bernard Wolfe once described the whole island as a natural humidor. No other place on earth possesses that special and precise combination of soil, sun, wind and water that is so perfectly suited to the cultivation of tobacco. And that is why no other place breeds a cigar that looks, feels, smells, and tastes as satisfying as a genuine Havana.

Unfortunately, our poor American friends suffer from that holdover from the JFK days, and their government still deprives them from legally partaking of this harmless but sophisticated delight. A true Havana in the USA is hard to come by due to the ban on Cuban trade. But Americans are known for their “Yankee ingenuity” and those who appreciate the finer things in life are inventive when it comes to securing a puro.

The rest of us less restricted souls are free to come to grips with the cigar itself without being publicly labeled a social outcast or a felon, and may indulge in a small pleasure which was meant to be enjoyed.

A knowledgeable lover of fine cigars will start with the box. A true cigar box is not only an ornately decorated container; it is made from cedar wood, which allows the tobacco to breathe and to continue maturing. It is sealed with what looks like a high denomination back note, and is often covered with the kind of baroque graphic art that conjures up thoughts of brandy and boudoirs. When you open the box, your nose is treated to a classic aroma; a masculine scent, and that bouquet that deserves a few quiet moments of appreciation before proceeding further.

Now we come to the cigars, looking as prosperous and well-filled as a group of investment bankers after a killing on the stock market. Cigars should never be rushed, or puffed absentmindedly. The more attention you give them, the more pleasure they return. The leisurely ceremony of preparing and smoking one of nature’s minor triumphs is worth the investment in time.

A connoisseur will always inspect his cigar before committing himself. This is not an affectation. Good cigars are made by human hands, which are fallible, and are sometimes stored in unsuitable conditions. A cigar in its prime will feel firm as you roll it between thumb and index finger, and slightly elastic as you squeeze it. If the cigar pleases your eye, nose and fingers, the next step is to make an incision in the wrapper at the head.

Surgical techniques vary from smoker to smoker. Rambo (if he would ever do anything as un-American as smoking a Cuban cigar) would probably bite off the end. More delicate souls will use a cigar cutter. The cut should be clean and not too deep.

Now you are ready to light up. This also takes finesse. The most important rule is to never use a petrol lighter or a lighted candle. Fumes and wax will ruin the taste. Use a match. You can now settle back and take the first luxurious puff. There is a richness of texture to cigar smoke which makes inhaling unnecessary. The cigar smoker is a calm individual, slow and sure. You will never see an experienced cigar lover take quick agitated puffs. The mood of leisurely well-being that is induced by a fine cigar is perhaps its greatest attraction.

Despite a good cigar’s tranquilizing effect, it doesn’t kill conversation. Quite the contrary, since it encourages contented and appreciated listeners. This is probably why cigars are handed out after formal dinners. They render the audience benign, no matter how long and terrible the speeches are! Stories told over a cigar are funnier, the cognac is smoother and life is generally rosier. An hour with good friends and a good cigar is a vacation from life’s nonsense.

Roll over Rover

by C. Schloemer

The herding group

These dogs were bred to move flocks and herds. Agile and alert, they are always on the lookout and will settle for kids or bikes if sheep or cattle are not available. Easy to train, they are devoted to their families and not prone to roaming. They can be protective, preferring family members to outsiders. Isolated or ignored, they may become timid, bark, or develop pacing habits. Examples are German Shepherds, Rough Collies, Public and Corgis.

The terrier group

Originally bred to control the varmint population, these dogs are a self-assured, spirited and lively bunch. Agile and independent, they are always ready to face a diversion, and outdoors, they need to be leashed. They make great pets for all and often leave their owners marveling at their spunk and good humor. When untrained or over-isolated however, these little acrobats can become chronic barkers, destructive chewers, will urinate in unwanted places, and become territorial aggressors over objects, food and other animals. Examples are Bull Terriers, West Highland Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers and Scottish Terriers.

The non-sporting group

Unlike other groups, this bunch has little consistency of personality because these dogs were all bred for different tasks. Some take to training better than others do. Many were originally bred for specific work, but when that work was no longer necessary, they became companions. If you have a dog from this category, you can determine more about him from breed-specific books. Examples are Bulldogs, Dalmatians, Bichon Frises, and Standard and Miniature Poodles.

The toy group

These dogs were bred for one thing only; to be companions! In keeping with their ancestry, they continue to perfect the art of being adorable. Because they are playful and affectionate, it’s easy to neglect training a member of the toy group, but the owner should beware. Without direction they can become tyrannical, ruling the house with constant barking and snapping. To get the most from these little critters, do train them.

Anyone who has shared their life with a small dog will tell you they are adorable. Spoiling them comes naturally. Their behavior is so miniaturized it’s rarely a big problem. They are intelligent creatures and they will conclude they must be Top Dog if there are no rules to follow and everyone is bowing to their every desire. Treat your little guy like a dog, not a play-toy. When they are well trained, they can be selectively spoiled. Examples are Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers, Pomeranians and Maltese.

The age issue

Age is a big thing. If there is a pup nibbling on your slippers, you should start to train the puppy when he or she is young. An owner can condition a lot of good habits before the bad ones set in. Pups are a lot like us. As babies they are sensitive to the impressions of their environment and act according to the acknowledgement and consistency they receive from their owners. For you with older dogs, don’t be discouraged. It is never too late for training. The job will be more of a challenge because bad habits have lingered longer. A dog is not responsible for his or her habits. The owner is. Whatever your dog’s age, you will be doing both yourself and your dog a favor by gentle but firm training.

A Slice of Thai History: The Iron Horse in Thailand

Part One 1866-1889

by Duncan Stearn

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the construction of railroads through the vast hinterlands of unconquered territories was seen by imperialist powers as an ideal way of dominating and taking control of coveted regions.

Although the governments of Japan, China and Thailand initially scorned the idea of the power of the locomotive, it soon became apparent that the effectiveness of the railway as a tool of empire, as exemplified by the British in India and particularly in their conquest of Burma, could not be ignored.

In the case of Thailand, it was the desire of the British and the French to reach overland to the vastness of southern China and realise its potential as a trading zone that was a factor threatening the very existence of the Thai state.

One of the earliest railway proposals that would have directly affected Thailand was the 1866 suggestion of constructing a railway from the Burmese port of Moulmein to Simao in the Yunnan Province of southern China, passing through the Thai city of Chiang Mai.

At that time, the northern frontiers of Burma (not to come under full British dominion until after the Third Burmese War of 1885), Thailand and southern China were ill defined. Nonetheless, the proposal, had it been adopted, presupposed British dominion over northern Thailand and part of Yunnan Province.

The defeat of Burma and its full annexation by Britain in 1885, as well as France’s conquest of Tonkin (northern Vietnam) and her growing interference in Laos the same year, gave the Thai government cause to be concerned about its own future.

Fortunately for Thailand, King Chulalongkorn, after a long period of instability, had managed to stamp his authority on the government and, in June 1885, appointed the brilliant diplomat Prince Devawongse as the country’s second foreign minister. Prince Devawongse was to remain at the helm of the Foreign Ministry for a record 38 years.

The new foreign minister recognised the greatest threat to Thai independence was posed by the French, but he also realised that Britain was nearly as dangerous, although more in an economic rather than a political sense.

In fact, by the time he assumed the position of foreign minister, the Indian rupee had already supplanted the baht as the preferred unit of currency among traders around the Chiang Mai area. This was simply because it was easier and closer for Thai traders to send products to the Burmese port of Moulmein rather than Bangkok. So, in a way, the British had already succeeded in their economic ‘conquest’ of northern Thailand.

Equally, the Malay city of Penang, also under the control of the British, attracted a large slice of commerce from the southern Thai provinces.

Both King Chulalongkorn and Prince Devawongse were cognisant of the effect the construction of railway lines, particularly the various terminals for those lines, could have on future economic prosperity apart from the more obvious political and strategic influences.

Therefore, they adopted a somewhat ambivalent policy toward external proposals for railway construction. The policy was designed to gain maximum advantage for trade within Thailand while thwarting the prospects of increased commerce into Malaya and, particularly, Burma.

For example, the Thais rejected the proposed Moulmein to Simao rail line, passing through Chiang Mai, because of the potential for the line to attract trade out of, rather than into, Thailand.

They also ensured that a Bangkok to Chiang Mai rail line would pass through Phitsanulok rather than Khampaeng Pet, thereby thwarting the possibility for a branch line being extended to Moulmein.

The Message In The Moon: Sun in Leo/Moon in Gemini

by Anchalee Kaewmanee

The Con Artist

This combination craves attention! Never happy unless all eyes are upon them, people born into this Sun-Moon combo have a flair for drama, wit, and all have the facility of expression which guarantees them the adoration their egos demand. This sign is a “show-boat” par excellence.

No one ever accuses these people of lacking an ego, that’s for sure. Outspoken, they express themselves with dramatic flair and gusto. They are all well-known for their sarcasm and incisive perceptions. This can be the combination of orator, humorist, speech writer, or playwright. George Bernard Shaw was a Leo-Gemini. But it can also be the sign of a born con artist! All that dramatic flair will be put to use in one way or another.

Leos are not into tedious and exhausting hard work, even if they are actually quite capable of doing it. And this combo is no exception. A master at delegating responsibility, they can avoid work or anything that smacks of discipline and concentration as though it were the plague. No matter how determined and industrious they may seem to other more plodding signs, that inner Gemini restlessness and impatience repeatedly causes these individuals to shirk some of their responsibilities. Their attention is focused on so many things at once it really is hard for them to cover all the bases.

It is not easy for the Leo-Gemini to concentrate his or her energies on a single pursuit. The greatest joy for people born under this Sun-Moon sign is constant variety and their inquisitive minds find fantastic expression through journalism, writing, film-making, and drama. But actually, they can excel in almost any area of their choice, for this combination embodies extreme versatility. All of them make super salespeople since they can talk circles around most people. They will probably spend much of their time trying to gain social prominence and acceptance. For some, this can become all-consuming. Unfortunately, a heavy social schedule is often really their way of skirting responsibility. They frequently avoid the very challenges that could reward them with genuine self-esteem and recognition they so ardently pursue.

In many ways, this self deception is the very tactic they employ with others. Capable of creating smoke screens and diversions, the Leo-Gemini often gets people to see and hear things that are not really there. Sleight-of hand and glibness is often a characteristic of these creatures. Channeled in the right direction they are capable of great achievements. Misguided natives will often turn to more unsavory endeavors simply because they lack the single-minded purpose of their goals. Bending the truth can either become outright dishonesty, or when directed toward more noble goals, can flourish in the creative arts or literature.

People who surround the Leo-Gemini native usually think he or she is sympathetic, kind and out-going. With some individuals, this is as it seems. More usually, natives born into this sign are really quite detached. All of those outbursts of passion and pathos are mostly showmanship, and it is truly amazing how easily these individuals can break off an attachment or relationship without shedding a tear. Their ability to observe and evaluate others from a distance makes them highly perceptive critics. Of course this attribute often causes them to lose their friends through disillusionment.

Open and uninhibited in love, this combo is never afraid to tell a partner how he or she is feeling. Romance is of course a revolving door, because of that deep-seated need for variety and excitement, and many affairs are likely for these natives. Finding romantic partners for them is easy. Lasting relationships take more work and focus.

The Leo-Gemini will be most compatible with a lover who can give intellectual stimulation as well as physical satisfaction. That Moon in Gemini endows this sign with keen intelligence and an almost insatiable curiosity about everything. Mere sex will not satisfy this sign for very long. But a partner who is willing to share learning experiences and life achievements with this native will find a loyal and dedicated lover who will shower affection and joy on a mate.

Coins of the Realm: The Euro is a success

by Jan Olav Aamlid
President - House of the Golden Coin (http://www.thaicoins.com)

Twelve countries introduced the Euro on 1st of January 2002. Most of the general public thought the changeover went smoothly, and nearly 70% are happy that the Euro is their new currency.

Also, according to the latest surveys conducted in mid-February 2002, on the 1st of January 95% of small companies were keeping their books in Euros, 96% were setting prices in Euros and 97% were invoicing in Euros.

Before it was agreed that the Euro should be called the Euro there were discussions what the new currency should be called. Many believed for a long time that it would be called ECU, a currency having been used by the French many years ago.

Belgium was the first country to strike “European Currency Units”. As early as 1978 they had a Five ECU coin struck with Charles V to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Treaties of Rome. Spain introduced their first ECU coin in 1989; a one ECU struck in 500,000 PC in proof quality listed in the World Catalogue at about 650 baht.

Other countries followed, and in 1990 the French introduced their first ECU coin, a coin with the portrait of Charlemagne. The coin was a 15 ECU, but the coin also had the denomination given in French Francs, 100.

Ten countries had ECU coins issued, even some that were not members of the European Union. These coins were issued for the purpose of selling them to coin collectors, not for normal circulation.

After long discussions the member countries of the European Union agreed that the name of the new currency should be Euro, and the introduction of a new and the largest currency in the world went very smooth.

There are twelve countries today using the Euro: Finland, France, Greek, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Germany and Austria. The coin series has eight different denominations: 1-, 2-, 5-, 10-, and 50 Cent, and 1-and 2 Euro. Some of the countries have also introduced commemorative coins with the face value of 10 Euro.

The reverse is the same on all the coins; a map of Europe where non-members, like Norway, are removed, so it is sort of a funny looking map.

The adverse of the coins are different in the different countries. Spain’s 1 and 2 Euro coins have the portrait of their King, Ireland has the Irish Harp, on the Austrian 2 Euro is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, on the Greece 1 Euro there is a tetradrachm coin with an owl that was originally struck in 450 BC. On the German coins one will find Brandenburger Tor.

Three non-members of the European Union are granted permission to strike Euro coins. These are San Marino, the Vatican and Monaco. These are countries traditionally known for issuing coins and stamps not for circulation or postage, but to sell to collectors to help their finances. The Vatican has only issued 670,000 Euro worth of coins, and on eBay.com last week someone offered 15,000 baht for a set which has the face value of about 150 baht. Someone was also willing to pay 8,500 baht for a set from San Marino.

Sets from other countries are being sold for two to three times their face value.

Thailand introduced their 10 baht by-metallic coin in 1988. The specification of the new 2-Euro coin is not too different than the Thailand 10 baht, and rumor has it that they are accepted by some parking machines and other vending machines as 2-Euro, which is about 76 baht. Sometimes I have been given 10 1-baht coins taped together as change. Is someone financing his or her vacation bringing back the Thai 10-baht coin?