HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Family Money

Snap Shots

Modern Medicine

Women's World

Heart to Heart with Hillary

A Slice of Thai History

Bits ‘n’ Bobs

Practical Thai Law

Animal Crackers

Personal Directions

Social Commentary by Khai Khem

Roll over Rover

The Message In The Moon

PC Basics

Coins of the Realm

Family Money: How not to make money - Part Two

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

Although the 1929 Crash is always uppermost in people’s minds, 1973-74 was actually worse. Two years with drops of 25% and 33%; three years to return to positive growth figures, and devastating inflation to boot. (The European economies were also in deep trouble during that same period.)

Although it took five more years to recover positive territory, the 10-year period 1973-83 nevertheless yielded an average annual growth of 9.8% – largely due to 1982-83 earnings in small caps and large value funds, and major turnarounds in the then newly-emerging markets.

Fresher in people’s memories is the Crash of ‘87 – another dip caused by a fairly major correction of an over-speculated market, and a negative over-reaction caused by panic selling following immediately thereafter.

At the time, Wall Street whiz-kids and “expert” news commentators forecasted the end of the world as we’d known it, and were predicting that the US housing market would crash, the Savings & Loans would all go bankrupt, everyone would stop buying or building homes (and live where?) and thus not take out any mortgages, and of course, buy no new cars.

This doom-and-gloom reactive thinking simply reflects the general “herd” mentality which allows emotions to override common sense.

It’s true that all those things did stop – for a few months. Then good old supply-and-demand took over once more, sense returned to the marketplace, and pent-up consumer spending drove S&L, housing, and car markets to new highs. Stock prices did likewise, and by the beginning of 1990 the indexes were once more above the pre-Crash speculative highs – and on much sounder fundamentals.

Then at the end of 1990 came Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait, with of course the gurus once again predicting the end of the world. Sure enough, the world believed them for a few months and stopped buying things, and sold their stocks, mostly at losses.

By 1993, however, everything was going wonderfully again. Investors were pouring money into emerging markets, and during the fourth quarter of that year the market indexes of the ‘Asian Dragons’ – Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand – were rising almost vertically. By Christmas everyone – even maids and taxi drivers in Hong Kong – had jumped onto this speculative bandwagon, as if it would continue forever.

Clearly this was the time for professional advisors to start warning clients to get out before the inevitable happened. Few took any notice. Indeed, the markets continued to rise until Chinese New Year – and then the US Federal Reserve dashed everyone’s aspirations by unexpectedly raising interest rates in February 1994.

This caught even the big speculators, including our friend Mr Soros, with his trousers askew, forcing him to cover his bond positions by selling equities, losing around US$800 million in the process, and sparking a world-wide run.

This set off the now-famous ‘Flight to Quality’ of 1994-96, with the speculative money invested in emerging markets being diverted back to the traditional major markets of USA, UK and Europe. This trend has continued to fuel the ‘bull’ markets of those economies with a wall of money up until the speculative bubble of dot.com and hi-tech stocks burst in April 2000, setting off a run of negative sentiment that has lasted up until now, and been one of the longer bear runs in history.

Common sense ain’t too common

Most investors know that it makes sense to be contrarian. Contrarian to common sense, that is. That’s why most buy in once the market’s gone up at least 50%, and sell out when it’s dropped at least 50%. Most just cannot seem to grasp the simple concept that you buy in at bottom and sell out at top.

Add to this the fact that investors will buy almost anything on a whim or a fancy – such as a go-go bar in Pattaya, or a house for the lithe young lovely you met last month who really truly loves you.

Ironically, the funds which regulators deem to be the riskiest – hedge funds – are almost certainly the best bet. The interesting thing here is that investors who fully expect a fund to be volatile will be psychologically less troubled by a temporary price fall than those who expect constant upward movement, despite this latter expectation being na๏vely unrealistic.

More importantly, most hedge funds are structured such that the fund manager only gets an income when the fund performs well. Thus it is in the common interest of both manager and investor that he makes a profit.

Of course this arrangement is so sensible that regulators, in the typical manner of bureaucrats, have banned performance fees in a number of regulated jurisdictions (including the U.K.), thereby widening the motivational gap between fund managers and investors.

The bigger the better

In my experience, not just as a financial advisor but also as an investment portfolio manager, the bigger the investment the less anxious the client. High-net-worth clients (which is the financial services industry’s euphemistic jargon for rich people) seem to pay less attention to what their substantial investment portfolios do from month to month – let alone from week to week – than ‘small’ investors with just a few thousand dollars in play. These latter avidly follow their funds and the markets almost daily, fret constantly, and trade frequently – or get their broker to do so, often against his advice.

Investors with portfolios worth several hundreds of thousands (or millions) seem generally less anxious about short-term corrections (which they fully expect, having a better understanding of how the whole thing works over the longer term), and pay greater attention to their portfolio manager’s advice, itself gleaned from the opinions and predictions of numerous other professional portfolio managers and institutional analysts whose very jobs depend on getting it right more often than getting it wrong. (As opposed to media commentators, whose jobs depend only on today’s ratings or circulation figures.)

Money of course is a highly emotive subject, and often people allow their emotions to cloud their better judgement. As with any investment, one should approach the subject with a clear head, a grasp of how the whole thing works, some realistic goals in mind, and a well-planned strategy. And preferably, an experienced and objective professional advisor who will help you avoid the emotive pitfalls, and whose reputation, career and income depends on getting it right.

Snap Shot: Widen Your Horizons! (Part 2)

by Harry Flashman

Last week I mentioned the fact that panoramas can be carried out by any competent photographer with an absolute minimum of equipment - a “standard” camera, a tripod and a spirit level. Let’s now continue and look at the finer details.

The lens

The “standard” 50 or 55 mm lens is just perfect for this job. For the technically minded, the standard lens has an angle of view of around 46 degrees, and even allowing for a 6 degree overlap, five successive shots will produce a panorama of more than 180 degrees. Just the amount we wanted to cover!

For the non-mathematical photographer - do not despair - just slowly rotate the tripod head while you look through the lens. Note the number of shots you need to cover the intended scene, allowing for a slight overlap each time. Generally you will find four to five shots will be enough to cover it.

Exposure settings

If you have a manual camera, meter for the correct exposure by selecting the most important feature in the panorama and noting the exposure readings necessary to record it.

Now if the camera has manual over-ride then fix on those readings for every shot in the panorama sequence. This will give a more even tone to the skies and backgrounds in the successive pictures. Mind you, even with fully automatic cameras you will still get good results provided the successive shots are taken quickly to avoid differences in light levels caused by sun and cloud movements. Try to avoid shooting into the sun as you complete the multi-exposure panorama or you will get enormous changes in sky and foregrounds.

Shoot with a pencil!

Now you are ready to take the four or five shots. Rotate the “pan” head so that you start your first shot from the left edge of the scene. Make a small pencil mark on the pan head, then move to the next shot in the series, remembering a slight overlap. Again make a pencil mark and you will be able to see how much you are rotating the camera for each shot. This comparison will allow you to have the same amount of overlap on every print. Whilst you do not have to be accurate to the nth degree, it does make it better if you have round about the same overlap.

Cut and shut!

Now it is time to breathlessly rush down to the photo shop. Ask for borderless prints and get an extra set at the time of initial processing. This is important, because if you make an error during cutting, you have replacement processed at the same time as the original and should match colour and density with no problem.

Lay the shots down, side by side and carefully line them up with their overlaps. Because you shot with the tripod head horizontal, there should be no up and down movement in the horizon from print to print. Now, with a steel rule and a scalpel, or very sharp knife, cut the overlapping sections away leaving a continuous pictorial scene of around 600 mm in width. This trimming is tricky and you will appreciate the extra set of prints!

Now it is time to glue the shots together on art board and finally have your work laminated. Your panorama will last for years, and the laminating makes sure the separate shots do not move or slip! I am yet to find a glue that will last more than two years.

Having taken care and followed this two part panorama technique through to the end, you will get a worthwhile work of art for the lounge room. Believe me!

Modern Medicine: Eye contact and eyes right!

by Dr Iain Corness, Consultant

With all our organs that can go wrong, did you know that eye problems are some of the commonest reasons for a doctor visit? And for those of you who wear contact lenses (like me) there are even more eye problems for us to get, despite the common use of contact lenses these days.

What has to be remembered is the fact that a contact lens is a foreign body in the eye. The “skill” in manufacturing the contact lens is in making it so smooth that the eyeball doesn’t realise there is a foreign body there at all.

There are various types of contact lens, the old hard ones were made of a material called polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) which is rigid and doesn’t let oxygen through, but the newer ones have a material called siloxane which is gas permeable. These hard lenses are the most trouble free, although the most difficult to look after.

The second type of lens is the soft contact lens, of which there is a “permanent” style and a disposable type. These are made of hydroxymethylmetha crylate (HEMA) which contains between 30-60% water and are gas permeable. However, soft disposable lenses give the most problems, but are the easiest to look after, in direct contrast with the hard lenses.

The commonest problem with all contact lenses is infection, and since the lens is a foreign body, there is a good reason to get an infection immediately. For those of you who leave your lenses in overnight, you have an increased risk of infection by a factor of 10. Take them out every night, you have been warned!

Infection is not to be thought of as something that just happens and when it does you just pop in a few eye drops and get better automatically. Bacterial infection can be sight threatening and the cornea (the clear bit in the centre that you look through) can be destroyed in 24 to 48 hours. There is also a parasite that can get into the eye of contact lens users who have rinsed their lens with contaminated water, or who have worn their lenses swimming in contaminated water.

One very common problem is “losing” the lens in the eye, both the hard and soft types. The most important thing to remember is not to panic. The lens cannot go “behind” the eye. It just rolls itself up under the lid. Try to avoid rubbing and it will reappear in an hour or so.

The other very common problem is eye irritation. This is caused by material under the lens or damage to the lens itself, such as splitting or tearing. If you take out the lens and you find it breaking up, do not put it back in - you run the risk of damaging the cornea. If you are like me and you wear your “two week” contacts until they fall apart - remember you are running a risk!

Lens care is the most important feature and you should always wash your hands before removal or insertion. The lens container should be scrupulously clean and the storage/cleaning fluid should be fresh, and never use water.

Look after your lenses, change them frequently and remove them immediately if there is any irritation or redness. “See” you next week!

Women’s World: A Queen among women (Part 1)

by Lesley Warner

As a youngster I was always enthralled by the British Royal Family, probably because when I was small my mother used to take me to watch Prince Charles and Princess Ann having their riding lessons. One time, Prince Charles turned around and waved to me; as I was the only person there I knew he was waving at me. That was it, I was hooked and my greatest ambition was to grow up and marry him.

Just an ordinary girl

As the years passed my loyalty to the Royal family diminished. The majority of the population transferred their allegiance to Diana, I think, because she appeared more human and had, to the people, such a romantic life. It was a bit like the movie “Pretty Woman” - she was whisked from a fairly ordinary life into a fairytale one, or at least that was how it should have been.

The Queen always seemed to be cast as the ‘baddie’, although Diana always maintained a great respect for this lady. As it’s the Queen’s jubilee year I decided to look into her life for the column, after all she is a woman. I’m sure she must have started life with the same dreams and fantasies as the rest of us.

The Queen was born in London on 21 April 1926, the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York, subsequently King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Five weeks later she was christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor in the chapel at Buckingham Palace.

A very young princess

In her early teens she began to take part in public life. She broadcast for the first time in October 1940, when she was 14; she sent a message during the BBC’s children’s programme to all the children of Britain and the Commonwealth, particularly to those children who were being evacuated for safety reasons. In early1942 she was appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the Grenadier Guards, at sixteen she carried out her first public engagement, when she inspected the regiment.

She was President of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children in Hackney and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. From March 1944 onwards, she also began to accompany the King and Queen on many of their tours within Britain.

Shortly after her eighteenth birthday in 1944, Princess Elizabeth was appointed a Counsellor of State during the King’s absence on a tour of the Italian battlefields and for the first time, carried out some of the duties of Head of State. In August that year, with Queen Elizabeth, the Princess received an address from the House of Commons, and replied on behalf of the Throne.

In early 1945 the Princess was made a Subaltern in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS). By the end of the war she had reached the rank of Junior Commander, having completed her course at No. 1 Mechanical training Centre of ATS and passed as a fully qualified driver.

Her first official overseas visit took place in 1947, when she accompanied her parents and sister on a tour of South Africa. During this tour she celebrated her twenty-first birthday and gave a broadcast address dedicating herself to the service of the Commonwealth. On that day she vowed:

‘I declare before you all, that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great Imperial Commonwealth to which we all belong. But I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution unless you join in it with me, as I now invite you to do; I know that your support will be unfailingly given. God bless all of you who are willing to share it.’

To be continued...

Heart to Heart with Hillary

Dear Hillary,

I have recently met a Thai woman, let me tell the little history. I saw in Pattaya like everybody too much of these old men with young girl etc. It makes me sick! And I always denied go-go girls propositions and others even if I found them beautiful and more! I kept control! But one night we went to Hollywood disco and after another disco later to close! There I met this girl. We spent 3 days together before my leave to France and these 3 days were without any sexual intention! We keep contact by email but do not know if I can have confidence in her! Could you tell me if it is usual and if I can have confidence or not? I hope your experience will advise me right!

Francois

Dear Francois,

Love defies logic, my Petal! However, Hillary is happy to see you have already managed to introduce a note of caution for yourself. You are obviously French and older by the sounds of it, so we are not dealing with “puppy love” here. What you have to remember is that you have known this girl for only three days, be they days with or without sexual intention! Three days, Francois. Three days are not enough to begin to plan a relationship for the future. It may be possible that this is the start of something wonderful and fulfilling for both of you, but make sure that it is not just a relationship which is fulfilling for her bank account. You would not do this for a Mademoiselle from Gay Paris after “trois jours”, so don’t do it here either. By all means let the relationship grow through email contact and explore each other’s thoughts and ideas, but do not forget that it is early days, Francois. It is too early to talk of commitment! You become confident in another person after they show that they are reliable and honest. You do not find that out in three days after a dance at a disco.

Dear Hillary,

I have been living in Pattaya for the past 18 months and have a young Thai girlfriend who shares the condo with me for all that time. My problem is that I am being transferred to Singapore for 6 months and I don’t know whether to renew the lease or just let it go till I come back. It is expensive keeping the place on while I am off-shore and my girlfriend would be able to go to stay with her mother in Petchabun while I am away, so it is not as if she would have nowhere to stay. The only problem with doing that is shifting all my stuff out as I have some small items of furniture and other personal things like clothes, but I am afraid that if I left her in the condo she might shift all my stuff out anyway while I am away for the 6 months. What do you recommend Hillary?

Charles

Dear Charles,

Or are you known as “Charlie”, possibly “Cheap Charlie”? I do not see any thoughts of compassion for your girlfriend anywhere in your letter, my penny pinching Petal. All you are worried about is how much the lease will cost you and whether or not your girlfriend will run off with your old socks and towel racks. How long have you been with this girl? 18 months you say - and you do not know whether she is trustworthy after all that time? She must be a decent sort of girl if she’s put up with you for a year and a half, Charlie. Hillary can’t tell you what to do. It’s time to make up your own mind. The rent money or the old socks or the girlfriend. Your call.

Dear Hillary,

I have a pet problem, or rather, my wife has a pet problem. We came over here to retire and have a free and easy life away from the kids and society pressures. But that has gone out the window as my wife has started collecting pets. The terrapins were OK because they just sunned themselves in the aquarium, but then the cats and the three puppies arrived. Then there was the hamster and the white rat. Cockatiels were next and Indian Mynah birds. Today it is a large lizard and a squirrel. Our garden is becoming the local zoo. What is happening here, Hillary, and how do I deal with it?

The Zookeeper

Dear Zookeeper,

Invite the neighbours and charge admission? Have the house and garden selected as a new tourist venue and charge commission? Have your wife arrested for unlicensed pet keeping? There’s lots you can do; however, let’s get serious here. You begin by saying that your wife has a pet problem, that’s true. You have a problem too, of course, and that’s a wife problem. You have to begin by understanding that your wife may not even realise that she has this “empty nest” response that many women get after their children leave home. In this case not only have the children left, but now she has left the children too. You need to discuss this with her and tell her to limit the menagerie to sensible limits.

A Slice of Thai History: The Revolution of 1688

by Duncan Stearn

Part One: Background and the reign of King Narai

It is generally acknowledged that Thailand faced a major threat to her independence during the mid to late 19th century when both the British and the French were expanding their empires and spheres of influence into the Southeast Asian region.

However, this threat to Thai sovereignty was preceded by an equally menacing challenge from European powers that took place some 200 years earlier.

Much of what historians know about the 1688 revolution in Thailand is based on foreign observers, but even given their natural bias, it is a story of Byzantine proportions, full of palace intrigue, deception and unmitigated cruelty. It is also the story of the first attempt by European powers to subvert Thai autonomy.

The revolution had its genesis in October 1656 when Prince Narai assumed the throne of Ayutthaya, the pre-eminent Thai state. Ayutthaya had been engaged in trade with countries such as Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, France and England since the late 16th century, permitting foreign representatives to establish trading stations both in Ayutthaya and around Thailand.

In some cases, as with the Portuguese, conflicts arose or, as with the English East India Company (founded in 1600) and its merchants, trading was sporadic and not particularly profitable at times.

The Dutch first established a trading station in Ayutthaya in 1608 and the following year Thai envoys were sent to the Netherlands. On June 12 1617 a treaty was signed between Ayutthaya and the Dutch East India Company (VOC) granting the Dutch definite terms for the purchase of animal hides.

The English had first established a trading station in Ayutthaya in 1612, but it failed to make a profit and was subsequently shut down in 1632. However, in 1661, the station was reopened, the Thais welcoming the chance to counterbalance the Dutch with whom they had recently come into dispute after a ship flying the Portuguese flag had been seized in the Gulf of Tonkin.

The goods on board the vessel belonged to the King of Ayutthaya and the Dutch action led to a straining of relations between the two countries.

With European settlement, albeit small, inevitably came religious orders hoping to convert the local population to Christianity. In 1662, French Jesuit missionaries, led by Monsignor de la Motte Lambert, the Vicar of Cochinchina, established themselves in Ayutthaya. Lambert died the following year and in 1664 he was replaced by Monsignor Pallegoix.

The French missionaries were granted land and in 1666 they set up a seminary to train young men for the Catholic priesthood.

When a group of Islamic missionaries from Aceh in Sumatra arrived in 1668 but failed to propagate their faith, the French missionaries were given heart, believing the Thais might be favourably inclined towards Roman Catholicism. Little did they realise the strength of the Buddhist faith and monkhood.

So, in 1669, the Catholic Church entrusted the conversion of Thailand to the newly founded Society of Foreign Missions in Paris, appointing Monsignor Laneau, as the head of the Roman Catholic mission.

It would be this vigorous pursuit for converts among the local population that gave rise to suspicion and mistrust among those in exalted positions within the Ayutthayan hierarchy and would prove to be a factor when they turned against the Europeans in their midst.

Bits ‘n’ Bobs

Practical Thai Law: Avoid any involvement with drugs!

by Premprecha Dibbayawan - MCL Miami University, Chairman - International Swiss Siam Co., Ltd.

This article will not benefit drug dealers, most of whom end up with court judgments of imprisonment or death, meaning that they cannot enjoy their wealth but instead they and their families have to spend lots of money defending themselves and worsen their financial situation instead of improving it.

This article is to tell clean people that they should avoid involvement with drugs. From police records and other data, many people without any narcotics background end up in all kinds of difficulties simply because they were persuaded to try when solicited by others.

Narcotic drugs are a long-standing problem that has a very serious effect on social security and the stability of almost every country in the world. For this reason, there are many laws enacted in Thailand dealing with narcotics. The acts are: The Narcotics Prevention and Suppression Act 1976, Narcotics Act 1979, Act on Measures for the Suppression of Offender in an Offence Relating to Narcotics 1991 and the Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act 1991, not to mention The Anti-Money Laundering Act 1999, Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters 1992 and the Extradition Act 1929.

Definition of Narcotics

“Narcotics”, as described in Article 4 of the Narcotics Act, means any form of chemical or substance that, upon being consumed whether by taking orally, inhaling, smoking, injecting or by whatever means, causes physiological or mental effects in a significant manner such as to cause the need for a continual increase of dosage, having withdrawal symptoms when deprived of the narcotics, strong physical and mental need of dosages and the health in general having deteriorated through the use of such substance; and includes paint, glue or parts of plants which are or give products as narcotics or may be used to produce narcotics and chemicals used for the production of such narcotics as notified by the Minister in the Government Gazette, but excludes certain formulas for household medicine under the law on drugs which contain narcotic ingredients.

Because they have different dangers and medical purposes, narcotics are classified in 5 categories as follows:

Category 1: dangerous narcotics such as heroin, amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy and LSD;

Category 2: ordinary narcotics such as coca leaf, cocaine, codeine, concentrate of poppy straw, methadone, morphine, medicinal opium and opium;

Category 3: narcotics that are in the form of medicinal formulas and contain narcotics of Category 2 as ingredients;

Category 4: chemical used for producing narcotics of Category 1 or 2 such as Acetic Anhydride, Acetyl Chloride, Ethylidine Diacetate, Chlorpseudoephedrine, Ergotamine, Piperonal and Safrole;

Category 5: narcotics which are not included in Categories 1 to 4, i.e. Cannabis, Mitragyna Speciosa Korth (Kratom), Papaver Somniferum Linn and Papaver Bracteatum (Poppy Plant), Psilocybe Cubensis (Magic Mushroom).

The purpose of the Narcotics Act includes not only to suppress the illegal use of narcotics but also to control the production and import or export of the drugs.

No person is allowed to produce, dispose of, import, export or have in his or her possession Category 1 narcotics except when a special permit is given by the minister. Being in possession of more than 20 grams of Category 1 narcotics is considered as disposal (sale) of the same.

No person is allowed to produce, import or export Category 2 narcotics without any exception. However, under the provisions of Ministry Regulations, people may apply for permission to dispose or possess Category 2 narcotics.

Don’t ask me if anyone is allowed to produce, import Category 2 narcotics otherwise how one can possess them? And whoever possesses more than 100 grams of Category 2 narcotics shall be considered as possessing it for the intention of disposal.

No person is allowed to produce, import or export Category 3 narcotics except when permission is obtained. As for category 4 and 5 narcotics, no person is allowed to produce, dispose, import or export except when permission is obtained from the minister. Possession of 10 kilos or more of Category 4 or 5 narcotics is considered as disposal of the same.

The provisions above touch upon possession, exposure to, import and export; but what about consumption? If you are caught after consuming the drugs but have no drugs in your possession, would you be considered as breaking the law? Section 57 of the Narcotics Act prohibits any consumption of Category 1 and 5 narcotics. Category 2 narcotics can be consumed only with a doctor’s prescription. There is no penalty for consumption of narcotics in categories 3 and 4.

The act classifies activities concerning narcotics such as production, importation, exporting, disposal of and consumption. There are also offences regarding deceit, threatening, use of violent force or coercion of another person to consume or instigating another person to consume. The penalties for the above are various. Many times arguments arise about whether a person having drugs in their possession is considered as having them for their own consumption or for disposal. The penalties for the two crimes are very different.

In connection with the penalties, I would like to mention here only Category 1 narcotics, for which the penalty for production, importation or exporting is life imprisonment and if the purpose of such commitment is for disposal (sale) the penalty is death. Whoever is in possession of drugs of pure substances of not more than 100 grams for disposal can be imprisoned for 5 years to life and pay a fine of 50,000 to 500,000 baht. If the drugs have pure substances of more than 100 grams, the penalty is from life to death. Whoever has in their possession Category 1 drugs with pure substances of less than 20 grams, the penalty is imprisonment of 1 to 10 years and a fine of 10,000 baht to 100,000 baht. Whoever consumes Category 1 drugs is liable to imprisonment for 6 months to 10 years and a fine of 5,000 baht to 100,000 baht. Producing includes packing the drugs, i.e. if one takes drugs from some kind of container and divides them into smaller containers; this is considered “production” under the Supreme Court’s ruling.

If foreigner is found guilty of narcotic offences he shall be extradited under the Extradition Act.

Animal Crackers: Common Housefly

By Mirin E Mc Carthy

Where in the world are there no flies? The common housefly really is a ubiquitous creature, a marvellous description of its capacity to be everywhere at the same time. It is thought that this amazing little winged pest originated in Africa and spread to Europe around 400 BC, when men first started keeping domestic animals indoors over the winter.

Death and disease

In his book, “A Fly In Your Eye” Australian author Jim Heath says, “House flies are dirtier than Dirty Harry. Their bodies are hairy and their feet are sticky. Each fly can carry several million bacteria.”

The common housefly, ‘Musca Domestica’, can make you uncommonly sick, with bacteria causing typhoid, cholera, dysentery, gastroenteritis, salmonella, parasitic worms, shigella, polio, T.B., typhus and trachoma of the eyes. Flies spread these nasties by their charming habit of dining off garbage, rotting food, animal carcasses, excrement and all manner of filth, then spitting up a drop of this wonderful bacterial soup on to their next landing spot, which may be your babies eyes or that delicious satay or chocolate cake.

Buzz off

Flies are uncommonly annoying to man and beast alike especially when they gather in swarms. Horses and cattle are pestered by all types of flies. Poor beasts flick their tails in a vain attempt to drive them off. Men, too, have invented all sorts of devices to protect themselves. With net hat veils once being popular in desert areas and even corks bobbing from hats in outback Australia. The ordinary fly swatter was originally made of horsehair, now of appropriately ubiquitous plastic. My grandfather was just awesome at squatting flies with one of these plastic marvels. No one else could match his hit rate. It seems that flies have stereoscopic vision and you have to sneak up on them from behind from the hind wing end before they see you and zoom off.

Zoom

A common housefly has a comparative airspeed faster than a jet travelling at the speed of sound. A jet flies100 times its body length in one second while a fly travels 300 times its body length in one second. The average airspeed of the common housefly is 4.5 miles per hour. A housefly beats it wings approximately twenty thousand times per minute.

Lifecycle

The housefly is 6 to 7 mm long, with the female usually larger than the male. Housefly sexes can readily be identified by the space between the eyes, the females’ is twice as broad as males.’ Adults usually live only one to five months but make up for this with a tremendous reproduction capacity. Forty-eight hours after emergence the female begins egg laying and is capable of producing five batches of 100-150 eggs. As many as 12 generations of flies, all with a genetic memory of their parents gut bacteria, may breed in one season. In hot environments this rate is exceeded.

Your house is my home

Heath says, “Its not for nothing they are called ‘houseflies’.” They will breed near your house if they can. They’re attracted to houses and buildings and try to get in. Just the opposite of bush flies found only in the open.” Although houseflies have a range of 5 miles their breeding site will usually be within 50 meters of your house.

Biological control

The most effective way to be fly free is clean up their breeding spots, wrap rubbish in plastic and cover compost heaps. Fly screens go a long way to keeping these little death dealing demons out of your home. Basil is another great deterrent. Planting basil in the garden and in kitchen pots is a fly deterrent popularised by the Greeks. Other familiar predators are geckoes, tokays and frogs, and I know which I prefer in my home.

Personal Directions: Setting goals gives life new meaning (continued from last week)

by Christina Dodd, founder and managing director 
of Incorp Training Associates

So how did you go with your goal setting exercise? Did you manage to find about an hour in the past week - that’s about 8.57 minutes per day - to do something for yourself?

If you have been able to set yourself some goals let me start today by telling you that this was the easy part! The hard part is next and that is actually doing something about them, not just talking but doing! To make things simple there are five ways to approach the goals you have chosen to ensure that you begin the process of working towards them so let’s look at the first step.

Be specific. Get a clear picture of what it is you want. See it, feel it, smell it, touch it! Know every detail about it so it begins to take shape and becomes real in your mind. Plan every part of it just like you would if you were building a house for instance. You can’t just build a house with bricks and mortar alone - no - you need an architect’s plan, a blueprint, you need to know where the walls will go, the plumbing and wiring, the bedrooms, the windows, the kitchen, etc. Specifics will give your goal shape and form and it will no longer be just an idea.

The second step to take is to write it down. I can’t stress this point enough. Not writing your goals down is like playing bows and arrows blindfolded. It’s hard to hit a target you can’t see! Writing your goals down is the beginning of the roadmap to achieve your goals. They are there in black and white and that also forms part of the shaping process.

Thirdly, set a time by when you want to achieve your goals. If possible set a day, month and year! It will help inspire you and add more meaning to your goals. Many of us use the phrase “someday I’ll have such and such” but when is someday? Someday is actually never - it’s too loose and has no definition and therefore will have no impact in helping you strive to reach your goals. So set yourself a deadline and go for it!

Next, read your goals aloud two times a day. Think I’m silly don’t you! Why don’t you give it a try and then make a decision about that. The best times are first thing in the morning and last thing at night when we are most receptive to receive ideas. By doing this you are reprogramming negative attitudes and perceptions and encouraging yourself to get moving! This can be a very powerful tool if you sincerely apply it - so try it. You have everything to gain.

And finally there’s the fifth step - that is to take action immediately. This simply means that whatever you can do about your goals today - then do it. Sure you may not have the money to buy the car you want right now, but you can check out the internet or magazines and classifieds. You can visit showrooms, you can start saving or looking at finance options and by taking some sort of action like this you become more motivated, more enthusiastic, more driven, more determined to succeed and achieve your goals.

And perhaps as a last word of encouragement - don’t be overwhelmed by the work you have before you - seize every opportunity as soon as you can and you’ll be amazed at how just doing this will be like putting a rocket under your bed!

Have a great week!

Christina can be contacted at christina.dodd@incorp training.com

Social Commentary by Khai Khem

A roof over your head

Finding housing anywhere in the world is a major undertaking. Whether one rents or buys, prefers a flat, condo, house and garden, penthouse, mansion, or just a roof over one’s head, the search can be exhausting and exacerbating. Everyone’s needs and expectations are different. Of course some countries and cities are easier to accomplish this endeavor satisfactorily than others. Pattaya and its environs are neither easy nor straightforward. I have found that searching for long-term accommodations in Fun City and its neighboring districts requires a decisive plan executed with the precision of a military parachute jump into a war zone.

Of course a lot of the hassles and disappointments can be circumvented by using one of the city’s reputable real estate agencies which provide renters and buyers search services free of charge. They even have standard contracts for both parties drawn up which cover poignant points of the deal, and many have ‘relocation services’ that help the newcomer settle into a system which can often be utterly defeating to new families. We refer to this as “baby-sitting”. Now what could be easier?

However, I am continuously amused by the individuals who would rather embark on this adventure alone, without the advice of professionals. Of course I admire self-sufficient people who go it alone and take the bull by the horns as much as the next person. But some of the bumpy patches a loner goes through seem masochistic beyond description.

A couple of months ago a young American man rented a fabulous house in a well-known neighborhood in Jomtien. This home was a showpiece at first glance. The housing estate was built about 10 years ago and is reminiscent of many lovely residential areas in Florida. This two-story house with a boat slip in front had 5 bedrooms and seven luxury baths. The two boats docked in front were supposed to be included in the property rental price, and my friend drooled all over the one-year lease contract as he signed it. The fact that he is a bachelor and intended to live in this massive home all alone didn’t seem to deter him. Who could pass up such a bargain? And how did he find this little gem? Through a travel agency in South Pattaya where he booked a tour to Angkor Wat! Perfect.

Well, not quite. Three days after he moved in the boats were taken away. Then the air conditioner began to leak through the upstairs bedroom down onto the dining room table. During the past heavy rains, all the phones stopped working. Soon he discovered that he could not get an account for satellite TV without producing the house registration for the property. The landlord is happily residing on his yacht in Monte Carlo and cannot be contacted. Of course the enterprising employee in the tour agency is not mentally equipped to solve these minor problems since he’s only moon-lighting as a real estate agent.

A quick look at the primitive contract my friend signed revealed there was no ‘diplomatic clause’ which allows him to give notice and ‘live out’ his deposit, or have it returned if and when his company sends him out of the country for his job. There was no clause which places responsibility on the owner for repairs or breaches of contract such as non-payment of village fees, major repairs, etc. My friend will soon be transferred to West Africa and it looks like he will be stuck with the house until the lease has expired. Since security in the neighborhood is intermittent at best, I suggested he pack up everything he values and cut his losses. Like marriage; rent a house in haste, repent in leisure.

A lovely young couple who teaches at a prestigious international school calls me every week to send repair people who can keep the home they rented last year from falling in on them. The refrigerator packed up last month and they are now eating out of plastic bags brought from the market on their way home from work. The master bedroom’s ceiling fell down at 3:00 a.m. a few nights ago and they barely escaped with their lives. It seems termites have been munching away for the past twelve years and the wooden beams in the roof were their main diet.

When the wife’s parents came to Pattaya in April to visit, all the air conditioners broke down. Then the toilets backed up because the septic tanks were full. Last but not least, the washer and dryer went on strike. Disgusted, Mum and Dad checked into a hotel in Phuket and had a marvelous time.

How did this obviously intelligent duo find their dream house? Their maid saw a ‘For Rent’ sign on an empty house and relayed the info to her employers. When they came to view it, they were so enchanted by the lovely garden complete with waterfall and tropical fish pond that all their good sense flew out the window. The house owner is married to an English gentleman and lives in Kent. Communications are far and few between. A huge deposit was paid in advance so there is not much incentive for the owners to answer the flood of letters appealing for help.

And the fish pond? The water pump packed up months ago. The fish all died and the whole pond is covered in green scum. New life did settle in, however. The sound of thousands of croaking frogs can be heard for miles. No problem. Dozens of snakes have discovered food for a lifetime. The latest sad news is that their tiny toy poodle has disappeared.

Roll over Rover: When your dog doesn’t want to be anchored

by C. Schloemer

Owners often complain that when they first try anchoring their dogs, the pooch jumps on them. Of course if he weighs ninety five pounds, that will be hard to ignore. Dog owners with rambunctious animals who weigh more than they do should try some ‘body language’ communication with their pets. Fold your arms in front of your face. Tilt your head toward the sky and don’t look down until your dog is off you. Repeat as often as necessary.

If the preceding correction has no influence, grasp the leash and snap it firmly down and back without looking or changing your body posture. No vocal correction is necessary. You’re supposed to be ignoring your dog. It’s the leash that’s giving the correction. You step in to praise when your dog settles down at your feet. Your dog may try it again, so repeat your correction; perhaps a bit firmer.

If your dog is one of those die-hard jumpers, sit on a very short leash so that the jump itself will bring about a correction. Release some slack when the dog tries to lie down. Often a dog that is receiving these new training lessons will learn bits of the correction but not fully comprehend a true anchored position.

He or she may lie down but immediately twist around to lie at his owner’s feet. Is this acceptable? No, not really. Ideally the dog should be lying next to your left side. Every time your dog twists forward, shift him back with your hands. Do not give him eye contact until he is lying in the right space! You may need to do this several times, but eventually the dog will comply. As in all training procedures, be persistent.

Stationing

Stations are areas you give your dog in every room you permit him to be in. These are your dog’s ‘spots’. Just like we humans feel more comfortable knowing our place in a room, so do dogs. It’s their ‘comfort zone’. Eventually you’ll be able to send your dog to any area in any situation by using a command like “settle down”. I realize that for some of you this might sound like a fantasy, but trust me, it will happen. The key word here is eventually. That is why stationing can be so useful.

Pick your areas

Select an area in each room where your well-mannered dog will be permitted. Make sure it’s away from heavy traffic areas and electrical outlets. In addition, make sure each area is near enough to something onto which you can initially secure a lead. This will be your dog’s space and eventually he will go there automatically. But for the moment you must keep him leashed. You can have two stations or twenty, it’s up to you. You can also have a car station and outdoor stations (great for garden parties or badminton games).

Some ideas

The family room is an ideal place since everyone wants to pet the dog while watching TV or playing video games. You can create this station near the sofa or couch. The dining room also needs a stationing place unless you like dog slobber with your meals. You can create this station across the room so that your dog won’t be tempted to disturb the family when eating. This also really impresses dinner guests when the dog has finally perfected his training.

Unless you have a huge kitchen, you might want to station your dog outside the kitchen door. This way he won’t be under your feet when you are cooking. The reception area or front hall is usually an ideal place for doggie havoc. All dogs get excited during arrivals. Left to roam free, their enthusiasm can get in the way and is unintentionally reinforced by attention. To avoid such hysterics, provide a stationing spot in a corner of the area. When the doorbell rings, instruct your dog to go to his place, secure him, give him a special toy, and ignore him until she settles down. The best of all possibilities is involvement without interference.

The idea of dogs in bedrooms seems to stir a lot of debate. Some of you will reject the idea. But the truth is that your dog will feel safer and act a lot calmer during the day if she’s kept with someone at night. This is especially true for those dogs with owners who are away at work all day. Unless your dog was especially chosen and trained for night guard duty, consider providing a stationing spot in a corner of the bedroom or at the foot of the bed.

The Message In The Moon: Sun in Virgo-Moon in Aries

by Anchalee Kaewmanee

Clark Kent

People born into this combination have fantasies that they are dashing, daring and dynamic. But in real life they are not quite that decisive or adventurous, and it probably comes as a shock when they first realize they are not the heroes they thought they were. This is not to say that the Virgo-Aries does not have courage and strength to make bold plans. But when the time comes to follow through on that bravado, they suddenly become hesitant and insecure. The question that continually enters their mind is whether to do and dare, or just sit back and let whatever happens, happen.

There is genuine conflict in this Sun-Moon combo. The reserved, cautious and timid Virgo Sun must contend with an Aries inner nature that is fiery, belligerent, and fearless. It wouldn’t be easy for anyone to live up to the incredible self-image of an Aries, much less the mild-mannered and innocent Virgo. Self-acceptance is one of the first lessons natives of this sign must learn in life. In truth, these people are all of the wonderful things they think they are, but it’s not always necessary to be a Superman just to prove it. Nor must they get furious with themselves when caution or good common sense prevents them from embarking on impulsive or risky adventures.

The Virgo-Aries can find plenty of thrills in a more conventional framework. Big business can be extremely exciting for these individuals since they are highly perceptive and very shrewd. Although the Virgo personality will always be discriminating and cautious, this combination is never afraid to assert willpower when intuition says it is time to grasp an advantage or try a daring speculation.

Precision and perfection are the main ideals of the Virgo-Aries, and honor and loyalty are the standards by which these natives live. Not entirely without a sense of humor, they nevertheless tend to take personal matters very seriously. In youth, affronts to their dignity or pride are often met with disproportionate anger, and sometimes with revenge. A predisposition to judging others can be severe, and mood swings flash hot and cold. Fortunately as this Sun-Moon sign matures, many of these unattractive traits will recede into the background. The Virgo Sun wins out over the fiery Aires temperament; usually after encountering some rather nasty confrontations that clash with common sense.

Endowed with keen intellect and enviable reasoning powers, Virgo’s mental capabilities are considerable. Once these people learn how to control that Aries temper, they make excellent corporate executives because of their logical approach to organization and problem solving. Virgo is blessed with refined tasted and good manners, and in maturity, this combination eventually learns how to get subordinates to cooperate without using tyranny. Mentally receptive, this combination often absorbs tension and hostility from others and to maintain a cool reserve, these individuals must learn to take time out for relaxation, recreation and introspection.

Like all Virgos, this group will find great satisfaction and fulfillment through hard work. Industrious and reliable, they all combine energetic enthusiasm with thoughtfulness. However, it is vital that their work is challenging. The restless emotional nature of the Aries will rebel against boredom and drudgery. Members of this sign must find a career that absorbs them even if it means giving up a high salary.

Stuck in a boring or mentally unrewarding job will produce frustration and irritably in the Virgo-Aries and he or she will eventually become very difficult to get along with. That hot temper, which was probably mastered long ago may rise to the forefront again and cause no end of problems. A bad-tempered Aries can be a handful, and undo much of the progress the cautious and sensible Virgo has managed to accomplish. Once again, remember that this Sun and Moon are basically in conflict. Self-discipline in this combo will be more difficult than for most Virgos.

In love, Virgo-Aries is a champion lover, filled with passion and sensitivity. But there is a selfish streak in this combo and natives often think of themselves first. If they can learn to be a little less selfish and pay more attention to their partner’s needs, they will find romance a less rocky road to travel. Jealous rages do no make for a happy relationship, especially if they are unfounded.

PC Basics: Backup or Pack Up

Bay Computer Services

So you have a nice PC setup, are happily surfing the Internet, sending emails to your friends all over the world and perhaps keeping all your business records and contacts on your PC. Then one day you switch the PC on and a message appears saying “Primary Hard Disk Failure” or perhaps “Please Insert System Disk”. Then you realize that ALL your information on your PC is gone, with very little hope of getting it back.

Naturally, you have everything backed up, don’t you? At this point, take your system to your local friendly PC repair man, and hope that he will be able to recover your information (unlikely at best). Or if you know enough yourself about hardware configuration, try to see if you can get some life from the drive.

A hard drive is a mechanical device, with moving parts. It WILL wear out at some stage, and all data WILL be lost.

The moving parts of the drive have to work very hard, and will work well every day for several years, but... Listen for unusual noises from your hard drive. This is the warning sign of ‘wear and tear’. Back up immediately.

One cause of drive failure is a power surge resulting from the vagaries of the local power supply and inclement weather. The electrical circuitry on the drive can be compromised. High voltage will take out the power supply, then the motherboard, then random devices attached to the motherboard, including the hard drive. A surge protector, not a UPS, affords some protection but the best defense is to turn off the computer during a rainstorm and unplug the modem from the phone line.

Backing up data on 1.44MB floppies is not the best idea as after a while they deteriorate and cannot be read by the computer. They hold only a small amount of data and are really a convenient but temporary means of transferring data from one computer to another.

If you have valuable data that you cannot afford to lose then back it up. One method is to set up a second hard drive. Copy all that valuable data to the second hard drive. A good quality 20GB hard drive would cost about 3000 baht and a 40 GB hard drive a little more, but not more than 4000 baht. Not a lot for the peace of mind!

The best (and most reliable and cheapest) method of backup is to create your own CDs. Apart from the initial expense of a CD writer (less than 5000 baht), the CDs themselves are extremely cheap and can contain a very large amount of information. If you use a type of CD called a Re-Writable (CD-RW) you can add, delete and modify the information on the disk as many times as you want. Essentially you use it exactly the same way you use a floppy disk, except that a single CD-RW will contain the same amount of information as 350 floppies and is far faster and highly reliable.

There are other devices available for data backup. One alternative is a device about the size and shape of a gas cigarette lighter that you carry on your key ring. It can transfer data from your PC through its infra-red port or USB port. However, they only have a small amount of storage space, and the next time you lose your key ring it will be even more of a pain than normal. In the end, a CD Re-Writer offers the best backup in terms of speed, cost and storage capacity.

If you have a problem with your PC then you can contact us through the Pattaya Mail. Questions of general interest will be published in the paper. E-mail: [email protected].

Coins of the Realm: Coin, medal or decoration

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

Many times I get calls from people telling me they have a certain coin. After being given the description, I understand that the object in question is not a coin but a medal. I explain this for the caller, who many times will argue that this is a coin because it does not have a loop.

Top: Two baht coin from King Mongkut, Rama IV, with a loop put on later. Even with the loop it is still a coin.

Middle: This medal produced for King Chulalongkorn, Rama V’s 17th Birthday is considered to be the first modern Thai non-monetary medal, struck in CS 1232 (1870).

Bottom: Rajaruchi medal from King Chulalongkorn. The King gave this medal to people close to His Majesty.

The main difference between a coin and a medal is that a coin can be used as money for a certain amount. It does not necessarily have a denomination written on it. In the older times, when coins were made out of gold, silver and copper, the value of a coin was the price of the metal.

Today some countries issue bullion coins. These coins have a face value, but the actual value is the price of gold. Canada makes a 50-dollar coin, which is one ounce of gold, 31.103 grams. 50 Canadian dollars is about 1,350 baht, while a once of gold is worth close to 14,000 baht.

A few of the other modern, well known bullion coins are the Krugerrand from South Africa, the Nugget from Australia, the Eagle from United States and the Panda from China. All these coins have a face value, but the actual value is much higher because of the value of gold.

Top: Tamlung (4 baht) from King Mongkut, Rama IV was struck as a coin, but the King gave permission for it to also be worn as a decoration. The only time in the history of Thai Numismatics when a coin is also a decoration.

Bottom: The first “flat” Thai coin, a one Baht from 1857 struck by the hand operated minting machine presented by Queen Victoria to King Mongkut. The coin does not have a written denomination, but the weight, about 15 grams, tells us that it is a one baht. The first Thai coin with a written denomination was issued during the reign of King Chulalongkorn, Rama V.

The reason why these bullion coins all have a face value, but are not used as regular coins is that most countries do not have tax or duty on coins. If they did not have a face value these bullion coins might be considered medals and tax and duty might have to be paid when imported and traded. A few days ago gold was traded at US$327, the highest since October 5, 1999.

A medal is a struck object and often made to commemorate an occasion. It might look like a coin, but it does not have a face value. To issue a medal is easier than issuing a coin. Normally when a country issues a coin, it has to be approved by the government or someone appointed by the government, or sometimes several governments, which is the case of the Euro.

The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant was a decoration initiated by King Mongkut, Rama IV.

Any individual can have a medal struck, but the design must sometimes be approved by the ones involved, as copyright for the motif might apply. For instance, issuing a medal portraying members of the Royal Family cannot be produced without written approval.

Medals are often made as a token of thanks or as a prize medal. Sometimes these medals turn up for sale in the market, often sold by another generation than the person who was awarded or won the medal. War medals are a very popular collector’s field; another is Olympic medals. Actually any object from the Olympics has interest for collectors, especially from the early Olympics.

Decorations are also one object often mixed up with coins and medals. The King, head of state or government sometimes gives a decoration to a worthy recipient.
The decorations from different countries have different designs and grades.

In Thailand a Tamlung of 4 baht coin was issued in 1864 to commemorate King Mongkut, Rama IV’s 60th Birthday. The coin was issued in gold and silver. The King permitted these coins to be used as a decoration. So when a loop is added to a coin, it can be called a decoration, but this is only if the King has given his permission.