HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Does anyone know the motorcycle law?

Telepathic drivers

International Lions Club of Jomtien Pattaya says thanks

Hope it was a shifting wind of change

Born on the Fourth of July

Does anyone know the motorcycle law?

Dear Editor;

A plea for help. I have lived in Thailand now for almost 5 years, although only one year in the Eastern Seaboard. This latter year has seen the commencement of a continuing problem.

I am a “Big Bike” owner and a member of a motorcycle group of Southern Thailand and while living in the south have had no such problems. The problem: “riding on the highway”. The police have stopped me on numerous occasions for riding in the outside or centre lane of a 3 lane dual carriageway and even the outside lane of a 2 lane dual carriageway; hastening to add that in good farang stile I return to the inside lane on completing my manoeuvre. They ask for my driving license and state that I should collect it from the Police Station or give them money. I always proclaim that I want to accompany them to the police station to talk with their superior; the result being that I get my license back and a proclamation that they will “help me” - end of immediate problem.

However, I really do want to speak to a police superior to gain some answers. I have tried but to no avail. I have sent an email to the president of a motorcycle group whom I know, and who is also a Colonel in the police force. He has sent me an acknowledgement and told me to wait while he looks into my query - but nothing further.

Why does nobody know the answer to this very simple question “Where can a motorcyclist legally ride on a highway”? State secret or what? We all know that we are not allowed to ride on a motorway [toll road] and we are all too aware of the riding practices of the Thai nationals but can someone [preferably a Senior Thai Police Officer] furnish me with the ‘rules of law’ - quoting specific codes and publications [papers, paragraphs etc.].

Ride Safe,

Mick John

Telepathic drivers

Dear Editor,

In the recently published letter “Bad foreign drivers?” from CS I note a certain smugness from CS that foreign drivers are trained to obey all traffic regulations, drive safely at all times, never exceed speed limits and are innately superior to Thai drivers.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The disaster avoidance skills and telepathic abilities of Thai drivers are well documented, along with calmness in the face of “illegal” or “downright dangerous” manoeuvres which would give a lifetime ban in less enlightened countries. Thai driving requires a skill set which cannot and most certainly is not taught, so it must be inherited from father to son to daughter.

So hats off to the local drivers of samlors, motorbikes, buses and Benzes, a race apart.

Yours,

JL

International Lions Club of Jomtien Pattaya says thanks

Editor;

We were all extremely proud to be involved in the chartering of the newest Lions Club in Pattaya. The International Lions Club of Jomtien Pattaya was conceived last February and with the support and leadership of our Guiding Lion, President Lamai of the Pratamnak Club, and some very active members we received our Charter on June the 7th during a splendid evening at the Asia Hotel.

We were honoured to have a number of visiting dignitaries from Pattaya society with Mayor Pairot giving an address.

We were extremely pleased that Past World President Lion Kajit Habananon and Past World Council member General Terdsak Marrome were able to join us, along with many Past and Current District Governors.

It was very warming that several members of Rotary and the Y.W.C.A. were also able to join us help celebrate the evening. Our heartfelt thanks goes to all those who helped make it such an enjoyable and memorable affair.

A brief background of Lions International. Formed in 1917 by businessman Melvin Jones in Oak Brook Illinois, U.S.A. with the initial objective of serving and helping those in need in his community and further a field. Hence the slogan “We Serve”. This calling and philosophy is as strong today as it was back then and Lions membership is expanding worldwide. To date there are over 44,800 clubs with over 1.4 million members worldwide. It is interesting that Lions International has officially chartered two clubs in China, the first since service organisations were closed down during the Mao regime.

During 1925 Helen Keller challenged Lions International to take up the cause of blindness and visual impairments in peoples throughout the world. This challenge was immediately taken up eventually leading to the Sight First programme being born. This programme has been a great success with over 8,000,000 people receiving various treatments each year. The programme continues.

Lions in Thailand began in 1959 when the first club was chartered under Royal patronage. Since that time it has grown to 301 clubs in 6 districts with over 9,050 members.

Sight First is also one of Lions Thailand main projects, with thousands of people receiving treatment annually. Lions in Thailand are also active providing specialist training for doctors and care staff.

H.M. King Bhumibol charged Lions in Thailand with several tasks, one being “Encyclopedias For Schools”. This is directed at schools that cannot afford such items and every Lions Club in Thailand has taken up the challenge and to date tens of thousands of encyclopedias have been donated by Lion Clubs. The programme continues.

Teacher training is another important aspect of Lions Thailand work, and to date over 1500 teachers in Thailand have undergone specialist training. The programme continues.

Besides large scale projects, disaster relief programmes and emergency aid, Lions carry out a huge amount of work at a local level supporting those less fortunate than ourselves.

To carry out our work and fulfil our commitments we need to raise funds. With the good grace and kind assistance of Khun Sopin, John Cole and Mike Franklin of the Diana Group we are planning something quite special. We propose to hold a Grand Prize Draw and Fun Golf Day to be held at the Diana Driving Range in September of this year. We will of course be publishing full details shortly but do please pencil the 22nd of September in your diaries.

To find out more about Lions please call Paul Davies or Peter Smith on 038 420 960 or email them at [email protected]

Our new web-site is up and you can visit it at [email protected]

Our club membership director, Steel Lambrinos can be reached on 038 955 245 and finally the web-site for Lions International is at www.lionsclubs.org - here you can read a fuller history of Lions, the achievements of Lions, the goals and ambitions of Lions and club directories.

Sincerely,

Paul

Hope it was a shifting wind of change

Editor;

I was bemused to read the letter “Clean up your act or world gay community will boycott Thailand” from Ralph E. Revill last week who has seen to jump on the recent series of raids on gay bars around Pattaya and label it as discriminatory against gays.

Has Mr Revill been living under a rock for the last 6 months? Has he not noticed the prolonged crackdown being waged on foreign orientated entertainment venues of all descriptions? Has he somehow managed to overlook the constant flow of political diatribe blaming most of Thailand’s woes on foreigners in general?

The situation appears to have been acceptable to Mr Revill up until gay tourists were included under the same umbrella. Odd. Expecting exemption based on race, religion or sexual orientation seems to me to be just as discriminating as persecution would be, based on identical criteria.

In contrast, kudos to Banglamung District Chief Chaen Chuensiva, who ignored fashion trends last week and managed to comment of the existence of social problems in Thailand without directly attributing foreigners as the cause somehow. I just hope it was a shifting wind of change in the content of the message and not just in the reporting of it.

Cheers,

R Hardy - Brisbane AUS

Born on the Fourth of July

Editor;

To many countries of the world that use the Roman calendar, it might be another day of the month of July - July 4th. But to citizens of the United States, it’s The Fourth of July. They also refer to it as Independence Day. And it’s a cause for great celebration.

By what exactly are they celebrating? Strictly speaking they are celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. At the time, what is now the USA was originally a group of English colonies. Their main objection was “taxation without representation”. The colonists had no say in decisions made in the English parliament. A rebellion arose and the Americans were determined to break away from British rule.

On July 4, 1776, and after various changes to Thomas Jefferson’s original draft, a vote was taken late in the afternoon of that day. Of the 13 colonies, 9 voted in favor of the Declaration; 2, Pennsylvania and South Carolina voted No; Delaware was undecided and New York abstained. John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence. It is said that he signed his name “with a great flourish” so “King George can read that without spectacles!”

The fourth day of July should not be symbolic for only Americans but to the whole world. For on this day, back in 1789 the foundation of the greatest democracy of the world was laid. The American Revolution ended two hundred years of British rule over most of the North American colonies and laid the foundation of the present United States of America.

The constitution of the United States of America was drafted and ratified. On the anniversary of that day, the newly-born nation declared its citizens rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. Today, the United States stands as a free society, is the most formidable super-power in the world and is a true friend of emancipation.

Not only the nation’s national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner”, but also some of America’s most famous music was born of patriotic fervor. Compositions recognized around the world include, “My Country ’tis of Thee”; “America the Beautiful”; “Yankee Doodle Boy” and military marches such as “Stars and Stripes Forever”; “Anchors Away”; and the “Marine’ Hymn” stir emotions in the hearts of all who hear these celebrated masterpieces of nationalistic zeal.

Large-scale public spectacles were added to city festivities in the 1830s. A typical Fourth of July in New York City began with the roar of cannons and the unfurling of flags, pennants, and streamers from the masts of hundreds of ships around the harbor. Banners waved as far as the eye could see in streets thronged with people. Children in plumed hats flourished tin swords and pranced happily to marching music punctuated by blasts of artillery fire from the military exhibition park.

The Forth of July is a public holiday and most people get the day off from work. Celebrations are spectacular. Some American cities celebrate with dramatic displays of fireworks. It’s considered a family holiday and friends and families gather for barbeques and picnics. Parades line the streets and this is a day for politician’s speeches. Loyalist ardor can have polish and big budgets in some regions. But for most citizens, it is simply a day to celebrate the birth of their homeland and take time to be thankful for their many blessings.

Anchalee Keowmanee

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