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Family Money: Get real about real estate - Part
2
By Leslie
Wright,
Managing director of Westminster Portfolio Services (Thailand) Ltd.
For their own
protection
Some local real estate firms trumpet in their
advertisements that foreigners can now own their own property. In reality
this is just a clever ploy to get you through their doors. The mechanism
which has been used for years to get around this protectionist law has not
in fact changed.
An expatriate can own a condominium in his own name
provided not more than 40% of the apartments in the complex are owned by
foreigners. That has been the case for several years.
But if you want to buy a house or land, you either have
to be legally married to a Thai (as I explained last week), or set up a
locally registered company, of which one foreigner cannot own more than
39% of the shares, and a group of foreigners collectively not more than
49%.
You also need at least six Thai partners to hold the
remaining shares (although you can be the sole authorised signatory and
ensure these local partners sign their undated resignations and share
transfer deeds at the time of setting up the company - although of course
this tactic is strictly illegal under Thai law, just as is driving a
motorcycle without a crash-helmet, and on the wrong side of the road).
An additional safeguard would be to have a reputable
professional specialist (i.e., law firm) draw up suitable paperwork to
show that your company borrowed the money from you to buy the land, which
is then mortgaged to you until the loan is repaid. This mortgage should
then be registered with the Land Office at City Hall to ensure the
paperwork is complete and your interests protected.
Don’t try doing it yourself to save a paltry few
thousand baht - get a professional to do it all for you, to protect your
investment of several million baht.
Of course, you could avoid the costs and hassle by
putting the house in your wife/girlfriend’s name. This will undoubtedly
make her very happy - even happier than the visits you made to her
favourite gold shop and motorcycle shop (which are the usual precursors to
visiting the real estate agency).
However, what happens a year or two down the road when
you have a major disagreement about something, or her Thai ‘husband’
shows up (since they all seem to have them squirreled away somewhere)?
You, like so many before you, may find yourself standing on Jomtien Beach
with only your passport in one hand and a bag of clothes in the other -
and your life savings gone, with no legal recourse.
Getting a mortgage
In developed countries, getting a mortgage on a
property is almost taken for granted. Few people are in a position to buy
a property for cash on the table - especially at current prices!
The relatively low price of property in Thailand has
tempted many expatriates to buy a residential property, townhouse, or a
shop house for their girl-friend to run a travel agency, beauty salon,
snooker hall or beer bar on the ground floor, while they love - I mean
live - upstairs.
There are always plenty of condos, houses, commercial
shop-houses, bars and restaurants for sale to lucky buyers with cash to
spend - just look at this week’s ‘Mail Market’ section!
Some of the more naïve buyers imagine that they can
just sail into a local bank and get a mortgage on the strength of the
property deed and their ‘personal’ guarantee on behalf of their
girlfriend.
Sorry, but that isn’t going to happen.
Unlike in the West, where the property title deed
guarantees the bank in the event of default, and an endowment or insurance
policy its money in the event the borrower dies, laws in Thailand to help
banks recoup bad debts were only passed in 1999, and the efficiency of the
court system here is such that it could take up to 10 years to recoup
defaulters’ bad debts - if they don’t declare bankruptcy first (as
they’re now able to under the revised laws).
Banks are not interested in holding real estate on
their books, since this is a non-performing ‘dead’ asset; they want to
recover the money they lent, to lend it to someone else and earn interest
on the loan.
Understandable, since they’re in the money business,
not the real estate business.
During the building boom of the mid 90s, it was fairly
straightforward to get a mortgage on a condominium - even if you were a
foreigner.
But after the financial crisis of ’97 many foreigners
defaulted and fled the scene. With high levels of non-performing loans
already on their books (still over 30% of total loans issued by local
banks!), coupled with the high percentage of mortgage defaulters, local
banks virtually stopped offering new mortgages on real estate, even to
Thais.
Only recently has this policy eased, and Thais are once
again able to obtain mortgages at reasonable rates.
But it has to be borne in mind that obtaining a
mortgage anywhere depends largely on the ability of the borrower to repay
the loan. This will be evaluated by a lending institution on the basis of
stability of employment income and past credit record.
So if you’re prepared to deposit the value of the
property in the bank - in your girlfriend’s account, of course - she
might be able to get a mortgage if she has a good employment record and
her regular salary is sufficient to repay the loan. And of course the
property then has to be in her rather than your name.
But to imagine that an expatriate boyfriend (who could
leave the country any time) will be accepted by any bank as guarantor of a
mortgage being applied for by a local lass whose employment record
consists of working in a go-go bar for a year or two, and whose average
bank balance has hovered around 400 baht, is naïve in the extreme.
(To be continued next week)
Snap Shot: Expose yourself!
by Harry Flashman
No, this is not a suggestion that you go streaking down
the road on a hot summer’s evening, but rather that you think about
letting the public have a look at some of your better prints. The stimulus
for this thought was Dacha Buranabunpot’s exhibition this month at the
National Gallery, Chaofah Road in Bangkok. These are some very colourful
and sometimes haunting images, and well worth a look.
However, I was thinking more about you and yours. Any
serious photographer will have some images that are worthwhile displaying.
While it may be nice for you to look at your work, why not let the rest of
the world have a look too?
By this stage, many of you have now become coy, and
will say, "But my photos aren’t good enough." Good enough for
what? Let me assure you that any photographer with an SLR will have some
photos in his or her collection that some other people will enjoy. A few
years ago there was an amateur photo competition held in Pattaya and the
response was overwhelming. And on top of that, many of the entries were
superb photographs. Photographs that deserved to be displayed.
Now before you go rushing down to the National Gallery
with a bunch of photographs in your hand, there are a few chores to do
first. The first of these is to start sorting through those drawers of
photographs and looking critically at each one and deciding which ones
might be worth blowing up - because here is the first rule of exhibiting.
Only show enlargements! At least an 8x10, which is slightly smaller than a
standard A4 piece of paper, (called an 8R print in most photo-processing
shops) or even 14x11. While big is beautiful, you have to be a little wary
of going much bigger than 14x11, unless you have extremely sharp lenses
and use slow speed film, as you can find your apparently good images,
going ‘soft’.
The second rule of exhibiting is to sort your
photographs into some type of definable category or theme. Showing
beautiful photographs of a horse in a field, a girl on a beach and the
queue at an airport, all of which may be crackerjack individual shots, do
not go together to make an exhibition. To keep people’s interest, they
have to see that there is some rhyme or reason to this collection. It
makes no difference if all you have is ten shots of trees - this makes a
far better exhibition than assorted shots, no matter how brilliant they
are on a stand alone basis.
The third rule of exhibiting is that you must mount the
shots for display and be able to hang them. The way you do that is up to
you, but I would recommend simplicity and inexpensiveness are the factors
to keep in mind. The photograph must not be overshadowed by the frame! So
forget about the heavy gilt carved numbers!
So let us now imagine that you have at least ten
reasonable shots, all relating to one theme. You have had them enlarged to
8R size and mounted so that they can be hung - now how do you go about
getting them hung somewhere? Well, surprisingly this is not as difficult,
or as embarrassing, as you would imagine it to be. You will be amazed at
the number of venues that will be delighted to have something different to
decorate the back wall. Coffee shops and restaurants are obviously prime
targets, but dress shops, dentist’s waiting rooms or even a local hotel’s
foyer can be pleased to host your mini-exhibition.
Obviously approach people you know first, such as your favourite
restaurant, but don’t be shy. As I pointed out already, the proprietors
are happy to have anything that might bring a few more bodies through the
door. Put a time limit on your exhibition - two weeks is enough, and tell
your friends and even the local newspaper, like this one! The exercise is
fun and will help you enjoy the art of photography even more.
Modern Medicine: The Internet - Is it a reliable source of correct medical advice?
by Dr Iain Corness, Consultant
The internet has become, for many people, of more
importance than any other information source. After all, where else can
you go and get information any anything from gnus to news? So why not go
to the internet for some timely medical advice?
Over the past few years, I have become accustomed to
patients coming in to see me with reams of printed paper under their arm.
All of it derived from the internet. I must admit that I groan inwardly
when this happens, but it is not because I think the patient is not
entitled to correct information about their own diseases. Quite the
contrary.
Going back to the title of this week’s article, is
the internet a RELIABLE source of correct medical advice? Unfortunately,
the answer is like the curate’s egg - good in parts. Certainly there is
some excellent information out there, but there is also a whole pile of
unmitigated garbage, masquerading as medical ‘truths’.
Studies have certainly shown that patients who use the
internet as a resource medium for good health information can make better
informed decisions regarding their health, and take a more active role in
maintaining their own personal health levels. All this is good news for
both the general public and the health care professionals.
The internet is also a good place for people with
chronic ailments to meet others with the same problems. Instead of being,
or feeling, isolated, the sufferer can exchange experiences and
information. This is of immense psychological good. So where’s the
downside to all this?
The downside comes with the fact that the internet is
what could be called an ‘uncontrolled’ medium. There is nobody to
overview the content of any medical information site, as there is in the
accepted medical media. For example, it takes several months to have an
article printed in an accredited journal. Your words are scrutinized by a
panel of experts and after the panel considers that you have highlighted
some actual and factual concepts or information, then it gets printed and
can be regarded as ‘the gospel’ (at this point in time - things can
change, however, from month to month, year to year).
However, studies have been done by the medical experts
on the medical data available over the internet, and the results were that
70% of the studies provided inaccurate data. This is really a trifle
worrying. Add to that, the fact that there have been deaths which have
occurred by following inappropriate medical advice which has been
downloaded from cyberspace.
So can somebody sit down and review everything that is
on the ‘net and give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down? Quite frankly,
this is too great a task for anyone. Even if somebody were to pay me a
thumping great salary to do this, I would be dead before I even got to
finish reading the information that is available today, let alone what is
uploaded tomorrow.
So what can you do, as a concerned patient? The best
advice is to stick to information providers who are reliable, such as
government organizations or institutions that are world renowned (Mayo
Clinic, Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and the like) and be
careful. Here’s a couple - www.healthfinder.com and www.cancer.gov/cancer_
information/
But always remember there are no miracle cures
available on the internet and don’t be suckered into buying expensive
answers to your chronic ailments!
 Heart to Heart with Hillary
Dear Hillary,
I am here in Thailand for a few weeks on a well deserved
holiday. Naturally in my travels about town I have encountered many charming
ladies, many of which I would like to get to know better. I speak only a few
words of Thai and have trouble communicating with ladies who do not speak
English. Last night I met a very nice lady and bought her a couple of ‘lady
drinks’. Her body language clearly indicated that she liked me ... so,
seeking some reassurance I asked her the associated question, "Do you like
me?" She responded by saying, "Up to you." I was a little
confused by her reply. I understand that you are wise in such matters, and
would call on your experience to help interpret her answer to my question.
Confused In Pattaya
Dear CIP,
You are reading far too much into this brief and verbal
only intercourse. You were there wanting to be liked, and she was there
performing her role as a person who makes her living by liking people. Whether
you think that the lady in question liked you, was then, as she correctly said,
"Up to you." The more lady drinks you bought, the more she would like
you. The greater the degree of financial involvement in the association, the
greater degree of liking you will get in return. It really is "Up to
you!" As the American satirist Tom Lehrer once said, "Life is like a
sewer. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it." Understand
now, Petal?
Hillary, my lovely,
My Thai ladyfriend (wee Nit, the adorable) is experiencing a
difficulty in pronouncing her Rs and Ls. For example, ‘Hillary’ sounds like
‘He Willy’! Not nice at all! What can I do? Withdraw her Mars Bar before
elocution lessons?
Mistersingha
P.S. A hazel choc bar could be on the way via an
impenetrable Volvo or a pickup. Should the choccy melt en route you will still
have some nuts to savour!
Dear Mistersingha,
I am not sure which is worse, being "He Willy"
or being your "lovely"? Neither would be my first choice for the day,
however, returning to your Mars Bar problem and elocution, this is easily
overcome. Firstly withhold all Mars Bars in the short term and secondly use an
electric pig prod every time Wee Nit gets hers Arrs and Ells mixed up. The
secret to good elocution is the threat of electrocution. Try saying it aloud.
The remaining Mars Bars can be sent over to my office, but refrigerate first.
That’s the way, Petal.
Dear Hillary,
You do get asked some silly things, don’t you? The ones
that get to me most are all these men who fall for the oldest trap of all, the
sweet smile and "buy me drink" routine. Despite everything that you
have written about the subject, they just keep on coming back like bees to the
honeypot. So tell me, why do YOU think they do it?
Honeypot
Dear Honeypot,
Firstly I must correct you a little. The oldest trap of
all was sprung by Eve, tempting Adam with a nice juicy red apple, long before
the invention of ‘lady drinks’. As to why these men keep blundering along,
is because they are men. It is part of their genetic heritage and they should
be given understanding, especially from one of their own. Go easy on them,
Honeypot. You might be next.
Dear Hillary,
I need to find a bar girl with long arms. I have searched
through most bars in Thailand and have found girls with long legs. They are
either attached to chrome dance poles or are of questionable sexuality. Girls
with long memories constantly remind me of things I would rather forget, girls
with long fingers seem to find their way into my wallet and girls with long,
sad stories irritate me with tales of sick parents or dying water buffalos. I
don’t need these types. The illusive (sic) bar girl with long arms would have
the ability to reach that bottle of icy cold beer at the bottom of the ice
chest. Why are these girls so hard to find?
Mighty Mouse
Dear Mighty Mouse,
Hillary is so pleased to see you are back. I was getting worried that the
police in your country might have locked you up for indecent exposure after
your last letter describing your skin-tight cut-off shorts. While you were
away, I had an interesting verbal thrust and parry with one correspondent over
the words ‘illusive’ and ‘elusive’. The former refers to an illusion
and the latter to something that is hard to find, so I believe you are looking
for an ‘elusive’ lady. Why is she so hard to find? Probably because she is
really an illusion, a figment of your fevered imagination, my Petal. With your
fever running so high, I can see why you need that cold beer at the bottom of
the ice chest. But Mighty Mouse, a little lateral thinking will soon have this
sorted for you. Buy an ice chest that is not so deep, then even those girls
with arms so short they cannot get to the bottom of your long pockets, will be
able to fish a nice cold one from the depths of your ice chest.
A Slice of Thai History: A Foreign Journalists view of Thailand in the Decade of Militarism
Part one: Did Japan dominate Thailand?
by Duncan Stearn
By the middle of the turbulent decade of the 1930s, it
was increasingly clear to Asia watchers that Japanese militarism, apart
from its expansionist actions against China, was also eyeing the lucrative
markets of South-East Asia, and Thailand was a premier prize in the
region.
A young American journalist named Gareth Jones visited
Thailand in 1935 to determine for himself if the rumours, circulating from
such diverse places as the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia),
British-controlled Singapore and Japan itself, of Japanese domination of
Thailand were true.
In 1932, Japan had effectively annexed Manchuria from
China, renaming it Manchukuo, placing a puppet emperor on the throne and
declaring it a protectorate. Thailand was the only country in the League
of Nations that refrained from voting against the condemnation of Japanese
policy in conquering Manchuria.
The following year the Japanese had invaded the Inner
Mongolian province of Jehol and compelled the Chinese Nationalist
government of Chiang Kai-Shek to sign an agreement establishing a
demilitarised zone.
Jones’ first despatch from Bangkok appeared in April
1935. He wrote: ‘...I was told in Java, [the Japanese] are pushing their
Empire ever further Southwards and Westwards. They want to have a
stronghold in Siam. They want to build a canal which would compare with
the Panama Canal and which would enable them to dominate the markets of
India and the power of the British in Asia. This Canal would be the Kra
Canal and would make Singapore into a bigger "white elephant"
than any owned by the Kings of Bangkok. They want to be masters of the
route from Asia to India and to Africa.’
One wonders what might have been if Japan had succeeded
in forcing the Americans and British to agree to peace terms in 1942.
Would the Kra Canal now be a reality and Singapore relegated to a swampy
backwater?
Jones quoted an article from the 11 April 1935 edition
of the Times of India that stated, ‘India has this great interest, that
the establishment of Japanese economic hegemony over Siam would bring a
new international influence into an area which is contiguous with the
frontier of Burma. In the past India’s foreign and defence policies have
been dictated by consideration of the risk attaching to her North West
frontier, where first the Russian menace and later the Afghan unrest were
present. Should a new militant power establish itself on the eastern
border of Burma, India’s foreign and defence policies will need radical
revision. When the military authorities guarding the life and property of
over three hundred million people in India threaten to change their whole
defence on account of fear of Japan, the fear is one worth examining...’
The American journalist stated, ‘There is certainly a
growing friendship between Siam and Japan...a leading Japanese authority
said to me: "We Siamese regard Japan as an elder brother. We are an
example to Siam of a country which has freed itself from Western
influences and which has progressed rapidly. The young people here look up
to the Japanese and say: ‘If only we could do what they do’."
One reason for increasing Japanese influence at the
expense of the West was laid at the feet of returned Thai soldiers who had
fought in France during World War One. ‘...they returned with the tale
of a bloody impoverished white race with its members at each others’
throats.’ It made the Thais realise they were as good as their white
counterparts and, ‘The result is that many European advisers have left
the country. That the Siamese State railways, which formerly had many
British experts and foremen has today only one British worker and that
Japanese experts are coming to take the place of whites. Recently cotton
experts came from Japan and there are two Japanese officers of high rank
in the Siamese Army...Many Siamese students now go to Japan. Recently a
number of Siamese naval cadets, abandoning the tradition that the British
Navy shall teach the future admirals of Siam, went to receive their
training in the Japanese fleet...’
Japanese influence in the media was strong because Thai
newspapers received most of their news via Rengo, the official Japanese
news agency. Increasing trade ties also influenced the Thais. In 1934,
Japanese automaker Datsun sold a single vehicle in Thailand. The next year
the company opened a showroom in Bangkok to sell Japanese cars. By that
time, Japanese manufacturers were already dominant in the radio
accessories, silk, paper, bicycle, cement, and rubber goods markets.
In 1935, for the first time, a contract to construct
railway bridges was given to Japan, even though there were 11 American and
European firms also in the bidding.
Personal Directions: Are you being served?
by Christina Dodd
Managing director of Westminster Portfolio Services (Thailand) Ltd.
Recently I’ve been quietly observing a small but
growing business in Chiang Mai. Several months ago a young man and his
family opened a very modest restaurant - open-air style on a concrete
foundation - and started off by offering a simple but appealing, very
affordable menu.
Every day I would pass by and notice the increasing
number of customers. It seemed that the place was doing very well and that
soon they’d have to expand the car park! So I decided to call in and
have a meal. Well, now I can’t count the number of times I’ve eaten
there!
In just a few months it seems that the young owner has
found his secret for success in his restaurant business. Many of you might
say that because it’s cheap and simple, that that’s how he has become
successful. Some of you might also say that because there are low
overheads and it’s up-country, that these are the reasons why he is
doing so well. All these factors play a role and I agree that they are
important, but I have also noticed one ingredient that rises above all
others, and that ingredient is "good old-fashioned service."
It’s a pleasure to see how he and his staff work. It’s
indeed a pleasure to be on the receiving end of attentive, sincere and
efficient service. Not one of the staff at this establishment has had the
benefit of tertiary education. They come from villages up in the North.
Their families are simple folk who have probably never ventured outside
the village gates. And all of them share the desire to work and to work
well. On speaking to them they all told me that they love their jobs. They
enjoy the atmosphere, they are very pleased to have a job that allows them
to make others (customers) happy, and most of all, they have a great boss!
It is so easy to see how everything comes together in
the restaurant. The owner has used his natural talent and skills to
develop a well-trained group of people. He has identified their weaknesses
over the past few months and put relentless effort into ensuring that they
provide the best possible service to the restaurant’s customers. Sure
this is a small business - but no matter the size of any business - the
fact remains that great customer service is paramount to success.
He has also recruited people who have a "service
mind" and a desire to deliver the best. This is part and parcel of
his achievement. He has the right kind of people with him and this is
usually half the battle in the service industry. It is amazing how much
can be accomplished when people have the will to perform. If there is an
existing will, then it can be nourished and developed with the right
support, encouragement and training!
Of late I have had many enquiries about CRM and
programs concerning "the service mind". This particular skills
area is one that requires dedicated attention and application. But it does
not mean that you have to have read every textbook under the sun.
Sometimes, whilst having to adhere to certain principles and basic
theories concerning CRM, we lose sight of the fundamentals to providing
good service. The best and most effective approach is to keep it as simple
as possible and not to become overwhelmed by the subject. The simpler and
the more enjoyable this specific subject can be, the greater the results
of any training or instruction.
The young restaurant owner has kept it simple and it
has brought him results. Major businesses and organizations can too
"keep it simple" in a way that does not deflect from knowing and
understanding the job specifics. The main ingredient is to have people
with a desire to perform.
Quite often we can see that people are working in the
wrong jobs. It is very evident in the service industry because it stands
out like a sore thumb! And in the reverse situation it is so easy to
notice people who are in the right job. Their attitude, body language and
their whole approach to their job and performance almost leap out at you
too. That is why it is so essential to ensure that individuals who are to
work in the front line or service line in any business, have to want to be
there in the first place.
Once I had the opportunity to sit in on a few sessions
of a public Customer Service Program conducted here in Bangkok. Lots of
information was provided. Handouts and program notebooks were given.
Lecturers seemed to stream in without any effort to expound their
theories. Many detailed notes were taken and written down. But when I
later had the chance to mingle with the audience and to gauge their
understanding and reaction to the program, I found that a lot of them were
really not interested in giving their "heart and soul" to
providing the best service. They had no sense of wanting to be outstanding
in this field. I immediately thought of the "square pegs in round
holes" syndrome which prevails in many businesses and companies,
despite their efforts to recruit the appropriate people for the job.
To be fair to anyone working in this field, they have
to want to be there! It is the same for any vocation or profession you
wish to pursue and perform well in. Wanting to be there in the first place
will enable you to do well and will get you further sooner. It is as
simple as that!
No matter how small or large a company or organization,
those in authority and those in the position of providing customer service
have to decide one very important thing. How good do you want your service
to be? What is the level of service you want to provide for your
customers? How high are you going to aim? What are you going to do to
ensure that you can achieve this? What is your plan of action?
Are you being served? For more information on how we at
Asia Training Associates can best serve you in your efforts to provide
outstanding customer service (and improve other business skills), please
contact me at [email protected]
Until next time have a wonderful week!
Social Commentary by Khai Khem
Will we ever rid Pattaya of street vendors
and sidewalk hogs?
Sorry, folks, the answer to that question is, "not
in our lifetime." This age old practice is so deeply entrenched
because it gives poorly educated and disadvantaged people a way to eek out
an honest living on the cheap. Buy low - sell high. These basic
entrepreneurial skills may be primitive, but they enable individuals to
earn enough money to support themselves and add to family incomes.
Tradition, demand, convenience for customers and our
warm climate all contribute to allowing street vendors to conduct their
businesses in public areas. Thai governments and Bangkok’s revolving
door of governors have attempted to rid our high density urban areas of
hawkers for decades. Attempts for the most part have been futile. Sincere
plans to carry out an eradication of vendors in the capital city have met
with defiance and furious protests. Even Pattaya and Jomtien vendors have
a strong voice when they care to use it.
Street vendors are a way of life in Thailand and
provide a convenience for their customers. If we are to effectively
eliminate this whole sector of retail sale and service, we must be
prepared to fill up the vacuum. After all, we don’t want to starve out
all these people who are supporting themselves, even at a subsistence
level, and turn them into beggars or thieves.
Let’s take Pattaya as an example. Most complaints
about street vendors center on the mess they make, the space they take up,
and the disorderly manner in which they roam around in pedestrian and
vehicular traffic. Setting up shop on public sidewalks and spilling out
into public roads and streets is another obnoxious irritant.
But developed space in Thai cities is very expensive
compared with the country’s national average income. When a shop house
is too small to accommodate the owner’s business, Thais simply move out
the door straight onto the footpath. Expanding businesses simply forge
ahead with admirable determination right into the busy streets and expect
passing cars and trucks to go around them.
Smaller businesses squat on public sidewalks in front
of larger, more substantial buildings. Like layers on a giant cake,
cobblers, seamstresses, locksmiths, watch repair carts, broom sellers and
food sellers line our public pathways. That leaves little room for anyone
else to use them unless they have the nimble acrobatic skills of an
Olympic gymnast.
The Thaksin government is now intensifying its campaign
to encourage entrepreneurial skills among poor people. One of the
suggestions is to convert their assets into capital to become eligible to
borrow under a micro-credit scheme. Small and medium sized businesses are
also getting a boost through incentives and promotions. These plans could
provide new opportunities for the low-income sector and eventually reduce
the mass of street hawkers. All these creative schemes remain to be seen
and will take time to establish. We will still have plenty of vendors to
complain about in the meantime.
Singapore, our sophisticated, hardworking and much
admired neighbor to the south took a much different approach a quarter of
a century ago. It laid down the law! But unlike Pattaya, which prefers to
put the cart before the horse, Singapore rebuilt itself into a civilized,
modern, and high quality city. Then street hawkers moved off the streets
into commercial buildings where they could conduct their business indoors.
When the mass of humanity was relocated, Singapore went
about the business of building good roads, wide sidewalks, expressways,
subway, and so forth. One well planned and well executed step at a time.
Pattaya, on the other hand seems to think construction,
cleaning and beautification projects can be carried out under the wheels
of speeding cars and the feet of seething crowds of people all going in
different directions 24 hours a day. It’s no wonder street vendors are
not concerned with cleanliness and disorder. Not even in ‘squeaky clean’
Singapore would the Environmental Police arrest a man for spitting in the
street during a killer typhoon.
Street hawkers should remain a colorful part of our
everyday life. They have a right to make a living just like all the rest
of us. There is, however, no reason why their business must be conducted
in such a squalid and disorderly fashion.
Enforcing present laws and regulations would actually
benefit them along with all of us who share space with them. Surely even a
street vendor can learn to appreciate safety, control and cleanliness if
we coach them well enough. Like good teachers, good government is
consistent. Blowing hot and cold with the rules only confuses the very
people authorities are trying to educate.
Woman's World: A bird called Candida Vs the coconut
by Lesley Warner
Candida it sounds like a rather fancy girl’s name doesn’t
it? Well 75% of women and a good percentage of men will find out during
their lifetime that it’s not.
What a sweet little bird to
name such a horrible infection after!
An oral rash caused by
Candida.
Candidal infection is known as "candidiasis",
"candidosis" or "moniliasis", or thrush, as it’s
commonly referred to, is a yeast infection, and it is one of the most
widespread health problems in Western society. It’s caused by the fungus
Candida Albacans. Candida depends on a living host for survival. Candida
is a single-celled fungus or yeast cell that inhabits the intestinal tract
and mucus membranes of every living person on the earth. Candida is also
present in the oral cavity of almost half of the population. Everyone who
wears dentures will have candida, without necessarily suffering any ill
effects.
The incidence of Candida infections rose sharply around
the time of the Second World War: This is when antibiotics were
discovered. The problem is that with the marvel of antibiotics came the
problem that they have a tendency to kill off some of the ‘good guys’
as well as the ‘bad guys’; for example, the delicate strains of the
good intestinal bacteria (Lactobacillus). This means that although
antibiotics can save lives, used too often they can cause an imbalance in
the yeast environment, causing vulvovaginal candidiasis in many women. As
many women can tell you a vaginal Candida infection can start very quickly
during or after a course of antibiotics. In Europe these days doctors are
reluctant to hand out antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. Vaginal
Candida infections are extremely uncomfortable as well as causing some
embarrassment; the symptoms are burning, itching and unpleasant discharge.
It is also the same organism that causes oral thrush
and diaper rash in babies. Candida may affect children at different times
of their lives. Up to 5% of healthy newborns, for example, may suffer from
oral candida (thrush) after being infected from a mother’s vaginal
"yeast infection" during delivery. Here is a nice thought for
you: within days after birth, newborns are infected and have a budding
colony living in their digestive tract, which will remain with them for
the rest of their life. Normally competition from friendly bacteria and
the cleansing action of our immune system keep the Candida numbers low and
prevent them from causing any adverse health problems.
Candida infections cannot be treated by antibiotics but
they can be treated topically with anti-fungal creams and suppositories
and now orally with a single pill.
However, a Candida infection is not always caused by
antibiotics, in many women it can be triggered by the hormonal changes
that take place during the week before their period, and during pregnancy,
particularly in the third trimester. Pre menstruating teenagers are
unlikely to suffer with vaginal Candida infection.
Women with a weakened immune system (due to
chemotherapy, HIV or immunosuppressive drugs) are more susceptible to
Candida vaginal infections.
Diabetes can make one more susceptible to yeast
infections if you do not keep it properly controlled.
The use of vaginal sponges and intrauterine devices has also been
associated with Candida infections in a number of cases. Many of the other
so called causes like tight clothing; tampons, nylon underwear and panty
hose have not been proven to be a problem.
Wine:
Entertaining with wine
by Ranjith Chandrasiri
An evening of entertainment at your home should involve good
food, good wine, good people, good music and stimulating interaction among your
guests. You, the host, have a responsibility to ensure that all of the
requisite ingredients are present and that one ingredient does not overshadow
the others.
The key to matching food
and wine concerns the strength of flavour. The volumes of flavour in the
food should be matched by the volumes of flavour in the wine.
Some people are simply not "into" wine and
have no idea what to serve. Just as you decide to have the party catered
if you are a poor cook, you can get the wine selections
"catered" if it is not within your sphere of knowledge and
ability. Even if you have a fair knowledge of wine, you could be well
served by seeking expert advice on what wines to serve with a particular
array of food and desserts.
Many non-wine drinkers face the intimidating challenge
of entertaining guests who do drink and enjoy wine. Questions of what wine
to serve with what food, how much wine is enough and whether you should
offer guests a choice of wine are some of the few challenges. Allow me to
share some basic thoughts and suggestions on entertaining with wine.
When entertaining guests for dinner, it is customary to
offer a pre-dinner wine - aperitif. Typically, this is a simple white wine
(can be inexpensive but tasty and pleasant), as you don’t want this wine
to be your best offering. Whether you serve hors d’oeuvres or not, you
should offer your guests a drink when they arrive and white wine is the
usual choice. This is not the wine with which you want to impress your
guests or dazzle them with the quality since you want them to mingle, talk
and focus on the people - not the wine.
Some prefer to serve Champagne at this time instead of
white wine. Opening a bottle of Champagne conveys a sense of celebration
that brings together everyone in the group. A glass of Champagne is
compelling enough and your guests will appreciate the extravagance.
Besides, champagne stands alone without food unlike many white wines.
How much wine should you buy? If you plan to serve
several different bottles with different courses, you will need to buy
fewer bottles of each type. However, a general rule of thumb is that you
should have one bottle of wine per guest. While it may sound too much, if
you are serving a lot of food spread over several hours, it won’t be too
much. It is far better to have too much than too little.
Be sure that you have different glasses for each
different type of wine. It is not good to expect your guests to drink
Chardonnay out of the same glass from which they drank Cabernet Sauvignon.
If nothing else is possible, at least rinse the glasses before you pour
the next wine.
Which wines should you serve? The most important
considerations here are firstly, whether the wine you serve is ready to
drink and secondly, whether the wine is compatible with the food. A safe
alternative is to offer two choices with your meals. This allows those who
have very strong likes and dislikes to avoid their dislikes.
The key to matching food and wine concerns the strength
of flavour. The volumes of flavour in the food should be matched by the
volumes of flavour in the wine. For example, a delicately flavoured dish
like calamari needs a delicate white without too much obvious fruit
flavour. A young Semillon would be ideal. At the other end of the
spectrum, a dish like roast saddle of venison with all its game flavours
needs something bold. To serve a timid wine would be meaningless because
you wouldn’t taste it.
You should begin to learn what you and your friends
like and expand upon your own personal experience. It’s a matter of
experiment and sometimes it pays off. Classic pairings are handy to have
at your disposal if you don’t want to reinvent the wheel. Here are few
examples:
* Oysters and Chablis
* Lamb and red Bordeaux (or Chianti)
* Salmon with Pinot Noir
* Braised beef with Barolo (Italian red)
* Beef or steak with red Burgundy or Cabernet Sauvignon
* Lobster with Chardonnay
* Grilled chicken with Beaujolais
* Stilton cheese and walnuts with Port
* Gumbo or other spicy dishes with Zinfandel
Again, these are suggestions at best and represent what
others have found likeable.
Having established the ground rules, the exercise of
matching wine and food becomes interesting. Just like music, there is
always room for individual interpretation and style. Contrast and
counterpoint can be used to develop an interesting theme. There are many
themes to be explored and the most interesting themes are waiting to be
discovered.
Ranjith Chandrasiri is the resident manager of Royal
Cliff Grand and president of the Royal Cliff Wine Club, Royal Cliff Beach
Resort, Pattaya, Thailand. Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Website: http://www.royal cliff.com/rcwineclub.htm
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