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Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya and Rotary Clubs from Nakhon Ratchasima hold cultural exchange program
International students join in feeding needy children
Staff Reporters
Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya, headed by Pratheep
Malhotra, and members of Rotary Clubs from Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat)
jointly held a cultural exchange program at Pattaya Orphanage with a group
of international exchange students from around the world.
 Brandt
Kellowway from Red Deer College, Canada, said he “fell in love with
Thailand’s culture, food, music and tourist sites.”
Not just a free meal and some playtime for the kiddies
- this special event began with an entrance in elaborate national Thai
costumes and a Thai classical music performance, featuring both
international songs and traditional Thai songs. Moreover, some of the
performers sang beautifully.
The 10 young visitors are 1 year-exchange students in
the ‘Rotary Youth Exchange-District 3340’ Program who came from the
USA, Japan, Canada, South Africa, Brazil, Australia and Germany. The group
of foreign students had an opportunity to learn Thai classical music from
Suthep Kitkhuntod, who in a short time managed to teach them to play well
enough for a charming public performance.
 PDG
Premprecha Dibbyawan enjoyed serving food to the exchange students.
A fine lunch was served to the children and Pattaya’s
endearing but homeless children had the time of their lives, as did
everyone who attended.
This group from far-flung places has gathered in
Thailand to garner an experience which will change their lives. Not only
will they get a once-in a lifetime opportunity to see Thailand and its
people ‘up close and personal’, but during their 12 months in the
kingdom they will learn about traditions, culture, character and complex
social structure, which they would otherwise never see in their own
homelands.
 Members
of the clubs jointly provide food for children.
All the students remarked about what an amazing
adventure and learning opportunity this program is and their experience at
the Pattaya Orphanage was definitely at the top of the list.
The charms of
Thai culture attract
foreign students
to Thailand
Rungratree Thongsai
Rapid globalization has allowed advanced technology and
Western culture to play an important role in the everyday lives of more
ancient societies around the world. Often old customs and wisdom of past
times are swallowed up in the race for modernization and replaced by
negative and threatening influences as alien values are blindly adopted
without discrimination.
 Father
Banchong Chaiyara converses with the children.
Thailand, however, remains a land where its people
still strongly preserve and protect their traditional customs. The country
is renowned for the kindness and fine culture of its people. Because of
this, Thailand fascinates people from all over the world and one visit
only provides a glimpse of this unique kingdom, and once seen, the urge to
return is irresistible.
 Suthep
Kitkoontod, a Thai classical music teacher, took care of his students.
This group of exchange students in Nakhon Ratchasima
definitely agreed. All hail from different places of the world, but rushed
to join the Rotary Exchange Program and learn as much as possible about
Thailand.
 Lysandra
Brooks from the Vancouver School of Art and Academics, said she is
“witnessing fascinating traditions and customs which do not exist in my
home country; things until now I could only dream of.”
Eighteen year-old Brandt Kellowway, nicknamed ‘Thai
Bandit’, is from Red Deer College, Canada. He is one of nine exchange
students who was charmed with this land and finally decided to participate
the program.
Brandt revealed, “I had been to Thailand once before
and fell in love with its culture, food, music and tourist sites. So when
I knew that my college had arranged the program, I immediately applied for
it. I think I will learn a lot from our differences and this will give me
some precious experiences that I will not find in my country. I feel
really comfortable staying with my host in Nakhon Ratchasima, just as
though I am with my own family.”
 The
sweet smiles of Pattaya orphans.
He added, “I am learning about Thai classical music.
It’s so charming, but not easy to learn how to play it. I spent five
months learning to play Thai drums and joined a band with my fellow
exchange students. But the most important thing I have learned is that
love and friendship know no boundaries.”
 President
Peter made one of his famous speeches, giving the students and friends a
warm welcome.
Lysandra Brooks, nicknamed ‘Sudarut’, is 17 years
old and studies at the Vancouver School of Art and Academics. She said she
became interested in Thailand when she was in the USA. Lysandra joined the
program to make her dream come true.
 PP
Kittisak Pensuwapab from Korat, the exchange students’ guardian.
“I have been living a completely different lifestyle
since I came to Thailand and have made wonderful friends. I am witnessing
fascinating traditions and customs which do not exist in my home country;
things until now I could only dream of. One of the most important things I
have experienced is the ideas and practices of respect for elders,
self-sufficiency and how important it is to be polite and well-mannered.
Besides the many exciting activities I have participated in, this
experience has made feel more confident. I have learned about Thailand
much more this way than from books. And I will tell my friends all about
wonderful my experiences when I go back home,” said Lysandra.
 “Thank
you for this meal”
Bianca Kruger, Thai nickname Nampeung, age 17, is from
Vryheid High School in South Africa. Bianca’s ambition is to be a famous
chef. She knows Thai food is world famous and did some research about it
in her school library. From that starting point, her curiosity grew and
she wanted to learn more about this wonderful place and what better way to
do it than through a student exchange program!
Bianca said, “Thailand has exceeded my imagination of
what a fascinating place I would find once I arrived. Naturally I tasted
every kind of Thai food - real Thai food cooked by Thais. That certainly
educated me about Thai cuisine,” she said, and added, “I also found my
viewpoint on a lot of things changed and grew as I made friends with my
fellow exchange students and Thai people. Everyone quickly made me feel at
home and I am happy here.”
Although these exchange students are going back to their countries in
the coming months, they aren’t likely to forget Thailand and will
treasure the precious experience they gained from living here. The charms
of Thai traditional customs and culture will always remind them of The
Land of Smiles.
The
exchange students enjoyed the Thai food very much.
The
children also enjoyed the good food.
Bianca
Kruger from Vryheid High School in South Africa said, “Thailand has
exceeded my imagination of what a fascinating place I would find.”
The
exchange students mostly enjoyed interacting with the children.
The
exchange students performed on Thai classical instruments.
Tony
(2nd left) and friends enjoyed the show and enjoyed taking part in the
proceedings.
The
exchange students gave an impressive performance.
President
Peter took a moment to have a chat with the students.
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LCB 1 Container Terminal, where customers are number one
Rotarians embark on a group study tour to Laem Chabang Port
Pratheep S. Malhotra
When professionals join a Rotary club, they do so as a
representative of their particular business or profession. This gives
Rotarians the dual responsibility of representing their vocation within the
club and of exemplifying the ideals of Rotary within the workplace. As
business leaders, Rotarians share their skills and expertise through
vocational service, one of the Four Avenues of Service in Rotary. A
Rotarian’s vocational service efforts can play a vital role in improving
the quality of life for those hardworking members of the community who need
direction and expertise. They participate in a number of vocational service
activities, mentoring, career days, vocational awards, business assistance,
or even talking about their jobs at a club meeting or in the work place,
where they can turn their experience into an invaluable resource for others.
Vocational service focuses on adherence to, and promotion of, the highest
ethical standards in all occupations, including fair treatment of employers,
employees, associates, competitors, and the public. The recognition of the
worthiness of all useful occupations, not just their own or those that are
pursued by other Rotarians. But best of all they contribute their vocational
talents to the problems and needs of society.
On this occasion members of the Rotary Club of
Jomtien-Pattaya visited the LCB Container Terminal 1 Ltd in the sprawling
deep-sea port of Laem Chabang just a few kilometres north of Pattaya.
Anil
Singh (5th
right) GM of LCB 1 Container Terminal explains the intricacies of the
operations to Rotarians up in the control tower.
We were warmly received by Anil Singh, the general manger
of what we were to learn is one of the world’s most respected names in the
shipping business.
Anil Singh delved into the fascinating background of Laem
Chabang port itself. “Someone with a bright spark came up with the idea to
build Laem Chabang port in the middle of nowhere in 1974. In those days
Bangkok Port was the only port gateway from Thailand to the world. All cargo
leaving the country had to be processed through Klong Toey. In time all
those in the shipping business realized that it was soon to become very
congested and that there would be a need for another port soon.”
 Looking
down at the expanse of the terminal and the thousands of containers lining
the docks was mind-boggling.
Anil continued, “Laem Chabang, although destined to
become the alternate choice, was relatively unknown. So the powers at be
were not convinced that it would take off or that it would be their
alternate choice for doing business. So no one came. That was in 1982. Even
those who had faith and those who had built the port were beginning to have
their doubts. ‘Have we really miscalculated here. What have we done
wrong?’ wondered the pundits. More than a billion US dollars had already
been invested and it seemed that all would be lost. Then again there were
also the optimists who insisted that one day Bangkok Port would outgrow
itself and become over congested and therefore the shippers would have no
alternative but to come to Laem Chabang.
 Anil
Singh (left) and Khun Supachai (right) were brilliant in their presentation
and the hospitality they afforded the guests.
“That day did finally come. Industrial estates were
literally being born on the Eastern Seaboard every day. This region grew at
a tremendous pace. Now where were the exporters to go to ship off their
goods? The obvious choice was of course Laem Chabang port.
“The port started to take of in 1998. The most modern
technology was imported and along with it came the foreign experts.
Professionals started to envision and plan for the next 5-10 years. Today we
have the finest of infrastructures, better than most ports in the world,
including remarkably good highways connecting to the capital city. We can
now be proud to be amongst the top 5 most efficient ports in the world. We
have far exceeded the projected 3.1 TEU’s (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) in
2003 placing us at the 17 th rank
in volume throughput.
Pratheep
Malhotra President of the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya gives a vote of
thanks to the LCB 1 management for a most informative insight into their
workings and especially for the delicious lunch laid out for the Rotarians.
“Bangkok Port will still be in service, although the
capacity will be drastically reduced to a manageable level. With the
completion and expansion into phase 2 here in Laem Chabang we target 8.6
TEU’s in 2010. We are very excited about the future. The port sector
creates thousand of jobs and adds value to the Thai economy. It’s simple
logic. To support exports, you must have ports. With no ports, exports have
nowhere to go.
“That’s where we come in,” said Anil proudly.
“LCB1 Container Terminal, located at terminal B-1 in Laem Chabang Port,
commenced operations in 1995. In 2003 a container through put of 576,000
TEU’s was recorded with 411 vessel calls.
“Vessel operations, yard operation, gate transaction,
documentation and all other container handling services are offered 24 hours
a day, 365 days a year backed by a dedicated and motivated workforce to whom
the client service comes as second nature. They number over 230 permanent
and over 100 temporary employees. We have our own training programmes, as
the port industry doesn’t have schools as such and therefore they are
trained ‘in house.’ Our staff are highly educated as seen by the fact
that even our gate clerks are university graduates whose career path is
mapped as such that they will be our future managers.
“In operating this terminal LCB1 endeavours to provide
our valued customers a first class handling facility in Laem Chabang, with a
quest to be the best in Thailand. We at LCB1 believe in excellence through
innovation. Our customers, Maersk Sealand, and Mediterranean Shipping Co.,
the premier shipping lines will no doubt vouch for our high productivity and
quality service.
“Our highly talented professional management team
provides a platform to the workforce to meet their work and personal
objectives. An average Gross Crane Productivity of over 33 containers per
hour, and Gross Vessel Productivity of 100-120 containers per hour come to
us as a matter of course. We measure production levels as to how fast we can
turn the ship around. Each ship in port costs about 50,000 dollars a day. So
you see time is money. The faster we can turn a ship around the more money
it saves our clients in all the ports that we serve around the world.
“We at LCB1 consider quality health, safety and
conservation of the environment integral parts of our work culture. Staff
training further augments this objective of providing our employees the
opportunity to be the global best. Our QUEST for excellence is insatiable.
We earnestly believe in QU (Quality) E (Environment) S (Safety and Security)
T (Training).”
We Rotarians were then taken to the ‘top’ of the
command centre, which could substitute as the bridge of a large ship or even
a control tower at an airport.
Computers lined the walls where staff were busy
calculating and assigning containers onto the various slots calculated by
their weight, destination or class of goods. “Every ‘box’ has an
identity tag,” said Anil. “We can track the movement of that container
as they are being transported on land. Each truck has a transmitter, which
is monitored 24 hours a day by our staff and with the help of the GPS system
we can pin point the exact location of the container.
“Security and safety are an integral part of our
operations. With the state of the world today, one can’t take any chances.
The new ‘e-terminal’ facility keeps our customers ‘always connected’
to their terminal needs from their office through the Internet. This ensures
a reliable and consistent service, which has become the work culture at
LCB1.”
At the conclusion of our tour of the facility, Anil Singh
reminded us of LCB 1’s mission statement. He said, “We are committed to
create a world class quality container terminal. We will achieve it by
continuous improvement of our performance to ensure that we always provide
reliable and efficient service to our customers, provide a good opportunity
for the LCB1 employees, and maximize the profit return to the shareholders:
‘One for All and All for One’. As a team, we all work together for one
goal and each member of the team will utilize his/her ability to get the job
done safely, efficiently, effectively and consistently to the benefit of all
stake holders.”
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Bangkok Pattaya Hospital reaches out to the international market
On March 3, the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, led by Doctor
Pichit, went to Dhaka, Bangladesh to hold a press conference announcing the
official opening of the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital’s Dhaka Office.
On March
3, the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital announced the official opening of the
Bangkok Pattaya Hospital’s Dhaka Office.
The hospital has provided tertiary treatment for patients
from Bangladesh, especially in the field of heart diseases, as well as many
other complicated treatments.
The hospital is well equipped with state of the art
equipment and a team of doctors who have extensive training and experience,
and who are dedicated to work to the highest standards to achieve patient
satisfaction.
Doctors
at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital treated eight-year-old Bangladeshi Master Kawsar
(front and center) for a brain tumor.
Due to patient demand, the office has been established to
provide screening and consultation before the patients are flown directly
here for treatment.
During the press conference, Doctor Pitchet was presented with an
opportunity to assist an eight-year-old Bangladeshi called Master Kawsar.
Kawsar suffered from a brain tumor, and his parents could not afford the
surgery. Dr Pitchet brought the boy back with him and neuro surgeons Dr
Alongkorn Chutinan, Dr Varakorn Chirdjirapong, plus Dr Viroj Jiamsiri, Dr
Sumate Khovitoonkij and the special nursing team performed the operation
successfully.
100-day ceremony for Father Morrissey
Pattaya’s community commemorates passing of beloved priest
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
A memorial service was recently held to pay respects to
the memory of Father Patrick Morrissey who passed away on January 2 this
year. The beloved priest was honored with a Thai traditional 100-day
remembrance ceremony at the Redemptorist Center for the Disabled in Pattaya.
Father
Suchart Sirvichairat, head of the Redemptorists in Thailand presided over
the ceremonies.
High ranking priests and seminary members presided over
the service as city officials, students, staff, volunteers and community
members gathered at the center where Father Morrissey dedicated his time as
director of the college.
Father Morrissey, or ‘Po Daeng’ as he was
affectionately known by those who knew him, died at about 3:30 a.m. on
Friday, January 2, 2004 at Bangkok General Hospital. He was buried in the
St. Nikolaus Church cemetery next to Father Ray Brennan at 10 a.m. after
Mass on Tuesday, January 6.
The
children sang hymns during the mass at the Redemptorist Center.
Patrick Morrissey was born in Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
on July 10, 1929. His parents, Patrick and Ellen, were immigrants from
Ireland. They had 8 children, 2 girls and 6 boys, of whom Patrick was the
youngest. Two of the boys did not survive infancy. Patrick grew up in
Detroit and was a member of the city’s Holy Redeemer Parish. At the time,
this was the largest English-speaking parish in the world. There were more
than 20 Redemptorist priests attached to the parish and over 40 nuns.
Patrick completed his primary education at the parish’s Holy Redeemer
School.
 Father
Suchart Sirvichairat presented Holy Communion to Sister Joan and many others
during the Mass.
At the age of 14, Patrick entered the Redemptorist minor
seminary in Kirkwood, Missouri. He finished high school and attended two
years of college at St. Joseph’s Preparatory Seminary by 1949. After a
year as a novitiate in De Soto, Missouri, he proceeded to the major seminary
of the Redemptorist Fathers in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. For six years he
studied subjects required for training in the priesthood including
philosophy, theology and sacred scripture and was ordained in 1955. In 1957,
having completed his education for work in the Redemptorist apostolate, he
was assigned to the congregation’s foreign mission in Thailand.
Many
people attended the ceremonies to commemorate 100 days of passing of their
beloved ‘Po Daeng’.
His first year in Thailand was devoted to the study of
the Thai language. This was done under the direction of Brother Ludovico, a
priest belonging to the Brothers of St. Gabriel Congregation. Following his
introduction to the Thai language, Patrick began his missionary career in
northeastern Thailand. For six months he worked under the direction of Fr.
Bob Martin in Viengkhuk village and was attached to the Redemptorist
community in Nong Khai.
In 1959 he was assigned to a new community of
Redemptorists in the city of Khon Kaen. While attached to this community
with Frs. Tom Griffith and Harry Thiel, he undertook the pastorate of Thabom
Church in Loei Province for five years. Slow to adapt to the rapid-fire Lao
dialect spoken in this area, some wondered if he lacked the knack of
learning languages, but he eventually mastered the task.
Patrick’s second assignment was as superior and pastor
in the city of Khon Kaen. He did not change residences, he just changed
hats. He took over the assignment from Fr. Tom Griffith and worked in Khon
Kaen for six years. His assignment coincided with the opening of the
city’s new Holy Redeemer School. There he began a long and fruitful
relationship with the Infant Jesus Sisters who took over as directors of the
school. That first year, Patrick also taught English in the school in
addition to his pastoral duties in the parish. While directing the community
and parish in Khon Kaen, a new community residence and chapel were built.
Following his two terms as pastor and superior in Khon
Kaen (six years), Patrick was assigned as assistant in Holy Redeemer Parish
in Bangkok for almost three years. He then returned to the Northeast,
attached to the Nong Khai community of Redemptorists and remained in the
community from 1972 until 1978. He spent two years in Xang Ming when the
parish that served as the first home of the Redemptorists 30 years before
was returned to Redemptorist care. At the end of 1973 he was made pastor of
Phonsung and Ban Dung parishes. While in Phonsung he oversaw the building of
a new church dedicated to the Holy Family.
In 1979 Patrick was reassigned from Nong Khai to the
Redemptorist community at the minor seminary in Sriracha. There he teamed up
with Father Banchong Chaiyara in training minor seminarians for the
priesthood. His duties were teaching English to the seminarians and helping
out in parishes on the weekend. Sometimes he also preached days of
recollections to communities of religious women. In 1981 he returned to Khon
Kaen and was entrusted with the apostolate for leprosy patients and their
families.
Patrick was involved in work for leprosy patients in Khon
Kaen right from the time of his assignment there in 1959. A mere 6 months
before, Fr. Leo Travis began the work when he made contact with patients in
a village just outside the city. Though never having direct charge of the
work in those early days, Patrick nevertheless joined with Frs. Griffith and
Thiel in evangelizing efforts. He kept up contact with these people for more
than 20 years before being given direct charge of the work in 1981. It was
there that Patrick picked up the nickname “Father Deng” that would stick
with him ever after. This was due to the fact that his face was perpetually
flushed a bright red.
This work was not limited to just one village but also
took in a church and school in Nonsombun, the site of the government
leprosarium, and two other villages with large populations of Leprosy
patients. The work for these unfortunate people began with Frs. Travis and
Griffith and expanded during the long pastorates of Fr. Dick Thiele and
Larry Patin. By the time Patrick was assigned to the work full time in 1981,
the religious congregations of the Brothers of St. Gabriel, the Sisters of
the Infant Jesus and the Daughters of Charity, and lay missionaries from the
U.S.A. had brought their special dedication and skills to the work.
The Brothers of St. Gabriel ran a vocational training
school for boys who were sons of leprosy patients and worked in various
development projects; the sisters of the Infant Jesus taught in the schools;
and the Daughters of Charity cared for the patients in the leprosy clinic
and the government leprosarium. The lay missionaries worked both in the
leprosarium and in the center for handicapped children.
During Patrick’s term of pastor (6 years in all) four
programs were implemented. First, a new nursery was built for the care of
children before the age of kindergarten. A live-in facility for leprosy
patients erected to provide temporary care for patients who experienced
severe reactions to leprosy medications. A large facility was also
constructed to teach vocational skills for daughters of leprosy patients. A
program began to care for severely handicapped children, and finally a
center was built in honor of St. Gerard to care for them both on a live-in
basis and out patient basis.
Patrick’s career in the Northeast came to an end in
1987 when he was assigned to the Redemptorist Center in Pattaya. There he
has served as pastor of St. Nikolaus Parish (9 years), guest master at the
Center complex and more recently as director of the vocational training
school for the disabled.
May he rest in eternal peace.
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Poems in celebration of Easter
B. Phillip Webb Jr.
The Last Supper
Before Gethsemane He met
With his selected few
And He broke bread and drank with them
As gentle people do
But, more importantly, that night
His miracle was done
As He bestowed on us the gift
Of God’s only begotten Son
The twelve Apostles ate and sipped
Of Holy bread and wine
Transformed into His Body and
His precious Blood divine
And then He gave this power to
His priests, from first to last
That they might reproduce and share
His Heavenly repast
In memory of how died
Upon The Cross one day
To open God’s great Kingdom and
To wash our sins away.
He Died For Me
They took my lord and Saviour to
A hill called Calvary
And nailed Him to a wooden cross
For everyone to see
They crowned Him with a wreath of thorns
And pierced His gentle heart
And brazenly they mocked him while
They watched His life depart
I was not there to witness it
Indeed I was not born
Yet I was part of all
That cruelty and scorn
My sins condemned him to death
And nailed Him to the cross
And there He died to save me from
My soul’s eternal loss
And I can only offer tears
Of deep sincerity
And thank my Lord and Savior for
His cross on Calvary
Holy Easter
Jerusalem was sleeping in
The hour of its dawn
While Angels stood beside the tomb
Where Jesus Christ was gone
The heavy stone was rolled away
The sepulcher was bare
While Simon Peter looked around
And Mary knelt in prayer
The Lord had risen from the death
He died on Calvary
And opened wide the sacred door
To His eternity
He washed away our mortal sins
And those of venial cast
That we might build a future on
Our errors of the past
So let us give our thanks to him
And in our humble way
Attach ourselves to Jesus Christ
This holy Easter Day.
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