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Music festival wows the crowds
Local and international stars take to the stage
Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor
Pornsiri Manoharn officially opens Pattaya International Music Festival
2007.
The crowd, especially the boys, enjoyed
watching Baby VOX Re. V perform.
Thai top duo pop singer ‘Golf & Mike’ never
disappoints their fans on stage.
Widely admired pop rock youth band ‘Zeal’
stuns people with their powerful voices during the performance of their
number one song ‘Song Rak’ or ‘Two loves’.
Farenheit
Num Kala
Dak Big Ass
Dan and Beam entertain fans with their sweet
and easy listening songs.
Handsome pop singing group ‘Paran’ melts the
hearts of their female fans.
Tata Young headlines the show.
Tata Young, the internationally recognized
Thai singer performs at Pattaya International Music Festival 2007 for
her second year.
Baby VOX Re. V show their very best moves
and voices for Thai fans.
K.R.Y., a top of the chart Korean boy band
creates even greater numbers of fans while they perform songs from their
latest album.
Heavy Metal performing band ‘Ebola’ turns up
the volume.
Thai fusion pop band ‘Paradox’ never
disappoints their fans.
Alcoholic beverage and smoking are
prohibited in the music zone
Tight security is seen whenever there is
gathering of huge crowd of people - these concerts were no exception.
Dreamy eyed girls watch their favorites
perform on stage.
The number of fans never drops, even though
the city sets up the stages on the other side of the city.
Pattaya Mail Team
Pattaya’s International Music Festival 2007 proved itself to be the most
successful in the six-year history of this event, as Thai and
international stars took to the two stages over the course of three days
and wowed the crowds with a huge variety of good music and fine
performances.
Organized by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Pattaya City, the
festival was held between March 16 and 18 at the Pattaya Indoor Sport
Stadium on Soi Chaiyapruek, South Pattaya. Governor of the TAT Pornsiri
Manoharn officially opened the event in front of thousands of music fans
who had packed into the stadium to cheer their favorites on stage.
In the interests of public health and safety, alcoholic beverages and
smoking were prohibited in the stadium.
The performers were distributed between two stages, the main and indy
stages. Three major music companies, namely GMM Grammy, RS Promotion,
and Music Television Network, or MTV, sent their star attractions to
appear at the event.
On the main stage, Tata Young performed for her second year and
inevitably drew loud applause from the crowd all the way through her
performance. International performers such as Baby VOX Re V, Paran, Mi
Youn, and KRY, a chart-topping boyband from Korea, also entertained
fans.
Amongst the Thai performers who took to the stage and sang their most
requested songs for the audience were Golf-Mike, Palmy, Potato, Clash,
Girly Berry, Da Endorphin, Zeal, Paradox, Spin Head, Cinderella, Ebola,
Big Ass, I-Nam, and Dan-Beam.
The indy stage was opened for independent bands and singers who produced
their own music, such as The Richman Toy, Sqweez Animal, Jetset’er, and
Playground.
This year was the first time the Pattaya International Music Festival
had been held in the indoor arena, but the venue attracted huge crowds
of music enthusiasts from all over the region. Traffic was as usual
congested on the Sukhumvit highway and at the entrance of Soi
Chaiyapruek during prime periods, but Thai and foreign fans forgot about
the jams once they were inside the stadium and waiting eagerly for the
stars to appear.
Thai baht under threat again - this time by Harpic Bryant
Guess what birthday surprises we have in
store for you, Rick (left) says to Harpic.
More presents from lovely friends.
Happy Birthday Harpic.
No longer worth a beer, Harpic notes now
only have sentimental value.
Oooh...what a lovely present.
Harpic and Kannikar make a pretty pair.
The band kept people moving to the beat.
Dr. Iain Corness
With all the uncertainty over the Thai baht, when it came to buying
rounds of drinks at Jameson’s Irish Pub, Rick and Harpic Bryant had a
novel answer to it all.
With Harpic turning 40, and planning on spending her birthday in a state
of Heineken intoxication, the Bryants decided that rather than risk
using the fluctuating baht at the Jameson’s bar, they printed their own
currency instead.
This new currency was easy to manage, even while absolutely blotto (as
many found out), as the exchange rate was 40 Harpics to the beer, an
easily remembered equation made even easier as the Harpics came in 40
Harpic notes.
Having managed to save 120 Harpics (three 40 Harpic notes) from the
Friday night party to use the next day, in the cold light of the next
morning, I found there was fine print along the bottom of the note. Not
“In God we trust” but “Redeemable at Jameson’s only 16/03/07”.
As an experiment in fiscal management the new currency ended up as a
dismal failure. 40 Harpics were worth a beer on the Friday night, but by
Saturday morning they were worthless! An extreme inflationary trend, and
one that the Bank of Thailand has taken note thereof. As of next Monday
holders of 40 Harpic notes will be forced to lodge a 130 percent surety
with the bank for all purchases where Harpics are used as the preferred
currency. You have been warned.
Monetary policy aside, the Bryant Birthday Bash was a great success.
With Pop and a band supplying music and many other muso’s there to help
Harpic into the next 40 bracket, there was enough musical entertainment.
With Harpic being in everything in the Pattaya society, other than the
Veterans of Foreign Wars, there were people from all walks of life
present (and also bringing presents). Space precludes my being able to
name everyone, but I will single out Jameson’s lovely Lola who made sure
I got a cheese sandwich before I cashed in too many Harpics.
Music and food contribute
to fun time during Open Day at Ban Jing Jai
The kids put on a fun jam
session in honor of their visitors.
Rosanne Diamente (center)
receives her certificate of thanks, as Woody (left) shows off his
certificate witnessed by PILC members and school staff.
Paul Strachan
Ban Jing Jai, the children’s home, held an open day on Saturday March 17 to
say an official thanks to two of its greatest benefactors: the Pattaya
International Ladies Club (PILC) and the Jesters Motorcycle Club.
It was a day of great warmth as many ladies from the PILC and a number of
Jesters were present, where they were treated to a jamming session by some
of the kids.
Ban Jing Jai has come a long way in the last 12 months, with new septic
tanks, refurbishment of its bedrooms, a new coat of paint, a play area and
some musical instruments.
Head Jester Lewis ‘Woody’ Underwood was presented a certificate of
appreciation to thank him for all the work that the Jesters had done for the
home.
Woody has been doing this great charity work for over ten years and has a
wealth of not just experience but also a huge network of connections. When
something needs to be done, Woody knows who to call.
Newly elected president of the Pattaya International Ladies Club, Rosanne
Diamente was there on behalf of the club and again she received a
certificate of thanks.
Earlier in the year (through the PILC) Countess Allegra ‘Happy’ Baisrocchi
donated some playground equipment, guitars, a keyboard, microphones, a
mixer, speakers and amplification to the home. On this day, the boys jammed
away and the girls sang and danced happily.
Charity chairman of Pattaya Sports Club Bernie Tuppin dropped by and
presented Rosanne Diamente a plaque thanking the ladies for sponsoring a
hole of their golf tournament, and another surprise as he gave Roseanne a
cheque for 25,000 baht towards the First Sight project.
The kids were very happy on the day, playing in the playground, singing,
dancing and making a great racket. It has to be said that some of them are
very talented, especially since they are so young.
The rewards are obvious to the children and to the organizers, Woody told
PMTV, even though this was a huge challenge, as now the kids have a safe,
healthy environment with some great forms of entertainment.
Bernie Tuppin (3rd left) paid
a surprise visit, presenting Rosanne Diamente with a plaque thanking the
ladies for sponsoring a hole of the PSC Charity golf tournament, and a
cheque for 25,000 baht towards the First Sight project.
Chai Yo! Everyone is happy
today.
Kilkenny’s Irish Pub packed with St Paddy’s Day revellers
Spirits were high, as spirits
flowed.
Mad hatters soak up the
spirits.
Harpic, fresh off her birthday
celebration, and hubby Rick know how to have a good time at parties like
this.
Even your intrepid reporter
got into the swing of things.
Paul Strachan
Kilkenny’s Irish Pub on Walking Street was packed to the rafters last
Saturday night to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
The management put on a great offer of ‘Buy two pints of Guinness - get one
free’ which suited the punters down to the ground.
The constant flow of the black stuff kept the revellers well oiled and in
good song as they sang along with the two bands that provided the great
musical entertainment.
Our reporter asked a few people of the origins of St Patrick; however, no
explanation was forthcoming. This was either due to a lack of understanding
or a lack of being able to speak effectively (was it because it was so noisy
- or the effects of the Stout?)
A great night was had by all and well done to the new manager who kept his
staff on their toes and the cues to a minimum.
The constant flow of the black
stuff kept the revellers well oiled and in good song.
13th PC Classic sails off tomorrow
 by
Peter Cummins, Special Correspondent, Pattaya Mail
The 13th Pattaya Mail PC Classic Royal Cliff Beach Resort International
Regatta is scheduled to be sailed off the Royal Varuna Yacht Club
tomorrow, Saturday, 24 March 2007. The day’s and evening’s programmes
are printed on the previous.
“Sailing,” according to Henry Beard’s and Roy Mckie’s Dictionary for
Landlubbers, “is the fine art of being wet, and becoming ill while
going nowhere at great expense.”
Noting this definition, it could be safely assumed that sailing is not
everybody’s idea of a good time and, furthermore, most yacht races are
contested way over the horizon where nobody can see what’s happening. In
addition, contrary to most sports, the first boat ‘over the line’ (i.e.
comes home first) may not be the winner - sometimes, quite the contrary.
Nevertheless, a nautical lifestyle is starting to grip the Kingdom, with
our beautiful waterways, warm waters and marvellous coast-lines.
Tomorrow will, at least partially, help de-mystify some of these
nautical anomalies. The 13th Pattaya Mail PC Classic, sailed right off
the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, South Pattaya, will be not only highly
visible from the shore, but it will also bring some of the ambience,
dedication and skills required to sail a boat - any boat.
The organizers estimate that there will be at least 50 young children
‘braving the elements’ in their tiny (2.4m) Optimist dinghies, sailing
right close to the shore.
Inaugurated in 1995, this event has now joined the ‘big league’ of yacht
races being held up and down the Kingdom from Jomtien, to Hua Hin, to
Phang Nga Bay to Phuket, and marks the first regatta to be held on the
Eastern Seaboard for 2007.
With all proceeds of the regatta dedicated to charities and assisting
the disadvantaged and underprivileged, especially the children, some 30
sponsors are joining the perennial regatta principals, the Pattaya
Mail, the Royal Cliff Beach Resort and the Royal Varuna Yacht Club.
Furthermore, this year, with some positive commitments from Rotary
Clubs, Rotary members have observed that several of the projects
entrusted to Rotary for implementation may be eligible for ‘matching
grants’ from the International Rotary Foundation, greatly adding to the
disbursement to the less fortunate in our communities.
Major (Platinum) sponsor again this year is the European Security
Concepts and Property Services (ESC) whose CEO Steve Graham looks most
favourably on the regatta as contributing to Pattaya’s conservationalist
image.
Locally-based Carpet Master Hospitality Company sees much benefit in
such events for all concerned, as well as Pattaya’s positive image.
Raimon Land, too, is dedicated to “developing a better environment”
supporting many regattas, regarding yacht racing and marine sports,
generally, as being very much part of the clean, healthy lifestyle of
its riverain properties around the Eastern Seaboard and elsewhere.
A majority of the other ongoing supporters, randomly listed, are all
dedicated to the charitable causes, as well as promoting our beloved
“City-by-the-sea”, as a clean, green family-oriented tourist venue: the
LCB Container Terminal 1 Ltd, Siam Royal View, Swiss International
Airlines, the Jomtien Boathouse Hotel Wine and Grill, the Pattaya
International Ladies Club, Gulf Air, Ambrose Wine Limited, Hard Rock
Hotel, Rotary Club Pattaya Marina, Cristina Bath and Spa and Thai
Beverages, to single out a few.
Sponsors who are deserving of special mention are
Rotarian Jan Christopher von Koss, John and Sukanya Seaton who have donated
a large sum from their own resources.
All proceeds of the PC Classic, as in the past, will be donated to worthy
charities in the community, under the guidance of the Rotary Clubs of
Thailand. Almost all of the charity funding, generously provided by our
sponsors, will be channelled to the most needy and disadvantaged among our
community - particularly the children and other young people.
 During
successive editions of the PC Classic over the years, scholarships have been
provided for children. Other recipients have included the Banglamung Home
for the Aged, Happiness Camps reaching out from teachers to students, the
Redemptorist School for the Blind, computer equipment for schools around the
Eastern Seaboard and further afield and equipment for the Remand Home for
wayward youth.
A special concern this year will be to provide equipment to bring fresh
water to a number of schools and educational facilities around the Kingdom.
This has been a priority project for Rotary Clubs world-wide and has made
considerable progress in the Kingdom already.
While noting that yacht racing may not be everyone’s idea of a great day out
- especially as many regattas are held ‘somewhere over the yonder horizon’ -
let us reiterate that all who come to the Royal Varuna Yacht Club on
Saturday 24 March will be regaled by a spectacle of colour, excitement and
action, right off the shore.
Royal Cliff will provide some very delectable snacks and drinks right
through the day and, later in the evening, one of the best, most sumptuous
international gala dinners to be had in these parts. Of course, courtesy of
Ambrose Wine, the vintages will flow.
See page 24 for announcements of the day and evening programmes, the cost
and all other relevant details of this splendid day by the sea-side.
The press will capitalize on this unique event, with world-wide coverage of
the action on the sea, ashore and, later, at the splendid reception/gala
dinner hosted by the award-winning resort, the Royal Cliff Beach.
COME AND ENJOY THIS
UNIQUE CELEBRATION OF LIFE!
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