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Water buffalo races charges ahead
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Some 5,000 human spectators and a bulky host of water buffaloes
enjoyed themselves during Chonburi’s unique Traditional Buffalo Racing
Festival, now in its 137th year and going strong.
 Governor
Pracha Taerat (seated) rides on a buffalo cart in the annual parade.
The atmosphere at the festival, now famous and unique in the world, was as
delightful as in previous years, much to the enjoyment of all.
Governor Pracha Taerat opened the festivities that ran from October 12 to 13
on the Chonburi District Office sports field with the Buffalo Racing Day
being on the 13th.
Owners rode proudly on their buffaloes in the parades. But on the race track
when it mattered most, some of them slipped off their buffaloes’ backs at
crucial points in the heat of the race, much to the amusement Thai and
foreign spectators there.
The racing buffaloes themselves were divided into several different
categories according to age and weight, some going into the heavyweight
division, some lightweight.
For the rest it was just a question of what you could do with a water
buffalo. There were judging categories such as the healthiest buffalo, the
most beautiful buffalo decoration and the funniest buffalo.
All around there were local sports and competitions galore such as funny
quiz, slippery pole, kite-cutting, basket sepak takraw (with woven rattan
ball), Thai boxing, and trap-shooting with a slingshot.
The Miss Village Beauty Contest fitted into that lot somewhere adding
another dimension to the popular festival.
For lovers of the dear water buffalo, as surely most of us are, the decrease
in number of participating buffaloes this year clearly indicates that
agricultural mechanization is unfortunately resulting in fewer buffaloes
being raised.
The Chonburi buffalo race has a long and enjoyable history, passed down by
ancestors and held every year during the 14th night of the waxing moon in
the 11th lunar month, one day before the Buddhist Lent ends.
It had been a time for these work-horses of the field to relax from their
hard tasks from the previous agricultural season according to folklore
beliefs that “whenever the buffalo racing festival is not run, buffalo
diseases will spread severely.”
This belief may have been a traditional teaching trick to remind rice
farmers of the buffaloes’ kindness to humans and their essential usefulness
in the old agricultural process.
Owners of sick buffaloes brought them to the festival to ask the spirits for
a cure, believing that when the animals ran in the races and the owners make
votive offerings, the animals would recover.
Farmers lead their best
buffalos in the parade.
Uh, I wouldn’t stand there if
I were you…
the top four contestants in
the annual beauty
contest pose with some of the sponsors and judges.
Miss Poomrat Thongtae (left)
won the Media Favorite award and is shown here receiving her trophy from
Sampas Boriboon representing Chonburi reporters.
The power of a desperate
buffalo can be compared to
a 10-wheeled truck with a broken brake line.
Yeah you - you talking to me?!
Hey, come back here!
Close right to the finish
line.
And they’re off! (and riders
are still on!)
Speeding towards the finish
line.
Look out behind you –
dismounting can be the most dangerous part of the journey.
Cross bay swim raises over B400k for charity
Paul Strachan
It was a blazing hot day for the Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya’s annual
cross bay swim on Sunday, October 12. Now in its fifth year, this year’s
event attracted 120 swimmers, all raising money for the club, which then
uses it to fund different projects that enhance the lives of those less
fortunate.
 Mayor
Ittiphol Khunplome addresses the swimmers at the registration point outside
Hard Rock Hotel.
The day started at 10:30 a.m. at the Hard Rock Hotel where all the swimmers
were registered. Mayor Ittiphol Khunplome began the proceedings with his
welcome speech at the Hard Rock Hotel. In English, the mayor wished all
participants the best and said that he is happy that the foreign community
is doing so much for the city and its people. He said he would have loved to
have participated in the swimming, but has too many appointments, even on
Sundays … but maybe he can make it next year.
The event followed last year’s format with a short swim from the Hard Rock
to Chaba Beach at the Dusit Thani and a long swim from the sea rescue point
over the bay to the Dusit.
 DG
Pratheep Malhotra (left), before conducting the closing ceremonies, presents
a certificate to PP Steve Ryser of Rotary Club Eastern Seaboard, one of the
many sponsors.
Despite having more than double the amount of swimmers than last year, the
organizers managed to keep everybody in check and after a safety briefing,
60 swimmers splashed into the water adjacent to the Hard Rock Hotel at 11
a.m. for the 1.1 km swim.
Meanwhile, the other 60 swimmers who had signed up for the 3.5 km swim were
ferried by songthaew along Beach Road to the sea rescue unit near Bali Hai
Pier, to wait for the starter’s whistle at 1 p.m.
As ever, the organizers made sure that once the swimmers began their swim
across the bay, they were safe, as a plentiful number of lifeguards escorted
them on jetskis and in kayaks.
 PP
Jan Abbink, chairman of the Cross Bay Swim Committee, comments on how
successful the event was.
20 minutes 33 seconds later the first swimmer in the short event, Octavio
Gamarra - the senior vice president of Dusit International - was greeted by
hundreds of cheering spectators. He was followed by David Milziner (20 min
41 sec) and Helena Marschall (21:14), who despite her youthful looks and
being part of the Bangkok Patana / Foremost team, turned out to be 29 years
old and a staff member of the school.
However, as the short swim was initiated to encourage younger swimmers to
participate, the 1st prize actually went to last year’s number 2 swimmer,
13-year-old Jessica Pisters from Regent’s School, the daughter of Rene
Pisters from the Thai Garden Resort. Her time of 23 minutes 25 seconds was
only a few minutes longer than the athletic Octavio.
2nd place went to 12-year-old Marissa Sittheeamorn from the Foremost team of
Bangkok Pattana School and in third place was the petite 11-year-old Nina
Smart, again from the Foremost team at Bangkok Pattana School.
 RC
Jomtien-Pattaya President Brendan Kelly addresses the gathering.
The short swimmers were all catered for by the staff at the Dusit Thani as
they received their medals and polo shirts.
Then all eyes were set looking for the swimmers from the long race. Most
spectators felt sure that last year’s winner would triumph again and indeed
27-year-old South African tri-athlete Nicholas Wilson from the Foremost team
at Bangkok Patana School finished the 3.5 km dash across Pattaya bay in 46
minutes 20 seconds.
Local hero Peter Gibney from Regents, a winner two years ago and runner-up
last year, finished runner-up again this year with a time of 47 minutes
even.
Lance Depew from the Bangkok Patana School Foremost team came in 3rd with a
time of 49:32. Lance (44) is the father of 13 year old Dascha who also swam
the long swim and came in 5th.
As well as over 60 more swimmers this year, the event attracted two very
colorful characters, one dressed as Spiderman, who laid back in a dingy as
his friend - using a rock climber’s harness - pulled the masked hero across
the bay much to everybody’s delight.
The final tally in monetary terms is still to be announced but is likely to
exceed 400,000 baht, which will be utilized for the many humanitarian
projects the club will undertake to Make Dreams Real for Children.
Catch the television coverage this Sunday, October 26 on Pattaya Mail on TV.
Winners of the long distance
swim (L to R) 3rd place Lance Depew,
winner Nicholas Wilson and runner-up Peter Gibney.
Trophy winners in the short
distance swim (L to R) runner-up Marissa Sittheeamorn, winner Jessica
Pisters and 3rd place Nina Smart.
Nastassia “Naz” Neufeld
interviews Octavio Gamarra for PMTV.
Pattaya Sports Club charity
chairman,
Bernie Tuppin awards medals to all the finishers.
After swimming 1.1 k, Jessica
Pisters races towards the finish line.
The first short distance
swimmer to cross the finish line, Octavio Gamarra.
The whistle blows and they’re
off!
Long distance swimmers gather
for a group pose before their swim across the bay.
The short distance swimmers
receive
last minute instructions before wading out into the bay.
BCCT becomes Hard Rockers
Dr. Iain Corness
The British Chamber of Commerce took over the upstairs area of the Hard Rock
Cafe last Friday for their monthly networking night on the Eastern Seaboard.
Executive director Greg Watkins was very quick to point out that they had
read the Pattaya Mail report from the last function, taken the comments on
board, and had restricted this event to BCCT members and friends only. This
produced a discernable result - you could actually walk around without
spilling your drink (unless your name was Kevin the Crane Man Fisher), even
though more than 100 people turned up with only 46 of those having booked!
 (L
to R) Robbie Loane, Pipe Yard Manager of Canadoil Pipe Ltd.; Joe Grunwell,
managing director, Comcon Services (Thailand) Co., Ltd.; Kevin Fisher,
director S.E. Asia, ASIS Regional Office in Chonburi.
The Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya’s new GM George Hazard welcomed everyone, and
Peter Smith and Malcolm Scorer from AA Insurance Brokers, one of the
principal sponsors of the evening, made sure the amber fluid and red and
white wine kept flowing (despite a momentary hiccup while somebody struggled
up the stairs with another keg). In an exclusive interview with Pattaya Mail
TV, Malcolm Scorer reiterated that neither the banks, nor the insurance
companies in Thailand were on the brink of any collapse, and in fact, they
had seen an increasing interest in insurance from the ex-pats in Pattaya.
 (L
to R) Barry Main, PVC installation advisor, PVC Windows Thailand; Dennis
Gisseldahl, PVC installation advisor, PVC Windows Thailand.
One of the other sponsors was Plus Property, represented by assistant branch
manager Patrick Eger. Patrick said they were continuing with developments in
the high end of the property market, and although there were some problems
in the lower end, the high end still represented excellent buying and
consumer confidence was high. This was backed up by Wim Scheggetman, the MD
of Saran Lifestyle, who was celebrating having sold another high end
property this week.
Another of the sponsors was Barry Main from PVC Windows Thailand, who said
that in the sea air of Pattaya, his product which could resist the salt, was
in high demand. Despite downturns internationally, people still want a
quality product.
 (L
to R) John Black, managing director, Real Estate Magazine Thailand; Dave
Buckzgy, Real Estate Magazine Thailand.
Amongst the networkers was Paul Wilkinson from AGS Four Winds International
Movers, and Jimmy Howard, the world’s oldest front row forward (who this
time did not come in fancy dress), Peter Mewes (The London Consultancy and
Thailand’s second oldest soccer player) and Scotsman John L Hamilton (Waste
Management Siam).
Others included Maurice Bromley, the AFG honorary secretary from GoIndustry
with his delightful wife Concertina. Adding to the beauty side of the
evening were Kavita Lamba, Samantha Wilson, Nong K.M.P. from Data 2 U and
the girls from Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, Ann and Pik.
It really was an enormous cross-section of the business side of life on the
Eastern Seaboard with bustling Greg Pitt of McKenzie, Smith Law being his
usual affable self, whilst the red shirted AA Insurance Brokers staff,
complete with electric name tags, ensured everyone was well looked after.
One of the better BCCT networking nights, enhanced by the venue and by the
limitation of numbers. Well done, Greg Watkins and all the sponsors.
Be sure to watch the event on Pattaya Mail on TV this Sunday, October 26.
(L to R) Ron Keeley, managing
director of the World of Wine Co., Ltd.;
Dr. Alastair Aitken, Grantham Hospital; Paul Wilkinson,
G.M. AGS Four Winds International Movers.
(L to R) Jame Saville,
director of corporate services & sports,
Asian University; Dr. Colin Gordon Black, head of the Mechanical Engineering
Department, Faculty of Engineering & Technology at Asian University; Raymond
O’ Reilly, lecturer Faculty of Liberal Arts, Asian University.
(L to R) Peter Smith, Director
of AA Insurance Brokers Co., Ltd.; Wim Scheggetman, managing director,
Saraan Lifestyle Development Company Limited.
(L to R) Maurice D. Bromley,
president, GoIndustry (Thailand) Limited; Kevin Fisher, director S.E. Asia,
ASIS Regional Office, Chonburi; Roger W Yee, chief resident engineer for
Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick (Thailand) Ltd.
Poppy appeal underway for Remembrancetide 2008
 Bert
Elson
Once again this weekend you will see the appearance of poppies and
poppy collection boxes in many pubs and restaurants around Pattaya as the
Royal British Legion Thailand gears up for Remembrance Sunday this year held
on 9th November.
But why the Poppy and how did it all come about? Well to find the answer to
that we must go back to the First World War and a certain Major John McCrae.
Major McCrae, who was Professor of Medicine at McGill University in Canada
before WWI, described the red poppy, the Flanders’ poppy, as the flower of
remembrance. Although he had been a doctor for years and had served in the
Boer War as a gunner, he went to France in WWI as a medical officer with the
first Canadian contingent.
It was impossible to get used to the suffering, the screams, and the blood
there, and Major John McCrae had seen and heard enough in his dressing
station to last him a lifetime. As a surgeon attached to the 1st Field
Artillery Brigade, Major McCrae had spent seventeen days treating injured
men - Canadians, British, Indians, French, and Germans - in the Ypres
salient. It had been an ordeal that he had hardly thought possible. Major
McCrae later wrote of it: “I wish I could embody on paper some of the varied
sensations of those seventeen days ... Seventeen days of Hades! At the end
of the first day if anyone had told us we had to spend seventeen days there,
we would have folded our hands and said it could not have been done.”
 Poppy
Appeal organisers Bob Myers and Buddy Ditchburn.
After the death of a close friend McCrae sat and wrote the poem ‘In Flanders
Fields”. In fact, it was very nearly not published. Dissatisfied with it,
McCrae tossed the poem away, but a fellow officer - either Lt Col Edward
Morrison, the former Ottawa newspaper editor who commanded the 1st Brigade
of artillery, or Lt Col J.M. Elder, depending on which source is consulted -
retrieved it and sent it to newspapers in England. “The Spectator” in London
rejected it, but “Punch” published it on 8 December 1915. McCrae’s “In
Flanders Fields” remains to this day one of the most memorable war poems
ever written. It is a lasting legacy of the terrible battle in the Ypres
salient in the spring of 1915.
In Flanders’ Fields
In Flanders’ Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders’ Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders’ Fields.
The wearing of the poppy to keep faith began when an American, Miss Moira
Michael, read the poem “In Flanders Fields” and was so greatly impressed
that she decided always to wear a poppy to keep the faith. Miss Michael
wrote a reply after reading “In Flanders Fields” entitled “We Shall Keep the
Faith”:
Oh! You who sleep in Flanders’ fields,
Sleep sweet - to rise anew;
We caught the torch you threw;
And holding high we kept
The faith with those who died.
We cherish, too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valour led.
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders’ Fields.
And now the torch and poppy red
Wear in honour of our dead
Fear not that ye have died for naught
We’ve learned the lesson that ye taught
In Flanders’ Fields.
Miss Michael worked for the YMCA in America and on Saturday 9 November 1918
hosted a meeting of YMCA wartime secretaries from other countries. When
several of the secretaries presented her with a small gift of money to thank
her for her hospitality, she said she would spend it on poppies and told
them the story of McCrae’s poem and her decision to always wear a red poppy.
The French secretary, Madame Guerin, conceived the idea of selling
artificial poppies to raise money to help needy soldiers and their families,
and she approached organisations among the countries of the world that had
fought as allies in Europe to promote the concept.
The first Remembrance Service as we know it was held in 1919. The British
Legion was founded in 1921 as a voice for the Ex service community by the
merger of four organisations, the “Comrades of the Great War”, the “National
Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers”, and the “Officers
Association”. The Poppy, thanks to Madame Guerin, had already been adopted
as the Legion’s emblem. It was granted the Royal Prefix on 29 May 1971 to
mark its 50th anniversary.
The work of the Legion carries on to this day for we will always care for
those who have served, are serving and their dependents. Indeed last year
saw an increase of 30% of help given by the Legion to those under 35, a sign
of the times perhaps with the Gulf and the many other “small wars” we are
now involved in.
The Royal British Legion here in Pattaya is still a very young branch yet we
are expanding to cover many areas of Thailand with this year’s appeal. Last
year we raised 121,514 baht, which has been used on such things as hospital
visits, hospital fees, funeral expenses, repatriation, prison and jail
visits, care, comfort and advice for widows and a variety of other things.
When you see one of our Poppy Boxes you will also see a poster of a Poppy
Man supporting a woman and her son. They are not models but the family of
fallen soldier Sgt Mick Thompson. Tina and son Aidan are now two of the many
dependants the Legion cares for; please give generously so that we may
continue that work.
Should anyone wish to help us in our work and join the Legion please feel
free to call in to Tropical Bert’s any Sunday from 2pm or phone Bert on 089
8072335; you do not have to have served in the Armed Forces. Also should
there be any corporate sponsors who would like to become Friends of the
Legion please contact Bert.
Forecast of events - Poppy Boxes go out 25th October; Charity Club of
Pattaya sponsored Pub Crawl 1st November 3pm from Shenanigans, Remembrance
Sunday 9th November.
Lest We Forget.
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