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Scouts remember founder Rama VI
Staff reporters
Boy Scouts and Girl Guides all over the country remembered King Rama
VI, the Father of Thai Scouts, on November 25, the anniversary of King
Vajiravudh’s death.
 Surapon
Pongtadsirikun, Chonburi governor and chief commander of Chonburi’s Boy
Scouts, leads the commemoration of King Rama VI.
Surapon Pongtadsirikun, Chonburi governor and chief commander of the
Chonburi Boy Scouts, commemorated King Rama VI at his monument at the
Vajiravudh Scout Camp in Sriracha.
The governor led scouts in a gathering to pay homage to the King’s image and
remember his foresightedness in establishing a movement that has helped to
strengthen the character of our youths and serve the community.
Surapon said Thai Scouts were established at a time when Thailand was in a
dangerous situation with many western colonial powers vying to take over the
country when Thailand lacked power to protect its independence.
King Rama VI established the scouts on July 1, 1911. The fundamental
principles are: adherence to spiritual values, loyalty and promotion of the
brotherhood of scouts in the country and the world, helping others, the
practice of the scouts oaths and laws and voluntary participation in
community service.
PCEC members vicariously travel through Russia by train
MC Stuart Saunders got things underway when he introduced
Patricia (Pat) Glynn at the regular Sunday meeting of the Pattaya City Expats
Club on Sunday, December 7 at the Amari’s Henry J. Bean’s Restaurant. Pat then
proceeded to enlighten the audience with her photographs and enthusiastic talk
about her and consort Sean’s splendid return trip to Thailand from London.
 PCEC
member Patricia Glynn shares the adventures she and husband Sean experienced
whilst travelling the Trans Siberian Railway from Moscow to Beijing.
Instead of the usual 13 hour or so flight to Bangkok, they chose to instead fly
to Moscow and take a Trans Siberian Railway train which runs from Moscow to
Vladivostok, Russia’s largest port city on the Pacific Ocean. However, Pat said
they only went as far as Ulan-Ude, a Russian city located a short distance from
Lake Baikal on the Uda River, as this was where they left the Trans Siberian
Railway and started their journey on the Trans Mongolian Railway going to
Beijing, China via Ulan Bator, capital of Mongolia, and Erenhot at the Chinese
border.
Overall, they took 4 different trains on their journey. Pat showed numerous
pictures of their trip beginning with a morning in Moscow, sights at a few stops
along the way, ending with the Forbidden City in Beijing. She said they started
their trip from London on the 5th of October. A good time of year to make the
trip as their journey across Siberia had clear skies and no snow with the
foliage showing some beautiful autumn colors.
Pat said that since her background was that of a history teacher, she would
begin with a brief history of the Trans Siberian Railroad. The railroad was
instigated by Tsar Alexander III as a result of the Crimean War, which Russia
lost in part because it did not have a means of transporting troops and
equipment to where they were needed.
Construction continued under Alexander III’s son, Tsar Nicolas II, who was
overthrown and murdered along with his family by the Bolsheviks in 1918. So
naturally, one of the stops Pat and Sean made was at Yekaterinburg to see the
site where the murders took place. Although the original house had been torn
down and replaced with a church, the cellar is still there where Tsar Nicholas
and his family were killed.
They also toured a Russian military museum. She noted when showing a picture of
a missile and launcher display that this was symbolic as the city was near where
the Russians used a missile to shoot down Gary Power’s U2 spy plane.
They also visited Lake Baikal, not far from Yekaterinburg. Pat said this lake
holds more water than all the fresh water lakes in the United States. Also, it
is approximately 25 million years old. While there, Pat and Sean took another
train ride on a scenic railway loop encircling the lake, which has 200 bridges
and 33 tunnels. Pat also commented that an unusual feature of the Russian part
of their journey was the lack of advertising or display windows for shops.
Basically, she said, one had to open the door and peer into a shop to identify
what kind of products it sold.
Then it was on to Mongolia on the Trans Mongolian Railway. They stopped in
Sükhbaatar and Ulan Bator in Mongolia. Pat showed pictures she took including
Genghis Khan Square and an Irish Pub, which Pat opined had great food. Pat also
pointed out in the pictures the Mongolian Ger (tent) adjacent to a “regular
house.” She said these were a very common sight and noted that as a Mongolian
family grows larger, they tend to build a ger or two next to their house to
accommodate the additions.
Naturally, Pat and Sean availed themselves of the opportunity to go to a ger
camp where the structures were rustic, but adequate and warm. Pat’s only
negative comment about their stay in the ger as well as a previous stay in a
house in Russia was the toilet facilities, which generally were in an unheated
separate building without benefit of running water. Also, unlike Siberia, it was
here in Mongolia that they encountered snow covered ground.
Pat explained that the rail gauge in China was narrower than in Russia and
Mongolia. So, upon entering China, they spent about 6 hours at the border while
the railroad workers lifted the carriages and placed them on different
undercarriages whose wheels were designed for the Chinese gauge. Completing
their journey in Beijing, Pat said they were housed in hotel with a great
location, very near the Forbidden City.
Pat commented that although she and Sean usually prefer to go it on their own,
they decided to use a travel agent for this trip; primarily because an agent is
better equipped for getting the various train tickets and accommodations. She
said their stopovers were for about 3 days.
Based on the number of questions, including can one do the same trip in the
opposite direction, it was obvious that Pat had instilled the audience with her
enthusiasm and that some might be contemplating a similar trip.
MC Stuart then called on Marjorie Blissett to read a request from Toy with the
Pattaya Orphanage requesting donations so that the children will have an
enjoyable Christmas celebration. Marjorie also mentioned other charities that
would also be appreciative of donations during this holiday season. MC Stuart
then updated everyone on upcoming events and introduced Hawaii Bob to conduct
the always informative and sometimes humorous Open Forum where information is
shared on living in Pattaya and Thailand.
World of Wine to sponsor wine
at Charity Club of Pattaya’s
Charity Gala Dinner 2009
Christina Boden
The Charity Club of Pattaya, now in its 5th year, will be hosting
its charity gala dinner, grand prize draw and auction on Saturday January
24, 2009 at the All Seasons Hotel Pattaya.
 Ron
has plenty of staff on hand to help you with your purchases and they will
even carry all your bottles to your car.
As most people are aware, the club holds small events throughout the year
and then holds a charity gala dinner each year. This year club members were
very pleased to announce that The World Of Wine has agreed to be the sole
wine sponsor for the gala dinner.
Christina has tried many times to get someone to be the wine sponsor for the
evening, and was so happy when it was actually confirmed by M.D. Ron Keeley.
Christina contacted The World Of Wine after reading that they are the only
wine distributors in Thailand that donate all of their profits to charity.
Malcolm and Christina didn’t have to tell Ron much about what they do as he
had seen various projects on the TV and in the press.
Once the meeting had finished Ron took them to the temperature-controlled
showroom, to show them the different wines and champagnes they stock.
Christina was hoping Malcolm would celebrate with a little Champagne but he
just said two words, credit crunch! But, they did come away with some very
nice wines for a celebratory drink.
With wine selections from all over the world, they certainly had plenty to
choose from. With Christmas coming, Malcolm and Christina can definitely
recommend a visit to the showroom, which is situated in Naklua on the 1st
floor of the Mirage Building, Soi 16, Naklua Road; open from 10 a.m. until 9
p.m., or visit the website www.theworldofwine.co.th
Ron has plenty of staff on hand to help you with your purchases and they
will even carry all your bottles to your car!
Tickets for the gala dinner are on sale now. Contact charity
[email protected] or Malcolm on 0897441040 or Christina 0895454185.
Ticket price is only 1,600 baht per person which includes a Thai and
international buffet, free bar with premium spirits, free flow beer and now
red and white wine thanks to Mr. Waller and Ron Keeley from The World Of
Wine.
PSC funds wing at elderly home
(L to R) Nittaya Patimasongkroh,
Dennis Willett, Bernie Tuppin and Somdej Naeudorn prepare to cut the ribbon to
officially open the new wing.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
A 15-bed residential care wing at the home for the elderly in
Banglamung, funded by the Pattaya Sports Club, was opened on December 3. The
wing will house elderly men.
Another wing for elderly women has been approved and will be renovated next
year.
Dennis Willett, president of the Pattaya Sports Club, Paul Donahue, club
secretary, and Bernie Tuppin, club charity chairman, officially opened the
elderly men’s home in a ceremony also attended by Nittaya Patimasongkroh,
president of the YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya Center.
Somdej Naeudorn, director of the new home, said the building was finished last
July, built with a funding of 1.5 million baht from the Pattaya Sports Club.
He said the new building was built because the previous one was very old and in
need of repair and lacked good ventilation.
“The new building has one floor colored in blue with many windows to keep the
area fresh. The old building will be fixed and converted to a living area,” he
said.
The women’s building will also be renovated set to be completed in 2009.
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