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Pa Prem celebrates distinguished awards at annual Christmas party
Revelry raises funds for underprivileged children
The award winners pose with
their plaques stand behind Bishop Silvio Siripong Charatsri, Bishop
Thienchai Samanchit and Father Weera Phangrak,
Staff reporter
Once a year, during the season of cheer, the real Father Christmas
reveals himself to his family and friends as being none other than the
affable Premprecha Dibbayawan, well loved and respected lawyer, businessman
and kind hearted Rotarian philanthropist.
On December 26, 2009, he unfailingly appeared again to receive guests into
his humble home to share with him the spirit of giving and loving.
 Premprecha
receives his awards from Bishop Thienchai Samanchit (top) and Bishop Silvio
Siripong Charatsri (bottom).
This Christmas, as has been the custom for many years, all roads led to
Premprecha and Supanee Dibbayawan’s home for the ever popular Christmas
party. Pa Prem’s parties are usually just a simple affair where the
Dibbayawan household gets together and cooks up a storm. And what a blizzard
of food and drinks it was.
The revelry on this occasion took on an additional meaning, for just 3 weeks
earlier, on December 5, in celebration of His Majesty the King’s birthday
which is also considered to be Father’s Day in Thailand, Premprecha
Dibbayawan was recognized by the Catholic Association of Thailand as being
an exemplary senior citizen and was awarded the Outstanding Catholic Father
of the Year award.
The guidelines for selection include being a good Catholic of Thai
nationality, at least 50 years of age, legally married to a Catholic woman,
family living together and respected in the community, whose children must
hold respectable jobs. The candidate must be dedicated to the service of the
church and the country.
When it rains it pours as they say, because two days later at a ceremonies
held at the Dara Samut School in Sriracha, Premprecha was again called to
receive another award as the Extraordinary Catholic Father presented to him
by Bishop Silvio Siripong Charatsri of the Diocese of Chantaburi.
 Past
District Governor Peter Malhotra presents a flower bouquet to Khun Supanee
Dibbayawan as Pa Prem poses with his a glass of his favourite brew.
Friends came from far and wide to bring good cheer and felicitations for
Prem, his wife Supanee and their siblings. To add to the gaiety of the
affair, Rotarians from neighboring townships came in droves for the
festivities at the home of their beloved past district governor.
Prem humbly thanked his friends for their good wishes saying, “I am very
proud and humbled that someone actually thinks that I am a good guy.
Never-the-less I will continue to do good for the people of the world for
the rest of my life.”
 Tony
Babbage leads in the charity karaoke to raise funds for the Interact Club of
Banglamung School.
As a small part of fundraising, which is part of most parties where
Rotarians are present, guests were encouraged to sing their favorite songs
on stage, whereby 100 baht was collected for each song they sung. This of
course brought out the entire closet Elvis Presleys and Frank Sinatras, plus
the popular Thai singers which helped to fill the charity pot of more than
20,000 baht. The funds were pledged to the Interact Club of Banglamung to
assist them in their community work for the underprivileged in our
community.
At the end of the evening Pa Prem bade his guests farewell with blessings
and wishes for peace and goodwill to all, and a most happy and prosperous
New Year.
As this reporter climbed into his sleigh to return home, with a slight buzz
in his head, he spied Pa Prem and Supanee enjoying a quiet late night chat
with Father Weera Phangrak and Father Kritsada Sukkaphat from St. Nikolas
Church, possibly planning on how to improve the lot of their parishioners.
Premprecha (3rd left) and
Supanee Dibbayawan (2nd right)
pose proudly with the venerated elders of the clergy.
Friends came from far and wide
to bring good cheer
and felicitations for Prem and his family.
Chaine des Rotisseurs inducts new members
Dr Iain Corness
The local chapter of the world’s most prestigious gourmet group (the
‘Bailliage’ de Pattaya), the Chaine des Rotisseurs, welcomed new and
upgraded members at a gala ceremony held at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort
last weekend.
 Firdaus
Siddik (right), a member of the ‘Conseil Magistral’ in Paris, inducts Dr.
Iain Duncan Gordon Corness as new Vice-Charge De Mission Du Bailliage de
Pattaya, as Bailli Ranjith Chandrasiri looks on.
With the Chaine des Rotisseurs able to trace their lineage back to the goose
roasters guild, having been officially recognized in 1248 AD, but outlawed
during the French Revolution and then resurrected in 1950, it is an
organization which takes the ‘art of the kitchen’ to the highest possible
level. Upon joining, the new inductees take an oath to honor the culture of
the table, and this is done with all due pomp and circumstance, including
the induction with ceremonial swords by a senior member of the French
organization.
The local chapter was honored to have Firdaus Siddik, a member of the
‘Conseil Magistral’ in Paris who was officially inducting the new members.
The MC was the ‘Bailli’ (president) Ranjith Chandrasiri, who was assisted by
Pattaya committee members Jan Olaf Aamlid (Argentier Regional), Fredi Schaub
(Conseiller Culinaire) and Peter Malhotra (Chargé de Presse).
 Chef
Walter Thenisch expertly carves the Black Angus beef rib eye to perfection.
After the official part of the evening, which was held in the Promenade area
of the Royal Cliff Grand, the inductees, officials and guests moved to the
Royal Cliff’s Grill Room and Wine Cellar for an inspirational multi-course
dinner prepared by the Royal Cliff’s amazingly talented executive chef
Walter Thenisch.
The first course featured Chiang Mai crayfish and a superb smoked trout
accompanied by a New Zealand Tussock Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2007. From there
it just got better and better, with the poached turbot fillet on a confit
aubergine being almost universally popular.
Wild hare was another very different dish as was the blackcurrant and
hibiscus tea sorbet presented on individual ice carvings.
In any Chaine des Rotisseurs dinner, the main course is (naturally, looking
at the history of the order) a roasted dish and this time it was Black Angus
beef rib eye and it was as tender as you could imagine. The wine with this
course was the very interesting Bad Boy 2006, Bordeaux by Jean-Luc Thunevin,
the ‘enfant terrible’ of Chateau Valandraud, with Bailli Ranjith Chandrasiri
informing the diners of the history of this label.
It had been another wonderful evening, and the Royal Cliff Beach Resort once
more showed its mastery of events of this caliber.
As the finale for the evening, certificates of appreciation were given to
Walter Thenisch representing the kitchen staff, and other certificates for
the immaculately dressed and groomed service personnel were given to K.
Vichai.
The 10 inductees and the two elevations were
Dames de La Chaîne:
Mme Brenda Ann Earnshaw
Mme Yuphin Marsh
Mme Marie-Louise Polanski
Chevaliers:
M. Don John Earnshaw
M. Peter Marsh
M. Richard Polanski
M. John Edgar Seaton
M. Henk Alexander Simoons
M. Peter Windgasse
Maître Rôtisseur:
M. Guido Vietri
Officier:
M. Richard Earl Smith
Vice-Charge De Mission Du Bailliage de Pattaya:
Dr. Iain Duncan Gordon Corness
Certificates of appreciation
were presented to Executive Chef Walter Thenisch representing the kitchen
staff and Khun Vichai, and his team of immaculately dressed and groomed
service personnel.
Chevaliers and Dames de La
Chaîne together with guests gather for a rare group photo at the Royal Cliff
Beach Resort.
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