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Do your part to save the dolphins
Save the dolphins by doing your part. This was the
message given to the Pattaya City Expats Club on October 2nd at the Amari’s
Tavern by the Sea Restaurant. Master of Ceremonies Richard Silverberg
introduced Nancy Gibson who in turn introduced Ric O’Barry.
PCEC was fortunate to have
Ric O’Barry, who has campaigned against dolphin exploitation and was
involved in the production of the documentary film “The Cove”.
Nancy is the founder of the Love Wildlife Foundation in
Bangkok and is currently undertaking the task of educating the public about
the deplorable conditions faced by captive dolphins in Thailand. In this
effort, her foundation invited well known activist Ric O’Barry to present
the documentary film, “The Cove” at the Foreign Correspondents Club in
Bangkok and again at the Pattaya Regents School.
Ric O’Barry is well known for his efforts to educate the public and to free
captive dolphins. He was the trainer for the bottle nose dolphins that were
used in the 1960’s television series Flipper. He attributes the popularity
of that show to the significant increase in dolphinariums around the world.
He has spent the last 35 years trying to tear that industry down. His about
face on keeping dolphins in captivity came when one of the dolphins used in
the Flipper series died in his arms. He said when he started this effort
there were only 3 dolphinariums in existence; now it is a billion dollar
industry with dolphinariums all over the world.
 Nancy
Gibson, founder of the Love Wildlife Foundation in Bangkok, shows PCEC
members the petition her group is preparing for presentation to the Thai
Prime Minister to save dolphins from captivity. Her T-shirt says it all.
Ric was involved in the production of the documentary film “The Cove,” which
has received over 70 awards globally, including 2010 Academy Award for best
documentary. The 2009 film centers on Taiji, Wakayama, Japan, where local
fishermen slaughter about 2,000 dolphins every year. To keep this secret,
they have the cove where it is done fenced off and signs against
trespassing. The film follows an elite team of activists including Ric,
filmmakers and free divers as they embark on a covert mission to penetrate a
remote and hidden cove in Taiji.
To begin, Ric played a 15 minute video showing excerpts from the film and
noted that although the film centers on Taiji, Japan, it also points out
other issues. One being that dolphins are heavily contaminated by mercury as
are most fish in lakes, rivers, and the ocean; the result of coal fired
generators who release mercury into the atmosphere. After the video, Ric
said that it really didn’t do justice to the entire story. He mentioned that
the entire film can be seen on YouTube and recommended that everyone see the
film if they hadn’t already.
MC Richard Silverberg and
former chairman Richard Smith welcome Niti Kongkrut from the Tourist
Association of Thailand (TAT) in Pattaya, who informed PCEC members of the
trip to the Chonburi buffalo races.
He then explained their experience in making the film and
exposing what goes on in Taiji. Regarding the dolphin hunt in Taiji, Ric
said it is ongoing right now as the hunt goes from September to March of
each year. He is working with people that are there at the moment as they
think by continuing to educate the public and the Japanese themselves about
the slaughter and the health hazard of eating dolphin meat it will result in
change. After describing their efforts in Japan and elsewhere, he then
mentioned his and Nancy’s visits to three dolphinariums here in Thailand
noting that at the time of the visits, only one had dolphins and that the
“show” that was presented was very bad. In the other two, they have had
dolphins and he surmised that they probably had died recently and not yet
been replaced.
He said that he primarily blames the 30 or so dolphin trainers that come to
Taiji to get more dolphins for their dolphinariums. Unlike the Japanese
fishermen, he said they should know better. Ric explained how dolphins are
“self aware” as are humans and great apes. He said that the trainers pay
around 150,000 US dollars for each of the dolphins they select; whereas the
meat from the slaughtered dolphins is sold for about 500 US dollars each.
Consequently, it is the dolphinariums that make the Taiji hunt lucrative for
the fishermen. Ric then answered several questions regarding dolphins and
what can be done to aid his efforts; to which he suggested don’t buy tickets
to see dolphin shows. With few customers, they would not be economically
viable.
After the presentation, Niti Kongkrut from Pattaya’s Tourism Authority of
Thailand office told everyone about the upcoming trip to the Chonburi Water
Buffalo races they are sponsoring for Club members and guests. Richard
Silverberg then updated everyone on upcoming events and called on Roy
Albiston to conduct the always informative and sometimes humorous Open Forum
where questions are asked and answered about expat living in Thailand,
recommendations for restaurants and movies are made, and perhaps a joke or
two are told.
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Elvis sighted - again - at Green Bottle Pub
Two of Pattaya’s Elvis
impersonators, Jaluk Viriyakit and Jeerasak Pinsuwan, pose for a photo with
Green Bottle owner Sopin Thappajug and friends.
Manoon Makpol
Elvis sightings in Pattaya have reached new heights as the Green Bottle Pub &
Restaurant celebrated the “king of rock & roll” with its “Remembering Elvis”
concert.
Jaluk Viriyakit and Jeerasak Pinsuwan delighted fans with impersonations of
Elvis Presley at the Sept. 30 show hosted by Green Bottle owner Sopin Thappajug.
The Thai Elvises hit all the right notes, from “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Jailhouse
Rock” to ballads “Love Me Tender” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
The show, held each fall to commemorate Presley’s Aug. 16, 1977 death is always
a crowd-pleaser, with guests singing along and dancing and the Green Bottle
decked out in its best 1950s and ‘60s attire.
The show is always a crowd pleaser
when Elvis is brought back to life.
Scholarships, Dharma
at Diana Group broadcast
Winners of the “Even if life
is lost, our minds shouldn’t be” essay contest, Theeramet Jiwatthanphaiboon
of the Redemptorist Vocational School, Pornthip Rosphotklang of Banglamung
Vocational College, Thitiporn Chumpagnarm of the Redemptorist Vocational
School and Thapnita Onta of Pattaya Sathit School receive scholarships and
commendations from Phra Cholyamunee.
Manoon Makpol
More than 300 people attended the latest “Dharma on Time” televised lecture
sponsored by the Diana Group.
Diana Group Managing Director Sopin Thappajug hosted the Oct. 4 broadcast
from the Diana Garden Resort’s conference center. Broadcast quarterly on
Banglamung Cable, the program this month featured Abbot Phra Cholyamunee of
Wat Uthukepsimaram.
The monk talk, entitled “Make it beautiful, rich for survival,” described
the obstacles of living life recklessly, future planning, meditation, mental
transparency and industrious merit making to solve problems.
Dechthana Boonprachot, manager for Banglamung Cable, which broadcasts the
shows, lit incense and discussed Dharma with the abbot.
Following the lecture, Sopin awarded scholarships for winners of the
quarterly essay contest, which this time carried a theme of “Even if life is
lost, our minds shouldn’t be.”
Theeramet Jiwatthanphaiboon of the Redemptorist Vocational School won first
place, Pornthip Rosphotklang of Banglamung Vocational College took second
and Thitiporn Chumpagnarm of the Redemptorist Vocational School third.
Honorable mention went to Thapnita Onta of Pattaya Sathit School. All four
received scholarships and commendations from Phra Cholyamunee.
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What a load of rubbish
We worked hard during the beach
clean-up!
Mara Cary and Toni Hayden, Year 3 teachers at St Andrews
International School
As part of the St Andrews International School unit ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’,
Year 3 students went on a day trip. First, we visited a local landfill site in
Ban Chang. Year 3 students were astonished to see how much plastic is used and
cannot be recycled. We were also surprised to find that some people actually
live there and make money by sorting through people’s rubbish and selling the
recyclable items to the local sorting centre.
Next, we visited the Ban Chang sorting centre where objects that can be recycled
are sorted and then sent to recycling stations. We saw huge piles of cardboard,
paper, metal bits and bobs, glass bottles, plastic bottles, etc… We also stood
on a giant weighing station (where trucks are weighed) and we found out that Ms.
Toni’s class weighs more than Ms. Mara’s class!
Finally, we had lunch on the beach and then had a beach clean-up. We cleaned
part of the beach at Ban Chang, and then played on the clean sand at the end!
One of the best parts was our reward for doing such a great job on our beach
clean-up: ice-cream! Of course, we were very careful to place the ice-cream
wrappers in the bin when we had finished.
We wore gloves to keep safe.
We did it! Look at the beautiful
clean beach!
Year 3 at the landfill site. Look
at all the plastic that can’t be recycled!
All of Year 3 on the weighing
station at the sorting centre.
Year 3 at the sorting centre. Look
at the pile of cardboard!
The beach before the clean-up.
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Bangkok Hospital Pattaya gives free dental checkups, sweets to Fountain of Life kids
A little guy has his teeth checked
by professional doctors from Bangkok Hospital Pattaya.
Manoon Makpol
Children at the Fountain of Life were given free checkups and
dental-hygiene advice from Bangkok Hospital Pattaya.
 Two
youngsters suck on fluoride coating applicators.
On Sept. 28, Dr. Thasanee Lertutsahakul, Dr. Somdul Munphienkaan, Dr. Pariyaporn
Techatheerawat and assistants examined the teeth of dozens of children at the
center, then coated those teeth with fluoride.
During the visit, children were given valuable lessons on how to take care of
their teeth via music and puppetry.
Fun and games followed the checkups, with nine kids receiving cartoon pillows
and sweets from the tooth doctors.
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