Regent’s School undertakes International Award training in Kaeng Krachan

Regent’s International Award group getting ready for the hike.

Ryah Khale

On Saturday 19th November a group of Year 11 and 12 students assembled bright and early for the journey to Kaeng Krachan National Park for our first International Award training expedition of the season. This three-day trip had been eagerly anticipated by all, having been postponed two weeks earlier due to concerns about the flooding situation in Bangkok.

Visiting some beautiful locations in Kaeng Krachan.

Ten students participated in the training expedition, which was geared towards challenging the students with the hiking conditions and leadership responsibilities that they will face on their qualifying expedition. Two expedition ‘teams’ worked independently to prepare for the trek. The students on the expedition were required to be entirely self-sufficient: this meant they planned and cooked their own meals and carried all the equipment they needed on each leg of the trek themselves.

Kaeng Krachan is the largest national park in Thailand and is home to a rich and diverse ecosystem. The students encountered gibbons, langurs and macaques on their trek, including the opportunity to observe troops of dusky langurs in very close proximity to the trail. The forested hills echoed with the eerily haunting song of gibbons. On several occasions we saw flocks of hornbills flying overhead, their wings beating loudly as they flew. The groups were also asked to observe their environment closely as they travelled and they were soon aware of how much fascinating life there is below the canopy, whether it be in the form of insects, fungi or plant relationships.

The expedition’s second day was a particularly challenging one, with students completing a 22km circular hike to the base of Thorn Tip waterfall, many sections of which were through steep uphill stretches of jungle; the final days 15km descent felt like a gentle stroll downhill by comparison. Well done to all participants, who are already starting to plan for their qualifying expedition.

Photisampan School celebrates New Year’s

Teachers and staff at Photisampan Pittayakarn School let down their hair for a fun-filled New Year party.

Manoon Makpol

More than 100 teachers and staffers at Photisampan Pittayakarn School let down their hair and brought 2011 to a close at the annual New Year’s party.

Principal Visanu Phasomzup opened the Dec. 29 celebration, thanking teachers and other personnel for their hard work during the year. Guests dined on Chinese cuisine and enjoyed stage performances from groups of teachers and exchanged gifts.

The annual party was festive as teachers and staff get to relax and party with singing, dancing, dining and chatting with other members of the school.

Principal Visanu Phasomzup welcomes everyone to the party and thanks them for their hard work during the past year.

Pattaya Archers give local orphans a Christmas treat

Time for a group photo.

Eric Hearn, Club President

On December 27, members of the Pattaya Archery Club organized a Christmas trip to Pattaya Water Park for 41 orphaned children, plus teachers and caregivers from Pattaya Orphanage.

The smile says it all.

After stepping from their coach the children rushed to the ticket office and, as one, sat down on the ground, train style, waiting for the whistle to blow.

Tiew, the Casey Jones of the grounded orphan train, in liaison with Pattaya Archery Club chairman Mervyn Gillham, duly issued tickets to all and so we were all ready to go.

The train rose up to become a string of expectant children, tickets in hand, ready for the off. K click, k click the turnstile sang as if the train passed down the line, but only as we hit the pool, left hand side, did children’s joy become so loud as to drown the existing half-clad crowd.

The youthful swarm of laughing splashers do what kids do and throw themselves into the pool.

A hasty change to swimwear became a wave towards the pool as our youthful swarm of laughing splashers did what we did when we were young and threw themselves into the pool. The water slides quivered under the constant stream of orphans trying to break the sound barrier into the water and I also saw some of our French archery members bombing down the slides with just the same look of joy as the kids. Wonderful to behold such abandon and see the smiles on all.

After all of the fun and finally eating dinner at the poolside it was time for home and in a touching tribute everyone from the orphanage lined up with us for a photograph, whereby the children turned to face us as one and sang a beautiful Christmas carol as a thank you for the archers’ help and support.

I am sure I saw some archery club members eyes water at this point … or was it the spicy food we had just eaten? … Who knows?

Pattaya Archery Club is proud to have made a small difference and help the children enjoy an absolutely splashing Christmas.

Nicolas and 3 new friends.

Pattaya Orphanage wrote on their website: http://www.thepattayaorphanage.org/ “The Pattaya Archery Club, led by Chairman Mervyn Gillham, and coordinated by Mr. Gilbert Pelissier, our volunteer, gave 34 school-aged kids of the Pattaya Orphanage a special treat by taking them out to the Pattaya Park this afternoon. Fourteen members of the Club, along with our supervising teachers and caretakers, made sure the children have lots of fun and food while keeping safe. Each child seems to have spent all the energy in the pool and at the giant sliders.

Please accept our sincere appreciation for your kind support. Wishing the Pattaya Archery Club, its members, and their family members great joy and prosperity each day of the New Year.”

Pattaya Archery Club shoots on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, beginning at 10.00 a.m. and finishing at about noon or thereafter.

Anyone - Thai or farang, young or old, man or woman - is welcome to come along to the Pattaya Shooting Park in Hua Yai and find out what it is all about.

Beginners’ Coaching is held on a Tuesday and / or a Saturday. The coach’s services and the use of the club’s bows, arrows and other equipment are free for beginners, and so it costs nothing to see if this challenging sport is for you.

For more details visit Pattaya Archery Club’s website at www.pattaya archeryclub.com, or telephone Eric, the club’s president, on 089 535 1193.

Friends of Youth take Banglamung Boys Home boys on Xmas shopping spree

Some of the boys and their helpers anxiously await the “go” signal to begin shopping.

Jerry Dean, Friends of Youth President

On Dec. 17, Pattaya ‘Friends of Youth’ hosted the first of 6 homes at Banglamung Boys Home to a Christmas Shopping Day.

We took them to the Big C store in North Pattaya, and gave each boy 200B to spend on anything they wanted. It did have to be Ok’d by the house parents, who also made sure that they stayed within budget. 19 boys and 10 staff members (house parents, teachers and drivers) enjoyed the event, as did the ‘FoY’. Kids, true to form, picked out toys, and some snack food they do not normally get.

A heartfelt thank you.

10 club members went shopping with 4 boys in each shopping group, headed by a house parent and staff person. For many of these kids this was the first time that they have had any interaction with a westerner.

Ice cream - what a treat!

The behavior of the boys, whose ages ranged from 5 to 11 years, was impressive. The next day (Sunday) we did homes 2 & 3 with a total of 40 boys. We will take homes 4, 5, & 6 on their shopping day in mid January. These boy’s are 12 to 20 yr olds.

If you live in this area and would like to become a part just drop a reply and we will be happy to get in touch with you. If you would like make a donation (which would be very much appreciated) we would let you know where and how to send it.

Santa even paid a visit.

Check-out time was as smooth as could be expected with so many boys.

The toy section was popular on the day.

Youngsters wait their turn.

Regent’s School undertakes International Award training in Kaeng Krachan

Photisampan School celebrates New Year’s

Pattaya Archers give local orphans a Christmas treat