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Pattaya Expats Club enjoys successful launch
The Pattaya Expats Club is for all expats enjoying the
good life in Pattaya, and for those across the world who would like to
join them here.
 (L
to R) All enjoying the Pattaya Expats Club breakfast meeting at Cafe New
Orleans on March 31 - Ingo Rauber, executive assistant manager of Dusit
Resort, Clarrisse Brundo, Cafe New Orleans manager, Preben Hansen and Pete
Mills, club founders, and Murray Hertz, Cafe New Orleans owner.
The club is all about expats helping expats and all
nationalities are welcome. Whatever your question or problem, you can be
sure there is another expat in the club who has “been there, done
that”. New friends ready to share their experiences and expertise on
anything and everything to make your stay in Pattaya more enjoyable. Free
assistance on one year visas, medical insurance, home buying, etc., so
find out the facts before you make an expensive mistake. More details at
www.pattayaexpatsclub.com
For expert, friendly advice from other expats, come
along to the club’s regular breakfast meetings every Sunday, 11 a.m. at
Cafe new Orleans, Soi Pattayaland 2. Enjoy a great breakfast, meet some
new friends and business contacts, and help everyone help each other.
Italian visitors to consider Pattaya in “partner-city” membership
Max Rommel, former hotelier and tour organizer,
permanent resident of Pattaya and president of the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya
recently welcomed distinguished visitors from Italy. Giovianni Rovazzani,
the president of the city-partnership club Porto Recanati (Italy) and
Kronberg (Germany) arrived with his wife Luciana and the vice-president of
the club, Anna Storti.
 From
left: M. Pappalardo, V.P. A. Storti, Max Rommel, Mayor Pairat
Suttithamrongsawat, President G. Rovazzani, Luciana Rovazzani, and Pietro
Romagnoli.
The Italian guests were immediately fascinated. But Max
made his guests work. He lead them from the exclusive Dusit Resort Hotel
down the neatly decorated and newly beautified Beach Road, all the way to
Walking Street and finally up the hill to the “Big Buddha”, where the
guests, after catching their breath, were rewarded with a fantastic view
over the bay of Pattaya and the nearby islands.
No Pattaya tour is complete without visiting the
world-famous Royal Cliff Beach Resort. Max Rommel explained to his guests
how the late Alois Fassbind, or “Mr. Pattaya” as they called him, was
involved during the 70s with the construction, building and management of
the award-wining hotel. The group also visited Wat Yan, the renowned
meditation center with its variety of temple styles and the nearby Laser
Buddha; the tropical gardens of Nong Nooch Village, and the Elephant
Village.
Still enthralled with the tour the group went on to the
River Kwai in Kanchanaburi, the floating market and, of course, three days
in Bangkok.
The real highlight, however, was their visit to city
hall. Mayor Pairat invited the foreign guests to a tour through the
building, accompanied by the chief of tourism Pinit Poonsiri.
Mayor Pairat showed great interest in the activities of
city partnerships. Rommel, the founder of his city’s first partnership
between Italy and Germany, and who retains the title of honorary
president, explained the purport of such organizations. After the Second
World War they gained in importance by allowing different nations and
cultures the chance to meet and learn from each other in order to diminish
prejudice. Three other cities belong to this circle of partnership-family:
Le Lavandou at the Cote d’Azur in France, Aberthwyth in Wales and
Ballenstedt in former East Germany.
This mix of different countries could be of great
interest for Pattaya, since there are approximately 550 clubs and
organizations involved whose members like to travel and who are always
interested in meeting people of non-European countries.
Mayor Pairat said that Pattaya has no official
partnership with any other city in the world and he promised to visit
Italy within the next few months. He said that at the ITB in Berlin, which
he attended, much was done to promote Pattaya and to inform people that
Pattaya is doing much to make life more comfortable and attractive in the
seaside resort.
Rommel presented, together with Giovianni Rovazzani, a
beautiful copy of the armorial bearings of the city of Porto Recanati and
some illustrated books of the city and its region.
Invitation to entrants for the Miss Alcazar 2002 Contest
Over 2 million baht in prizes for most beautiful man
In a press conference last week, general manger of
Alcazar, Pisai Panomwan na Ayudhya announced the upcoming ‘Miss Alcazar
Thailand Concert’. Forty of the country’s most beautiful men will
compete for the title of Miss Alcazar 2002. The beauty pageant, now in its
seventh year, is open to “women of the second category” with the
winner receiving over 2 million baht in prizes as well the crown of Miss
Alcazar 2002.
The Miss Alcazar Thailand Concert has received national
recognition. Last year’s event was broadcast live on national
television. The first round of this year’s pageant will begin on April
16th with the final round on April 19th. Contestants will visit Khao Kheow
Open Zoo and the Sai Thip Butterfly Farm where they will conduct a photo
shoot in natural surroundings, followed by another at the Ocean Marina,
promoting Pattaya’s tourist destinations and Pattaya Bay.
As part of the community program, they will visit the
Blind School where they will host a lunch for the students.
A mini concert will be held at Alcazar where
contestants will have a chance to display their musical talent on a stage
set against a backdrop of international standard lighting and sound.
Entries for the ‘Miss Alcazar Thailand 2002’ will
close on April 15 with the first round on the 16th and the final day
coinciding with Pattaya’s Songkran Splash Fest on April 19th. The final
round of the pageant will be broadcast nationwide and is expected to draw
interest from around the country as well promote Pattaya as a popular
tourist destination.
Tiffany’s contestants horse around at the Horseshoe Point
The 60 candidates vying for the Miss Tiffany 2002 title
were taken for a tour at the Horseshoe Point Resort and Country Club,
where they were warmly welcomed by Miss Cherry Srifuenfung.
 Cherry
Srifuenfung (center) provided a tour of the Horseshoe Point Resort and
Country Club for the women of the second category contestants vying for
the Miss Tiffany 2002 title.
The candidates were introduced to many of the hotel’s
facilities, including the horse riding show performed by Miss Cherry, the
national dressage champion.
After that, the women of the second category
contestants introduced themselves at the dinner party organized by the
Horseshoe Point before proceeding to the final round of competition for
the Miss Tiffany’s Crown on Saturday night.
Sikhs celebrate ‘Baisakhi’ commemorating 303 years of the Khalsa order
Special programmes arranged at Sikh Temple in Soi 17
Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh religion was born in
1469. He preached a message of love and understanding and criticized the
blind rituals of the Hindus and Muslims. Guru Nanak passed on his
enlightened leadership of this new religion to nine successive Gurus. The
final Guru, Guru Gobind Singh died in 1708.
 Guru
Gobind Singh
During his lifetime Guru Gobind Singh established the
Khalsa order (meaning ‘The Pure’) of soldier-saints. The Khalsa uphold
the highest Sikh virtues of commitment, dedication and social
consciousness. The Khalsa are men and women who have undergone the Sikh
baptism ceremony and who strictly follow the Sikh Code of Conduct and
Conventions and wear the prescribed physical articles of the faith. One of
the more noticeable being the uncut hair (required to be covered with a
turban for men) and the Kirpan (ceremonial sword).
Before his death in 1708 Guru Gobind Singh declared
that the Sikhs no longer needed a living Guru and appointed his spiritual
successor as Sri Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book of the Sikhs) and
his physical successor as the Khalsa. Guru Gobind Singh felt that all the
wisdom needed by Sikhs for spiritual guidance in their daily lives could
be found in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Eternal Guru of the Sikhs. Sri Guru
Granth Sahib is unique in the world of religious scriptures because not
only is it accorded the status of being the spiritual head of the Sikh
religion, but besides the poetry of the Gurus, it also contains the
writings of saints of other faiths whose thoughts were consistent with
those of the Sikh Gurus.
 Jatha
Bhai Kulwinder Singh and Bhai Balwinder Singh will be singing religious
songs (kirtans) during the period of celebrations and prayer.
Sikhism does not have priests, which were abolished by
Guru Gobind Singh. The Guru felt that they had become corrupt and full of
ego. Sikhs only have custodians of the Guru Granth Sahib (granthi), and
any Sikh is free to read the Guru Granth Sahib in the Gurdwara (a Sikh
temple) or in their home. All people of all religions are welcome to the
Gurdwara. A free community kitchen can be found at every Gurdwara which
serves meals to all people of all faiths. Guru Nanak first started this
institution which outlines the basic Sikh principles of service, humility
and equality.
The most significant historical religious center for
the Sikhs is Harmandir Sahib (The Golden Temple) at Amritsar in the
state of Punjab in northern India. It is the inspirational and historical
center of Sikhism but is not a mandatory place of pilgrimage or worship.
All places where Sri Guru Granth Sahib are installed are considered
equally holy for Sikhs.
Guru Amar Das first institutionalized this day as one
of the special days when all Sikhs would gather to receive the Gurus
blessings at Goindwal, in 1567. In 1699 Guru Gobind Singh gathered
thousands at Anandpur Sahib and founded the Khalsa order by baptizing 5
brave Sikhs who were willing to give their lives for the Guru. The Five
Beloved Ones (Panj Pyares) in turn baptized Guru Gobind Singh into
the Khalsa brotherhood. This day, celebrated around April 13, is
considered the birthday of the Khalsa order. Sikhs visit gurdwaras and
fairs and parades are held. Many Sikhs choose to be baptized into the
Khalsa brotherhood on this day. The wrappings of the Nishan Sahib flag
post at most gurdwaras are also changed on Baisakhi.
This week from April 11th to 14th
devout Sikh residents of Pattaya will make a special pilgrimage to the
Siri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara (Sikh temple) in Soi 17, where
special programmes are arranged and kirtans (religious songs) will
be sung. Langar or community lunch is also served in the gurdwara.
The Langar is open to people of all walks of life and of all
faiths. Local volunteers will serve it with a spirit of Seva
(service) and Bhakti (devotion).
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