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Royal British Legion members take annual
pilgrimage to Kanchanaburi for ANZAC Day
The Wreath Layers at Chungkai
(from right) Maurice Hewson, the British Ambassador, Tony Archer and Fred
Beavis.
Bert Elson
As always in April members of the Royal British Legion
headed for Kanchanaburi and the River Kwai for the ANZAC Day Memorial
Service. This year, however, was a little bit special in that 70 years ago
this year work started on the infamous Thai/Burma Railway. Also this year
was to be the first get together of the Royal British Legion Thailand.
Members from all over Thailand, including Pattaya,
Bangkok, Korat, Chiang Mai and Udon Thai made their way to Kanchanaburi on
24 April ready for the service on 25 April. Many attended the dawn service
followed by the main one at 10 a.m. After that and the cold beer had
finished as always we headed to the lesser known war cemetery at Chungkai to
hold our own small service and lay four wreaths (the only ones laid at
Chungkai).
The Ambassador chats with Ed
Trayling, our oldest member on parade.
British Ambassador to Thailand Asif Ahmad was in
attendance at the main service and on hearing of our visit to Chungkai asked
if he could join us. This was another occasion where the Ambassador has
shown both his support and respect for the work of the Royal British Legion
in Thailand.
Our ceremonial duties done, we split into smaller groups
and visited the many attractions around town. Many returned to the hotel to
get out of the intense heat to have a few cold ones.
We added an extra day on the itinerary this year: on the
morning of the 26th there were trips to the Bridge and Hellfire Pass
followed by the social highlight of the trip, our BBQ at the Thai Garden Inn
resort. Many thanks to Judy and John for hosting us, Grieg Ritchie, Clair
Ritchie, Dot Knowles and Tam Holmes for doing all the preparation and
cooking and to our new sponsors of the event Acorn Distribution, formally
MatVic Butchers.
The guys who did the Long
March with the British Ambassador.
The BBQ was once again a great success allowing all our
members to meet and greet. We also presented two five year Poppy Appeal
Certificates of Thanks to members Bob Myers and Fred Beavis, a special thank
you was also said to our Welfare Team.
Whilst we were all getting ready to travel to the
service, four members were already in the area and walked, cycled and
kayaked the length of the railway from Three Pagodas Pass to the River Kwai
in aid of the Royal British Legion and the Australian Returned Services
League. They arrived just before the service and they more than anyone
deserved a cold beer along with a lot of thanks!
Planning for next year has already started along with a
number of other events for this year. Why not come along and join us?
Membership is only 800 baht per year and you do not have to have served in
the Armed Forces to join. All nationalities and creeds are welcome.
We meet socially every Sunday from 2 p.m. at Tropical
Bert’s on Second Road next to Soi 6/1.
Our Poppy Team in action: we
collected nearly 20,000 baht.
Enjoying the Aussie
hospitality after the main service.
Our No 1 BBQ cook Grieg
Ritchie.
Bob Myers after receiving his
five year certificate.
Some of our Chiang Mai members
on the railway.
Our Group at Chungkai War
Cemetery, the Ambassador and Bert Elson centre.
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Can consciousness be defined?
Defining consciousness, can it be done? After being
introduced by Master of Ceremonies Ren Lexander, Michael Flinn, the speaker at
the Sunday, April 29 meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club, discussed his
constant search for the answer to this question.
Pattaya City Expats Clubs meeting
for the 29th of April was MC’d by new MC, Ren Lexander of Australia. Following
general notices and new guest introductions, Ren introduced Michael Flinn to
discuss the ‘Evolution of Consciousness’.
Michael is a lifelong scholar in the history and development
of human consciousness, religion, art, civilization and human behavior. He holds
a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Sciences and a Masters degree in Art
History from the University of Oregon. He has also studied at the Naropa
Institute and with various alternative teachers. He was an Instructor of Art
History at East Carolina and Old Dominion Universities during the tumultuous 60s
and 70s.
Michael has also traveled extensively around the world for
years photographing the art, architecture and cultural traditions of various
countries. His photographs are in the collections of major universities and have
been featured on the Discovery Channel. He has lectured and given slide
presentations throughout the United States.
Michael previously spoke to the club in December about the
“Consciousness and the Mind of Modern Man” and the previous July about “The
Relevance and Effect of Religion in the Modern World.” In his December talk, he
explained that human consciousness can primarily be traced to the early Greek
Philosophers. He described how the Greek philosophers were generally the first
to explore the consciousness of self.
He continued on the subject with his latest topic, “Evolution
of Consciousness.” He discussed the consciousness of man; exploring the
evolution throughout the ages with references to different periods, world
religions and philosophical systems focusing on what progress has been made, if
any.
Michael discusses the evolution
of consciousness and the origin of world religion with PCEC members and guests.
A lifelong student of the field, Michael is still seeking the answers to life’s
questions.
Michael noted that consciousness is difficult to define, but
could be said to be the state of awareness of the human condition. He said that
religions consider the human condition to be a problem and try to find a way
out. Some profess that life is predetermined; whereas others say that God set
things in motion and then let it be. While still others think that it is both,
some order and some degree of freedom.
Michael described some of his own research and readings on
the subject and said in the end, he has no answers. So, he lives his life as he
feels he should without following the tenets of any religion. He said that he
feels consciousness could be considered insight into things unseen. As a seeker,
he has studied all religious beliefs. He uses this knowledge gathered from the
books he has read and his travel experiences to understand himself and others.
Whether you agree with Michael or not, his topics are always
thought provoking which was readily apparent when he opened it up for the many
questions and comments that followed.
Ren then updated everyone on upcoming events and conducted
the always interesting and lively Open Forum where questioned are asked and
answered about expat living in Thailand; Pattaya in particular.
The Pattaya City Expats Club meets every Sunday at the Amari
Orchid’s Tavern by the Sea Restaurant. Read more about the Club’s activities on
their website at www. pattayacityexpatsclub.com.
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‘Pattaya Brand’ project gets
underway at first planning meeting
Residents from 38 area
neighborhoods were urged to develop two products and one service that could be
marketed under a new “Pattaya Brand”.
Warunya Thongrod
Residents from 38 area neighborhoods were urged to develop
two products and one service that could be marketed under a new “Pattaya Brand”
to raise the profile and reputation of the city.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome, who rolled out his “Pattaya Brand”
idea Feb. 29, presided over the program’s first planning meeting April 10. More
than 300 residents and businesspeople were quizzed on what products and services
they could market to the rest of the country that would uniquely say “Pattaya.”
“The promotion of strength amongst 38 communities is an
important plan to help residents introduce their products and services into the
international market,” Itthiphol said. “I encourage community enterprise to
produce merchandise and unique services specific to Pattaya so that people here
will have an opportunity for a better life and a world-class reputation for the
city.”
Originally targeted at hotels, restaurants and stores, the
“Good Sales, Good Food, Good Lives” enterprise-development project aims to bring
more revenue to the city and neighboring communities by raising the standard of
tourism-related businesses to meet the needs of international and local
commercial markets.
Social Welfare Department Director Pannee Limcharoen said at
the meeting that many of Pattaya’s 38 neighborhoods already have unique
merchandise, but it is only distributed locally and is not well known elsewhere.
By building a database of products and services, the city can help determine
which products will work best in a larger market.
Itthiphol said another goal of the program was to reduce
unemployment among the area’s Thai men and be sure that no good products are
left un-marketed.
Product research and database development work will continue
through October.
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St. Patrick’s parade raises over
500,000 baht for
Father Ray Foundation
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh
(center) presents a three leaf clover representing funds raised at the St
Patrick’s Day event to Foundation Vice-President Rev. Michael Picharn Jaiseri as
event organizers look on.
Manoon Makpol
Proving the holiday was more than just a green-beer
celebration, this year’s St. Patrick’s Parade raised more than 500,000 baht for
the Father Ray Foundation.
Pattaya’s Irish Group and the Human Help Network announced
results of the March 17 charity event at an April 24 press conference. The
all-day cultural festival and mid-day parade brought in 507,428 baht in profits
for the Father Ray Foundation to help more than 850 handicapped students and
orphans.
Foundation Vice-President Rev. Michael Picharn Jaiseri
thanked all the donors for their sponsorship.
Pattaya Relief Group offers assistance to Pattaya Autistic Life Skills Center
Steve Graham (3rd left) and Peter
Malhotra (4th left) visit the Pattaya Autistic Life Skills Development Center,
guided by Supang Samrit (5th left), the kind hearted director of the center.
Warunya Thongrod
The Pattaya Relief Group led by Steve Graham, MD of European
Safety Concepts (Thailand) Co., visited the Pattaya Autistic Life Skills
Development Center on May 2, for the purposes of seeking avenues of giving
assistance to the home in its many needs.
Accompanied by committee member Peter Malhotra of the
Pattaya Mail Media Group, the team met with Supang Samrit, the kind hearted
director of the centre who briefed the visitors of her work with autistic
children.
Supang, who is also the head of the Thailand Autism
Foundation (Pattaya Branch), said that the home was established in 2009 to help
not only parents understand and learn about how to care for their special
children but also to help train the children develop skills and abilities so
that they can look after themselves as much as possible.
Graham said Malhotra alerted him to the Life Skills Center’s
urgent need for repairs and renovations of the activities room which had been
heavily damaged by flooding on Sukhumvit Road late last year.
“Together with donations accumulated by the Pattaya Relief
Group and funds from my company, we will make repairs to the centre which will
include expansion into a second room. We will supply all the necessary learning
tools and equipment to the centre and also acquire 2 touch screen computers
which will be most suitable for the needs of the children.”
Supang and the team of volunteers who are mainly parents of
the children were thrilled to hear the news and thanked Graham for the most
benevolent gesture, saying, “It makes feel so happy to know that there are
people who care for autistic children.”
Supang said she began the autism center to help parents learn
to live happily with their children, who we want to help learn as much as normal
children if they are taught properly. “It’s vital for parents to understand and
accept their children,” she said.
The Autistic Life Skills Center currently cares for eight
children, offering them lessons in language, communication, and social and
movement skills.
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