There were two speakers at the Pattaya City Expats Club Sunday meeting on February 11. The topics were about a nursing home and a new entertainment and magic show. The first was Kanmanas Sornprom, the brain behind the Namthip Nursing Home in Pattaya. Followed by well-known entertainer and magician Dr Penguin (aka Dr Penguino).
Namthip Nursing Home is the creation Kanmanas Sornprom (Nurse Nui). Now 49, she is a senior nurse who has been involved in managing nursing staff in most of Pattaya’s top hospitals. As someone who has dedicated her life to nursing, she saw the need for quality and affordable nursing in the area for those requiring after hospital care. Nurse Nui wanted somewhere accessible for both the friends and the family of those in her expert charge.
She explained that the nursing home consists of two properties. One of which is dedicated to expatriates. Nurse Nui said that foreigners’ needs are often different and although the treatment in both wings of the nursing home is exemplary, the foreigner house has got what she called the comforts that expats have come to expect.
Open since 2012, the Namthip Nursing Home provides 24 hour care. It is suitable for patients recovering from many conditions. In fact it encompasses general recovery nursing and care for elderly patients. Residents can opt for private or shared accommodation, but whichever option is chosen, respect and peace of mind are a high priority. Care plans are tailored to individual needs.
Nurse Nui explained that her staff takes part in a rigorous training programme. They are hand-picked for their caring and loving personalities and then trained to the highest standards in patient care, to ensure they are capable of providing the necessary treatments.
The Namthip Nursing Home works closely with doctors, hospitals and embassies to ensure smooth transitions and/or continuation of necessary treatment. Nurse Nui explained that the management and staff of the home are committed to working together and with other professionals to provide for their residents. They strive to deliver care that reflects as far as possible the wishes and aspirations of their residents.
Each resident is assessed for their specific needs and the home also employs a full time certified physiotherapist. She explained that towards end of life, their aim is to deliver care, to meet the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of residents, while maintaining their respect, dignity and autonomy.
The basic package ranges from 40,000 baht to 50,000 baht per month and the package includes 24-hour nursing care, food and regular monitoring. Extra services such as acupuncture, Thai Massage, physiotherapy, doctor’s visits, transport for hospital visits, are available at an extra cost. People are welcome to visit the home, but by appointment. If you are interested, phone Nurse Nuj on 081 940 1948 or email [email protected].
After Nurse Nui answered several questions, next up was Dr Penguin who has entertained all over the world to some prestigious audiences, including stars like Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Adam Clayton of U2, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Annie Lennox, and to high society as well as the Royal Families of the UK, Brunei, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan, Malaysia, Denmark.
His new magic show “Bingo the Magical Dog” is based on the animated character created by his very artistic and autistic son. He said that he thoroughly enjoyed co-creating with a son who has Asperger Syndrome. Asperger Syndrome is one of several separate subtypes of autism. It is generally considered to be on the “high functioning” end of the spectrum. Affected children and adults have difficulty with social interactions and exhibit a restricted range of interests and/or repetitive behaviors. Some even demonstrate a highly specialized field of interest. In this case, art is his son’s passion. His beloved dog Bingo is his muse and he has a huge following on Facebook with his wonderful cartoons.
Dr. Penguin amused, enthralled and entertained by funny jokes and mind blowing wonderful magic tricks. This was to show the audience what to expect from his latest venture – Dr. Penguin’s Magic Circus, a group of top performers including puppeteers from London, who travel each year to raise money for children’s charity projects. They will be performing at Royal Garden Plaza from 1st to 16th April. The circus will include a series of cartoons about his beloved animals and is definitely worth a visit.
After Dr. Penguin’s presentation, MC Roy Albiston brought everyone up to date on upcoming events. This was followed by the “Open Forum” portion of the meeting, where questions are asked and answered and comments made about expat living in Thailand. For more information on the Club and their activities, visit www.pcec.club.
After their presentations, PCEC member Ren Lexander conducted individual interviews with Nurse Nui and Dr. Penguin. The videos can be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv0ji4AzF6k and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OnvozJ156I.
