“I did it… MY… WAY!”
So sang Shayachon Rose at the end of her presentation at the Pattaya City Expats Club on 15th March. There could have been no more apt song to sum up her life and her unique contributions to expat life in Pattaya.
The lady generally known just as “Rose” is best-known for her singing voice – having entertained in many venues for many years around Pattaya and beyond. But her voice has also been a powerful advocate for the interests of individual foreigners in Pattaya. Rose has stood beside many an Expat in court, acting as translator and guide. She calls this being a “Wing-Girl”.
Recently, her powerful voice kept one expat, Max, from going to jail.
Max joined Rose on stage to explain how he had been a victim of a scam perpetrated on foreigners by an assistant bank manager in Pattaya. Max had commissioned solicitors to act on his behalf and prosecute those whom he believed to be responsible with a view to recovering some of the eight million baht he had lost. In this process, Max signed something in Thai that his legal firm had drawn up. But there was a big glitch in the submission. It led the police to conclude that Max was involved in the con and that he was, indeed, the principal scam-artist! He was slated to be charged and was being threatened with jail time.
When things looked at their bleakest, in December 2001, Rose returned from an extended visit to England. She had already helped Max sort out a major problem with the management of his condo complex. So Max reached out to Rose with a desperate plea for help to keep him out of jail.
Rose found Max’s case to be a total mess, she had to fight to rectify the “… the unprofessionalism and clumsy work of the lawyer… It didn’t make sense what she wrote”.
Max said: “… she really [went] to bat [for me] and really protect my interests… Call her first if you have a problem.” Max is no longer under threat of prosecution and jail time.
Not only is Rose a “Wing Girl” and a “Sing-Girl” she is also an “Air-Girl” having started a radio station: 95 FM. One of the club members stood up to say how it was the only station he listened to and he loved it.
At the end of her talking – and singing – name cards for Rose were handed out. There has never been such a high take-up rate of name cards in the history of the club. Virtually everyone took one of her. More than a few people took two… because you never know when you might need a ‘Wing-girl’ on your side in Thailand – where you don’t fully understand the language nor the very different legal system.
You can find “Shayachon Rose Yangpreeda” on Facebook. You can see Rose’s Words and Music Expat Club presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZeljr3E6uk Her interview by Ren Lexander can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kimN3x7o40.
