PEC Program 24 December / Report for 17 December

Meeting Programme for Sunday, 24 December, 2006:

Be Santa's Helper on Christmas Eve! (The afternoon of Christmas Eve, to be precise!) Please bring wrapped presents for the kids at the Children's Center of Victory Church, and indicate age and sex for recipient. After the PEC meeting, all interested in car-pooling to the children's center, which is on Sukhumvit near Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, are invited to bring the gifts to the children.

Our speaker this week will be Pastor Fred Dole from the Mercy Mission Project, who will give us a PowerPoint presentation about his shelter and ministry to aid indigent families and children. Pastor Dole's non-denominational Victory Family Church meets for Sunday morning services at the Twins Royal Palace Hotel, 2nd Rd., opposite the Marriot.

PEC Member Steve Wilson will charm us with his version of Thai Rock, and Mary-Lou Sanviotores from the Blues Factory, Pattaya will bring us music and a talk about her experiences We will get to sing some of our Christmas favorites with Mary!

Anyone still shopping for gifts for Thai and farang friends will be pleased to see the Thai Silk Soaps and Skin Creams being offered by the Lopburi Aids Center, a charity sponsored by the Royal Family, at one of the outer hall counters. These are perfect small presents for all, beautifully boxed, and a most worthy cause to support.

The PEC is starting a DVD and Book Swap. Bring in those books and DVD's that you've already perused, and swap them out for some new ones! We will place boxes in the outer lobby for the swaps.

Our Master of Ceremonies this Sunday will be Brian Maxey, and Bob Sutterfield will host our Open Microphone Forum, so come and listen in at 2nd Rd's Grand Sole Hotel, and participate with questions and answers about nearly everything for living safely and legally in Pattaya!

MEMBERSHIP NOTE: The PEC committee has reduce the cost of short term memberships, which all expire 31 December 2007, to 200 Baht for the year.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O

AND FROM OUR PREVIOUS MEETING:- 17 December 2006 -

Hi, I'm Brian, an MC at the Sunday meetings of PEC
To contact the Pattaya Expats Club email: (webhits2000@yahoo.com)

Programme Manager:- Loran Davidson. Meeting Manager:- enRico Nestler.
Bob4You was our MC today, with Brian Maxey as Open-Forum Moderator.

Please think about helping out at the Pattaya Expats Club Meetings, or in the background during the week. A lot of preparation goes into one of these Meetings. You would be welcome, and you can determine your own level of help. Please contact a 'Maroon Jacket' member at any meeting.

The 'Speaker' today was PEC Volunteer-member Paul Victor Craven. Paul has recently joined the Production Team and is a valued addition to our group. Paul also is a wealth of knowledge about the big blue sky (at night!). He brought with him a couple of telescopes with which to see more than you ever thought existed out there in the cosmos. His Power-point presentation showed the equivalent of a satellite view of the world, which then zoomed into our own corner of Thailand - Chonburi. He told that as a boy he became fascinated by the movement of star clusters across his northern sky, and now for the first time he can experience the southern hemisphere's alternative beauty. Thanks Paul, well researched presentation.

Ask all those questions on living in Thailand - here at the Meeting. This feature occurs each week - come and ask the expat experts! :)

Sunday 24 December is our Special Festive Season Meeting, followed by a trip to a Charitable organisation to distribute gifts to the Children. Why not join us at both events - it'll make you feel good! See you there.

The Pattaya People Weekly offices on Soi Day Night have the tickets for the Grand Dinner with the Rotary Club of Pattaya, at Town in Town Hotel, Pattaya Central Road, Saturday 30 December at 18:30, cost 500 baht.

We were asked for more info on the Apartments mentioned on our website - If you need accommodation in Pattaya, with a really fast and reliable internet connection in your room, here's the ideal place. 7,000 baht a month if you sign up for at least 3 months and this includes unlimited broadband access and cable TV. Alternatively 10,500 a month or 680 baht a day. For the monthly rates, add electricity (about 700 baht a month) and water (about 50 baht a month) and optional twice a week maid service and linen change for 1,200 a month. Everything is new to European standards and the rooms have a great invigorating shower. No problem with water pressure here. There are only 12 fully furnished rooms (some a little cheaper and some more expensive) so book early. If you need more details contact Pete at (webhits2000@yahoo.com). Note, Pete has no financial interest in this - but we do get lots of emails regarding accommodation with Internet access. Location - Opposite Carrefour is Soi Arunothai, in Soi 2 there is Maxx's Internet shop. He manages the apartments.

We heard that a Bridge Club (playing-cards) occurs Monday, Wednesday & Friday, at 13:00, at the Mercure Hotel, Pattaya 2nd Road - Soi 15. Players of all abilities are welcome. Thanks to Rose Marie and Peter for this.

The Club shop now has a wide range of Shirts (S to XXXL) & Caps with Club logo.

The British Embassy has a Pattaya Office local representative for emergencies. He is Barry Kenyon. Contact 081 782 7363. Barry can authenticate your UK pension or UK bank statements for Immigration purposes if you can show proof.

US Embassy local Pattaya representative for emergencies is Gary Hacker. Contact 089 803 0388.

Please help our Meeting organisers by suggesting 'Speakers' for our weekly (Sunday) Meetings. Tell us a subject you wish to hear of by suggesting a competent speaker. There are vacancies in January, onwards. Please come up with some ideas and contact Loran our current Program/Speakers Manager. Give her your suggestions and let her arrange the details. Please do not fix dates in advance.

Contact: Loran Davidson (furzymouse@msn.com).

The PEC next golf group's Monthly Golf Tournament is 26 December. More info on this event is available from Pattaya People Office (Soi Day Night), Globetrotter (just off Soi 7), and of course PEC Club meetings on Sunday, or contact Ossi Viljanen on 081 851 9620, (ossigolf@yahoo.com). These events are popular and fill up quickly, so sign-up early to avoid disappointment.
Also a new venture for golfers is a twice weekly friendly event starting from the Globetrotters off Soi 7. Sign up at Globetrotters by 1500 two days before.

Deutschsprachige Treffen. Jeden 1.und 3. Samstag im Monat,10:00 Uhr morgens, im Konferenzsaal des Wat Chaimongkon an der South Pattaya Road. Nachste Treffen: 7. January und 21. January 2007. Jeder ist eingeladen. Info: Erwin 086 009 8497

Why not come along next Sunday morning 10:30am (11:30 program start) to the Grand Solé Hotel (in the Theppraya Room, up on the Mezzanine level), 370 Pattaya 2nd Road (north), near the Pattaya Mail Office. Hotel tel: 038 427 555 Fax: 038 427 550. Half way between TOPS supermarket & BIG-C supermarket - bring a friend.

For location - link to: (http://www.grandsolepattaya.com/location.htm)

See you soon, MC - Brian.