PEC Program for 1 Apr / Report from 25 Mar 2007

Meeting Programme for Sunday, 1 April, 2007:

Our speaker for Sunday is Dr.Sopon Pornchokchai, who will address the club on Real Estate Valuations. Khun Sopon has been a consultant to the UN-Habitat, ILO, ESCAP, FAO, and other international organizations. He is an experienced valuer, urban planner and real estate analyst since 1980. He owns and is the president of the Agency for Real Estate Affairs (www.area.co.th) which is the largest real estate information centre in Thailand. AREA is also the only wholly ISO 9001 certified property consultant firm in Thailand. AREA won the 2005 ethical award from the Thai Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the UN Global Compact on Good Governance. He also established the Thai Real Estate Business School (www.trebs.ac.th) which is an international real estate education institution located in Thailand.

Our Master of Ceremonies this Sunday will be enRico, and Brian will host the 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!

The PEC's DVD and Book Swap will be in the front left of the meeting room. Bring in those books, magazines and DVD's that you've already perused, and swap them out for some new ones! Many thanks to PEC members Ray and Joyce Aldridge for their help with this project!

We also want to remind members that the PIH (Pattaya International Hospital) is offering check-ups men and women over 50 for 2,800 baht, up to 8,900 baht. The PEC membership card entitles members to a 10% discount on some in-patient medical costs. The PIH is also offering a free blood sugar test to our members on every first Sunday of the month. (The next test date is Sunday, 1 April.) If you would like to have this test, please do not eat or drink before coming to the meeting.

The Pattaya People Weekly newspaper is now available worldwide in a PDF format at the following website: http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/viewer.aspx

Events Around Town:
The Immigration Office on Soi 5 in Jomtien is now closed on Saturdays.
PATTAYA BEACH FOOTBALL event will be held at the multi-purpose field on Jomtien Beach starting from 1st to 8th of April.
CHENG MENG CHINESE CEREMONY is on 5th April.
DANCE ON THE BEACH on Saturday, 7th April. Venue to be announced. Tel: 081-863-1027
SONGKRAN FESTIVAL on 13th/14th/15th April.
ASIAN UNIVERSITY ENGLISH SUMMER CAMPS. Students aged 14 up (no upper limit). Camp I from 15th March - 11th April. Camp II from 16th April - 13th May. Join the fun at Asian U English Summer Camps. A busy academic programme combined with an active social programme to give youngsters an enjoyable, productive way to spend their summer holidays. Information from Asian U website: www.asianust.ac.th or e-mail admissions@asianust.ac.th or telephone 038 754 450.

Transportation to/from Suvarnabhumi Airport:
Roong Reung's Blue and White coach service departs from the airport bus depot to Pattaya Nua station at the following times: 8 AM, 11 AM, 3 PM and 7 PM. The Ticket office window is in the airport bus station. Price 106 Baht. Bell Travel goes up to the new airport each day from Pattaya Nua Bus Station (ticket office bungalow in the car park to right) at 06:00, 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00 and 19:00. Two ticket prices, depending if you book to be picked up by Bell Travel minibus from your home, 150 Baht or 200 Baht.
A Yellow Bus to the airport leaves from Jomtien's Chaiyaphuk Road, (the office is near Beach Road). Tickets can be purchased 1 day in advance. The current schedule is:
Pattaya to Airport: 0630, 0900, 1300, 1700, 1930.Airport to Pattaya: 0630, 0900, 1300, 1700, 2030.
At the airport - Transport Depot - this bus to Jomtien is referred to as number 999, but the bus itself does NOT carry this number. The bus is bright Yellow - single deck, with the words Pattaya - Suvarnabhumi Airport written large on both sides, and a large notice in the drivers windshield saying either Pattaya or Airport. The cost is 106 baht in each direction. A recent visitor who used this bus reported a 'good service'. The yellow bus does not have a scheduled stop in Pattaya, but will stop if requested.

Advice on insurance policies is available from AA Insurance - including the club member's own low cost 'group' health policy, now in its second year, with a premium at under 11,000 B - please show your member's card to apply. They also have a range of Insurances such as property, house contents and motor cover available.

Club sponsor Key Visa Co Ltd, represented by Darren McGarry and Stephen Wilson, offer our members free advice on personal Thai visa and immigration queries. ---------

And the MC Report from 25 March Meeting:
Hi, I'm Brian, an MC at the Sunday meetings of the Pattaya Expats Club.
To contact PEC by email: (webhits2000@yahoo.com) (info@pattayaexpatsclub.com - does not work)
Programme Manager:- Loran. Meeting Manager:- enRico. Brian was our MC today, with Loran 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 our Meetings. You would be welcome, and you can determine your own level of input. Please contact a 'Maroon Jacket' member at any meeting, or drop us an email. Also, we urgently need to expand our MC group. So if you have stage experience, or would just like to try-out to join our 2 current MCs, contact us. It's not as difficult as it may seem, and we are always looking for different styles to provide variety at our Meetings.

Our main Speaker today was:- Herr Werner Schmidt. He introduced a new bio-pesticide from Germany named "Permedan". This is a new generation water-based contact pest control spray. It does not smell, is non-toxic, and kills only cold-blooded insects, such as flies, mosquitoes, ants, wasps, fleas, mites, termites, woodlice, ticks, roaches, silverfish, lice, spiders, etc. Apparently domestic pets are safe. Werner gave a very relaxed, informative, and often humorous presentation, easily holding the interest of the members. Later he offered a discount to all as they left the meeting. Contact: 0878351136 (German & English), 0871265213 (Thai). Werner is also looking for contacts to expand sales internationally.

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

Fancy a 12 hour sea fishing trip off Sattahip? Next trip planned for 28 April. Contact James 0848717649.

Bangkok Pattaya Hospital has a club for patients who have undergone eyesight surgery, or wish to find out more - what a great idea for those seeking answers before surgery. (http://www.supersightclub.com).

Bangkok's 2nd airport opened 25 march. Don Muang Airport is designated on tickets as DMK, Suvarnabhumi Airport is designated BKK.

All Orange mobile phone numbers have been taken over by True Company. The office is in Royal Garden Plaza 2 floors up. Also UBC is now designated True-UBC.

Come and learn a few Thai phrases with Khun Yok, next Sunday.

The British Embassy's Pattaya Office local representative for emergencies, Barry Kenyon can authenticate your UK pension or UK bank statements for Immigration purposes, if you can show original proof. Contact 081 782 7363.

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 May, 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.

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: (http://www.grandsolepattaya.com/location.htm)
PEC website:- (http://pattayaexpatsclub.com)
PEC Blogg:- (http://pattayaexpatsclub.blogspot.com)
PEC email:- (webhits2000@yahoo.com)
See you soon, MC - Brian.