|
YMCA Chiang Mai celebrates 36th anniversary
YMCA Chiang Mai
The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), Chiang Mai, celebrated 36
years of work within the Chiang Mai community this week. Since its beginning
in 1970 the organisation has established six centres in the northern region.
Four of the northern centres are located in Chiang Mai at Santitham, Sao
Hin, San Kamphaeng and San Patong. Lamphun and Chiang Rai have their own
YMCA centres.
YMCA
teaches life skills that help women in the community provide for their
families.
A member of the National Council on Social Welfare in Thailand, YMCA is an
organisation based on Christian principles, with an emphasis on engaging in
community development projects. In its early years the YMCA started many
non-formal education programs, which at the time were rarely seen in the
north. Their projects included children’s guitar lessons, sewing lessons
for maids, and English lessons for samlor drivers, police, local
administration officials and a number of other disparate professions. Their
overall aim was to teach adults new skills that would benefit them in their
working lives.
The YMCA has been active in projects that have promoted conservation,
expanded women’s rights and provided assistance for street children. They
have also helped handicraft manufacturers access new markets and promoted
activities to increase cooperation between religious groups.
The YMCA operates by the tenet “love your neighbour as you love
yourself.” It aims to promote the personal development of the
individual’s health and mind without discriminating between sex, age or
religion. Teenagers are encouraged to take up leadership roles within their
communities to enable them to strengthen their communities in adult life.
The YMCA in Chiang Mai was originally a 1 unit, 3 storey shop house in the
centre of Chiang Mai. They moved to a 2 storey wooden house on Charoen
Prated Road before moving to their present two building location at
Santitham.
YMCA has a beautiful office at
Santitham.
Charity Rooftop committee raises funds at dinner
 Kids
from School For Life enjoying Khun Khantoke.
On Sunday September 3 over 100 children from the School
for Life, along with staff, were treated to a special dinner at the Khum
Khantoke restaurant behind Carrefour. The event was generously paid for by
Wachara Tantranont; chairman of the Charity Rooftop committee. It was of
special interest to the children because many of them are award winning
musicians and dancers.
The following night the delightful Angele hosted a delicious dinner at D2
Moxie restaurant in the night bazaar for 50 people. She generously donated
vouchers (including a one night stay at the D2) for the raffle and auction
along with other prizes from Plub Bla restaurant, Hillside fitness centre
and DNK International. As a special surprise Andrew from the Four Seasons
Resort Spa donated a one night stay on September 17 (International Chefs’
Gourmet night).
 D2’s
Angele (right) with Esther, the lucky winner of the Four Seasons voucher.
Howard Graves along with Dieter and Susie baked cakes
for an American auction.
The whole evening was very successful, raising over 27,000 baht, which will
be added to the total of the Charity Rooftop party to be held on January
13, 2007 at Hillside Condo 4. So far a total of 46,000 baht has been raised
in aid of School For Life.
The next dinner will be at Buonissimo’s Italian restaurant on Wednesday
October 4.
Other functions include: an art exhibition called ‘The Wisdom of Lotus’
by a 15-year-old artist from the School for Life on September 9 at Joy’s
House; and a quiz night at Soho Bar on Wednesday September 20, starting at
8 p.m.
For further information please contact charityroof top@yahoo.co.uk
These
gentlemen are enjoying the dinner at D2.
Freccia Thai leather products being promoted internationally
Saksit Meesubkwang
A Thai leather products factory in Chiang Kham district, Phayao, has
recently taken steps to expand its export market. The Chiang Kham Leather
Co. Ltd., produces made-to-order leather goods, as well as producing goods
for well known brands such as Benetton, Jim Thompson and Samsonite. The
company exports a minimum of one million bags per year.
Managing Director Mom Luang Phongchak Chakraphan revealed that the company
was set up in 2002, by himself and a consortium of Japanese businessmen. He
said that the company would earn around 200 million baht in 2006 and
expected this amount to rise in the future due to increasing export sales.
Mom added that the company recently received a contract from Samsonite to
produce 100,000 leather purses and that the company would be accelerating
production in order to meet the increasing demand from foreign customers.
About 70% of the leather produced by Chiang Kham Leather Co. Ltd. is
exported to Japan, while the remaining 30% is sent to USA and Europe.
Ruangsawat Tontimon, business development manager of the company, stated
that the products were made from real leather imported mainly from Italy,
with the remainder imported from Bangladesh and India. Italian leather is
known for its high quality and durability. In the past the company employed
only 100 workers, but this number has recently been increased to 1,000 in
order to meet the increase in orders. The majority of workers are locals
from Chiang Kham district.
Ruangsawat added that the company has launched its own brand, Freccia, which
has sent sample purses to Italy and Japan, where they were met with an
enthusiastic response. The Freccia brand will concentrate on exports as the
low manufacturing costs enable their products to be very competitive
internationally. Freccia is now sold at Don Muang International Airport and
will soon be distributed at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
Doing little things brilliantly
Murray Dickson
Yalumba Wines from South Australia’s famed Barossa Valley proudly and
justifiably boasts that it has “been doing little things brilliantly”
for the past 150 years. The company recently combined with two Northern
Thai companies that, whilst they haven’t been around as long as Yalumba,
have a similar reputation when it comes to innovation and quality.
(L-R)
Danaya Sarikbutr, Angele Liu and Mike Drews from D2 Hotel, Alan Hoey from
Yalumba Wines and Joon Patinya Srisuk from Horeca.
Leading food and beverage wholesaler, Horeca, along with D2 Hotel, Chiang
Mai, hosted other hoteliers and restaurateurs to what was quaintly termed a
Winemaker Dinner. This turned out to be the understatement of the year,
with some seven courses of fabulous food, each course accompanied by the
appropriate Yalumba wines and served in the opulent surroundings of a
private dining room at the D2 Hotel. (I’ll provide you with a full copy
of the menu at the end of this article as I’m sure you’ll want to
replicate it next time you invite some of your very best friends around for
a lavish Chiang Mai Dinner Party.)
This soiree was to introduce Yalumba’s chief winemaker, Alan Hoey, with
some of his best wines, to the local market. Alan has been with the
company, which is the largest, family owned winery in Australia, for 26
years. During that time he and Yalumba have racked up a veritable book of
winemaking and viticulture awards, which Alan attributes to following the
philosophy of being consistent and persistent. He says the family company,
headed by Robert Hill Smith, owns some of the oldest vines in the world,
dating back 110 years and prides itself on maintaining strict quality
control of its product from vine to bottle. This even extends to Yalumba
manufacturing its own wine barrels from imported oak.
 (L-R)
Chiangmai Mail’s Murray Dickson discusses wine making with Yalumba Wines
chief winemaker, Alan Hoey.
Having recently invested more than AUD$30 million
(approximately 840 million baht) in the winery which produces Yalumba’s
“Oxford Landing” range of wines, Alan shrugs off any suggestion that
Yalumba could be in danger of falling into the hands of one of the larger
Australian wineries, or even an overseas based consortium, saying that
Yalumba Wines is simply not for sale.
The fruits of its labour, however, are for sale and are now readily
available throughout Northern Thailand, thanks to the efforts and
distributing expertise of the winery’s reliable partner, Horeca of Chiang
Mai.
The Yalumba Winemake Dinner menu
Yellow fin tuna with caviar and cucumber lemon salsa accompanied by Y
series Pinot Grigio 2005.
Lobster consomm้ perfumed with XO cognac, vegetable paysanne and
lobster ravioli. Accompanied by Y series Unwooded Chardonnay 2005.
Chanterelle filed summery quails on black angel hair and tomato tarragon
dressing. Accompanied by Barossa Shiraz Viognier 2003.
Wild forest berry & vodka sorbet.
Rosemary crumbed lamb rack on saffron-walnut risotto & cherry tomato
compote drizzled with foie gras nage, accompanied by Barossa Cabernet
Sauvignon Shiraz “the Signature” 2001.
Baked venison in filo wrap with morel scotch sauce on potato galette and
cinnamon flavoured apple confit, accompanied by Coonawarra Cabernet
Sauvignon “The Menzies” 1999.
Bitter chocolate mousse on orange jelly and apricot sauce.
(L-R)
Wim N.M. Fagel, GM Amari Rincome Hotel; Gijsbert Roodenburg, GM Amora Tapae
Hotel; Angele Liu executive assistant manager D2 Hotel; and Rudy van den
Berg, managing director Horeca.
Saen Kham Terrace Gala Concert for Charity
Nopniwat Krailerg and
Preeyanoot Jittawong
Entertainment for gourmets and music-lovers alike is to be anticipated from
a series of special charity dinners and concerts planned for November, with
the proceeds going to several worthy causes in and around Chiang Mai.
Opera
singer Book Keetawattana will be one of the featured performers at the
first Saen Kham Terrace charity dinner and concert on November 11.
The announcement was made by Wanphen Sakdatorn at the opening ceremony of
Baan Saen Doi’s 2nd Project in Baan Nai Fan Village 2 on Irrigation Canal
Road. Accompanied by her executive staff, Wanphen stated that the proceeds
of these charity dinners would be donated to 5 foundations in Chiang Mai;
namely, the Northern Disabled People’s Foundation, Anusarn Sunthorn
School for the Deaf, Srisungwarn Chiang Mai School, Suandok Hospital
Foundation, and Chiang Mai Orphanage Foundation, with each charity expected
to receive 100,000 baht.
Wanphen said that the charity concert held at the opening ceremony of Baan
Saen Doi’s 1st Project in March 2004 raised 500,000 baht for charity,
which was split between 10 charity organizations in Chiang Mai. She also
said that she wants everyone, both Thais and foreigners, to come and enjoy
the charity dinners and have the opportunity to taste delicious food and
listen to the music. The menu for each evening will feature both Northern
local food and European food, and the charity concerts and dinners will be
held on several nights with different styles.
 Saen
Kham Terrace executives Wanphen Sakdatorn and Somjet Srithongkham announce
the special charity dinners and concerts.
The first gala dinner will be held on November 11 at
Saen Kham Terrace, with tasty food prepared by the house chef, Thai music
and classical guitar by Prakhong Pramoonsilp, piano by Tarnthip Kaewkamnerd
and vocals by Book Keetawattana. Also, there will be national artists such
as Sawalee Pakaphan, Thienchai Sukthiang and Wisuta Sanasen as special
guests. The cost of the ticket for the evening will be 1,500 baht.
On November 18, the menu for the gala dinner will offer authentic food in
the style of the residence of a Northern prince, cooked and prepared by
Chao Jiraphan Na Chiang Mai. Country-folk singers and special guest vocals
by Soonthree Vechanont, Phanipha “Kai” Jirasak and Sarisa Hongthong
will be featured. The ticket price for this performance and dinner will
also be 1,500 baht.
On the evening of November 25, there will be a gala dinner in French fusion
style with lots of tasty menus, and music by MC Dang and ML Sirichalerm
Sawasdiwat, with songs from famous Broadway musical shows; piano by Bernard
Summer, vocals by Thienchai Sukthiang, Book Keetawattana and Narint
Prasopchokpakdi, the Thai champion of French-language music in 1994. The
ticket price for this particular performance will be 2,500 baht.
Finally, on December 2, there will be a German buffet style dinner; with
music from the Trio Band by Annop Rithimanee, guest vocals by Rinnapha
Sereesak, Phanipha “Kai” Jirasak and Sarisa Hongthong. The ticket for
the final charity dinner will be 2,000 baht.
The concerts will start every night at 7.p.m. at Saen Kham Terrace
Restaurant, Baan Nai Fan 2nd project. There are only 70 tables, so to
prevent disappointment, early reservation is strongly advised. For more
information and to make a table reservation, call 053-838990 or contact
Somjed Srithongkham 08-9850-3763 and Passport to Suvarnabhumi Magazine,
Tel. 053-808770-1.
|