Dear and Noon

No time to talk.

Fried chicken and dried chillies

Peking Duck

Shrimp bread

Liquor chicken

Fried shark's fins and eggs

Shanghai noodles

Meeting with Satreevittaya Friends

Meeting with old friends from Satreevittaya School at Aung (Pailin)'s house.

Happy to meet Aung, a close friend, dark but charming, popular girl.

From left, Ben, Ma, Air, Tai, Aung, Aae, Sup, Yong, Nong Nat, Nong Noon, and Kai.

Traditional Thai Small Puppet (Hun Lakorn Lek)

Organised by TISCO Foundation, Mother, Dear and I go to see the traditional Thai theatrical puppetry, "The Birth of Tossakanth", at Joe Louis Puppet Theatre, Suam-Lum Night Bazaar. Hun Lakorn Lek was invented 100 years ago by Master Krae Saptawanit but disappeared after the World War II started. It was brought to life again by Joe Louis (Sakorn Yangkhieosod), Thailand's 1996 National Artist. Each puppet requires the synchronised efforts of three puppeteers, all of whom appear on stage with the puppet, and each of whom is a khon dancer.

The show is impressive and fun. Mother loves the show and she is kissed many times by Hanuman and Benchakai. Dear is however sympathized with Nontuk and wishes he (Nontuk) won the battle.

Posing with Dear at Joe Louis Theatre before the show.

Lunch at Ruey Goong Phao

Mother, Dear and I have lunch at Ruey Goong Phao Restaurant, near Bang Sai, about 80 kilometres from home. Ruey Goong Phao is famous for its grilled river prawns. The trip is also a test drive for my Mazda3.

Yummy river prawns

Delicious fried coconut tops

Mother enjoys eating river prawns at Ruey.

Fatman Returns

Dear returns from RPI and will spend his summer holiday here.

TISCO Bank Plc.

Granted a new commercial bank license from the Ministry of Finance, effective July 1, TISCO Finance becomes "TISCO Bank Plc.". Today TISCO hold religious rites at its new banking hall. It is now ready to begin banking operations on July 4.

The new "TISCO Bank Plc." logo.

With Khun Pichai, Tua, P' Jum and Khun Sathit at the new banking hall.

With Tua (Teerin) in front of the new logo.

Lunch at Rasstube Restaurant

Hosted by Khun Sivaporn, I have lunch at Rasstube, a German restaurant, with former colleagues at EO and ER.

At the Sala, in front of the restaurant.

Posing with Tua and Shompoo and my Mazda3.

Dear's Birthday

As today is my only son's birthday, I make merit by offering the food to the monks. My son, Dear, is now 21 years old and studying EMAC (Electronic Media, Arts and Communication) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) at Troy, New York. He will come home next month after finishing his summer courses there. He will graduate and get his bachelor degree in 2006 and pursue his master degree somewhere in the USA.

Dhavipop the Musical

I take my 85-year-old mother to see "Dhavipop The Musical" at the Thailand Cultural Centre. The show is produced by Xact and starred Captain Puthanet Hongmanop and Suthasinee Puttinand. We have to get to the theatre early at 7.30 p.m. and come home around midnight. It also rains heavily while we have dinner. Mother enjoys the show although it is a bit too long.

Elephant Reintroduction Foundation

After attending TISCO Foundation's Scholarship Distribution Ceremony at Chaibadan, I visit the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation's Wildlife Sanctuary at Sublanka, Lopburi. The main mission of the Foundation is to systematically and effectively return domestic elephants to the wild.

Pang Maeboonkaew, Plai Somchai and Pang Pornchita at the Wildlife Sanctuary.

With Pang Maeboonkaew, a 25-year-old female elephant.

Plai Somchai, a lovely 4-year-old baby male elephant.

New Zealand

During April 8-18 my friends and I went to New Zealand. Our group, comprising 22 people, rented 3 motor bikes and 4 vans. We drove through the South Island, from Christchurch to Omarama, Dunedin, Te Anau, Queenstown, Franz Josef, and back to Christchurch. We visited a lot of beautiful places, including Lake Wanaka, Lake Tekapo, Lake Te Anau, Glazier, etc. We also went to interesting and fun places like Queenstown, Milford Sound, Glow Worm Cave and even tried luge cars and jet ride.

Our group

Having fun driving a luge car at Queenstown.

Lake Wanaka...very beautiful.

At Arrowtown

Stirling Falls at Milford Sound

Inside the Glow Worm Cave.

..Happy..

...and windy...

Rocks under clear water at Lake Tekapo.

Posing with Harley Davidson.

With Busaba, Noi, P' Lek, P' Dang, P' Vor and Ood at Heritage Gateway Hotel, Omarama.

Our van contains 4 people, Ood (the driver), P' Vor, Thanom, and me.

Phuket

During February 25-28, Mother, P' Oi, Ohm, Paew and I went to Phuket (again). The purpose of the visit was to explore the aftermath of Tsunami and to enjoy the very best hotel (Le Royal Meridean Phuket Yacht Club at Nai Harn Beach) at a very low cost due to its promotion after the Tsunami.

Beach in front of the hotel.

Mother at the verandah in the hotel room.

With Mother and P' Oi at Le Royal Meridean Phuket Yacht Club.

Nai Harn Beach

Patong beach after the Tsunami.

My Car

My Mazda3 Car gets its registration plate, "ศต 7276".

The back of Mazda 3

Kanchanaburi

With P' Rochana and P' Ad at the Bridge over the River Kwai.

After P' Pon's birthday lunch at Mandarin Restaurant, Khun Sivaporn and P' Rochana take P' Ad and me to Kanchanaburi to try their new car, Toyota Fortuner.

Lunch with Khun Chanthra

Invited by Khun Chanthra, ex-TISCO MD, to lunch at Phillippe Restaurant. Participants are Khun Sivaporn, P' Rochana, K. Sathit, and Khun Pichai.

Farewell Lunch and Gift from TISCO MC

Khun Sivaporn and I are invited by TISCO Management Committee (MC) to farewell lunch at Le Normandie, Oriental Hotel. Participants include K. Pliu, K. Pichai, K. Sathit, K. Panya, Oranuch, Suthas and P' Vor. The food and the wine are very good. I also receive a farewell gift, which is the "Ferrari" Oregon Scientific Modena Wireless Weather Station, which can do weather forecasting, barometric pressure monitoring, temperature and humidity measurement, and time keeping. At the back is a steel plate engraved with "With Greatest Appreciation and Thanks To Khun Anchalee Bunnag. From All of Us at TISCO". Besides farewell, this lunch is also a birthday lunch for Khun Sivaporn, who is 58 today.