Some of the 32 beds in that took part in the 2010 Rotary Pattaya International Bed Race
Some of the 32 beds in that took part in the 2010 Rotary Pattaya International Bed Race

THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: The Pattaya chapter of Rotary International has just held its second annual bed race with local and foreign businesses in the seaside city raising more than Bt300,000 (about $US9,000) for underprivileged local residents.

More than 25,000 tourists and residents are estimated to have watched the event, with international television reports by Fox Broadcasting, CBS and the BBC showcasing the event world-wide.

The event, which takes the form of teams pushing wheeled platforms loosely described as beds and carrying a “jockey” around a central Pattaya street circuit, was accompanied by a mini festival at the staging area with traditional Thai dancing and a mini-fair set up by local expatriate and Thai business operators.

Thirty-two local Thai and foreign owned business each paid Bt5,000 ($150) to enter the race, with local business donating a swag of goods that were raffled off after the race, with the major prize being a Bt38,000 ($1,145) electric-powered bicycle.

Local media baron and senior Pattaya Rotarian, Niels Colov, said the bed race will now become an annual event, with Pattaya City Hall and the Tourism Authority of Thailand both now supporting the bed race.

“I received a text message from the mayor of Pattaya, Ittipol Kumpleum, at 10.20pm on the evening of the race after he had seen reports of it on television in Japan. He was delighted at the international coverage Pattaya had received”, Mr Colov said.

Money raised from the half-day event will be used by Rotary Pattaya to help underprivileged local residents pay school tuition, book and uniform fees, as well as to provide schools with computer equipment for students use.

The teams were flagged away at timed intervals and were timed over a standard street circuit that included the Beach Road section of Pattaya, and small side roads that house the areas beer bars, gogo bars, restaurants and tourist shopping arcades.

First prize was won by a team from Pattaya’s Walking Street Mixx Discotheque who teamed up with the Sitpholek Muay Thai Boxing Academy, followed by the Pattaya Mercure Hotel and then CTLS English Language School.

Highlighting the fun nature of the event, well known local Irish bar, Murphy’s law, were penalised by bed race organisers after it was revealed they had stopped along the way for a drink at one of the numerous beer bars lining the route.

Following the success of this years Pattaya International Rotary Bed Race, Mr. Colov said he hoped next years event will raise more than Bt700,000 ($21,000) for disadvantaged local residents.

By John Le Fevre

Thailand Travel News for February 8, 2010




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