2007      PLOENCHIT FAIR      2007      

The Ploenchit Fair 2007 Photo Gallery
^{*needs Flash*} The Ploenchit Fair 2007 Gallery Slideshow ^{*needs Flash*}
Another "Ploenchit Fair" Photo Gallery from Shrewsbury School
(the above link will open another website)
The Grand Raffle Prize Winners
The Colouring Competition Prize Winners
The Survey

General Information on:

?PLOENCHIT FAIR 2007 BY THE RIVER?

The Ploenchit Fair, the British Community?s annual fundraising block-buster event for Thai charities, was held on Saturday the 1^st of December at the beautiful new riverside venue of

      Shrewsbury International School    

History of BCTFN & Ploenchit Fair
Ploenchit Fair FAQs
British Ambassador - David William Fall - Biopic
BCTFN President - Carolyn Tarrant - Biopic

 The Ploenchit Fair, celebrating it?s 50^th Birthday this year, is a traditional fun day for all and has been one of the biggest events of the social calendar in Bangkok since it was first held in 1957.  Everybody comes to the Ploenchit Fair and it offers something for everyone - there are fair ground rides, roaming clowns and puppeteers, competitions, and amusement arcade games for children of all ages, while adults love the great bargains in the Petticoat Lane Bazaar; the superb food, from fish and chips to gourmet cuisine, dished up by some of the best pubs and restaurants in town; the all-day entertainment from local bands and performers on the main stage, and the chance to sprawl out on the grass in the sunshine and soak up the village-community atmosphere of the day.

This year the Fair is moving to a Shrewsbury International School. The school is located alongside the great Chao Phraya River, and is easily reached from Sathorn Road, Rama III and the Expressway (Chan Road exit), or via the Skytrain and from the river itself, with a regular ferry service from the Saphan Taksin BTS station. There will also be a shuttle-bus service running between Saphan Taksin and Shrewsbury School on the day of the Fair and ample parking available for those wishing to drive.

              

 The breezy green spaces and scenic river-side location of the campus are a perfect match for the Ploenchit Fair, which is traditionally modelled on the classic English ?village-green? Fair. Organisers are confident that the new Shrewsbury location will be popular with fair-goers and stall holders alike.

 Proceeds from the Ploenchit Fair are administered by the BCTFN and distributed to charitable organizations throughout the country.  Since the year 2000 over 35 million Baht has been raised and distributed. So make sure you come down and join us for a great day out in a good cause!     

History of BCTFN & Ploenchit Charity Fair

HOW IT BEGAN

 Contributions to Thai charities by members of the British community can be traced back to the war years when the British Club staged organized shows that held monthly fund-raising events to raise money for distribution. In 1948 the British Club, none the worse for wear after the Japanese occupation, organized a joint charity fair for British, Dutch and Scandinavian residents. This was the forerunner to the Ploenchit Fair. In 1951 the YWCA held their first international Bazaar, with the aid of various foreign missions, including the British.

 FORMATION OF THE UKCTC

 Following a decade of successful fairs and steadily growing revenues, the British ladies, led by the wife of the British Ambassador, realized the potential for a larger annual charity Fair and the need for a dedicated Committee. They decided to create an independent organizing Committee separate from the YWCA, and in 1956 the United Kingdom Committee for Thai Charities (UKCTC), was formed under the auspices of the British Embassy. The committee was formed to administer the Fair and most importantly, the disbursement of the funds.

 This Committee comprised of the wife of the Ambassador as President, a Chairman nominated by the President, a Vice Chairman, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary a member from the British Women?s Group and at least seven other members. These other officers and members were drawn from the British business community.

 THE FIRST PLOENCHIT FAIR 1957

 The first Ploenchit Fair as we know it, was held in the British Embassy grounds in 1957 and raised Bht 78,000 (US$2,000) for Thai charities.

 FORMATION OF THE BCTFN 1999

 In 1999, Foundation status was approved by the Ministry of Interior and the British Community in Thailand Foundation for the Needy (the successor to the UKCTC) was formed under the patronage of the British Ambassador, Sir James Hodge. This change was necessary as it ensured the new Foundation would be fully in line with Thai legislation and would strengthen the Committee?s ability to continue United Kingdom support for the needy in Thailand.

 Thai legislation requires this Foundation to have five nominated office bearer, the majority of which must be Thai citizens. Office bearers are President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Committee member. In addition there are ten other elected member. Currently, of these five office bearers, two are British, one is Thai, one is British with Thai citizenship.

The wife of the British Ambassador is the Hon. President of the Foundation. Other members are the Executive Director of the British Chamber of Commerce, the Chairman of the British Club, a representative from the Standard Chartered Bank, a representative from the British Embassy, the Vicar of Christchurch, a representative from the British Women?s Group and other members are from the business community.   

Ploenchit Charity Fair FAQs

What is the Ploenchit Fair?

The Ploenchit Fair is quite simply Bangkok?s Big Day Out. Arguably the biggest Fair in Asia, it has been part of the social scene in Thailand since the first Fair was held in The British Embassy in 1957.

 Everybody comes to the Ploenchit Fair ? it?s a day to meet all your friends, pick up some fabulous bargains, sample great international cuisine, exhaust the children with a variety of fun fair games and rides, or just knock back some champagne, cold beer or even Pimms while enjoying great bands who perform throughout the day on the main stage. Shrewsbury International School has generously offered to host the Ploenchit Fair this year and their spacious and breezy grounds have given the Fair the chance to return to it?s traditional British ?village garden fair? atmosphere.

 When is it?

The Fair will be held on Saturday the 1st of December 2007

Where is the Fair being held?

This year the Fair will take place at Shrewsbury International School. Shrewsbury is located alongside the great Chao Phraya River, and is easily reached from Sathorn Road, Rama III and the Expressway (Chan Road exit), or via the Skytrain and from the river itself, with a free regular ferry service from the Saphan Taksin BTS station.

 What will I find at the Ploenchit Fair?

There?s something for everyone at the Fair ? games, rides and competitions for the kids and adults include a Ferris Wheel, Reverse Bungee, Rock Climbing, Wall, Bingo, Coconut Shy, Grand Raffle to name but a few. The main stage hosts a variety of excellent bands and performers through out the day while a genuinely mind boggling array of food and drink is available from some of the best bars and restaurants in Bangkok.

Get all your Christmas shopping done early at the Petticoat Lane Bazaar where vendors sell beautiful handicrafts, home wares, clothes and accessories, books, jewellery and everything else you never knew you needed.

 Why is it called the Ploenchit Fair?

Prior to 2001 the Fair had been held in the gardens to the British Embassy on Ploenchit Road. The Fair is held in such high affection and the name has become so well known that it has stuck despite several subsequent relocations.

 Is it only the British Community who helps or goes to the Fair?

Definitely not! You fill find almost every nationality represented amongst the stallholders and visitors to the Fair. Whilst the Fair may have started as a way for the British Community to express their appreciation to their Thai hosts and share a traditional bit of British fun, they are now enthusiastically joined by many nations.

Who runs the Ploenchit Fair?

The fair is planned, organized and managed by the BCTFN along with an army of over 2000 volunteers.  Many organizations assist the BCTFN hugely including private and public companies, businesses and the British Embassy.

What does the BCTFN stand for?

BCTFN stands for the British Community in Thailand Foundation for the Needy. The organization has evolved from humble beginnings in 1946 as the simply titled ?Charity Fair?, through to the 1950?s when it became established as the United Kingdom Committee for Thai Charities (UKCTC) under the auspices of the British Embassy and in 1999 when the UKCTC became a fully authorized and recognized Thai Charity Foundation.  The name changed to reflect Thai law which requires the name of the charitable foundation to clearly reflect the purpose of the charity.

 What happens to the money that the Fair raises?

The BCTFN disburses funds to a wide range of projects.  Since the year 2000 the Fair has raised over 35 million baht which has benefited a diverse range of organizations including building facilities for the Student?s Education Trust in Nakon Sawan, constructing a ?Welcome Home? and sports field for HIV/AIDS families in Mukdahan, and supplying equipment and materials for the Project Life Foundation silk-weaving project on the Thai Cambodian border.

Donations are never made in cash. Once a project is approved, building plans, estimates and invoices etc will be met by the BCTFN and payment made directly to contractors and suppliers.   

British Ambassador - David William Fall - Biopic

David Fall took up his appointment as the British Ambassador to Thailand and Laos in August 2003, his third posting to Thailand.

He was born on the 10^th of March 1948 in Wiltshire, England and was educated at St. Bartholomew?s Grammar School Grammar School, Newbury and New College, Oxford (MA Modern History). In 1970 -71 he was a Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) teacher on the island of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.

 In 1970, in Sydney Australia, he met Gwendolyn Richards, also a VSO teacher en route to Papua New Guinea. They married in North Wales in December 1973 and have three sons, one born in Bangkok in 1976 and two born in the UK in 1977 and 1980.  All have completed their university education and are now working.

David speaks fluent Thai and French and in the course of his career has also learned Afrikaans and some Vietnamese. His interests include literature, cinema, cartooning, amateur dramatics, gardeni8ng and Monty Python.  He enjoys trail walking and has begun a project to walk the length of the United Kingdom in stages.  Other sources of exercise are jogging, Tai Chi and social golf.    

BCTFN President - Carolyn Tarrant - Biopic

Carolyn Tarrant is the president of the British Community in Thailand Foundation for the Needy (BCTFN) and has been awarded with an MBE in 1994 as well as the Most Notable Order of the Crown of Thailand for her extensive philanthropic work.

Born and educated in London, England. She traveled and worked in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya before arriving in Thailand in 1978 with her husband David and two children.

 Carolyn?s first experience with the Ploenchit Fair came through her role as the Vice-Chairman of the British Women?s Group (BWG). From there as a BWG representative she was co-opted to become a member of the united Kingdom Committee for Thai Charities (UKCTC) that later became the BCTFN in 1999.  Carolyn took over the planning of the Ploenchit Fair in 1980 and has held that position ever since.