News & Events

EASTER WEEKEND BANK HOLIDAY Easter Bank Holiday from 10th–to–13th April 2009 We are open throughout the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend, so come and join in the Easter festivity at Tongdam !  Book now to avoid disappointment ............................................................................................................................................................................. THAI NEW YEAR 2552 Thai New Year Week from 13th–to-19th April 2009 Yes, another Thai New Year is almost here !  Once again, we will be celebrating the week with special menus.  So if you can’t find the time to fly to Bangkok, do the next best thing ………… visit Tongdam in Dulverton and have some Thai New Year fun !    Share the experience and book now for an event to remember ! ............................................................................................................................................................................. The KLOM Foundation For a while now, Tino and I have been discussing the future development of Tongdam and what it stands for.  On the 28th May 2008 Tongdam will be celebrating 3 years in Dulverton and to celebrate this occasion we have decided to hold a charitable event to launch a new division of the Group.  We are forming The Klom Foundation, a charity to aid the less fortunate in Thailand.  During our recent trip to Thailand this year, we decided to set in motion our first project.  We visited the Toong-Poh Wittaya High School in Tino’s home Province of Pichit. There we met and discussed with its teachers the idea of awarding a scholarship to one of its students.  The student we had in mind would be one that had the potential and desire to better themselves by going to university in order to achieve a Degree and thereby change not just their life but those around them as well.We were told of a girl living close to Tino’s family home, who had worked hard and recently achieved a set of high grades in local exams and had just sat and passed an entrance exam to Naresuan University in Thailand.  She comes from a very poor, broken family background but is determined to change her life and that of her mother and grandmother by going to university and after, achieving a standard of living that will grant her the wish of bettering her family’s standard of life. She sounded just the type of person we wished to offer a helping hand to, someone who was determined to help themselves, no matter what.  We met Jantip that evening at her home and asked her if she would be interested in applying for a scholarship that would meet the cost of her 4 years university fees.  Needless to say, she was somewhat taken aback by our visit and was of course very interested in applying for the scholarship.

The photograph is of Tino and Jantip outside her home.  We asked her to write a short account of herself and her plans for the future.  The following translation has been taken from her letter :- “My name is Jantip Promchai, studying at the Toong-Poh Wittaya High School, Ta panhin District, Pichit Province.  I was born on 3rd July 1989.  My mother’s name is Lampang Poom-Pai and my father is Sangwarn Promhai.  I have two brothers.  My older brother is married and my younger brother is an electrician’s apprentice.

I was born in Petchaboon Province and lived there until my parents divorced.  I now live next to my grandmother in Pichit Province with my younger brother.  My mother works within the building industry but earns little and is seldom able to send money back to us.  My mother’s work means that she is always moving around the Country, wherever she can find work.  There are little opportunities for a lady with no education.

So, because of this, I have to accept what ever work is offered to me by people in my area to earn some money for living, mostly farm work.

My father has remarried and has a new family and because of this, he is unable to offer any monetary support to us.  So, there is just my mother working, very hard, earning very little money and unable to send us very much to help support us.

In the past, when my school term finished and we broke up for our holiday, I went to work with my mother to earn some money.  I work as much as I can and have to accept what ever work is offered to me.  I now have to support myself more and more as my mother still has to try and support my other brother.

I have now passed an entrance exam to the Naresuan University in Pisanulok Province.  I will be studying for a Bachelor of Science Degree, majoring in Computer Science.  I’m so glad that I have succeeded in being able to major in the area I wanted.  My big problem is that I need money to pay for my university course and cost of living expenses and my small earnings are not enough, so I would have to take out a loan from the Government to pay for my university course.

So, I am applying for your scholarship and hope to get some help for my expenses and that will help a lot to make my dream come true and be able to have a better life, better job in the future and be able to support my grandmother and mother.”  Jantip

The first KLOM Scholarship is therefore being awarded to Jantip Promchai and we wish her every success in her studies. 

The organisation and scholarship takes its name from Tino’s late father, Klom Chankham, who sadly died in 2007, a man who spent his life helping not just his family, but those friends and neighbours around him.  I asked Tino and his mother if we could name the charity after his father and they were happy to agree. You may know that we named our Restaurant after Tino’s mother, which translated means ‘black gold’.  Klom translated, means ‘ round or a circle’,  quite an appropriate name for the Foundation. That old saying, “what goes around, comes around” sums up rather nicely what we would like to achieve.  By lending a helping hand to others, then hopefully those will in turn help those less fortunate than themselves. 

It is our hope that others in the West Country will join in our quest to aid those less fortunate than themselves and that in time, we can award further scholarships and undertake and finance new projects under the KLOM banner.  As we know “Mighty oaks from little acorns grow”.  Help us to help those less fortunate.

Please contact me via e-mail, letter or telephone if you are interested in financially supporting our project.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Robert M. Cave / Co-Founder

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