Want A Lavish Treat? See How The Poor Live First

[Lucifer]

To a lesser degree, we all do this everyday. Watch and ignore.

[Austhaied]

To a lesser degree, we all do this everyday. Watch and ignore.

Please don't speak for everyone. Thankfully not everyone sees the world the way you do.

Ignore at your own peril.

Are we not on this planet to lend each other a hand, or are we just here to selfishly indulge in our every desire to build our own ego kingdom...???

Or are we here to drink beer ???

[Austhaied]

Sorry Austhaied, that was not directed a you, I agree with you in hoping these rich guys feel even a slight bit of guilt over spending such ridiculous amounts of money over a meal when there is much better things they could be doing with it.

No worries madjbs. I never took it the wrong way at all. Sorry if you thought that.

I was just riding the wave mate.

The momentum was there so i made my move.

Cheers for the (unnecessary) apology anyway.

Edited March 6, 2008 by Austhaied

[seonai]

It would be good if the rich folks actually felt moved to set up some sort of sustainable project to help the Mahouts and their elephants

[Austhaied]

It would be good if the rich folks actually felt moved to set up some sort of sustainable project to help the Mahouts and their elephants

Yes it would. Hopefully that's the motivation behind the madness.

[TheWalkingMan]

USD 300k for some grub? I wonder what is the profit margin on this venture. Sounds like a venture some of the BMs here should get into.

TheWalkingMan

[Cuban]

No poor people to see nearer BKK, do they have to fly there - better to travel like the poor do - crowded bus or on foot?

Does the menu include elephant burgers ?

[Samuian]

Yuk!

Collect the money for the dinner, get them to look at the poor, then back to dinner and tell them - "Hey, sorry today we only have a noodle soup down on Sukh!" On plastic chairs amidst the traffic fumes, out of plastic bowls, with plastic chop sticks and plastic spoons - because I have donated the money to the people we have visited today, i am so SORRRRRRRRRRYYY!

thanx folx! that would be a stunt!

He could keep some of the money to pay the lawyer!

[jstumbo]

This guy is absolutely off his head.

I hope to shame my guests into helping to alleviate global poverty by eating a really overpriced dinner. What a marketing guru this bloke must be. What exactly would be the attraction for his eaters when they can eat in these guys restaraunts for less???

The way I read it is that in the past they had a 1M baht dinner. This dinner is free. They are treating them to the dinner, to get them to come and look. Before they donated money to charity because they were charging for the dinner. This time, no charge, no money to charity, but hopefully good results from the people on the trip.

[jstumbo]

Do you think "they" will get out of their limo's or just gawk ay the "poor" through the tinted windows?? Mustn't step in the elephant sh*T

It will probably be rich people like Bill Gates. Ones that have a desire to help the less fortunate.

[jstumbo]

BANGKOK - A BANGKOK restaurant is treating its biggest spenders to a US$300,000 (S$416,222) meal prepared by Michelin-starred chefs - but only after they have jetted to an elephant camp to see how the other half live.

...

Unlike after last year's one-million-baht meal, no money will be given to charity, and this time Lebua will pick up the tab for the dinner prepared by French chefs Jean-Michel Lorain, Michel Trama and Alain Soliveres, who have eight Michelin stars between them.

'We are spending 10 million baht here so we are not giving any money to charity ... We don't need any donation, we need them to think, come up with some products from their companies,' Mr Ohri said.

These people are not paying for this event. They are just being brought here for this event in the hopes that they improve the lives of the less fortunate.

[Isara]

Sorry, but the 10 million baht he's paying to put on this elaborate field trip and dinner is MUCH more money than those elephant handlers in Surin will ever see. Just forget about the dinner for the rich and use that 10mn baht to improve the schools, or bring in better teachers, or give scholarships to a lot of students, or provide grants to locals who want to start their own businesses. THAT'S how you improve the quality of life for them.

As the operator of Isara, a charity organization in Nong Khai, I'm very interested in new ways to help the poor. But, as someone already posted, "The rich already know poor people exist." After all, the poor are the ones cleaning their houses, serving them food, and washing their cars. Will the rich want to help after seeing the Surin people? Maybe. But only for a short-time. For a longer lasting solution the money being used for this event could do A LOT more good if the man just went to Surin and set up his own charity program for that region. You'd be surprised how much good 10mn baht can do.

Edited March 7, 2008 by Isara

[jstumbo]

Sorry, but the 10 million baht he's paying to put on this elaborate field trip and dinner is MUCH more money than those elephant handlers in Surin will ever see. Just forget about the dinner for the rich and use that 10mn baht to improve the schools, or bring in better teachers, or give scholarships to a lot of students, or provide grants to locals who want to start their own businesses. THAT'S how you improve the quality of life for them.

As the operator of Isara, a charity organization in Nong Khai, I'm very interested in new ways to help the poor. But, as someone already posted, "The rich already know poor people exist." After all, the poor are the ones cleaning their houses, serving them food, and washing their cars. Will the rich want to help after seeing the Surin people? Maybe. But only for a short-time. For a longer lasting solution the money being used for this event could do A LOT more good if the man just went to Surin and set up his own charity program for that region. You'd be surprised how much good 10mn baht can do.

But if one of these 50 high rollers that he brings decides to do something, it could be for a lot more than just 10mn baht. I imagine he would be inviting people that care about other people, not just a bunch of rich snobs that couldn't care less about the poor.

I think sometimes these rich guys can live above it all and not actually experience it. Also there is so much poverty in the world that it can be overwhelming. If they see one situation, then maybe they can help in that one instance.

[Isara]

I agree. But it's the "if and maybe" that is the problem with this scenario. With this persons 10 MILLION baht he could do something to help. For sure. No if's or maybe's about it.

What he should do is use his 10mn baht to help the poor he cares about and then show those rich friends of his what he did with his money. The rich are very competitive (that's how they got rich) and might try to one-up him. Now that's a "sure thing" situation with a "maybe" bonus. lol

Either way, I respect anyone who "tries" to do something to help. Our projects don't always have the results we intended but we still tried. As someone much smarter than me once said, "A wish changes nothing. A decision changes everything."

[madjbs]

In reality 10 million baht would barely scratch the surface, also 10 million baht is pocket change to these rich dudes. If they do manage to set up some kind of program or develop products from their business to help the community then the gains over a longer period of time could outweigh the 10 million baht easily.