(L to R) David Roberts (General
Manager of Nova Platinum Hotel), Brendan Daly (GM of Amari Orchid Pattaya),
Dueanpen Thongsombat (Assistant Director of Sales, Amari Orchid Pattaya), Tony
Malhotra (President of Skål International Pattaya and East Thailand), Alissara
Khamprachom (Furama Hotel Jomtien Beach), Porntip Pibarnwong (Director of Sales
for Amari Orchid Pattaya), Pinyo Siriton (Sales Director with Amari Orchid
Pattaya) and Richard Margo (Resident Manager of Amari Orchid Pattaya).
Paul Strachan
The recently re-formed tourism group called Skål Pattaya & East Thailand
held the second of their monthly meetings on Thursday the 16th of May at the
Holiday Inn Pattaya.
Over fifty guests were in attendance all from tourist related businesses in and
around Pattaya.
Callum Mackie of Solar Golf talks
about golf tours and the changing trends and needs for golfers coming to
Thailand.
The opening address was made by the club’s president, Tony
Malhotra, who welcomed everybody and gave a brief introduction about the guest
speaker for the evening - Kullatorn Mesmmonta. He then asked everyone to join
him in the Skål toast: “Happiness - Good Health - Friendship - Long life… Skål.”
The theme for the evening was firmly focused on golf and how golf tourism is a
major and growing part of the tourism business. Whist dinner was served a video
was playing on the screen showing some of the many golf courses that surround
Pattaya.
Guest speaker Kullatorn Mesmmonta, also known as Mike, is president of the EGA
(Thailand), the East Coast Golf Courses Management Association, and is the
director of Burapha Golf. He previously worked at the Panya Resort Chonburi and
the Waterford Valley Chiang Rai.
Guest speaker Kullatorn Mesmmonta,
also known as Mike, extols the virtues of golf tourism for Thailand’s Eastern
Seaboard.
Mike extolled the virtues of golf tourism for Thailand’s
Eastern Seaboard tourism businesses, and the success of the recent Asian Golf
Tourism Convention (AGTC 2013).
In 2012 Pattaya was named the best golf destination in Asia, New Zealand &
Australia. This was a dream come true for Mike and his peers, which he put down
to hard work, educating each other and ensuring that products, services,
hospitality and great value for money are always at the forefront of the EGA.
He said that Pattaya is the undisputed capital of golf Asia because of what it
can offer in terms of value for money.
Mike stated that by the end of this year Pattaya will have two new courses,
making it twenty in total within a short drive of the city. He went on to say
that although there are other courses in Southeast Asia, here we have the right
weather to help maintain our golf courses in perfect condition.
(L to R) Ingo G. Raeuber (Group
General Manager of Pinnacle Hotels, Resorts & Spas), Hans Banzinger (Director of
Swiss Paradise Resort Pattaya) and Greig Ritchie (Director of Sales-S.E. Asia,
Pan Pacific Travel Corporation Limited) enjoy the welcome drinks together.
Plus, caddy fees here in Pattaya are usually 300 baht.
Compare that to the 150 US dollars it would cost for a caddy in America. Here,
the equivalent of 100 dollars gets you a cart, caddy, snacks and your green fee.
For the same at comparable courses in the USA you would probably pay close to
500 dollars.
Golfers don’t just play golf - they also like to travel, go sightseeing,
shopping and need somewhere nice to stay. Therefore this plays a big part in
tourism for Pattaya, which is why he came to speak at Skål.
Brendan Daly gives a vote of thanks
on behalf of Skålleagues.
Following on from Mike, the audience was given a presentation
from Callum Mackie of Solar Golf, a company that specializes in golf tours and
monitors the changing trends and needs for golfers coming to Thailand.
After which there was a quick Q&A session then the GM of the Amari Orchid
Pattaya Brendan Daly (a keen golfer himself) gave a thank you speech to Mike and
to Garth Solly and his team at the Holiday Inn for hosting the event.
Skål Pattaya & East Thailand is part of the global Skål organization, formed in
1934, that has some 18,000 members in 85 nations and regions. Being a member of
Skål brings many benefits as you can network with industry professionals all
over the world. The next monthly meeting will be held at the Cape Dara Hotel on
June 20, 2013, and will be advertised in the Pattaya Mail and on the club’s
facebook page <www.facebook.com/skalpattaya>.
(L to R) Tsix5 Hotel GM Sompat
Jantawan poses with Hao Hao, Sales Manager for Ratanaboon Trans and Tour Co.,
Ltd. and Garth Solly, Vice President of Skål International Pattaya and East
Thailand and GM of Holiday Inn.
(L to R) Elfi Seitz, Paul
Strachan and Russell Jay Darrell from MIX 88.5 FM.
(L to R) Holiday Inn’s Vassachol
Khrueasan (Sales Manager), Yuwadee Prohkhuntod (Sales Manager), and Papakan
Saguansap (Spa Manager at the Tea Tree Spa), talk wellness with Dr. Iain
Corness.
(L to R) Kamutporn Chaiwong
(Holiday Inn Director of Sales and Marketing), chats with the Centara Grand team
of Podcharak Klintoe (Front Office Manager), Koranit Muangkaew (FC) and Tiparpa
Sapanon (DOSM).
(L to R) Pattaya Blatt’s Elfi
Seitz and Bangkok Hospital Pattaya’s Head of International Marketing Neil
Maniquiz, meet and greet with the Massic Travel MD Marlowe Malhotra, PMTV
Director Sue Kukarja, and Massic Travel’s Vicky Malhotra.
(L to R) Russell Jay Darrell (MIX
88.5 FM), Rene Pisters (GM of Thai Garden Resort), Janya Rattanaliam (Deputy
Head of the Bangkok Hospital Pattaya International Marketing Department), Danilo
Becker (Hotel Manager of Thai Garden Resort), Taeshinee Prateepchanachai
(International Marketing Executive) and Neil Maniquiz (Head of the International
Marketing at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya).
