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Bank Thai opens 87th branch at The Market
Suchada Tupchai
Bank Thai recently opened a new branch at The Market
Pattaya.
Santsak Ngamphiches, adviser to the minister of tourism
and sport and chairman of Grand Sole Hotel, presided over the opening
ceremony.
 (L
to R) Eakachai Tiwutanon, vice-chairman of Bank Thai; Chatree
Sophonbannarak, director of marketing The Market Pattaya; Santsak
Ngamphiches, chairman of Grand Sole Hotel and Duangporn Sujaritanuwat,
vice-chairman of Bank Thai, cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially open
Bank Thai’s new branch.
The bank’s executives, including Duangporn
Sujaritanuwat and Eakachai Tiwutanon, welcomed him and all guests of honor
and other VIPs in business and political circles.
Preecha Karunwanthana, manager of the Chonburi branch of
Bank Thai, said, “Bank Thai at The Market is our 87th branch. It is a
model branch, which is well designed and constructed to fit the modern
lifestyle. We are proving our flexibility by providing full services to
customers.”
Santsak responded, “I am very glad and impressed with
Bank Thai’s great operation. The recent accomplishment can affirm the
bank’s fast growth in the near future.”
Bank Thai was founded in 1998 and has branches
countrywide. The Finance Restoration and Development Fund holds 48.98
percent of the shares and has recorded pleasing results. The bank has
registered capital of 49,402 million baht and possesses properties worth a
total of 256,215 million baht.
Bank Thai holds a financial fund for risky properties of
14.19 percent and has NPL at only 6.34 percent. The bank offers full
services, including savings, credit, foreign business, internet banking,
money exchange and fund administration.
The new branch at The Market Pattaya is located on Pattaya Second Road,
next to Soi 6.
Food & Beverage Club of the East gets ready for this year’s Bartender Contest 2004
Scheduled for November
Suchada Tupchai
The search for the best bartender in the East is
underway.
The Eastern Food & Beverage Managers Association met
at the A-One Royal Cruise Hotel on May 5 to begin preparations for the
“Thailand Bartender Contest of the East 2004”.
 (L
to R) Vitoon Srisawat, Prayoon Chaitosa, Bundarik Kusolvitya, and Alisa
Phanthusak began preparations for this year’s bartender contest at the
local Food & Beverage Association monthly meeting.
The contest is supported by the Thai Hotels
Association-Eastern Chapter, Food & Beverage Managers Association, the
Food Dealer Club and the Housewife Club.
Apart from the bartender contest, this year will include
Miss Bartender, cake decorating, fruit carving and canap้ dressing
contests. It will be held at Dusit Resort Hotel on November 1.
At the meeting were Prayoon Chaitosa, president of Food
& Beverage Managers Association; Bundarik Kusolvitya, president of the
Thai Hotels Association-Eastern Chapter; Alisa Phanthusak, assistant
managing director of Tiffany Show Pattaya and director of the “Bartender
Contest 2004”; and Vitoon Srisawat, Vitoon Cocktail and Wine owner.
“The contest will be run in much of the same way as it
has in previous years, especially the Miss Bartender Contest, as the various
styles of previous years brought about difficulties in judging,”
“This year the costumes will be ’60s and ’70s style, a really
retrospective and creative concept,” Alisa Phanthusak said.
Eastern Seaboard business people network over dinner
Suchada Tupchai
Milan Crosse Partner Ltd, headed by managing director
Peter Stirling, held their monthly Pattaya Networking Dinner party Art Cafe
on April 29.
Peter
Stirling (inset), managing director of Milan Crosse Partner Ltd, welcomes
networkers to the monthly dinner event.
All guests received a warm welcome from the restaurateur,
Jo Stetten.
The party, held every month, is an opportunity for
business people on the Eastern Seaboard, including Chonburi, Pattaya and
Rayong, to exchange opinions and discuss obstacles they face in their
business life. The event also helps establish strong relationships among
attendees.
The Art Cafe has been chosen to hold the parties throughout the year. At
the event, the guests had a chance to see Manoon Kunlo’s art works
entitled “On My Way Art Exhibition”.
Royal Cliff Wine Club members discover Chateau de Loei
Miss Terry Diner
In the tradition that the Royal Cliff Wine Club has
fostered, under the watchful eye of Captain Ranjith Chandrasiri, the members
were introduced to some very new wines from the Chateau de Loei vineyards.
At the
end of the evening VIPs gather for a photo on stage. (From left) Pisit
Ketphasook, Governor of Chonburi, Panga Vathanakul, MD of the Royal Cliff
Beach Resort, Susie Zofkie, Kate Logan, Bhilaichit Roengpithya, Ranjith
Chandrasiri, Dorham Mann and Alexander Hไusler.
The introduction began with a Chateau de Loei Chenin
Blanc Extra Dry 2003 at the reception, which whetted everyone’s appetite
for more. More certainly came, with some explanations from Chateau de
Loei’s wine consultant, the (very) Australian Dorham Mann, eldest son of
famed Australian oenologist Jack Mann.
Dorham was able to show the Wine Club members just what
Thailand is capable of, as far as grape production is concerned, with
tonnage from 80 hectares increasing from 25 tons to now 500 tons in a very
short time span. The potential is here, was the message from the wine
consultant!
The venue was the Grand Ballroom, and once again
executive chef Walter Thenisch, supported by Stefan Beuttler and Didier
Bachelet, turned out some amazing dishes to complement the Thai wines. This
included a hefty pepper crusted tuna fish loin on Mediterranean vegetables
with black olive pasta which was superb and a confit of duck leg on baked
potato tart accompanied with virgin olive oil poached tomato. However, my
favourite course was the Roquefort cheese trifle topped with papaya relish,
smooth and so, so flavoursome!
Wines that were introduced included the Syrah Rose, which
was quite popular with many of the women there, being light and just that
little bit sweet, while the Syrah 2003 was not so universally accepted,
being for my taste, rather on the bitter side.
However, the Syrah Reserve 2003 was very acceptable, and
when it was considered that this wine was only 12 months old, it bodes well
for cellaring. The final wine was a sweet dessert wine, again from the
Chenin Blanc grapes, but would certainly hold its own in the dessert wine
choices available locally.
It was an interesting evening, and one that attracted a full house as
usual, including the Chonburi governor, Pisit Khetphasook and his wife. The
general feeling at the head table being that Thailand is probably now on the
brink of a wine industry expansion, and some governmental rethinks over the
local duties could help accelerate the growth process in the international
market as well as the local one.
Royal Garden Plaza Mini Motor Show promotes car racing at Bira Circuit Pattaya
Environmentally friendly transport proved the biggest hit
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
The AIM Racing Project and the Royal Garden Plaza Pattaya
recently held the RGP Mini Motor Show to promote the ‘Thailand Grand
Touring Car Championship 2004’.
The motor show was aimed at showing prospective customers
new models, as well as promoting tourism in Pattaya.
 This
racer, one of Pete Thongchue’s race cars, looks fast even when it is
sitting still.
Probably the hit of the show was the electric bicycle
exhibition from the EcoBrand company, which showed several models from
bicycles to scooters to all-wheel-drive 48 volt all-terrain bikes. These
environmentally friendly modes of transport drew the crowds and the
manufacturers reported great interest and sales, with one scooter even being
shipped off to Kuwait.
A couple of racing cars, and cars from local car
manufacturers, were shown and chances to win the TGTC race ticket prizes
were popular. Two race drivers, Pantakarn (Pete) Thongchue from the Toyota
Thailand Team and Nana Raibina from AIM Racing were present at the opening
of the show. Local songstress Aon Kewalin Cottland spiced up the afternoon
with a mini concert.
 Beautiful
Thai singer Aon Kewalin Cottland gave a mini concert at the event.
‘Thailand Grand Touring Car Championship 2004’ (TGTC)
is a closely fought car racing championship in Thailand held at Bira
International Circuit Pattaya with the ultimate winner receiving a trophy in
the name of HRH Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. This competition
started on May 8 and finishes on November 28 this year after a five round
competition.
This is the 6th year of this class of racing promoted by the AIM Racing
Project. It aims at developing Thai motor sport to an international level
and the ongoing competition should thrill the car and bike enthusiasts.
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