HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]: 

AustCham really watches the sun going down

Dusit Resort, Pattaya launches new fleet of Mercedes Benz limousine

Japanese rock star Makoto flying in to give Pattaya tourism a boost

Thai agents face two million baht cough up

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AustCham really watches the sun going down

Primpraporn Held (front), sales manager for Sheraton Pattaya, with (L to R) Paul Wilkinson, general manager Eastern Seaboard of Four Winds International Moving Limited, Mark Thomson, managing director of Merino Co., Ltd., Dr. Alastair Bacon, general manager of Prodrive Automotive Technology (Thailand) Ltd. and Dr. Iain Corness.

Peter J. Emblin, principal of Emcom, Paribhan Vajrabhaya of Panburi Co., Ltd., Malcolm Ferdinands, director, North Asia Personal & Private Bank of ANZ, Deirdre Vajrabhaya of Panburi Co., Ltd., Stephen M.M. Darley, and Gary Woollacott, president of AustCham.

Dr. Iain Corness
The Australian Chamber of Commerce (AustCham) calls its networking events on the Eastern Seaboard their “Seaboard Sundowners” and this could not have been more apt than last Friday when the members and guests gathered in the Sheraton Pattaya Resort to witness the sunset from the function area directly looking our over the Gulf of Siam. It was a spectacular start for the evening which had attracted more than 80 people.

Neil Maniquiz, marketing executive International Marketing & Communication Division of Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, Monika Rottmann from Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, and Stuart Saunders from Esdesign (Far East) Co., Ltd.
The Sheraton was ably represented by the GM David Cuddon (who showed he was not averse to rolling up his sleeves and helping behind the bar when needed), Prim Held the senior sales manager and newcomer executive chef Matthew Woolford. It was his creative flair that produced the very different finger food during the evening - for example, the spicy Miso soup served in demitasse was truly spectacular (and spicy)!

Som Corness, Stuart Saunders from Esdesign (Far East) Co., Ltd. and Peter Mewes, managing director of the London Consultancy Co., Ltd.
Other sponsors of the evening included the world automotive technology and motorsport company Prodrive, which has its fingers in many pies worldwide. Prodrive runs the world rally championship, its chairman used to be the MD at BAR Honda F1, and here the company is involved in engineering technology with many automakers in Thailand, including the new Ford Focus. The local GM Dr. Alistair Bacon and the GM for Business Development Brian Rogers were both in attendance and were happy to be part of the throng.

Simon Matthews, general manager of Manpower, Neil M. Russell, Bangkok operations director of Manpower, and Tony Emmett, RPT Asia Ltd.
There was another sponsor, a company that does help the grass grow under your feet, and that was Global Turf Consulting (www.globalturfconsult.com) represented by its MD, the affable Aussie Gary Chatfield. This company has imported grasses from around the world and selects the type of grass best suited to your soil, pats it on the head and tells it to grow! Currently they are re-turfing the Pattaya Bowling Green amongst other local projects.

Steve J. Wickboldt, Jr., vice president of International Fabrication Services Co., Ltd., Stephen C. Johnson, director of operations for Hertel Asia Ltd. and Mark Thomson, managing director of Merino Co., Ltd.
A regular at these events is Paul Wilkinson, the GM for the Eastern Seaboard of AGS Four Winds International Movers; however, they do local and inter-province relocations as well. If you have a query about moving, be that your house or factory, give Paul a ring (01 903 9477), but don’t forget to ask about his personal truck!

Dominic Der-Kevorkian, managing director of K-Tech Construction Public Company Limited, and Simon Matthews, general manager of Manpower.
These events are put on by the Australian Chamber, and president Gary Woollacott and executive director Martin Kyle were both present, but the Brits and others are not slow in cottoning on to the fact that these are very popular networking events. Peter Mewes from the legal firm of The London Consultancy was seen shaking many hands, while other nationalities such as Paulino Mendoza from BMW Thailand and Ramona Limwattana from Pantip Court in Bangkok were also on hand.

Neil Pawsey from Touchwood Eurasia Company Limited and Gary Chatfield, managing director of Global Turf Consulting Co., Ltd.
It was certainly a successful evening for the business card exchanges, and it was interesting to see Domenik Stamm and Michael Goetz from the Amari Resort both present, giving the Sheraton a professional looking over!
The next Seaboard Sundowners will be in two months, but advance notice will be given in the Pattaya Mail as usual.

Ekjaree Thanasawangkul from Dataconsult Ltd., Gary Whith, past president of AustCham, Nigel Taylor, golf course manager of Destination Golf, and Nicki Nelson from The Regent’s School Music Department.

Paul Whyte, general manager of Tinfish (Thailand) Ltd., Achara Boonyahansa from AustCham, Watcharapong Pathompanich, business development manager of Prodrive Automotive Technology (Thailand) Ltd., Junpen Wannafuk, director of Global Turf Consulting Co., Ltd. and Robin Hyde, manager Schenker Removals of Schenker (Thai) Ltd.

 

Dusit Resort, Pattaya launches new fleet of Mercedes Benz limousine

Chatchawal Supachayanont (middle), general manager of Dusit Resort, Pattaya offers a celebratory toast with Wasun Potipimpanon (left), President of Mercedes Benz Thonglor Group Co., Ltd., and Phallop Thaiarry (right), managing director of AVIS Thailand, to mark the arrival of the new fleet of limousine.

Dusit Resort, Pattaya recently launched its new fleet of Mercedes Benz limousine including the S-Class, Mercedes Benz’s luxury class saloon.
The hotel’s limousine service provider AVIS Thailand has purchased a range of Mercedes Benz’s top-of-the-line vehicles to transport the resort’s leisure and corporate guests in ultimate luxury and privacy.
The president of Mercedes Benz Thonglor, Wasun Potipimpanon, delivered to the hotel’s ‘doorstep’ its cutting-edge models Mercedes Benz S-Class, E-Class and Mercedes Benz Vito, handing over the keys to Dusit Resort’s general manager Chatchawal Supachayanont and AVIS Thailand’s managing director Phallop Thaiarry.
Chatchawal Supachayanont said that the launch of these premium vehicles could not be timelier. “With the Suvarnabhumi Airport opening this year, we are confident that our new range of limousine service will be most welcomed by our guests. Our guests are sophisticated travelers and they want a personalized transport option that not only suits their needs but also reflects their lifestyle.”
“I am also happy with our renewed partnership with AVIS Thailand and Mercedes Benz Thonglo as both organizations match Dusit Resort’s service standards and reliability,” says Mr. Chatchawal.
The new fleet of Mercedes Benz will be driven by highly experienced chauffeurs and used as an added value service to the hotel’s local and international guests.
 

Japanese rock star Makoto flying in to give Pattaya tourism a boost

Narisa Nitikarn
Japanese rock star Makoto will be arriving in Pattaya this month to visit leading local attractions and generate interest in the city amongst a large audience of younger people in Japan and other Asian countries.

Japanese Rock Star “Makoto” will come to Pattaya for a recording session and a promotional tour of the city’s new tourist attractions.

Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn chaired a meeting at Pattaya City Hall, August 22 to prepare the itinerary, which will include the promoting of new tourism locations and a visit to Samae Beach on Koh Larn.
The city is using a 500,000 baht budget to support Makoto’s visit, and has appointed the Tourism Authority of Thailand to take over the responsibility for the proceedings. Attending the meeting were representatives of the TAT, the Thai Hotels Association, Pattaya Business and Tourism Association, and relevant departments from city hall.
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay said that Makoto’s visit was arranged after the star had participated in the Pattaya International Music Festival of 2005, and had attracted great interest from many Thai and other Asian music lovers. Pattaya City has many new 5-star hotels and new tourist attractions, and when Makoto’s fans see he has visited these and other attractive venues in Pattaya, they will be keen to visit for themselves.
Another aspect is that most Japanese men around 20 to 35 years of age have always had a negative image of Pattaya. Makoto’s visit will help to change their negative perceptions, and will generate new visitors from that sector.
Makoto will be in Thailand from September 3 to 5, and the city hall meeting mapped out a broad schedule of activities. The next stage is to run a promotional campaign. All recordings made during the visit will be broadcast on Channel V Asia and on TV Asahi, and newspaper coverage will also be arranged.

Thai agents face two million baht cough up

Thailand’s 165 BSP agents must come up with at least two million baht (US$53,000) in bank guarantees or cease operations following the International Air Transport Association’s decision to end its Billing Settlement Plan insurance scheme.
The new regulation, which comes into effect September 15, is in response to Chao Phaya Insurance’s decision to pull its policy.
Agents will now be required to pay IATA directly in cash for tickets issued in amounts over the bank guarantee coverage.
Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) vice-president, Mr Charoen Wangananont, described the situation as extremely worrying. He said he had received numerous calls from concerned agents.
“At the moment, I estimate only around 10 per cent of agents have the cash flow to pay the bank guarantee. This is a big problem.” He said the blame for the ticketing crisis rested with IATA, Chao Phaya Insurance and some agents.
He added the TTAA and the International Ticketing Agency were inviting BSP agents to a meeting with IATA and airline representatives to discuss the regulations and possible solutions to the crisis. The earliest date would be end August.
The decision to end the BSP insurance scheme was made two weeks ago during a meeting at Thai Airways International’s head office in Bangkok that was attended by IATA officials, BSP agents and airline representatives.
The move is designed to prevent ticketing instability after Chao Phaya Insurance abruptly revoked it BSP policy.
The switch to a bank guarantee could be pushed forward to September 1 if Chao Phaya violates its agreement with IATA during the interim period. (TTG Asia)