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Good wishes to kids on their day

Central Pattaya readies for grand opening

Loose and Baggy

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Good wishes to kids on their day

Mayor Ittipol Khunplome presents a “Love art, love earth”
certificate to a young artist at Central Festival Center Pattaya.

Mayor Ittipol Khunplome (center) and city officials prepare to give away bicycles on Children’s Day at city hall.

Winners of contests and scholarships pose with Mayor Ittipol Khunplome (back, center) and management at Central Festival Center Pattaya.

Preparing for a lift in the cherry picker at city hall.

What a view!

Giddy up little horsy - a pony ride at the Sanctuary of Truth is a great present for this young cowboy on Children’s Day.

Kiddie steeplechase - exercise and lots of fun at the Sanctuary of Truth.

A relaxing pony and buggy ride at the Sanctuary
of Truth is most welcome for parents and children alike.

A bit more excitement on a 4-wheeler off roader at the Sanctuary of Truth.

Staff reporters
There was plenty of encouragement all around for our children, along with fun on their special day in Pattaya.
Adults were thinking up ways to help kids enjoy the day as well as giving them advice and good wishes for their future.
On Children’s Day, January 10, Pattaya City Hall celebrated with Mayor Itthipol Khunplome and city counselors presenting gifts to children.
Many shows were being put on, such as Marines’ K9s, weapon shows from both the Air Force and the Navy, magic shows and the giving of gifts and more gifts.
Bangkok Hospital Pattaya took over the fourth floor of city hall in the Thappraya Ballroom where there was an infant crawling competition for babies aged 7-8 months. Also a health competition for children aged 3-5 years old, giving knowledge about dental care, nutritional facts, and more games.
At Ocean Marina Yacht Club Pattaya, the navy brought in two patrol boats for children to inspect. Navy brass also gave talks and seamen taught the children about their weaponry.
The Sanctuary of Truth was also open with the “biggest carved castle in the world”, dolphin shows, pony rides and plenty of games.
Central Festival Center Pattaya, Crocodile Farm, Million Years Rock Park, Tiffany Show, Alcazar Show, Underwater World, Khao Kheow Open Zoon and Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens all had something to entertain children and their parents.
Roads around city hall in North Pattaya were closed from Soi 3 intersection up to Petchtrakul intersection for this celebration.
Reinforcing the Children’s Day slogan of the Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Mayor Itthipol counseled youngsters about becoming the future of the nation by growing up to be smart, respectful and keen to learn. He also reminded parents to provide good role models for their children.

Steady your aim - learning military techniques
at Ocean Marina.

Wow, this is heavy. But I can handle it.

I met my ninja friend at Ocean Marina on Children’s Day.

Go ahead, make my day.

Aye, aye captain. Aboard a navy vessel at Ocean Marina.

It’s all about having fun, which wasn’t lost on these happy kids.

This magical kiss from a dolphin
at the Sanctuary of Truth will always be remembered.

Rat-a-tat-tat he says, playing soldier aboard a navy vessel at Ocean Marina.

Taking aim at city hall.

My gun is bigger than yours!

A Royal Thai Marine and his trusty companion display
one of their many skills at city hall.

Fishing for prizes at Central Festival Center Pattaya.

Bangkok Hospital Pattaya organized an infant crawling
competition for toddlers 7-8 months of age at city hall.

Arts and crafts were fun at Ocean Marina on Children’s Day.

Children learn a lot, as well as see amazing things
at the Sanctuary of Truth on Children’s Day.

Central Pattaya readies for grand opening

Vimolrat Singnikorn
Central Festival Pattaya Beach took another critical step towards a successful grand opening when, at the auspicious time of 8.19 a.m. on January 16, mall officials began a ceremony to install a Brahma and Goddess Takientong shrine at the vast shopping complex. A royal garuda was also installed near the mall’s roof to bring luck and good fortune before the grand opening on January 23.

Phra Thepwisuttayan (Luang Por Paibul Sumangklo) from Wat Ananyotippayaram in Phayao Province invites the royal garuda to bring good fortune on its wings to the new Central Pattaya Beach.
Wanchai Jiratiwat, chairman of Central Group, presided over the event.
The ceremony began when revered monk, Phra Thepwisuttayan (Luang Por Paibul Sumangklo) from Wat Ananyotippayaram in Phayao Province, blessed the auspicious site for the shrine.
Phra Thepwisuttayan later invited the royal garuda to bring good fortune on its wings to the new Central Pattaya Beach.

Phra Thepwisuttayan blesses the new shrine.
The grand opening is scheduled for January 23, and kicking off the event will be an International Fun Festival with entertainment coming from all over the globe. Some of the activities will include climbing the Great Wall of China, ice-skating at the North Pole and surfing the waves in Australia.
In the evening, beginning at 5:30 p.m., the International Mardi Gras parade will dazzle along the length of the beach for over five kilometers. Later, a grand fireworks display is scheduled.
Central had invested some seven billion baht to build its huge mall located on 22 acres of land by the beach with 111 meters of beach frontage. It is being billed as the biggest beachside mall in Asia.
Over 200 brand-name stores have set up shop at the new mall. Hilton Pattaya has 300 rooms on site, in case all that shopping makes you too tired to drive home.

The Central team poses for a commemorative photo.

Wanchai Jiratiwat, chairman of Central Group,
sets the ceremonial center post for the Brahma shrine.

Wanchai Jiratiwat, chairman of Central Group, pays his respects before the shrine.

Loose and Baggy

Andrew Wood turns 50

Dr. Iain Corness
“Wear white, loose and baggy” was the dress code for Andrew Wood’s 50th birthday bash at the Mantra brunch. I am sure that Andrew meant it in its simplest form, but of course, for some of the guests this posed a problem. “Baggy” can be difficult when you fill everything in your wardrobe. “White” can be a problem when all your casual clothes are coloured, and an even greater problem when you have forgotten the dress code instructions! And how is “loose” to be interpreted?
However, 95 percent of the guests managed it and were welcomed by the naturally effusive Andrew Wood, the GM of the Chaophya Park Hotel in Bangkok, with his dear friend Corrie Bic assisting.
The number of well-wishers present was only a tiny fraction of the people who have met Andrew Wood, and consider him as a friend, especially after his three year stint as GM at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort in Pattaya. As pointed out by the Pattaya Mail’s publisher, Peter Malhotra, Pattaya still considers Andrew Wood as one of the ‘locals’, and now with a weekend retreat in Jomtien we are always delighted to see his cheeky grin.
Dr. Iain gave the guests a short resume of Andrew’s career and achievements, being the man who had come from Mirfield in Yorkshire, hardly the centre of the universe, though it does have an annual agricultural show, tickets for which have never been a sell-out.
Andrew’s hospitality career even includes Paris Hilton - that is the Hilton Hotel in Paris, before anyone jumps to the wrong conclusions! He also took four years to get to the top of the Landmark Hotel in Bangkok, an escalation that can be done in four minutes these days, if you catch the elevator. Ah, such is the rate of progress in the industry these days.
After the guests were given glimpses of Andrew’s professional career, Peter Malhotra told the birthday gathering of the other side of Andrew Wood - the tireless worker for charities, something he does quietly behind the scenes, his character having no need to be seen as the ‘front man’. Not only is Andrew the silent philanthropist, but he is also recognised as a strong force in the hospitality industry. What would the travel and tourism business in Thailand be like without Andrew? A dedicated and professional hotelier, who calls Thailand his home, Andrew has worked tirelessly to keep Pattaya and Thailand on the world travel map. Andrew is the president of Skål International Bangkok and holds the distinct position of Skål International Councillor for Thailand.
During the recent unrest in the capital when the travel business virtually came to a standstill, Andrew worked tirelessly throughout the days and nights sending letters of confidence to travel agents and friends in all corners of the world, keeping them informed of the situation and ensuring them that the state of affairs would improve soon and that it was alright to come back to Thailand. This was an eye-opener for some who had only seen him as the enthusiastic hotelier.
Reluctantly, the satiated guests eventually left the Mantra brunch, but not till the last Alaskan crab leg was eaten. It had been a fabulous occasion, with bookings being made for Andrew’s 100th, as well as for this year’s Mirfield Show in August, to which Andrew will be the tour leader!