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Skål encourages co-promotions
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Busy month for Royal British Legion
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Beer and sausages a plenty at Suan Beer
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Grand Sole’ fetes one year under TCC Hotel Group
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Skål encourages co-promotions
Dr. Iain Corness
The resurrected Skål Club of Pattaya and East Thailand held its
latest meeting at the Thai Garden Resort’s Moon River Pub in North Pattaya.
An excellent turn-out of 31 members and potential members were entertained
and advised on the latest economic indicators and given ways of overcoming
the downturn.
 Greig
Ritchie addresses the gathering at the Moon River Pub.
President Ingo Raueber (Pinnacle Resorts) presented the members with ideas
for co-promotions, using the Skål International motto of ‘Doing business
amongst friends’. He explained how by forming an alliance with one of the
other Skål members in Pattaya who ran golf tours, he was able to produce a
win-win situation for both of them with good rates on accommodation.
President Ingo exhorted all the members of the local Skål club to look at
the other local members and see what synergies could be launched. He also
pointed out that there were 22,000 Skål International members throughout the
world. They too were looking for business opportunities, and the local
members would be well advised to consider how they and their businesses
would benefit from contacting Skålleagues overseas.
 Dr.
Iain Corness speaks about the H1N1 2009 influenza.
Greig Ritchie (Pan Pacific Travel) addressed the members and showed how an
outbound travel group, such as his to New Zealand, could also be involved
with inbound travel from NZ to Thailand, by hooking up with similar Skål
members in that country.
With the current Swine Flu scare still affecting tourism, Dr. Iain Corness
gave a report on the H1N1 2009 influenza and showed just how low in
virulence this ‘new’ virus really is. It came as a shock for many to find
that the deaths in America from Seasonal Flu are around 36,000 per year,
whilst the current death toll in the US from Swine Flu is 87 at the time of
writing this article. Even in Thailand, annual deaths from Seasonal Flu are
around 200-300, whilst there are no recorded deaths from Swine Flu in this
country.
The rest of the evening was used for making contact with other local Skål
members and enjoying the wonderful hospitality provided by Rene Pisters, the
GM of the Thai Garden Resort. Thank you Rene!
President Ingo Raueber
(Pinnacle Resorts)
presents members with ideas for co-promotions.
Host Rene Pisters (left) looks
on as Marlowe and Vikrom Malhotra sign in.
Dr Iain Corness (center)
interviews Ingo Raueber (left)
and Rob Perriam (right) for Pattaya Mail on TV.
(L to R) Dr Iain Corness, Hans
Banzinger, and Holger Groninger.
Peter Malhotra, Elfi Seitz and
Don Wilson.
(L to R) Hans Banzinger, Rene
Pisters and Ingo Raueber.
(L to R) Peter Malhotra, Dr
Iain Corness, Anselma and Gerrit Niehaus,
Marlowe Malhotra, Elfi Seitz and Ingo Raueber.
(L to R) Prae Mattawong, Greig
Ritchie, Ingo Raueber,
Kerry and Bob Perriam enjoy a laugh during the evening.
Busy month for Royal British Legion
Bert Elson
As members of the Royal British Legion Thailand we are well used to
attending Remembrance Services on the 11th November every year. However, we
should also remember that there were other, smaller conflicts where young
men and women gave their lives and blood just as they did in the First or
Second World Wars.
 Bert
Elson (left) lays our wreath in Malaysia.
One of these was the Malay Emergency, starting on 16th June 1948 when 3
Communist terrorists shot and killed 3 planters, Allison, Christian and
Walker. This led to a 12 year intense jungle war fought by British,
Commonwealth and Malay forces against the army of the Malay Communist Party
led by fanatic Chin Peng. It cost the lives of 6,710 terrorists, 2,478
civilians (with 810 missing), 1,346 Malay troops and 519 British. It came to
an end when the newly formed Malaysian Government declared the emergency
over in July 1960, the Chinese Year of the Rat!
So why was it an emergency and not a war? Well that was down to the fact
that had it been a war the planters and tin miners would not have received
insurance. However, as far as those young men fighting in dense jungle were
concerned it was a war just like any other and one that they won.
 Roy
Fletton pays his respects at the War Memorial, Malaysia.
This year was our third visit to Malaysia and the second under the banner of
the Royal British Legion. We attended 4 parades and listened to prayers in 4
faiths: Christian, Hindu, Islam and Buddhist.
The Kohima Epitaph reads: “When you go home, tell them of us and say, For
your tomorrow we gave our today.” That “today” in Malaysia sees a thriving,
prosperous and stable country fast becoming the tourist hub of Asia. We
sampled this ourselves in Penang for “Duty’s Done” when it was time to relax
and remember those young lads as they would like to be remembered; with a
few more beers!
We had 2 days there last year and enjoyed it so much we added another 2 days
onto this year’s visit. We had an added bonus this year, for arriving in
Penang the same time as ourselves was HMS Ocean - the UK’s largest naval
vessel. Thanks to our Defence Attaché Colonel Jacques Lemay we managed to
get an invite to the cocktail party held aboard and see her coming alongside
at Butterworth (a major feat in itself!). The role of HMS Ocean is that of
an assault landing ship and therefore she carries a complete commando unit.
Aboard at this time were 40 commando, Royal Marines and we had the pleasure
of meeting them for a drink both on and off the ship.
 Gez
(right) claims his Celtic shirt.
No sooner had we arrived back in Pattaya than it was time to prepare for UK
Armed Forces Day. The first Armed Forces Day was 27 June 2009, and was an
opportunity for the UK (at home and abroad) to show its support for the men
and women who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving
troops to service families, and from veterans to recruits.
Armed Forces Day has 4 major points: Highlighting the courage, commitment
and sacrifice of serving personnel and veterans; recognising their
professionalism and quality of training; promoting the role of the forces
within national life; and supporting the families of those deployed on
operations.
Around the world people got involved: communities held local events,
businesses showed their support through promotional offers, and to kick off
the proceedings, local authorities held flag-raising ceremonies at 1030 on
22 June. Here in Pattaya it was celebrated at Tropical Bert’s with amongst
other things an auction of sporting memorabilia to raise funds for 3 causes:
the Father Ray Foundation, the Royal British Legion and Help 4 Heroes (a UK
charity that raises money to help those injured in present day conflicts). A
total of 100,000 baht was raised, 65,000 of this coming from 1 bid alone,
for a signed Glasgow Celtic Football shirt.
After the auction it was time for the cookhouse to open up and provide all
the old soldiers with Australian gourmet pies kindly provided by Lady Pies
and assorted cold cuts provided by Beef of KPK Foods.
As is the norm with these nights, the later the night got the louder the
singing got! And with plenty of budding Susan Boyles around it was soon a
free for all with the microphone.
Our thanks go to the MC and auctioneer for the night, George Barrie, to Gez
for his outstanding bids and to our sponsors Lady Pies (supplied by Asia
West Foods) and Beef of KPK Foods.
Meeting HMS Ocean.
Aboard HMS Ocean.
Old soldiers and young staff.
From Left to Right: Reg
Knowles, Tony Shuttleworth, Dorothy Knowles, Buddy Ditchburn, Kevin Wild,
Keow Fletton, Roy Fletton, Bert Elson, Bob Myers Jnr, and Bob Myers Snr
gather for a commemorative photo at the Malaysian Cenothaph.
Beer and sausages a plenty at Suan Beer
Achim von Geiso thanks his
guests.
Achim von Geiso helps prepare
the buffet.
Yummy - a tasty suckling pig.
Peter Nordhues
Suan Beer has a Thai name, but the beer and sausages are most
definitely German.
Literally translated as “Beer Garden,” the new restaurant on Sukhumvit Soi 9
near the Mazda showroom toasted its grand opening June 20 with owners Achim
und Wilawan von Geiso welcoming more than 100 guests with a buffet, roast
pig, pork knuckles and sauerkraut and a generous amount of German sausages.
Three young Thai musicians entertained with 60s and 70s tunes with some
guests taking to the stage for an impromptu karaoke session.
Achim von Geiso thanked the guests for coming and invited them back for
future meals. Suan Beer offers free parking and is open Tuesday-Sunday from
4 p.m. See the restaurant’s website at beergarden-pattaya.com for more
information.
And the band plays on.
Prince Malhotra enjoys a
karaoke duet.
Vikrom Malhotra likes the
beer, as well as Fritz Burtchen. Ingo Räuber (right) and Stefan Heynert look
deeply into their beer glasses.
The guests enjoy themselves.
Grand Sole’ fetes one year
under TCC Hotel Group
Vimolrat Singnikorn
With low promotional rates and renovations in progress, executives
at Pattaya’s Grand Sole’ Hotel are feeling pretty good after a year of
ownership by the TCC Hotel Group.
Hotel staff celebrated TCC’s one-year anniversary June 22 with a blessing
ceremony presided over by nine monks from the Najomtien temple and a party.
 Prapansak
Prattayanon, managing director of TCC Hotel Group, leads a religious
ceremony during the hotel’s anniversary celebrations.
Jantanee Yingyuad, secretary to the general manager for the Grand Sole, said
TCC’s goal has been to raise quality standards at the Second Road facility.
New electrical and water systems are being installed and room renovations
will follow.
The 235-room 3-star hotel is a favorite of Russian and Asian package tours
and local business groups, due to its three seminar rooms. But, with tourism
down, the hotel is offering 90 free rooms under the Tourism Authority of
Thailand’s “Leisure All Day, Discounts All City” campaign.
Pattaya Mail Publishing’s
Kamolthep Malhotra (left), general manager,
and Primprao Somsri (2nd left), executive secretary, present flowers to
congratulate Nitaya Jutamart (center), assistant managing director for TCC
Hotel Group,
Prapansak Prattayanon (2nd right), managing director of TCC Hotel Group,
as Pimkiet Chueamrasri from Pattaya Mail looks on.
Young Thai dancers perform a
celebration dance in front of the hotel’s shrine.
Daphne Yuan (4th from left),
Grand Sole’ Hotel manager,
led the staff in cutting cut the cake.
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