TRAVEL & TOURISM
HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]: 

Dusit Thani sponsors surgery to bring smile to boy’s face

Sheraton Pattaya Resort holds New Year monk ceremony

AirAsia joins hands with UNICEF for Haiti

Amari donates 120,000 in supplies to Ban Thunglahan School


Dusit Thani sponsors surgery to bring smile to boy’s face

(L to R) Arum Chaisomsri, assistant training manager for Dusit Thani Pattaya; Jintana Thongkaow; Santad Sumalai; Pornapa Thongkao (carrying Nong Singto); Anocha Saisin, assistant training manager-corporate Dusit International; Natsmon Khinan, office manager for Operation Smile; and Vanjie Lauzon, marketing communications manager at Dusit Thani Pattaya.

Vimolrat Singnikorn
A 3-month-old boy truly has something to smile about after the Dusit Thani Pattaya Resort arranged to have the infant receive a much-needed operation to repair a cleft palate.
Hotel executives visited Kongpob “Singto” Suman at Sattahip’s Queen Sirikit Hospital before his Jan. 21 surgery, which the hotel sponsored in cooperation with the Operation Smile Foundation charity. Kongprob is the first child to receive aid through the Dusit’s new outreach program.
Mother Pornapa Thongkao, 23, said her child’s facial deformity made eating very difficult for him but she did not have the 15,000 baht to pay for the surgery. She expressed heartfelt gratitude to Dusit International for what she described as her son’s new chance in life.
Natsmon Khinan, office manager for Operation Smile, said the charity was approached by the child’s parents and turned to the Dusit as a new sponsor. Smile is a non-profit organization that provides free reconstructive facial surgeries throughout the world for children born with facial deformities. It was founded by plastic surgeon Dr. Bill Magee and his wife Kathleen.
Operation Smile has been globally active since 1982, and has helped more than 100,000 patients. In Thailand, the foundation has been active since 1997, and it has arranged for more than 5,000 free surgeries for children born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.
 


Sheraton Pattaya Resort holds New Year monk ceremony

Sheraton Pattaya Resort welcomes new executive assistant manager

Sheraton Pattaya Resort General Manager Michael Delargy makes merit for the resort by offering food to Thai Buddhist monks.

With the purpose of ushering in the New Year 2010 with the most auspicious omens, Sheraton Pattaya Resort organized a special merit-making ceremony at its Pratamnak Room. Nine honorable monks graciously recited appropriate prayers and bestowed their blessings on the resort and all its assembled Associates.

Rojjana Franzke, Sheraton Pattaya Resort’s new executive assistant manager.

Meanwhile, Sheraton Pattaya Resort announced the appointment of Rojjana Franzke as executive assistant manager.
Ms. Rojjana received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Rajamangala Institute of Technology. Having since worked in the hospitality industry for many years, including at Oakwood City Residences and for the Starwood brand, she has accumulated extensive experience across the reservations, front office and housekeeping fields of hotel operations. Her most recent previous appointment was as rooms manager at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Bangkok.
 


AirAsia joins hands with UNICEF for Haiti

AirAsia is joining hands with UNICEF to help raise RM438 million (USD128 million) for relief efforts for children and families in Haiti. The appeal is part of UNICEF’s 2010 Haiti Earthquake Children’s Appeal.
Haiti was struck by a devastating earthquake in the late afternoon of January 12. The temblor, believed to be the worst in the region in more than 200 years, killed over 100,000 of the population - with the number expected to rise - and caused massive destruction to property.
AirAsia has established a dedicated link on its website. Guests can contribute to UNICEF’s cause by visiting www.airasia.com, and clicking on the link to make donations by credit card.
AirAsia Group CEO Dato’ Sri Tony Fernandes said, “The AirAsia family wanted to help when we first heard about the tragedy in Haiti. When UNICEF asked us to join them, we readily agreed. Our web site receives about 20 million unique visitors every month. Plus, of course, AirAsia carried an estimated 25 million guests last year. Even if only a small number among them join this effort, we believe we can help make a difference - perhaps save some lives.
“We are proud to work with UNICEF in this effort. Our prayers go out to the people of Haiti in this time of tragedy,” said Fernandes.
Representative to UNICEF Malaysia & Special Representative to Brunei Darussalam, Youssouf Oomar said, “I would like to thank AirAsia for coming forward and supporting UNICEF’s ‘2010 Haiti Earthquake Children’s Appeal’ in Malaysia via their website. Your support today will make it possible for UNICEF to rebuild children’s lives and give them the childhood they deserve.
“It is hard to overstate how urgent this emergency has become, which is why we need all the help we can get. You can be confident that every ringgit you give to UNICEF will go farther to save more children in Haiti,” said Youssouf.
*UNICEF’s request is part of a United Nations appeal for RM 1.9 billion (US$562 million), launched on January 15, to facilitate humanitarian operations for the next six months in one of the poorest countries on earth. Haiti ranks 148 out of 179 countries on UNDP’s Human Development Index. It has a long history of being struck by one natural disaster after another, and is struggling to recover from years of violence, insecurity and instability.


Amari donates 120,000 in supplies to Ban Thunglahan School

Happy girls receive bicycles to ride to school.

Vimolrat Singnikorn
For the fifth time, the Amari Orchid Pattaya made the dreams of kids come true, this year donating 120,000 baht in school supplies and other goods to Ban Thunglahan School in Huay Yai.

Very delicious!
Amari General Manager David Cumming presented the 52 bicycles, school supplies, remote-controlled cars, school bags, shoes and clothing to Principal Pornpit Apichitpongchai Jan. 25.
The donation is part of the hotel’s “Dreams for Kids Project,” which this year raised funds through the sale of Christmas teddy bears at 799 baht each.
In addition, the resort also brought lunch for the children, who enjoyed the fried rice with crab, chicken wings and fried sausage.
Pornpit said most children chose bicycles, as they have to walk to school. She thanked the Amari for choosing her school this year.
Ban Thunglahan state school teaches children from kindergarten through primary school grade 6 and currently has 152 students and nine teachers.

Amari Orchid Pattaya fulfilled underprivileged children’s dreams for the 5th year by presenting gifts to 152 students at Ban Thunglahan School.