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Jens Heier appointed executive chef at Amari Orchid Pattaya
David Cumming, general manager of Amari Orchid
Pattaya, has announced the appointment of Jens Heier as executive chef
of Amari Orchid Pattaya.
Jens Heier is now executive chef at the Amari Orchid Pattaya.
A German national, Heier joined the resort on
February 15, 2010 from St. Regis Hotel Shanghai, where he held the
position of executive chef. He was successfully involved in the set up
and implementation of the standards and policies for the Culinary
Division.
Heier started his career in the hospitality industry
back in Germany, following which he relocated to, and gained valuable
experience in Italy, Switzerland, Korea, Vietnam and China.
Prior to joining Amari Orchid Pattaya, Heier worked
in several five-star hotel groups such as Hyatt, Intercontinental,
Hilton, Marco Polo and Starwood Hotels and Resorts.
In his new role, Heier, award-winning chef of the
year in Berlin and Seoul/Korea, will be in charge of the overall
operation and administration of the Culinary Team at Amari Orchid
Pattaya where he will manage a kitchen brigade of 100.
With over 20 years experience as a successful chef,
Heier has acquired extensive knowledge and skills to competently lead
the kitchen team and further contribute to the success of the resort.
Phuket tourism not affected by Thailand’s political tensions
Despite warnings by three major tourist-providing
countries warning their nationals from traveling to Thailand due
to the risk of civil unrest, tourism businesses in the southern
resort of Phuket is booming with no hotel room cancellations,
Somboon Jirayus, president of Phuket Tourist Association, said
on Sunday.
Somboon said hotel occupancy in Phuket is about 80
percent on average and is expected to drop to 70 percent in March.
Warnings by the United States, Britain and Australia
issued Friday saying that the political situation in Thailand is tense and
their citizens should exercise great caution and avoid demonstrations or
large gatherings that might turn violent while in Thailand have not impacted
tourism businesses here, Somboon said.
Foreign tourists can now fly directly to Phuket and those
who have visited the island earlier understand that it is far way from
protesters against the government, he said.
Political tensions are growing in Thailand, especially in
Bangkok, as a court delivered its verdict last Friday on whether or not to
seize ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra’s Bt76 billion in frozen assets.
Representatives of the Phuket Tourist Association will
set up a booth at Germany’s leading travel trade show in mid-March, aimed at
attracting more German tourists to visit the island, Somboon said. (TNA)
Thailand wins ‘Best Tourist Country Award’ from Swedish magazine
Thailand has been named the world’s Best Tourist
Country by a leading Swedish magazine, marking its eighth consecutive
year for winning the award, according to the Tourism Authority of
Thailand (TAT) office in Stockholm.
Thai ambassador to Sweden Thanarat Thanaputt and TAT
Stockholm office assistant director Anchalee Kumwong last week accepted
the Best Tourist Country Award presented by the Swedish publication
“Travel News” in its 2010 annual Grand Travel Award ceremony.
The kingdom was voted as this year’s winner from
seven other nominated countries, Australia, Egypt, Italy, South Africa,
Spain, Turkey, and the United States.
The Thai envoy said the country won the award because
of its unique and wide-ranging tourist attractions.
Not only the tropical environment of sun, sea and
sand, but also various cultural and beautiful tourist destinations are
the strength of Thailand’s tourism.
Due to the diversity of tourist attractions, tourists
can experience the “3Vs” - value for money, variety and very Thai (Thai-ness),
while enjoying their holidays in Thailand, Thanarat said.
Meanwhile, national flag carrier Thai Airways
International (THAI) won a second place award for the Best International
Flight in 2010.
The annual Grand Travel Award ceremony, the Sweden’s
largest travel-related event, has been held by Travel News, a leading
Swedish travel publication since 1993.
The awards also feature other travel-related
categories including tourist countries, airline and cruise services.
(TNA)
THAI adjusts summer schedule, reinstates Johannesburg service
Thai Airways International (THAI) will resume its
Bangkok-Johannesburg service with four flights a week from May 16.
The route will be part of the airline’s adjusted
summer schedule, effective from March 28 to October 30.
During this period, THAI will reduce the frequency of
its Bangkok-Oslo service from daily to five flights weekly while the
Bangkok-Moscow and Bangkok-Busan services will be reduced from four to
three flights a week. Its Bangkok-Penang service will turn daily, from
the current five weekly flights.
The airline will also temporarily suspend the
Bangkok-Kathmandu, Bangkok-Gaya-Varanasi-Bangkok and Bangkok-Kuwait
routes.
On the domestic front, THAI will transfer flights to
Phitsanulok, Ubon Ratchathani and Mae Hong Son to its subsidiary
low-cost carrier Nok Air from March 1. Nok operates from Bangkok’s Don
Muang Airport. (TTG Asia)
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