(L to R) Papakan Saguansap, Spa
Manager at the Tea Tree Spa, Holiday Inn and Pattamon Mekavarakul, Assistant
General Manager of Cape Dara Resort.
Paul Strachan
The general manager of the Montien Pattaya Hotel recruited members of
Skål Pattaya & East Thailand for the upcoming Pattaya Grand Sale while a Bangkok
Hospital Pattaya executive illustrated the impact of health tourism at the newly
revived association’s third meeting.
Prayuth Thamdhum told the June 20 gathering of 50 at the Cape Dara Resort’s
Radius restaurant that his Montien was one of many Pattaya hotels, retailers and
golf courses participating in the July 15-Sept. 30 Grand Sale, and he encouraged
Skål members to join in to spur low-season tourism.
(L to R) Austin Robinson, GM of
Nova Hotel & Spa Pattaya, Dominique Ronge, GM of Centara Grand Pratamnak and
Tony Malhotra, President of Skål International Pattaya and East Thailand.
Now in its fifth year, the Pattaya Grand Sale previously was
not publicized well in the business community, Prayuth said. So this year he was
looking to promote the event to a larger audience. Among the changes this year,
he said, was that Advanced Info Services Plc is using text-messaging to
advertise promotions and Visa International will be publicizing the sale to its
1 billion cardholders.
As Skål members enjoyed a buffet featuring sushi, pasta curries, fish and
prawns, Juthaporn “Judy” Huyakorn, director of business development and
international relations for Bangkok Hospital Pattaya talked on “increasing
benefits of healthcare to the tourism industry.”
Juthaporn said BHP not only offers medical care for the ill, but elective
services to an increasing number of tourists who come to Thailand for cosmetic
surgery.
(L to R) Suparmart Dixon, Senior
Market Executive - Travel Agency, Tony Malhotra and Jarusatree Suwannawong, Head
of Travel and Accommodation Asia Pacific Travel, Thai Groupon Ltd.
The majority of the hospital’s customers, she said, are
foreign tourists, primarily Russians and Middle Easterners. She said the
hospital isn’t the only area company to benefit from this type of tourism, as
all the patients need hotels to stay in, restaurants to eat at, and places to
shop.
The sold-out Skål event featured more than business, of course. Guests enjoyed
cocktails on the deck overlooking Wong Amat Bay, a welcome from Cape Dara Resort
owner Surat Mekavarakul, and the toast from Skål President Tony Malhotra, who
invited the members to return for the next meeting.
The next Skål Pattaya & East Thailand monthly meeting will be held on Thursday
18th July at Casa Pascal Restaurant starting with cocktail at 18.30, with Chai
Holway, MD of Direct Commerce Technology (Calypso System) as the guest speaker
on the topic of ‘Cloud Based Integrated Property Management System (IPMS) for
hotels and travel agents’, to RSVP email:
[email protected].
(L to R) Juthaporn ‘Judy’
Huyakorn, Ferenc Fricsay and Bangkok Hospital Pattaya’s Janya Rattanaliam.
(L to R) Elfi Seitz, Surat
Mekavarakul, CEO of Cape Dara Resort, Judy Hoppe, Alvi Sinthuvanik and Philippe
Delaloye.
(L to R) Philippe Delaloye, David
Holden, Prayuth Thamdhum, GM of Montien Hotel Pattaya and Sittidej
Rochanavibhata, GM of Cape Dara Resort.
(L to R) Porntip Pibarnwong,
Amari Orchid Pattaya, Urai Patenya, Eastern Star Resort, Anirut Roschan, Pattana
Golf, Nathinee Suton, Pattana Golf and Thirasak Malipol, GM of Eastern Star
Resort.
(L to R) Joe Cox, MD of Defence
International Security Services, Peter Malhotra, MD of Pattaya Mail Media Group,
Papakan Saguansap, Spa Manager at the Tea Tree Spa, Holiday Inn and Dr. Iain
Corness.
(L to R) Dueanpen Thongsombat,
Assistant Director of Sales, Amari Orchid Pattaya, Thitiporn Boonsuk, Director
of Sales of Hilton Pattaya, Tony Malhotra, Richard Margo, RM of Amari Orchid
Pattaya and Varaporn Lamai, Senior Sales Manager, Hilton Pattaya.
