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Montien wins bartender
contest for 4th year running
Chakrapong Akkaranant
Narong Peelong from the Montien Hotel, with his mixed
drink called “Red Passion”, won first prize in the “Pattaya Harbor
Bartender Contest 2001”. It was the 4th straight year the “Bartender
Champion” came from the Montien Hotel.
 Pachapong
Aphichatpong, deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand from the
plans and development section, presents the 1st Prize Trophy in the
“Bartender Contest” to Mr. Narong Peelong from the Montien Hotel.
For his efforts, Narong won the first place trophy, 9,000
baht in cash, a DTAC mobile phone, a “kamnan” coupon worth 1,000 baht at
the Sherwood Karaoke, and products from the Krathing Daeng beverage company.
This year’s was the 17th annual bartender contest, and
was organised by the Thai Hotel Association Eastern Chapter, the TAT and
Pattaya businesses. The night of entertainment was held at the Dusit Resort
on September 26, and this year was billed as the “Pattaya Harbor Bartender
Contest 2001”. 110 participants representing 19 hotels from the eastern
region took part.
 Chatchawal
Supachayanont, president of the Thai Hotel Association Eastern Chapter
presents the 1st Prize Trophy in the “Miss Bartender 2001” category to
Miss Sirilak Kongraworanont from the Montien Hotel. Miss Sirilak also won
the “Miss Popularity” award.
The “Miss Bartender” title went to Miss Sirilak
Kongraworanont, also from the Montien in Pattaya. Along with the trophy in
the name of H.E. Sonthaya Khunpluem, the Minister of Science, Technology and
Environment, she received 4,000 baht, a DTAC mobile phone, “kamnan”
coupon good for 1,000 baht at the Sherwood Karaoke, and beverages from
Krathing Daeng. Miss Sirilak also won the “Miss Popularity” award worth
another 3,000 baht.
 Shake
it up baby
Chatrathai Pornmayano from the Thai Garden Resort won
second prize of 6,000 baht in the “Mr. Bartender” contest for his
concoction called “Ant of the Future”, followed by Chumpol Mabandit from
the Mountain Beach Hotel winning 4,000 baht for his drink called the “Kinnaree”.
Miss Sivaporn Pornrongsanthia from the Pattaya Royal
Garden Hotel was the first runner-up in the “Miss Bartender” contest,
winning 3,500 baht, and Miss Treerant Chongpreuksa from the Pattaya Town in
Town Hotel took the next runner-up position winning 3,000 baht.
The cake decorating prize went to Mr. Saroj Pandaeng and
Mrs. Srirat On-Nguen from the Pattaya Montien Hotel. The fruit and vegetable
carving category was also taken by a Montien Hotel employee, the skilled
work of Mr. Anant Rodphai winning the title.
 Having
a difficult time keeping his eyes on the bottle
In the table setting category, Mrs. Saonaree Pornmuang
from the Pattaya Dusit Resort took the honor and a trophy, keeping the
Montien from making a clean sweep of all the tops prizes. The cash prize for
these categories was 3,000 baht each.
Santsak Ngampiches, advisor to the Minister of Science,
Technology and Environment, presided over the opening ceremony.
The annual contest provides a grand opportunity for hotel
employees to sharpen their professional skills in a competitive and
entertaining event. The combined cooperation also seals relationships among
the hotel business community and helps strengthen individual pride among
employees.
First ever Elephant Polo
Tournament raises 393,129 baht for Elephant Conservation
Anantara Resort & Spa together with the Forest
Industry Organisation’s Thai Elephant Conservation Centre officially
announced total funds raised at Thailand’s first ever Elephant Polo
Tournament.
The tournament held in Hua Hin over the weekend of 15th
and 16th September raised 393,129 baht (US$9,142.53). The official cheque
was presented to Manoonsak Tuntiwiwut, deputy managing director of the
Forest Industry Organisation for the Elephant Conservation Centre.
 Oliver
Winter (right), an elephant polo player on the Thailand “A” team,
presented Bill Heinecke (left), chairman and CEO of Minor Group, and
Christopher Stafford - general manager of Anantara Resort and Spa, with a
special elephant polo carving on behalf of the Thailand Elephant Polo Team.
Teams from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, Australia and
Singapore gathered in Hua Hin to participate in the tournament.
His Majesty, The King of Thailand, consented to a trophy
for the winning team. This was presented to the winning team’s captain,
James Manclark from Nepal.
The general manager of Anantara Resort & Spa,
Christopher Stafford, who initiated the event, was delighted to have been
able to assist the Elephant Conservation Centre. “Our aims were to raise
funds for Elephant Conservation and awareness of Hua Hin. We believe we
achieved both of these whilst at the same time forging what we hope to be a
long standing relationship with the Elephant Conservation Centre”.
Manoonsak Tuntiwiwut said, “I would like to thank and
congratulate Anantara Resort and Spa, Hua Hin for their success and
initiative in bringing the first ever Elephant Polo Tournament to
Thailand.”
“Through the gala dinner and the elephant painting
auction, Anantara raised not only funds for the Elephant Conservation Center
but a global awareness of the work carried out by our organisation. We have
been able to meet and inform people from around the world on our
conservation efforts in Thailand”.
Richard Lair, advisor to the Forest Industry
Organisation’s Thai Elephant Conservation Centre said, “The Anantara
King’s Cup Tournament was a great success on all fronts. Financially, it
raised a lot of much needed money for our Center’s conservation and
welfare efforts. Publicity wise, the great media attention did much to
spread word of the conditions of Asian elephants in Thailand. And, as an
event, it was a lot of fun and greatly enjoyed by all who attended. I
sincerely hope we can do it again next year.”
The Elephant Conservation Centre not only offers expert
advice but takes care of elephants that are owned by the government and thus
by the people of Thailand. Additionally, the centre runs two mobile elephant
clinics, an Elephant Rehabilitation Centre and a Mahout Training School to
train young elephant riders.
Two projects which have become world famous and assisted
in the awareness of Elephant Conservation are the Elephant Art Project and
the Thai Elephant Orchestra. The elephant paintings have been sold at
auction at Christies in New York and exhibited in galleries in London and
Amsterdam.
The Thai Elephant Orchestra has received acclaim from
around the world. Their second CD is currently in production.
Anantara Resort & Spa is planning the next event to
be held in August 2002. Enquiries have been received from around the world
from teams interested in participating in the tournament and the general
public.
For further information please contact: Laura Speirs -
email [email protected] or Vipasiri Napawonngdee - email [email protected]
Chonburi Water Buffalo
Races Celebrate 130 Years
Every year the province of Chonburi hosts the unique
spectacle of water buffalo racing to celebrate the end of Buddhist Lent.
This year marked the 130 th
anniversary of the event, and official “race day” was held on October 1,
although the activities began on September 28 and ran until October 7.
 Big
Billy Belly leads by three lengths heading for home
During the weekend activities, the province also took the
opportunity to welcome Chonburi’s new governor, Chaded Insawang, who took
office on October 1. (For those of you who might be wondering, former
governor Sujarit Pachimnan has been promoted to a post with the Ministry of
Interior.)
Chonburi’s buffalo races have become the
festival in Chonburi. Complete with “Miss Buffalo” (a woman, not a
beast) and “Most Healthy Buffalo” contests, as well as a parade and
carnival, Chonburi is transformed into a large party when the area’s prize
beasts are brought in to determine which is the fastest.
 Beautiful
buffalos lead the procession
Provincial historians believe the races and festival were
first held when Chonburi was the center of trade for the eastern part of
Thailand. Farmers and merchants from the region would descend on
Chonburi’s Ban Beung District to trade their goods, bringing their produce
and wares by way of buffalo drawn carts. What exactly transpired prompting
the first race is uncertain, but provincial historians suggest that it
probably started at Wat Luang, now called Wat Yai Intharam. Merchants would
park their carts near the market and the water buffalo were tethered off to
the side to rest, or taken to bathe following the trip into town where lotus
flowers were collected for offerings at the temple. Presumably, there were
some fun-seeking individuals at the annual gathering who, at the end of
Buddhist Lent and before leaving Chonburi, would gather and race their
buffalo for a bit of fun and camaraderie. Water buffalo races eventually
became a common reoccurrence each year.
 Ah…
nothing like a cooling shower for relief from the hot sun
During the reign of King Rama VI, His Majesty King
Mongkut visited Chonburi and proudly witnessed the event on 7 December 1912,
which helped commemorate the event to this day. Other records indicate that
Rama V also witnessed the buffalo races in Chonburi, remarking that the
enjoyable event should be preserved as a national tradition.
 Bevy
of beauties on parade
This year, Chonburi mayor Ukryt Tansawat struck the gong
at 9.00 a.m. on October 1 to get the festivities underway. First up was a
parade announcing the races were about to begin, complete with a procession
of 13 water buffalo driven carts, plus marching bands, groups of long drums,
students in traditional dress carrying Chonburi banners, and a bevy of
“Miss Ban Na” beauty pageant contestants in pedicabs.
At 2.00 p.m. Sonthaya Khunpluem, the Minister of Science,
Technology and Environment, presided over the official opening ceremony of
this year’s races, billed as the “130th Annual Chonburi Buffalo
Races”.
 It’s
more difficult than climbing a greased pole!
Water buffaloes, elaborately decorated with flowers,
fruit and costumes, were first judged on their “beauty”. Following the
presentation of awards for various categories of size, a sacred ceremony was
conducted to display gratitude to the spirits at the end of the rainy
season. These rituals are also performed at this time, after the rice has
been planted, to insure a successful harvest at the end of the year.
Then the races began, with all sizes entered in the
competition. Comical clowns added to the gaiety, and the fun-filled races
provided much entertainment for visiting tourists.
A variety of other activities were also held throughout
the day, including oiled pole climbing contests, tug-of-war, various eating
contests and the ever-popular beauty contests.
At the end of the day, a “champion” was crowned, the
working animals were returned to the fields and the crowd disbursed to
continue the merriment long into the night.
Updated every Friday
Copyright 2001 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand
Tel. 66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax: 66-38 427 596
Updated by
Chinnaporn Sungwanlek, assisted by Boonsiri Suansuk.
E-Mail: [email protected]
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