|
Mayor welcomes Skål International secretariat to Pattaya
By Iain Corness
At a glittering, yet relaxed, evening around the pool at the Hard Rock Hotel
Pattaya, Pattaya’s mayor, Nirun Watthanasartsathorn with local dignitaries,
hoteliers, Tourism Authority of Thailand, political figures and members of
the local Skål club, welcomed Skål International Secretary General Jim Power
and Congress Coordinator Daniel Cervera to Pattaya.
(L to R) Jim Power, Panga
Vathanakul and Andrew Khoo talk about the Skål World Congress coming to
Pattaya.
The festive occasion held on March 6 was the climax of
their fact-finding visit to Pattaya to ensure that we were ready for the
influx of 1,500 tourism professionals from all over the world, coming to
Pattaya for the Skål International World Congress in October this year.
Mayor Nirun Watthanasartsathorn spoke on the fact that the municipality
understood the importance of such a congress for Pattaya and the private
sector, and reconfirmed his backing of the event. For such a congress which
can bring so many of the world’s top tourism professionals, the people who
influence the destination of the world’s tourists, it was necessary for all
sectors to make sure they showed the world, just what we can do.
Secretary General Jim Power was particularly impressed with the facilities
offered by our resort city and stated that the standard of the hotels and
resorts was definitely world class. He publicly acknowledged the efforts
that had been put into winning the bid for the 2006 congress, by the local
Skål International of Pattaya and Eastern Thailand, beating London for the
privilege and honour of hosting the congress.
Panga Vathanakul, the MD of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort said in a televised
interview on Pattaya Mail on TV, that she was very proud of the “new”
Pattaya and was looking forward to showing our resort city to the world.
With the plenary sessions of the congress being held at the Pattaya
Exhibition and Convention Hall (PEACH), itself the largest convention centre
in SE Asia, she was sure the Skål International world tourism leaders would
return to their own countries very impressed. She also acknowledged the
financial support that has been given to Pattaya by both central and local
governments, to assist us to throw off the old image, to truly become the
“new” Pattaya.
The president of Skål International Pattaya & East Thailand Andrew Khoo, the
GM of the Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya, spoke on the advantages and opportunities
that this world congress would bring to Pattaya as a whole, not just the
hotels, with a ‘knock-on’ effect which would see increased tourism over the
next few years. Additional tourists bring increased financial turn-overs for
all businesses in Pattaya, and that is why it is important that everyone
gets behind the concept of the world congress.
In 2002, when Pattaya won the right to host this world congress, many people
did not fully understand the importance of this for Pattaya’s future. With
the City and the private sector now fully committed, this Skål International
world congress will be an important factor in the future prosperity of this
region.
The mayor (center) and local
dignitaries welcome Jim Power and Daniel Cervera to Pattaya.
Champagne corks pop as
Green Bottle Pub celebrates 18th birthday
Managing director of the Diana
Group, Sopin Thappajug pours the champagne celebrating her and the pub’s
birthday.
Managing director of Diana Group,
Sopin Thappajug cuts the cake celebrating her and the pub’s birthday.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
The Green Bottle Pub on Second Road celebrated its 18th birthday on March 4,
an anniversary it shares with managing director of the Diana Group Sopin
Thappajug, whose birthday also falls on this day, and as the Green Bottle is
located next to Diana Inn the two celebrations are traditionally held together.
 Jennifer
Kim & ‘KO’ Mr. Saxman perform a romantic mini concert at the party.
A friendly and happy atmosphere marked the occasion this year, as it does every
year, and Jennifer Kim and “KO” Mr Saxman performed a mini-concert.
Green Bottle Pub regulars and Diana Inn guests mingled, enjoying the food and
drink and the lively conversation. Then champagne corks popped and a big
birthday cake was cut.
Sopin presented a bouquet of flowers to the performers, and to great applause
Suwanthep Malhotra, director of sales and marketing of Pattaya Mail presented a
bouquet of flowers to Sopin. Then everyone lifted their glasses and toasted
another year of success, and many of them, to the Green Bottle and to Sopin
Thappajug.
Suwanthep Malhotra, Pattaya Mail’s
director of sales and marketing presented a bouquet of flowers to Sopin
Thappajug.
Vietnamese water puppet show debuts in Pattaya
Only one of its kind in Thailand
The Water Puppet Show from Vietnam
is the only one of its kind in Thailand.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
A Vietnamese water puppet show, believed to be the only one of its kind in
Thailand, recently made its debut in Pattaya.
The entrepreneur behind this new attraction, Bunchai Paopongrattanachai, said he
initially had the idea during a visit he made to Vietnam several years ago. He
is interested in this form of traditional performing arts, and he decided to
bring the concept to Thailand.
Water puppets have to be manipulated by expert puppeteers so that they appear to
have a life of their own. The puppet is carved from wood and needs six
manipulators. Each show lasts about an hour.
Most of the plays are based on a Vietnamese lifestyle theme, but are being
modified to meet Thai styles. This theater can hold 250 spectators and charges
an entrance fee of 300 baht for adults and 150 baht for children. Foreigners are
charged a different price.
Bunchai said he expects the theater to be fully open in March, and that he is
planning charity events.
The Water Puppet Show is located on North Pattaya Road opposite World Gems
Collection. Show times are every day at 6:30 p.m., 7:45 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Sharing Love Project makes donation to the children of Ban Jing Jai
Wattanarat Srisuthiwattana,
representative of the Sharing Love Project presents the scholarship package to
Piangta Chumnoi, director of Ban Jing Jai.
Narisa Nitikarn
The Sharing Love Project initiated by Chonburi Kanyong Co Ltd arranged lunch and
a donation of utensils and stationary to the children of Ban Jing Jai on Soi
Nernplabwan on February 26.
Wattanarat Srisuthiwattana, the company’s assistant marketing director, said the
project was organized so that customers and employees could donate clothing and
educational materials, and that the donation period had started on February 4.
Along with the donations and lunch, the visitors presented scholarships worth
5,000 baht to Ban Jing Jai.
The Sharing Love Project Team
distributes food to the children.
Director of Ban Jing Jai Piangta Chumnoi said this home is
for vagrant children, orphans and the poverty-stricken. There is room for 64
children, although only 55 are at present living there. The youngest is three
years old and the eldest is 17.
Ban Jing Jai supports the children’s education until they are ready to leave
school and begin work. The home still lacks enough of a budget for monthly
expenses, but it does receive support with donations from organizations that
include Pattaya Sports Club, Jester Care for Kids, and PILC.
For more information or to make a donation to Ban Jing Jai please contact
Piangta Chumnoi, tel 04-6144389, or 0 3873 0125.
Abattoir quality control course aims to reassure overseas buyers
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Safety and hygiene control in slaughterhouses was the subject of a training
course conducted for 150 managers from meat processing companies and organized
by the Bureau of Livestock Standards and Certification at the Town in Town Hotel
February 21 to 24.
 Veterinarian
Wimonporn Thitisak, director of the Bureau of Livestock Standards and
Certification, presides over a seminar on abattoir quality control.
Amongst the international standards discussed in detail was the General Hazard
Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) standard, one of the most important for
food producers worldwide.
In addition to consumer safety at home, the course was designed to reassure
overseas buyers of the quality of Thai meat products.
In 2005 Thailand was the seventh largest country in the world for chicken meat
production. Thailand produced 1.2 million tons of chicken, and exported 265,000
tons at a value of almost 30.5 billion baht. The biggest exporters were Japan
and the EU.
After this training course at Pattaya City, a second group was scheduled for
training at Nakhon Nayok from March 7 to 10, and a third at Petchaburi from
March 21 to 24.
“Meat production and exporting faces many problems including a shortage of
workers, quality of raw materials, and animal epidemics,” said veterinarian
Wimonporn Thitisak, director of the Bureau of Livestock Standards and
Certification, one of the speakers at the course. “The countries receiving
exports have difficulty in coming to the source country to check and certify the
industry, and therefore the exporting countries need to be extremely
knowledgeable about all aspects of quality control.”
Costs and management qualifications agreed on for call center project
Narisa Nitikarn
System costs and qualifications for management personnel at the proposed
Pattaya Call Center were discussed at a February 27 meeting chaired by city
engineering director Sittiparp Muangkhum, and attended by members of the
center’s working committee and representatives from supplier TOT.
 City
engineering director Sittiparp Muangkhum presides over a meeting of the call
center working committee.
Sittiparp said that three IT specialists had been appointed, namely Bunchote
Sonkhom, head of architecture, Kittisak Aramruong and Prasobchok Phromin,
Pattaya City Council lawyer, who will oversee all aspects of mobilizing the call
center.
The meeting discussed system maintenance costs provided by the supply company
over a three-year period. As proposed earlier, over the first two years no
charges will be incurred, but 11 percent of the price of the equipment will be
charged. During the third to fifth years 1,263,000 baht will be charged per
year, totaling 3,789,000 baht over the three-year period.
Software maintenance will be charged at 9 percent of the cost of the software
for the first two years, after which software maintenance will cost 1,747,350
baht from year three to year five, a total of 5,242,050 baht and a grand total
of 9,031,050 baht.
Remuneration for system administrators and the qualifications of the call center
manager were also agreed. The manager must have a BA and computer system
management experience of between three and five years and have worked with not
less than 50 agents and projects valued at not less than 50 million baht.
The IT consultants added that the call center manager would have responsibility
for the system 24 hours a day and therefore an assistant manager would be
required. Representatives from TOT agreed and will seek assistant managers who
will work over three shifts.
PILC visits their projects in Pattaya
PILC members, shown here at the
Banglamung Boys Home, took a tour of some of their projects in Pattaya.
Helle Rantsén
PILC welfare chairperson
In the beginning of March a group of PILC members joined welfare chairperson
Helle Rantsén on an organised welfare tour to the various PILC projects just
outside Pattaya. These welfare tours have two purposes: one is to show the
members and sponsors what is accomplished with donated funds, and the other is
to create awareness and knowledge about the many different government
institutions in our area.
The first stop was for the Karunyawet Home for 370 disable ladies. This home is
known to quite a few PILC members because of the ongoing activity for 170 ladies
(makeup workshop) that some of them take part in. This time everybody was shown
the rest of the home and had an opportunity to meet the other 200 ladies living
at the Karunyawet. With only one caretaker helping 40 women at each dormitory,
the more mobile ladies have to help to less mobile. This is the reason that all
different handicapped ladies are living in the same room.
The next stop on the tour was to visit the Banglamung Boys Home. Last year PILC
and the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya renovated a dormitory for boys between
7-10 years old. Helle explained to the PILC members that one of the first
“rooms” she visits when “inspecting” a new project is the toilets.
“You can find out a lot about the condition of a building by looking at the
toilets,” Helle said, showing the newly renovated toilets to the PILC members.
Today the toilets, like the rest of the building, look their best.
While showing the PILC members around the dormitory Helle told the women that
one of the conditions the welfare team have before the team recommends a new
project like a renovation is that the dormitories are kept clean. “When keeping
a dormitory clean you show an interest in the maintence of the building and
teaches the children that this is their home and they (and the staff) have to
look after it.”
The dormitory at the Banglamung Boys Home are kept clean thanks to the hard
working staff who takes very good care of the 250 boys who come to Pattaya to
receive an education. Most of them are from poor or broken families all over
Thailand.
The last stop was the Chonburi emergency shelter and canteen. PILC worked
together with PSC and Jesters Care for Kids on this great project. PSC paid for
the new shelter building and the 2 other clubs shared the cost for the canteen.
Everyone with problems can come and stay at the emergency shelter, so the
numbers of people staying changes from day to day. The PILC members were
impressed with the shelter building; being mothers themselves they could not
help notice how one of the sinks in the toilet had been lowered to suit all the
younger children who stay at the shelter.
After having a cup of coffee in the nice canteen the PILC members said goodbye
after yet another eye opening welfare tour.
10 children are first to benefit from Bikes for Tykes project
Mercy Ministries Foundation and
Pattaya Sports Club combined to organize the bikes presentation.
Narisa Nitikarn
Ten bicycles were presented to 10 lucky students at Muang Pattaya School #7
on March 8 under the Bikes for Tykes project organized by the Mercy Ministries
Foundation and Pattaya Sports Club.
The presentation was made by Ministries projects manager, Prachuab Kurdnirund
and PSC charity chairman, Bernie Tuppin, who received a warm welcome from school
director Manat Kongwattana and his staff.
Prachuab said the purpose of the project was not only to give the students these
bikes to use for their private purposes, but also to use them for the benefit of
their families and neighbors. The children selected were good in class and came
from poor families, and were chosen from a list of 35 possible recipients. The
intention is to make another donation of bicycles next year.
The Mercy Scholarship project additionally distributed 35 scholarships to the
school.
GTCC regulars meet
at Moon River
Peter Nordhues
The German-Thai Chamber of Commerce held their Stammtisch meeting, the table
of regulars, on Friday March 10, within the familiar surroundings of the Moon
River Pub.
Neither Dr Paul Strunk nor Stefan Bürkle could attend this time, for both were
attending ITB in Berlin. Therefore honorary director Volker Fischer, who has
been living in Thailand for 43 years, presented the opening speech.
 (From
left to right) Volker Fischer, Helmut Buchberger and Harald Sandow enjoy the
evening with a cool German beer (or two).
He reported that the GTCC had elected a new board. Lothar Herrmann (Siemens Ltd)
and Vitoon Asampinpongs (Festo Ltd) are new, while Volker (Polipharm Co Ltd),
Andreas Klocke (KfW), Sumate Tanthuwanit (Ngoro Aock) and Dr Vichit Kiatsrichart
(Thai Saeng Charoen Polymers Co Ltd) were confirmed. Karl-Heinz Heckhausen
(DaimlerChrysler) is again the president of the chamber while Dr Vichit is vice
president.
Following the presentation, the many guests enjoyed the buffet and the great
hospitality of the Moon River Pub, along with the company of Alexandra Mueller,
guest service manager of the Thai Garden Resort.
The German-Thai Chamber of Commerce can be reached at GPO Box 1728, Bangkok
10501, Thailand, or by visiting http://www.gtcc.org.
Liam’s Gallery opens with display of 170 works from Thai and foreign artists
Vimolrat Singnikorn
A new art gallery has been opened on Pratamnak Hill Soi 4 by Liam Ayudhkij,
with many Thai and foreign artists gathering for the inauguration on March 4.
 Liam
Ayudhkij has opened Liam’s Gallery on Soi 4 Pratamnak Road.
For the opening, Liam’s Gallery presented an exhibition of 170 drawings and
sculptures by 16 Thai artists from Chulalongkorn University and Silapakorn
University. Part of the income from sales will be presented to children’s
charities.
The exhibition is on the 5th floor, and on the 2nd floor is a library corner
with Thai and foreign art books and information.
Liam’s Gallery is located at 352/107 Soi 4 Pratamnak Road, Moo 12 Nong Prue,
Banglamung, tel 0 3825 1808. It is open every day from 10:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.
|
