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Three Pattaya resorts win ASEAN Green Hotel Recognition Awards
Dusit Thani Pattaya’s
general manager Chatchawal Supachayanont (left) receives the ASEAN Green
Hotel Recognition Award from Dr. Suvit Yodmani, Minister of Tourism and
Sports and Chairman of ASEAN Tourism Ministers as Dr. Surin Pitsuwan,
ASEAN Secretary General looks on.
Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi
(center), Vice President of Siam City Hotels & Resorts, congratulates
Saran Nimihut (right), Regional General Manager and General Manager of
the Siam Bayshore Resort & Spa, Pattaya and Surapan Somthai (left),
General Manager of the Siam Bayview Hotel, Pattaya, on their hotels’
winning
the ASEAN Green Hotel Recognition Awards 2008.
The Dusit Thani, Pattaya, The Siam Bayshore Resort &
Spa, and The Siam Bayview Hotel all recently received ASEAN Green Hotel
Recognition certificates at an awards ceremony held in the Vibhavadee
Ballroom of the Sofitel Centara Grand Bangkok Hotel.
The three Pattaya resorts were among only 10 hotels throughout Thailand
selected based on their fulfilling of the ASEAN Green Hotel Standards,
which include long-term commitment to protecting the environment through
stringent environmental-friendly practices and energy conservation
measures.
The awards were presented at the eleventh meeting of ASEAN Tourism
Ministers held in conjunction with the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2008 in
Bangkok.
Commenting on being selected as one of the ten recipients, Chatchawal
Supachayanont, general manager of Dusit Thani Pattaya said: “The Dusit
Thani Pattaya is happy to accept this award from the ASEAN Green Hotel
Standard. The management and staff of our hotel have been working
closely with environmentally friendly organizations to show our support
in initiating programs aimed at creating a cleaner and better
environment. We promise to continue our efforts to help save Mother
Nature.”
GTCC sees good year ahead for German-Thai relations
Peter Nordhues
Members and friends of the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce (GTCC) met at
the Moon River Pub on Friday, January 11, for their first Stammtisch of the
year.
 (L
to R) GTCC Executive Manager Stefan Bürkle in an interview with Elfi Seitz,
executive editor of Pattaya Blatt.
Stefan Bürkle, new executive manager of the GTCC, and Rene Pisters, general
manager of the Thai Garden Resort, welcomed some 50 guests from the Eastern
Seaboard and Bangkok. Pisters raised a glass to propose a toast to 2008 and to
congratulate Bürkle on the occasion of his promotion.
“German-Thai business relations have been very successful in 2007,” Bürkle
announced. “Thailand has retained its attractiveness for investors world-wide.
German technology is very much appreciated in Thailand. Last year’s trade volume
between both nations totaled in more than 5 billion euro.”
He went on to say perspectives for 2008 aren’t so bad either. “Numerous
investors from Germany plan to become active in the Thai market. The most
promising project surely is Volkswagen’s consideration of establishing a plant
in the Kingdom. And then there is the German Technology Symposium and Exhibition
that will be held in Bangkok in November, where many entrepreneurs will get the
chance to present their products.”
Bürkle promised that the members would continue to meet the second Friday of
every other month at the same location.
Next, he said, the GTCC plans to expand its presence to all parts of the Eastern
Seaboard. “Let me invite all our members, friends and interested ones to join
our regular meetings. The chamber is by no means a bureaucratic organization.
You members are the chamber.”
Following the official part of the meeting, attendees indulged in the superb
buffet prepared by the Thai Garden Resort chefs. Wine and beer kept throats wet
and the active networking function going. Later on, the popular Power Jam Band
went on stage and performed their program of varied international hits until
late.
(L to R) Gerrit Niehaus, owner of Thai Garden
Resort,
Otto Duffner of Bei Otto, GTCC Executive Manager Stefan Bürkle,
and Rene Pisters, GM of Thai Garden Resort.
Networking is as easy as ABC
Members of the ABC pose after the function. (L to R)
Bjørn Hellesylt, Helmut Buchberger, Gerhard Wienand, Rainer Roessler, (2nd row)
Ingolf Kunz, Dieter Thelen, Michael Breeger and Gerd Wackernagel.
Peter Nordhues
The Asian Business Club met on January 15 at Woodlands Hotel and Resort for its
first gathering of 2008, when ABC chairman Helmut Buchberger announced the goals
of the coming year that he and all members are confident of achieving.
Exchanging information, fostering business ties and presenting the service of
all club members is the main idea of ABC, and now the club is poised to organize
new highlight events.
Planned are lectures from consultants about topics of general interest.
Networking nights are also set to take place, as a chance for members to promote
their own businesses. In the past, this concept has proven to be the right
decision, and club members are positive to see this successful concept return.
Members agreed to hold their meetings every other Tuesday, so everybody should
have the chance to attend at least once a month.
ABC supports all entrepreneurs and executive employees that conduct a business
in Asia. There are no restrictions to political, religious or ideological
preferences. The club itself serves as a platform and has no financial or
business related interests. The official language is English, but conversations
in various other languages have always been a trademark of the ABC functions.
For more information click on www.asian-business-club.org or send an email to
[email protected]
Public urged to become
kidney donors
Thai Red Cross says many more lives could be saved
Kamolthep Malhotra
The Ministry of Public Health is working with the Thai Red Cross to urge
members of the public to perform a great merit by donating their kidneys upon
their own deaths for use as transplants in those who are suffering from severe
kidney disease.
Dr Prat Bunyawongviroj, permanent secretary at the Ministry said the campaign
follows the initiative set out by Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani, patron of
the Kidney Foundation of Thailand.
The Ministry of Public Health has assigned 95 hospitals throughout the country
to act as centers where people can sign up to donate organs. If a donor is
declared brain-dead, the Thai Red Cross Organ Donation Center will be contacted,
as it is the center for providing the donated organs to patients waiting for
operations.
Dr Prat said that the transplant of an organ is the last option for curing a
patient with failure of the heart, lungs, liver, pancreas or kidney. One intact
disease-free body can supply enough internal organs for seven transplants.
There are a large number of people in Thailand who need to have their blood
purified daily by using a kidney dialysis machine. Many of these people can
resume relatively normal lives if kidneys are donated. To date, 91,888 kidney
transplants have been performed throughout the country, taking the kidneys from
newly deceased people.
“Currently, the main problem in Thailand is the lack of organs for implantation,
due to the small number of donors,” said Dr Prat. “Many people do not consider
becoming donors because they believe in their next lives they would not have a
complete set of organs.
“Understanding needs to be created by the Ministry of Public Health, to assign
medical personnel to propose to patients’ relatives who have been diagnosed as
brain dead, to donate their intact organs to patients who are waiting for
transplants, which can prolong their lives.
“This is especially for using organs from people who have died because of
accidents, because they are still intact and can be used as a last option for
patients who are waiting for a donated organ. This will be a great merit made by
the deceased person.”
Dr Prat said that the Ministry of Public Health has a plan to develop Rajvithi
Hospital to become a professional transplant center for transplanting kidneys,
livers, hearts and lungs. Currently the hospital has four regional hospitals
under its responsibility that perform kidney transplants. They are Chonburi
Hospital, Budhachinarat Hospital in Pitsanuloke, Rayong Hospital, and the
Sapasitthiprasong Hospital in Ubon Ratchathani.
Sokha catches
Cambodian boom
Sirima Eamtako
(TTG Asia)
The high-profile groundbreaking ceremony of the 33km road link to the top of
Bokor Mountain in Cambodia’s south-western coastal province of Kampot,
presided over by prime minister, Hun Sen, last week, is paving the way for
the development of the country’s newest tourism destination.
Sokha Hotels and Resorts, the hotel investment and management arm of
Cambodia’s petroleum giant Sokimex, is developing a US$1 billion mix-use
project, including an 800-room five-star casino hotel, theme park, shopping
mall, residential complexes, restaurants and community facilities and
infrastructure.
Bokor Mountain Resort is set on a 2,500-hectare area atop Bokor Mountain in
Bokor Resort town in Kampot, located 148km south of Phnom Penh, and near the
south-western coastal provinces of Sihanoukville and Koh Kong.
Sokha Hotels and Resorts group general manager, Mr. Bobby Toh, said the area
used to welcome a number of tourists especially from Europe. However,
because of the war, the resort with its 20 French colonial-style buildings
was left in ruins and the road was damaged.
Mr. Toh added: “With Cambodia now enjoying a tourism boom, with the country
hitting the two-million-arrival mark for the first time last year, and good
annual arrivals anticipated, now is the time to start redeveloping the once
popular destination.” He said the plan was to develop the area into a
world-class tourist attraction and lifestyle city.
Construction of the five-star casino hotel and theme park and restoration of
the 20 French colonial-style buildings into restaurants and mid-range
accommodation, is scheduled to begin once the US$20-million road works is
completed within the next 30 months.
The hotel and tourism related projects are scheduled to be completed by
around mid-2012. The entire project, which will also involve all related
road works, water supply station, water treatment systems, vegetable farms,
fruit orchards, a hospital and school, is slated to be completed in phases
within the next 15 years.
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