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Thai Garden Resort receives Best SME Company award
Paul Strachan
One of Pattaya’s most famous locations, the Thai Garden Resort
was honored at the Netherlands-Thai Chamber of Commerce (NTCC) and
Belgian-Luxembourg/Thai Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2009.
 Rene
Pisters, Thai Garden Resort General Manager (left) and Suchada
Ithijarukul Managing Director of Siam Makro Public Co., Ltd. (right)
proudly display their Best SME Company awards.
The festive evening took place at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in
Bangkok on Thursday October 1.
The Business Awards of the Netherlands-Thai Chamber of Commerce and
Belgian-Luxembourg/Thai Chamber of Commerce was established in 1998 to
pay homage to some of the finest companies for the way in which they
excel in business and for their contribution to Thai society. The
foundation for relations between Thailand and the Benelux
(Belgian-Netherlands-Luxembourg) was first laid over 400 years ago when
Dutch traders arrived in Ayuthaya. This strong relationship led to the
exchange of many cultural and social traits, but the original foundation
has always been about business. Mutually beneficial business remains a
strong element underpinning the continued success of the relationship
even today.
 Rene
Pisters , Thai Garden Resort General Manager (center), flanked by Korn
Chatikavanij, Finance Minister (left) and H.E. Tjaco van den Hout, the
Netherlands Ambassador to Thailand, (right) at the award ceremony.
The Benelux business community is represented in Thailand by
multinationals like Philips, ING, Solvay, Heineken, TNT, Katoen Natie,
Océ, Shell and Unilever, as well as by many successful SME’s.
From the applications, the jury short listed several nominees after
careful review. The selected applicants were then put under extreme
scrutiny when judges performed in-depth interviews with each before
reaching a final decision.
The task of the jury consisted of carefully examining the candidate
companies in view of certain criteria, and comparing the candidates with
each other in that regard.
The jury looked at innovation, corporate social responsibility, human
resources development, promotion of Thai-Benelux relations and overall
business achievement as the criteria to decide on the final winners.
Thai Garden Resort in Pattaya won the Best SME Company award.
As one of the best hotel-resorts in Pattaya, it is well managed by
Dutchman Rene Pisters and caters mostly to Benelux and German tourists.
The substantial renovation last year, which included a great 63-meter
pool, allowed Thai Garden Resort to climb up a notch from 3- to 4-star
resort.
The dedicated management team has received rave reviews on all major
hotel review sites and in addition is a great corporate citizen in terms
of care for the environment (towels, warm water via solar panels, etc)
and care for the staff (nobody laid off during difficult times as staff
worked on the renovation).
General Manager Rene Pisters put the success of the resort down to the
team effort of all the 150 staff, he pointed out that many of them had
been with them for many years, and to the owner Gerrit Niehaus for his
commitment to Pattaya and the Thai Garden Resort.
Pisters pointed out that that they had taken the global economic
downturn as an opportunity to make more refinements to the resort, in
terms of disabled access, upgrading rooms and keeping at the forefront
of environmental issues.
Other award recipients on the night were Chuchawal Royal Haskoning, ING
Life Limited, Ayudhya Insurance, B. Foods Product International (Betagro
Group), Thai Orchids and Heuschen & Schrouff and Siam Makro Public
Company Limited who won Best Idea Award for Makro Retailer Alliance
Project. Siam Makro will be opening a branch in Pattaya at the end of
this year.
This was a great evening at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. The staff
there treated guests to a sumptuous meal and entertainment.
The evening was summed up best by Rene Pisters when he said that this
ceremony highlighted Pattaya as a major force, in terms of business and
innovation, and paves the way for further investment in this wonderful
city.
For more information on Thai Garden Resort: www .thaigarden.com
The proud and happy Thai Garden Resort team,
from left: Rattanaporn Phumman, Sales Manager, Sanich Benjaman,
Executive Assistant Manager
in charge of Operations, Rene Pisters, General Manager, Teerachon
Kanannir, Personnel Manager, Vilawan Chaichumporn, Executive Assistant
Manager in charge of Administration, Danilo Becker Operations Manager,
Gerrit Niehaus,
the propreiter and his charming wife Anselma.
Thais warned not to go lower
Sirima Eamtako,
TTG Asia
Thailand stunned mart buyers at the IT&CMA and CTW in Bangkok
by dropping room rates further, prompting buyers to warn that the
destination was doing more harm than good to itself.
Buyers expect another five to 10 percent rate cut on top of the 30 to 40
percent reductions put in place gradually over the year as the
destination grappled with the global recession, protracted
anti-government protests at home and A/H1N1.
Ludovic Gallerne, sales and marketing brand director of Marriott Resort
& Spa for Bangkok, Hua Hin and Pattaya properties, said the group would
remain price-competitive during this high season. The group has pulled
its low season two-plus-one deal but will retain discounts of 10 to 20
percent for the high season.
Buyers, however, questioned the effectiveness of further cuts. “We have
to find the level of prices that are acceptable by both parties. Because
when you give discounts, you also take away some level of service
standards too,” cautioned Bo Lindblad, owner of Sweden’s First Class
Travel.
Les Alford, conference and events manager of Australia’s Incentive House
Travel, added, “It will destroy the market. When demand returns, it will
be hard for hotels to bring up rates to the regular level.”
The cycle of discounts would also encourage negative buyer behavior,
they warned. France’s MHB Congress International general manager
Mireille Berstein warned that companies would press for discounts even
after budgets returned to normal with the economic recovery.
Aussies take over Holiday Inn
(L to R) Sineenart Soontornnon, international
marketing coordinator at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya; Pratheep S. Malhotra,
managing director of Pattaya Mail Publishing Co., Ltd.; Naritsara Chanpheng,
marketing officer for Footwear Tech 1530 Co., Ltd.; Pattaravadee Wangviriyaphan,
marketing executive in the International Marketing Department, Bangkok Hospital
Pattaya; Barry Main, sales & marketing director, Thai Visa.com; and Dr. Iain
Corness.
Dr. Iain Corness
The new Holiday Inn on Beach Road had only been open nine days when GM
Craig Ryan welcomed the Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce (AustCham) to its
Havana Bar. Words like “bar” and “Aussie” and “fun” all seem to run together,
and there was no doubt that the first-ever Seaboard Sundowners networking night
at the Holiday Inn was a great success.
 John
Pollard, managing director of Meinhardt (Thailand) Ltd.; H.E. Paul Grigson,
Australian Ambassador to Thailand; and Joe Barker-Bennett, managing director of
JMBB Consulting Co. Ltd.
With AustCham’s man on the ground in the Eastern Seaboard, Paul Wilkinson, also
having organized the ESB Charity Golf Open, this provided another influx of
sunburned partygoers, with a thirst!
It was also very good to see the Australian Ambassador Paul Grigson attending
another of these functions. The open friendly nature of the Australians comes
right from the top. In addition to the current AustCham president Andrew
Durieux, past presidents Gary Woollacott and John Hancock had made the trip down
and assisted executive director (Brylcream) Brett Gannaway in welcoming members,
golfers and guests.
 (L
to R) Bob Franklin, Richard Cunliffe, and Mark Shepherd.
One corner was taken over by the Bosch group with Ray d’Silva and Ken Bright
being hosts for Melburnians Paul Waters and Michael Delacorn. All were hoping
that the annual Bathurst 1000 km classic would be shown here on TV. I knew for a
fact that the Pattaya Mail TV does not get the telecast, but I wished
them happy remote button pushing for the Sunday.
The gregarious nature of the Aussies also attracts ‘foreigners’ with Maurice
Bromley (SA) and his lovely wife Renita (Philippines), George Strampp (USA) just
back from his summer sojourn in Italy, Mike and Roseann Diamente (USA), Jimmy
and Jenny Howard (UK), Greg Pitt and Trevor Allen (UK) plotting a revolution at
one end of the bar, while Jeffrey Burrows (UK/Swiss) was looking every bit the
elder statesman at the other end of the Havana’s long bar.
 (L
to R) Dr. Iain Corness; Jenny Howard; and James Howard, advisor for Milan Crosse
Creative Ltd.
Back on the business front, expanding local entrepreneur John Seymour (Northern
Thai) discussed on Pattaya Mail TV how his formula for beating the
recession included expansion, having now opened an office in the Philippines, as
well as adding a new office to his Pattaya group.
Local representatives of the Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, Ann and Nan, spoke to
everyone about the cancer detection programs the hospital is running, with the
current one being for women, followed after that by a general program in
November.
 (L
to R) Stephen Morton, Rodney Pattison, and Pratheep Malhotra.
However, business talk and name card exchange slowly turned towards the very
pleasant Broken Hills red and just general enjoyment. The lovely young ladies
from the Holiday Inn circulated with servings of nibbles and pizza, but no
plates to put it on, so there were some strange eating (slurping) habits
demonstrated while trying not to drop a hot slippery pizza on the floor. Rodney
Pattison, billed as Asia’s Funniest Comedy Hypnotist, invited everyone to look
deep into his eyes and go to sleep, while the D2 baraquda GM Paulo Randone
(complete with a freshly dyed chin ornament) was having a look to see if any of
his staff had defected!
 John
Seymour (left), managing director, Northern Thai Realty & Export Co., Ltd.; and
Dr. Iain Corness (right).
The Holiday Inn’s Hans Van Steertegem called upon his 22 years in the
hospitality industry and kept everything going smoothly, and even arranged for
me to be shown the rooms (opening special of B. 1999++ with two breakfasts),
which are excellent and very well appointed.
It was a great evening in a similarly great venue. Pattaya can be proud of this
new addition in the hospitality stakes, and over the next few weeks there will
be some reviews of the food and beverage outlets, run in the Pattaya Mail.
Rosanne Diamente and Michael Diamente.
Sineenart Kuncharoen (left), business development
manager for Austrade, and Maurine Lam (right),
regional senior trade and investment commissioner for Austrade.
Gary McEwan (left), business development manager for
Grant Thornton;
and Gary Humby (right) from Dutch-Fence Ltd.
(L to R) Hans Van Steertegem, executive assistant
manager
food and beverage, Holiday Inn; and Dr. Iain Corness.
(L to R) Mark Bowling, sales manager for Colliers
International;
Warisa Raktham, sales supervisor for Colliers International;
and Alan Verstein, Siam Gazette.
(L to R) Michael Chick, general manager of the
Coffee Club
(Thailand) Ltd.; Preetika Patel; and Paul from the Coffee Club.
Chiham Noda (left) and Eriko Fujie (right),
director of sales and marketing at dusitD2 baraquda Pattaya.
(L to R) Gary Woollacott; Craig J Ryan, general
manager of the Holiday Inn Pattaya; and Paolo Randone, guru of dusitD2 baraquda
Pattaya.
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