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Thai model shines at Lighthouse Club Networking Event
Paul Strachan
Last month I reported on how the Lighthouse Club in
Pattaya had given itself something of a shake-up, a change that had been
welcomed by its members and one that had seem the numbers rise at their
monthly networking events.
Tracy Cosgrove, who heads up the Melissa Cosgrove Foundation, addresses
the gathering.
This month’s event was held at the increasingly popular
Pullman Aisawan Pattaya on Friday June 4, and to say it was well attended
would be a vast understatement. Nearly 200 people came along to assist the
work of LHC which in turn helps children who have been disadvantaged by the
building trade.
Now why would this be? Was it due to the low entry price
of 200 baht for LHC members and women? Was it the mix of networking,
overlooking the tranquil Wongamat Bay at a 5 star hotel? Well it might have
been, but certainly one of the reasons that it was a bustling hive of
activity was due to the attendance of a young, beautiful and diminutive
model from Bangkok, Xanny Disjad.
(L to R) Prachuab “Peace” Kurdnirund from Peace Property Services shares
a drink and a smile with Steve Pestell from Global Solidor Properties.
Now, was this a cheap attempt to get the numbers up by
bringing some glamour into play? Well if it was, it certainly paid off as
there was a frenzied swapping of business cards by networkers old and new.
Another Thai celeb also graced the evening, DJ Nakadia,
who was doing a special one night gig at the bEd club (formerly -5
Supperclub).
The low price of 200 baht for all women (members or not)
encouraged a few expat ladies and a large contingent of Thai females to come
along and lend their support to the club. The speeches were kept short and
there was a brief auction to add in a little extra zing to the night.
Dmitry Simonov (left) from Katalina and Sami Sarajrvi
(right) from Happy Homes.
East Furniture & Interiors was the sponsor for the
evening and must have been delighted by the turnout - which gave them a
chance to showcase just a very brief example of their goods. Director
Swithun Gibbs-Kennet and his team were seen answering the many inquiries put
to them.
There were simply too many names to mention, but of
course Tracy Cosgrove (LHC board member) who heads up the Melissa Cosgrove
Foundation was on hand to keep everybody in check and keep things moving
along nicely. A special mention should also go to John Howarth who was
celebrating his birthday on the day and is still collecting sponsors for his
charity tandem sky-dive which will take place next month - if you fancy
sponsoring him get in touch via his email:
[email protected].
Claudia Fassbender (right) bid for and won this lamp
donated by East Furniture, represented by staff member Rutchada Nonthasin.
In an interview with Xanny for Pattaya Mail Television
she was quick to point out that she was simply too tiny to do catwalk
modeling; however, she was up for pretty much anything else, it seemed, as
she said this - that certainly the males in the room were painting imaginary
pictures in their heads.
So what next for the Lighthouse Club? Can it get any
better? Good company, new friends, beautiful people, it’s a great way to
spend a Friday night. Oh yeah, and don’t forget: it’s all about charity.
The next Lighthouse Club Networking event will be held on
Friday the 2nd of July, venue still to be announced.
You can keep up to date with them on their website <http://lighthousepattaya.com/>
or their Facebook page and maybe next month we will see you there.
(L to R) Craig Turner from Right Move Pattaya and Richard Arthur from BIZ
House enjoy a Kodak moment with Pattaya Mail Television presenter Paul
Strachan.
Paul Strachan (right) of
Pattaya Mail Television happily poses with young,
beautiful and diminutive model from Bangkok, Xanny Disjad.
(L to R) MLG Insurance’s
Jack Levy, Mark Thomson with Paradise City Property Rayong, and Gavin
Perfect from Paradise City Property Pattaya talk about the housing market.
The East Furniture Team
(from left to right) Woranut “Nut” Anusuriya sales manager; Swithun “John”
Gibbs-kennet, director; Maneerut “Mo” Settha; Chawarit “Tony” Chankiew; and
Rutchada “Rutda” Nonthasin.
Pattaya youth ambassador program readies next campaign
Aspiring ambassadors listen intently to the presentation.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Pattaya is again looking for a few talented students to
become its next tourist “ambassadors” to help promote Pattaya while
simultaneously earning scholarships to advance their educations.
Sponsored by the city, Central Festival Pattaya, the Hard
Rock Hotel and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, this year’s campaign kicks
off with about 300 applicants who will take knowledge exams July 5. The 90
students who make that cut will face additional tests until the new
ambassadors are chosen July 9 at Central Festival.
A major selection is that applicants must have a solid
grasp of the area’s history. The upcoming exam covers Pattaya City
administration and history, the city’s global image, speech-making and
presentation, cultural arts and Basic English.
The winner and runner-up will win 25,000 baht and 15,000
baht, respectively. There will also be prizes for talent and speech-making
with 2,000 baht prizes. Semi-finalists will also receive 2,000 baht.
Some of this year’s hopefuls prepare to enter the Young Pattaya PR
Ambassador training program and competition.
Young singers perform during this year’s
announcement ceremony at Central
Festival Pattaya.
Chonburi teen wins international magician’s award
Chonkalyanukul student Benjamas Sapsuk (center) receives
her Merlin Award for Best Cultural Magic from International Magicians
Society founder Tony Hassini (3rd right).
Thanachot Anuwan
A Chonburi teenager with a gift for illusion has won
international acclaim for being one of Thailand’s best new magicians.
Chonkalyanukul School student Benjamas Sapsuk was awarded
a coveted “Merlin Award” for Best Cultural Magic by International Magicians
Society founder Tony Hassini June 1 at the Chon Inter Hotel in Chonburi. The
recognition came after Hassini saw her performance at February’s Bangkok
International Magic Extravagance show in Bangkok.
The Merlin statuette will be formally presented to
Benjamas at the upcoming Asian Magic Competition in Malaysia, where she will
also compete.
While only in high school, Benjamas has already pulled a
number of rabbits out her magical hat. She won the Best Thai Magician prize
at the Pattaya International Magic Festival 2007, was runner-up at the Youth
MBK International Championship and most recently won the International Arts
and Craft Student 2009 award. She also has received royal recognition for
her illusionary talents as well as taking top youth prizes in Chonburi this
year.
Her international break, however, came when Hassini
videotaped her performance in Bangkok and then asked for her e-mail address.
Unbeknownst to her, he was nominating her for a Merlin prize.
The top Merlin Award is given to the leading lights of
the magic industry with former winners including the likes of David
Copperfield, Doug Henning and Penn & Teller. Other specialized awards are
given out for everything from knife throwing to close-up magic to industry
technology. In Benjamas’ case, the cultural magic award ties to her other
interest: Thai traditional dance.
Caring for Kids in July on
Independence Day Weekend
Lewis Underwood
Last year on the 4th of July, when
Americans around the globe celebrated Independence Day, Ed Behr from Richman
Poorman, George Knickerbocker from Viking Beachcomber and Steve Gray also
put together a fest to commemorate the occasion. The venue was Eddie’s place
in Jomtien and it was not only a party for Americans, families and friends,
but also an event to benefit our Jesters Care for Kids Charity Drive. In
mere days, these guys managed to organize not just a great party, but by
selling raffle tickets and collecting donations, also raised 50,000 baht for
needy kids’ projects!
Spurred by their success last year, the same threesome
was inspired to do it again, except this time around to go even bigger. They
decided to make it a 3-day extravaganza by incorporating both the Canadian
and American Independence Days with a golf tournament sandwiched in between.
And their goal this year was to go Platinum, or in our terms, to raise
100,000 baht!
Richman Poorman Guesthouse on Soi 9 in Jomtien will again
be the center of the festivities, starting with Canada Day on Thursday, July
1st from 2 p.m. onwards with plenty of hot food and
cold beverages. The next day, Friday, July 2nd will
see their Independence 4-Man Golf Scramble at Emerald Golf Course in Ban
Chang starting at 11 a.m. followed by buffet dinner and prize-giving back at
the guesthouse. And then after a day off to cool one’s heels, on Sunday,
July 4th they will host the American Independence Day
celebration starting at 2 p.m. with a grand barbecue and big raffle.
It looks to be a huge weekend with lots of fun and at the same time doing
some good for our community. Everyone is invited to join in!
AustCham rocks (and eats and drinks and chats)
Dr Iain Corness
The Australian Chamber of Commerce Thailand (Aust Cham)
held another in their series of Seaboard Sundowners at the Hard Rock Hotel
Pattaya in its Hall of Fame.
Geoffrey R. Storey and Supaporn share a moment.
Numbers were a little down on previously, but with the
British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT) holding a simultaneous event
this would be reflected in the attendance.
The gregarious Australian Ambassador HE Paul Grigson
attended the networking evening, having previously delivered a ‘state of the
nation’ report to any passport-holding Aussies.
AustCham itself was represented by the current AustCham
president Andrew Durieux and its Executive Director Brett (Brylcream)
Gannaway, but the friendly nature of the Australian contingent was very
obvious. The Aussie red and white wines helped!
Jorge Carlos Smith, general manager of Hard Rock Pattaya poses with Dr.
Iain Corness.
The sponsors of the networking included the airline V
Australia (part of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin group) represented by the
charming duo of Thai ladies Sarinya and Sarinrat, one of whom was
interviewed for Pattaya Mail TV and who was so nervous she dropped
the plane and broke the wing off it. She assured me, this never happens in
real life. V Australia has its head office in Brisbane Australia and flies
into Phuket each week, which is a small island down near the bottom of
Thailand. It was pointed out that V Australia would do much better if it
flew into U-Tapao.
Robin Hyde, Seabra International Mover; Dr. Iain Corness;
and Dr. Sergey Kolmakov, Bangkok Hospital Pattaya.
The other sponsor was the Hard Rock Hotel itself, with
its jolly Portuguese/British GM Jorge Carlos Smith in no doubt as to where
his football loyalties would lie. Mateus Rose is enough of a hint! Jorge
also mentioned that Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya is now 10 years old and will be
going through planned renovations during the low season this year.
The Australians were well fed by the executive chef
Joseph Gee, with the mini-hamburgers being particularly popular, washed down
by the Broken Hills wines.
Greg Hoole, Precision Springs; and Kittruk In-Nok, senior
sales manager of Hard Rock Pattaya.
Down from Bangkok was Dr. Peter Morley from Bumrungrad
Hospital, but Dr Sergey from the Bangkok Hospital Pattaya was not going to
give away any trade secrets. Other members in attendance included fourth
generation Australian Hugh Spring, and Peter Scott from the Coverage IT
group.
Locals included Paul Wilkinson (AGS Four Winds
International Movers), famous Australian painter Robert Hagan and John
Seymour (NT Group) plus regulars such as Robin Hyde from Seabras (mermaid
outfitters?) and Michael Chick and his effervescent wife from The Coffee
Club, which incidentally began in Brisbane’s West End, so they could fly
home on V Australia, if they lived in Phuket!
As always, another very convivial Seaboard Sundowners evening, and
enjoyed by everyone.
Elyes Ben Brahim, Hard Rock Pattaya director of operations;
Alan S. Verstein; and Alexander Hutton, Simplicity International.
Michael Chick, general manager of The Coffee Club
(Thailand) Ltd.;
and Chateha Supaspi, also from the Coffee Club enjoy a chat with Preetika
Patel.
David L. Bell, managing director of Ra-Kahng
Associates Limited;
Amelia Henty, first secretary political and economic section;
and David Armstrong, director of the Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce.
(L to R) Andrew Durieux chats with Denise and Pitil
Bowles.
Piyawan Suwapap, sales & marketing executive with
Virgin Blue;
Sarinya Holloway, sales marketing manager with Virgin Blue; and Sarinrat
Tassanachainun, sales & marketing executive with Virgin Blue introduce V
Australia.
Sucheera Chankam, sales manager of Hard Rock Pattaya;
Seo Young Kim,
sales manager - Korea, for Hard Rock Pattaya; Siranoot Kunavanuvat,
marketing communications coordinator with Hard Rock Pattaya.
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