Ninety-nine percent is not good enough

“Ninety-nine percent is not good enough.” This was the message given by speaker Kim Johansen to the Pattaya City Expats Club at its Sunday, September 25 meeting at the Amari’s Tavern by the Sea Restaurant. Master of Ceremonies Richard Silverberg introduced Kim who was the builder, operator, and now former owner of the Pattaya Bay Resort Hotel.

Kim Johansen relates his miraculously successful experience designing, constructing, managing and selling his Pattaya Bay Resort Hotel.

Kim has had a long and distinguished career in the field of emergency medical services. He has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Dr. of Public Health Degree. He served as Chief of the San Francisco Ambulance Service for 18 years, most notably during the 1989 earthquake. During his career he has been responsible for the emergency medical care of five U.S. Presidents, a health care advisor to the Chinese government, coordinator for the emergency medical services for Pope John Paul’s visit to the Philippines in 1995, and in 2001 he began serving as the Director of Health & Safety for the 20th World Scout Jamboree held in Sattahip, Thailand - a three year project. He has been in Thailand ever since.

Kim mentioned that at the time of his previous talk to the Club about the hotel, he had just completed construction and started operations. He has recently sold it to a hotel group based in Bangkok. Using a PowerPoint presentation, Kim launched into one of the most informative and interesting presentations the Club has had. He pointed out that when he undertook to build a hotel, he had no hotel business experience other than having been a guest in numerous hotels; but being a guest, he knew what he liked and didn’t like; e.g., adequate electrical outlets, lighting, equipment that works, and comfort. Kim said that the underlying guiding principle for both construction and operation was that 99% was not good enough - it had to be 100% right.

Apple, the managing director of the DMC Happy Learning School, explains her unique approach to teaching foreign languages.

The first part of his presentation dealt with the initial planning and construction, including how to find the right contractor, terms to put into the contract, and oversight of the construction work. He said he kept the building at 8 floors because anything more than that would need an environmental review and approval from Bangkok; which would be more time consuming. He explained that respecting Thai culture and looking after the workers welfare helped to keep a satisfied work force. As a result, the construction projected to be completed in 12 months was finished in 10 and a half.

He then explained how he set about hiring and training staff to provide the type of service he expected. He also said that a key to getting this service was to treat staff well and provide them with a good salary, benefits, and rewards for good performance. He said they learned quickly about his philosophy that 99% was not good enough. That philosophy, he attributes to the success of the hotel noting that it had an average occupancy of 85% for four and a half years with 65% of their guests being repeat customers. For operations, the hotel’s motto was “traditional Thai service with modern conveniences.”

Jan Chris Von Koss (left) and Richard Silverberg listen to Richard Smith describe the Club’s new, additional, group health insurance policy that will provide coverage for some older members.

Kim said that from the start, he wanted everything done legally. He ensured that taxes were paid, all computer software was licensed, immigration reports were made as required, no underage guests were permitted, and friendly relations were kept with the police and other officials. This, he said, saved him a lot of grief when a disgruntled former employee tried to cause problems by making complaints to labor authorities, police, and other officials alleging violations. He concluded by saying that the hotel was always an investment and that when the market was right, he sought a buyer. He explained the buyer’s due diligence and how he had the sales contract include a requirement to keep on the present staff.
After Kim answered many questions from the audience, Richard Silverberg updated everyone on upcoming events and called on Roy Albiston to conduct the always informative and sometime humorous Open Forum where questions are asked and answered about expat living in Thailand, recommendations for restaurants and movies are made, an and perhaps a joke or two are told.

dusitD2 baraquda Pattaya organizes a 5-star trip for kids from Camillian Home, Bangkok

Staff and guests are having a great time at dusitD2.

Are you affected by, or living with someone who has HIV/AIDS or are handicapped? Have you ever helped provide services to children or families living with HIV/AIDS or handicapped?

So many questions, but here at dusitD2 baraquda Pattaya we focus on one only … what are we going to do about it? And as a dusitD2 belief “Action counts more than words.”

The management & staff of dusitD2 baraquda Pattaya, led by Michael Ganster (general manager) welcomed 12 kids from the Camillian Home - Relief Center for children living with disabilities and HIV/AIDS to experience a 5-star hotel experience on September 27.

Apart from a luxury night stay in the hotel’s spectacular rooms, kids were delightfully treated with a fun hotel tour, a cake decoration activity and delicious dinner at the s.e.a. restaurant. All kids were excited and impressed with activities dusitD2 staff provided. As Jack, one of the HIV/AIDS teenagers said, “This is our first hotel experience … my friends and I truly enjoy everything the hotel put together for us.”

Joy mixed with sadness, tears mixed with laughter, the innocent and liveliness of those wonderful kids almost caused tears to the entire dusitD2 staff. Now the dusitD2 staff have a much better understanding of this virus and will continue to support this center thought out the year and years to come as their social care project.

“What dusitD2 baraquda Pattaya contributed to the kids today was priceless, it’s not just the food, accommodation, activities or the gifts, it’s the sincerity that dusitD2 staff brought and expressed to us and we really appreciated,” said father Giovanni

Camillian Home is a registered non-profit children’s charity operating on behalf of the St. Camillus Foundation of Thailand in the area of Lat Krabang, Bangkok.

The Home was initiated by Father Giovanni Contarin, an Italian Priest who has done extensive work for the poor in Thailand over the past 25 years. It targets orphaned children who are not only living with HIV/AIDS but who are also disabled - physically, mentally, or both. Managed by the St. Camillus Foundation of Thailand, children are brought up and taught values based on their own beliefs and cultural backgrounds. Everyone is free to express and follow their faith, whatever it may be.

Mermaids Dive Center trash assassins set a new record

Clean up day has 351 participants

Some happy winners in the lucky draw back at the Captain’s Table.

Sheena Walls

Mermaids Dive Center, a PADI 5 star Career Development Center based in Jomtien, Pattaya, held its annual International Clean up day on September 17 on the south beach and reef of Koh Sak Island. Koh Sak is located 40 minutes from Pattaya Beach and a local attraction for day visitors.

Always a popular day on any diver’s calendar, the Mermaids Dive Center International Cleanup day began in 2008 with 176 participants. Now in its 4th year running, the number of participants has increased to a record breaking 351 people ranging from non swimmers and snorkelers to divers at all levels.

Fire twirlers are a big hit at the party.

Taking part in the clean up were local residents from Pattaya and Bangkok, as well as students, teachers and parents from NIST and RIS International schools in Bangkok, Regents School in Pattaya and Garden School in Rayong. Mermaid’s staff and students handled the day’s logistics and joined in with diving and cleaning.

The day started at 6.30 a.m. at the main operations center located in Jomtien. All participants registered and received a special commemorative T shirt to mark the day’s occasion. Breakfast was provided at Papa David’s restaurant and the transfer to the 9 awaiting boats at Bali Hai Pier began.

This year’s event drew 351 participants.

Once on board each boat, the Mermaids boat master gave participants a detailed overview of the facilities on board and the schedule for the day. Led by the Mermaids safety speedboat, all 9 boats soon set off for Koh Sak. There was a lot of excitement and cheering on board each boat.

On arrival at Koh Sak, everyone listened to their dive and snorkel briefs from the Mermaids team leaders on board. For the next hour, divers and snorkelers brought trash back to their boats to be counted and logged for statistics. Amongst the trash collected were old shoes and a lot of broken glass.

Catching some shuteye after a long day assassinating trash from the sea.

Lunch was served and everyone settled down to relax and talk about their findings. Those that had been on the clean up in previous years remarked that the trash seemed to be a little less this year. Those that were attending for the first year were dismayed at the amount of rubbish coming out of the water. For those with a little more energy, swimming and stand up paddle boarding with Amara Watersports kept everyone entertained.

After lunch, everyone swam or took the quicker trip in the safety speedboat over to the beach to start the cleanup. After cleaning the beach to its former pristine condition, everyone gathered together for the group photo. The safety speed boat then took the non swimmers back to their boats and the divers returned to kit up for their second dive of the day. Most snorkelers decided to stay on the beach and hunt for more trash.

Snorkelers set off for the shallows.

After their briefings the divers returned to the water to see what else they could collect. The safety speedboat with a lot of helpers returned back to the beach to collect all the trash and transferred this onto the 9 boats. Once everyone was back on board and a final check was done, the 9 boats with their trash collection started their return journey back to Bali Hai Pier.

This year the trash was estimated 3.5 tons. Amongst the items collected were old shoes, car parts, rope, fishing line, food packaging, polystyrene, cans, plastic bottles, glass and clothing. The biggest find of the day was a TV. This was slightly more than the 3 tons collected in 2010.

In you go. Don’t forget who your buddy is.

Upon arrival back at Bali Hai, everyone made their way to the evening event at the Captains Corner Restaurant in the Residence Gardens Hotel. After a fabulous buffet dinner everyone settled down to hear the prize draw for the Mermaids Dive Warrior Junior Master Scuba Diver Internship. The Mermaids Dive Warrior is open for all 10 to 15 year old divers to join us to learn more about the underwater world. Congratulations to Hina Yamada, from NIST International School in Bangkok who won the prize valued at 120,000 baht.

The main raffle prizes were drawn with prizes ranging from diving equipment to luxury hotel stays in Samui. These prizes were generously donated by Mermaids Dive Center, Shasa Resort, Pinnacle Hotels, Dive Supply, Aquamaster, Easy Watersports, Go Pro Cameras, Blue Lagoon Kiteboard Center, Siac Consulting, Arc Publishing, Woodlands Resort, The Seafood Bar, The Oyster Bar, EasyKart, Kipling, Almeta, Nadimos, P2, Citidines Sukhumvit 23, Amara Watersports, One Stop Dive, Pullman Aisawan Hotel, Aree Alley, Hard Rock Hotel, Holiday Inn, Bugslock, CT Life Spa, Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, Bangkok Florist, Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, Underwater World Pattaya, Nong Nooch Gardens, Captains Corner Restaurant, Jomtien Boathouse Hotel, Linason Travel, Thai Rent a Car, Grappa Restaurant, Happy Home Cooking School and Siam Diving Enterprises.
Main sponsors for the day were Bugslock and Thai Rent a Car. Singha Corporation, Wang Thong Group, Coca Cola and Italasia provided beverages on the day and evening.

Collecting trash on the shoreline is just as big a task as collecting from underwater.

After prize giving was completed, the evening’s entertainment began with a fire show and everyone enjoyed some great music and celebrated their achievements from the day. Bookings for next year’s cleanup were already being made.
Sheena Walls, general manager of Mermaids Dive Center said, “It was another great year, with old and new friends joining us. Thank you to all the staff and students of Mermaids and our participants, it just wouldn’t be possible without you.”

Peter Waagensen, owner and director of Mermaids Dive Center said, “It is good to see that our event that we have done 6 years now, has grown and gotten the support that we have, from sponsors as well as so many members of the community to participate, especially the younger generations, as they understand the importance of taking care of our environment.

“The Mermaids team has done an outstanding job again this year, with all credit to all of Mermaids as well as the many participants who joined the event.”

Looking pretty even while collecting garbage; remarkable.

Green Leaf pushes Thai hotels to ban smoking by guests, staff

Jeerapol Sinthunawa, an environment and natural resources assistant professor at Mahidol University, is encouraging hotels to ban smoking by guests and staff.

Manoon Makpol

Academics, bureaucrats, business executives and environmental advocates are encouraging all of Thailand’s hotels to become no-smoking zones, arguing that the country’s 2008 public-smoking ban has been surprisingly positive for tourism.
At a Sept. 29 meeting sponsored by the Green Leaf Foundation at the Dusit Thani Hotel, Jeerapol Sinthunawa, an environment and natural resources assistant professor at Mahidol University, said hotels that have become “smoke free” have seen their bookings increase.

Hotels owners feared negative fallout from the 2008 law, which theoretically bans smoking in bars, restaurants and other public places, but is generally unenforced.

“But it turns out that hotels received positive responses from tourists. It is expected that Thai and international tourists would rather choose health-conscious hotels, reserve smoke-free rooms for their stay, dine in smoke-free restaurants and visit hotel-destinations that are smoke-free too,” he said.

Shashawan Suphotyanotn, vice president of Green Leaf in Thailand, which works with hotels to adopt recycling, energy conservation, alternative fuels and health-conscious business practices, said more needs to be done to make hotels truly smoke-free and healthy.

He said resorts should promote health and services including the participation of employees and people staying in the hotels. Green Leaf has identified nine areas to focus on, including health massage and spa; gym, swimming pool and field-activities; cleaning employees; kitchen and restaurants; health conscious and environment friendly engineering; health promoting meetings and healthy tourism.