The serene setting of the gardens of the Amari Pattaya was the ideal venue for the January combined Chambers of Commerce Thailand networking evening, held on the evening of Friday, Jan. 16.
This time the event was hosted by the South African Chamber and was aptly entitled as a Braai & BBQ. Other chambers in attendance were AmCham, AustCham, BCCT, Belu-Thai, and the German Thai Chamber.
(L to R) David Nardone, President & CEO Hemaraj; Michael Berger, GM of Antares Group; Simon Matthews from Manpower, Thailand; Stuart Daly, Managing Director of Pattaya Realty; Neill Grimley, Senior Manager of Standard Bank; James Swan, Deputy Headmaster of Bromsgrove International School Thailand; Richard Gamlin, Resident Manager of Amari Hotel Pattaya; Brendan Daly, GM of Amari Pattaya; and Graham Macdonald, President of the South African Chamber of Commerce.
The lead sponsor was Bromsgrove International School and secondary sponsors included Hemaraj Land & Development, Pattaya Realty, Standard Bank, MBMG Group and Amazon Colours – and of course the venue sponsor, Amari Pattaya.
The team at the Amari put extra special effort onto the these events, with GM Brendan Daly and his Resident Manager Richard Gamlin on hand to oversee proceedings and do a bit of networking themselves.
Bromsgrove International School Thailand Deputy Headmaster James Swan informs the gathered networkers everything they need to know about the school.
Executive Chef Leonard Faust served up an extensive buffet that included salads, chickpea puree, tzaziki, spiced carrot puree and pita breads, and biltong, and for the main courses, South African favourites such as Cape Malay Bobotie, Boerewors, Frikkadels (South African meat balls) Beef Potjie, plus barbeque on the skewer, Australian sirloin, pork loin, peri peri chicken & Australian leg of lamb.
If you had any room on top of the free flow beer and wine, there were some tasty desserts, including Melktert, lemon meringue tartlets, cheese cake, apple raisin jalousies, bread and butter pudding & chocolate brownies.
Paul Strachan from PMTV interviews James Swan, the Deputy Headmaster of Bromsgrove International School Thailand, the lead sponsor for the event.
The event attracted many local business people from Pattaya and the Eastern Seaboard and a good number from Bangkok as well. Key representatives from the fields of manufacturing, project logistic, hospitality, real estate, insurance brokers, design companies and golf event organizers were also there.
In an interview for PMTV, the Deputy Headmaster of Bromsgove, James Swan, explained that Bromsgrove International School Thailand was set up in Bangkok in 2002 and follows the British Curriculum. It’s a boarding and day school, and is affiliated with Bromsgrove School UK. They offer a progressive education and cater for students from the ages of two through to eighteen. Their students study IGCSE, AS and A levels, qualifications that are globally accepted, and they successfully place students in top universities around the world.
(L to R) Richard Gamlin, Resident Manager of Amari Hotel Pattaya; Ken Brookes, MD of Niedax Group; Neil Farrell GM of EPL Thailand; and Brendan Daly, GM of Amari Pattaya.
James continued that just that day they had received great news for the school and one of their students. “Today we were notified that one of our students, in fact our top girl, has been given an unconditional offer for Oxford University. This gives her great incentive to study hard and get through her exams this year.”
Les Walsh, MD of Yamira; Horst Rudolf from Asian Political and Economical Analysts; Peter Malhotra, MD of Pattaya Mail Media Group; and Mark Butters, Director of RSM Advisory (Thailand) Ltd.
On answering why Bromsgrove had chosen to sponsor the combined chamber, James Swan explained: “The school has first class facilities and with the boarding services, we have found that, because the school’s ideal location within close proximity to Suvarnabhumi Airport and fast highway links to Pattaya and Rayong means that many students and parents from the Eastern Seaboard area are choosing Bromsgrove International School for their weekly boarding programme as an alternative to a local international day school. Thus the combined chamber acted as an ideal way to highlight Bromsgrove to the business community in Pattaya and its environs.”
(L to R) Eva Johnson and Opal Sangnark brighten up the event.
So this was yet another highly successful combined chamber event in Pattaya and judging by the numbers that turned up, proves that by working together the chambers have redefined themselves into the most important monthly networking gatherings in town.
Details of future events will be published in the Pattaya Mail.
Global Solidor consultants Juerg Odermatt and Bastian Lobemeier.
(L to R) Jim Howard, Sales Manager, Oil Field Equipment Services; Graham Macdonald, President of the South African Thai Chamber; and Greg Watkins, Executive Director of the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand enjoy great conversation.
(L to R) Dr. Iain Corness; Michael North, North Engineers & Design Associates; Graham Macdonald, President of the South African Thai Chamber of Commerce; Jerry Stewart; and Mark Butters, Director of RSM Advisory (Thailand) Ltd.
The Amari Pattaya put on a great spread of food for the networkers.
