(L to R) Australian Ambassador to Thailand James Wise chats with Peter Scott, Teresa Wise, and Mark Wood.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce (AustCham) found a tavern in which to sink a few beers (and wines) and discuss their form (or lack of it) in the preceding AustCham Charity Golf Tournament. This is an old Australian custom, and just because the Aussies are over here, does not mean that they would ever change their ways.
For those who have never been to Australia, let me tell you of the national disaster called “The Pub With No Beer” as sung by Slim Dusty – but fortunately, the Amari’s Tavern by the Sea did not suffer from a lack of liquid refreshments. Plenty of beer and enough bottles of Broken Hills Aussie red and white, and the natural gregariousness of the Australians ensured that the AustCham’s Seaboard Sundowners was a great night.
(L to R) Sarinya Holloway, sales & marketing manager of the Virgin Blue Group; Piyawan Suwapap, sales & marketing executive for the Virgin Blue Group; and Sasithorn Sangyoy, ticketing & reservations manager of the Virgin Blue Group.
The new Australian Ambassador H.E. James Wise was in attendance, along with his wife Teresa. In an ‘in depth’ interview on Pattaya Mail TV, he admitted that he was not really an Australian, having come from a small island off the coast of Tasmania, which in turn is a small island off the coast of Australia. However, he also said he likes being in Thailand, so that made him a ‘good bloke’ from the AustCham point of view. Welcome to Pattaya H.E. James! (And he came down in a Holden, Australia’s own car!)
The golf tournament was very successful and raised much for the Camillian AIDS Center at Rayong and the orphanage at Kanchanaburi. Organized once more by the hard working Paul Wilkinson (AGS Four Winds removals) there were around 120 participants. I have refrained from using the phrase 120 “golfers” as it was apparent in the score cards that some were unsure which end of the club to use, let alone which club! However, the winning team SKM returned a score of 14-under which gives them a free wild card entry to the Australian Open next year (or perhaps it is the Burapha ladies day?).
One of the sponsors for the golf was Virgin blue’s ‘V Australia’ carrier, represented by Sales and Marketing Manager Sarinya Holloway. It was pointed out to the delightful Sarinya that her airline only flies to some small island off the bottom of Thailand, whose name escapes me but it starts with “P”, and she would do much better to fly into and out of Pattaya, which also starts with the letter “P”. Personally I think the previous choice was an unfortunate spelling mistake.
(L to R) Kevin Johnson; Dao Duangvipha Makkitti, managing director of the FLIRT Company Limited; and Dr. Iain Corness.
‘Flirting’ everywhere, complete with very fashionable hat, was Dao Duangvipha Makkitti, the MD of the FLIRT company, who took me to task because the photo of her, taken some eons ago, was not used in the Pattaya Mail. The photo opportunity was repeated at this Seaboard Sundowners, so please Mr. Editor, put it in this time!
President Andrew Durieux thanked everyone and announced the winners of the golf tournament, with the rewards presented by H.E. James, and the Amari RM Max Seriacki responded on behalf of The Tavern by the Sea.
Colliers International were again present, with Mark Bowling and Antony Picon supporting the wine industry, as did the be-suited Garry Irvin (Resource Link Recruitment) and Gregory Solomon from Resource Management Associates in East Melbourne.
Past President Gary Woollacott managed to circumnavigate the room several times before the wine caught up (and amazingly, I wrote that about him three years ago, and he can check the veracity in his Mum’s scrapbook).
And that was another Seaboard Sundowners. The date and venue for the next one will be published in the Pattaya Mail.
(L to R) Max Sieracki, resident manager of Amari Orchid Pattaya; Australian Ambassador James Wise, Andrew Durieux and Brett Gannaway.
