On Friday 16 September, the Holiday Inn (Pattaya) was the venue in their Havana Bar and Restaurant for a joint networking of eight of the more active Chambers of Commerce. These were the BCCT in cooperation with AMCHAM, AustCham, GTCC, NTCC, STCC and SATCC with the Joint Chambers Eastern Seaboard Networking Evening hosted by BeLu Thai. For those members who were a little confused by BeLu, it is ‘Benelux’ without the clogs, as Holland has its own chamber these days.
Peter Kagermeier, managing director at Konzept Worx and Philippe Claire, managing director at Ventury Co., Ltd.
The sponsors of the event were Brewberry and the Holiday Inn (Pattaya).
South Africa was well represented with Graham Macdonald MBE, chairman of the SATCC, Allan Riddell, consultant to the board at SATCC and Pasit Foobunma, director and web master at SATCC.
Dr. Iain Corness chats to Patcharee Phanoiwong, business development manager at Allied Pickfords Thailand.
Another company which is strong at these events is CEA with MD Kevin Fisher, Earl C. Brown, Marketing and Communications Manager at CEA Project Logistics and a young lady in a purple dress.
Greg Watkins, Executive Director at British Chamber of Commerce Thailand was seen in earnest conflab with Peter Malhotra MD Pattaya Mail Media, complete with a banner taken from a previous BCCT event with BCCT Chairman Simon Matthews approving (in a red floral obviously shirt left over from Songkran).
As usual, the Automotive Focus Group (AFG) swelled the numbers (past 120 people I was assured by F&B Holiday Inn Daniel) with Frank Holzer, Executive General Manager at MHG and discussing the general state of affairs in Thai import/exports with Armin Walter, plus Mike Diamente and his effervescent wife Roseann representing Women with a Mission.
Ilya Roitman, CEO at the Infinity IT Success Ltd., and Hong-Phong Pho from the US. Department of Commerce – International Trade Administration.
A new face was Hong-Phong Pho from the US Department of Commerce and International Trade Administration (read US Embassy) and who denied being a spook.
Advertising his new hotel (Mera Mare) was Sukhammanda Sukodom and was seen talking to Nui and Tanya from the Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, always good supporters of the chamber events. On the fringe was Jack Levy from his new company Macallan Insurance Brokers, seen sampling the substantial food.
Michael Wagstaff, Partner – Eastern Seaboard at the Parker Bridge Recruitment Co., Ltd., Eastern Seaboard Branch chats with Simon Matthews from Manpower.
Derek “Stretch” Taylor from Check 6 gave me his card, while he was chatting Patcharee Phanoiwong from Allied Pickfords. A wonderful card “Stretch” but it doesn’t tell anyone what Check Six actually does. Next printing, OK?
Holiday Inn supplied an excellent repast on those natty plates with holes for your thumb and another for the stem of a wine glass. And staff (Yuwadee, Unchalee and “Noo” mingling with the chamber members, making everyone feel loved and wanted. Great job, Holiday Inn!
Running these networking events as joint promotions has been an unqualified success for the chambers, enlarging the opportunities, whilst sharing the expenses.
Graham Macdonald MBE, chairman of the SATCC and Stephen Frost, Director, Bangkok International Associates.Richard Gamlin, resident manager at Amari Pattaya, and Frank Holzer, executive general manager at MHG.Pasit Foobunma, director and web master, and Allan Riddell, consultant to the board at SATCC.Heiko Landauer, country manager at Balluff (Thailand) Limited, and Phillip Ende, associate partner at Rodl & Partner Management Services Ltd.Daniel Boswell, F&B director at Holiday Inn Pattaya (left) gives a warm welcome to all who attended the recent chambers networking at the Havana Bar, Holiday Inn Pattaya.Dr. Stephen J. Anderson, Commercial Attaché at the American Embassy Bangkok, and Michael Miamente, director-Asia Operations at AAM.Yuwadee Waisoongnoen, assistant director of sale-MICE, and Daniel Boswell, F&B director at Holiday Inn Pattaya.James Howard, sales manager at the Oil Field Equipment Services Co., Ltd., Rosanne Diamente from WWM, Peter Malhotra, managing director at Pattaya Mail Media Group, Dr. Iain Corness, and Joachim K.P. Klemm, international business and marketing at Green Orange Property Thailand.‘Nok’ Thasakamolwak, Clive Benwell, operations manager at Oryx Automation, Suren Moodley, managing director at Oryx Automation, and Nilnapha Chaichit, procurement specialist-logistics at CEA Project Logistics.Dr. Roland Wein, executive director at GTCC, Daniel Boswell, F&B director at Holiday Inn Pattaya, Dr. Sutharm Valaisathien, president of the BeLu-Thai Chamber of Commerce, Helmut Buchberger, ABC Asian Business Consulting, Simon Matthews from Manpower, Graham Macdonald MBE, chairman of the SATCC and Hans van den Born, executive director at NTCC.Dr. Sutharm Valaisathien, president of the BeLu-Thai Chamber of Commerce gives an opening speech as the hosting chamber.Dr. Roland Wein, executive director at GTCC, and Matthias Hoffrichter, business development director at Property Care Services Thailand.Dr. Iain Corness, Paul Whyte, Managing Director of Automator (Thailand) Ltd., and Joachim K.P. Klemm, international business and marketing at Green Orange Property Thailand.The Bangkok Pattaya crew, Wallapha Sawasdikool, Dr. Iain Corness and Janya Rattanaliam.
