November 4, 2015 was another get together of the monthly GM Gang meeting, in which they decided to go hard rocking at the Hard Rock Café Pattaya this time for a change. The meeting was attended by the usual members, including the founder, Dusit Thani Hotel Pattaya GM Chatchawal Supachayanont, Pattaya Mail’s Managing Director Peter Malhotra, Dusit Thani Asst. Director of Communications Vanjie Lauzon, THA Eastern Chapter president Sanphet Suphabuansathien, and other familiar faces.
The gang was warmly welcomed by the host, Jorge Carlos Smith, General Manger of the Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya, Matthew Carley, Hard Rock Cafe manager, and John Manly, executive asst. manager of the Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya.
(l-r) Tony Malhotra, GM Scandinavian Village; Sanphet Suphabuansathien, (President of the THA Eastern Chapter); Michael Roberge,RMC & Associates; Vathanya Phantachai GM U Pattaya; Peter Malhotra, Pattaya Mail; Chatchawal Supachayanont, GM Dusit Thani Hotel Pattaya; Philippe Delaloye; Vanjie Lauzon, Dusit Thani; Arkom Bunpeng, Woodlands Resort; Somkhit Tonsaiphet, The Zign, Jonas Sjostedt, Centara Nova Hotel and Jorge Carlos Smith, Hard Rock Hotel.
Old friend Philippe Delaloye was welcomed back having spent two years in Myanmar supervising the construction and opening of a new hotel project.
New members initiated into the gang included Vathanya Phantachai GM of U Pattaya, Arkom Bunpeng, hotel manager of Woodlands Resort, and Tony Malhotra, GM of Scandinavian Village in Bangsaen.
The meet-up was held on the Hard Rock Cafe’s poolside terrace area, facing Pattaya Beach, where welcome drinks were served. Due to some personal business issues, there weren’t as many in attendance as the usual numbers during the previous meeting, but everybody still had a great time. Pattaya is now beginning to pick up with more tourists visiting the area so it was great for the GMs to get together and share their experiences.
Host Jorge Carlos Smith made sure that GM Gang members were well looked after and the wines glasses never empty, and a special thanks to TD wines for sponsoring some of the Aussie wines that night.
The traditional welcoming speech was given by Chatchawal Supachayanont, who couldn’t hold back his humor as he got the crowd rolling as usual. “It is great to see our members get together once again as it seems like years ago, although some faces are missing. Special thanks to our host tonight, Jorge Carlos Smith for looking after us and providing the fabulous venue and hospitality. Also, special thanks to Mark L’abée, wine director of TD Wines (Thailand) for providing the drinks tonight, including the Fox Gordon ‘Abby’ Viognier 2014 and the La Curio Reserve Shiraz, both Aussie wines, although he couldn’t make it.” Members also decided where the next venue will be and nominated Carl Duggan, who wasn’t there, to host the next GM Gang meeting at the Centara Grand.
After chilling out with a few drinks, Hard Rock Cafe staff sat the members down at the dining table where they handed menus over for the diners to choose their starts, main dishes and desserts. Members had the choice of balsamic tomato bruschetta, BBQ wings or spinach & artichoke dips for starters, grilled Atlantic salmon, BBQ chicken, hickory smoked ribs or the legendary burger for mains courses, and fresh apple cobbler, hot fudge brownie or Oreo cookie cheese cakes for dessert.
It was yet another successful night for the GM Gang as all members gathered for a group photo before going different directions.
