The Best Of Thailand | Travel in Thailand with Ashley

BNP Paribas appoints Pathfinders Travel to handle its high end Bangkok Workshop and Teambuilding activities

BNP Paribas is one of the best rated banks in the world (Rated AA- by Standard & Poor's, on 23/01/2012 ). The Group has one of the largest international networks with operations in nearly 80 countries and 200,000 employees, including more than 150,000 in Europe. Therefore when asked to suggest the Hotel for its Indian branch, Pathfinders Travel suggested the hotel best suited to BNP Paribas...the Sheraton Pattaya.  The hotel is located just next to the Royal Cliff Beach Resort and is subtle yet luxurious. It does not scream for attention and is conservative ideally suited to high end banking meets. 

For starters Pathfinders organised all the meals in the hotel itself as budget was not a constraint. The Sheraton Pattaya does excellent Indian food and the buffet that was rolled out reflected the best of what money could buy for the Indian palate. 

Pathfinders used 5 star coaches which subtly complimented the Sheraton Pattaya.

The highlight for each participant was the award ceremony as every delegate invited for this meet had met the KRA that BNP Paribus had set for them. 

In this Team Dynamics workshop organized by Pathfinders, participants are able to appreciate the diversity of their team members and start to understand that it really does make a difference when teams collaborate effectively. Through our experiential exercise of varying difficulties, team members learned and practiced the critical to effective team performance.

Intended as a follow on to One Team Together this intermediate level team building programme included experiential activities to further develop and integrate team members.  All activities are referenced to Team Effectiveness with attention to:  Mission, Vision and Goals, Team Roles, Operating Processes, Interpersonal Relationships, Interteam Relationships.  Below are a few of the selected team building activities that were executed for BNP Paribas

And when the hard work was done, it is time to party. And so the DJ swung into action and the party began...

It is true that at the very top of the DMC MICE game the air is rarified and there is no competition from even the big names in India who otherwise swell out their chests and get into a blood bath with each other for the crumbs of the cake !

 

Marico entrusts the handling of its prestigeous annual Sales & Marketing conference to Pathfinders

Pathfinders mission and inherent DNA is to innovate. So to take an established hotel product like the Amari Orchid  Ocean Tower and somehow make it different from the usual experience was a challenge and a task. No doubt the Amari Orchid Ocean is a well oiled machine that always delivers satisfaction time after time for every single Corporate that passes through its lofty lobby doors. But then where is the wow factor ? A similar and consistant guest experience would greet every customer. So here is the challenge and the opportunity. 

Marico believes that it pays to think differently. At their offices, everyone is a member, not an employee.  They have a flat organisational structure, with just five levels between the Managing Director and the shop floor operator. So to keep their Sales and Marketing members involved in the tour was intrinsically woven into the four days of  their program in Pattaya.  This took many deviations from the routine programs that the big travel companies dish out without a thought to what their customers really want. Love all Serve all the same masala is their motto to all customers that cross their path. An example of how the thinking was different was a coral island program that involved a full day excursion to various islands that brought home to the team the joys of snorkeling and enjoying a marine world devoid of Blackberry's and the usual stresses of everyday life. 

The highlight was a performance by the famous Indian rock band, Indian Ocean who are acknowledged to be the pioneers of fusion rock in India. They held the audiance enthralled with their music which i would describe as Indo rock fusion with jazz spiced rhythms that integrate shlokas, sufism and other current hot topics like the environment. 

All in all, a very different experience for an audience that was refined and a pleasure servicing. 

Pattaya's Hard Rock Hotel wears a totally new upmarket look

 

If you used to associate the Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya with just the Beach Foam X party, think again!

I was very surprised upon walking into the Hard Rock Hotel to find that the 15 month renovation has resulted in a very good upmarket product. The lobby looks posh and cosy if a little boutique as they have taken a large section of the former lobby to create a new lounge. 

The rooms too wear a very plush look with a colour scheme which is almost corporate. 

 

 

Worth checking out on your next leisure trip or MICE trip to Pattaya!

 

Hotel Tropicana Pattaya located on Beach Road opens as a 4 star hotel after a complete refurbishment

Located right next to the Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya is the Tropicana Hotel.  The location right in the heart of Pattaya's famous strip puts you within striking distance of the nightlife and shopping of Pattaya.

With 184 rooms and suites in the Cabana and Main Wings, this 4 star Hotel is reminiscent of a bygone era with its large lobby, its extensive grounds and its two beautiful swimming pools. 

Large lobby

The rooms are surrounded by tropical gardens, within easy access to the lap pool, located on the eastern side of the hotel.

Superior Cabana room

Bathroom of Cabana room

Large grounds

The hotel also has a conference room that can accommodate about 60 pax. 

 

Is the Chinese New Year 2012 going to be a damp squib in Thailand ?

Conversations with a cross section of Hoteliers and tourism business operators in Bangkok and Pattaya reveal that Chinese New Year may not bring the usual busloads of Chinese tourists this year. The main reason being advocated is the floods.

Hoteliers for now are stuck in analysis paralysis and Chinese tour operators have not yet begun releasing the blocks of space that they are holding at hotels across Thailand.  The more astute hoteliers though have begun sounding Indian operators out on the fact that they have rooms towards the end of January and are ready to take in Indian business. 

The coach companies though are going to have to realise that the Chinese are not coming though for the efforts of Indian operators to be successful as coaches are sometimes as much as 9 times the normal prices during the Chinese New Year period with coach operators refusing to confirm even at the inflated prices. 

Let's watch and see what happens next. 

Tourism from the Indian subcontinent hits a three year December low in Pattaya

Normally the last week of December should see a surge in tourist numbers from the Indian subcontinent into the resort town of Pattaya. This year the big names like Thomas Cook, Cox and Kings, SOTC and several smaller players are conspicuous by their absence says restaurant owner, Amitbhai who runs Mumbai Magic, a 1000 seater restaurant in the Naklua area of Pattaya who along with several other business operators who cater exclusively to the subcontinent market who are feeling the heat from the lack of numbers.  

While airlines flying between India and Thailand  are arriving and leaving with full loads, much of this is transit traffic and westerners bound for India. The number of Indians getting off the aircraft and headed for Thai resorts are relatively fewer in number than previous years.  

The floods are being blamed for this sad state of affairs along with the depreciation of the Indian rupee against the USD which has made outbound travel from India almost 20% more expensive.  

Bring in New Year 2012 in a spectacular way in Pattaya at the Bali Hi Pier

Pattaya Countdown is rumoured to be the most spectacular that the resort has ever staged until now. The local authorities have allocated a budget of 12.5 million Thai Baht (approximately 400,000 USD) for the event which will culminate in a spectacular display of fire works. 

The Pattaya Countdown Festival 2012 began on December 25th signifying that the New Year is only a matter of days away. On Sunday Night the grand opening of the seven day event took place at the Bali Hai Pier at the southern-end of Pattaya Beach. Khun Sontaya, former Sports and Tourism Minister declared the event open along with his younger brother and mayor of Pattaya, Khun Itipon. Popular Thai bands and singers will be performing on a huge sound-stage erected at the port. AB Normal, Joey Boy and Clash are just some of the big names appearing at the event. On the 31^st December, many of the biggest names in pop and rock music here in Thailand will be performing and many Thai superstars will also be in attendance. CNN will also be in attendance to record the New Year Fireworks which will be shown on their International News Station. It is hoped that 500,000 people will attend the 7 day event and will spend an estimated 500 Million Baht. For more information please call the Pattaya City Call Center on 1337.

 

 

Aiyara Grand Hotel Pattaya is a new and welcome addition to Pattaya's 4 star line up

The 180 room 4 star Aiyara Grand Hotel is located just opposite the Sugar Hut Bungalows in the proximity of the Royal Cliff. A medium sized opulent lobby leads you to two wings. The hotel's design is Thai contemporary and has breathtaking views of the surrounding Buddha Hill and sea from its rooftop salt water swimming pool.

Exterior of the Aiyara Grand with the hotel's fresh water swimming pool

Salt water pool on the rooftop of the hotel offers you commanding views of the sea

Bathrooms are state of the art and luxurious. This is a deluxe room bathroom. The superior room bathrooms are smaller and come with only a shower (not a tub). They are still adequate. 

A nice surprise is the conference hall which can take upto 300 people in theatre style seating. 

Furama Jomtien Beach would appeal to FIT romance packages and families market

The  4 star Furama Jomtien Beach is a 38 storey concrete highrise tower  with magnificent views of the Gulf of Thailand and the beautiful Jomtien beach.  Located just 2 kilometres from South Pattaya, the 450 rooms are decorated in Thai style. 

The entrance to the hotel is from the rear (not the beachfront) and has a colonial touch. 

The lobby of the hotel is large and has colonial bay windows. I found this cozy alcove next to the elevators. 

The hotel has a swimming pool on the ground level that has adequate sun beds.

The deluxe rooms below have breathtaking views of the sea. The hotel gives you the feel of a condominium until this point which it probably was at one point in time.

Here is the view from your room in the early afternoon sun

Below is the hotel's conference room. When not being used for conferences, the hotel owner makes the staff exercise here to keep fit:)

In conclusion, this hotel would be great for honeymoon couples or families looking for a beach resort in Thailand. Its proximity to the beach and its being away from the madding Pattaya crowd makes the Furama Jomtien rather special. 

Bangkok Flood --Thai Flooding Threatens Bangkok, May Cut Deeper Into Growth - Businessweek

Thailand Flood Update:

By Suttinee Yuvejwattana and Supunnabul Suwannakij

via www.businessweek.com

This could have ramifications on Thailand's growth.

While the government has not declared an emergency situation, the people are quite tense here. With Thailand Weather worsening, a common tourist advice from travel agencies is to vacate the hotels particularly in Bangkok and Pattaya and move to some place safer until the situation comes down to normal.

Read other Thailand News here.