Pattaya Times Lists Most Influential People of the Last 10 Years Part 2

Mr. Lewis Underwood known to many as "Woody" is the president of the Jesters Care for Kids which is an organization that helps less privileged children all over Thailand. Woody has chaired the Jesters Care for Kids Drive for many years. He has helped raised over 48 million baht since 1998 for needy children on the Eastern Seaboard of Thailand as well as the children affected by the tsunami in the South in the "Save the South" program initiated and overseen by Pattaya Mayor Niran Wattanasartsatorn and Pattaya Expat leader Drew Noyes.



Mrs. Suporn Rattanachet
Owner of Leng Kee restaurant

Mrs. Suporn Rattanachet also known as Khun ‘Yhai’ is the founder and owner of the famous Leng Kee restaurant located on Central Pattaya Road. She is also the founder of LK Properties which has been one of the leading property businesses in Pattaya for the past 30 years and in the last decade they built over 700 shop houses in the Soi Buakho area, on Soi Korpai, and on Third Road. She also built the Renaissance Hotel, LK Metro hotel and many other hotels and condominium projects in the last 10 years.



Mr. Saenee Chittakasaem
Governor of Chonburi

Mr. Saenee Chittakasaem is said to have to same vision as the Mayor of Pattaya. Both of them has been working together to develop and change Pattaya in a positive away to make Pattaya an international tourist destination by focusing on music, Thai traditions and sports.



Mr. Barry Kenyon
Honorary Consul for the British Honorary Consulate in Pattaya

Honorary Consul for the British Honorary Consulate in Pattaya

Former Manager Pattaya Today newspaper

Founder Pattaya Bridge Club

Barry has been helping expats for more than 10 years and has had the distinction of representing the British Embassy Consular Services in Bangkok while he has been in Pattaya, which led to the first official full-time consul outreach in Pattaya from any country.



Mr. Suraphon Pongtatsirikol
Former Governor of Chonburi

Even though Mr. Suraphon Pongtatsirik served as the Governor of Chonburi for less than a year and was relocated due to political chaos, he still helped pushed policies to the new group of officials in Pattaya and started many successful projects.



Mr. Chutiphon Kamolnart
Pattaya Mayor's Secretary

Pattaya Mayor's Secretary Chutiphon (nicknamed Rugby) used to be a member of the Pattaya District Government. He is now responsible for the upper Sukhumvit area from Naklua to Thepprasit. He started the Pattaya Music Association with the objective of keeping kids away from drugs and encouraging them to be confident and show off their talents at music competitions. He is considered as the ‘IT’ guru in Pattaya. He created the ‘Astoria Network Computer’ program that is used in many hotels in the eastern region for making reservations.



Mr. Bandit Siritanyong
Adviser to the Mayor of Pattaya and owner of Soodtangrak restaurant

Mr. Bandit is one of the leading businessmen in Thailand. He is experienced in many types of business both domestically and internationally. He is also the leading consultant for many property firms. Apart from being a good managerial individual, he also plays a big role in society as well in local and national politics. He was the former adviser to the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand. Not only that, he was also the advisor to the Windsurfing Association of Thailand, the Thai-Chinese Culture and Economy Association, and the Eastern Mass Media Association.



Mr. Panga Vathanakul
Managing Director of Royal Cliff Beach Resort

Under her managerial skills, Royal Cliff Beach Resort has been the number one hotel in Pattaya for more than 30 years. It is the first hotel to be certified with ISO 14001.The Royal Cliff Beach Resort also won various prestigious awards while under her care. At the moment she is taking care of four five-star hotels under the Royal Cliff’s gate and the renowned PEACH Convention Center where she utilizes her skills and experience to organize many successful international events.  



Mr. Boonlert Normsilp
Mayor of Laemchabang

Mr. Boonlet is doing a great job improving Pattaya's water transportation and making Laemchabang Port one of the busiest sea ports in Thailand.



Mr. Pisit Katepasuk
Former Governor of Chonburi

When serving as the Governor of Chonburi Pisit Katepasuk coordinated with many sectors to help develop and improve Chonburi as well as pushing policies and increasing the budget to make Pattaya a better place. He served as the Governor of Chonburi for nearly four years, while most governors serve two years or less, and is now retired. During the Bird Flu Scare of 2003 The CEO Governor coordinated with then PCEC Chairman Drew Noyes and the two held an international press conference showing Thai leaders and foreigners from 20 countries all eating chicken.  The travel restrictions imposed by all major countries into Thailand was lifted within 48 hours.



Mr. Pinyo Thunwiseat
Former Chairman of the Chonburi Provincial Government

Pinyo was a highly respected leader and was able to allocate a vast amount of the 5 billion baht Chonburi collected in room and gasoline taxes to public works projects in Pattaya. 



Mrs. Sophin Theppajuk
Managing Director of the Diana Group and Children's Protection Commissioner

Mrs. Sophin Theppajuk is a woman with many talents. Mrs. Sophin is the Managing Director of the Diana Group, the Children’s Protection Commissioner of the Chonburi Court and also the writer of a pocket book called ‘Face of Pattaya’. Her book talks about the various ways men and women come to find jobs and make money in Pattaya. It also discusses issues concerning foreigners coming to live in Pattaya.

Mrs. Sophin is also known as aunt ‘Noi’ who resembles a godmother to many troubled children who have been sent to the Juvenile Observation and Protection Center. She gives these children a second chance to a better life. She also helps women who have been sent to the Women Prison by finding solutions to their problems and re-introducing them back to their families when released.

As the Managing Director of the Diana Group, Mrs. Sophin is also like a mother to the employees because many of them come from the Juvenile Observation and Protection Center or the Women's Prison. 



Mr. Jamroon Vitsavachaipan
President of Pattaya Business and Tourism Association

Jamroon Vitsavachaipan has been the president of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association for the past two terms. He has been involved with the tourism business for over 30 years. He worked at bringing back tourists after the Suvarnabhumi airport closure, the chaos during the ASEAN meeting and the spread of the H1N1 flu.



Ms. Premrudee Jittiwuttikarn
Managing Director of King Seafood

Khun Premrudee (nickname Khun Toy) is a businesswoman who has always been involved with helping the local Pattaya community. At the moment she is the Vice President of the Cultural Council of Pattaya and has been active in the Pattaya branch of the YWCA Bangkok.



Mr. Sunthorn Gangsirikul
Chairman of Walking Street Pattaya

Mr. Sunthorn is a big hearted man who acts as the anchor of Walking Street Pattaya. He is the person who always pushes and supports all of the activities on Walking Street as well as other night time entertainment. He has applied his experience and skills and made Walking Street the symbol of Pattaya under the saying ‘If you come to Pattaya without going to Walking Street then you cannot say you say you have been to Pattaya’. He is also involved in organizing many successful events that promotes international plus traditional Thai culture, music, food, and many more. As Chairman of Walking Street Pattaya he has gathered strong support to make the group influential and a large voting block for local politicians to attract.



Mr. Chaikiri Srifuengfung
Managing Director of Horseshoe Point Pattaya

Chaikiri was the first of the Bangkok elite to move from the comfort of home to the wilds of rural Pattaya and he and his wife, brother and nephew established Horseshoe Point Resort and the award winning Eco Village. An avid rider and horse-lover he also is an environmentalist and believes in self-sufficiency.



Mr. Kumphon Thunsatja
Owner and Director of Nong Nooch Tropical Garden

Mr. Kumphon is an entrepreneur who is committed to driving Thailand to be the center for importing and exporting of decorative flowers and trees around the world. He created Nong Nooch Tropical Garden that displays different kinds of unique flowers and exotic trees from all over the world. He also added other attractions to draw in all kinds of people whether they are boys, girls, women, men, Thai, or foreigners. There are Thai cultural shows, martial arts, local sports and an elephant’s show. His management is the key role that has turned Nong Nooch Tropical Garden into the Disneyland of Thailand.



Mr. Jate Sopitpongstorn
Managing Director of Horseshoe Point and the Residence at Horseshoe Point  

Mr. Jate is a talented individual who manages several award winning projects. Some of the awards he received are ‘Best Villa Development (Eastern Seaboard’) for the Residence at Horseshow Point at the 3rd Thailand Property Awards. His latest achievement is the ‘Best Development (Eastern Seaboard) for the Village at Horseshoe Point project as well as the ‘Signity Thailand Green Development Award’ for the Horseshoe Point by Horseshoe Point Co., Ltd. from the 4th Thailand Property Awards.   



Mr. Sornchai Thongyangyuen
Jomtien Mayor

As the Mayor of Jomtien he is in charge of developing and improving the Jomtien beach and the surrounding area. He has been doing an excellent job at continuing to make Jomtien beach one of the most visited beaches by all and has been supportive of local developers leading to many new condo projects in the area.



Mr. Chattan Khunchorn Na Ayutthaya
Former Director of TAT Pattaya Office

Khun Chattan was one of the officials who helped turned Pattaya into a tourist destination for Chinese and Indians. Many years ago he spearheaded the PR campaign to prove to China the water in Pattaya hotels was okay following a misleading Hong Kong TV report which caused Chinese government officials to immediately stop all travel to Thailand. Withing 24 hours Khun Chattan and his team which included Pattaya businessman Drew Noyes had the travel restriction lifted and millions of Chinese tourists have come to Thailand since. TAT recognized Khun Chattan's leadership and excellent problem-solving skills and promoted him to Director of Public Relations working in from the TAT headquarters in Bangkok. As the TAT focused on the India travel market they sent their best man, Khun Chattan, to lead the as the Director of TAT, in India. Even though he has relocated to India, he still promotes Pattaya as much as possible. He made it easier for Indians to come to Thailand as well as open more doors to the local business by allowing these businesses to expand to India. 



Ms. Nawwarat Khakhai
Former member of the Chonburi Lions Club Pattaya Office

Khun Nawwarat is related to Deputy Mayor of Pattaya Weerawat Khakai. At the moment she is the President of the Cultural Council of Pattaya. She is well experienced in Thai culture and traditions. She has been President of the Cultural Council of Pattaya ever since it was formed. Her aim is to maintain and educate foreigners about traditional Thai culture.



Dr. Iain Corness
Author, Medical Consultant, and TV Interviewer

Dr. Iain is the author of the popular book ‘Farang – through the eyes of an expat’. and its Sequel: Farang, the Sequel.  He is a medical consultant at the Bangkok Hospital Pattaya and also an interviewer for the Pattaya Mail TV, frequent contributor to the Pattaya Mail newspaper and the technical editor for ASEAN Autobiz. He is a former professional car racer and hails from Australia.



Ms. Arlette Cykman
Chairwoman of the Pattaya International Ladies Club

Arlette an American of Russian decent who is now a Thai citizen and been living in Thailand for over 40 years. Not only is she a well known lady by her work in the Pattaya International Ladies Club, she is also a successful businesswoman who has flawless taste in jewelry.



Dr. Panya Chotitawan
Chairman of Saha Farms Group

Dr. Panya is one the country's leading chicken exporters and owns the beautiful seaside mansion, Sukhawadee House, near Chochlan Hotel on Sukhumvit Road. He was granted the most admirable order of the Direkgunabhorn Khight Grand Cross (First Class) from his His Majesty the King Bhumibholadulayadej the Great in the occasion of the Kings Birthday in 2003.



Mr. Boonkiat Wiwatdecha
Managing Director of VC Sport Production and Managing Director of VC Hotel

Mr. Boonkiat is involved in mass communication, is a Pattaya hotelier and operates a Pattaya real estate business. He was given two radio stations from the government to manage the MCOT radio station in Pattaya and the Navy-5 radio station 104.75. He also helped Pattaya City organize the Thai Country Music Singing competition. 



Mr. Somphan Phettrakul
Managing Director of Alcazar Cabaret Show

Mr. Somphan is the first person who came up with the idea of having a cabaret show in Pattaya 29 years ago. Not only that, he is also the owner of a construction company called Sarmprasit Co., Ltd. His Alcazar Theater holds nearly 1,000 people. Alcazar Cabaret Show is known worldwide and has been a leading tourist destination in Pattaya for over 30 years.



Pol. Col. Mr. Itthipol Itthisarnronachai
Former Commander of Pattaya Immigration Office

Pol. Col. Itthipol won the Outstanding Human Relations Award from the Royal Thai Police in 2004.  He has managed and developed the immigration office to give foreigners the best possible service. He received an award in the year 2008 for the ‘Best Police Station for Citizens’. He was also the one who made possible the project of building a new immigration office in Jomtien Soi 5. 



Mr. Allan Namchaisiri
President of Zen and Former Vice President of Central Retail Company

Mr. Allan is one of the few non family members to rise to top management at the Central Group. He earned a degree in Economics from the University of London. He joined Central 12 years ago as Marketing Director of Central Pattana where he developed various successful retail projects such as fashion stores, gourmet supermarkets, bookstores, theme restaurants and art/antique stores. His understanding of fashion marketing and retailing won him the post of Vice-president of Marketing for Central Department Store in 1999. In June 2001, he was promoted to the position of Senior Vice President of Marketing for Central Department Store. Recently he took over the position of Head of Marketing of Central Retail Corporation and in May 2006 he became President of ZEN. He is well known on the party circuit for his easy going personality. He knows all there is to know about shopping and brings the latest trends to the Pattaya market. 



Ms. Nishita Shah
Managing Director of GP Group

She is Thailand’s 3rd richest woman. This Boston University graduate is largest individual shareholder and director of Precious Shipping, Thailand’s biggest dry-bulk shipper boasting a fleet of 44 ships. The 140-year-old family business is booming profiting more than doubled in past three years. Her family also holds 95% of the Amari Atrium Hotel.  This businesswoman profile was further raised when she and her mother Anju took on the role of ambassadors for the Bangkok Breast Cancer campaign. A keen supporter of charity and cultural events, Nishita never appears anywhere less than impeccably dressed. Nishita and her mother are launching their own fashion label called ‘Nsha’ in three continents. The director in over 40 group companies bets her heart on her own luxury fashion label Nsha launched in selected boutiques across the world.



Mr. Apichart Chutrakul
Chief Executive Officer of Sansiri Public Company Limited

Sansiri is Thailand's second-ranked property-development firm. It has been a long climb. Apichart's family formed a small property firm, San Samran Holding, in 1984. Since then, it has become Sansiri and climbed into the top five firms in the property industry. The company now manages nine property projects for sale, three of them in Bangkok, three in Hua Hin, two in Pattaya and one in Phuket. The chairman of Sansiri Plc juggles several high-profile projects but managers to find time for a game of football at the Royal Bangkok Sports Club a few times a week. An outdoorsman, he also enjoys golf and fishing in his downtime. He is married to Siampiwat CEO Chandathip.



Mr. Arsa Sarasin
Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary

One of the most respected figures in Thai society, the principle private secretary to His Majesty the King is a former ambassador to the United States and a member of the large and illustruiys Sarasin family. He is married to Thanpuying Suchitguna with three children, Nok Air CEO Patee, Kittiya Amatyakul and Piyama Sarasin.



Mr. Chamnong Bhirombhakdi
Chairman of Boon Rawd Brewery

Boon Rawd Brewery founded by his father as nation's first beer maker in 1933; known for Singha beer. Now includes holdings of his 2 brothers and their children. The company has grown to produce more than 800 million liters of beer annually under the Singha, Kloster, Leo, and Thai Beer brand names. Boon Rawd doesn't stop at beer, though; it also makes soda water, drinking water, and ready-to-drink green tea. The Boon Rawd network encompasses three breweries and six water factors located across the country.



Ms. Atchara Tejapaibul
Director and Secretary-General of the BSO Foundation

The chairwoman of the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra works tirelessly to bring world-class performances to Thailand and raise funds for music scholarships. In addition to her passion for classical music she is also interested in other art forms and owns a pottery studio with husband Grittip Sirirattumrong. 



Mr. Attasith Damrongrat
Director of Major Cineplex Group

Mr. Attasith is also an Advisor to the Thai Press Association, Director of MMP Chulalongkorn University, Director of Thai - Hong Kong Business Council and the Director of Thai Contractors Association. This smart, gregarious man runs construction giant KPV Group and holds stakes in many other business. He is active in business and social circles and often seen at parties with good friend Dr. Vanchara Phanchet. His secret to a balanced life is meditation, which he first took up as a teenager.



Ms. Bilaighan Sampatisiri
Former President and first women President of Siam Society

Mrs. Balaighan is also a President of Treasure Our Elephants Fund. She was the head of the organizing committee of the "Through Woven Heritage: The Textiles of Thailand" exhibition that was presented in Barcelona, Spain, in conjunction with Casa Asia. She is a formidable force in cultural circles; she supports many causes including the Siam Society and the Treasure Our Elephants Fund. A friend of the Bhutanese royal family, she started a hospitality training project for Bhutanese at the family-owned Nai Lert Park hotel. She was a guest at the coronation of the Bhutanese King two years ago. 



Mr. Mongkol Tumkittikhun
Banglamung Chief District Officer

Mr. Mongkol has been the Banglamung Chief District Officer for many years. His aim is provide what is best for his community. He is responsible for the approval of the entire registry being located in Banglamung. He is responsible for signing identification cards and marriage licenses. He is instructed by the Governor of Chonburi and applies to the best of his ability to improve his district. One of his greatest achievements was encouraging locals to make a local product that represents Banglamung to be part of the OTOP campaign. This was a great success and many of the Banglamung locals who had recently lost their jobs got the opportunity to gain income again. He also reduced unemployment by creating a project where he found suitable jobs for unemployed people in his community.

***
The list of the Most Influential People in Pattaya over the Last Ten Years will be compiled by staff of the Pattaya Times, and our advisers Mrs. Nunthinee Tanner and Mr. Harald Link. This is the second list of the nominees. The first list can be found on our website www.pattaya-times.com.

Later this year, a vetting process will take place and the final candidates will be awarded at a ceremony for their service based on their contributions to making Pattaya a better place to live in and visit.

If you have any suggestions for nominations feel free to send them to MD@pattaya-times.com for consideration. Candidates do not have to have been here for all ten years, but they have to have made a recordable impact for the betterment of Pattaya and its people