Pattaya has in recent years shed some of its seedy reputation but work is still needed to improve its infrastructure and attractions, writes Greg Lowe

Pattaya’s MICE industry remains in relatively good health although the ongoing political turmoil in Bangkok is expected to hamper performance this year. The sector continues to grow incrementally, however, domestic trade dominates the market which will not be able to meet its full potential on the international level until the local infrastructure and product offerings are improved, according to industry stakeholders.

While several new properties opened last year, including Wave Pattaya and Centara Grand Phratamnak Pattaya, these hotels cater for smaller groups and 2013 passed by without major developments that could be used to promote the city as a MICE destination in a big way.

New attractions and meetings-friendly properties remain key to driving international business, especially given the dampening effect that anti-government protests in Bangkok and the related travel advisories had on trade, explained Holger Groninger, general manager of The Bayview Pattaya and Wave Pattaya.

“International MICE business as well as government meetings were heavily affected due to the travel advisories sent out by the embassies,” he said. “Existing business was initially shifted from Bangkok to Pattaya, but new meeting requests have came in very slowly.”

Robert Lohrmann, general manager of Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya, said: “Pattaya’s MICE market has not yet reached its potential. The majority of current events are generated by domestic corporates and local social events…We do see more interest from Asian hubs such as Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and South Korea, but this has not been developed yet.”

In order to more effectively promote Pattaya as a MICE destination, seven hotels – Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya, Amari Orchid Pattaya, Holiday Inn Pattaya, The Zign Hotel, Dusit Thani Pattaya, Garden Cliff Resort & Spa and Cape Dara Resort – officially formed the North Pattaya Alliance with Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau earlier this year to promote the city’s value offering at the Asia-Pacific Meetings & Incentives Expo in Australia in February.

Few deny the destination’s potential to attract business, given its location just 1.5 hours from Suvarnabhumi International Airport and that it has shaken off some of its reputation as a red light city by the sea. This enhanced image is partly driven by the arrival of more internationally branded properties over the past eight years. Research by Jones Lang LaSalle shows the city is home to more attractions than any other destination in Thailand. It also boasts 23 golf clubs and courses in the surrounding area and was named Best Golf Destination Asia and Australasia 2012 by the International Golf Tour Operators Association.

However, MICE specialists such as Teerapong Suksabai, MICE events manager at Asia World Destination Management, still consider Hilton Pattaya a “new” property even though it opened in 2010, underscoring the need for more product launches.

The coming six to twelve months will see several significant developments though. The 275-room Woraburi The Ritz was launched in March, with an adjacent 1,000-capacity convention centre due for completion by the end of this year while sister property, Woraburi Heritage, will add another 500 rooms to supply in 2H2014.

Jones Lang LaSalle said that majority of new hotels in Pattaya’s development pipeline from now until 2016 will be in the upper or high-end scale, enabling the destination to attract more higher-spending groups.

Until these new developments come online, the city’s existing supply, such as PEACH (Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall) at the Royal Cliff Hotel and Dusit Thani Pattaya will continue to dominate the trade and be sufficient to service existing demand, said Teerapong.

“I would rate Pattaya four out of five for MICE,” he said. “A few clients have said the destination is not as interesting as it used to be and that the beaches are not as clean, but Pattaya still has a good variety of hotels for all markets and budgets.

“Service is good in some of the large hotels equipped with experienced staff. Royal Cliff is still good for medium to massive events, they have a lot of space to play with,” he added.

In terms of attractions, Splashdown Waterpark Pattaya – an adult theme park based on the TV programme Wipeout – has debuted in the first quarter of the year, while May 2014 saw the inauguration of Siam Country Club Waterside, an 18-hole, IMG-designed golf course.

Two new water parks are coming up in Pattaya. Cartoon Network Amazone, a 5.7ha site featuring more than 150 attractions, will soft launch on July 31, 2014. Ramayana Water Park, a one-billion-baht project (US$30.8 million) with seven zones spread across 16 hectares, is reportedly South-east Asia’s largest water park and is tabled to open in 1Q2015.

MICE trends

Domestic MICE groups typically number between 200 pax to 1,000 pax, with most organising meetings and conferences, said Bundarik Kusolvitya, managing director of The City Hotel Sriracha and president of Thai Hotels Association (Eastern Chapter). Average stays range from three days/two nights to four days/three nights, and budgets vary from 2,000 baht (US$62) to 5,000 baht per person per day.

The government sector and professional associations mostly organise meetings and conferences while corporates hold meetings and incentives. More exhibitions are being held in Pattaya, but these are still relatively few and far between.

Overseas delegates favour incentives, conventions and meetings, with groups ranging from 500 pax to 10,000 pax and daily spending per person starting at 3,000 baht, she said.

How I did an 850-pax conference

Pattaya still has the power to attract large-size events and conferences, although the destination suffers from a lack of operational staff experienced in the MICE industry, said Teerapong Suksabai, MICE events manager at Asia World Destination Management.

Asia World organised a major pharmaceutical conference for 850 delegates from Russia and CIS countries at Royal Cliff Pattaya in February 2014. While the event did not have too many elements beyond the conference itself and a gala dinner, the number of attendees did raise some challenges.

“After the event we had an internal team debriefing about the service quality,” said Teerapong. “One of the key challenges is that with a large group of more than 700 delegates, we often need to hire additional staff to assist with some functions such as a gala dinner.”

Beyond its permanent headcount of eight specialists, the DMC had to outsource an additional 10 staff for the night, which brought with it control issues regarding understanding the client’s needs as well as the speed and quality of service.

“(The outsourced staff) were good, but they still could not cover all of the tasks we assigned them as they were still new to the MICE business,” he said. “This goes to show that Thailand still lacks experienced MICE staff who really know and understand what the business is and how it operates.”

Staffing was not the only issue Teerapong’s team had to overcome that night. “The client ordered last-minute changes to the decor and arrangements for the gala dinner just one day before the event. We had to bring some equipment from Bangkok but we managed to get everything done just in time.

“Overall, the event was successful and we received very good feedback about ground services and hotel from our client,” he said.

Need to know

Riding the meeting wave

Wave Pattaya opened last year, providing a perfect complement to its 260-room sister property, The Bayview Pattaya. Located on Beach Road, the four-storey, 21-room Miami South Beach-style property features Art Deco interiors, whose contemporary approach to room design lends to a more informal, relaxed environment.
Groups can access meetings facilities and additional restaurants and the spa at the connecting Bayview, with the boutique Wave making an ideal location for hosting board members and other high-level executives.
More information can be viewed at www.wavepattaya.com.

TCEB lures MICE travellers with Pattaya offer

Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau’s (TCEB) Pattaya MICE City promotion offers a motorcade service from the airport to designated hotels and corporate social responsibility activities for groups of more than 100 delegates. Groups of 300 pax or more will also receive a VIP reception, welcome drinks and a motorcade to destinations within the city. For groups exceeding 500 delegates, the city will also provide a special performance and enhanced hotels rates for longer stays.

Convention settings underway at Woraburi The Ritz

Due to launch later this year, the convention hall at the recently launched Woraburi The Ritz will feature the latest audio-visual technology and space accommodating up to 1,000 pax. The hall can be used banquet-style or divided into three separate sections, making it suitable for small groups and larger events. Woraburi Heritage, a connecting property with 500 rooms, is due to open in 2H2014.

Visit www.waraburi-theritz.com for details.

Toon delights at water park

The first Cartoon Network-themed waterpark will open on July 31 to feature 10 themed zones, water rollercoasters and the world’s largest aqua playground with more than 150 different water features. Other attractions at this 5.7ha beachfront development in Bang Saray include meet-and-greet activities with key Cartoon Network characters, the mammoth Foodville dining facility and live acrobatics shows.

The venue also offers corporate packages for groups as well as after-hours hire for special events. Visit www.cartoonnetworkamazone.com for more information.

New greens in Pattaya

Siam Country Club strengthened its position as one of the area’s leading golfing facilities when it opened Siam Country Club Waterside in May 2014. The new 18-hole, 6.8km championship course was designed by IMG and covers 80 hectares. The course’s landscape features plenty of lakes, streams and water features alongside a new clubhouse offering panoramas of the surrounding environment. Golfers will be able to play at Siam Country Club’s existing 18-hole Old Course and the 27-hole Plantation course. More details at www.siamcountryclub.com