U Hotel welcomes general manager

  Yothin has had an extensive career in the hotel industry with a solid sales background. He has many years' experience both in Thailand and Vietnam, where he was senior sales manager for the New World Hotel Saigon from 2000.

  After two years there, he returned to Thailand and held the position of key account director handling leisure business for Accor Asia Pacific, Thailand.

  Prior to his latest appointment, he was hotel manager at the Cha-Da Beach Resort & Spa on Koh Lanta in Krabi.

Delphi appoints TAC as distributor

Delphi Product & Service Solutions (DPSS) recently appointed TAC as its first authorised distributor in Thailand.

  TAC will help DPSS grow in the Thai after-market through a network of more than 2,000 dealers and workshops across the country, DPSS said in a statement. TAC will market and distribute Delphi vehicle electronics, consumer electronics (car audio, portable navigation, and overhead DVD players), thermal and chassis products.

AOT board likely to keep Chana

Airports of Thailand (AOT) president Chana U-sathaporn is likely to stay on to complete his four-year term as he can implement policies and tackle disputes with King Power International, a source said yesterday.

  He also has a clear plan to raise revenue at Suvarnabhumi Airport that includes commercial development and a second phase for the airport, the source added.

  AOT's board will decide on June 6 whether Chana will stay.

He was appointed to the post last December.

THAI offers deals to mark anniversary

Thai Airways International is offering special deals at the Rak Khun Tao Fah Fair to celebrate its 48th anniversary, which runs until tomorrow at Siam Paragon.

  Offers include special tickets to all global destinations, Royal Orchid Holidays special tour packages, THAI Shop products and the THAI Value Gift Card, a prepaid travel card worth Bt4,800 that can be used to buy tickets.

Banharn joins tourism promotion committee

Chart Thai Party leader Banharn Silapa-archa and the party's acting deputy leader Korn Dabaransi have been appointed advisors to the committee set up to expedite tourism development. The other director is Wanchai Sarathulthat, chairman of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

   Banharn joined the committee's first meeting yesterday with representatives from the private sector, and was quoted as saying that all planned schemes must materialise as soon as possible. The next meeting is on May 29.

   Set up in line with the Tourism Year 2008-2009, the committee is tasked to work with the private sector mainly in tackling legal obstacles, marketing problems and improving degraded tourism destinations.

   Apichart Sankary, chairman of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) - one of the committee's members, lauded the effort, saying it was the first time that joint tourism development had been put in the hands of the committee.

Etihad names new regional GM

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has promoted Cramer Ball, its manager for Australia and New Zealand, to regional general manager Asia Pacific South and Australasia. The position is one of the airline's two new appointments for the Asia Pacific.