Mr. Oliver Soe Thet

Oliver Soe Thet, who is the resident General Manager of Bayview Resort informed
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Oliver Soe Thet also
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Oliver Soe Thet said, "On the 4th of January 2001, the Myanmar government

The delegation was headed by MCA president Mr. Oliver E. Soe Thet, who said the chefs had been impressed by the taste of the clay pot cooking." And the Japanese, South Korean and Vietnamese delegates like the "mohinga" very much," he said.

Mr Oliver E. Soe Thet, a former general manager of Ngapali's Bayview Resort, said his main concern has been litter strewn along the beach.

"There was a big change around 1999, when foreign tourists really started coming to Myanmar.All of a sudden a bunch of small restaurants and tea shops opened near the big hotels.But they had no clue how to treat their garbage - they would just dump it on the beach or on the roadside," he said.

Five new hotels, however, all private and locally owned, are scheduled to open along the airport beach within the next two years, according to Oliver Thet, resident manager of the Bayview Resort.An enthusiastic 40-year-old from Germany with a progressive vision and a Schwarzenegger accent, he's the "Mr.Oliver" of the turtle egg sign.

I asked him about that sign, and, like so many things in Burma, there lay a story within the story.

"Turtles bury their eggs at night all along the beach," he said."They're endangered hawksbill sea turtles, and the fishermen dig the eggs up and sell them at the morning market."A few weeks earlier, he explained, he and a group of hotel guests were at the Thandwe market and saw some of the Ping-Pong-ball-sized turtle eggs for sale.

"I bought them all and told the vendors I'd buy any others that came in." Oliver (as he likes to be called) reburied the eggs under a naturalist's supervision in front of the hotel, where he could keep an eye on them.The village fishermen now let Bayview buy the turtles caught in their fishing nets and, with a bit of fanfare to help raise local awareness, the hotel then releases them."In this way, the fishermen don't lose their traditional livelihood and the turtles are being saved," Oliver said.A catch-and-release program, Ngapali beach style.

The Bayview--with its catamarans and kayaks for rent and a shimmering pool--sitting just a few yards from our bungalow, became our local beach hangout.Lunch at the tiny Sunset Bar, with its teak tables in the sand and full menu from the hotel's superb restaurant, became our daily routine.

One afternoon, after a lunch of green curry chicken and crisp salad, and with a cold Mandalay beer to sip, I asked Oliver his opinion of the tourist boycott.

"Tourism breaks chains," he said.

"Every judge has to eat at least ten different mohinga - but fortunately not whole bowls," said organiser and Myanmar Chef's Association president Oliver Soe Thet, manager of Bayview Resort at Ngapali."Children of orphanages and pupils from the schools for the handicapped are brought here to eat but we also deliver to homes for the aged, etc. "Every year we feed about 5000 people from the proceeds."Mingling in the VIP room were Hotel and Tourism Minister Maj-Gen Saw Lwin , Deputy Minister Brig-Gen Aye Myint Kyu and Myanmar Hotels and Tourism Services assistant general manager U Than Lwin.First prize for best taste went to Bayview Hotel - thank goodness Oliver was not one of the judges, or accusations would have flown thick and fast… The Yadana Garden Restaurant won the Best Hygiene prize, and was Taste runner-up.
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Oliver Soe Thet

Oliver Soe E Thet, president of the Myanmar Chefs Association and former executive chef is now the general manager at the idyllic 11th-century Bagan Hotel in Old Bagan, a town that is home to some of the most interesting cultural heritage sites in Myanmar.The resort property where he now works consists of 108 one-storey teakwood buildings with inlaid sculptures of mythical figures all connected via brick pathways.

The Resident Manager, Oliver E. Soe Thet - a German by birth, has adopted Myanmar as his new home, with a Myanmar name and a life at the beach.With his gregarious nature, he makes the perfect host and seems to know everybody and everything you need to know about Myanmar, especially about Ngapali Beach.It was here where Rudyard Kipling spent a few carefree months, writing his first draft of the world famous Jungle Book.And although Kipling has long since gone, today the house still stands strong, overlooking the beach and a scene of cane-hatted fisherwomen and their men folk, pulling in the catch of the day.

The Bayview has the kind of food that guests of Myanmar just dream about.They can enjoy easterncuisine and discover famous mouthwatering Myanmar dishes on the menu which are all prepared from the new 1st International Myanmar Cookbook jointly authored by Oliver E.Soe Thet and Ko Ye Thu Win, the chef in the kitchen.They can sit at the swimming pool or at the beach bar and enjoy fresh salads, Fish, Lobster and Seafood from the catch of the day , BBQ or, for those missing that European touch, they may enjoy Italian specialities like pizza, pasta and anti pasta, all served with a fresh Draught Beer and a good selection of Wines.End the pleasure with a dessert accompanied by an espresso or cappuccino.