BANGKOK 15 September 2026: Australian travel industry figures Rodney and Nongnuch Pattison are beginning a new chapter in their lives, relocating to Bangkok following international appointments with The Salvation Army in Thailand.
The appointments bring together the couple’s extensive experience in travel, tourism, business, operations and community engagement with a longstanding commitment to service.
Auxiliary Lieutenant Nongnuch Pattison has been appointed to Business & Operational Support and Social & Community Services in Bangkok.
Auxiliary Lieutenant Rodney Pattison has been appointed to Social & Community Services and National Lead, Partnership & Fundraising, a role that will see him develop relationships with businesses, organisations, supporters and communities across Thailand.
Rodney and Nuch are well known to many in Australia’s travel industry. They are also friends and colleagues whose careers I have followed with considerable interest.
Rodney’s early expertise included website marketing and using website software as a strategic business tool at a time when the travel industry was only beginning to appreciate its commercial potential.
Through their travel company, Travel Connections, Rodney and Nuch subsequently developed considerable expertise in the Australian cruise market
The company became particularly well regarded for efficiently handling cruise passengers and the complex logistics of embarkation and disembarkation, an area requiring meticulous organisation, communication, and attention to detail.
Those skills should translate well into their new responsibilities involving operations, partnerships, fundraising and community engagement.
The Pattisons’ association with The Salvation Army is also deeply personal. Rodney comes from a family with strong Salvation Army connections, and the organisation’s traditions of faith, service, and music have influenced him throughout his life. His father was closely involved with The Salvation Army in Australia, while music also became a bond between father and son, both accomplished musicians.
“Nuch and I are deeply honoured to have been appointed to serve in Thailand,” Rodney said. “After many years connected with the travel industry, we are looking forward to using our experience, relationships and skills in a very different way, supporting communities and helping strengthen the work of The Salvation Army in Thailand.”
Friends and colleagues from Thailand’s travel, tourism and business communities are invited to welcome Rodney and Nongnuch at a special gathering on Sunday, 11 October 2026 at 1030 at The Salvation Army Foundation, Preecha Complex, Ratchadaphisek Road 20, Bangkok.
“Thailand has been an important part of our lives for many years,” Rodney added. “We would love to see friends from across the travel and tourism industry join us in Bangkok.”
For two people whose professional lives have long been about connecting people and places, Bangkok now marks the beginning of a very different journey, one centred on service, community and giving something back.
About the author
Andrew J Wood is a British-born travel writer and former hotelier who has lived in Thailand since 1991. A graduate of Napier University, Edinburgh, he has more than four decades of experience in international hospitality and tourism. A longstanding member of Skål International, he is a former Director and Past President of Skål International Asia, Thailand and Bangkok. Currently, he serves as Vice President of Skål International Bangkok and a member of the Skål Asia Board. He writes on travel, tourism, hospitality and Asia-Pacific industry developments.
