Pattaya Mail — News

Government supporting Pattaya for Amazing Thailand

On November 29th, 1997, at the Forum Room of the Grand Sole Hotel Pattaya, Seri Wangphaijit, the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Sansak Ngarmphiches, MP in charge of the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism, and MP Ms. Paweena Hongsakul, the Head of the Committee to Expedite the Instrumentation of the Rights of Children and Women in the Government and Private Sector, gave a news conference to inform the public and press what the three arms of the government are doing to support tourism in Pattaya during ‘Amazing Thailand’ years, 1998-9.

There were also representatives from three branches of the Tourist Police Division of the Crime Suppression Division of the Police Department. With members of the business sector and the press, over three hundred people were in attendance at this solemn convocation.

Seri Wanphaijit, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, began by informing the meeting of the government’s policies relating to tourism in Thailand. The policies apply to the Civil Service, the Private Sector and to other people. He expounded on the genesis of ‘Amazing Thailand’, saying that the event was planned to help revive the country’s expiring economy. He said the event had been conceived in the administration of Prime Minister General Chavalit Yongchaiyuth. The purpose of the promotion was to give Thailand’s gasping tourist industry a ‘jump-start’.

Two other reasons for the promotion are the 70th birthday of His Majesty the King and to celebrate the Asian Games, which Thailand is hosting in Bangkok. Seri said that 17 million tourists will be visiting the country, bringing in foreign exchange of 600,000 million baht.

A campaign to encourage Thais to spend their vacations in the country instead of abroad is also being instituted. Local tourist expenditures should total 450,500 million baht. Total earnings from tourism should be 1.1 million million baht. This should help the feeble economy and help to develop tourism in the long term. In 10-15 years Thailand should be a world standard tourist destination. This can be done without environmental degradation and destruction of the country’s lush natural beauty, and have no adverse effect on Thailand’s indigenous culture either, Seri added. This will also ‘stop other countries from looking down on our culture, and our dignity will be restored.’

The government has already formulated a 10 year plan for the development of tourism, giving the rural people a role, by encouraging them to develop the touristic potential of their respective areas. The rural people are being taught that the main draw of tourism is a beautiful natural environment. This will encourage them to become conservationists. Doing this will greatly benefit tour operators in these areas.

Ms. Paveena Hongsakul, Head of the Committee to Expedite the Instrumentation of the Rights of Women and Children and a member of the Staff of the Prime Minister’s office in Bangkok told the meeting that the most economical way of rejuvenating the economy with the least investment was tourism. She said that Thailand has a good and beautiful culture and unparalleled natural beauty to sell to foreign tourists who come to Thailand in large numbers. She emphasised that police officials in all areas of the country must crack down on the child and teenage prostitution industry in the country as it ruins the country’s reputation.

She told the meeting that the world has focused it eyes on Thailand and the country has become infamous for child prostitution. She said the police have been trying to deal with this problem. Those who use the services of child prostitutes are for the most part foreigners. After the police became strict on this, the problem is not so bad.

Sansak Ngarmphiches, Head of the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism said that all arms of the government must work together to bring about a successful ‘Amazing Thailand Year’.

In his talk, he mentioned things that are basically taken for granted in most countries.

The meeting concluded with everyone agreeing that tourism should be improved and this would save Thailand’s ever-drooping economy.

Amorn Malhotra elected new head of the Tourist Police Volunteer Association

Amorn Malhotra of the Pattaya Mail was elected by members to be the new head of the Tourist Police Volunteer Association.

This organisation was founded by Police Colonel Somsak Wannawak, Chief of the International Crime Commission. Colonel Somsak wished to give the people of Pattaya more of a role in aiding tourists in need. The organisation is a great success, with approximately 500 volunteers.

Members of the Association go through a training period, during which they are instructed in certain aspects of foreign culture. They also learn how to co-ordinate with the various police agencies when tourists need assistance.

The volunteers are from all sectors of society. Members include shop owners, motorcycle drivers, and newspaper reporters, among others.

Amorn was elected because of his history of helping tourists out of very difficult situations. He is always willing to give help when needed. His fluency in English, Thai, Nordic, Scandinavian and Indian languages, coupled with his knowledge of Thai law, made him the ideal choice. Amorn has a no-nonsense attitude and deals with matters in a logical manner.

The Pattaya Mail is proud to have one of its own elected to this honoured position.

Mayor gets tough with illegal shops

The mayor is getting tough with shops and restaurants which are affecting Pattaya’s cleanliness.

The mayor and a group of officials, who went out on a field trip to inspect food stalls restaurants and shops polluting the city, found many offenders at Suan Luang Ror.9 (Rama 9), a park and exercise area.

Officials found illegal restaurants and food stalls selling Isan delicacies brazenly operating inside the park’s boundaries. The park is intended for the public to engage in vigorous and healthful exercise.

Shocked by this, city officials gave them 7 days to move out of the park. If not, the city would file a civil suit against them. The vendors would also be removed by force, if necessary.

Investigations revealed that the shops belonged to Mr. Phrai Mangkang, a well known Pattaya citizen, who was charging the vendors 7,700 baht a month rent. The city apparently had a ‘contract’ with Phrai, but it has expired.

With Phrai’s contract with the city expired, officials are now inspecting to see if shops are polluting the area.

The city says the shops are an eyesore and block panoramic views, and offered a plan to replace the shops with comfortable benches.

Corporal punisher spanked with fine

Pattaya police received an urgent call to intervene in a disagreement between a tourist and ‘service girl’ at the Marine Bar in South Pattaya concerning the price for ‘services’.

Police found a 35-year-old German national named ‘Oliver’ and a 25-year-old service girl involved in a heated altercation, with onlookers cheering their favourites.

After separating the two, officers learned that ‘Oliver’ had approached the woman at her place of employment, a nearby beer bar, and offered her 200 baht for her ‘services’.

The service girl, Buariem, told him that she could not accept such a low price, even if the baht hadn’t been devalued. She asked for 500 baht, which aroused the man’s ire. Ms. Buariem then told him to leave her alone, which made the would be wencher even angrier and he began to slap her on the arms and fundament.

The young women then kneed the tourist in a ‘sensitive’ area and he fled the bar, taking refuge in the Marine Discotheque.

Ms. Buariem’s wrath rose again as she pondered her bruised derrière. Grabbing a beer bottle, she followed ‘Oliver’ into the Discotheque and delivered a resounding thwack to his head. The skirmishing continued until police arrived.

Police took the combatants to the Pattaya Police Station for questioning. After getting to the bottom of the situation, police decided that ‘Oliver’ pay 1,000 baht in damages.

Neither was seriously hurt, so police released them after giving ‘Oliver’ a lecture on ‘fundamental’ courtesy.

Police asked “not to let dead bodies wash up on shore”

Last week a foreign tourist discovered an unidentifiable corpse of what appeared to be a European man after it had washed up on Kok Island’s shore. The body is now in autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Police surmise that the victim may have rented a boat, gone into the water to swim and drowned.

Residents of Kok Island told bewildered police that they should not allow bodies to wash up on the beach as it had an adverse effect on tourism.

Police instructed to adhere to their duties

Police Lt. Colonel Prakarn Prajong called a meeting of the entire staff of the Pattaya Police Headquarters on November 25th. This meeting was to point out that the police must begin working according to policy set out by the police department.

He said the police must begin to do what the government told them to. The government’s policy is as follows:

To give the police department a good image and engender the trust of the people and tourists. To work with business people in the area to solve the problems of environmental degradation.

The police should show solidarity in their work and co-operate with the Tourist Police, Shore Patrol, Highway Patrol and Coast Guard.

The police were also instructed that it was their duty to ensure the safety of human life and property. They were told this was their primary duty.

The police were told not to take advantage of tourists and always be ‘up to date.’ This would increase tourism in Thailand.

Copyright © 1997 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
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