Pattaya Mail — News

Royal Cliff set to begin building conference centre

by Ken Bailey

Royal Cliff Beach Resort Managing Director Khun Panga Vathanakul last week spoke of how the soon to be built Royal Cliff Beach Resort Conference & Exhibition Centre is a response to requests from corporate clients for larger facilities. In meeting this demand the centre is expected to attract 1000s of additional corporate travellers to Pattaya. Intended to host conferences of up to around 6000 participants, more than the Royal Cliff is able to accommodate, this centre should represent a significant cash injection into the city.

Director of Marketing & Sales at the Royal Cliff, Mr. David Holden, describes the project as "a significant statement of faith in the rejuvenation of Pattaya." He points out that this being Thailand’s only world-class conference centre outside of Bangkok will enhance the economic boost to the area.

Phase one of construction, demolition of shops and the Thai market restaurant at the Royal Cliff, is due to commence on January 15th 1998. Completion is forecast for no later than December 1999, just in time for a huge New Year’s Eve party celebrating the new millennium.

Royal Cliff management envisage the centre benefiting many sections of the Eastern Seaboard community. Its conference and exhibition facilities will be available to local companies while attracting international corporate visitors. Demand is expected to be strong from local companies, as Pattaya is strategically located within the seaboard’s huge industrial areas while being equipped to provide the all-important recreational aspects of conferences.

Mr. Holden points out that the conference and corporate incentive sectors of the travel market are highly lucrative. Corporate executives and their families are the customers here and Pattaya’s range of vacation pursuits, shopping and dining will meet all their requirements. Mr. Holden predicts that the economic impact made by large groups of conference attendees will be felt throughout Pattaya.

There are also obvious employment benefits associated with the construction and operation of a project this size. The Royal Cliff states that it has a buy Thai if possible policy that should provide opportunities locally during construction. Khun Panga Wattanakul expects that once in operation the centre will employ perhaps 100s of personnel. Hopes are that this enterprise will also generate roll-on employment in Pattaya.

Royal Cliff sales staff have already commenced marketing the centre to major national and regional conference holders. This, Mr. Holden points out, is not only an indication of confidence in Pattaya’s future, it is a statement of faith in the national economy’s ability to bounce back within two years, thus proving the investment worthwhile.

Vendors stage massive protest at City Hall

Not willing to give up their old selling venues, over 200 merchants from the old Larn Pho Market in Naklua continued their protest at Pattaya City Hall, blocking roads and disrupting traffic.

The city wants the merchants to move to the new market so the old area may be turned into a wastewater treatment plant, but the new market is not completed and no one can tell the vendors when they will be able to move there.

At the "final" meeting on this matter, the city council decided that the vendors must move. Hearing the decision, the protesters began a loud demonstration, shouting that under no circumstances would they move.

The group then used 15 pick-up trucks to block the entrance/exit to City Hall, preventing civil servants from leaving the building. They also used vehicles to block North Pattaya Road causing monster traffic jams.

Pattaya Police went to the scene to prevent any outbreaks of violence, but stayed a healthy distance from demonstrators, who dared the police to try and arrest them.

Demonstrators began burning clothing and throwing rotten vegetables as they marched with signs stating that the city government cared nothing for the people. The demonstration showed no signs of abating and the demonstrators threatened to blockade Sukhumvit Road, stating the problem had to be solved to their satisfaction before anyone could go home.

The vendors, represented by Mr. Aphiseth Saksek, a former member of the city council, presented a petition to the council demanding that the vendors not be forced to move.

Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat eventually invited 10 representatives of the group to join the city council in a meeting to work out their differences. After an hour meeting, the city council agreed to let the demonstrators to stay at the old market until Chinese New Year.

Partially satisfied, the group began dispersing at approximately 5:00 p.m.

Convicted child molester arrested in Pattaya

A group of Pattaya’s ‘star’ police officers, including Pol. Lt. Colonel Khajornsak Kriengsakphichit of the Tourist Police, Pol. Lt. Commander Thanomsak Intrabutr and Special Officer Chaliew Srichong arrested convicted child molester Heinz Robert Albrecht, 57, at the Royal Garden Shopping Mall.

Police officers co-ordinated efforts with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of
Germany in apprehending Albrecht, wanted on charges of child molesting. An arrest warrant was issued at the court in Heilbronn, Germany.

The German Embassy also invalidated Albrecht’s passport. The prosecutor’s office of Heilbronn sent the following communique through the German Embassy:

"Heinz Albrecht has been sentenced by final judgement by the local court of Heilbronn dated 25 September 1996, to an aggregate term of imprisonment of 2 year and 6 months because of sexual abuse of children and young people.

"The person sentenced is to be detained at investigation and to be committed to the nearest penal institution. The public prosecutor’s office of Heilbronn is immediately to be notified of the detention stating the (above) file number."

When arrested, Albrecht was carrying 85,000 Deutch Marks (well over 2,000,000 Thai Baht) on his person. When arrested, Albrecht gave the money to Ms. Praphaphen Chankhamme to keep for him. Police recorded this as evidence.

Albrecht was detained according to the German court’s decree, and was taken to the Pattaya police station.

Police get eyeful at sex show raid

Many Inspectors and over 20 enlisted police enthusiastically raided a sex show at a show-club (clip-joint) on South Pattaya Road. The show was going hot and heavy when officers arrived, but they didn’t miss the show or the opportunity to arrest the performers.

The venue was filled with foreign tourists, yet no one was wise to the police master plan, as all the officers were in plain clothes. It did cause a major stampede when officers arose from their seats and revealed themselves. The over 200 spectators scattered and fled in all directions.

Tourists were puzzled when officers explained that this type of thing was totally forbidden in Thai culture. Everyone was down as they returned to their hotels.

The manager of the establishment and 9 performers were taken to the Pattaya Tourist Police Headquarters. All confessed to being involved in the naughty performances.

The manager was charged on two counts: operating a business establishment without a license and owning an establishment with lewd and lascivious live performances.

The man and woman performing when the police stopped the show were charged with lewd and lascivious behaviour in public. The two told police they received 5,000 baht a month base salary and 150 baht apiece for each sexual act performed on stage. The two said their monthly income came to approximately 20,000 baht each, but the work was quite arduous.

This coup was difficult for police to carry off, as the club has a policy of not admitting Thais. The building is also surrounded by a high and thick brick wall with high voltage wires on the top.

Police requested the Governor of the Province to issue an order to close the establishment permanently.

The police will be doing a ‘clean-up’ of other such establishments in the near future, as this is one of the main reasons Pattaya’s image is so bad in the eyes of the world.

Construction begins on new wastewater plant

The government has ordered the Ministry of Science and Technology to build an ‘environmentally friendly’ wastewater treatment plant in Pattaya. Construction of this plant began on October 20th, 1997, and should be finished by 1999. This new plant will take over the duties of the old ones which have been discovered to be too small for the job.

The local government has boldly predicted that once this plant is finished, it will provide the following advantages:

1. The sea will be clean again. The beaches will be white. Germs will die.

2. There will be large drainage pipes able to handle large amounts of rainwater flow. Flooding will be no more.

3. Pattaya will be fresh and clean, with an atmosphere so beautiful it will dazzle the eyes and heart. Tourists will once again flock to Pattaya and everyone will make money, forever.

Randy Romeo tracked down by police

A Thai man, under the influence of alcohol and raging hormones, tried to sexually assault a 15 year old girl in a pub on Soi Thepprasit.

Why an underage person was allowed in the pub is not known.

When the girl resisted, the man, Somphop Langkhunsen, in his 40s, ran out of the pub and jumped on a motorcycle taxi and faded into the night.

Upon receiving the complaint, police put out an all-points bulletin for the randy Romeo.

Officers cut off the man’s avenue of escape and took him to the Pattaya police station.

Somphop was charged with assault with intent to sexually molest a woman who was underage and not his wife.

He now awaits trial for his error.

Passport to Pattaya update

The sub-committee for Marketing Publicity in Pattaya held a meeting at Pattaya City Hall to discuss the ‘Passport to Pattaya’ program. Pattaya Governor Sujarit Pajchiman presided.

The ‘Passport to Pattaya’ program is designed to draw more tourists to Pattaya during Amazing Thailand.

Phanga Vathanakul, the Chairperson of the sub-committee for Marketing Publicity in Pattaya, again explained the basics of the project, summing it up thusly; Pattaya must have interesting activities for tourists year round and also advertise and promote Pattaya in other tourist spots throughout the world. She then said that these activities must be at reduced prices, whether they be goods or services. The discounts must be truly amazing, so tourists won’t be able to resist them. This will draw tourists to hotels, shopping malls, stores and companies in Pattaya. Sports competitions must also be included in this program. The use of golf courses in Pattaya and Parimonthon must also come under this program. This will make more tourists interested in coming to Pattaya more often.

All they will need to do is purchase the Passport to Pattaya from the city or its representatives. This one little document will enable them to take advantage of every one of the goods and services in Pattaya.

The committee is now in the process of looking for sponsors to publicise the event throughout the world and also improve Pattaya’s image.

At the meeting, the Governor of the Province agreed with this program and called for all merchants to join the city to make it become a concrete reality as quick as possible. The provincial government and the city of Pattaya are already giving full support to the project.

The governor requested that merchants and entertainment venues not increase their prices during the holiday season, as this would defeat the purpose of Passport to Pattaya.

There were more than 100 merchants and civil servants at the meeting. After the meeting forms were given out for establishments which wish to participate in the Passport to Pattaya.

Many were interested, but some did not agree with the Passport to Pattaya.

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