Pattaya Mail — News

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Hundreds turn out for Pattaya's Raod Safety Day

Brakes, lights repaired as road safety is stressed

North Pattaya Road became a motorcycle Grand Prix pits for hundreds of our local motor cyclists last Sunday. If you drove past and were wondering what the motorcycle jamboree was about, you were witnessing an exercise in increasing public awareness of road safety.

The Gé Laurant Foundation, in conjunction with the Traffic police of Pattaya, the Pattaya School of T echnology and the Rotary Club of Pattaya-Jomtien, produced a significant and practical step forward in motorcycle safety with their free Road Safety checks.

The day began with addresses by Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat and the Chairman of the Provincial Council, Chanyuth Hengtrakul. Mayor Pairat also presented plaques of appreciation to Gerard Lemmers, President of the Gé Laurant Foundation and to Rotarian Surin Farley of the Pattaya-Jomtien Rotary Club.

The huge line-up of motorcycles then began their safety checks - and in some cases, almost total rebuilds by the enthusiastic technicians from the School of Technology, overseen by the Aksorn director Acharn Nikom Modrakhi. They very soon had a mountain of unserviceable brake parts, light bulbs and plugs, all of which were meticulously replaced with new items, free of charge. Over 260 motorcycles were checked, with the most common defects being brakes and tail lights.

In addition, the first 200 riders received a free helmet. Another great safety promotion idea which has the full backing of the Pattaya Traffic Police.

All concerned are to be congratulated for this very positive step in an overall Road Safety program.

However, as we all know from accident statistics, the problems to be met are greater than can be countered in one day with the local motorcyclists. The Pattaya Traffic Police understand these problems too and are trying to develop a "pro-active" role in this area.

Pattaya Mail reporters talked with Police Major Pramote Ngarmpradit, a Supervising Inspector with the Pattaya Traffic Police who said that fewer road accidents would occur in Pattaya if both Thais and foreigners would obey the laws.

"We are charged with ensuring road safety for both Thais and foreigners," said Major Pramote. "Road safety does not mean cleaning up the mess and arbitrating in arguments of apportioning blame after the accident. Our job includes enforcing laws which prevent accidents."

"Many people, both Thai and foreign, seem to think that crash helmets are unimportant. This is a serious mistake and we are becoming stricter about levying fines on those motorcyclists not wearing helmets," the Major continued.

"Tourists in Pattaya for short visits seem to know the importance of helmets, as the laws are stringently enforced in their own countries. But Thais and foreigners who live in Pattaya seem to be the main offenders," he said.

"We have many more traffic signs in both English and Thai now, but there should be more. Pattaya has more than 40 traffic police on duty at any one time but this is still not an efficient number of officers, as Pattaya has a relatively small population, but a large area with many roads. The city also operates on a 24 hour basis," he continued.

When asked about how to avoid accidents, Major Pramote was very definite, "I hope people know the main causes of accidents are not vehicle malfunction, faulty roads, or lack of signs. The main reason for over 90% of accidents is due to careless and reckless driving. Driving while intoxicated is the largest cause of the above. If everyone realized that statistically, improper use of motor vehicles causes more deaths than firearms, maybe they would be more careful when driving."

A salutary lesson for us all.

Paedophilia crackdown nets American ex-teacher

At 8:00 a.m. on January 28, Police Major Suphathee Boonkhrong learned that a US national was allegedly engaging in sex with Thai boys. Police thought this was highly irregular, as the man used to be a schoolteacher.

Reaching the scene of the alleged molestations, a hotel room, police could not gain entry, as the canny American, Paul Steven Wallace asked to see a search warrant. While officers were producing the warrant, Wallace told the 16 year old boy to exit through the window. The limber boy climbed across the outside wall to another building, endangering his life in the process.

Police later caught the boy hiding behind a water tank on the roof of the adjoining building.

While officers were busy catching the boy, Wallace ran downstairs and hid in the jungle behind the hotel building. Police searched the dense foliage for over 30 minutes before they caught Wallace.

Photo: Two of Wallace's victims point him out to police as the man that allegedly molested them.

Officers brought Wallace back to his room and performed a search, finding lubricating creams and gels. They also found computer games and toys which Wallace allegedly used to entice the children.

Wallace denied any illegal sexual activity with minors. A few minutes later, police brought ‘Daeng’, a 16 year old boy, to identify Wallace as the man who had allegedly paid him for ‘services’. Another boy, ‘Chai’, age 13 was later found, who also allegedly testified he had been molested by the man while in a primary school in Pattaya.

Requesting co-operation of the Pattaya School System, school psychologists brought another boy, ‘Khao’, 13, to Wallace’s room. ‘Khao’, seeing Wallace, alleged that he, too, had been molested by the former teacher.

Questioning ‘Daeng’, police learned that he arrived from the province of Udorn, in North-eastern Thailand, to look for his younger brother, who had been arrested for theft. He then met ‘Khao’, his brother’s friend, who allegedly invited ‘Daeng’ to go swimming at a swimming pool in Pattaya. It was there that Wallace, a former teacher at one of the international schools, approached him and bought him candy. After this, he invited ‘Daeng’ to his room, saying that he would post bail for his younger brother.

In the room, Daeng allegedly agreed to have sexual relations with Wallace. Wallace then allegedly gave him 100 baht (US$ 1.85 - one dollar and eighty five cents). Wallace allegedly had sexual relations with the boy later in the evening. He then told ‘Daeng’ if he brought ‘Khao’ to his room, he would give them money.

‘Daeng’ did as he was told and ‘Khao’ was allegedly molested in the same fashion.

Wallace has been remanded to custody and awaits further process of law.

Baht-bus violence progresses to murder

A young Thai man last week lost his life after being hit on the head with a lead pipe during an argument over the fare of a baht-bus ride to Naklua.

After hospital officials alerted police to the murder, investigations revealed that the victim was 26 year old Thonongkiat Sapdee.

A friend told officers that he and the victim left a pub in an intoxicated state and flagged down baht-bus No. 115. They began bargaining about the fare to their lodgings in Naklua.

The victim was in the process of bargaining when an argument ensued. He then made an obscene gesture at the bus driver who became enraged, jumped out of his bus with a lead pipe and hit the man on the head. The victim collapsed, after which the bus driver fled in his vehicle.

Police gave chase and found the bus belonged to Mrs. Muay Sae-Tiow. When officers arrived at her house, they found signs of a hasty departure.

Police are still searching for the owner, driver and bus.

Fangs a lot!

by Boonleua Chatri

Two thieves, thwarted by a fearless man and his canny canine cronies, were delivered to the Pattaya police station, suffering from fright and shock, with two dogs snapping at their heels.

The victim manqué, Mr. Phorasak Phiromkij, said he awakened to the barking of his 7 Pit Bull terriers. Descending to the first floor of his house, he found two men cowering on a credenza, high above the bone-crushing jaws of his prize pets.

The thieves had a gun and threatened to shoot the man if he didn’t call off his army of 4 legged storm troopers. Mr. Phorasak told officers he reminded the men of some facts.

1. He wasn’t afraid of death.

2. They only had six bullets and there were seven angry dogs.

3. If they did shoot him, the dogs would do them in sooner or later.

4. They were in no position to bargain.

The thieves saw the logic in this and threw themselves on Mr. Phorasak’s mercy. Telling the men to throw the gun away, he called off five of the dogs and put them in another room.

Mr. Phorasak and two dogs escorted the thieves to the police station. Officers were a bit suspicious that a personal vendetta might be in action, asking Mr. Phorasak how the men got past the dogs in the first place. He proudly told officers the dogs were quiet, very well-behaved and only killed people after they had determined they were intruders.

The thieves fairly jumped into officer’s arms, to get away from ‘Puffy’ and ‘Sugar’.

The would be cat-burglars then began a breast-beating litany, complaining about the failing economy, no work and dozens of children to feed. Rather timorous officers seemed very anxious to get ‘Puffy’ and ‘Sugar’ out of the station. They requested Mr. Phorasak take the dogs home and return alone to file his complaint.

Good for the goose, not so for the gander

In a story worthy of ballads of yore, a cuckolded husband decided against shooting his wife and her lover, and in a mire of self-pity, told officers that he wished to go to jail for life on any charges police wished to bring.

Police received a call from the wife of Uthai Thepwong, 24, who reported that her husband was destroying her apartment. Rushing to the scene, officers quelled the man’s wrath, then took him to the Pattaya police station.

In the interrogation room, Uthai, a waiter at a 5 star hotel, began weeping while he told officers that he and his common law wife had lived together for seven years and had just had a child. Recently, a ‘friend’ told him that his wife was sleeping with another man. He left work and went to his apartment to find his wife with her lover.

Police then brought the man’s common law wife and her lover to the station for questioning.

Both asked that their names not be revealed to the press and told officers that they did not wish to press any charges.

The ‘wife’ informed Uthai that they were not legally married and their child was lawfully hers alone. She told officers that Uthai was immature and she stayed with him out of pity.

‘How could you be unfaithful to me?’ the tearful husband demanded.

Replied the wife, ‘We’re not legally married and what about those waitresses at the hotel you slept with? It’s the same thing.’

‘No, it isn’t,’ replied the husband.

Police officers gave the couple a stern lecture on non-violence and suggested that maybe it was time they part.

Uthai was ordered to not come closer than 100 metres to his ‘wife.’

Uthai then told police that the world was cruel and would they file any charge against him, as he wished to spend the rest of this unfair life in prison.

Star Petroleum "cleaning up its act"

Aphisit Rujikiatkhamjorn, Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the Star Petroleum Refining, told the ‘Eastern Post’ newspaper that the company has a policy to build an environmental protection system. This was suggested by the Industrial Estates and involved agencies.

From a recent study, the above organisations had drawn conclusions about 16 areas in which the company needed to improve, including 4 of the company’s systems which have adverse effects on the environment. These are:

1. Waste water treatment
2. Sulphur storage tanks
3. Oil extrusion processes
4. Transport of materials

Mr. Aphisit said the company was spending an unprecedented US$5,000,000 on an environmental protection system. If all goes as planned, this will be the best system of its kind anywhere in the world. So far, no other refinery has done the same. As for the 16 matters which the environmental board wishes the company to solve, Mr. Aphisit said the company must install temporary ‘air scrubbers’ in the liquid sulphur storage (68p101) system. This has been done and the odour has diminished. As for the Air Cleaning system for the sulphur tanks, it is still in the planning stages. It is expected to be completed according to plan.

The odours from the crude oil storage tanks has diminished considerably. This has been done by installing covers (bags) on the crude oil storage tanks. Over 250 have been installed. 1,250 more covers have been ordered to cover the remaining five tanks.

As for the waste-water treatment system, the company is now considering using a chemical in order to reduce the odour in the tanks. Covers have also been ordered for the tanks which separate the water from the oil. The reports by inspecting committees say the company is within acceptable standards now.

Mr. Aphisit said the company now has a policy to listen to the media, whether it be ideas from the people, companies, etc. The company feels especially receptive to the idea of having a ‘green’ area, with trees along the northern fence, which is approximately 1.2 kilometres away from public areas. This would act as a ‘break.’ This will require planting 555 pine trees and over 7,000 shrubs. It will give the area a fresh atmosphere and may create a beautiful view. So a policy of public relations in this area will be one of the company’s paramount policies.

Police Briefs

Beset Friend bashing

Police received a report that a man from Suphanburi province was being beaten by a group of teenagers in front of, ironically, the Best Friend Bar in South Pattaya.

At the scene, police found a bloody Thai man standing in the center of a crowd of gawkers. The assailants had fled the scene.

At the police station, police learned that the man had become infatuated with a bar-girl, whose name he did not know. He sat at the bar, making cow eyes at the uninterested girl every night.

On the night in question, he became a bit despondent that such a nice girl would work in such a place and was not interested in a sincere man such as he.

He walked to the beach to commune with the ocean. Suddenly, ten or twelve teenagers appeared and beat him senseless.

Police learned from witnesses at the bar that the man was so desperate for the young woman’s attention that he began bragging to the public that he was a police officer.

This annoyed the Thai street toughs, who then attacked him.

Just a song before I go...

A murder in the Suan Maphrao area was reported by an informant who refused to identify himself.

People in the area said they heard the man singing and then heard a gun shot. The singing then continued and slowly faded into the distance. They therefore thought no more about it.

One of the women who heard the singing walked by the house the next morning and found the body of the yet unidentified man.

Witnesses and police conjecture that the murderer may have shot the man and then continued singing to trick people into thinking nothing was amiss.

Tour bus overturns

A bus carrying foreign tourists, which belonged to the Guide Tour Agency, was passing Pattaya School 7 when a motorcycle darted out in front of the vehicle. The bus driver braked so violently that the bus lost its balance and overturned.

Police found a group of injured Chinese tourists crying with pain at the scene. Officers took the 27 tourists to the hospital, where doctors reported that no one was seriously injured.

Rough week for Guide Tours

Police received a report from an employee of Guide Tours that 3 tourists from China had been robbed of over 200,000 baht in front of the Tiffany Show Theatre.

A tourist pointed to the three thieves, two females and one male Thai national. The three had relieved the tourists of 52,820 Thai baht and 1,420 Hong Kong dollars. Police also found three deadly straight razors on the thieves.

At the police station, the alleged thieves confessed to all charges. They told officers they had hired a car in Bangkok to come to Pattaya with the intention of stealing from tourists. Alighting at the Tiffany Theatre, they approached one Chinese tourist, whipped out their razors, cut his bag, stole the cash and ran.

They were charged with conspiracy and armed robbery.

Drowning at employee party

An employee of the Mitsubishi Company of Thailand, on holiday in Pattaya for Chinese New Year, drowned in Pattaya Bay.

Mr. Phibul Thonsophon, 26, told officers that a group of the company’s employees hired a boat and went to have a drinking party on Larn Island. Everyone began drinking on the boat and were sloshed halfway through the trip to the island. Mr. Saengduan Chanrisi, 28, jumped into the water and disappeared. By the time his friends jumped into the water to help him, he had drowned.

Copyright © 1998 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
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Created by Andy Gombaez