Pattaya Mail — News

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Prime Minister visits Pattaya to lay corner stone

Prime Minister Chuan Leekphai will be in Pattaya on March 6th to preside over the laying of the cornerstone for the new waste water treatment plant in Pattaya’s ‘pollution free zone.’

The Ministry of Science recently declared Pattaya a ‘pollution control area’, due to the deterioration of the quality of sea water in Pattaya. Factories allowing waste-water to flow into the sea has been the main cause.

This has had an adverse affect on tourism for many years now. The city’s attitude has been to turn a blind eye to this, which is mystifying. A clean ocean and pristine beaches would attract many more tourists than all the "Amazing" promotions being planned.

The Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment at last designed a waste water plant which will be able to treat the entire city’s water supply. This plan promises to be much more efficient than the various plants scattered about the city, which are often neglected.

The plant, which will be on Soi Porn Praphanimit off Sukhumvit Road, will cost 1,800 million baht.

The Prime Minister will lay the cornerstone at 11:40 a.m. Mr. Yingphan Manalikarn, the Minister of Science, will also be at the ceremony.

After the ceremony, a seminar entitled ‘Improving Co-operation with the Public in the Operation of the Waste Water Treatment Plant in the Pattaya Pollution Control Area’ will be held.

The seminar will be a ‘round-table’ discussion, with many Ministers and local officials attending.

Those interested in listening to the seminar should come to the Royal Cliff Beach Resort on March 6th. The seminar will be held from 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Counterfeit Warning!

There is a new load of counterfeit 500 Baht notes circulating in Pattaya that are extremely authentic looking imitations. The only way one can tell that they are fake is that the counterfeit bills do not have the hidden bar (which can only be seen when held up to the light) located on front left side of the bill. Also, all the counterfeit bills have the same numbers in
the lower right corner:
9 B 9777757.

Pattaya Mail was able to obtain a copy of the counterfeit bill when a local bank, which wishes to remain anonymous, discovered the ruse. Unfortunately, the employee who received the money from a customer was held responsible, with the amount she took in to come out of her pay.

Reliable sources believe there is a large amount of this money circulating in Pattaya. Caution is advised when making any monetary transactions, as banks
are now aware of the counterfeit bills and will not accept them. Anyone attempting to pass them may be liable to criminal charges.

Ethics stressed on Reporter's Day

by Kittisak Khamthong, Assistant Editor

March 5th was ‘Reporters’ Day’ in Thailand, a day of celebration for members of the various ‘Media’ often considered the ‘Fourth Estate’. We are lucky to be honoured by our country on this day.

There are certain ‘rules’ which must be followed to be a credible reporter. The most important is accuracy. No personal prejudices are stated or even implied in a proper news report.

The reporter should not expect gratuities for ‘favours rendered’.

A thorough knowledge of one’s subject and the individuals concerned in any reporting is vital.

This may be reduced to one word; ethics.

A reporter’s mind must also be disciplined, not unlike that of a good soldier or a Buddhist monk. At the same time, the reporter must also be able to make decisions based on sound judgement.

This necessity is, sadly, often ignored, and there are many cases of reporters letting a ‘good story’ hinder ‘good reporting.’ In most of these cases, the law cannot intervene. False statements which damage and hurt others will always rebound on the reporter in the end.

The Pattaya media includes radio, television, and daily, weekly and bi-monthly newspapers. Each particular medium does its job according to society’s implicit expectations that it will use its individual capabilities to the fullest. Both positive and negative events must be reported for a balanced view of today’s world.

In simple terms, the media must tell the public what, who, when, where and why.

In these days of capitalism, the reporter survives on a salary from reporting news.

Some people may say that they see the same news stories on every television station, radio station and in every newspaper. We of the news media consider this a positive and co-operative effort, as all media are reporting on important and timely stories.

There are some reporters, however, who do go for sensationalistic, and often damaging exposés. Reporters who do this are usually working for their own benefit and not that of society. Such stories appeal to more prurient interests, and usually bring the reporter considerable financial gain.

The difference one may see in headlines dealing with an event are a demonstration of the media’s ability to cover a ‘story’ from many angles, depending on the experience and skill of various reporters. This should be applauded. It is similar to viewing an object from all viewpoints rather than one.

All of the members of Pattaya’s various media have contacts, friends and sources. This is common in any country.

The credibility and image of the media depends entirely on its adherence to the above rules.

Reporters turns himself in to police in Bangkok

The editor of a local Thai language bi-monthly newspaper, who is also a reporter for a respected national Thai daily newspaper and director of a local medical clinic, wanted on charges of rape, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and impersonating a police officer (front page, Pattaya Mail, 27 February 1998), turned himself in to the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok last week.

On February 27th, the reporter went with his father, his attorney and the editor of a national newspaper to Colonel Alongkorn Hatiayuth, Superintendent of Region 4, with a large bundle of documents to defend himself.

Photo: The reporter accused of raping a 16 year old girl turned himself in to Bangkok police.

The reporter was charged with: 1) Abduction of a 16 year old girl, 2) Rape of a 16 year old girl, 3) Taking away the freedom of a 16 year old girl, 4) Impersonating a police officer to commit crime.

The victim alleges that the reporter posed as a policeman, forced her into his car, drove her around town for over an hour trying to get her to succumb to his sexual desires, and threatened her with her life before raping her in the Lovely Home Motel in North Pattaya.

During an initial search of the reporter’s newspaper office, police found 2 permits to bear firearms.

The reporter has denied all charges, but did sign a police document admitting that he was aware of the charges. The reporter’s attorney requested bail be set at 200,000 baht, which was granted.

The reporter, who reputedly has ties to "influential" figures, has been accused of rape before, but the accuser withdrew the charges.

Pattaya police have allegedly shown little interest in the current case, purportedly due to the reporter’s close ties with the chief of the Pattaya police station. It has been alleged that the Pattaya police were helping the man avoid capture.

The case may not have proceeded at all had it not been for the fact that the 16 year old victim, fearing for her life, contacted renowned human rights activist Paweena Hongsakul. Ms. Paweena is the President of the Committee to Expedite the Rights of Women and Children, and is attached to the Prime Minister’s office. Ms. Paweena used her "influence" to get the Crime Suppression Division involved, and ultimately forced the reporter to turn himself in.

After the case was exposed to the media, Pattaya Police chief, Police Colonel Phinij Satchareon invited the media to his office for a briefing. The chief said that, "the Pattaya police did nothing to hinder the investigation and would never take a criminal’s side in such a case."

The chief also said that he had not seen the reporter since the girl made the report. He did admit that the accused had called him and asked for advice about what to do in this most embarrassing situation. The chief told him to surrender himself to the Crime Suppression Division of the police department as he did not want the news to get out that he was aiding and abetting criminal suspects.

The chief said the main reason the case was progressing so slowly was that the girl fled up-country while police were waiting for permission to arrest the accused.

However, it is a known fact that the girl left the city because she was asked to do so, after she was paid off with a sum of 10,000 Baht. An un-named Police Captain made the proposal to her during the early stages of the investigation, after she was taken to identify the vehicle that had been used before she was raped. The victim stated that after she pointed out the car, the police officer went into the office of the accused and had a talk with him for more than an hour. When he emerged, he made the proposal to the girl, but the girl answered that she could not make the decision by herself.

Illegal visas lead to arrests

Following a spate of arrests of farangs holding fake or illegal visa stamps, some foreign embassies are warning their nationals not to break Thai immigration laws. The scams usually involve local businessmen offering to obtain visas without the farang having to bother leaving the country.

In two cases, a stolen visa stamp had been used which purported to show that the foreigner had visited the United States. In another, a forged signature accompanied a visa on arrival stamp claiming to have been approved at Bangkok airport. Other examples include fake visas not accompanied by the proper TM card and work permits not properly authorized by the Labor Office.

Barrie Kenyon, the British Embassy’s consular correspondent in Pattaya, said "The immigration police are aware of every scam in the book. If they are so minded, they can easily check out the passport with central computer records. The penalties are very severe with imprisonment, heavy fines and deportation all distinct possibilities."

He added that entrusting a third party with your passport is like playing Russian roulette. "Keep pressing the trigger and it’s going to blow your head off." During Amazing Thailand Year, both tourist and non immigrant visas can be legally extended for up to three months on personal application at Thai immigration bureau.

German expat dies under mysterious circumstances

At 12:00 p.m. on February 20th, Police major Suchow Chomsanit, the Inspector on Duty at the Pattaya Police Station, received a report that a European tourist had died in his hotel room from unknown causes.

Arriving at the scene, the Jomtien Tip Condotel, police found the body of Michael Weber, 49, a German national, sitting up in the bathroom.

Checking the body, police found no signs of foul play, except for a laceration on the man’s penis. The wound was still bleeding when police arrived.

The room had not been disturbed and no valuables taken.

Officers’ initial conjecture was the man had been dead approximately 8 hours.

Police learned that the man had lived at the condotel for approximately 2 years and made many trips to Germany during that time. He had never brought any ‘service’ women or friends to his apartment. Neighbours conjecture that the man is gay, as they heard he liked to go to gay bars in South Pattaya.

The manager found Weber’s body upon discovering the door to his apartment open.

The body was sent for autopsy.

Scouts receive reverd cloth

by Boonleua Chatri

At 9:00 a.m. on February 20th at Patum Kongka Temple in Banglamung, Mr. Praset Tanasethakorn, District Chief of Banglamung, presided over the opening of a workshop for the ‘Village Scouts’, Chapter Chor Bor 231, according to their policy to honour His Majesty the King on the occasion of His 6th Cycle Birthday. Over 300 members from the district of Banglamung attended the program, which lasted from February 19th until February 23.

People in this workshop received a royally presented cloth after the workshop.

The cloth neckerchiefs the ‘Village Scouts’ received are deep in meaning in that all ‘Village Scouts’ have the right to wear and receive this cloth from His Majesty the King. After finishing the workshop, the cloth is given as a sign of completion.

The cloth is a maroon and black triangle with a map of Thailand on it in yellow. It has the word ‘Thai’ on it in dark blue in the centre of the flag.

Maroon represents the bravery of Thai ancestors who gave their lives to save Thailand for today’s generation.

Black means strength and endurance in the face of hardship, sadness and torture in the protection and love of country.

Dark Blue symbolises His Majesty the King and the Institution of the Monarchy. It is the colour for the day His Majesty King Rama the Sixth was born.

The Golden Yellow symbolises all religions which the ‘Village Scouts’ believe. This is because every religion teaches us to do good.

There were be scholars from various organisation, teachers from Chonburi, district government officers, police officers, officers from the office of village scouts, especially the training division, in attendance, as well as many other experts.

Copyright © 1998 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
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