Foreign Ministry meets Foreign and Thai Press

by Pattaya Mail reporters

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, chaired by Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, organised a seminar entitled "International Press in Thailand" last Friday the 26th June at Saranrom Palace in Bangkok.

The purpose of this seminar, the first of its kind, was to provide an opportunity for the Ministry and other Thai authorities, and members of the foreign correspondents corps, to exchange views on the ways and means to enhance cooperation and how to facilitate the latter’s mission. The topics of discussion covered a wide range including the government’s information policy, press freedom and the working environment in Thailand.

(L to R) Phillipe Decaux, President of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT), Alok Chopra, Vice-President of FCCT, former Prime Minster Anand Panyarachun, and Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Minister of Foreign Affairs discuss the role of foreign media in Thailand.

In an open and frank discussion, Dr. Surin expressed in his opening address that the foreign ministry wished to serve as the gateway to Thailand. "We would like to be your focus of attention once in while regarding our policies, activities and pronouncements, our conduct... but we don’t want to be under your spotlight all the time." He went on to say that "this government has striven to expand freedom of the press and had been highlighted in the new Constitution."

On the economic situation, Dr. Surin explained, "When the Asian financial crisis emerged in late June last year, Thailand was seen as the country that set off the painful chain reaction. A great deal was due to excesses and lack of effective supervision in our economy... But amidst all of this, we are committed to reform. The new constitution has laid out a solid framework for better government. Good governance will also bring back international confidence. And that is our most important task - restoring international confidence."

He assured that the Foreign Ministry "was committed to promoting the free flow of information, and would remain active in the global information community." He hoped that Thailand would become a regional centre of the international press, and that signs were positively pointing in this direction, because of many factors and that Thailand’s one-stop service for foreign correspondents has been hailed a success. (Full text of Dr. Surin Pitsuwan’s address on page 4).

Members of the diplomatic corps, comprising of ambassadors and high ranking diplomats from many countries, attended the seminar. Practically every major foreign and Thai press (including Pattaya Mail) from the printing and broadcasting sectors were also present. Many questions were asked of the panel that included Khun Kobsak Chutikul, Director General of the Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Somkiat Onvimol, and Professor Dr. Darunee Hiranrak from Thammasat University.

(L to R) FCCT President Philippe Decaux, Pattaya Mail Publisher Pratheep Malhotra, Amorn Malhotra, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Surin Pitsuwan.

Other responsible departments also sent their representatives to answer any other questions relating to their work. There were comments made relating to the costs of telecommunications and the complexities of red tape that the foreign media have to go through. This made their work more difficult. The flow of information was another point of complaint. "If the ministries concerned were not able to readily give out the correct information then we have no choice but to get it from a ‘reliable source’, and if that is not the correct version then don’t blame us".

A point that was brought up by Dr. Darunee was of some members of the foreign press who come here for the sole purpose of writing sensational and negative stories about Thailand. Philippe Decaux, President of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT), was quick to reiterate that these were "fly by night reporters" and that they were not acceptable in the normal circles of the foreign media. He hastened to add that if any persons were found to be acting beyond the norms and courtesy of ethical journalism in Thailand, then he would take action against them. He gave an example of a recent respectable German magazine that had published a very degrading article on Thailand with some very lurid descriptions of how the German tourists act and that it was bordering on gutter journalism. One claiming to be a doctor wrote the story and the photographer lives in Bangkok. Such abuse of Thai hospitality cannot be tolerated. He then gave a copy of this magazine to the panel.

Mr. Decaux went on further to say that the FCCT has a policy of investigating first hand the different regions of Thailand and are willing to advise and assist in the betterment of that image. He said that after last year’s visit to Pattaya and the meetings with the city fathers, he has seen a remarkable change. Pattaya has improved tremendously and he was very pleased to see the clean up of the pedophiles who are a curse to society.

This year Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat has invited members of the Foreign Corespondents Club of Thailand to visit and inspect the various improvements made to Pattaya since then.

The whole day seminar ended with a cocktail party hosted by the Foreign Ministry with Foreign Minister Dr. Surin Pitsuwan and former Prime Minster Anand Panyarachun attending. The two VIPs mingled with the guests and had casual conversation with all of them.

The Foreign Minister assured that this was the first meeting of it’s kind, but would not be the last. It is now up to the press to request another meeting, and he would only be too pleased to organise another seminar.

Foreign go-go dancers apprehended

At 23:00 hours on June 2, the ‘Foreign Crimes Division’ arrested people at the Europe Nightclub, a go-go bar in South Pattaya. From investigations, police had discovered that foreigners were dancing nude on a dance floor with the usual ‘go-go’ poles. There were also ‘short time’ rooms on the second floor of the bar. The price of one sexual encounter was 3,000 baht.

Setting up a ‘sting’ operation, police posed as tourists. Entering the bar, officers requested sexual services. Police then revealed themselves and arrested the naked dancers and those upstairs in the process of providing sexual services to customers.

Police Lt. Col. Suphatee Bunkrong busts in to a “private room” to arrest a foreign prostitute.

Police arrested 8 Bulgarian women and confiscated 3,000 baht in cash which the officers had ‘marked’ before entering the bar. The police also took the bills which were records of their presence at the bar. All were taken to the Pattaya Police Station.

Mr. Kiris Tjanev Ranev, 39, the owner of the bar was among those arrested, as was Mr. Dmitrov Iankov, 26, who took the women to customers at the various hotels in Pattaya. Dmitrov was assisted by Plamen Mirimov and Katalina Miroskav.

All were charged with engaging in work without a work permit, procuring others for prostitution and operating a business illegally. Officers arrested the women on charges of prostitution.

One of the women at the establishment, Elena Lyovina, was released without being charged by police.

Update: It was learned from police that Kiris has a long criminal history and has been arrested for two murders in Bulgaria. After this, he escaped to Pattaya, traveling on two passports; one Bulgarian and the other "Czechoslovakian". Kiris had run brothels in Bulgaria with his own mother as the ‘Madam’. His mother has been arrested. Kiris has also been charged with cruelty to women refusing to prostitute themselves in Bulgaria. This torture resulted in both women’s deaths.

One day after Kiris’s arrest, two girls were brought into the country by Czechoslovakian men, but were apprehended by police.

Kirin has been in Pattaya for five years and has three Bulgarian henchmen who supervised the brothel. They also delivered the girls to ‘customers’ at large hotels in the Pattaya area.

The Pattaya Police and Immigration Police are still investigating the gang’s criminal histories.

Bicycles against drugs

Pattaya City, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Thai Hotels Association of the East, the Association of Personnel Administrators and the ‘Bicycling for Health’ Club, organized a program entitled ‘Bicycles against drugs’ on June 26th in order to mark "World Drug Free Day".

The bike rally began at the Dusit Resort in Pattaya, continued on Beach Road to South Pattaya, finished in Pattaya via Third Road.

The stated purpose of the campaign was to alert young people and people of the country to the dangers of addictive drugs, and to encourage young people to use their free time in a constructive manner. Part of the campaign was to promote exercise and the use of bicycles, both to be sports-like and to lower pollution, while at the same time being economical.

Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat presided over the opening of the event, along with Songsak Yomjinda, the City Manager and many honored guests.

Over 300 people participated on bicycles decorated with slogans and stickers concerning the campaign against drugs.

On ‘Anti Drug Day’, the Ministry of Public Health conducted a drug burning ceremony to destroy dangerous and addictive drugs. Among the many drugs burned included Heroin, Opium, Methamphetamine, Ephedrine and Kratorm Leaf (a stimulant similar to Coca).

German detained for procuring prostitutes through deceit

Bernd Hartmann, a 39 year old German national, was arrested last week for allegedly sending Thai women to Germany and selling them to German agents for the purposes of prostitution.

Hartmann’s visa had also expired as of August 21, 1997.

The charges stemmed from a complaint made by Ms. Supanni Narongrit, who had allegedly been sent to Germany and sold as a prostitute after she thought she would be going to work as a maid.

Ms. Supanni, from Ubon Ratchathani, complained to the Crime Suppression Division that Bernd Hartmann and others had told her that they would take her to be a cleaner in the city of Berlin, Germany. Ms. Supanni was given into the care of Mr. Jodona, a 39 year old German house painter in Berlin. In about June, Jodona paid all her travel expenses. After this, Jodona forced her into prostitution with about 30 clients.

It was learned from the German Embassy that the German police have also arrested Jodona.

Hartmann confessed to being the person who sent Supanni to Germany. He has lived in Thailand for approximately 10 years now and has been travelling back and forth between Thailand and Germany. He works at a computer company in Sriracha as a ‘front’ for his criminal activities.

It is believed that in the recent past, a lot of women have been tricked into engaging in prostitution by people hiding in Pattaya as tourists. Police stated that it is difficult to investigate or arrest these criminals due to Pattaya having many foreign tourists.

To combat this situation, the police department has set up a Foreign Crimes Division. This Division will investigate and arrest foreign criminals who are operating in Thailand.

The Foreign Crimes Investigation Center has been seeping the area and trying to prevent and suppress this activity, and has a public information campaign in process for the public so they will not end up becoming prey to these foreign gangs. They are also teaching people how to recognize these gangs when approached by them.

Anyone hearing any news about foreigners and is suspicious that they might be a criminal or show behavior which is suspect, please report it to the Center for International Crime, Department of the Crime Suppression Division, telephone: 512-5050.

If it sounds too good to be true...

The song ‘Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,’ was proven true once again by four women. Two of them found 10 ounces of gold in Royal Garden Shopping Plaza.

Ms. Noi Nuahom reported that she and her sister were walking in the mall and found a purse on the floor.

Ms. Noi related that, at that very moment, two well-dressed women with cellular telephones walked up to them. The women demanded that Noi and her sister divide the booty with them. In a frenzy of greed, one of the women dived for the purse. Noi managed a ‘duck and weave’ move, throwing the purse to her sister. The cellular phone women seeing they were outclassed in the agility department, suggested they go to a coffee shop and discuss the manner.

At the coffee shop, everyone’s eyes got big when they discovered a 10 ounce solid gold chain inside the bag. The two cellular women suggested striking a bargain; Noi would give them the 5 ounces of gold she was wearing and the cellular women would let Noi have the 10 ounce gold chain. That way, everyone one be richer.

Noi gave them her gold and her lovely diamond ring. The cellular women put the 10 ounce gold chain in a shoe bag and gave it to Noi. When Noi opened the shoe bag a bit later, the chain was no-where to be seen. Only two measly one baht coins were in the bag. Shocked, Noi and her sister ran after the cellular women. The women could apparently run quite a bit faster in high heels than Noi and her sister thought. Disgusted, Noi and her sister reported this incident to police.

Apparently straight-faced police sent two officers and a squad of patrolmen to search for the women who had callously stolen the gold from the lucky young women. All was to no avail.

Noi and her sister sat rending their hair and weeping in a fashion which resembled characters out of Greek drama. Noi had saved for years to buy the gold and the ring. Just when she thought she had gotten lucky and was going to double it for nothing, all was lost.

She rained curses down upon the cellular women. She exhorted police to nab these tricksters at all costs.

What is being done to find the true owner of the 10 ounce gold chain is not known.

Copyright 1998 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand 
Tel.66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax:66-38 427 596; e-mail: [email protected]
Created by Andy Gombaz, assisted by Chinnaporn Sangwanlek.