Former PM Anand calls for
sustainable energy
Expresses need for responsible energy
management
Former Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun called for
balanced, responsible energy management, which includes "having the courage to
sincerely forge a more sustainable path..." in his address to the 12th CEPSI congress
held at the Dusit Resort in Pattaya last week.
Former Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun
address the 12th CEPSI congress at the Dusit Resort in Pattaya.
Anand addressed the Conference on the Electricity Power
Supply Industry (CEPSI) as "what is certainly the most impressive group of global
electricity supply leaders ever assembled in Thailand."
In a moving speech, the former PM outlined "the
emerging key issues as I see them and the need to enhance the balance among a handful of
concerns that all begin with the letter "E"; Electricity, Energy, Economy,
Efficiency, Equity and the Environment."
In light of the current economic crises, Anand called for
tighter management control and a balance of energy supply resources, stating, "To
survive this crises, the power industry will need to increase internal efficiency through
material saving, maintenance and personnel management. I can assure you that an increase
in the price of electricity is not the solution. Rather, costs should be reduced and
business strategy refocused."
Former PM Anand also expressed optimism for the future,
"Conventional approaches to energy have focussed mainly on increasing energy supply
to meet energy demand, but it is now becoming clear that a new approach is needed in order
to meet social, economic and environmental objectives. We can turn this economic recession
into an opportunity to improve efficiency and increase the profitability of existing power
facilities. We can optimize resource utilization, reduce waste and adopt more advanced
electric technologies favorable to the environment."
Anand urged the Conference to "...continue and even
intensify your efforts toward a more energy-efficient future. The power plants of the next
century should be green, a color representing the concept of sustainable energy production
and consumption. An environmentally, efficient supply of electricity should incorporate
these efforts: 1) maximizing energy efficiency and minimizing losses in the production and
transmission of electricity to users; 2) minimizing environmental impacts associated with
energy production by using cleaner fuels and applying appropriate management and equipment
control; 3) maximizing or possibly replacing the use of fossil fuels with non-fossil and
renewable energy resources when technically feasible and economically justifiable."
PM Anand concluded by stating that, "Above all, we
must strive towards a more sustainable future."
Will construction halt?
Legal issues may prevent construction stoppage
The Hiring Committee responsible for hiring the Samprasit
Company to construct the wastewater treatment plant does not agree that the construction
should stop from the 1st of November 1998 to 28 February 1999.
In a meeting on October 29, a committee composed of Pattaya
City Manager Songsak Yomjinda, Preecha Kamolbut, Chonburi Province Manager, Sitipap
Muangkhum, Director of the Pattaya Public Works Commission, Somsak Suraprasit, Director of
the Working Group of the Pattaya Sanitation District, Phichet Uthaiwatnanon, Director of
the Buildings Construction Division of Pattaya, Khanitheep Boonyaket, Central Government
Inspector for Chonburi, Ms. Kanjari Rujirej and Anuphan Ithirat, Representatives of the
Pollution Control Board of the Ministry of Science Technology and the Environment, held a
meeting to clear up the various problems.
It is now unclear whether or not
construction will stop during the tourist high season, as legal issues are now being
raised.
The Macro Consultant Co. and the Samprasit Co. were called
in to attend the meeting. The two companies were told to solve the problems connected with
the construction immediately. The complaints concerned the terrible traffic congestion and
the effects on the economy as the tourist season was fast approaching.
On October 27, the Pattaya City Council ordered
construction to halt. However, Chonburi Province Manager Preecha Kamolbut stated that,
"If we look at it from the point of law, we have no power to order the company to
stop work, as the contracts are binding and have already been signed. The Pattaya City
Council does not have the power to stop work. The problem is the work is very messy and
everyone is upset that it is inconveniencing them."
The committee was upset that they had paid the consulting
company 49 million baht to stop this very thing from happening. Mr. Preecha said the
consulting company had problems as the Samprasit Company did not follow its suggestions.
To complicate matters, if the company does not bring the
work in on schedule, it will be subject to fines of 1.8 million baht for each day it is
behind schedule.
The committee expressed that they do not want to end up
wrangling with the company over whether fines should or should not be paid. The company
could legally claim that they were ordered to stop the work, and that the fines should be
waived.
The committee suggested that work should continue,
especially on roads where traffic can still move. As for other areas where the road must
be closed to traffic for short periods, the construction should be carried out at a rapid
pace. It was noted that stopping construction would cause a major problem in terms of
logistics, as it was not easy to acquire construction materials, as they had to be ordered
months in advance.
It was suggested that a compromise be reached. Work should
be stopped partly, as well as speed up work on some sectors so as to cause the least
damage to business and the tourism industry in Pattaya.
The committee said that as the project must be finished by
the time specified in the contract, although the contract has already been extended by six
months, they had to be fair to the company too.
The committee said that the project was being praised in
foreign countries, as visitors can look forward to cleaner beaches in Pattaya as no
wastewater would be drained into the sea.
The committee has asked the consultant company to put up
signs to warn people of possible hazard areas. Water trucks should ply the sites regularly
and spray water to keep the dust down.
Brit becomes latest pedophile
arrested
Caught in the act with 2 under age boys
British national Leslie Peter Henman, 44, was arrested at
5:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 29th and charged with child molesting after police entered
his South Pattaya hotel room to find him naked in bed with two naked under age boys.
Henman was allegedly engaged in sex acts with the 13 and 14 year old boys.
Henman is originally from Kingston, England, but has been
working at the Hong Kong Bank in Hong Kong. Henman entered the Kingdom on 21 October for a
holiday that was scheduled to last until November 23.
Pol. Lt. Col. Supathee Bunkrong, Officer
in charge of the Pattaya Foreign Assistance Center, made the arrest after receiving
information that Henman was allegedly picking up small boys and bringing them to his room
for sexual purposes.
Police also found 4 video cassettes which contain sex with
over 20 young Thai boys, and Vaseline in Henmann’s room.
Henman confessed to police, stating that he usually paid
between 300-500 Baht per boy/time.
Henman was turned over to the Pattaya Police for further
interrogation before trial.
The boys were turned over to Mahathai orphanage to look
after.
Car thieves arrested
after high speed chase
Part of gang taking cars to Cambodia
On October 2, Rayong police arrested an army sergeant and 2
women for possession of a stolen car after a high speed chase in Rayong. The three were
part of a gang of thieves who specialize in stealing cars and selling them in Cambodia.
Infantry Master Sergeant Thiwa Raksawong, 26, and two women
identified as Chulaporn Chitkhuntot and Thida Seeharach, both 19, were arrested after
police roadblocks put an end to a chase in Rayong that started when police approached the
trio outside a snooker parlor in Rayong.
Infantry Master Sergeant Thiwa Raksawong,
26, (left) and two women identified as Chulaporn Chitkhuntot and Thida Seeharach, both 19,
were arrested for grand theft auto.
Police had tracked down a stolen car belonging to Ms.
Phongnooch Thaweerungcharoen, which was parked outside the snooker parlor. Police waited
for the thieves to emerge with the intent of arresting them, but the trio managed to elude
capture in the parking lot resulting in a 4:00 a.m. high speed chase through the streets
of Rayong.
All three were later arrested at a roadblock. No contraband
or weapons were found. All three were taken to the Pattaya police station for further
questioning.
Sergeant Thiwa told police that he had not stolen the car.
He stated that he was a ‘mule’, a person who delivers stolen cars to Cambodia.
His army rank made border crossing much easier. He was paid 5,000 baht for each stolen car
he delivered.
All three were charged with ‘theft in the night’
and sent for due process of law.
Cambodians arrested
in grand sweep
Police cheaning up Pattaya for tourists
On October 31st police did a grand sweep of Pattaya,
arresting illegal aliens, ‘hit men’, raided drug selling areas, and arrested all
‘dark’ influences. This was in preparation for the coming tourist season. A sort
of ‘spring cleaning’, Pattaya style.
Police then went to a nameless apartment building,
presented a search warrant and combed the apartment. Police found the entire third floor
of the building was occupied by illegal immigrants from Cambodia.
Cambodian men, women and children were
rounded up by police for begging and selling candy on the streets of Pattaya.
The leader of the illegals was Mr. Khomsin, 35, a Cambodian
national. Officers rounded up 49 men women and children and took them to the Pattaya
police station for further questioning.
The group confessed to all, saying they had rented the
entire floor of the apartment as a ‘base of operations’.
At night the group would go onto the streets to beg and
sell chewing gum. When the chance arose, they also snatched purses and picked pockets to
make extra money.
Mr. Somchai Jitraphonchana, the owner of the apartment was
charged with harboring illegal aliens and forcing children into labor.
Immigration police were contacted and will deport the
Cambodians.
Electrical fire
causes light damage to Soi 17 building
Security bars present obstacle to firefighters
When firefighters arrived to battle a conflagration in an
office building on Soi 17, efforts to extinguish the fire were hampered by security bars
on the windows of the building.
Donning asbestos gloves, two flame foilers grabbed hacksaws
and began to saw at the obstinate bars. The flames danced merrily out of their reach,
seeming to mock the frustrated men.
Firefighters try to get through security
bars to put out a fire in an office building on Soi 17, Eventually they had to give up and
shoot water through the gates.
Finally giving up, the firefighters, not knowing if anyone
was inside the building, shot giant jets of water through the bars and the conflagration
expired.
Checking the circuit breakers, firemen found that there had
been a current surge which overcame the circuit breakers and they burst into flame.
Initial damage was estimated at 4,000 baht and no one was
hurt in the fire.
Mrs. Gurjeet Kaur Khanijou, 65, a Thai of Indian descent
told officers that she was sleeping on the third floor when she heard an explosion, and
then smelled smoke. It came rushing out of the top floor of the building.
At the same time, neighbors began yelling for everyone to
evacuate as there was a fire. She rushed to the third floor of the building and found
smoke everywhere. She quickly telephoned the fire department before the fire got out of
hand.
Police conjecture that this flare up was indeed caused by a
short circuit.
Mayor officially
“tees-off” charity mini-golf
Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat took the first putt
to officially open the Rotary Club’s ‘Charity Mini-Golf’ tournament at the
Fairplay MiniGolf course on Sunday, November 1.
Mayor Pairat “tees-off” the
first to officially get the charity mini-golf tournament underway.
Mr. John Richards, President of Rotary Club of Jomtien
Pattaya, stated that the purpose of the tournament was to help local charities. "The
appalling collapse of the Thai economy had affected people at all levels of society and
everyone is suffering from the effects. The Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya saw that this
problem has a major effect on society. Children were being abandoned, and physically and
mentally challenged children were not being given proper care due to parents lack of
money."
With this in mind, the Rotary Club and various businesses
had organized the ‘Mini Golf’ tournament from which all proceeds will go to
charities, such as the Fassbind Foundation, the Pattaya Orphanage and many others.
Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat replied, saying that he
felt it was an honor to see such community spirit among the concerned foreign citizens of
Pattaya. He admitted that the government sector could not solve these problems alone. He
thanked the Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya and the other business organizations involved
and encouraged them to keep on with their good works.
There is still a chance to enter the tournament and vie for
fabulous prizes, as well as help local charities. The mini-golf Charity Golf Tournament
will continue through Sunday, November 8th. See Community Happenings for more details.
Tourist Police nab speed dealers
Acting on complaints from Muslim community
On October 28th, Tourist Police made another raid in their
relentless war on the methamphetamine epidemic in Pattaya.
The bust was made in Soi Nern Phlap Waan when officers
stealthily surrounded a group of motorcycle taxi drivers at the entrance to Soi 9, Nern
Phlap Waan in Banglamung.
Police were acting on a report from Muslim residents of the
area who told officers that the ‘speed’ epidemic was so bad that their children
were not going to school and were neglecting their social responsibilities.
Performing body searches on the motorcycle taxis, officers
found 170 tablets of ‘orange speed.’
The officers took Somkiart Allor, 28, Somnuk Matung, 33, to
Tourist Police headquarters.
The two confessed to all, saying that a large
‘wholesaler’ had approached them and offered them the ‘local
dealership.’
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