Construction company asks for 399 more days

Progress report not promising

The contractors were asked for their report on the progress of the construction and what they had done to alleviate the traffic problems caused along the construction route. The explanations were to no one’s satisfaction and to top it of, they asked for an extension to their contract.

Khun Anurat Ratanakwan, the engineer from Makro Consultants Co., observed that the Sam Prasit company would have to stop all work before the 6th to the 10th of April. The Pattaya Festival will be held between the 12th and the 19th of April and therefore the roads have to be filled in and surfaced so as not to cause any inconvenience to the public during the festive week.

Anurat stated that he hopes all the digging and pipe laying will be completed by the middle of June this year. However, the consulting company feels it is doubtful that the construction will be fully completed by then. What would remain would be the installation of mechanical and other systems needed for the drainage system.

The contract expires in July 1999 but the cabinet has already approved an extension for another 6 months from that date. In November of 1998 the Sam Prasit company had put in a petition to extend the deadlines even further by another 399 days. They claim that work had to be stopped for various reasons and therefore needed more time. The request is now under consideration.

Safety first at Pattaya Festival

Emergency centers to be set up

City administrators are working with local doctors and hospitals to get ready for the Pattaya Festival.

The safety of festival revelers is a primary concern, prompting Deputy City Manager Virawat Khakhai to call a meeting last week between city officials and administrators of local hospitals.

The meeting was to coordinate safety measures for Pattaya’s Songkran festival, which will be held from April 12-19.

It was decided at the meeting that doctors will be given assignments and duty areas. Ambulances are to be in readiness and there will be various centers where revelers may receive emergency treatment.

This year’s festival will feature a multitude of activities, such as beach volleyball, beach soccer, water skiing, yachting, fishing and bowling. There will also be a light show to honor His Majesty King Taksin the Great and a ceremony to honor local elders.

Local TAT announces change of location

Official Press Release

In an official press release, the Tourism Authority of Thailand for Region 3 (Pattaya and the Eastern Seaboard) announced that they will be changing the location of their Pattaya office.

Formerly on Beach Road near Soi 8, the offices will be moved to their new permanent building on Pratamnak Road in South Pattaya (the hill leading to the Royal Cliff Beach Resort).

The Central Branch of the Tourist Authority of Thailand, Region 3, made the announcement that will be effective beginning the 1st of April 1999.

TAT Region 3 will therefore have the new address of: 609 Moo 10, Pratamnak Rd, South Pattaya, Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi, 20260. The telephone and fax numbers remain the same.

Heavy rains flood Sukhumvit

Again!

Photo: At times it might be better to ride a boat down Sukhumvit Highweay.

On the afternoon of the 30th of March Pattaya experienced very heavy rainfall over the city and neighboring communities. The freak rainstorm only lasted about 30 minutes, but was enough to cause heavy flooding on Sukhumvit Road in front of Wat NongYai and at Pattaya School number 4 on North Pattaya.

Flooding at some spots was more than one meter deep. This caused a major traffic jam as no vehicles could drive through the deep water.

One almost tragic incident was avoided when a Mercedes Benz drove into the ditch separating the highway. This caused the engine and the passenger compartment to be inundated with water. Fortunately, a tow truck was in the vicinity and pulled the car out of the flood, avoiding a major catastrophe to the lives of the driver and passengers in the sedan.

It is strange but true that the problem of flooding on Sukhumvit Road at these very spots is a problem that both the highways department and Pattaya City have seen every time it rains. They have always tried to solve the problem at the wrong end by using water pumps to help drain the water away when it rains. They have still not awoken to the fact that these floods have caused extreme hardship for the public living in the area, not to mention the heavy financial losses to vehicles that are damaged by the floods.

The people of Pattaya are resigned to their flooded fate, not knowing whether these expert and learned engineers are intelligent enough to be capable of solving the problem for their own good, or whether they are just arrogantly ignoring their responsibilities and are not sincerely trying to solve the problem.

To add insult to injury, residents living in the North Pattaya area have requested the construction company that is responsible for laying the 1,800 million baht waste water pipeline project to look into the subsiding of soil along their buildings, caused by their digging. It is feared that if there is any more soil subsiding then there is a risk of their buildings collapsing and being sucked into the ground. And then who will be responsible for the suffering of the people?

German tourist killed in motocycle accident

Hit utility pole on Siam CC Road

Thomas Hardy was killed instantly when he drove his 400cc Honda motorcycle into a utility pole at high speed. His Thai girlfriend riding pillion was seriously injured.

Photo: A high speed motorcycle crash on Siam Country Club Road leaves one dead and another in critical condition.

Witnesses told police they saw Hardy, a German national, driving at a high rate of speed with his Thai girlfriend down Siam Country Club Road around 9:30 p.m. on Monday, March 22nd. He lost control rounding a corner and collided with a utility pole. Hardy’s body was thrown 30 meters from the crash. His girlfriend remains in critical condition in the hospital.

The impact of the crash had such force that it knocked the transformer off the pole. The Banglamung electricity authority needed to be called in to restore power.

The motorcycle was demolished.

Police were only able to identify the body from a golf membership card in the deceased’s wallet.

City organizes clean Jomtien Beach campaign

Local officials spearhead drive to maintain high standards

Photo: Over 300 people took part in the successful Jomtien Beach clean-up drive.

Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat organized a project to clean up the beaches of Jomtien. The project includes implementing a no motorbike zone.

The team from city hall consisted of the mayor, Pattaya City Manager Niran Watanasartsathorn and other city officials. More than 300 citizens including local businesspeople also joined in this cleanliness drive.

This cleaning of Jomtien’s beaches came after the very successful project that was implemented on Pattaya Beach. It is hoped that it would instill a sense of responsibility in the minds of the public and business people.

The various operators of umbrella and sun chairs rental services, as well as the beach masseurs, were asked to care for their working and living environment.

At the end of the day, it was noticed by both locals and foreigners that Jomtien Beach looked very clean indeed.

Pattaya organizes anti drug campaign

Plans to eradicate drugs this year

If all goes according to plan, Pattaya will be drug-free by December 5th of this year.

That was the goal set by Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat and members of the city council for the city’s new anti-drug campaign. A drug-free Pattaya, they say, would be the best gift they could give HM the King to celebrate his 72nd birthday on December 5, 1999.

Mayor Pairat chaired a meeting at city hall last week to begin to organize the city’s new stance on drugs. City Manager Niran Watanasartsathorn and Deputy City Manager Virawat Khakhai, along with two hundred members and other participants, attended the meeting.

The meeting took the form of a training session to attempt to prevent the drug problem from developing, and to provide a clear understanding of the harm that drugs can do.

Pattaya City has increasingly been burdened by the strong influence drugs have in today’s society. City administrators realize the impact from drug problems and have been tackling the problem to find long term solutions.

Officials aim to restore a secure and stable city, and society, with the aim of developing efficient businesses with the intention of preventing drug businesses from growing. The main aim is to the reduce the current problems and active dealers to a minimum.

City officials hope to announce on the 5th of December that there will be no sales of and no drug dealing being practiced in Pattaya City anymore. This is also to dedicate to the King the good intentions of the city.

City Hall burgled

Photo: Police inspect the wall outside city hall where burglars attempted to flee after they broke in and stole computer speakers.

Pol. Col. Chaiwat Siriphankaew of the Pattaya Police received a report from Mr. Samorn Jamniankool, a security guard at city hall, that a burglar had broken into the office of the director of the engineering department at Pattaya City Hall.

Arriving at the office, police found both glass doors that lead into the office open. There was no trace of a break in, as both doors were unlocked.

Police learned that four computer speakers were stolen from the office of Mr. Pichet Uthaiwathananont, the director.

Later, the officers found 2 speakers laying by the wall outside the building. Police have reason to suspect that the thief fled in a white Toyota sedan.

Police believe that an insider may have left the doors open for the burglar to enter the office.

At press time, no other items were reported as stolen.

Pattaya Sports Club promotes youth leadership

PSC supports YWCA in the youth Leadership program for children

The YMCA has organised a Youth Leadership program at the Petcharat Camp in Saraburi. The program will run from the 26th to the 30th of April. The purpose of this camp is to give opportunities for youth to study and improve themselves both mentally and physically and to learn the role of leadership.

This camp is open to children between the ages of 8-16 years. The Pattaya Sports Club feels that this is a worthy project and has agreed to sponsor 10 local children to receive the financial support so that they may get this once in a life time opportunity to be part of this adventure.

Tourist Police raid male sex show bar

11 arrested

Acting on an anonymous tip, Pattaya Tourist Police raided the Octopus Bar on Phratumnak Road, catching young men performing illegal sex shows.

Photo: Ten performers and the owner were arrested from the Octopus Bar for illegal sex shows.

At the scene, the officers found naked young men aged 17-19 performing in an aquarium. Of the ten performers arrested, 2 men were aged 17 years old; the other 8 were 19 years old.

Along with the boys, officers also arrested Ms. Sadithorn Srisudta, age 30, who confessed to being the owner of the place.

All were brought to the Pattaya Tourist Police office for booking, then sent over to the Pattaya Police Station for further investigation before trial.

The arrests were made on the 25th March at around 00.50. The team of Pattaya Tourist Police officers was led by Pol. Col. Khajornsak Kriangsakphichit, Pol. Superintendent of the Tourist Police Division 3.

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