Naklua fire leaves 63 homeless

Causes estimated 5 million in damages

She also mentioned a visit by officials two days earlier who requested that the area be vacated. Apparently the officials want to turn the area into a parking lot, as it is located near the waste water drainage facility. The cost of tearing down the dwellings and relocation moneys were to be provided, but nobody paid any attention to the offer.

The woman said she was not aware of who the officials were or where they were from. She said that both she and others are now imploring officials to come and help them because, "I have now lost everything except for what I’m wearing."

After the fire was extinguished, the Sawang Boriboon Rescue Unit erected a tent and disseminated essential items and food.

City Manager Niran Watanasadsathorn said that, "this has occurred often in the past due to the number of slums in the area."

"I know in the past the previous city manager ordered slums cleared out in order to construct the wastewater treatment facility. The 10 owners of the structures remaining grumbled that they were told they were on public property. The city asked the 10 owners to relocate, but the residents insisted on staying, claiming they had been living there since they came with their parents. This brings us to the situation with fires in the slums being a common occurrence now. It’s ridiculous."

He also added that in the future the city and the administration will have to decide whether to allow people to stay on public property or not. If approval is not given, then the city will be taking over the area in question and utilizing it in a purposeful manner for the public.

Authorities are continuing their investigation as to how the fire was started, as to whether it was careless neglect, an accident or arson.

Pattaya “Hits the Road”

Heading “Down-Under” to promote tourism

The show’s a go. A team formed by the TAT Central Region #3, PBTA, Pattaya’s hotel community and travel agents are set to head down under, taking with them the "Pattaya Road Show."

From June 19-26, road show team will be promoting Pattaya in Australia and New Zealand.

Pattaya City has allocated 250,000 baht to produce a video for the trip, while Pattaya Mail Publishing is putting together a color brochure. Both visual aids as designed to promote Pattaya as a premier tourist destination.

The road show is designed to help bolster the recently sagging tourist market from down under. Ten years ago Pattaya recorded 50,00 tourists from Australia and 10,000 from New Zealand per year. However, just two years ago the numbers dropped to 17,837 and 3,353 per year respectively.

The Pattaya Road Show, in part, is taking the trip at this time of year because it is winter down-under, which happens to coincide with Pattaya’s low season in tourism.

The Pattaya Road Show will be promoting tourist attractions to tourist agencies down under. Emphasis will placed on the environmental improvements in the city and the current trend in Pattaya towards hosting and sponsoring water sports.

The costs of the Pattaya Road Show are being borne by the local business community.

Upper House to consider Pattaya City Act in July

Act expected to pass

Chansak Chavalitnititham, vice-spokesman of the City Acts Deliberation Committee, announced the end of deliberation talks and the conclusions for thew Pattaya City Act will probably be going before the House in July, for two or more rounds of consideration talks.

On June 24th, the Upper House is expected to open it’s period of deliberations. The first issue is likely to be the budget, followed by other important acts before finally reaching the Pattaya City Act.

"I personally believe that the Pattaya City Act will easily pass in the 2nd or 3rd round of talks. Only the real important issues will be extracted for consideration, especially the matter concerning the Pattaya City Mayor’s requirements and the various organizational tax issues," Chansak said.

"The requirements for the mayor’s position could cover a wide range of topics, such as education and age, and since many people have their own opinions on these maters it will probably come down to a vote. No problems are anticipated and the results should be decided in July," Chansak concluded.

Local cop pistol whips reporter

Unprovoked attack on ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend

Suriya Seniwong, 38, reporter for Pattaya Naew Na Newspaper, was pistol-whipped by Pol. Major Chaiyaphorn Sirileut last week for no crime other than living with the Major’s ex-girlfriend.

Suriya moved in with 40-year-old Thawiphorn, mamasan of the "You May Karaoke" (sic) in Soi S.S. last year. The two lived together happily for 6 months at Sabai Chai Village on Soi 17 before part of Ms. Thawiphorn’s past came back to haunt her.

Up to about a year ago, Pol. Major Chayaphorn Sirileut visited the "You May Karaoke" on a regular basis, always sitting with Ms. Thawiphorn. He would often accompany her home, many times bringing along friends and subordinates.

The Major was and still is married. About a year ago he stopped going to the Karaoke and Ms. Thawiphorn’s home.

Last week, the Major allegedly got drunk with friends and other policemen, then attempted to pay another visit to Ms. Thawiphorn’s home. As in the past, he brought along fellow policemen.

However, when he arrived at Ms. Thawiphorn’s home, Suriya answered the door.

"At 8:00 a.m. these men arrived," Suriya explained. "One man claimed to be a police officer and knocked on the door. I answered asking what he wanted. He said he came to see Ms. Thawiphorn, and then asked who I was. I replied, giving my name, telling him I work as a reporter for the Pattaya Naew Na Newspaper. I told him that Thawiphorn and I have been living together for the last six months as husband and wife. He then tried to force his way into the house and called for the others to help him. I resisted but they made their way inside. I tried to radio for the police to come help."

Pol. Major Chayaphorn Sirileut allegedly retorted, yelling, "Why are you calling the police? I am the police and have enough authority to handle this matter. But go ahead and call, I’m not afraid". The Major then added, "So you’re a reporter huh? I’ve always wanted to do this to a news reporter." With those words the Major called for the others to restrain Suriya as he drew his pistol and struck Mr. Suriya in the mouth, knocking his teeth out.

A witness told of two other police officers coming to the seen, but Major Chaiyaphorn blurted out to them not to interfere. The two policemen stood frozen not knowing what to do. "It was right after that when the Major struck Suriya with his pistol and continued cursing for another 30 minutes before departing the area."

Ms. Thawiphorn told reporters, "I really didn’t know what to do when Major Chaiyaphorn came to the house because he was obviously drunk. I went to work the same evening and there were two of the Major’s men waiting for me. They told me to drop this whole matter or there will be trouble.

"Then later in the evening the Major called me, and I asked him why he acted like this. I thought it was over between us long ago, and him with a family and all. But he wasn’t listening, he just insisted that Suriya and I drop this matter before it creates trouble for him at work and at home. He also threatened further saying if I don’t believe him then both Suriya and I will wish we had. I told my husband all that transpired at work last night before he went to contact officials that he knows in Rayong."

Pattaya Pol. Col. Manod Bamphen, investigating officer, told reporters a report has been forwarded to Pol. Maj. Chaiyaphorn’s commanding officer to have him come in for questioning. If the accusations stand then he will be facing trial for assault, and if he was not on official police business, he could also be charged for carrying a weapon in a public area.

However, it appears Pol. Maj. Chaiyaphorn, who earlier was not afraid of anyone, is now in hiding Bangkok, spreading the word that he didn’t do anything wrong other than teach someone a lesson.

Suriya is in the process of contacting friends in office and witnesses intending to carry this matter through to its end. "I will not allow Major Chaiyaphorn to get away with his actions!"

He also plans to take his complaint directly to the Major’s office department head demanding justice. Suriya said confidently that he should get complete satisfaction because the Suppression Unit Commander, Pol. Maj. General Asawin Khanmuang, surely does not need an officer conducting himself with behavior such as this in his unit.

Suriya told Pattaya Mail that Mrs. Thawiphorn has stopped answering the phone and is not going to work until this is over. She will be staying with close friends in the meantime because she is not only upset but fears for her life.

Police officers have been sent to Thawiphorn and Suriya’s house to provide security.

Suicide by drowning

Thirty-eight year old Wirasak Tansiri was found drowned in a pond near his home. Wirasak suffered from a multitude of illnesses and needed a cane to get around.

Mrs. Suni Tansiri, Wirasak’s mother, called Banglamung Police after finding her son’s walking cane at the edge of the local pond. Mrs. Suni told police she feared that her son had committed suicide.

Police and rescue unit personnel arrived at the address located in Nong Preu Sub-District and was shown the pond where Mrs. Suni found her son’s walking cane. The pond is 40 meters wide on each side and almost 20 meters deep. Wirasak’s body was found after 30 minutes of searching the depths of the water.

Wirasak’s mother explained to police that her son was very weak, as he was suffering from many illnesses and had to use a cane to get along. "The other evening he was complaining that he was tired of living. The next day he disappeared for awhile." She said she went looking for him and found his cane near the pond. Fearing that he might have drowned himself, she contacted the police.

Two area schools take oath to stay away from drugs

Drink sacred water to fulfill their oath

On June 3rd - 4,000 students and teachers at two local schools swallowed sacred water and made a commitment to stay off of drugs.

The ceremony was part of the Clean School Program, the Education Ministry’s attempt to tackle the ever-increasing drug problem in schools. The Ministry intends to get every school in the Kingdom to participate in the program, which would be the grandest gift ever in honoring the King’s upcoming 72nd birthday. The slogan of the program is "Honor Your King, Look After Your Children, Join in the Fight against Drugs".

Students from Banglamung Tech School drink sacred water and take an oath to stay away from drugs. The “Sacred Water Drinking Ceremony” was part of the Ministry of Education’s “Clean School Program”.

The Education Department requested the sacred water from His Majesty the King, who is the combined heart of the Thai people, distributing the water to schools throughout the country.

1,000 students and teachers from Banglamung Tech School and 3,000 from the Tech School in Sattahip joined all other schools in the country whose students are taking the same oath.

The ceremony consisted of having students drink the sacred water and make an oath to stay away from drugs, meaning not selling, not taking, and not producing drugs. The drinking of the sacred water was included to give the ceremony more meaning, creating a psychological effect. It is commonly believed that if sacred water is consumed as part of an oath, if that oath is ever broken, the sacred water will cause stomach problems.

The local ceremonies received support from some of the area’s highest administrators. Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat presided over the oath taking ceremony at Banglamung School, while Santsak Ngamphiches, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism, presided over the ceremony at Sattahip Tech School.

City helps homeless fire victims

Food and temporary shelter provided

Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat had dried food goods provided to the homeless victims hit by the fire in the Naklua slum area occurring on May 31st. The food items were distributed the day after the fire to eight families, about 120 people in all, who lost just about everything they owned after the fire burned 10 structures to the ground.

The mayor said the assistance was necessary in order to help the victims while they waited to see if the Provincial Administration will be able to provide additional assistance. Where the victims will be residing in the future is not yet certain. The matter will be discussed further by the city council; however, it is certain that they can not remain on public property identified for specific purposes by the city. This manner of intruding on public property is similar to people moving in and building their house on a private resident’s land, it’s against the law if not authorized by the owner.

The city will locate a temporary dwelling for the victims until moved elsewhere. Mayor Pairat added that the fire victims claiming the land was in the family since their grandparents time, 60-70 years ago, and the city having no right to chase them out is understood by members of this administration. "In the past, assistance has been provided to many refugees from neighboring countries, so why can’t we help unfortunate Thai people, such as these. I would like to see the Thai government provide assistance or at least some guidance on the matter," the mayor said.

7,500 trees planted on National Tree Day

This year, officials concentrated on rare trees

Vice-Governor of Chonburi, Suphod Laowansiri, presided over the opening ceremony of the Annual National Tree Day at the Forest Reserve in Ban Pong.

The United States of America was the first country to establish a Tree Planting Day, stemming from the decreasing forest area around the world. Young people and students raised environmental concerns pleading for the governments to do something. The idea spread to Europe in the year 1952.

Thailand initially set the date as Dec 5th for her National Tree Day, but government officials, who are not into farming, soon learned from the country’s agricultural experts that December is not a suitable time to plant anything, being the dry season in this country. So, in 1959, the government changed the date to coincide with the rains, but later changed it again in 1989 to the same day as Wan Wisakhabucha, the Buddhist Holy Day, which commemorates the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death. This day also signifies the rainy season’s arrival.

The actual date is calculated from the horological data by the Buddhist monks, and does not fall on the same date each year, but it does come at around the same time.

This year’s Holy Day fell on May 29th. However, the Forestry Department in each province establishes the Annual Tree Planting Day according to the varying weather conditions of each province. Administration officials, local residents and students in each province participate in the Annual Tree Planting Ceremony to expand the public awareness of the importance of environmental concerns and preserving the natural environment.

This year’s objective was to plant varieties of trees that are becoming rare. Over 7,500 tree saplings were planted on this year’s occasion.

The Banglamung Forestry Department will maintain the trees.

Pattaya free of diseased pork

Transporting Malaysian pigs into Thailand strictly prohibited

Pattaya City has been declared free from diseased pork. The announcement was made last week at a seminar conducted by Pattaya City and the Department of Domestic Animals. The seminar concerned the Animal Slaughter Act for people involved in the pork business.

Experts from the Animal Health Office in Chonburi and veterinarians lectured 100 people involved in the pork business.

Pattaya, being a tourist city with many people visiting the area year round, causes the administration to be concerned with the importance of cleanliness in the food industry. The administration is taking measures to prevent contamination of meat, beginning at the slaughterhouse to ensure the safety of the consumers.

Resident experts presented lectures on Pattaya City policy concerning people involved in the slaughtering and distribution of pork meat. The Animal Slaughter and Meat Distribution Act of 1992 requires people in the meat industry to obtain written authorization from the Domestic Animal Department, in their respective districts, and pay a pork tax of 28 baht per animal to the government.

The Ministry of the Interior has announced that the southern and eastern regions of Thailand are free from diseased pork, and anyone found guilty of transporting diseased pork into the country will be prosecuted immediately. Currently the transporting of pigs from Malaysia into Thailand is strictly prohibited.

The Ministry of the Interior has also announced that it is forbidden to slaughter pigs on specified weekly Buddhist Holy Days; however, it is acceptable to transport pork already prepared, prior to the Holy Days.

Council members at odds over collecting taxes

Liquor and gambling taxes on agenda

The Pattaya City Council met last week for the 3rd round of talks concerning liquor and gambling taxes.

Sixteen council members joined the Mayor of Pattaya City, Pairat Suthithamrongsawat, for the monthly meeting. After long discussions on the issue, many differences of opinion became apparent.

After city laws and acts were consulted, it was decided suitable to collect a business tax, specifically from increasing the tax on liquor licenses and gambling permits. The collected tax would be revenue for the city administration to be used for making improvements in Pattaya. This would return collected taxes back to the public.

The next issue discussed was concerning the promotion of travel to Pattaya in both Australia and New Zealand. Video tapes of Pattaya and surrounding area are being made and a sum of 250,000 baht was allocated as a budget for travel to both countries to promote tourism to this region.

About 36.9 million tourists expected to visit Thailand in 2020

The number of foreign tourists to visit Thailand will probably rise to 36.9 million in the next 20 years, and the Kingdom is advised to improve service while exploring new markets. Thailand has already outdone Singapore as a shopping paradise in Southeast Asia, but the country should do more to attract Japanese tourists, said experts in a recent seminar by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Ms Xu Jing, the Asia-Pacific manager of the World Travel Organization, told the conference that Thailand should do more to improve the quality of services to attract more tourists from Germany, England, Italy, Japan and the US in the next century. Prices can be brought up for much better quality in services, Ms Xu Jing said.

Notes: Japanese tourists demand a higher degree of security while staying in the Kingdom; representative of British tourism promotion organization said Thai hotels should learn from the Hong Kong lesson regarding high room rates; Thai operators fear local tourism would be controlled by European agencies in next century.

Addressing Chonburi’s labor situation

Many coming to the province seeking work

Community Public Servants from six areas in Chonburi Province met with members from the Labor and Social Benefits Control Office at the Pattaya City Siam Gulf Hotel to discuss and debate labor problems. Currently the labor problem is a great concern at the provincial government level with 250,000 people registered as available for work in Chonburi Province.

Most are directed to factories or hotels for employment, but due to the state of the economy some places have closed down. There are now 7,000 unemployed workers in the province. In addition, there is a large number of people from other provinces coming to Chonburi looking for employment.

The Labor Control Office is coordinating with various organizations in the local area looking for job openings. The current unemployment situation is still manageable and not serious; however, it will be important for both the government and the private sector to combine their efforts to prevent the situation becoming worse in the future.

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.