Long range plans needed to prepare for future international tourism

Chonburi Deputy Governor talks of Pattaya’s future

Approximately 2.3 million foreign tourists visit Pattaya each year, and Chonburi Deputy Governor Suphoj Lawansiri said the only on-going development is the new pier at Bali High Point. “There are no other preparations for future tourism expansion,” he said.

The deputy governor said that Bang Saen Beach in Saen Sukh Municipality is the only (local) area preparing for growth in tourism. Bang Saen has been adding attractions, and doing so without the hustle and bustle associated with congested traffic and parking problems, or vendors, proprietors and business owners quick to take advantage of unfamiliar tourists.

Chonburi Deputy Governor Suphoj Lawansiri talked of how much can be done to improve local tourism.

Both Pattaya and Chonburi are easily accessible by land, sea and air and new tourist attractions are located throughout the province that draw much interest from tourists from abroad, he said. The Star Cruise pleasure boat docking in Laem Chabang adds to the number of tourists coming to the area and the government has plans of turning Laem Chabang into a major shipping port, if not the main port. Chonburi can also be considered as a favored foreign investment location similar to its neighbor Rayong.

Pattaya continually grows and is developing into an international city, although the problems that accompany growth have taken away much of the appeal, he said. In the past the local administration commonly made the claim that the budget was inadequate for various developmental projects; however, certain developments that can obtain positive change do not require extravagant budgets. Developing human behavior in existing resources could go a long way towards improving Pattaya’s image, he said, by implementing courteous assistance whilst directing tourists to different locations and tourists attractions.

Aside from correcting the obvious traffic congestion and parking problems, the deputy governor suggested other improvements, including readily identifying tourist assistance volunteers by having them wear clip-on identification cards, and posting on bulletin boards information explaining how the tourist assistance volunteers could help tourists. Maps showing important locations and useful tourist information should also be posted.

The deputy governor said that Pattaya city administrations in the past were geared more towards correcting immediate needs and not towards anything any further than day-to-day requirements. In the past there was also never any regard for environmental concerns and future growth, he said.

The inclusion of simple changes in human behavior while waiting for the completion of major traffic and environmental projects would enable Pattaya to eventually be a key factor in contributing to the economic recovery and increasing tourism to both Chonburi and Thailand, the deputy governor concluded.

Disaster at sea: cargo ship and oil tanker collide

One crewman feared dead

The Thai cargo ship Heron and the Honduran oil tanker Playboy 3 collided in international waters, about 32 miles from Sattahip’s Chuang Island on September 12 at approximately 6:50 a.m. One crewman from the Playboy 3 went missing and is feared dead.

After colliding with the Heron, Playboy 3 slowly sank in the Gulf of Thailand, about 32 miles from Sattahip’s Chuang Island.

The Heron, a 12,000-ton Thai cargo ship captained by Namtapon Tanpraphan, was carrying rice. The Playboy 3 was carrying 200,000 liters of diesel fuel from Honduras.

The Royal Thai Navy dispatched a cruiser and a submarine from Naval Region 1 to investigate the accident. When they arrived on the scene, the Playboy 3 was already mostly submerged, with only the bow of the ship above the surface of the water. Sister ships Playboy 1 and Playboy 6 were in the area lending assistance.

The accident occurred in an area where the depth of the water was about 30 meters. Eight crewmembers from the Playboy 3 were rescued. Divers were looking for the ninth crewmember; however, rescuers fear he is already dead.

There were no signs of diesel fuel in the vicinity, as the ocean currents had most likely already carried the spill away.

The cause of the collision is still under investigation and whether the diesel fuel aboard Playboy 3 was illicit fuel or not has yet to be determined.

The fate of the Heron was not released.

Two women arrested for drugs

Over 640 methamphetamine pills confiscated

Wadsana Thodok, a 31-year-old woman from Chiang Mai, and her roommate Chombhu Nontarach, a 19-year-old woman from Sakon Nakhorn were arrested in Naklua for possession of over 640 methamphetamine pills.

The two women were arrested during a Pattaya police sting operation conducted after police had collected sufficient information to suspect that methamphetamines were being sold out of their room at the Sukh Som Apartments. Undercover police officers used marked bank notes to purchase five methamphetamine pills from Wadsana.

During a subsequent search of their room, police found and confiscated 640 more methamphetamine pills in Wadsana’s possession, and collected other drug paraphernalia found in the room. Police also found five more methamphetamine pills on Chombhu.

Wadsana told police she was from a poor community in the north where no employment was available. She said she came to Pattaya looking for work, but eventually turned to selling drugs to girls working in local bars.

Both women were charged with possession of the class 1 illegal drug. Wadsana received an additional charge of distribution.

Ministry of Interior official indicates new constitution may allow Pattaya to legalize gambling

Idea still under consideration

Pattaya mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat’s idea to legalize gambling on Larn Island as a method to stimulate the local economy is apparently still under consideration, even though the Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai announced that there were no existing policies to approve legalized gambling in Thailand.

During discussions with Mayor Pairat at City Hall on 14 September, Suwat Tanprawat, Administration Control Department Local Administration Office Director in the Ministry of Interior, indicated that the 1999 constitution gives the city a wide range of local authority.

Whilst explaining to Pattaya’s administrators the changes the new constitution gives to local government, Administration Control Department Local Administration Office Director in the Ministry of Interior Suwat Tanprawat told Mayor Pairat that it may be possible to set up a casino on Larn Island.

The transfer of independent authority from the central and regional government will take place in stages during the next four years allowing Pattaya to dictate its own policies in administrating local government. In the past the city administration was subject to directives from the Ministry of Interior but according to the new constitution Pattaya now has the authority to dictate its own course of actions. The city administration is fully responsible for local developments on land and area waters, including transportation and traffic on both land and sea.

According to Suwat, Pattaya has the capability to follow through with its intentions of opening a casino on Larn Island operated under local administrative regulations. He said, “Why shouldn’t Pattaya go ahead with the idea? There are already countless numbers of illegal gambling houses operating all over the country and other casinos located just outside of Thailand’s borders. Large crowds of people from Thailand are drawn to the border casinos and great sums of money exit the country, which causes great concern over the loss of revenue trickling out of the country.”

As far as Suwat is concerned, Pattaya would be in its full rights enacting new local legislation authorizing and controlling casinos on Larn Island, although he did stipulate that the venture would require strict regulations in accordance with the legal prerequisites endorsed by the city government with efficient enforcement ensuring compliance.

However, aside from the legalities involved, the fact remains that the city administration lacks the knowledge to control legalized gambling even if it were to be approved under the new administrative powers afforded at local levels of government.

Trash collector shot in the leg

Police searching for tour bus parking attendant

Scrap collector Pracha Saengsawan was shot in the leg at 1.30 a.m. on September 10th in the tour bus parking area near the abandoned Pattaya Palace Hotel on 2nd Road.

The 28-year-old scrap collector told police he was walking through the parking lot looking for collectable items to sell when he was confronted by a man he described as the tour bus parking attendant, who ordered him out of the area.

Pracha said he responded by saying he intended no harm and that he was entitled to be there. He said that the parking attendant then insulted his chosen profession and physically attacked him. Pracha said he defended himself, but the parking attendant pulled out a gun and shot him in the leg.

Police went to the parking lot to investigate and found a tour bus from the Golden Thai Travel Company parked there. The tour bus driver, Sayan Sawangsuk, was sleeping inside. Sayan claimed no knowledge of the incident, telling police he parked his tour bus, paid the 20 baht overnight fee and went to sleep with the air-conditioning unit turned on. He said he didn’t hear any disturbance.

Police brought the 54-year old tour bus driver before Pracha for identification, but Pracha said it wasn’t him. Pracha said his assailant was a much younger man of around 25-30 years old, with a large frame.

Police continue to search for the gun wielding parking attendant.

Thai woman, Burmese man arrested for possible employment scam

Face possible 10 years in prison, 200,000 baht fine

Yupin Ketngeun, 43, from Thailand and Thien Wai, 40, from Burma, were arrested and accused of illegally arranging foreign employment after more than 80 residents from the Chonburi area registered complaints.

An employee from the Chonburi Employment Office accompanied Bang Lamung police officers when they arrested the pair of accused swindlers on 12 September at the Village Park Homes in Nong Prue.

The registered complaints describe promises of employment in Germany with monthly wages of 30,000-40,000 baht. Each prospective applicant was required to pay between 30,000-70,000 baht up front to be eligible for the overseas employment program, consisting of English language training, passports and visa fees. The applicants attended a short language-training course taught by Yupin in Sattahip and after completion the applicants were told to wait three months until notified.

Yupin maintained her innocence, telling police she had arranged employment for countless others and airline reservations had already been made for the applicants accusing her of operating the scam.

However, Yupin and Thien Wai were charged with illegally operating a business engaging workers for foreign employment without approval from the Chonburi Employment Office. The court trial will ascertain if they were actually coordinating employment at all or operating a popular scam that has victimized many people looking for overseas employment.

The penalty for illegally operating an illegal foreign employment business is 3-10 years imprisonment and a 60,000 - 200,000 baht fine.

Genco to invest 300 million baht for hazardous waste disposal site

To cover 15 provinces in eastern and central regions

General Environment Conservation Plc (Genco) plans to invest 300 million baht to establish a hazardous waste disposal site to cover 15 provinces in the eastern and central regions by the year 2003.

Currently, the Genco hazardous disposal site in Rayong is capable of accepting 150,000 tons of hazardous waste per year. According to their agreement with the Ministry of Industry, Genco is to expand the existing waste disposal operations in the eastern and central region to increase their capability to 1,000 tons of hazardous waste per day (or about 365,000 tons per year).

The Rayong site was originally to be built in Pluak Daeng District, but community protests re-directed plans and the site was established in the Mabtaput Industrial Estates, where local residents continue to protest to this day.

Genco has been working with the Ministry of Industry to establish hazardous waste sites for the last seven years. This year, the Ministry of Industry and Genco have revised their plans, intending to establish hazardous waste sites in four regional areas by 2003, with an overall investment of 1.29 billion baht.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Industry, in one year 1.27 million tons of hazardous waste are produced, which requires disposal sites be established in each region. Hazardous waste includes alkaline salts, acids, alloy and oil residue, and pesticides.

The revised plan also identifies future sites in Songkhla to accommodate 16 provinces in the south, Korat covering 23 provinces in the north-east, and Lampoon covering 22 provinces in the north and portions of the upper central region.

Deputy City Mayor Wutisak Rermkichakan led officials from the environmental sanitation department on a routine inspection tour through produce markets in Naklua and Central and South Pattaya markets on September 14.

City officials conduct inspections of local vendors to ensure sanitation standards are met.

“The inspection tour was part of a combined effort with the health department to check sanitation standards,” the deputy mayor said. Samples of different vegetables, meats and other products were taken to be tested for harmful bacterial and chemical preservatives.

While conducting the tour and making on the spot corrections, the officials passed out aprons to vendors.

Provincial Police Commander warns against a life of crime

One hundred fifty senior students at the Potisamphan Phitayakharn School were advised to respect family values, stay away from drugs and refrain from socially unaccepted behavior. The advice came from Provincial Police Commander Pol. Maj. Gen. Phanupong Singhara Na Ayutthaya at the Pattaya Municipal Police Training Project on September 11.

Provincial Police Commander Pol. Maj. Gen. Phanupong Singhara Na Ayutthaya

In the wake of student unrest and drug related problems throughout the nation’s schools, the office of the Director-General of the Royal Thai Police issued instructions for provincial police to implement the public relations training project. The aim of the project is to create awareness of the current social problems and inspire students to stay away from socially unacceptable behavior.

Pol. Maj. Gen. Phanupong told the students that the family institution and the school play important roles in rearing the nation’s youth. He added that today’s rapidly changing technology and population growth has brought about many negative factors influencing the family institution, economy and society as a whole.

150 senior students at Potisamphan Phitayakharn School, warning them of the dangers of choosing a life of crime.

The police commander told the students that drug use and criminal activities pose a constant threat to young people today. He asked the students to judge their actions and behavior, and to be aware of the dangers facing each and every one with the affects their choices will have on others and future society.