Chakri Dynasty commemorated on April 6

Chakri Day (April 6) was first instituted by H.M. King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) in the year 1919 to commemorate all the Kings in the Chakri Dynasty, which started with Rama I and continues to this day with Rama IX, H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great.

The reigning Kings in the House of Chakri brought peace and tranquility to the people within Thailand’s borders and successfully protected the Kingdom, maintaining sovereignty and integrity through crucial periods threatened by European colonization and two World Wars.

In commemorating “Chakri Day” the national flag is proudly displayed by the people of Thailand and both government officials and members of the community participate in traditional ceremonies, making offerings of flowers and garlands at the many statues of Kings in the House of Chakri.

The Chakri Dynasty, or the “House of Chakri” followed the reign of King Taksin the Great, when He abdicated due to poor health. The Chakri Dynasty was ushered in on 6 April 1782 when a close aid of King Taksin, General Chakri, marched back into Thonburi and assumed the throne as H.M. King Buddhayodfa the Great. Each Monarch thereafter has had “Rama” as part of their title.

Thai woman says British husband ran off with her 2 million baht

Says he skipped out on her in Ankara

Reporter: Boonlua Chatree

Mrs. Saengdao Bell is in the area looking for her husband, John Frederick Bell, who, she said, ran off with 2 million baht of her money.

Mrs. Saengdao Bell holds up a picture of John Bell, her husband whom she said ran off with 2 million baht of her money.

She said the two were legally married 11 years ago and had been living in England. She said they occasionally made trips to Thailand to visit with her 2 children from a previous marriage.

It was on the way back to England after one of these trips that Mrs. Bell says Mr. Bell ran out on her. She said Mr. Bell, who hails from Oxford, wanted to go into the rice exporting business, but lacked sufficient capital to borrow money in England. Mrs. Bell said he convinced her to put up her land and house in Udorn and borrow 2 million baht here.

She said they exchanged the 2 million baht for British pounds and US dollars before beginning their return trip to England. The flight back to England had a layover in Ankara on January 30 this year. After checking in to their hotel in Ankara, Mr. Bell allegedly left to hire a car, but never returned. He had, however, taken the money with him.

Mrs. Bell said she spent the rest of that day waiting for Mr. Bell to return, and spent a good part of the following day searching Ankara until realizing he wasn’t coming back.

She continued her flight back to London, contacted the Thai Embassy and filed a report with local police. British police did learn that Mr. Bell had boarded a flight back to Thailand the same day he disappeared in Ankara.

Mrs. Bell recently returned to Thailand to make a concentrated effort to locate her husband. She registered police reports in Don Muang and in her home city of Udorn before coming to Pattaya on March 26, where she has requested assistance from the local tourist police.

She says she is in urgent need of regaining the money or she faces losing the land she put up as collateral for the 2-million baht loan. Mrs. Bell said she is offering a 10,000 baht reward for information leading to her husband’s whereabouts.

The local tourist police are coordinating with immigration police and tourist police departments all over Thailand to try and find John Frederick Bell, age 46, carrying a British passport. Police are concentrating their efforts on Chiang Mai, Phuket, Chiang Rai, Koh Samui and other tourist locations.

After hours bars busted

Drugs found on floor

Reporter: Boonlua Chatree

Police officers from Provincial Region 2, led by Pol. Lt. Col. Ronchai Chindamuk busted into the Dance 2000 after hours bar in Soi Bua Khao at 5.00 a.m. on March 19.

The lights were ordered turned on and the music turned off. Police officers then began checking everyone’s identification and searching for drugs, after which they chased out the customers one by one.

Three men were arrested, as they still possessed amounts of the illegal drug described as “K”. Another quantity of the drug was collected from the floor.

The bar’s manager, 21-year-old Manit Awnnom, was also arrested.

Following the stop at the Dance 2000, police officers next paid a visit to the IBIZA Pub off of Pratamnak Road at 7:30 a.m.

Police conducted the same type of search and identification check and arrested three more individuals who possessed a variety of drugs. One foreigner, identified as a German police officer named Andreas Haraid Karlsuhe, age 44, was remanded to custody as he was also still in possession of one “K” drug capsule.

Later the same day, during the noon hour, Pattaya municipal police chief Pol. Col. Padungsak Ubekanon led a group of police in raiding the Seventh Hole Pub in Soi Jiripol between Soi Bua Khao and 3rd Road. The time of the raid begs the question, when does “staying open late” turn into “opening early”? Nonetheless, the raid resulted in 11 Thai men and nine women arrested. One foreigner was also arrested but not identified.

British subject arrested for illegally producing Viagra

Faces many drug related charges

Boonlua Chatree

Police officers from drug suppression units stormed a house in the Jomtien Niwet Housing Community off of Khao Phratamnak Road after finding out that a foreigner was producing Viagra on the premises.

Garner’s collection of ingredients for producing “Viagra” and hydraulic equipment for pill production.

Accompanying the team of police officers were representatives from the Pattaya Foreign Crime Suppression Center, the Food and Drug Administration, the Health Department and a Thai national assigned to the American Embassy custom’s department to act as translator.

George Victor Garner, a 60-year-old British ex-pat was arrested when police discovered in his house large amounts of chemical ingredients supposedly used in the production of the popular sexual stimulant known as “Viagra”, or a similar medication. The entire lot consisted of liquid and powdered components, all of which were illegally brought into the country, along with an elaborated set up of hydraulic equipment for pill production.

Samples of the stamped out pills were tested on the spot and registered as medications that would alter a person’s physical or mental behavior, similar to class 3 and 4 illegal drugs. All the paraphernalia was confiscated as evidence.

Garner later admitted to producing the sexual stimulant and told police he was sending it out of country via registered mail.

Garner was charged with illegally importing chemical components into the Kingdom for producing controlled medications, falsifying Ministry of Commerce documents identifying the true nature of import/export merchandise, and for illegal possession of chemical ingredients producing controlled medications (class 3-4) for export out of Thailand.

Visit of the Kitty Hawk

The Kitty Hawk arrived Thursday, April 5 and departs Monday, April 9. It’s on a regularly scheduled 3 1/2 month spring at-sea period, conducting routine exercises with both her battle group and a variety of militaries throughout the East Asian region.

US sailors deploy for shore leave

With embarked Carrier Air Wing Five, comprised of nearly 70 combat aircraft, Kitty Hawk contributes greatly to the peace and stability of any region of the world to which she may deploy.

The Kitty Hawk sails with approx. 5000 personnel. The ship is celebrating the 40th anniversary of her commissioning in April, and is not only the oldest ship in the fleet, but the only permanently forward deployed aircraft carrier, operating out of Yokosuka, Japan.

The visit to Pattaya is geared to provide the crew rest and relaxation.

Liquor and tobacco taxes raised

Central government battles increasing deficit

The new, higher excise tax on liquor and tobacco came into effect on March 28. The new tax rates are one of the ways the central government is tackling an increasing deficit.

The tax rise, which was not significant, will nonetheless show up in the stores as soon as current stocks run out.

The excise tax on beer was raised to 55% from 53%, or about 10 baht a 24-bottle case on the wholesale level. The tax on sparkling wine and champagne was raised from 55% to 60%, brandy from 25% to 30%, whisky from 25% to 45%, other types of liquor from 35% to 45%. The excise tax on cigarettes was raised from 71.5% to 75%.

The government hopes to raise between 7 and 8 billion baht in revenue through the new tax structure.

Volunteers receive water safety and rescue training

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