NEWS

HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Warning - Crocodiles on the loose

City denies media claims of crocodiles roaming beach areas

Paint factory explosion kills 11, injures 30

Motorcycle gang drops bomb in toilet

Minister from PM’s Office joins police raid on lewd shows in Pattaya

Jumpy methamphetamine agent arrested at traffic light

String of gas station robberies terrorizes late night attendants

Siam Country Club Road construction delayed

Tourism, terrorism and trash headline Chart Thai meeting in Pattaya

Warning - Crocodiles on the loose

Search teams with assault rifles scour the area

Citizens of Naklua, Banglamung and Pattaya are being warned to stay alert after “many” saltwater crocodiles escaped from the Million Years Stone Park and Crocodile Farm last week.

A pensive Million Years Stone Park and Crocodile Farm owner, Suan Panomwattanakul points as equally pensive Banglamung district chief Vichien Chawalit (2nd right) looks on.

Anyone who sees a crocodile should immediately evacuate the area and call the authorities. The phone number being circulated to call is for the Banglamung District Information Center (Thai language), tel. 038-222-042. The Thai language emergency phone number is 191; the Tourist Police phone numbers are 038-429-371 and 038-425-937, email [email protected]

Local citizens are also being warned to stay away from flooded marsh areas, streams, klongs and ponds in the area, and be extremely vigilant around the local beaches until further notice. Government officials have expressed a “grave concern for the safety of tourists on the beaches in Pattaya” should any of the escaped predators make it to the open sea.

Flash floods on November 1 broke a hole through the wall of an enclosure at the Million Years Stone Park and Crocodile Farm where 2,000 saltwater crocodiles, 3-5 meters in length, were being penned. The enclosure was being used as a breeding area, and it is unknown how many baby crocs were inside at the time and may have escaped as well. The park advertises it has 9,367 saltwater crocodiles and 4,828 freshwater crocodiles spread throughout the grounds.

One more makes it to the net - notice the extra protection in the man’s hand in the foreground

The director of the park, Suan Panomwattanakul said he “assumed” no more than 10 escaped, but unconfirmed reports put the number as “much higher”. The actual number is unknown. As of Tuesday, November 6, there were also unconfirmed reports that up to six have been recaptured and returned to the park. Also as of Tuesday, no injuries have been reported, although a witness in Naklua reported he saw a 4-meter long crocodile vault from a small klong and devour a dog.

Local authorities have organized a massive hunt for the extremely dangerous creatures. Heavily armed search parties have been working around the clock to capture and return the crocodiles, or when safety is at risk, to shoot them. Crocodile Farm employees using bamboo poles have been combing the area, backed up by police and military personnel armed with assault rifles and shotguns.

Initially, five, 5-man teams, each with an additional experienced crocodile handler from the Million Years Stone Park, were dispatched to search the outer areas and a five kilometer waterway that leads to the ocean in Naklua.

On the first day after the flood, two of the large creatures were found in a nearby marsh area and returned to the farm. As the search continued, on Saturday, November 3, Banglamung district chief Vichien Chawalit authorized the use of high-powered rifles and automatic weapons.

Governor Chadet Insawang issued a warning to everyone in the area to, “Be careful and stay away from all bodies of water.”

Governor Chadet Insawang and provincial police commander Pol. Maj. Gen. Sene Khamthieng conducted an inspection of the situation and held an emergency meeting to devise an appropriate plan to recapture the allusive creatures. The governor also accompanied a search party entering the marshlands surrounding the Million Year Stone Park, but saw no signs of any of the escaped crocodiles.

Governor Chadet then inspected the damaged enclosure and ordered park management to insure that high-grade materials were used in repairing the damages, and to build a durable enough enclosure to withstand the elements and prevent any future escapes.

Provincial police supplemented the all-out search with local police and a volunteer force that maintained a 24-hour surveillance of the mouth of the Naklua canal leading to the sea. The searches are being continued during hours of darkness when crocodiles are more active and more easily spotted.

Officials on Monday, November 5 began devising ways to seal off the Naklua klong that leads into the sea to try and prevent any more crocs from escaping into the sea via that route. Officials also fear that “some” have already made it past them and have escaped into Pattaya Bay. It is anyone’s guess where they may go once they make it to the sea.

Heavily armed search parties are trying to track down the escaped crocodiles

Teams of officials were organized to alert residential areas in the adjoining sub-districts and to get residents to report any sightings immediately to the Banglamung district police station. Warnings were issued not to go near the dangerous animals and to refrain from fishing in the lowland areas until further notice.

The director of the park, Suan Panomwattanakul said he believed the crocodiles, which are 3-4 meters in length and 15-20 years old, would most likely remain in the immediate area. However, a resident in Naklua, Moo 4, near the canal leading to the sea, reported observing a crocodile nearly four meters in length. He said he saw a dog near the water’s edge; the crocodile surfaced near the bank and in a splash, took the dog in its jaws and dragged it down into the water where it most likely ate it.

Amnuay Thongtap, a farmer who lives near the Million Year Stone Park, said he was taking his cows out to graze on November 1, unaware of the escaped crocodiles. He said he saw four crocs sunning on the banks behind the park and when they spotted his group of cows they sprang into the marsh waters. He said he immediately rounded up his cows and headed back home as fast as he could.

Amnuay also told news reporters that just a few months ago villagers found three baby crocodiles outside of the park. He said they guessed that the young crocs were no more than a week old.

A local woman returned a baby croc - it is unknown how many more babies might have escaped

The crocodile is one of the most ferocious reptiles on earth. It swallows many small animals whole, but will also attack humans and other large animals, often batting them with its tail into a nearby pool of water to make them easier to capture. On land, crocodiles move quickly in a belly crawl but can also gallop and walk mammal-like on all four legs. They are extremely fast over short distances, and are known to capture such swift-footed animals as deer. Therefore, it is very important that if you should see one on the loose, get as far away from it as possible and contact the authorities.

Local experts told Pattaya Mail that in the daytime, when not sunning on the banks, crocodiles normally stay submerged in the water. The heavy rainfall, which is flooding the marsh areas, is complicating the search by providing the creatures, fond of solitude, many secluded spots.

The experts further described the crocodile’s behavior as “highly unpredictable”, and during mating season or when hungry they become even more dangerous. Crocodiles hunt their prey by staying completely submerged except for their eyes and snout. When they spy a victim, they stealthily move in until close enough to violently thrash out, surprising and capturing their victim.

The Million Year Stone Park and Crocodile Farm is in Nong Pla Lai sub-district, on 150 rai of land east of Pattaya in Banglamung District. The park also has other wild animals in captivity such as tigers, bears and lions that park management advertises to attract tourists. The park employs a double-pricing scheme, charging foreign tourists several times the amount charged for Thai tourists.

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City denies media claims of crocodiles roaming beach areas (Latest development - Tuesday, November 6)

Five more days needed to determine how many crocs escaped from Million Year Stone Park and Crocodile Farm

Vichan Pladplueng

Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat, city officials and city council members held a press conference on the afternoon of November 5 refuting some stories in the media claiming crocodiles were terrorizing Pattaya beaches.

He said for the most part the media sufficiently covered the incident involving an unknown number of crocodiles slipping out from the Million Year Stone Park and Crocodile Farm and adequately kept the public informed. But he indicated a number of the news articles exaggerated the situation and damaged the city’s reputation, not to mention a great loss of business, especially from foreign visitors planning to come to Pattaya.

The mayor said hotels have particularly suffered after the media exaggerated the situation by overstating the extent of the problem describing lurking danger on local beaches, ultimately turning prospective tourists away.

It was reported that two more crocodiles were retrieved in the early morning hours of November 5 at the Naklua Bridge along the coast where employees from the crocodile farm have set up steel mesh netting and other equipment to prevent any escapees from making it to the sea.

The Banglamung district chief officer Vichien Chawalit called an emergency meeting with officials from the Departments of Forestry and Fisheries, and delegated responsibility to the Department of Fisheries to take control of the situation.

He also referred to possible legal aspects involving negligence by the Million Year Stone Park and Crocodile Farm due to their inability to contain the crocodiles within the confines of the business grounds. Vichien said in his opinion the wire mesh material enclosing the crocodiles was inadequate to confine the crocodiles and a committee composed of engineers would be appointed to design a suitable enclosure to insure no similar incident occurs in the future.

The owner of the Million Years Stone Park and Crocodile Farm, Suan Phanomwattankul said that it will take at least another 5 days before they can ascertain exactly how many crocodiles slipped out.

The head officer at the Chonburi Department of Fisheries, Thaweep Korneeyakij, disclosed that farm management is required to report any changes in the crocodile population on a routine basis. They are also required to record any sales or purchases. These reports pass through the office of the provincial governor.

The method of using microchips imbedded into the crocodiles for keeping an accurate accountability and tracking is considered too expensive. The chosen method at Suan’s farm consists of tagging the tails for identification purposes.

Apparently, only after the completion of a one-by-one count of all the crocodiles remaining within the confines of the Million Year Stone Park and Crocodile Farm will it be possible to accurately ascertain the number of escapees, said the head official from the Chonburi Department of Fisheries. There are 9,367 saltwater crocodiles and 4,828 freshwater crocodiles spread throughout the grounds. He added that reporting false numbers of crocodiles maintained in captivity could certainly end up being prosecuted in a court of law.

Residents in the immediate vicinity where the crocodiles slipped away report not only sighting the wily creatures, both big and small, but also occasionally more adventurous types attest to capturing them. Some make it into their cooking pots, while others are sold for a tidy profit ranging from B20,000 and up. Few, if any, are returned to the farm, because when incidents such as this have happened in the past, and when the villagers have returned the crocodiles to the farm, instead of rewarding the adventurous villagers, the owner has accused them of stealing the crocodiles.

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Paint factory explosion kills 11, injures 30

Flammable materials pose problems for firefighters

Vichan Pladplueng

The GS Paint Factory in Chonburi’s Phanthong District erupted in flames at 4.00 p.m. on October 31, killing 11 and seriously injuring 30 others.

Twenty fire trucks responded to the call. Efforts to extinguish the blaze were hampered by the large amount of flammable material inside the building.

As firefighters attempted to control the raging flames, several smaller explosions occurred. Fire fighters sprayed water and foam into the building for over an hour before the blaze finally began to die down. By the time the fire was finally extinguished, the building was completely gutted.

The minister of interior, former Pol. Cpt. Purachai Piumsombun, instructed Chonburi’s governor Chadet Insawang to conduct a full investigation into the cause of the disaster.

Thus far, all that has surfaced is that 20 employees were inside the factory mixing paint at the time of the explosion.

Plans are underway for the victims and families to be compensated by the Chonburi government, and the Labor Ministry is calling for management level safety training courses for paint factories around the country.

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Motorcycle gang drops bomb in toilet

Maybe the hole was too small...

Vichan Pladplueng

The “Asian-style” toilet at a Q8 petrol station on Sukhumvit Road received unwanted renovations last week. Apparently, members of a motorcycle gang detonated a homemade bomb inside the porcelain hole and scurried off just as it exploded.

Pranksters detonated a homemade “bomb” into a toilet at a Sukhumvit Highway petrol station.

The gas station, on Sukhumvit near the Central Pattaya intersection where the bus terminal is located for travel to the North-east, is a popular spot for mischief. In the past it has been subject to robberies, car theft, drug transactions - and now a bombing incident has been added to the list.

A young girl living near the Q8 station contacted Pattaya municipal police just after midnight on October 27 to report a loud explosion that she described as, “Shaking the entire area, sending customers speeding out of the filling station.”

Debris from the exploded toilet scattered around the restroom facilities. Police investigators located remnants of a coffee can containing gunpowder residue.

Witnesses told police that a gang of young people on more than 10 motorbikes drove into the station and parked in front of the restrooms. One male and one female were observed entering the toilet area and after 10 minutes, the two ran from the restroom, mounted a motorbike and raced out of the station, followed by the other bikers, just as the explosion occurred.

A description of the gang of bikers was relayed to police officers around the city and district area, but no signs of the gang were reported.

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Minister from PM’s Office joins police raid on lewd shows in Pattaya

Twenty-five tour guides and several performers arrested

Chakrapong Akkaranant and Vichan Pladplueng

Just before midnight on October 30 the Pattaya Tourist Police organized another raid on businesses suspected of offering lewd entertainment in Pattaya. Somsak Thepsutin, minister to the office of the prime minister, accompanied police on the raid.

The Super One received the honor of being the first business raided on the night. The manager and two women engaged in sexually explicit activities in front of a crowd of tourists were taken in and charged with indecent conduct in public.

Somsak Thepsutin, minister to the office of the prime minister, and police raided bars offering lewd entertainment, some of which had foreign women (sitting in the background) entertaining.

The Las Vegas in North Pattaya was the next stop, where 13 women from Lithuania, Belarus and Uzbekistan were engaged in similar activity and taken in, along with five more local women at the Show Girl located on 2nd Road.

The raid of the P.P. Show in North Pattaya resulted in eight arrests along with an unofficial tour guide of Thai-Chinese extraction involved in organizing tours to lewd entertainment.

At the other end of the city, in Soi V.C. off of Pratamnak Road, a raid of the Super Queen resulted in three arrests. Charges of indecent conduct before the public were also registered.

In all, 25 guides were arrested for pressuring and luring tourists into viewing the illegal presentations, and with causing a nuisance to tourists and passers-by on the streets of South Pattaya. One arrest included a 40-year-old Ukranian woman named Victoria Dudriafacva (sic), who was charged with illegally operating tours in Pattaya.

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Jumpy methamphetamine agent arrested at traffic light

Maybe he sampled too much of his merchandise

Vichan Pladplueng

Perhaps 45-year-old drug agent Amhuay Uayamnuay from Moo 4 Khao Mai Kaew had sampled just a little too much of his merchandise, for his nervous actions eventually landed him in jail.

Banglamung Police Sgt. Nanthachak Patrasiriyakorn, who was directing traffic at the Naklua and Sukhumvit intersection on October 25, noticed Amhuay acting overanxious on his motorbike. It didn’t help Amhuay’s cause that his motorcycle had no plates.

Sgt. Nanthachak ordered Amhuay to drive off to the side of the road and told him to dismount for a search, but instead of complying, Amhuay started to run. Sgt. Nanthachak proved to be the quicker and dropped Amhuay to the ground, brought him under control and slapped handcuffs on his wrists.

When Sgt. Nanthachak was finally able to search Amhuay, he found 350 methamphetamine pills inside Amhuay’s shirt and a fully loaded 9mm pistol in the waist of his pants.

Back at the Banglamung police station, Amhuay confessed to distributing the class 1 illegal drugs to other agents in and around Pattaya and told police he had obtained the drugs in Chonburi.

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String of gas station robberies terrorizes late night attendants

Ordeal may be over

Vichan Pladplueng

Manit Chaicharern, 19, turned himself in at the Pattaya municipal police station on October 29 and confessed to being involved in a string of recent gas station robberies in the Pattaya and Banglamung area. He said two other men were involved, whom he identified as Chaiyant Plemdecha and Boonchuay Yunuch.

Manit Chaicharern confessed to being involved in a string of recent gas station robberies in the Pattaya and Banglamung area.

The rash of late night robberies had police conducting an intense investigation and search for the bandits. The robberies terrorized young attendants at each location and the string of incidents attained national coverage on the Thai television channel 3 program “Ya Hai Phu Chua Loi Nuan”, a program similar to the U.S.A.’s “America’s Most Wanted” program.

Manit told police he became paranoid when the investigation began getting too close. Fearing for his life, he decided to give up before getting caught up in a shoot out during a surprise police raid.

The last week in October the gang robbed the Lemon Green station on North Pattaya Road and the Shell station north of Pattaya on Sukhumvit Road. Two other stations were also robbed the previous week and police believe members of the same gang committed each robbery, as the m. o. at each robbery was the same.

The young petrol station attendants told police that two or three men would arrive at the station and order the attendant to fill the motorbike tank with 40 baht worth of gas. The robbers would then tell the attendant they were unable to pay for the gas. After leaving collateral, which in at least one case was a Buddha amulet, they would return within the hour and hold up the attendant at gunpoint. The motorbike used in the robbery had no plates.

Manit told police that each robbery usually netted the gang of three 2,000 - 3,000 baht to split up. He said just prior to turning himself in, his two former partners in crime tried to persuade him to take part in another robbery before disappearing from Pattaya for a while.

Police continue to search for the other two robbers.

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Siam Country Club Road construction delayed

Administration blames “El Nino”

Chakrapong Akkaranant

Continuing rains have brought the road construction in Soi Siam Country Club to a halt, resulting in havoc for vehicle traffic and forcing detours around the 1+ kilometers of torn up roadway.

City administrators said that the, “Unusual weather conditions, possibly continuing from El Nino are the cause.”

Work on Siam Country Club Road started August 23 and is scheduled to be finished on December 1.

Area residents have been complaining about the terrible condition of the heavily traveled road, saying that it is so potholed and torn-up it is posing driving hazards, especially at night and during heavy rains.

To their credit, the Nong Prue sub-district administrative organization didn’t sit still - they set aside a 4.8 million baht budget to correct the situation. Construction started almost three months ago.

The paved surface of the designated area was removed, but the excessive rains that followed stalled workers from completing the project. Presently, a thick layer of mud has formed, which shifts after each rain, destroying any progress.

Nong Prue maintenance division chief Tongchai Kamlangthai said the sub-district administration organization is coordinating the road construction project, and that that the Pornwatana Construction Company was awarded the contract. They began the roadwork on August 23. The contract states that the construction must be completed by December 1 and includes a clause that stipulates a fine of 4,800 baht will be awarded to the Nong Prue TAO for each day over the agreed deadline.

The construction plan includes a complete resurfacing of the pavement on a section 1.225 kilometers long and six meters wide, and the construction of a drainage ditch 423 meters long.

Following the completion of road construction on Soi Siam Country Club, next year’s budget request targets resurfacing roads in Soi Khao Talo and Soi Khao Noi.

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Tourism, terrorism and trash headline Chart Thai meeting in Pattaya

Former PM and 2,000 party members meet at Dusit Resort

The eastern Region’s tourism future, the effects recent terrorism will have on it, and environmental concerns were some of the main topics covered at the Chart Thai Party meeting at the Pattaya Dusit Resort on November 4.

The conference theme was, “Chart Thai Party Policy and Political Direction for Developing the Easter Region”. Also included was a dissertation on “Chart Thai Party on the Road to Serving the People”.

Minister of Science, Technology and Environment, Sonthaya Khunpluem (left) discusses matters with Chart Thai Party leader and former Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa at the Chart Thai Party meeting at the Dusit Resort on November 4.

Chart Thai Party leader and former Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa chaired the conference, and more than 2,000 party members attended, including Chart Thai MPs. Government officials, members from the private sector and people from the general public also showed interest. The Minister of Science, Technology and Environment, Sonthaya Khunpluem, who also holds the position of party secretary, announced the proceedings.

The terrorist act in America and the allied efforts in Afghanistan were hot topics at the meeting. There is major concern within the party over the affects this will have on area business, tourism, and economic development in the eastern region, as well as the negative social aspects.

Minister Sonthaya Khunpluem asserted that the nation’s economy and social setting have been seriously affected by the tragedy in the U.S. and the war declared on terrorism by the allied countries. He emphasized the fact that the tourist industry in Pattaya has especially felt a crippling blow.

Minister Sonthaya said the faltering numbers of tourists have forced the TAT and government offices to concentrate their efforts on looking for ways to revise promotional schemes following claims from Osama bin Laden and his followers that no place is safe. “The new promotional phrase receiving emphasis portrays Thailand as a safe haven for tourists, unlike locations elsewhere in the world today,” Sonthaya said, “and the new campaign underway is ‘Security and the Amazing Grand Sale’.”

The Minister of Science also spoke of the need, “To increase the use of U-tapao Airbase as an international airport to draw tourists to the region, and as a terminal for major transport around the hemisphere.”

Former PM Banharn described Pattaya as a major player in the tourist industry with great potential in many arenas, although he said the city’s future is uncertain until decisions are made to redirect efforts towards promoting tourism. He also stressed the need to continue improving environmental concerns, along with correcting traffic problems and attending to personal safety, with chief concerns directed at proper waste disposal.

As for the future of the Chart Thai Party, former PM Banharn said that, “Important factors now facing the party involve establishing the direction of the Chart Thai Party and the political direction for continuing the development in the eastern region.” He said a timeframe of one year was needed to revise positions of ministers within the party to create better feasibility.

The hopes for a balanced budget is of concern and current policies are focusing on export, tourism and economizing that former PM Banharn referred to as “out of balance”.

Former PM Banharn announced that on the 27th of this month the party would celebrate its 27th anniversary as a political party.

Chart Thai’s central office is in Chonburi, and other key party areas include Chachoengsao, Rayong, Chanthaburi, Trat, Prachinburi, Sa-Kaeo and Nakhon Nayok.

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Updated every Friday
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Updated by Chinnaporn Sangwanlek, assisted by Boonsiri Suansuk.
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