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Seven cheat death in Pattaya plane crash
Engine failure suspected
Songklod Kaewvisit & Suchada Tupchai
Seven people, including the pilot, escaped with
relatively minor injuries when a Britten-Norman BNA2 twin engine Islander
belonging to Skydive Thailand crashed in a cassava field outside Pattaya
Airport opposite the Phoenix Golf Club at about 1 p.m. on Tuesday, January
14.
This
Britten-Norman BNA2 (twin engine) Islander crashed shortly after takeoff in
a cassava field outside Pattaya Airfield near Phoenix Golf Club. Seven
people, including the pilot, escaped with minor injuries.
Pol. Lt Col Somchai Yodsombat from the Banglamung police
station reported that the plane was nearly broken in half, with one of the
engines from the left side almost protruding into the cabin. Pieces of
wreckage were scattered around the area with the front of the plane and
cockpit crushed from the impact.
The crash occurred in the Chatngaew area of Huay Yai
District.
The pilot and the passengers were taken to the Bangkok
Pattaya Hospital by members of the local community.
Pattaya
resident Patrick van den Berghe, aka Flying Frog, wasn’t flying on Tuesday
when he was wheeled out of the hospital. Patrick was all smiles, however, as
he escaped with minor injuries.
The aircraft belonged to Skydive Thailand, which takes
passengers for skydiving. The plane had an 8-seat capacity.
At approximately 1 p.m. the plane took off from Pattaya
Airport and had been airborne for 2 minutes. Flying in the area of Chatngaew,
approximately 1.5 kilometers from the airport, the aircraft ran into
difficulties and one of the engines cut out, causing the pilot to initiate a
crash landing.
Manote Sukjaroen, a resident in the Huay Yai area said
that just prior to the crash they had heard the sound of the plane take off
from the airport as per normal, as there are usually around 3 trips per day.
This was to be the second run of the day, but approximately 2 minutes after
takeoff they heard one of the engines cut out. Shortly after, a loud crash
brought residents running out to investigate.
Ms.
Lorna Martin was banged up but otherwise ok after her scary ordeal.
Reporters also visited the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital,
where the injured were taken for treatment. Fortunately the seven people,
including the pilot escaped serious injury and only had relatively minor cut
and bruises.
The list of injured include the pilot, Asadawut Srirunsun,
Patrick Van den Berghe (aka Flying Frog), Steve Bavington, Jukka Holtinen,
Paul Moran, Paul Dinessen and Ms. Lorna Martin. All were treated for cuts
and abrasions and released from hospital.
At press time, the initial reports suggest engine
failure; however, commercial aviation inspectors are investigating the cause
of the crash.
Police,
aviation inspectors and the owners of the aircraft inspect the site of the
crash. Luckily, all 7 on board, including the pilot, escaped with relatively
minor injuries.
Despite such incidents, flying is still much safer than driving on the
road, particularly in Thailand.
Minister of Tourism and Sports announces plan for Tourism 2003
World-class football teams to compete in Thailand in May
Veerachai Somchart
Sonthaya Khunpluem, Minister of Tourism and Sports,
announced that now that he is managing the new ministry, he is finding that
although it is a tough position, he views the challenge as exciting.
After a 3 month-long plan organized by ministry officials
last year, the approximate target of income from the tourism and sports
sectors for 2003 has been set at 360,000 million baht with an expected 11
million tourists visiting the kingdom.
Sonthaya said the predicted number of arrivals is
realistic because people who come for sports also spend days in various
tourist destinations. He stressed that the Tourism Development Bureau and
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will play an important part in realizing
the plans for this year.
Sonthaya added that one of the ministry’s major plans
is to create one main province in each region of Thailand - north, south,
central, east, and northeast - to function as a magnet to lure more tourists
to the provinces and to the surrounding areas.
Juthamas Siriwan, Tourism Authority of Thailand director
disclosed that she is confident that the 2003 target of 11 million visitors
can be met because of the increased promotion and money spent on marketing
Thailand to countries around the world. The director admitted that one
drawback is the inadequacy of airline seats available on international
routes.
Regarding the national income issue, Juthamas said it is
possible that tourism and sports sectors can generate over 360,000 million
baht because there is a long list of activities and recreation projects that
can attract both leisure and sports lovers.
Between January 10 and 21 2003, Bangkok is hosting the
International Film Festival 2003, which is providing international film
producers with an opportunity to consider Thailand as a priority when
scouting for film locations.
Santipap Techawanit, governor of the Sports Sector of
Thailand said tourism and sports can work together to promote the country.
This year three big events are scheduled to take place in Bangkok.
During the month of May a football tournament is
scheduled with 4 major world-class football teams, including Liverpool from
England, A.C. Milan from Italy, Bayern Munich from Germany, and Asia All
Stars to commemorate the coronation of His Majesty the King Bhumibol
Adulyadej the Great.
The second event is the Asia Nursery Kids (under 7 years
old) Games which will be held in September. TAT projects that much revenue
will be generated from the tremendous number of the kids’ families and
guardians who accompany them.
Besides the Kids Games, the First Asian Sports Industry
Fair will be held in Bangkok to display every aspect of sports development
including sports stadium construction, nutrition, sports equipment, and
other sports products. The event will be similar to Germany’s annual World
Sports Industry Fair.
The year 2002’s tourism consumption rate in baht as
revealed by the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) was 523,000 million, which
came from two sources of income: domestic tourist consumption, which was
224,000 million baht, and international tourist consumption, which totaled
299,000 million baht.
TSA gathered the data from 6 tourism products including
accommodations, tour companies, dinning places, entertainment, sports, and
souvenir shops. TSA is one of the projects TAT set up to keep track of
tourism business growth in Thailand, which was initiated and controlled by
the United Nations and World Tourism Organization.
Advisor for Minister of Tourism and Sports intends to promote Jet Ski sports in Pattaya
Jet Ski Club founded
Chanyut Hengtrakul, advisor to the minister of tourism
and sports represented the community at a recent meeting held at Surf
Kitchen, Jomtien to organize a Jet Ski Club in Pattaya, to promote the jet
ski sports and to encourage young people to become more interested in
wholesome activities. The club will also be the organizer of water sports
competitions and will promote tourism in Pattaya.
Chanyut
Hengtrakul, advisor to the minister of tourism and sports
Chanyut said that Pattaya has one of the most famous
beaches in the world with millions of tourists, domestic and international,
visiting each year. Therefore, there are many water sports activities
available for tourists including windsurfing and jet skiing. Many jet ski
competitions are held in Pattaya and many Thai jet skiers are considered
very experienced and are capable of competing in international competitions.
The location and equipment in Pattaya are up to standard.
However, there still needs to be more support for this type of sport.
During the meeting, a board of managers was assigned to the club. Chanyut
was assigned as the president; other boards members include: Pattana
Boonsawat, vice-president of Pattaya City Parliament, Mayor Pairat
Suttithamrongsawat, and Henry Canaff, who is now the vice-president of
Pattaya jet ski club. Pichet Settura and Praiwan Aromchun were assigned as
the secretaries.
Big C #2 recruits over 500 permanent and part-time employees
Big C Super Center and Pattaya City host
“Job Fair Big C Pattaya 2”
Suchada Tupchai
Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat, Thomas Nielsen, senior
vice-president of Human Resources, Big C Super Center Plc. and Pattharawan
Patthanapipitpaisarn, director of training and development, Big C Super
Center Plc. participated in a press conference to announce details of the
“Job Fair Big C Pattaya 2” at Pattaya City Hall.
(Front
row) Pattharawan Patthanapipitpaisarn, director of training and development
of Big C Supercenter 2 Plc, Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat, and Thomas
Nielson, senior vice president of human resources of Big C Supercenter Plc.
Thomas Nielsen said, “Big C Super Center has a clear
policy to be part of the local community where it conducts business, as is
evident through the various social activities the company participates in
and payment of local taxes. Employment opportunities in rural communities
bring about income distribution to residents, leads to stronger community
foundations, and reduces migration into the city, and will unite community
members with their home towns.”
Big C Super Center joined Pattaya City to host the “Job
Fair Big C Pattaya 2” to recruit permanent staff to fill up 220 positions
in various departments, such as dried goods, confectioneries, bakeries,
electrical appliances, clothing, and cashiers. Furthermore, the job fair
will also offer a chance for students and others to potentially fill 290
positions as part-time employees.
Big C Super Center Pattaya 2 covers an area of 43,000
square meters with a sales area of 36,000 square meters. It is located
between South Pattaya and Sukhumvit Road. The outlet can accommodate parking
for over 800 vehicles. Big C Super Center Pattaya 2 is fully equipped with
activity areas such as dancing fountain, a safe and beautiful recreational
park for people of Pattaya, a large food center and leading chain operators.
At present, there are 33 Big C Super Center outlets
throughout the country. Big C Super Center Pattaya 2 will be the 34th
outlet.
The retail operation under Big C has already generated
income for its 11,000 strong staff throughout the country, and purchases up
to 95% of the product items from local manufacturers - mostly small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and promotes the “One District One
Product” initiative.
Big C also pays local taxes, as the firm believes it is
an important means to directly return the wealth to communities.
After the press conference Thomas Nielsen gave a souvenir to Mayor Pairat,
and visited with the many people who applied for jobs in the meeting room at
Pattaya City Hall.
Bay Watch: Pattaya’s waters not as clean as they say!
Akshay Singh
The pollution in the waters around Pattaya is getting
worse! From plastic bags, to food scraps, to bottles, the waters are
littered with everything you can possibly think of. The problem is getting
worse every day, and something needs to be done. Otherwise it will be
impossible for tourists to even swim on the beaches, and I wonder what that
will do for tourism in this city.
Just
some of the plastic bags floating in the waters of Pattaya.
I decided to go sailing at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club
early one morning. My sailing skills leave a lot to be desired, which
resulted in my boat capsizing numerous times. It was one of these incidents
that stick in my mind. I was about 100 yards out from the shore, and I
capsized my boat, only to find myself swimming in a sea of plastic bags and
bottles.
So dense was the litter, that I had trouble removing it
all from my body, even after I got back onto my boat. This disgusted me, and
it really made me think about how bad this problem really is around Larn
Island, Pattaya Beach and Jomtien Beach.
In an effort to keep the beaches of Pattaya clean, city
hall organizes regular beach cleanups, but one feels that this isn’t
enough. Education is the key to solving this problem.
People have been seen on a number of occasions
discharging bags of rubbish into the sea at Larn Island. What happens to
this rubbish? Absolutely nothing. It just floats around until it gets washed
up onto a beach, or gets stuck in a boat’s propeller, or even gets stuck
onto someone, as it was in my case.
The government needs to educate the people, explain to
them what consequences their actions will have on the environment and the
city, and they also need to provide rubbish bins in ALL parts of the city.
It would be unfair to point the finger at any one group of people,
whether locals or tourists. This problem is only growing due to the sheer
carelessness of the people of this city. What nobody seems to understand, is
that if this issue isn’t dealt with soon, only the people of Pattaya will
suffer.
Drug dealer arrested in jail
After being tipped off that one of the prisoners in
Pattaya jail had been receiving drugs from visiting relatives, officers were
able to apprehend the drug lady red-handed.
Siriluk Kaenchan age 25 admitted to the crime saying that
she had been delivering methamphetamine pills to Manat Ploylommoon, who was
serving his sentence in jail, by putting the pills in the food she had been
delivering to him.
Taiwanese tourist drowns after a heart attack near Koh Sak in the Pattaya Gulf
Atthaporn Klinkerd, a Taiwanese group tour guide reported
to Pattaya police that one of his tour members was found dead while playing
in the sea with other tour members approximately 1 kilometer off Koh Sak
shore. Sawang Boriboon foundation transferred the body to Pattaya. The
deceased was later identified as Taiwanese passport holder 55 year old Wang
Jue Chiung.
The tour guide told police that he took his 30 Taiwanese
tour members to Koh Sak in the morning and let them play at the beach. But
later on Wang, one of his tour members had a heart attack and drowned.
Wang’s body was kept at Pattaya Memorial Hospital’s
forensic department for further examination.
Pattaya police raid slums and seize illegal drugs and weapons
Pol. Lt. Col. Krit Siriprasertchoke with a number of
police officers raided the slum area behind Foodland Supermarket to search
for drugs with the belief that a group of residents there were selling
amphetamines, a type 1 illegal drug.
Pattaya
police found drugs and guns, and made arrests during a sweep of a slum area
in Central Pattaya.
Narong Roobngam, age 49, was arrested on January 6 for
possession of 48 pills of amphetamines, 2 guns, 1 bag of bullets, 1 mobile
phone, 1 bullet grinder, 3,700 baht cash and 1 joint of dried opium with
nicotine.
Narong was charged for possessing class 1 illegal drugs
and for owning guns without licenses.
Among others who were arrested for possessing illegal drugs include Mr.
Saman Sanit, age 27, Surachai Cherdrattanasakul, age 47, and Pen Kowkeaw,
age 41.
Police arrest amphetamines sales agent disguised as district administration officer
Boonlua Chatree
Pol. Col. Kittpong Ngao Muk and a team of 10 police
officers searched a green Toyota, licensed BORNOR 2101 Rayong and arrested 2
men in possession of 4000 amphetamines tablets on the evening of January 7.
The 2 males were drug agents trying to transport the illegal drugs to one of
their clients in Banglamung District and another in Soi Batman, in front of
Rattana Apartment.
45
year-old Prapan Khantale and an accomplice were arrested for possession of
4000 yaba pills.
One of the agents was wearing a shirt with a tag that signaled he was a
civil servant and displayed the logo of a government employee. The man was
later identified as 45 year-old Prapan Khantale, a resident of Rayong
Province. He later confessed that the drugs were bought from Chiang Rai to
be sold in Banglamung. The police charged both agents for possession and
distribution of a class 1 illegal drug and took them in custody for further
questioning.
Female drug dealer arrested for selling speed
After receiving a tip off that a drug deal was in the
process on Soi Batman, South Pattaya, investigating officers from Region 2
were sent to the scene. When officers spotted Penprapha Ekjit, age 22,
approaching the site on her motorcycle they saw she fit the reported
description of what they were given of the dealer.
Penprapha
Ekjit was arrested on Soi Batman, a popular place for drug busts this past
week.
Police stopped and searched the woman, and found four
plastic bags containing 800 pills of methamphetamine in the suspect’s bag.
Penprapha admitted to the crime telling the police that she was from Rayong
Province and had obtained the goods from another dealer in Chiang Rai. She
had been selling the drugs to her customers on Soi Batman at 100-120 baht
per pill.
Penprapa is now waiting for her trial for possessing and
selling a class one illegal substance.
Even Batman can’t help her out of the mess this time.
Turkish thugs arrested after mugging Chinese tourist in Bangkok
Boonlua Chatree
Thirty-three year-old Turkish national Kemel Beysu was
caught on January 8 after Bangkok police forwarded his picture and profile
to Pattaya police station claiming that Kemel and his two friends recently
mugged a Chinese man named Ming Xing Lin, and were hiding in Pattaya.
Police
arrested Turkish national Kemel Beysu in Pattaya for mugging a tourist in
Bangkok.
The criminals admitted they physically assaulted Ming and
took US$3,000 and 5,000 yuan from his waist bag.
Police searched Kemel’s possessions and found only
US$400. Police confiscated the amount as evidence.
Ming identified the picture of Kemel and the gang who attacked him in
Bangkok and snatched his bag. Kemel and the other two were detained at
Pattaya Police station and will be transferred to Bangkok for to be charged.
Police arrest ‘wayward women of the second category’ along Beach Road
Boonlua Chatree
Pattaya’s law enforcement officers are trying to get
hookers and hustlers who are soliciting sexual favors and annoying
holidaymakers removed from the city’s beach areas. Their latest effort
netted 13 ‘lady-men’ referred to as women of the second category.
After receiving numerous complaints from tourists that a
group was blatantly grabbing, groping and propositioning tourists who stroll
along Pattaya Beach Road, Pol. Lt. Col. Krit Siriprasertchoke and a team of
officers arrested 13 of these obnoxious hustlers on January 8.
After they were taken into custody, all confessed to the charges. In
their defense they claimed they were forced into selling sex because they
were unable to find legitimate jobs. They all admitted to approaching male
tourists and hawking their favors for a minimum charge of 500 baht per
night. Unmoved - officers charged them with prostitution, imposed a 100 baht
fine for each before they were released. Just in case our foreign readers
aren’t sure how stiff a penalty that is, at press time, 100 baht was equal
to 2 US dollars and 33 cents.
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