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Local reservoir levels now below 50 percent
Farmers reporting 30 million baht losses
Suchada Tupchai
All eight of Chonburi’s reservoirs are now below 50
percent capacity as drought grips the kingdom. Chonburi’s agricultural sector
is suffering the most, and is already reporting losses of over 30 million baht,
with no end in sight.
In order to prevent this important resource from being
totally depleted, government officials are significantly reducing the amount of
water being put into use, from 36,000 cubic meters per day to 24,000 cubic
meters per day.
Regional water authorities are also in the process of
transporting water from other, less water intensive areas to supplement the
current levels in this area.
The East Water Co., Ltd, which is the main supplier for
Pattaya, has received authorization from the Regional Water Board to transport
water here from Sattahip.
East Water Co. is also constructing a 16-kilometer pipeline
at a cost 190 million baht to facilitate easier transportation to Bangsaray and
the southern border of Pattaya. The pipeline will add an extra 18,000 cubic
meters of water per day to the region. Its expected completion date was not
revealed.
During a meeting of senior Chonburi government officials
last week at Pattaya City Hall, Preecha Kamolbutr, Chonburi deputy governor,
said that the agricultural and industrial sectors are being hit hard by the
drought. Farmers from various sectors have reported losses of 33,553,461 baht.
The deputy governor said that from November 1, 2004 to March
4 this year, farmers have been the most affected by the drought conditions with
41,691.5 rai of rice fields, 78,802.5 rai of general farming land, 1,516 rai of
fruit and vegetable farms, 178.5 rai of fishing dams and 25 rai of livestock
land having suffered severe losses, and at least 9 districts face a complete
lack of water. Aid for residents has reached 1,158,159 baht.
Considerations are now in progress to allocate a budget to drill 401 bore
water wells for consumers and farmers.
Sattahip Municipality mobilizes mosquito eradication strategy
Aimed at stemming the spread of hemorrhagic fever
Pacharapol Panrak
Annual statistics in Sattahip district reveal a disturbing
trend, as the majority of people afflicted with hemorrhagic fever are under the
age of 15. The endemic spread of the disease rears it head yearly during the
rainy season, from May to September. In order to prevent further spread of the
disease this year, Sattahip Municipality has begun a mosquito eradication
strategy.
Municipal
officials “fog” known mosquito breeding areas in Sattahip as part of their
eradication strategy.
Mosquitoes, specifically the Culex variety, or common house
mosquito, are the main disease carriers. The mosquito prefers darkened
environments and lays it eggs in stagnant water. Small bodies of water, such as
that found in cans, bottles, old tyres or other household containers capable of
holding water, are the breeding grounds for the insect.
Narong Boonbunjerdsri, Sattahip mayor instructed the Health
and Environment Department to kill the flying menace but also rid the district
of potential breeding sites.
The mayor and health officials also urged residents to
remove potential hotspots from their homes. As part of the project, municipal
officials “fogged” known breeding areas.
Alternative methods, from removing stagnant water from
around the home to using abate (chemical) sand or natural predators like fish
to off kill mosquito larvae and prevent more breeding were also suggested.
If untreated, hemorrhagic fever can be fatal. Symptoms begin 2 - 7 days
after being bitten. Typical symptoms include headache, general muscle soreness,
redness and spots on the face and body, abdominal pains, nausea and loss of
appetite. People suffering such symptoms are advised to visit a doctor for
treatment.
TOT proposes communication development plans for Pattaya
Mayor says training is more important
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Senior Telephone Organisation of Thailand (TOT)
Corporation representatives have proposed what they are terming e-tourism
Total Solution services for Pattaya. Their plan calls for a system
encompassing information kiosks and a call center to reserve hotel rooms,
bus, airline and concert tickets, as well as web phone, digital CCTV, video
conferencing and web broadcasting systems.
 Onarng
Pukruetyakhami, TOT Corporation Plc assistant general manager (right) met
with Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn to discuss TOT’s communications
development proposal.
The TOT representatives made the proposal during a
meeting with Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn, city administrators and
department heads at the city hall meeting room.
Onarng Pukruetyakhami, TOT Corporation Plc assistant
general manager said that the TOT, in cooperation with the Thai government,
has previously initiated projects to benefit five main industries: tourism,
fashion, food, automotive and software, all of which are dependent on
communications. It is under the tourism banner that the company sees
Chonburi, more specifically Pattaya, as an ideal place for development.
The mayor received the proposal, but said the city
already has a digital CCTV system in place with 85 cameras covering Pattaya
and Jomtien for security purposes. Niran added that the city’s new call
center is almost up and running.
“The technology goes hand in hand with IT and personnel development.
Currently the city is severely lacking in trained qualified IT personnel
among its employees. As for the TOT’s proposal, we will take it into
detailed consideration but we must focus on staff training and development
before considering the proposal fully,” said the mayor.
City sets eco-tourism plan into action
Urges fishermen to stop using explosives to catch fish
Ariyawat
Nuamsawat
In an effort to bolster the city’s tourism, city officials
have devised a plan to increase the amount of coral and marine life in Pattaya
Bay. The plan is also a clever way to “recycle” unwanted old cement
drainage pipes.
Mayor Niran
Wattanasartsathorn presided over the start of a project to use 300 concrete
conduits taken from the streets of Pattaya as an artificial reef for marine
life in Pattaya Bay.
The project, aimed at promoting eco-tourism, moved one step
closer to completion on Thursday morning when city administrators dumped
disused concrete pipes into the water off the shores of Jomtien. The drainage
pipes will become an artificial reef.
Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn presided over the release of
20 disused drainage pipes taken from the streets of Pattaya. The project will
eventually see 300 1.5 meter long concrete pipes sunk 3 kilometres from shore
at 500 meter intervals, with twenty pipes at each location. The artificial reef
will stretch 4 kilometres from the Pattaya Park Resort to the southern city
limits.
The project is part of the city’s plan to boost marine
life levels by providing a safe haven. Administrators see the need to improve
the environment as part of the area’s overall development plans, so the reefs
will become a diving site for visitors.
Officials called for further cooperation from Jomtien businesses in
preserving the environment and urged fishermen to stop using explosives to
catch fish.
Bay Watch: Pattaya’s new fountain almost complete,
but city too slow in adding finishing touches
Suchada
Tupchai
A follow up report on Pattaya’s new beachside fountain has
brought to light that although the main fountain was finished within its 120 day
contract specifications, there are still many finishing touches left to be done.
 The
finishing touches have yet to be completed at the fountain built at the Central
Pattaya – Beach Road intersection.
The city contracted the Kantwijit Engineering Company to
construct the new seaside fountain, which features a golden mermaid playing
amongst 4 dolphins. The 2.985 million baht project, overseen by Pattaya civil
engineering officers, sits nicely at the Central Pattaya Road – Beach Road
intersection, and many admire the beauty of the structure. However, the
cosmetics and surrounds are left in a sorry state, which is partly due to the
current Beach Road construction.
In the interests of safety and the city’s image, residents and tourists
would like to see the project completed, as it would at least distract some
attention away from the continuing road works and restore at least some beauty
to the beachfront.
City begins replacing third road drains
Another attempt to avert flooding during rainy season
Suchada
Tupchai
During the rainy season, Pattaya Third Road is notorious
for flooding. As a result, city officials have seen fit to improve the
drainage system in the area by replacing the current system with one larger
and stronger.
 Work
on the new larger and stronger drainage system in North Pattaya in progress
on Soi Petrakul.
A box culvert drainage system is now being laid throughout
the area. The contractors began at Soi Petrakul, which runs between Second
and Third roads. The 11.8 million baht project began on March 5, and has a
contracted specified work period of 240 days, which would bring the project
to completion some time in October this year.
The project manager from BS and BS Pattaya Ltd., the
contracted company, said, “The enlarged drainage system is aimed at
reducing flooding in the area which has been a problem for many years. The
city is monitoring the progress to ensure that the project remains at a high
standard as we lay the large steel reinforced pipe.”
The contractors are digging up sections of the road to lay the new pipes
and while work is in progress residents are urged to use alternate routes to
reduce traffic congestion and the chance of potential accidents.
Pattaya Second Road
re-surfacing continues
Work could be finished in early April
Suchada Tupchai
As road re-surfacing along Pattaya Second Road
continues, so too does the grumbling about it. But there might be some good
news after all, as it appears the work might be completed ahead of
schedule.
The 15 million baht roadwork began on January 27, and by
contract must be finished by May 6. However, it appears as though the
project could be completed by early April.
The
Second Road resurfacing project might be finished ahead of schedule.
When work began from the South Pattaya intersection,
residents kicked up a fuss over the excess dust created when 5 centimeters
of the old road surface was being taken off. As a result, the contractors
have been using water trucks to spray the area to keep the dust down to a
minimum. It is unknown how this is affecting the current drought situation.
Contractors have also sped up the process of laying the
new asphalt.
Some residents have urged the city and contractors to
put up warnings signs to persuade road users to reduce speeds. For the
areas that have yet to be filled, motorists and motorcyclists have been
urged to exercise caution, as a number of accidents have already occurred.
Contractors say they will have finished digging the roads by April 8. As
such, traffic delays are to be expected until the project is complete and a
new road surface has been laid.
Russian kleptomaniac arrested outside Royal Garden Plaza
Denied charges, but clerks tell different story
Boonlua Chatree
Russian tourist Sergey Ivanoff, 40, was detained outside
the Royal Garden Plaza last Monday night after clerks from inside the plaza
accused him of pilfering clothes.
Police caught up with and detained Ivanoff near the South
Pattaya intersection after they received complaints from 5 Royal Garden Plaza
shopkeepers.
Russian
tourist Sergey Ivanoff was arrested for shoplifting clothes from the Royal
Garden Plaza.
Ivanoff allegedly still had the stolen items with him when
police caught him, so police escorted him to the Soi 9 station for
questioning.
Ivanoff claimed that he hadn’t stolen anything and that a
friend had handed him the items before running off. However, the 5 storeowners
told police a different story, and positively identified Ivanoff as the
perpetrator. They each claimed that the Russian had been in their stores and
had taken the clothing.
Sergey Ivanoff was charged with theft and possession of stolen property.
Woman receives minor injuries after teasing hungry elephant
Mahout fined 500 baht
Boonlua Chatree
A three-year-old male elephant knocked a female tourist to
the ground on March 7 in the beer bar area on Sois 7 and 8. The woman was taken
to the hospital for treatment of minor bruises, and later released. Apparently
realizing the folly of her ways, she declined to press charges, saying it was
her fault for teasing the hungry elephant.
 Butsaba,
whose only real crime was being hungry, received a brutal beating resulting in
16 wounds to the head. His mahout Niwat was fined 500 baht for causing a public
disturbance.
However, police fined the elephant’s mahout, Surin native
Niwat Salangam, 27, for causing a public disturbance.
Niwat told police that he had brought the elephant, named
Butsaba, to the Pattaya Elephant Show, but they were laid off and had no
monthly income for food. So Niwat brought the elephant around the tourist areas
to sell elephant food, earning him a small income and keeping Butsaba fed.
He said that on the night in question, Butsaba was very
hungry, and one tourist woman was playing tricks on him while giving him food.
The elephant became annoyed and knocked her down with its trunk, causing her
minor injuries.
Niwat’s friend brought her to the hospital, and by the
time police arrived she had already been released and returned home.
Police brought Niwat and Butsaba in for questioning, and
could see that Butsaba had 16 bleeding wounds to his face and head. Niwat told
police that he had to beat the elephant with a wooden and iron pick until it
bled in order to control the elephant, otherwise it would not have stopped its
angry tantrum. The police warned Niwat that he could be charged with animal
mistreatment.
Police charged Niwat with causing a public disturbance, fined him 500 baht
and gave him a warning before letting him go free.
Police looking for mother of abandoned 4 month old baby
Pattaya Orphanage to care for the child
Boonlua Chatree
Police are searching for the mother of a 4-month-old baby
girl that was abandoned in a hotel on Soi Buakaow.
A hotel maid, Miss Thalatchanan Saengsua, discovered the
abandoned child during her morning cleaning duties on March 6. Thalatchanan
told police that while she was cleaning in front of the room, she could hear
the baby crying, and that the crying continued for a long period of time.
She said she was afraid that the baby’s cries would disturb other guests,
so she unlocked the door and discovered that the baby was alone. She then
notified the police to investigate.
 Police
Captain Chatchai Srisuwan holds the abandoned infant before turning her over
to the Pattaya Orphanage.
She also told police that 2 days before, a woman around 20
years old had come to the hotel with a baby and 3 men. They booked a room, but
left the baby in the hotel and disappeared. Unfortunately, the hotel didn’t
record the guest’s names.
The baby was crying from hunger, had no pants, and was
wearing a blue and black cartoon designed T-shirt. Police took the infant to
Banglamung Hospital for a medical checkup, where doctors happily announced that
the baby was healthy, although hungry. Police then brought the baby back to the
Pattaya Police Station to feed it.
Police Captain Chatchai Srisuwan contacted the Pattaya
Orphanage to care for the infant.
Police surmise that the mother is either a woman down on her luck, or so
busy that she had forgotten about her baby in the hotel, or didn’t want to
take responsibility to care for it. Police will continue to try to find the
mother.
English tourist drowns in condo swimming pool
Boonlua Chatree
A 34-year-old British man, who had been in Pattaya just 3
days, drowned in a Jomtien area condo swimming pool on Thursday afternoon,
March 10. Residents pulled Anthony Gavin Kennedy from the swimming pool at
around 12.30 p.m. Police and a doctor from Banglamung Hospital arrived shortly
afterwards.
Police investigations revealed that Kennedy had gone to the
condo to visit a friend, who apparently was not home, and he had apparently
decided to take a swim in the pool.
A woman who witnessed the incident said she saw the
foreigner walk into the pool. He was swimming underwater, and no one noticed
that he hadn’t surfaced. When someone did notice, they pulled him from the
pool but he was already deceased. Police suspect the man suffered some type of
shock; however, they sent the body to the forensic institute for an autopsy.
Kennedy had arrived in Thailand on March 7 for a 3-month
stay. British embassy officials have been notified.
Englishman dies after colliding with truck
Boonlua Chatree
Steven Charles Dunnet, 36, from England died from
injuries he received when he collided with a 6-wheel truck on Pattaya Third
Road. The accident took place at around 2 p.m. on March 7.
Police officers responded to the report of an accident
and, along with rescue personnel rushed to the scene.
They found a 6-wheel truck parked in the middle of the
road and approximately one meter away a severely damaged Honda CVR
motorcycle.
The truck driver, Vichai Charnarong, 42, was still at the
scene when officers arrived. Vichai and witnesses gave their account of the
accident while it was learned that residents had taken the critically injure
Brit to the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital for treatment. Police visited the
hospital to see the state of the injured tourist but were told that the man
had died in hospital from extensive head injuries. His body was sent to the
police forensic institute for a post mortem examination.
Truck driver Vichai was later charged with negligent
driving causing death. The case was transferred to on duty inspectors
pending further legal action.
Seven saved, but one dead in yet another boat capsizing
Navy coastguard personnel retrieved seven crewmembers who
had been working on a Sattahip fishing vessel after strong waves sank their
boat. However, one crewmember went missing.
Chaiwat Sontakupt reported that their vessel was hit by a
series of strong waves and the pump had failed to work due to a blockage in
the pipes. As a result, the vessel quickly filled with water and sank.
The following day, another fishing boat spotted the body
of the dead fishermen 9 nautical miles offshore in the Koh Juab area of
Sattahip Bay. The dead man was identified as a Cambodian laborer who had
worked on the capsized boat. The body was brought ashore and transferred to
a nearby Plutaluang hospital for an examination and funeral rites.
This is the second such incident in as many days as many
fishermen fail to heed navy warnings.
Pattaya media celebrate National Press Day by donating to Pattaya Orphanage
Narisa Nitikarl
Members of the Pattaya Mass Media Association celebrated
National Press Day with an array of activities. The highlight of the day was a
donation to the Pattaya Orphanage.
Members of
the Pattaya Mass Media Association celebrated National Press Day with a
donation to the Pattaya Orphanage.
Association members were joined by city councilor, Sanit
Boonmarchai as they handed over food, electrical goods, sweets, toys and 5,000
baht to the Pattaya Orphanage.
Members of the media also took a tour of the center’s
facilities and spoke with children.
During the tour, Suwanna Chiewnavin, infant welfare director
told the media that the number of children at the orphanage increases every
year. She said the majority were boys and that girls were seldom left there.
She added that there are only 20-30 adoptions each year, taking up to 6 months
to be finalized.
Following the orphanage visit the media continued their
activities with everyone adjourning to a nearby football pitch for a friendly
game against the city administration.
After the game everyone attended an evening dinner hosted by city
administrators and political figures at the Rugby Karakaju Karaoke in North
Pattaya, where a buffet dinner and karaoke contest was held and enjoyed by all
present.
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