HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Tenants protest in Soi Regent Marina claiming unfair handling of lease contracts

Complaints box set up at Thai Rak Thai office

US and Thai narcotics control officers discuss closer community collaboration

Fight begins against mosquitoes as fever fears grow

Beach extension a hit with visitors and vendors

Chanyuth wades into water crisis

Female gold grabber arrested

Policeman’s son seized in armed robbery chase

British man alluding wife buys fake passport

Smugglers Rest owner found dead in bed

Police briefs

New school at Ban Nernplubwan to cost 39 million baht

Car and motorcycle theft on the increase

Tenants protest in Soi Regent Marina claiming unfair handling of lease contracts

Hotel management replies that all lessees were properly informed

Narisa Nitikarn

Over 50 Soi Regent Marina business owners made their complaints highly vocal and visible on May 24 as they assembled with banners to protest against the hotel’s actions in closing off the soi to through traffic.

The ongoing dispute over parking and leases has affected income, claim the business owners. Commercial building manager Aphiwan Pattanapongpanich met protestors to negotiate with them.

Amporn Mahaglan, one business owner, told reporters that the reason behind the protest was that the hotel complex wanted to cancel leases in order to commence extension works. “It’s as if they are trying to force us out,” said Amporn.

An upset Amporn also told reporters that the hotel failed to inform new lessees of its intentions to close off the area and many had invested substantial amounts of money to start their business. “There are many people who have just started their business, some only two months ago,” said Amporn.

Many have approached Aphiwan on the issue, and she has referred the complaints to lawyer Sanoh Khemtong, who is advising the hotel on legal issues. “After we had spoken to the lawyer there has been no progress and they have more or less told us, ‘if you can stay - stay - otherwise you can leave’,” said Amporn.

Amporn showed reporters a letter from the complex management, which states: “The Regent Marina Hotel will close for renovations. The expected time of completion will be not less than two years and as a result may affect your business. The company (Regent Marina) will be happy to cancel rental contracts before the due date and the company will refund rental deposits and monies paid upon cancellation.”

Amporn said, “How can we accept this, the deposits are just for the building, the hotel hasn’t lost anything.”

Another business owner, who operates a bar and restaurant, told reporters that she had received a letter from the Regent Marina stating that a fence would be put up on the Second Road end of the soi spanning to the Beach Road end. How will the businesses be able to attract customers if they cannot access the soi?

The woman also said that in the week prior to the protest, Aphiwan, representing the hotel, met with business owners separately and offered compensation. However, the figure varied from business to business based on the average customers, i.e. this place has good sales, that one doesn’t - it also doesn’t meet the cost of decorating the building.

Last Tuesday, protestors made their way to the hotel carrying banners saying, “We’ve been cheated” and “Don’t kill our business”.

The hotel management sent Aphiwan out to negotiate with the protestors, which added fuel to the fire as they continued to protest closing off the soi.

Many claimed that the hotel complex was still encouraging people to rent buildings in the complex without informing them about the renovation plans.

Protestors told Aphiwan that if they had known the hotel was to close off the area for renovations they wouldn’t have invested in the area.

The group presented a letter of protest to the hotel owners. Hotel representatives called for the gathering to disperse, saying that the owner couldn’t be immediately contacted and that Aphiwan did not have the authority to reveal any figures for reimbursing operators on their investment. That, they said, was wholly up to the owner.

After the protestors eventually disbanded, hotel management met with the media to give their side of the story.

Felix Pichit Tantiprasut, Regent Marina Hotel general manager, commercial building manager Aphiwan, and Sanoh, the hotel’s legal advisor, explained the situation to the press.

“On April 20 and 28 the hotel sent a letter to all business operators informing them of the situation,” said Felix. “It was done openly and nothing was underhanded.

“As for the protest, it may well be that some businesses want to cause problems to use the law to their advantage. The hotel has followed the law on all levels concerning the deconstruction and renovations and informed tenants on our intentions and that the soi will be closed as of June 10.”

Felix said that the hotel had set out a number of options. 1) Tenants can cancel their rental agreements and have their deposits refunded; 2) Tenants can choose to accept the situation and its effects to their business property; 3) They have the option to return the letter to the hotel and lodge their complaints.

“Not one of the tenants has done so or have they lodged their demands,” he said. “This has created the impression that the hotel is taking advantage of the tenants but in reality the hotel is the loser because the protest has damaged its image.”

Felix added that apart from this, there are some tenants who have failed to pay their rent over the last four or five months, and some claim they have spent millions on renovations and called for over-inflated compensation.

Legal advisor Sanoh added, “For those who are behind on their rent, the hotel has let the situation go on for quite a few months, yet they have joined the protest. The amount of money outstanding from various tenants is over the hundred thousand mark.

“As they have joined in the protests, the hotel will use the law and call for eviction notices through the court system for those who have failed to follow the rental agreement and pay their dues.”

Complaints box set up at Thai Rak Thai office

 

Chonburi MP Chanyuth Hengtrakul points to the new complaints box in front of the Thai Rak Thai office on Sukhumvit Road.

Narisa Nitikarn

A complaints box has been installed in front of the Thai Rak Thai office on Sukhumvit Road.

Chonburi MP Chanyuth Hengtrakul said that the 2m high red box is there for people to place letters explaining any difficulties and complaints that they have to him and his team. In this way he and his panel should be able to sort out their problems individually and more effectively.

The MP also said he and the Thai Rak Thai team are eager to know the problems that people are facing, and would attempt to resolve them promptly. He urged anyone with a grievance or problem, no matter how large or small, to use the box.

US and Thai narcotics control officers discuss closer community collaboration

Suchada Tupchai

Joint efforts by Americans and Thais to control the proliferation of narcotics was the subject of a seminar held at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort May 16-17, and attended by over 100 anti-drugs personnel and community leaders throughout Thailand.

Pinyo Thongchai, deputy secretary general of the ONCB, and Ms Judith N Phelan, US specialist, at the US-Thai seminar on anti-drug coalitions.

Pinyo Thongchai, deputy secretary general for the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) was the opening speaker while Brian Pearce of the US Embassy’s Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) and American specialist Ms Judith N Phelan also addressed the delegates.

The US started the Drug-Free Communities Support Program in 1997 and donated funds for cooperation in drugs, alcohol and tobacco suppression. This included a budget to support the seminar, which discussed ways of administering the program, and cementing cooperation between communities, private organisations, non-profit organisations and official bureaus to combat drug consumption by young people.

Pinyo said that there has been a shift in government policy since the mid-1990s, when narcotics control was centralised, and that now the official policy is to rely more on community cooperation. This involves expanding the number of officially designated drug-free communities, of which there are at present 1,000 throughout the country.

Fight begins against mosquitoes as fever fears grow

Narisa Nitikarn

Deputy Mayor Wuttisak Rermkijakarn opened a new campaign in the fight against hemorrhagic fever at the Public Health Centre on Soi Buakao, on May 13. Aedes mosquitoes are the carriers of the fever, and health officials distributed abate sand, a chemical insecticide used to kill the mosquito larvae.

Deputy Mayor Wuttisak Rermkijakarn said that Rayong has a hemorrhagic fever epidemic, and he is afraid that unless precautions are taken it will spread over the border and into Pattaya, where the infection could pass rapidly through the crowded communities.

Aedes mosquitoes are very plentiful during the rainy season, and this period sees a high rate of hemorrhagic fever. Children under the age of 15 years are more vulnerable to dengue virus infections than adults. The aedes mosquito picks up the infection from hemorrhagic fever patients, and spreads it to others.

Wuttisak said that Rayong has a hemorrhagic fever epidemic, and he is afraid that unless precautions are taken it will spread over the border and into Pattaya, where the infection could pass rapidly through the crowded communities.

An epidemic tends to happen in cycles of every two to three years, and is expected to happen this year. The project to fight the spread of the disease includes preventive measures such as emptying utensils that trap water and sealing water tanks. If the public cooperates to eradicate aedes breeding, said Wuttisak, it can reduce the numbers of hemorrhagic fever cases.

The deputy mayor and health centre personnel visited the Wat Chaiyamongkhol community, where they found many objects such as used tyres that contained stagnant water where the mosquitoes can breed. Wuttisak demonstrated how the abate sand can be placed into the water, eradicating the larvae before they can grow to be mosquitoes.

Abate sand is a chemical sand with the active ingredient of 1 percent Temephos, used as a larvicide. It is cheaper and more readily available than a bacteria-based larvicide.

Officers also prepared insecticide smoking equipment to spray for aedes mosquito eradication. This insecticide can kill the adult mosquito in 15 minutes, while abate sand is enough to destroy the larvae.

Wuttisak advised the public that if they have a soar throat, a rise in body temperature, a fever, bleeding of the gums, or a nosebleed, they should first assume that they have hemorrhagic fever. If it is diagnosed in time there is a very good chance they will recover. Currently there are no vaccinations for the disease.

Beach extension a hit with visitors and vendors

Narisa Nitikarn

Following the first trial of extending North Pattaya Beach near the Dusit Resort, positive feedback from visitors and beach vendors has apparently pleased city councillors. Further plans to continue with the project are now underway.

City councillors Wittaya Pollukin, Rattanachai Suthidechanai, Sanit Boonmarchai, Bunlue Kullawanich and Parnote Karnawattankul monitor the work in progress in North Pattaya.

Bunlue Kullawanich, city councillor and head of the city planning committee, has brought an additional two earthmoving machines to work on other parts of the beach, close to the original site.

“The results of the trial are quite satisfactory and as a result we’ve brought in another two pieces of equipment to speed up the process of extending the beachfront. The effect has made the beachfront more pleasing to the eye and it has been well received by tourists and beach vendors,” said Bunlue.

The project started off on a small section near the Dusit Resort, with earthmoving equipment shifting sand to extend the beach from 5 to 20 metres in width.

Beach vendors have applauded the project saying that it should have been thought of a long time ago. However, there have been concerns over the project affecting the environment.

Bunlue responded to this by saying, “We are not bringing extra sand for the beaches, just moving it around. I don’t think it will damage the environment.”

Following the results of the initial project the city has supported its continuation and Bunlue announced that a total of 10 vehicles will be brought in to continue moving sand and extending the beaches.

Chanyuth wades into water crisis

Chonburi region 6 MP Chanyuth Hengtrakul has declared that the water shortage crisis is his main priority now, and that the focus is on restoring water to residents in Pattaya and outlying districts, many of whom have been without regular supplies for some time.

“This issue affects residents and business and makes the city less livable,” said Chanyuth. “We are urgently working on providing solutions to the problem.”

The MP has met with water authorities and city officials. The city now transports water directly to residents in need, and is increasing the volume of water purchased from Eastwater Co Ltd, which brings in additional thousands of litres daily.

The subject has also been raised with the interior minister at a recent Thai Rak Thai party meeting, with Deputy Minister Somchai Sunthornvut also meeting recently with provincial administrators on the water shortage. The meeting saw a number of short and long term resolutions to be implemented.

“The number of residents without water has been reduced but there are still areas such as Nernplubwan, Soi Khao Noi and Khao Talo that are in need. We are working with all sub-district administrations to provide water trucks to residents on a regular basis,” said Chanyuth, who acknowledged that the region’s five main water supply reservoirs were at less than 50 percent capacity.

Chanyuth, who became Chonburi parliamentary representative in February, said he will be working closely with Sontaya Khunplome, advisor to the prime minister, and his fellow Chonburi MPs on this and other problems that beset the region.

Female gold grabber arrested

Boonlua Chatree

A woman and her male accomplice who got away with 10 baht in weight of gold from the Suwannee Golden Shop have been tracked down and arrested in Nong Bualamphoo province.

The couple reenacts the crime for police.

The robbery took place around 6:30 p.m. on May 3, when the shop’s owner, Mrs Suwannee Namcharatsriwichai, 45, reported to police that a woman had come in to buy two chains each 5 baht in weight. She had hung the chains round her neck, then run outside to where a man was waiting on a bronze coloured Honda Wave motorcycle, from which the license plates had been removed. They had fled in the direction of central Pattaya.

Police investigated, and tracked down the miscreants, who were holed up at a relative’s house in Nong Bualamphoo. They were named as Mrs Buay-Iam Sribunruan, age 22, and Komsan Prathangkham, 24, a former boxer at the beer bars in Pattaya. Buay-Iam said she had snatched the gold chains because she needed money for her mother’s expenses and her child’s medical fees up north.

Policeman’s son seized in armed robbery chase

Boonlua Chatree

The delinquent son of a police officer, having already notched up a long record for amphetamine dealing and for illegal firearms possession, has been re-arrested shortly after release from custody in a police chase and roadblock operation that followed an armed robbery.

On May 18, Pattaya police received a call from their radio centre to urgently pursue two thieves driving a blue and black Honda Nice motorcycle who had robbed Ms Supach Kingklangdon, 22, at Daraphan village, beside Thepprasit Road. The two men were said to be in possession of a gun, and they had snatched Supach’s handbag and 700 baht in cash before fleeing towards Sukhumvit Road. They were reported as heading in the direction of North Pattaya.

With Police Major Sutham Chaoseethong driving, officers chased the motorcycle to the vicinity of Soi 5 Thanwachom, at the beginning of North Pattaya Road, where they blocked off the robbers’ retreat. The motorcycle turned over and police seized one of the men. The other ran into a cassava plantation beside the road, and clearly knowing the area well he avoided capture.

The arrested man was taken to Pattaya police station. He is Akkapan Suwannanon, age 25, a resident of Nongprue and the son of a highway police officer. The robber who escaped has been named as Tae, family name unknown, age 22, and a resident of Soi Thammada, Moo 4, at Naklua. Akkapan was found to be in possession of an illegal .9mm gun together with the property of his victim, Supach.

Police Major Sutham, inspector at Pattaya police station, said that Akkapon had a long criminal record that included charges of amphetamine dealing and possessing a gun illegally. He had been released from custody just two months ago.

Boonlua Chatree

A British citizen unwilling to return to his own country because of heavy payments to his wife for child support paid a forger to produce a new passport for him and then presented it to the Immigration police for a visa extension.

Pattaya Immigration police superintendent Police Lieutenant Colonel Idthipol Idthisaronachai received a report from a passport control officer on May 18 that a man named as David Julian Dixon Kingham, a 40-year old British national, was applying to continue his stay in Thailand. The officer believed the passport was a fake. It had a stamp from Samui Immigration dated April 20, 2005, which expired on May 19, 2005, and the official believed it was forged.

The passport was sent to the British Embassy for verification, and the embassy confirmed it was a counterfeit. The previous passport in this name had been reported as lost in 2004, and the owner had a replacement. The passport date did not confirm with the records. Further, the name “Julian” was spelled incorrectly.

Police arrested the man and charged him with having an illegal passport and using bogus documents. Further investigation revealed him as Robert David Sand, age 34. He had thrown away his own passport and paid a Thai man on Khao Sarn Road, Bangkok to produce a fake one for the price of 5,000 baht. He thought that Pattaya Immigration police would not realise it was a forgery, and therefore he applied for a visa extension.

Sand said he didn’t dare to fly back to England because his wife had sued him and he had a judgment to pay child support of 400,000 baht per month. He asked for a lawyer to fight his case, and planned to pay his bail so that he can stay in Thailand longer while the process continues.

Boonlua Chatree

British citizen Eric Gatenby, 64, was found dead in bed in the apartment above the Smugglers Rest bar that he owned with his Thai wife Kwanhathai.

Pattaya police received a call at 9 a.m. on May 25 from Mrs Kwanhathai Gatenby, 22, that her husband Eric had passed away in his sleep. Officers proceeding to the Smugglers Rest on the Pattaya-Naklua Road found the body of Gatenby lying on his back in the bed in a 2nd floor room. There was no trace of injury and there was no indication of a struggle. The body was transferred for autopsy to the Medical Jurisprudence Bureau.

Kwanhathai gave a statement to the police that she is the legal wife of the deceased, having registered her marriage with him one year ago. There is a two-month-old son from the marriage. The couple had opened the bar and lived on the upper floor of the building. She had closed the bar at 2 a.m. and gone up to bed, sleeping until 8 a.m. She thought her husband was still asleep, but when she tried to wake him she discovered he wasn’t breathing.

Boonlua Chatree

Go-go dancer has bag snatched by two teens

Two teenagers who snatched the bag of a go-go dancer as she left work and escaped on a motorcycle were chased by police who seized one of them when the bike crashed.

Ms Sopa Pranarom, age 23, a dancer at the Classroom Bar in North Pattaya Soi 2, was taking a motorcycle-taxi back to her residence at 2:30 a.m. on May 22 when the two youths riding a bronze Yamaha Nouvo without license plates snatched her bag and escaped in the direction of Sukhumvit Road.

Police, alerted by radio, set off in pursuit. The thieves drove very fast in the direction of South Pattaya and crashed their motorcycle. Police seized one of them, but the other escaped into the night.

The youth arrested has been named only as Pat, aged 16, from Daoruang sub-district in Saraburi. He stated that he committed the theft with his friend, identified only as Pok, snatching a mobile phone and 3,000 baht in cash, but that his friend had got away with the stolen property. Police charged Pat with theft and are now in search of the elusive Pok.

Man with gun goes in search of mobile phone thief

Police on routine patrol around the entertainment areas at 2 a.m. on May 23 spotted two men riding a red and black Honda motorcycle at the entrance to Soi Yamato, near South Pattaya Beach. The officers noted that one of the men was hiding something in his clothes, and believing it might be a firearm, they stopped the pair.

The driver, Chatree Champhan, 39, didn’t have any illegal property, but the passenger, Chalongchai Buttanan, 22, was carrying a .22 caliber weapon with one bullet. He was arrested and taken in for questioning.

Chalongchai said he had the gun for self-defense. He had met a man at Soi 10 on Beach Road. The man had borrowed his phone to use but then ran away. Chalongchai went back to pick up the weapon to pursue the man, and if he found him he would have shot him. Police arrested him before it could happen. Chalongchai was charged with illegally carrying a firearm and ammunition in a public place.

Mafia hoodlums menace debtors with gun

Police on routine patrol in Central Pattaya at 9 p.m. May 17 saw two suspicious looking men riding a blue and black Honda Wave motorcycle, both wearing helmets that hid their faces and both with black jackets and black rucksacks. Suspecting them of having illegal possessions, the officers stopped the men and searched them.

They found Sukasem Naksakul, 26, of Mabpai in Chantaburi, to be in possession of a 9mm automatic pistol loaded with five rounds of ammunition. Checking the records, police found that the gun was not registered and that Sukasem had no firearms license. He was charged with being in illegal possession, and of carrying a firearm and ammunition in a public place.

The second man, Rongchai Boonchit, aged 30 and a resident of Nongprue, was found to be carrying a significant amount of money in his rucksack. He admitted that the cash was obtained from debtors, and that Sukasem had menaced them with the gun when any problem had occurred over the payments. He was also arrested.

Police raids close down 3 illegal clinics

Acting in coordination with ministry of public health officials, police raided and closed down three clinics in Pattaya City that were found to be operating without legal documentation.

The swoop was carried out on May 17 under the command of Police General Somnuk Chanket, superintendent at Pattaya police station.

Clinic Niramai Pad, at 597/5 South Pattaya Road, Moo 10, was the first to receive a visit from officers. Amongst the material found on the premises were a microscope, patient records, a receipt for a pregnancy test, and 840 baht in cash. Police arrested Watcharapong Nakthong, age 25, Mrs Wassana Chantrawarasan, 59, and Mrs Ratchanok Boonmalerd, 30, and charged them with undertaking medical treatments without any registration documents.

The second clinic was at 201/19 South Pattaya Road, Moo 10, where Mrs Neeraprai Tika, 31, was arrested and material including a doctor’s certificate, a stethoscope, blood pressure measuring equipment and 500 baht was seized as evidence.

The third raid was at 2002 Clinic, 245/7-8 Central Pattaya Road, Moo 9, where Mrs Romya Sukasem, 43, was arrested. On the premises was 560 baht, along with a quantity of medicines and a medical certificate.

Suchada Tupchai

Car and motorcycle theft is on the increase in Chonburi province, with Banglamung and Sriracha districts turning in the highest figures of sometimes as many as five vehicles per day, and the average for other areas such as Pattaya and Muang Chonburi being between one and two vehicles per day.

Police Colonel Waratchai Srirattanawutthi, superintendent at Banglamung police station, said that car and motorcycle theft along with drugs are major crime problems in the area.

Superintendent of Banglamung police station Pol. Col. Waratchai Srirattanawutthi, addressing a gathering of Business and Tourism Association members on May 25, said that the increasing statistics are a worry. Police officers pay close attention to parked vehicles and regularly check suspect cars, but most of the robbers are young and the law gives them an opportunity to reform their ways by placing them under the supervision of the Juvenile Court. This often results in them repeating the crime.

There is also a problem with drug cases, says Pol Col Waratchai, where the perception is that police often release the wrongdoers. The fact of the matter is, he said, that the police can detain the wrongdoer for only 48 hours, and after that it is the court’s duty and decision. Sometimes the court allows bail even if a repeat offender is involved, and this causes the public to blame the police for not keeping the miscreant in jail, or to say that the suspect has some connection with the police.

Waratchai urged the gathering, and the public, to pay more attention to their property because robberies can be committed at any time, especially in a place like Pattaya that has such a diverse population.