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PBTA voices worries
over effect of bird
flu scare on tourism
Narisa Nitikarn
Avian flu and the possible effects that a major scare in
Thailand could have on Pattaya’s tourism industry was high on the agenda at
the monthly meeting of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association, held at
Greenpark Resort on November 9.
Presiding over the meeting was PBTA President Thanet
Supornsaharungsri, with Vice President Sangaa Kijsamret, General Secretary
Sinchai Wattanasartsathorn, and Somchai Manothavorn, advisor to Pattaya’s
city council.
Mrs Wannaphorn Chaemjamrat, director general of the Pattaya
Health and Environment Office explained that during the latest Avian Flu
outbreak, which was first discovered in a pigeon in Nakhorn Pathom at the
beginning of October, Pattaya has not ignored the problem. Mobile monitoring
teams are on duty throughout Pattaya and Banglamung. Any reports of bird deaths
received by veterinary or public health volunteers are checked, with samples
sent for testing and the areas in which the birds were found are sprayed with
germicides.
Livestock owners have been trained in proper sanitary
procedures, said Wannaphorn. A total 1,500 bird deaths have been reported and
all have been sent for testing. No positive cases have been discovered, but
strict monitoring still needs to be continued. Anyone who discovers bird deaths
in large numbers should contact Pattaya Public Health Center on 0 3842 0562 ext
113. The Minister of Public Health has stated that all chicken deaths must be
reported within the hour.
The other most recent crisis, the water shortage, appears to
have abated. Thanet said the water shortage problem has improved due to the
recent heavy rains that have helped to increase the water level in Mabprachan
Reservoir. Water supplies may therefore be adequate for a period. It is also
confirmed that the water feed pipe from Bangpakong reservoir to Bangpra
reservoir will be completed by the middle of the month.
Guest speaker Pol Col Ittipol Ittisanronachai,
superintendent of Pattaya Immigration, described progress on the new computer
network project whereby hotels can transmit details of guests staying in the
hotels direct to the Immigration Department. The project is speedy and
efficient in that immigration officials no longer need to travel to the hotels
to collect the information personally.
Pol Col Ittipol said that there are also problems concerning
the use of fake credit cards, of which there are a lot of cases in Pattaya. He
said that the majority of cases occur with Singapore and Hong Kong nationals.
If any shops, department stores or hotels suspect anyone they can also use the
system to transmit details or telephone 0 3841 0240 and investigations and
arrests can be carried out much quicker.
On the subject of tourism marketing for 2006, Thanet said
efforts will focus on the north and northeast with road-shows supported by the
Northeast Hotels Association, Chonburi Provincial Administration Organization,
the Pattaya Tourism Association and private sector organizations. Foreign
marketing strategies will focus on Moscow because many Russian tourists visit
Pattaya.
Police chief sets out security measures for AAPP general assembly
Suchada Tupchai
A preparatory meeting to discuss the security aspects
of the forthcoming Sixth General Assembly of the Association of Asian
Parliaments for Peace, AAPP, was conducted on November 3 by Pol Maj Gen
Pitak Jarusombat, deputy commander of Region 2 Municipal Police.
 Pol
Maj Gen Pitak Jarusombat, deputy commander of Region 2 Municipal Police
(left) and Somsak Yanokphan, Chonburi district officer announce enhanced
security measures during the upcoming AAPP in Pattaya.
The assembly will take place November 19-24 at the
Royal Cliff Beach Resort.
Main objectives of the preparatory meeting were to
discuss security measures of the conference and the situations that could
affect it, especially terrorist activities. Police will also watch closely
over NGOs to make sure that the event runs smoothly.
The general assembly will discuss the various peace
issues confronting the region, along with human rights issues and new
trends in democracy.
The AAPP was established at a meeting in Dhaka,
Bangladesh in 1999, and Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, the Philippines and
Pakistan have all hosted the general assembly. At the previous conference
Uthai Phimchaichon invited representatives to attend the sixth general
assembly in Thailand.
Attending this year’s event will be 59 countries and
350 people, including cabinet members, parliamentary chairmen, and senate
chairmen.
More information is available at http://www.aapp2005.org
Phase 2 of artificial reef underway
More cement pipes being dumped on seabed
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Phase two of the artificial reef project got underway on
November 10 with the dumping of more concrete pipes on the seabed off
Jomtien Beach.
Deputy Mayor Weerawat Khakhai presided, with city hall
administrators, city councilors and members of the Pattaya Small Boat
Fishermen’s Association looking on.
Over 100
concrete pipes are being put to good use as artificial reefs in Pattaya Bay.
Recent surveys have revealed that phase one of the
project, initiated in March, has managed to increase the amount of coral and
marine life in Pattaya Bay as planned and is a huge success.
Sitthiphap Muangkhoom, acting deputy chief officer of
Pattaya said that the city council has been greatly encouraged by the
results of phase one and decided to go ahead with the second phase.
The concrete pipes used to create the artificial reef are
damaged and unwanted pipes from road and drainage construction projects.
There are about 100 of them, and they are being sunk 3 kilometers from shore
at 500-meter intervals, with 20 pipes at each location. The artificial reef
will stretch 4 kilometers from the Pattaya Park Resort to the southern city
limits.
Sano Changmai, president of the Pattaya Small Boat Fishermen’s
Association said that the artificial reef project would help the ecological
system. It will also help the small boat fishing industry. Since the project
started in March fishermen have seen the number of shoals of fish increase
daily.
Larn Island trespasser offered alternative accommodation
Suchada
Tupchai
The Koh Larn trespasser who pleaded with city hall to
save his house from being demolished to make way for a tourist project on
the island has been offered alternative accommodation.
The case of Wuttipong Patkratok was originally reported
on October 31, when Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn, Deputy Mayor Ronakit
Ekasingh and city hall officials examined the island’s Samae Beach. The
area was being cleared but Wuttipong, the sole remaining trespasser,
approached the delegation and asked if there was any possibility of a
compromise.
Further talks have now taken place between Wuttipong and
city hall. Mayor Niran said that a 51 million baht budget has been allocated
to develop a camping area at Samae Beach, with 10 commercial buildings, one
office center, a restroom area, a house, and utilities. The concept is to
provide a different kind of tourist attraction which will attract groups and
families keen to enjoy the natural scenery. For this reason it is important
that the beach be cleared, and the area will be improved with fresh
plantings.
City hall has, however, offered Wuttipong and his family
2 houses behind Samae Beach, and they can continue their occupation of
providing an umbrella and beach bed service. However, they have to move from
their old house in accordance with a court order. Wuttipong said he will
consult with his family, but Niran urged him to hurry because a final court
judgment could be made that would see him lose everything.
Volunteer rescue workers need more unity, says mayor
Narisa Nitikarn
Pattaya’s volunteer rescue workers lack unity and need
to coordinate more in order to properly serve the community, said Mayor
Niran Wattanasartsathorn, addressing a meeting of the rescue workers on
November 7.
Rescue organizations fall under the jurisdiction of
Pattaya City council, which also provides support by providing patrol
vehicles, rescue centers and other equipment required by the organizations
in order to enable them to perform their duties.
The mayor and his deputy, Ronakit Ekasingh, were chairing
a meeting held to elect a new president of the rescue workers’
association, the existing president’s two-year term of office having come
to an end.
Niran said that at present the rescue workers have to
work harder patrolling the beaches to clear them of service girls.
“The present problem concerns a lack of unity between
the different graduating classes who show a bias toward each other. But in
effect there is only one graduating class and that is to help the public and
this is the most important aspect of the organization,” said Niran.
Silamphai Phusaensa-aad, president of the Pattaya Rescue
Workers Association, recommended that a call center and uniforms should be
provided and asked that government department heads place more importance on
the rescue organization. He also recommended that the organization hold
quarterly meetings to report on progress and problems.
Pattaya City council is already implementing the
recommendations and vehicles, the call center and rescue center will be
located on Third Road behind the fire station.
The meeting reelected Silamphai for an additional term
with 37 votes from the 67 attendees. Bunlua Chiamcharoenphong was elected
vice president with 30 votes.
500 bicycles to take part
in World AIDS Day parade
Suchada
Tupchai
World AIDS Day will be observed this year in Pattaya on a
larger scale than before, with a bicycle parade in which 500 are expected to
take part, and a stage show with local singers and TV stars.
 Deputy
Mayor Wuttisak Rermkijakarn displays the red ribbon that symbolizes the
event.
Pattaya City council is working in conjunction with the
Department of Communicable Disease Control to stage this event.
A meeting was chaired at Pattaya District Office on
November 10 by Deputy Mayor Wuttisak Rermkijakarn, with officials from the
Department of Sanitation and the Environment in discussion with officers of
the Department of Communicable Disease Control, led by Nachiriya Pinchai.
World AIDS Day is December 1, but Pattaya will hold the
activities on November 30.
Nachiriya said the Department of Communicable Disease
Control is working together with city hall in organizing World AIDS Day
activities this year because the activities planned are on a more extensive
scale.
A bicycle parade will begin at 4 p.m. from Pattaya
District Office, proceeding to Beach Road and on to Walking Street, to finish
at Bali Hai Pier. Minister of Health Phinij Charusombat will preside over the
activities at the pier, where singers and TV stars will be taking part in a
number of live performances.
Further details are available from [email protected]
Brits beat up tailor
in rumpus over charges
His prices did not suit them
Boonlua Chatree
A group of four British nationals attacked and beat a
tailor who they said tried to cheat them over a payment.
 In
the end, it cost these British nationals 25,000 baht and they didn’t
receive their tailored clothes.
Police were called out in the evening of November 3 when
it was reported that foreigners had attacked the owner of Next Fashions, a
tailor shop at Bavaria House Plaza, on Pattaya Second Road.
Officers entering the shop found that things were
scattered everywhere. The owner, identified as Zaher, 35, was bleeding from
injuries sustained to the inside of his mouth and nose. He told officers
that he had been attacked by two male foreigners who were accompanied by
two women and that all had run off. Police caught up with the four in no
time and took them off for questioning.
The four, all bearing signs of a recent scuffle, were
identified as British nationals. Shaun Leslie Dykes, 43, had a cut hand and
bruised face. Philip Anthony Wright, 25, had a slight wound to the back of
the neck, a bruised chest and a swelling on his head. Miss Sara Chantelle
Kershaw, 24, had a small cut on her back, as did Miss Nicola Eden, 20, who
also had a bruise on her left knee.
Zaher told officers that he was asked to make clothes
for a British man who paid a 60 pounds sterling deposit. When the group
returned to collect the clothes Zaher charged them 250 pounds. The group
refused to pay and Zaher refused to return the deposit. The group became
angry and an argument ensued before the four attacked him and took 60
pounds from his desk before fleeing.
The group told officers that they had asked Zaher to
make clothes for 170 pounds and had paid a 60 pounds deposit. When they
returned to collect the clothes Zaher wanted 250 pounds. They decided not
to take the clothes and asked for the return of the deposit. Zaher refused,
hence the beating.
Zaher said that he wanted compensating for the assault and stealing
money from his desk. The British nationals paid him 25,000 baht. Police
filed a report and released them.
Woman bares all in cheeky protest at police station
Boonlua Chatree
A woman with a grievance against one of the officers at
Pattaya police station staged a protest there by stripping off all her
clothes.
 In
the end, her shock tactics didn’t work, as the policeman she was after still
managed to elude her.
The 39-year-old woman arrived at the station by car on the
afternoon of November 7, dressed only in a cream colored nightdress and
sandals. She said she wished to meet a certain police officer, given the alias
of Oy. When told he was out at a meeting she refused to believe it, and
threatened to take off her clothes in protest. Which she did.
Shocked officers and members of the public attempted to
restrain her, and in the fracas a man named Chainarong Kruathong, facing
charges in a drug case, slapped her face.
Oy, who is owner of a beauty salon, said she had known the
police officer for eight years, when he was at the Pattaya Police Highway
Department and she was involved in a car accident. They had had a close
relationship from that time until five months ago, when his behavior changed.
She claimed the officer regularly sent his subordinates to harass her, saying
that she was using the second floor of her beauty salon for sexual service
purposes. She could no longer handle the situation and wanted to clear the
case at the police station. Believing that the officer might try and hide from
her, she had decided on shock tactics if necessary.
Having made her point, Oy filed a complaint against Chainarong, the man who
slapped her. Police on duty collected 500 baht to pay the fine for Chainarong.
The police officer named by Oy has so far declined to respond to press
enquiries.
38 illegal Cambodians found working on building site
Immigration police investigating a building site in the early
hours of November 3 discovered 38 illegal Cambodian workers there.
The workers, 26 male and 12 female, were taken to Pattaya
police station. They said they had illegally entered Thailand from
Aranyapratet, Srakaew. They worked at the construction site for between 140
and 180 baht per day. Police charged them with illegal entry and working
without a permit, before sending them back to Cambodia.
German kills himself rather than face murder rap
Boonlua Chatree
A German man who allegedly feared being charged with the
murder of his Thai wife leapt to his death from the top of the Yensabai
Condominium.
Police called to the scene found the body of Detlef
Gerhard Funck, 51, lying face down on the pavement. Amongst his belongings
they found a court summons issued in his name by Pattaya District Court to
attend a hearing on a charge of murder.
A condominium employee told officers that he saw the man
enter the lift to go to the 12th floor and thought that he had come to visit
a friend. Thirty minutes later another employee told him that a man had
jumped off the building.
Police say that the deceased was the defendant in a
murder case in which his Thai wife, Yim Wangaeb, 35, had been stabbed six
times on December 10, 2004, and her body dumped in the grove opposite
Pattaya District Court.
Funck was charged by police, who said they had binding
evidence against him. He was on bail on a 500,000 baht bond and the final
judgment of the court hearing was scheduled for November 21. Police surmise
that Funck killed himself because of his fear the court would return a
guilty verdict.
Tourist police track down overstayers
Boonlua Chatree
Tourist police have been checking foreigners
overstaying on their visas, following the recent murder in Pattaya of
a Dutch national by two foreign men. They believe the killers may
still be hiding out in Thailand.
Officers have charged Alex Boertien, age 35, a
Dutchman found residing at Pattaya Pat Condo, with illegally residing
in the country. In another case police visited a house in Soi
Loumbamrung and found a German, 38-year-old Rene Schlief, who had been
on overstay since his visa expired on August 5. He was also charged
with illegally residing in the kingdom.
Pol Maj Gen Panya Mamen, commander of the Tourist
Police, said the crackdown was in response to the murder of a Dutch
tourist. Police are in the process of verifying all tourist records
and will immediately initiate deportation proceedings in the case of
anyone found outstaying their welcome.
Rescue boat is ship-shape and above board, says mayor
Suchada Tupchai
A crew of city hall officials led by Pattaya’s mayor
took to the ocean waves in the city’s new rescue boat Pattaya 801 on
November 4 to show off its seaworthiness and to help sink accusations that
the building of the vessel was a less than transparent process.
 Mayor
Niran Wattanasartsathorn tests out the vessel.
Along with Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn were Deputy
Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh, Larn Island community chief Sutham Petchgate,
several councilors, and members of the press.
The rescue boat had its launch ceremony on August 19 and
is now operational for use in rescue services in the seas around Pattaya.
Built under a 72.5 million baht budget provided by the
city council, Pattaya 801 is a 24.4 meters long and 5.48 meters wide
fiberglass boat that can traverse rough seas that would endanger smaller
vessels, and can travel up to 20 nautical miles per hour.
 Critical
care room.
Two 820 horsepower engines power the two-deck vessel. The
top deck is the control center and holds specially designed water cannons
used for fire fighting and which can spray water and foam up to 70 meters. A
small rescue dinghy is also stowed on board in the event that the larger
vessel is unable to get close enough to an accident zone. The lower deck
acts as the operations room, crew accommodation and a fully equipped
critical care unit.
Navy personnel man the vessel because in the past there
has been a problem with a lack of qualified civilian personnel. The vessel
also has a medical crew of trained doctors and nurses specializing in
emergency life saving care.
 Pattaya
801 rescue boat is ready for use around Pattaya’s seas.
Mayor Niran said that he wanted to give the press a
close-up of how the vessel works because there have been accusations over a
lack of transparency concerning budgets for the building of the craft. He
wanted the media to witness the testing of the boat and its equipment so
they could judge the efficiency for themselves.
 Testing
the specially designed water cannons used for firefighting which can spray
water and foam up to 70 meters.
Pattaya 801 will play an important role in marine and
coastal rescue operations and carry out routine sea patrols. The vessel is
able to provide coverage at any time 24 hours per day.
The vessel was built and fitted out over a period of seven months between
February and August. It is the largest rescue vessel that Pattaya City
council has ever purchased. Design, build and fitting out was by Seat
Pattaya Co Ltd. Managing director of the company Prachonphai Sukhpluem
oversaw all stages of the vessel’s design and construction at Seat’s
local boatyard.
Pattaya to roll out overseas public relations campaign
Narisa Nitikarn
Russia, China and the United Kingdom are to be the main
targets for a concerted promotional campaign to bring more tourists to
Pattaya, with funding coming from city hall, Chonburi Provincial
Administration Organization and from the central government.
A meeting was chaired recently by Deputy Mayor Weerawat
Khakhai to discuss new tourism public relations strategies. Amongst those
attending were Chattan Kunjara na Ayudhya, director of Tourism Authority of
Thailand Central Region 3, Thanet Supornsaharungsri, president of Pattaya
Business and Tourism Association, and Bundarik Kusolvitya, president of the
Thai Hotel Association Eastern Chapter.
The meeting discussed the opening of new markets in
Russia, China and the United Kingdom, as well as popular markets like
Turkey, and holding more national and international tourism seminars.
Weerawat said that city hall had been allocated a 15
million baht budget for Pattaya tourism public relations activities and 4.6
million baht from Chonburi Provincial Administration Organization. An
additional 30 million baht was coming from the government under the
integration strategy combining the four eastern provinces of Chonburi,
Rayong, Chantaburi and Trat.
On domestic tourism Chattan said that he would like to
see billboards in tourist cities such as Phuket and Chiang Mai. He would
like to see two in Bangkok as many Bangkok residents come to Pattaya to
relax because it is easy to get to.
Police briefs
Boonlua Chatree
Would-be rapist gets the
elbow
Police were called out at 1 a.m. on November 4 by a man
who said an intruder had just attempted to rape his wife, and that the
would-be rapist had been apprehended.
Arriving at the scene, officers saw evidence of a fight,
with belongings scattered everywhere. The call for assistance had come from
Somsak Singpan, 25, who told them that his wife, Miss Charupassa Nanda, 25,
had been assaulted and that the victim and the intruder were at another
location about 100 meters away.
At the other location police found that the culprit had
suffered bruises to his right eye and face. He was identified as Chiradate
Bamrungkij, age 24. He told officers that he had climbed into the room where
he saw Charupassa putting away clothes. He attacked her from behind, but she
back-elbowed him which caught him in the right eye and dizzied him. He hit
her with a bamboo pole that he had carried with him, and injured her. Somsak
returned at that moment and a fight broke out. Chiradate ran off but was
caught.
The officers sent Charupassa to hospital for treatment.
After having her arm put in a plaster cast doctors allowed officers to
question her. Charupassa confirmed that she would press charges. She told
officers that Chiradate had entered the room with the intent to rape her,
but she heard a noise coming from behind her and hit him with her elbow,
which knocked him to the ground. Chiradate had hit her with a bamboo pole
and she raised her arm to block it.
Police charged Chiradate with forced entry and assault
and battery resulting in serious physical and mental injury.
Six youngsters found
sniffing glue are taken into police care
Police who went to investigate a report of vagrant
children gathering at bars in Soi Sunee Plaza found a group of six
youngsters aged between eight and 12 huddled behind Yensabai Condo sniffing
glue.
The children, all boys, were taken into charge and
medical attention was arranged. The glue was contained in plastic bags and
police have made an application for an arrest warrant against the vendor who
sold it to the children.
Police take action against
copyright infringers
Pattaya police searched shops and internet cafes after
receiving a formal complaint from lawyers acting for RS Promotions Co Ltd
that the company’s music, audiovisual and sound recordings were being used
by unauthorized persons, and demanding that action be taken.
A police search of outlets resulted in the confiscation of 12 computers,
one 17-inch monitor, one mouse, one keyboard, one pair of earphones and a
speaker. The proprietor of the operation was arrested and charged with
repeated breach of copyright through making copies available for
distribution to the public. Police warned that others carrying out similar
activities will be dealt with in the same way.
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