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Traffic management scheme in disorder
Lights fail and no-parking markers vanish
Narisa Nitikarn
Councilor Sanit Boonmarchai recently chaired a meeting on
administration and public order during which he complained about the inadequate
traffic light system and the painting of no-parking markers on certain roads
that he said had resulted in a lot of residents complaining to him personally.
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh along with administrators and
police officers were also at the meeting to furnish answers to the various
matters discussed.
Sanit said the traffic lights in question have broken down
after only a short period of use and this has resulted in heavy traffic
congestion in the city and along Sukhumvit Road, yet nobody has been down to
rectify the situation.
The painting of the road markers is still also not complete.
The red and white markers have still not been painted and people are unable to
park because city hall has put traffic cones up meaning customers are unable to
park outside their premises. Traffic markers are also unclear, and accidents
have occurred when people tried to follow the directions. He asked that the
responsible parties explain their reasoning.
Chavalit Chariyayanyong, head of city design and maintenance
said that the traffic lights are undergoing maintenance and there may be some
locations that are not working as they should. He is trying to improve matters,
but the new system would eventually remedy the problems on a permanent basis.
The results of the feasibility study are still awaited. He recommended that a
sub-committee be set up to oversee traffic.
New traffic markers had been painted but some shop owners
who were acquainted with members of Pattaya City council complained and the
next day the markers were repainted to their existing colors, said Chavalit.
Some of the operatives are now afraid to paint the new markers. Also, a budget
of only 550,000 baht has been allotted for the painting of the markers and this
may not be sufficient to cover all areas. Ronakit said that additional funds
are available as the safety of the public is more important.
Police explained that placing traffic cones outside shops to
stop parking is contrary to the traffic act and anyone found doing so would be
arrested.
Mayor checks prices and expiry dates on goods to ensure no holiday cheating
Narisa
Nitikarn
The mayor of Pattaya has been personally checking the
prices and expiry dates of goods during the holiday period to ensure that
shops and department stores don’t try and take advantage of the large
number of tourists coming into the city.
 Mayor
Niran Wattanasartsathorn and Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh inspect for
expired goods and high prices.
Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn along with Deputy Mayor
Ronakit Ekasingh visited outlets including Big C North Pattaya branch and
the shops in front of Wat Chaimongkol, South Pattaya. The mayoral team
inspected the gift baskets and food cans for expiry dates and to make sure
that the prices were fair.
No expired goods were found, although city hall
receives complaints every year regarding this matter. Mayor Niran said it
is better to take precautions to protect Pattaya’s reputation.
Watchara Prithipongkul, customer service assistant
manager at Big C, said that most goods in the gift baskets that are
prepared ready for tourists have expiry dates of December 2006.
Mayor Niran checked the vendors in front of Chaimongkol
Temple, but didn’t find any baskets with cans of food. Most of the gift
baskets were empty and are filled up with fruit when they are bought. The
vendors don’t make up any in advance, because the fruit might become
rotten.
If anyone finds any expired goods or overpriced items they can file a
complaint at the Public Health and Environment Department, Public Health
Unit, Pattaya City 2nd floor, or call 0 3837 1123 ext 309, 310.
Training session held
for Tourism Center officers
Narisa Nitikarn
A training session for Pattaya Tourism Center officers
was conducted at city hall on December 20, with Pisai Panomwan Na Ayudthaya,
councilor and chairman of the subcommittee on tourism and sports as opening
presenter.
 Pisai
Panomwan Na Ayudthaya, council member and chairman of the subcommittee on
tourism and sports told Pattaya Tourism Center officers to become informed
of all Pattaya tourist attractions.
Personnel from the Tourism Development and Support
Department and the Public Relations Department were amongst those taking
part. Pisai stressed that all officers with any relationship to the tourism
industry should have sound knowledge on all the tourist attractions in
Pattaya.
There are three main Tourism Centers, the Pattaya City
Hall Center, Surf Kitchen Jomtien Center, and Chaiyapruk Service Center.
They take care of tourists and hand out convenient information concerning
tourism places. Pisai said the officers should have real knowledge and
understanding of the tourism attractions and be able to immediately give
information instead of letting tourists find out from other sources. Apart
from being an important service it also reflects well on Pattaya.
Amongst the detailed knowledge necessary is information on hotels, public
telephone numbers, and the attractions in the various areas and
neighborhoods within Pattaya.
4.5 million baht super screen being erected near city hall
Will do everything from promote festivals
to issue tax reminders
Narisa
Nitikarn
A giant LED display screen to be mounted on a steel
structure in front of Pattaya City Hall will be used for public relations
activities and to provide news and other information to residents and
visitors.
 The
LED super structure will be ready by February.
The screen, construction of which began on December 22,
is to be operated by Pattaya Engineering Department, under the
responsibility of director Pichaet Uthaivattananont.
The steel structure is 25 meters wide, with a height
ranging from 5 meters at the lowest point to 7.65 meters at the highest. The
display screen will be 1.6 meters wide and 8 meters long and the actual
structure will be beautified with Alucarbon and plants. Total cost will be
4.5 million baht, and the display will be ready for use by February.
Text scrolling across the screen will promote local events and activities
and also display government messages such as advice to citizens to pay their
taxes on time.
Walking Street’s new archway delayed until at least February
Narisa Nitikarn
Walking Street’s new archway will be delayed until
February or even later as no one has submitted a bid for the project.
Deputy Mayor Weerawat Khakhai chaired a meeting of the
Pattaya Walking Street Committee on December 16 at which it was discovered
that progress on the proposed new archway that had been discussed during the
previous meeting had not in fact got very far.
Sunthorn Kangsirikul, deputy chairman of the Walking
Street Committee said nothing has been undertaken because no organizations
had submitted bids for the project and the archway will not be completed on
the schedule planned earlier. The project will have to be extended until
February or even later if no organizations submit bids. Pattaya City council
will extend the bidding process by another month and if there is still no
interest then an experienced construction company will be hired to carry out
the work.
The meeting also discussed the motorcycle taxis that have
been a source of complaints by tourists for driving down Soi VJ into Walking
Street.
Ronakit said he would set up a motorcycle taxi club and
each group will be assigned colors. The club president will then be able to
coordinate with the drivers. He also proposed that the entrance to Soi 16 be
made a one-way street to avoid accidents.
On the matter of extending the opening times on Walking
Street from 19.00-03.00 hrs, Weerawat said that he had sent a proposal to
the commander of Chonburi police who had already approved it. The Walking
Street Committee was now required to send notifications to Walking Street
proprietors, which would take about one month before any changes could be
made.
Chattan Kunchorn Na Ayudhya, Tourism Authority of
Thailand Central Region 3 director, talked about the organization of the
Chinese New Year celebrations and said that the event will be bigger than
ever, as it is also the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King’s
ascension to the throne. Large Chinese New Year celebrations will be held
throughout the country to attract tourists and if Pattaya can organize a
huge event then this would attract more tourists here.
Traffic light system undergoing upgrade to counter jams
Work to be done in three phases
Narisa Nitikarn
Pattaya’s traffic woes are being tackled by systematic
improvements to the traffic light system and its computer control structure,
and video cameras are being installed at key points to monitor the traffic
flow.
 Mayor
Niran Wattanasartsathorn answers questions about the traffic system in
Pattaya.
At a council meeting on December 27, chaired by Tawit
Chaisawangwong and attended by 18 council members plus city administrators
and department heads, councilor Sanit Boonmarchai said the congestion has
become particularly severe and that poor traffic management is tarnishing the
city’s reputation.
Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn answered that the system is
undergoing systematic improvements with a computerized control structure over
three phases. Sukhumvit Road is being tackled first, followed by
Pattaya-Naklua and Second Road, with the final phase covering Beach Road.
Each intersection will have data compiled by an ATC
computer system and video cameras will be installed to check traffic flow.
Two LED VMS signposts are to be installed at the north end of Sukhumvit Road
and at the south, but some areas will still use the existing semi-automated
ISOLED system.
The same meeting included the awarding of certificates of commendation to
30 members of Pattaya’s volunteer police force after their arrest of
drainage pipe thieves.
Holiday pile-up in Sattahip
Busy holiday traffic was temporarily brought to a
stand-still last week when a Land Rover and cement truck collided at the
intersection in front of the Royal Thai Navy Base in Sattahip. Pattaya
Mail’s ‘roving traffic accidents reporter’, Jan Olav Aamlid, sent in
a few pics of the pile-up, one of which is reproduced here.  There
was no report of fatalities, and it is unknown how many were injured, but
obviously one of the vehicles zigged when it should have zagged, causing
quite the mess.
Let this be a reminder to drive carefully and
defensively, especially during the busy holiday season. Always remember,
too, that no matter what the law says, you never have the right of way
unless the other driver is willing to give it to you. It is better to be
angry and alive (and uninjured) rather than be right and dead (or injured).
Drive carefully, for the life you save may be your own.
Playful dog impales himself
Harley is a lucky dog who will live to jump another day
Boonlua Chatree
A dog that managed to impale itself on a steel spike when it
was jumping over a fence recovered thanks to prompt action from officers of the
Sawang Boriboon Foundation.
Pattaya police station received a call on the afternoon of
December 29 from Miss Thip Suree Pholdee, 25, and Mike John Surfwoer, 45, an
American national, saying their dog was severely injured at an address in Moo
12, at Nongprue.
Officers and rescue workers arriving at the scene found a
single-story residence with a 1-meter high steel fence, and impaled on the fence
was a black-and-white Thai Ridgeback dog. The dog, a two-year-old named Harley,
was howling in pain and covered in blood. Sawang Boriboon officers knew the dog
would die from loss of blood unless fast action was taken, so they pulled him
off the spike and bound the wound to stem the blood flow. Then they rushed him
to a vet where he survived to jump another day, albeit more carefully.
Thip and Mike said they had had Harley since he was a puppy.
He is a clever dog and loves to play, jumping over the fence many times each
day. On this occasion he was more playful than ever and after many jumps he must
have grown tired and consequently didn’t quite make it over the fence.
Police arrest five British nationals at cocaine party
Boonlua Chatree
Five British people were arrested on Christmas Day when
they were found in an apartment with a large quantity of drugs, and tests
proved they had been using cocaine.
Investigations having revealed that a group of British
nationals were holding drug parties in a room on the second floor of
Yensabai Mansion, on Soi Yensabai, police obtained a search warrant and
raided the premises.
In the apartment they found Mark Freely, 45, Jack Harold
Dean, 40, Lee William Spanee, 37, Nicholas Hardy Milburn, 26, and Miss
Nichola Allan, 34. All were British passport holders. Also in the room was a
Thai youth identified as Summit Saengchuto, age 18.
Searching the premises the officers found five grams of
cannabis, four plastic bags of smoked cannabis that contained traces of
cocaine, and coffee straws used for sniffing cocaine. The officers also
found 50 ecstasy pills and 62 bags of ecstasy powder weighing 278.1 grams
with a total value of more than 600,000 baht.
The five foreign nationals and the Thai man were taken
for urine tests which all proved positive. Police charged the six with
cocaine use, a category 1 drug. The group admitted the charges and told the
officers that they bought the cocaine on Walking Street for 3,000 baht per
bag. The offices are now following up to arrest the dealer.
Row between Iranian man and
Thai service girl ends in mutual stabbing
Boonlua Chatree
An Iranian man and a Thai woman arguing about sex ended
up stabbing each other and were rushed to hospital with severe injuries.
Police were called out at 11 p.m. to Sawasdee Mansion on
Soi Honey Inn, Pattaya Second Road, where they found two people lying
injured in a 2nd floor room. Mrs Wilai Kraho, age 36 from Nakhon Ratchasima,
had stab wounds to her left arm and stomach, and a gash on her face, and was
covered in blood. Rahim Ashamany, a 56-year-old Iranian national, had an
open wound to his stomach. Both were transferred to Pattaya Memorial
Hospital for treatment.
Wilai said she had met Rahim on Pattaya Beach and they
had come to a 500 baht agreement for her “services”. Whilst fulfilling
Rahim’s fantasies, Wilai became injured and was unable to continue.
However, Rahim allegedly insisted on continuing so she stabbed him in the
stomach. He then allegedly snatched the knife and stabbed her.
Police are waiting until both victims are well enough to
continue the case.
Police hunt go-go bar DJ who murdered his wife
Boonlua Chatree
A DJ who battered his wife to death by
banging her head against a wall and then coolly ate breakfast
before fleeing is being sought by police.
Pattaya police station received a report at 6
a.m. on December 24 that the body of a woman was at a room in
Thong Hengcharoen Apartments on Third Road, opposite Mike Pub.
Pol Col Somnuk Changate, superintendent at
Pattaya police station, led officers to the scene. In a room on
the 3rd floor of the five-story building they found the body of
Ms Nittaya Kachornkiatpattana, age 23, from Takli Nakhon Sawan.
She was lying on her back, wearing a blue and white shirt with a
black jacket and black trousers. Checking the corpse, the
officers and Banglamung physicians found bruising to the face
and a broken neck.
The deceased woman’s friend, Ms Panida
Probaek, who had reported the death, told police that Nittaya
was the wife of a man known only as Piak, a 25-year-old DJ at
Hot Tuna A-Go-Go Bar in South Pattaya. Piak called her to see
his wife because he had hit her and slammed her head against the
wall until she lost consciousness.
In the room Panida found her friend still
breathing, but very weakly. She called Pattaya Memorial Hospital
for an ambulance. In the meantime Piak collected his clothes
from the room and went to have a soft-boiled egg with coffee
before hiring a motorbike taxi in front of the apartment to
flee.
Witnesses gave statements that at about 4
a.m. Piak was playing snooker with his friends and Nittaya came
back from work. She complained that he was only playing and not
working and threw a snooker ball at him before going up to their
room. Piak had followed her.
Police have traced Piak’s address in his
hometown of Nakhon Ratchasima and have also searched in Pattaya,
but have yet to find the fugitive. They have asked for a writ of
arrest from the court to continue the case.
A great King is remembered at blessings ceremony
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
 Boxers
from the Sid Yodthong Boxing Camp perform Thai boxing in front of the King
Taksin Monument.
King Taksin, the leader who drove out the Burmese
invaders after they had sacked Ayutthaya and who founded Siam’s new
capital at Thonburi, was remembered at a ceremony at the King Taksin
Monument on December 28. City hall administrators and officials, council
staff and members of the public participated in the ceremony.
 Mayor
Niran Wattanasartsathorn led Pattaya administrators, officers and the public
in presenting gifts to Buddhist monks whilst paying respect to the King
Taksin monument.
Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn officiated in paying
respects and giving blessings to the memory of the King. There was also a
Buddhist ceremony for the people of Pattaya, and a display of Thai martial
arts performed by Sid Yodthong Boxing Camp.
The Burmese had destroyed the Siamese capital of Ayutthaya in 1767 when
Taksin was governor of Kamphangpet. Taksin rallied troops from the east of
the country and paused at what is now Pattaya on his march to Ayutthaya. He
drove the invaders out of Siam and back across the border on December 28,
1768, and Thailand has remained an independent nation ever since. Taksin was
proclaimed King and relocated the capital at Thonburi.
Children queue up to receive their anti-polio drops in drive to eradicate the disease
Narisa Nitikarn
Two hundred parents brought their children along to the
Public Health Center on Soi Buakaow for polio inoculations when Deputy Mayor
Wuttisak Rermkijakarn started an anti-polio drive on December 14.
 Members
of Rotary Club of Pattaya help out with the inoculations.
Wuttisak said that polio was once a national problem even
though campaigns on polio vaccine inoculations have been carried out in the
past. But Pattaya attracts migrant workers from around the country and it is
vital that the children receive the polio inoculations, as Thailand does not
wish polio to raise its head in the country again. No new cases of polio
have been reported in Thailand, but cases are still reported abroad. “It
is good that no cases have been reported,” he said, “but it will only be
eradicated when all parents have their children inoculated.”
Bunsueb Aek-ak, president of Rotary Club of Pattaya said
that Rotary International is a major supporter of the WHO vaccine
procurement project for worldwide inoculations. Polio has been eradicated
from Thailand for many years, but cases are still found in neighboring
countries like Myanmar and Laos.
As a result of Rotary International’s efforts to
provide vaccines to Thailand and other countries and the campaigns by the
Ministry of Public Health, UNICEF, WHO and other organizations to eradicate
polio, Thailand has not had a polio case for seven years, but it is vital
that all children under 5 years old receive the inoculations.
The atmosphere at the meeting where children under the
age of 5 years received their inoculations was also one of good fun, with a
show put on by Pattaya Arunothai School and with Thai dance and shows from
Issan. After the shows the chairman of the meeting presented study grants to
the performers.
The actual inoculation process was a noisy affair,
however, with little children crying and refusing the drops and having to be
pacified with treats.
Officials of the Public Health Center said that children
require two inoculations within the year but a lot of children do not turn
up.
Police briefs
Boonlua Chatree
Man found murdered in Huay
Yai
An unknown man was found murdered in a cassava thicket in
Huay Yai on December 23. He appears to have been a Thai, was about 35 years
old, 165 cm tall, and was overweight. He had a tattoo on his chest, and
curly hair. The man was wearing red shorts, which were pulled down to his
ankles, and a yellow shirt, and his hands were handcuffed. He had been
beaten, and had burns to the groin. It is estimated that he had been dead
not less than three hours.
Police found nine ya ba pills under his back. They
surmise the man was probably killed in another area and the killer disposed
of his corpse at the scene. He had clearly been handcuffed before being
beaten, and the ya ba may have been left to confuse the case so the police
might believe that it was a drug trafficking problem.
Eight youths injured in
motorcycle gang shoot-out
Eight youths who were amongst a gang of motorcyclists
that gathered on Naklua Road Soi 12 in the early hours of December 23 were
injured when shooting broke out.
Three of the youths were transferred to Banglamung
Hospital while the other five were sent to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.
Police identified the three at Banglamung Hospital as
Somdet Warin, aged 21, who had been shot several times in the lower back; a
16 year-old boy and Natee Yorsai, 18, both of whom had wounds but were not
in a critical condition.
The five youths being treated in the emergency room at
Bangkok Pattaya Hospital were Prawit Haodee, 19, Yuttana Thongtuan, 19,
Lertrit Chimpalee, 19, and a 15 year-old boy and a 15 year-old girl.
After questioning the injured the police continued to the
scene of the shooting where they found many motorcycles abandoned. All the
vehicles were taken to Banglamung police station. Witnesses said there were
about 30 in the group, two on each motorcycle. Then six others turned up on
three motorcycles and shot into the first group, leaving eight injured. The
assailants then fled, leaving the injured at the scene, who were transported
to the hospitals with help from volunteers.
Rumpus over reporter as
police raid Korean karaoke bar
The owner of a Korean karaoke lounge that was being
raided by police became angry at a journalist who had followed the officers
onto the premises and attempted to push him and his camera out of the way.
The raid took place at 12:10 a.m. on December 22 when Pol
Maj Panya Cha-Emtes, inspector of Division 3 Juvenile and Women’s Division
along with other officers forced their way into Business Club and Karaoke on
Pattaya Second Road.
They tested the urine of the Korean customers and the
karaoke workers but no drug substances were found. As the reporters were
doing their work, however, they were jostled by a group of Koreans who
shouted that they knew the police and that the venue didn’t have anything
to photograph.
Pol Maj Panya and the team then went on to another Korean
lounge on Second Road, Acacia Karaoke, where they carried out more urine
tests. One of the workers, Apichat Saengthamas, 20, a native of Udon Thani,
tested positive for ya ba. He was transferred to Pattaya police station and
the Department of Medical Sciences will conduct further tests.
Many Korean service establishments have no licenses. Some
Korean owners hide behind a Thai lady to avoid taxes, and work without work
permits, hence the sensitivity toward any negative publicity.
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