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Customs officers seize Buddha images worth 5mn baht hidden in US-bound container
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Customs officers at Laem Chabang Port have seized a Buddha image and other
antique items worth an estimated 5 million baht that had been hidden in a
container bound for the United States.
Laem Chabang customs director Sunthorn Sangsrifa and a team of officials on
July 27 examined and held container No 00LU3578807 from Lahn Express
International Parts Ltd. The container was being prepared for shipment to
the USA. X-rays had revealed the merchandise included a Buddha image and
other items that under the Fine Arts Act are not allowed to be exported.
When the container was opened it was found to contain a carved wooden Buddha
figure and both new and ancient bronze Buddhas, a total of over 100 items
valued at approximately 5 million baht. Customs sequestered the goods before
contacting the Fine Arts Department to verify the items.
Sunthorn said the shipper’s export declaration of the merchandise was for
120 packs of woodenware weighing 2,415 kilograms, and that the container was
to be transported to America.
The officers seized the goods as crown property, and will let the Fine Arts
Department examine and specify if they are considered as art objects or
antiques to possibly make a case against the exporter. They know that the
owner is a foreigner who lives in Thailand. Sunthorn appointed an
investigation team to look into the matter.
Railway road to go ahead after two-year delay
Army engineers will rush construction for completion next year
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
After a two-year delay caused by the changing demands of the railway
authorities, Pattaya is to get an urgently needed new road that will run
alongside the railway tracks for a 2.8-kilometer stretch between
Banglamung and Baan Huay Khwang.
A land lease agreement was signed between Mayor Niran
Watthanasartsathorn and the director of the Railway Authority of
Thailand on July 28, with construction due to be completed next year.
Niran said that he had been to the offices of the Railway Authority of
Thailand to meet with director Jitsan Dhanasophon and study the
provisions of the lease agreement, and that a binding agreement had been
signed.
The agreement is for five years, from August 1 this year to July 31,
2011, at 2 million baht per year plus 5 percent increments. Pattaya City
will be responsible for moving telegraph posts along the stretch, which
will cost an additional 20 million baht.
Niran said the project had been delayed for two years because of lack of
clarity on the part of the railway authority. The budget had already
been approved late last year.
The land will now be handed over to army engineers to rush construction
of the two-lane road and laying of the drainage pipes. The eastern side
will be constructed first starting at Kratinglai and will cost 160
million baht; the western side will follow under a 170 million baht
budget.
Council gives green light to
91-story Jomtien condo
Current skyline to be dwarfed by giant tower
An artist’s rendering of how
the Jomtien skyline would appear once the 91-storey Ocean 1 Tower is built.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Pattaya City Council has given its approval to the construction of a
91-story condominium tower on Jomtien Beach Road, a project that would be
the tallest residential premises in the world.
Mayor Niran Watthanasartsathorn put the matter before the council during a
meeting on July 25, asking them to study the proposal by Bruno Pingel’s Siam
Best Enterprises Co Ltd to construct the 91-floor Plaza Ocean 1 Tower.
Niran said the building would be 305 meters high and have a total of 600
units, and that there would be a two-floor plaza structure 14.80 meters in
height. The buildings would occupy a 17,000 square meter site and be
constructed under a proposed budget of eight billion baht.
The project operators have already carried out studies on environmental
effects and submitted them to the Office of Environmental Policy. But
because of the high-rise nature of the project, the Office had requested
information on Pattaya’s policies on high-rise buildings control, and had
also requested Pattaya City Council’s opinions on the proposed project.
Many members raised their concerns and objected to the project, stating
landscape changes and the capacity of public utilities to handle such a
large premises. Problems were foreseen with drainage, waste, traffic flow
and electric power which could affect those living nearby and the future
public works capacities. Even at present capacities, the city experiences
water treatment and waste disposal problems, council members pointed out.
Siam Best Enterprises, however, said that they would implement proper
systems to manage such aspects and that the project would help to attract
tourism and increase employment cash flow. Finally, Pattaya City Council
agreed to the project, and once full official approval is given work would
begin immediately. Plaza Ocean 1 Tower would take four years to complete.
Two teenagers grab German tourist’s handbag
Karin Elisabeth (left), the
victim, positively identifies the two thieves.
Boonlua Chatree
Two Buriram teenagers who snatched the handbag of a German tourist because
they were unemployed and needed money to pay their room rent were caught by
police with the help of a minibus driver.
The incident happened at Soi Wong Amat in Naklua at 4
p.m. on July 24. Police called to the scene found Mrs Karin Elisabeth, a
67-year-old German national, crying for help. She told the officers that she
had arrived with her family two weeks ago, and that they were staying at the
East Sea Resort in the soi. They were flying home the same night.
She had come out of the hotel to buy some food when two youths blocked her
way with a motorcycle. The passenger grabbed her handbag, which contained 50
satang of gold, a 25-satang dolphin pendant, 7,670 baht and 30 euros in
cash, a digital camera and a Nokia mobile phone. Then the pair fled.
Police followed the direction the thieves had taken and received a report
from Kritsada Kanket, a 30-year-old minibus driver who had been in the soi
and seen the incident. He had followed the pair and stopped them in front of
the Long Beach Hotel. They were identified as Surachai Chantia, 19, and Go
(an alias) aged 16, both from Buriram.
The two thieves said they drove around to find tourist victims on the soi.
They told police they needed money to pay the rent for their room, because
they were unemployed. Karin thanked the police and gave some money as a
gesture of thanks to driver Kritsada.
Jealous wife shoots husband for having mistress
Boonlua Chatree
Police were called out at 12:30 a.m. on July 21 when a jealous wife shot and
wounded her husband who she believed was keeping a mistress.
Kruekchai Wanavisan, the 44-year-old owner of Kruek Garden on the
Pattaya-Naklua Road, was taken to Banglamung Hospital with a wound to his
left leg.
Kruek told officers he was arguing with his wife at their residence, and she
shot him. His relatives brought him to the hospital. Police went to the
house where they found Mrs Chotirot Wanavisan, 39, crying in the garden. In
the house was a trail of blood. She surrendered herself and handed over an
automatic CZ 6.35 caliber weapon that she was holding. Police also found a
bullet casing at the scene.
Chotirot admitted she had shot her husband, saying she had discovered he had
a second wife and had supported her for a long time. She had proof of this,
but Kruek denied it. She had only intended to threaten her husband with the
gun, but fired it when she became angry. Chotirot has been charged her with
assault with a deadly weapon.
Youths attack drunken American who annoyed them
Boonlua Chatree
A drunken American who annoyed a group of youths was badly injured when they
attacked him and slashed him with a knife.
Dongtan police sub-station received a report at 1:20 a.m. on July 21 that a
foreign man was being attacked in front of Mae Laor Market on Soi Wat
Bunkanchanaram, and officers went to the scene along with Sawang Boriboon
Foundation personnel.
They found that the attackers had already fled, and that there was no sign
of the victim, only a trail of blood that led into a large area of thickets
opposite the market. The officers were joined by Mrs Sasithorn Eusebi, 39,
who stated that she was the injured man’s wife, and that his name was
Stephen Eusebi, a 39-year-old American.
Police followed the trail of blood into the bushes, accompanied by
Sasithorn. It took over an hour before they found the man. He was hidden in
deep brush, was covered in blood, and in a very frightened state. At the
right side of his head near the ear he had a deep long gash from a knife. He
thought that the police were the wrongdoers and tried to run away. Sawang
Boriboon Foundation officers rushed him to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.
Sasithorn said that she and her husband lived at Butsaba House, near the
scene. She went to bed at about 10:30 p.m., and her husband went out for
some drinks at a food shop near the house as usual. At 1:00 a.m. a neighbor
shouted in front of her house and asked her to go get her husband, because
he was drunk and annoying some youths. There were about 10 youths and they
were slashing him with a knife.
Sasithorn said her husband liked to drink beer but that he often disturbed
others when he was drunk, which had been a cause of trouble before. She
assumed that this time her husband had annoyed the youths at the beginning
of the soi and that they had surrounded him.
Burglars get away with 1.2mn baht from Frenchmen’s rented home
Boonlua Chatree
Thieves broke into the home of two French residents and got away
with property valued at over one million baht.
 Thieves
broke into the home of two French residents and got away with property
valued at around 1.2 million baht.
Banglamung police station received a report at 1:30 a.m. on July 24 that
a house at Ek Mongkol Village on Soi Kaotalo had been robbed. Officers
at the scene found a single-story house with two bedrooms. The glass
entrance door had been broken and the house ransacked. Investigating
officers found fingerprints that they took as evidence.
Ms Jirapat Nuangchompoo, 26, the owner of the house, said that she had
rented the property out to two French nationals, Rock Kelment, 26, and
Kemt Siewven, 23, for the past seven months. They were hotel employees
in France, and regularly came to Thailand. They were currently in
Pattaya and had been here on this occasion for more than a month.
Before the theft both of them went out to see her at her beer bar on Soi
Post Office, Pattaya Beach Road. They locked the door and turned off the
lights as usual. When they came back the house had been burgled. Amongst
the property missing was a safe that contained 20,000 euros, equivalent
to about 940,000 baht, and a digital camera. Other property stolen
included a Sony Play Station and a DVD player, the total amount coming
to around 1.2 million baht.
Police noted that the thieves had got away over the front fence, and had
damaged an exterior lamp in the process. It is believed three people
were involved. Officers questioned the four village guards but they
claimed to know nothing, saying the first they knew of the robbery was
when the householders returned. Police are further investigating the
guards.
Volunteer police suspended after youth suffers epileptic fit during raid
Boonlua Chatree
Two volunteer policemen who raided an apartment in the belief that a
16-year-old boy was a narcotics dealer and whose alleged brutality caused
the youth to have an epileptic fit have been suspended from duty pending
further investigations.
Pattaya police station received a report from the volunteer officers at 2:30
a.m. on July 25 that a teenager was suffering a seizure at a rented room in
South Pattaya Soi 10, and officers went immediately went to the scene with a
Sawang Boriboon Foundation officer.
They found the 16-year-old, given the alias of Na, unconscious in the room.
The two volunteer officers were in the room with him. Na, who has been
confirmed as epileptic, was transferred to Banglamung Hospital for further
treatment.
After the youth had recovered, his mother, 52-year-old Mrs Ubonwan
Padthaisong took him to file a complaint with Pol Maj Weerawut Meelai, the
officer in charge of the case. The two stated the reason for Na’s seizure
and subsequent loss of consciousness was due to the actions of the two
volunteer officers. They had entered the room in the middle of the night
saying they were volunteer police officers attached to Pattaya police
station. They had guns and walkie-talkies, and were dressed like civilians.
Na was alone in the room at the time. They wanted to search the place
because they believed he was a ya ba distributor.
The officers did not present a legal search warrant, said Ubonwan, and they
injured her son by hitting him on the head with the butts of their guns. The
youth suffered an epileptic fit as a consequence, and the officers used
their walkie-talkies to call for help. No drugs were found on the premises.
Pol Maj Weerawut brought in both volunteer police officers for questioning.
Their names were Somkhet Khunthawee, 31, and Pakorn Jinanikorn, 26. Both
were volunteer police officers at Pattaya police station. They admitted that
they went to the room, because they believed that Na was a narcotics
distributor. They said they only asked to search the room, and that they did
not use a gun to hit him on the head.
Pol Maj Weerawut has agreed that the volunteer police acted outside of their
duty, because they were not working in cooperation with regular police
officers in entering and searching the premises. A report has now gone to
Pol Col Somnuk Changate, superintendent of Pattaya police station, for
further investigation.
The two volunteer officers have been suspended from duty and face charges of
illegal entry and mental and physical injury.
Local government finance officials gather at Ambassador City
Narisa Nitikarn
Local government finance officials gathered at Ambassador City Jomtien
on July 12 for a seminar designed to improve the efficiency of local
government administration.
The seminar, organized by the Local Finance Officers’ Association was
presided over by Somsak Yonokphan, deputy district chief of Chonburi, and
held over the period July 12 to 14.
More than 1,200 finance officers from municipalities nationwide attended,
with the aim of applying the knowledge gained at the seminar to improve the
efficiency of local finance officers on their return and instill a view to
reform and modernize local government administration.
Poonpol Chiengtawan, director of Nonthaburi Municipal Finance Office, as
chairman of the Local Finance Officers’ Association said that this is the
first seminar organized by the association since its inception on April 24
this year.
“The association aims to help members in the improvement of their knowledge
and development of personnel working in local organizations, as well as to
raise the efficiency of management level employees, especially in the new
age of government administration transparency,” said Poonpol.
Virachai Chomsakorn, of the Office of the Committee for the Distribution of
Power talked about the distribution of local financial power, saying that
the structure of power distribution at the local administrative
organizational level comprises a total of 36 members divided into three
parts: part one being 12 positioned directors, headed by the chairman who is
the prime minister; part two being 12 representatives from local
administrative organizations; and part three being 12 seniors.
Complaints can be submitted directly to the country’s leaders without having
to pass departments or ministries first, said Virachai. The establishment of
the organization must be governed by Acts, but there are still errors within
the internal structure as personnel are in conflict with each other and are
only out for their own benefit or the benefit of their own group, causing
local administration to be weak.
In the evening of July 12 a party was held for the attendees, with Mayor
Niran Watthanasartsathorn in attendance.
Mayor inspects progress
on beach conservation project
Contractor fined over delay on road construction job
Narisa Nitikarn
Mayor Niran Watthanasartsathorn and a team of public works officials on
July 26 made an inspection tour of Beach Road from the Dusit Resort Curve to
Soi 6 to check on progress of the 50 million baht conservation and
landscaping works.
A barrier is being built to prevent seawater from dragging sand into the
ocean and thus narrowing the beach.
Mayor Niran Watthanasartsathorn and his team survey construction works on Beach
Road.
Sompop Wandee of the Public Works Department said that the project is being
carried out on a 2.8-kilometer stretch of beach between the Dusit Curve and
Bali Hai Pier, and is scheduled to be completed November 26. The project is
40 percent complete, but Sompop said seawater has started to seep into the
barrier and the concrete plates, a problem that is in the process of being
corrected.
Mayor Niran and his team also paid a visit to the road construction works at
Soi Paniad Chang 8, where a steel reinforced concrete road is under
construction and drainage pipes are being laid. The project commenced in the
middle of December last year and is slated for completion in November this
year. The contractor is Bangsaen Mahanakhorn Partnership, and Municipal
Works Department officers are overseeing the works.
The mayor asked residents in the soi whether they were being affected by the
construction and was told that access difficulties and dust were the main
inconveniences.
Bangsaen Mahanakhorn are being fined over this contract, as works have not
been completed on schedule. The company explained that 60 percent of the
work is complete and the remainder of the drainage pipes will be laid as
soon as possible. Frequent rainfall is the reason for delay, the company
said.
Ministry of Tourism and Sport aims at greater unity in public relations
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
The Ministry of Tourism and Sport moved forward on its public relations
development policies with a seminar on ministry work improvement, held at
the Sandalay Resort Hotel on July 27.
Saktip Krairuks, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sport.
Saktip Krairuks, permanent secretary at the ministry led the session, with
more than 60 public relations and other relevant operatives attending.
The ministry was established on October 3, 2002, and Saktip said that the
tendency has been for too many projects to be carried out with insufficient
teamwork and inter-departmental liaison, as officials seldom have knowledge
of both tourism and sports.
There is a need for the continued development of unity in many aspects into
a unified system, he said.
“Thailand has the highest potential in Southeast Asia with its varied nature
and culture as well as in terms of tourism and sports,” Saktip told
delegates. “It is imperative that new tourist attractions and activities be
developed and promoted.
“This means that improvement of basic structures, safety and public
relations development, advertising and promotion carried out by various
agencies at different levels needs unifying.”
Nation dons yellow and prays for
the speedy recovery of HM the King
Surat Mekawarakul (seated left),
president of the Cultural Council in the Banglamung District, and his wife
Mrs. Montha Mekhawarakul, along with Mike Shopping Mall staff and people in
the area, gather to sign get-well books blessing HM the King for a full
recovery as soon as possible.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
July 20 saw people across the nation gathering to pray and sign books
wishing His Majesty the King a speedy recovery from spinal surgery that had
been performed that day at Siriraj Hospital.
In Chonburi, Governor Pisit Ketphasook led the ceremony at Chonburi Town
Hall at 10:29 a.m., with representatives of official departments including
district offices, municipality offices and local administrative offices
participating. Pattaya City and Banglamung District Office also prepared a
signing table for books blessing His Majesty and wishing him a full recovery
as soon as possible.
In the meantime all temples across Thailand held ceremonies according to the
announcement of the Supreme Sangha Council. Priest Promsuthee, assistant
abbot of Sraket Temple said the patriarch had a special order for the
Mahanikaya and Dhammayut sects to pray for a successful operation, and for
His Majesty’s speedy recovery. Approximately 3,000 priests in Bangkok and
thousands more across the nation prayed in their temples at 5 p.m.
Surat Mekawarakul, president of the Cultural Council in Banglamung District
gathered with the staff of Mike Shopping Mall and other well wishers
including foreign tourists to bless His Majesty at a simple ceremony held in
the mall parking lot. A book was also signed. Everyone wore yellow as a sign
of respect to His Majesty.
On the same evening at 9:30 p.m. a third statement was issued by the Bureau
of the Royal Household, advising that the medical team had successfully
performed the operation and that His Majesty was to be taken back to the
Chalerm Prakiat Building at 10:24 p.m. the same day.
His Majesty had arrived at the Chalerm Prakiat Building at Siriraj Hospital
at 2:12 p.m. and from there had been taken to the Siammintra Building for
surgery to enlarge the lumbar spinal cord at 4:05 p.m., finishing at 8:53
p.m. Following the surgery, His Majesty was moved from the intensive care
unit to a normal ward on the 16th floor of the hospital’s Chalerm Prakiat
Building.
Public Health Bureau continues school vaccination program
Vimolrat Singnikorn
The Public Health and Environmental Bureau in Pattaya City is continuing
its program to give students immunizations against contagious diseases.
 Ouch!
But it only hurts for a minute … Primary school class 1 students receive MMR
and mumps vaccinations.
Bureau head Na Anya Chantrakard directed a team providing vaccine shots to
students at Pattaya School No 8 on July 24. The injections were for
protection against MMR and mumps for primary school class 1 students, and
diphtheria and tetanus for the primary school class 6 students. Urine
examinations were carried out in the secondary school classes for signs of
drug abuse.
The immunization program has been running since 1977, and is continuously
being developed. At present the program includes providing vaccinations for
schoolchildren against pertussis (more usually known as whooping cough),
diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, MMR, mumps and encephalitis.
Na Anya added that the vaccination project for students at schools in
Pattaya City, both governmental and private schools, encompasses 20 schools,
and that urine tests for drug abuse are conducted for the secondary school
class students.
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