|
City hires contractor to suck garbage out of city drains
First major drainage pipe cleaning in 10 years
Narisa Nitikarn
For what Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn describes as the first time in
10 years, Pattaya’s drainage pipes are being thoroughly cleaned of dirt,
garbage and sand. This should help somewhat the flooding problems
experienced during heavy rain storms in the area.
 Pattaya
City has contracted NYT Far East Co., Ltd. to clean out Pattaya’s drainage
system.
The city has contracted NYT Far East Co., Ltd. to do the work, which
commenced on September 4 and is scheduled to take 150 days to complete.
Sorasak Kriprasertkul, NYT Far East’s eastern regional manager, warned that
the work will be noisy. He said that it takes about 30 minutes for one pipe,
0.8-meters in diameter, to clean one section of the drainage system. In this
first phase, 20 roads, such as Sawang Fa Road, Beach Road and Central
Pattaya Road, will be cleaned. Some of the pipes may have to be cleaned at
night and this might inconvenience locals, he said.
He added that the company is currently using one vehicle, but the company
plans to bring in an additional two vehicles to help speed-up the work.
Deputy Mayor Wutisak said that normally waste flows out of the drainage
pipes on its own, but sand and other waste matter still manages to clog up
the pipes, which causes all kinds of problems and flooding during heavy
rains.
Wutisak also said the city hired the contractor because the city lacks the
proper equipment. The project will cost an estimated 10 million baht, and if
it proves a success, drainage under all Pattaya roads will be cleaned out.
Kitty Hawk
departs Thailand
The aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63)
pulls into Laem Chabang, Thailand, for a scheduled port visit. Kitty
Hawk is on a three-month-long summer cruise from its homeport of
Yokosuka, Japan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd
Class Stephen Rowe)
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Aaron Roob, Kitty Hawk
public affairs
USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) departed Laem Chabang, Thailand, Sept. 6, ending
a four-day visit to the port.
Kitty Hawk hosted a reception for more than 600 guests during its first
night and several hundred visitors toured the ship over the next three
days.
While Thai citizens toured Kitty Hawk, Sailors toured the Southeast
Asian nation. Kitty Hawk’s Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR)
division organized 29 tours for 800 Sailors, including trips to Bangkok
and the Elephant Village in Pattaya.
“I went on an overnight tour to Bangkok,” said Lt. Joseph Stastny, Kitty
Hawk’s industrial hygiene officer. “We saw the Temple of the Golden
Buddha. It was a really nice tour with food and a hotel room included.”
MWR also coordinated hotel room rentals for Kitty Hawk Sailors, with
sales funneling more than $57,000 into Thailand’s economy.
More than 160 Sailors from Kitty Hawk and Carrier Air Wing 5 spent their
liberty helping out with six community service projects. Sailors
volunteered to paint a schoolhouse and spend time with HIV-positive
children.
“We want to show that we’re here for more than just to have fun,” said
Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class (AW) Oliver Brown, one of the 19 Sailors
who visited the HIV-positive children. “It was rewarding to see the
smiles on their faces when they saw we were there for them.”
The Kitty Hawk Strike Group is the largest carrier strike group in the
Navy and is on the third month of its summer deployment, which began in
June. Also pulling in with Kitty Hawk was the cruiser USS Cowpens (CG
63) and guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82).
The strike group includes the Kitty Hawk, the aircraft squadrons and
staff of Carrier Air Wing 5, the guided-missile cruisers USS
Chancellorsville (CG 62) and Cowpens, and Destroyer Squadron 15 staff.
The group’s ships and destroyer squadron staff are based at Fleet
Activities Yokosuka, Japan, and the air wing and staff are based at
Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan.
Army signs agreement
to build railway road
One-year schedule for long-delayed project
Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn
(right) exchanges the signed memorandum with General Supasit Vorasaat
(left), director of the Rachaburi Army Engineers.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
City hall on August 30 signed an agreement with the army to construct
the long-awaited relief road that will run alongside the railway tracks
between Banglamung and Huay Khwang.
The Ratchaburi Army Engineers will be responsible for building the eastbound
section under an agreement signed by Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn and
Lieutenant General Supasit Vorasaat. Pattaya has officially received the
handover of the land from Suthun Jatekasakaam, director of railways
administration representing the Railways Authority of Thailand.
Pattaya City signed the lease agreement with the Railways Authority on July
16 for the road, which will run parallel to the line between Banglamung,
Pattaya and Huay Khwang railway stations, a 16-kilometer stretch.
In need of fast completion for the project, which has been long delayed by
protracted negotiations over the terms demanded by the Railways Authority,
city hall decided to employ the army. The agreement with the Ratchaburi Army
Engineers was signed in a ceremony presided over by Sonthaya Khunplome,
advisor to the prime minister.
The Ratchaburi Army Engineers are well equipped in terms of manpower,
efficiency and equipment and will be responsible for the construction of the
eastern-bound ocean-side section of the road, along with Bangsaenmahanakhorn
Construction and Bangkok Concrete. The job is scheduled for completion
within 365 days of signing the agreement.
The army, which is working to a 330 million baht budget, will also lay the
drainage pipes.
City tests synthetic sheet material to prevent beach erosion
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Pattaya Public Works Department is testing materials for synthetic
sheeting that they hope will prevent beach erosion, especially during heavy
storms. The sheets, called geo-textiles, would be laid under the surface of
the beach and covered with sand.
Heavy rains at the end of last
month caused massive beach erosion in some areas.
Late last month, after heavy rains caused massive loss of
sand on Pattaya Beach, officials tested the 10 meter synthetic fabric sheets
by laying them on the sand in erosion prone areas, and then covered them
with sand. They then sprayed the area with a high pressure water hose and
measured sand movement.
The results of the tests were promising, showing that the synthetic sheets
prevented a major amount of sand movement. The only sand that did get
carried of into the sea was the sand used to cover the sheets.
Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn, who led a team of engineers from Pattaya
Public Works Department and disaster relief operatives on a beach inspection
after the heavy rains left the beaches scoured, said that method is being
tested as part of the city’s beach beautification project.
“This (geo-textiles project) was already planned under the beachscape
beautification project, but had not yet been implemented because it was
still being tested,” the mayor said. “We planned to perform preliminary
tests on 20 (erosion prone) locations, but the storms came and washed away
hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of sand before the sheets were laid.”
Once the sheets are in place, responsibility for repairs will lay with the
contractor.
“Testing showed that the geo-textiles proved efficient and the system will
be implemented as a matter of urgency,” the mayor concluded.
Five volunteers
awarded for service
to the community
Narisa Nitikarn
Community volunteers who have served their communities and society
outstandingly during this year were selected for certificates and honorary
shields on September 1 at a ceremony in Pattaya City Hall presided over by
Deputy Mayor Wattana Chantanawaranon.
Also attending were Ms Pannee Limcharoen, acting on behalf of the director
of the Social Welfare Department, members of the selection committee that
had chosen the recipients, and various department heads.
Pannee, the project initiator, said that the awards are given by the Social
Welfare Depart
ment, and the program has been running since 2004. The purpose is to select
people that devote much of their time to society and in voluntary work for
their community, in a variety of fields such as helping and supporting the
underprivileged, and working alongside the police in narcotics control.
Five people were selected for the awards, namely Wil Wattanalerthiran from
Soi 6 Yodsak Community, Tawatchai Siriwan from Wat Thamsamakkee Community,
Sirichai Indcharoen from Tappraya Community, Mrs Lamporn Prasopchai from Wat
Chonglom Community, and Mrs Yaowalak Theerapong from Roi Lang Community.
City Scope: Deputy mayors front TV presentation
to update citizens on progress of city hall projects
Deputy mayors Wattana
Chantanawaranon, Wutisak Rermkitkarn, Verawat Khakhay and Ronakit Ekasingh
fronted a meet-the-people presentation at Pattaya City Hall.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
All four deputy mayors of Pattaya, namely Wattana Chantanawaranon,
Wutisak Rermkitkarn, Verawat Khakhay and Ronakit Ekasingh, fronted a
meet-the-people presentation at Pattaya City Hall for broadcast through
local cable TV and community radio.
The concept was for city hall to describe the workings of the administration
and city council, and to update the public on the current status of certain
issues and projects.
Wattana said the administration had been operating a program in which
administrators and councilors visited the communities and listened to the
problems of residents, such as road construction and garbage collection.
Although these aspects may appear to be small and routine, they create
problems and these are important to the lives of local residents.
He added that city hall had also developed a project in which city residents
could improve their incomes through learning skills such as the preparation
of Thai desserts, the making of artificial flowers, and the techniques of
traditional foot massage.
Wutisak described the measures city hall is taking to improve the quality of
facilities within the educational system, such as food safety, cleanliness
and hygiene, and environmental protection. City hall has prepared a budget
for 2007 for the improvement of school buildings.
Drainage of wastewater from Pattaya’s streets has been an ongoing problem,
and Wutisak described how a private company had been contracted to clear the
drainage pipes of the garbage that always accumulates after heavy rain. This
has begun. He also described progress on the public utility projects on Koh
Larn, another program that is designed to improve the quality of life of
residents and help to meet the demands of the growing number of tourists to
the island.
Verawat described progress on the smart card that the national government
has introduced. He said city hall has already advised citizens that they can
now exchange their old ID cards for the new kind. A lot of people had
responded but the system had been temporarily suspended for adjustment.
Service will resume this month.
A budget has been set for next year to improve the garbage collection system
by purchasing 10 tuk-tuks that will each be manned by two operatives and
which will help speed collection.
Ronakit said that developments on the tourism front include having a
permanent officer to take care of sea and beach safety, and that there will
be extra deployment of CCTV cameras. There are plans for a new pier and boat
mooring, and other developments to further increase Pattaya’s reputation as
a safe and attractive center for marine tourism.
He added that disaster control methods are in place and that regular drills
take place for city hall officials, public servants, hotel employees and
private enterprise to ensure that Pattaya is safe for visitors.
Armed robbers end festive couple’s night out
Boonlua Chatree
A late night festive trip to the movies didn’t quite go as planned for
happy couple Sathaporn Chanthuan and Pimpa Phocharoen. Along the way
they were held up by armed robbers who stole 6 baht worth of gold from
them.
 Sathaporn
and Pimpa’s trip to the movies was eventful, but expensive.
Sathaporn told police that he had planned to bring his wife to watch a
movie at Big C in North Pattaya. He said he finished work at about 10
p.m., but instead of going straight to the movie, he and his wife
stopped at a friends’ house to drink beer. Three hours of drinking beer
later, as the time approached 1 a.m., they decided they had better hurry
to catch the last show.
Sathaporn said he needed to stop for fuel, and pulled into the Bangchak
petrol station on Sukhumvit Road. Two Thai men in black jackets and
helmets were waiting in front of the station, and when Sathaporn and his
wife pulled out, the two men followed.
When they reached Soi Paniad Chang opposite the Lookdod Shop in Naklua,
the motorcycle pulled up alongside and the passenger threatened them
with a gun. The couple promptly fell off their motorcycle because,
Sathaporn told police, they were drunk and afraid.
The gunman pointed the gun at Pimpa’s head, and warned them to not even
think about running away. He then pulled the 1 baht gold necklace from
Pimpa’s neck and a 5 baht gold necklace from Sathaporn.
Sathaporn told police that he and his wife were afraid and begged the
robbers not to shoot, and made sure not to look at the robbers’ faces.
Sathaporn also said that neither he nor his wife could remember the
thieves’ license plate number, once again admitting that they were too
drunk and afraid to do so.
The robbers escaped in the direction of Central Pattaya.
It is not known whether the police charged Sathaporn with driving under
the influence of alcohol.
Police spend 3 million baht on drug detectors
Boonlua Chatree
Police at Region 2 have spent 3 million baht on purchasing bio-scanners that
can be used to check whether a suspect has been taking drugs by doing a
sweat count.
 Police
demonstrate their new bio-scan sensor that tests people’s sweat to see if he
or she has been taking drugs.
Pol Maj Gen Somdaet Khawkham, deputy commander of Region 2, ordered an
intensive drug sweep over the period August 26 to 31, police being sent out
with the sensors. Those testing positive are sent for treatment, and are
also questioned as to the source of their drugs and thereby lead police to
the dealers.
During this period police arrested 143 people for drug related crimes and
confiscated 2,419.5 amphetamine pills. Pol Maj Gen Somdaet told officers
during a meeting at the end of the campaign that the bio-scanners could be
considered an effective way of fighting the drug menace.
Raids were made on the homes of suspects and at entertainment outlets, with
urine tests also being used to test for drug intake.
Drunken woman arrested
for obstructing justice
Boonlua Chatree
One would think that anyone driving under the influence of alcohol would
try to avoid the police at all costs. This wasn’t the case with a Chantaburi
woman in South Pattaya.
At 3:35 a.m. on Sept 2, police were busy handling an altercation between
foreign tourists at the beginning of Soi Marine Plaza, and had parked their
cruiser close to the scene, obviously for easy access. The soi is narrow,
and the police cruiser effectively blocked traffic from moving through the
soi.
 Sirinda
“Mai” Photising’s impatience provided her with a temporary new pair of steel
bracelets.
Along comes Ms. Sirinda “Mai” Photising, 27, from Chantaburi, in a bronze
Mitsubishi, who evidently was in a hurry as she stopped behind the police
car and honked the horn.
She then exited the vehicle and began shouting at the police for obstructing
the soi. Allegedly in a drunken state, she asked the police, “Do you think
police are superior to everybody else?”
As her loud behavior began to attract a crowd of Thais and foreign tourists,
Pol. Cpl. Somchai Yawanopas, chief of the Pattaya Police Crime Suppression
Division, approached her in full police uniform to ask her to calm down. If
she would cooperate by waiting a little while, he would move the car for
her.
This just made her mad, and she pulled Pol. Cpl. Somchai Yawanopas’s
insignia off his uniform and threw it away. She then continued to berate the
police and allegedly used “many bad words”.
She was promptly handcuffed, arrested and taken to Pattaya police station.
A blood alcohol test showed her to be above the legal limit.
She has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, insulting
police officers of duty and obstructing justice.
Driver trapped for 3 hours
under overturned 10-wheeler
Boonlua Chatree
Rescue workers struggled for three hours in the rain to rescue a truck
driver whose 10-wheel rig overturned on Highway 36.
Banglamung police station received a report at 12:30 a.m. on September 5 to
say that a truck had turned over near Soi Nongketnoi 5, on the
Krathinglai-Rayong stretch of the highway, and that the driver was trapped
underneath it.
 It
took rescue workers 3 hours to free Sanit from the pile of mangled metal.
Police, along with a medical team from Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, officers
from Sawang Boriboon Foundation, and a public hazard security specialist
from Pattaya City went to the scene, taking cutting equipment and jacks to
free the driver.
The truck was a white 10-wheeled vehicle that was transporting 20 tons of
fermenting agent for fertilizer. Rescue workers found that the black canvas
cover had fallen off the truck and onto the road, and that the fertilizer
materials were spread across the carriageway. The front part of the truck
was against the central channel of the highway and the driver, 35-year-old
Sanit Hempho, was trapped underneath and crying for help.
As rescuers got to work, a heavy rain began to fall, making progress on
cutting their way into the cab difficult. Sanit’s lower legs were pinned
under the wreckage and both were broken, and he had a fractured skull. Three
hours passed before he was freed, and rushed for further treatment to
Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.
Sanit was a truck driver for the Nisa Thianthep Company, and was
transporting the fermenting agent from Mabtaput Industrial Estate in Rayong
to Laem Chabang Port. His truck was one of a group that was delivering the
fertilizer material. It was raining, and Sanit lost control of his vehicle.
Although the medical team saved his life, Sanit was not in any condition to
give his own account of the accident to investigators, and they are awaiting
his recovery to question him.
SEA Games committee sets 40 sports and 441 gold medals for 2007
Police Gen Yuthasak Sasiprapha, president of the
Thailand Olympic Committee led the committee on an inspection tour.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
The SEA Games Committee representing all members except East Timor on
September 8 inspected the training facilities and courses for the water
sports in Pattaya after holding a meeting at the Ambassador City Hotel
Jomtien, led by Pol Gen Yuthasak Sasiprapha, president of the Thailand
Olympic Committee in his capacity as chairman of the SEA Games Committee.
Decisions were made on the sports to be included and the number of gold
medals to be competed for at the upcoming 24th SEA Games that will be held
December 6-15, 2007 in Nakhorn Rachasima, Thailand.
Gen Yuthasak said the meeting had agreed on 40 sports and 441 gold medals,
the same number as the most recent SEA Games in the Philippines. All
countries must now advise the number of athletes that will be competing by
June 9, 2007 and provide a list of names by November 8 the same year.
At the meeting, member countries requested the addition of their own local
sports, but Thailand explained that the reason for its refusal was that it
wanted to raise the standard of sports in the region, a decision on which
all parties agreed.
Gen Yuthasak said Chonburi would host the water sports events, namely
rowing, canoeing and kayaking, which will be held at the Mabprachan
Reservoir, the sailing events that will be held at Ocean Marina, and the
windsurfing events at Jomtien Beach. He added that the committee members
were very happy with the venues after their inspection tour.
Athletics Association says Pattaya Marathon was a success
Starting line needs to be moved for 2007 event
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
The Athletics Association of Thailand has declared this year’s Pattaya
Marathon a success, and said that although there were still problems that
need to be addressed next year, the area and route had proved suitable and
should be used again in the future.
 Wattana
Chantanawaranon (right) listens to praise from Police Major General Surapong
Ariyamongkol, vice chairman and general secretary of the Athletics
Association of Thailand.
Pol Maj Gen Surapong Ariyamongkol, vice chairman and general secretary of
the Athletics Association of Thailand attended a meeting with Pattaya City
Council to summarize this year’s holding of the Pattaya Marathon. He praised
the city and all involved organizations whose cooperation resulted in a
great marathon, but said there were still some problems that will need
remedy for next year.
Deputy mayors Wattana Chantanawaranon and Ronakit Ekasingh attended the
meeting to hear the report. It was stated that the area and the route were
suitable, and that the same route should be used next year.
Wattana said that the next marathon would not be able to use the entrance to
Soi 6 in South Pattaya as the land is privately owned and a hotel is
presently being constructed on the site. An alternative would need to be
found for next year’s event. As for the actual route, further discussions
will be held to see whether any changes are required.
Pol Maj Gen Surapong said that he had received praise from numerous running
associations on the organization of the event and trends show that the
improvements will not only result in a good marathon, but a great one. The
association, he said, will continue to support the event.
Pol Lt Col Pramote Ngampradit, commander of Banglamung police, recommended
that better lighting is used at the starting point as well as some areas
along the route as accidents could occur, especially among the wheelchair
bound athletes. He said that there were no problems with officers at the
different points as numbers were sufficient.
Giant frying pan will be used to cook fried rice during Vegetarian Festival
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Activities are being lined up for the Pattaya Vegetarian Festival 2006,
which will take place October 21 to 31.
Organization is being carried out by city hall and the Sawang Boriboon
Foundation, and September 5 saw a preparatory meeting chaired by Deputy
Mayor Wattana Chantanawaranon and attended by foundation vice president
Prasit Thongtitcharoen and officials.
Prasit Thongtitcharoen (left), vice-president of the Sawang Boriboon Foundation in
Pattaya, and Thongchai Wongthongsawang, GM of the Sawang Boriboon Foundation
in Pattaya, announce that this year’s Vegetarian Festival will be better
than ever.
Wattana said that the festival would be even larger this year than last
year, as this is the auspicious year of His Majesty the King’s accession to
the throne.
The “Splendid Fried Rice” will be even more splendid than in 2005, when a
3.40m diameter frying pan was acquired from Chonburi Municipality, for a pan
3.50m in diameter will be used to cook this dish, which has become a symbol
of the event.
October 21 will see a parade to open the festival, starting from Bali Hai
Pier and passing through Walking Street, then turning right and proceeding
to Wat Chaimongkol. There the parade will divide into two parts. One part
will pass along Second Road to Third Road at the TOT intersection, while the
other part will go to Wat Chaimongkol Market. Later on the two parts will
reunite at Lan Pho Field, where the Splendid Fried Rice will be cooked and
distributed to the public.
|
