The CCTV recorded the two upon their arrival to the condo complex.

Boonlua Chatree
A Thai woman who was having an affair with a Finnish man found stabbed to death at his condominium apartment has been arrested for the murder and her Thai partner is still being sought by police.

Pakphum Pho-Iam’s mug shot.

CCTV cameras had captured images of the pair as they approached their victim’s building, and police quickly traced the woman to a short-time hotel on North Pattaya Road.
Pattaya Police Station had received a report at 2 a.m. on March 25 that a man had been stabbed to death at Grand Jomtien Condo. Officers arriving at the scene identified him as Erkki Aal Tonen, a 64-year-old citizen of Finland. A 7-inch knife was found at the scene, along with a woman’s underwear. Examining the building’s CCTV recording, police found images of a man and a woman riding a bronze-black Honda Wave motorcycle.
The two were quickly identified, and Pol Col Noppadon Wongnom, superintendent at Pattaya Police Station obtained an arrest warrant from Pattaya Provincial Court, number 467/2551 and dated March 25 for Ms Nipaporn Phuto, 27, of Nakhon Sawan Province, and number 468/2551 also dated March 25 for Pakphum Pho-Iam, 27, of Lopburi Province. The charges were for conspiracy to rob another person resulting in the person losing their life, using a vehicle as a means of escape to commit the crime, and theft of property.

Police bring out Nipaporn Phuto to show her and her motorcycle to reporters.

Nipaporn was found hiding out at room number 205 in the Privacy Hotel on North Pattaya Road on March 27, and was taken to Pattaya Police Station.
She stated that she had had a sexual relationship with Erkki Aal Tonen, and that she was six months pregnant with his child. She was aware that he was already married and that his wife was in Thailand.
During the night of the murder she had gone to Tonen’s residence for a sexual assignation, riding there on the pillion of Pakphum’s motorcycle. Pakphum had entered the apartment and waited outside the bedroom while Nipaporn had sex with Tonen. He searched the room, taking 3,000 baht and a Nokia mobile phone, and when Tonen came out he found Pakphum going through his property. The Finn shouted out, and Pakphum stabbed him.
The couple then fled to the Privacy Hotel where Pakphum abandoned Nipaporn when news of the murder was announced. Police have now gone to Lopburi to complete their case.

Stabbing victim identifies killers with his dying breath

Tong (throwing kick) and one of his accomplices (lying on ground)
reenact the crime for police and reporters.

Patcharapol Panrak
With his dying breath, a stabbing victim identified the names of his attackers to a TV reporter who arrived at the scene of the crime, and police have arrested four men for murder.
Sattahip Police Station received a report from the Naval Military Police at 9 p.m. on March 24, saying that Jaturong Kongkrailat, age 18, a resident of Prachinburi who was living at a leased house on Soi Bongai in Sattahip Sub-district, had been found with four stab wounds.
Officers rushed to the scene of the crime, at Sattahip Beach Road, where they found Jaturong lying in a pool of blood with one stab wound to the back of his head, two to his chest, and one to the right side of his ribcage.
A TV reporter at the scene had recorded the words of the victim as he lay on the ground, before he lost consciousness and the ambulance arrived to take him to the intensive care unit. Jaturong said a man named Tong had hired him to kill the minor wife of Tong’s father. Jaturong hadn’t carried out the killing, instead informing the father and the intended victim. An enraged Tong persuaded some friends to lure Jaturong from his house and attack him.
Using the reporter’s recording, police established the names of the attackers and requested warrants from the court for the arrest of Cholatit Rotchanabuntham, age 33 and also known as Tong, Somchai Srongdaecha, 37, Anucha Thonghor, 20, and Prasarn Kaewmanee, 38.
Police found the men at a house in Kaomorn in Sattahip Sub-district, and they admitted attacking Jaturong.
During questioning, Tong denied hiring Jaturong to kill his father’s minor wife, saying instead that he had a personal grievance against him. He had sent Anucha to fetch Jaturong from his house and take him to the bridge on Beach Road to resolve their problems. There they had fought, and Prasarn had stabbed the victim in the chest with a sharp piece of iron, while Tong punched and kicked him to the face, causing him to fall to the ground. No one admitted to stabbing Jaturong the other three times.
Pol Col Supatee Bunkrong said police were able to close this case very quickly, and the TV reporter who arrived at the scene in time and recorded the victim’s last words must be thanked. This was the sole witness, because after he spoke to the reporter Jaturong had begun to bleed heavily and had been removed to hospital, where he passed away. The four attackers have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

Daylight robbery at filling station

Boonlua Chatree
Armed robbers stole several thousand baht from a gasoline station in broad daylight on March 22, making their escape by motorcycle in the direction of Sattahip.
Banglamung Police Station received a call at 10 a.m. reporting the holdup at the Jet filling station on Sukhumvit Road in South Pattaya. The station is owned by the PTT.
The robbery had taken place in front of the Jiffy mini mart at the gas station. Witsanu Nasuankamchorn, 25, said he was providing service to customers at the first column of pumps when two young men arrived on a red-black Honda Wave and parked near him. Both rider and passenger were wearing full-face helmets.
The passenger produced a gun and forced Witsanu to hand over his bag containing about 10,000 baht, the proceeds of selling the gasoline. The two men also robbed a foreigner who was taking out money from an ATM beside the Jiffy mini mart. The frightened foreigner handed over his money and fled. The robbers then drove off in the direction of Sattahip.
Pol. Col. Sarayuth Sanguanpokai, superintendent at Banglamung Police Station said that the gas station’s CCTV recorded the robbers and that police would be examining the images.

British man loses more than his shirt

Theerarak Suthatiwong
A British man who ventured out shirtless during a hot afternoon had his gold necklace snatched from him by a motorcycle rider.
Pattaya Police Station received a report at 1 p.m. on March 26 from Patrick Savage, 39, saying that he was riding his motorcycle from his accommodation on Soi Sophon at Third Road, intending to collect his girlfriend from Central Pattaya and go for a swim at Tony’s Gym.
Due to the hot weather, Savage wasn’t wearing a shirt. He stopped in front of the Thai Kasikorn Bank on Soi Buakao. A Thai man wearing a full-face black helmet and riding a blue Honda Wave came alongside him, and snatched his 3-baht gold necklace before escaping along Soi Excite.
Savage said he attempted to follow the robber but the man got away, so he came to the police station. Officers put out a radio call, but the motorcyclist was nowhere to be found.

Niran steps down as term ends

Pledges support for next mayor

The now former mayor of Pattaya City Niran Wattanasartsathorn leads his team to present offerings of worship and to ask for blessings from the Great King Taksin.

Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn bowed out on March 26 upon completion of his four-year term of office, thanking his team and city hall administrators for all their support and promising to stand by the incoming mayor as an advisor.
Standing in front of the King Taksin Monument at Pattaya City Hall, Niran addressed city councilors, department heads and administrators before leading a brief ceremony in homage to King Taksin.
March 26 was the final day for the Pattaya City Council, which was ending its statutory four-year term. A report summarizing the work done during this period will be published and made available to everyone.
Niran said that, personally, he was “between 50 and 60 percent satisfied” with what he had achieved, saying there are still many projects waiting to be completed.
The outgoing mayor said that he hopes the new mayor would be a politician, because only politicians know how to run a city for the benefit of the people. A businessman in this position would think only of profit or loss, said Niran.
Whoever the next mayor is, however, Niran has pledged to give his full support. He said that he himself had decided not to stand as a candidate for the next term, but would stay on the team as chief advisor.

Baywatch: Another fine mess

Vimolrat Singnikorn
A Pattaya Mail reporter went to North Pattaya Road, near the Gems Gallery during the morning of March 26 to check on footpath accessibility, following numerous complaints forwarded to our office over difficulties regarding the pedestrian throughway.
Found was a heap of electricity wires, cables, fallen tree branches, and a 2-meter high broken iron pole that was ugly, depressing, and an obstacle for those trying to make their way along the sidewalk. Who is going to order the clearing up of this mess, now that the mayor and his team have stepped down at the end of their term, and city hall is rudderless?
Maybe we will have to wait for the May 4 election, and for the new mayor to roll up his sleeves and get the job done. By that time, of course, a lot of tourists will have been and gone, taking with them the unfavorable view that we can’t keep our own city clean.

The race begins!

Alisa Phantusak from Pattaya Fah Mai picked number 1.

Rao Rak Pattaya team leader Itthipol Khunplome picked number 2.

Independent candidate Surat Mekhawarakul picked number 3.

Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Pattaya City Hall was a lively place early in the morning of April 1, as the three front-runners for the mayoral seat arrived to register their names and draw their electoral number at the listing table.
Alisa Phantusak who came together with her team members from Pattaya Fah Mai picked number 1, Itthipol Khunplome the Rao Rak Pattaya team leader picked number 2, and Surat Mekhawarakul who brought along his cheering team picked number 3.
The three teams arrived before the table opened at 8.30 a.m. The registration period runs from April 1 to 5. Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn’s term ended on March 26 and the new mayor and his or her team will start the administration straight after the election on May 4.
President of the Chonburi Election Committee Anond Raewatthananond said the registration went well and that there were no complaints. After this stage the Election Committee will go through all registration papers to verify their legitimacy, which would take about seven days. Anond added that it is the committee’s job to ensure fairness to all and that the activities of the candidates comply with the law.

Lively crowds cheer on their favorites
as mayoral hopefuls register their candidacy.

Water cannons banned during Songkran

Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Pattaya City has banned the use of large PVC water tubes, ice cubes, and any other items that could prove to be dangerous during the Songkran festival, which will take place locally during the period April 18 to 20.

Pol Maj Pitakpong Krongchon, traffic inspector at Pattaya Police Station has prepared officers to attempt to ensure safety during the Songkran festival.

An organizers’ meeting was held on March 28 at Pattaya City Hall, chaired by permanent secretary Sittiprap Muangkoom and including Abbot Pisan Jariyapiwat of Chaimongkol Temple in South Pattaya, Wuttipol Charoenphol, chief of the Pattaya City Management Office, and Pol Maj Pitakpong Krongchon, traffic inspector at Pattaya Police Station.
April 19 will see the closing of Beach Road between the hours of 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. During the morning a parade will be held for the Buddha image and monks, who will travel from the South Pattaya Intersection to Second Road and then to the Dolphin Roundabout.
Although the traditional water sprinkling will take place, police will not allow anyone to carry large PVC water tubes, ice cubes, coloring powders, or anything else considered to be potentially dangerous. Further, vendors will not be allowed to supply drinks in glass bottles. Police have instructions to confiscate these items.