Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Members of the Pattaya City Council have criticized the city administration’s handling of traffic planning and landscape maintenance of the beach esplanade.
Councilor Sanit Bunmachai said the city administration must pay serious attention to solving traffic congestion and improving accident-prone spots.

Councilor Panot Kanawattanakul questions City administrators.

For example there had been much talk about moving traffic lights on Sukhumvit Road from the beginning of Soi Nernplabwan to Soi Siam Country Club and removing the U-turns from the former spot where many car and motorcycle accidents have occurred. That had not yet been done, the councilor said.
Also, there has been a delay in installing traffic lights at the beginning of Soi Nongprue, or Chaiyapornwithi, already approved but also still not done.
Councilor Sanit said the city spent 50 million baht two years ago to improve the beachfront and esplanade but that it all had since deteriorated due to poor maintenance. Trees are dead, grass has dried and there has been erosion by waves, he said.
Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn replied that the traffic lights are in the process of being purchased and a contractor is being hired to install them, to be completed no later than October 20.
The city’s landscaping department is in discussion with the original landscaping contactor to repair and improve the beachfront, Wutisak said.
Councilor Panot Kanawattanakul asked whether advertising billboards by the side of the road and on buildings conformed to safety and licensing regulations.
Deputy Mayor Wutisak replied that not all of the billboards have been approved. Notices have gone out demanding the removal of illegal signboards, which will be dismantled by the city’s Public Works Office as a last resort.

Transvestite pickpockets blow cash on TV and DVD player

Theerarak Suthatiwong
Two transvestites who picked the pocket of a Turkish man outside Royal Garden Plaza in the middle of the night on September 18 were arrested a couple of days later, by which time they had already blown most of the money.
Pol Col Nopadon Wongnom, superintendent at Pattaya Police Station held a media briefing on September 21 to announce the arrest of Somboon Chaisaeng, 27, of Chiang Rai, and Atid Sukprasert, 26, of Lopburi.

Somboon and his accomplice Atid point to the entertainment system they bought with money stolen from Turkish tourists.
Both women of the second category had been charged with robbing Hakki Ikiz, a 44-year-old Turkish citizen, of 1,300 US dollars and 1,000 euros.
Police had seized evidence consisting of a 29-inch color TV, a DVD player with a set of speakers, a wooden bed, a sofa, and a quantity of cash, the goods having been bought with the proceeds of the robbery.
The two thieves said they had gone to three banks in Pattaya to change the money and then bought the items and taken them to a new leased room, number 422 on the fourth floor of Rainbow House. The money they had left over they divided and deposited in the bank against further expenses.
Pol Col Nopadon said that after receiving the report of the robbery, he had sent a team of regular and volunteer police officers to look for the two suspects, who had carried out similar crimes before and were on the Pattaya Police Station Black List.
The officers tracked them down but by that time they had spent most of the money.
The thieves admitted robbing Ikiz, saying they had seen him on the beach with his friend and two Thai women. They had gone up to him and solicited sex, touching his body and picking his pocket.
Police are inviting other victims of recent similar crimes to visit the station and see if they can identify the two, thereby adding to the charge sheet.

Seashore communities train for cyclone possibility

Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Sriracha Municipality organized a training session on September 23 to prepare the local communities for emergency evacuation in the event of a storm surge or cyclone.
Sriracha Deputy Mayor Thani Rattananon opened the course, which was attended by 30 representatives of the Julin and Mitr communities, which are located near the seashore.

Officials train people how to evacuate in the event of a cyclone or storm surge.

The reason for the training was to prepare for the danger of cyclones and storm surges, deemed to be high risk during this time of year.
Local residents were mindful of Cyclone Nargis, which struck Burma earlier this year, and in which the winds reached 100km per hour.
Although it is rare to experience winds like that on this part of the coast, the municipal authorities felt that precautions should be taken, and so organized the training session.

British man held on marijuana smuggling charges

Theerarak Suthatiwong
A British former police officer was arrested during the afternoon of September 22 on marijuana smuggling charges, following a hunt for him by the Narcotics Suppression Police.

Raymond Pearson has been arrested for alleged illegal possession of Class 5 narcotics, and for attempting to export the drugs.

Pol Col Ittipol Ittisarnronnachai, superintendent at Pattaya Immigration Bureau announced that Raymond Pearson, 57, had been arrested for illegal possession of Class 5 narcotics, and for attempting to export the drugs.
A warrant had been issued for Pearson by Pattaya City Court on August 19, and he was arrested from his rented room in Central Pattaya.
Pol Col Ittipol said that the Narcotics Suppression Police had sent an urgent official letter to Pattaya Immigration Bureau requesting that they find and detain Pearson, who was suspected of trying to export narcotics via air parcels.
Pearson apparently knew the police were on his trail, and went to earth at the Plaza Condominium, where the police found him. Pearson has denied all charges.

22 Uzbekistani women rounded up on prostitution charges

Boonlua Chatree
Twenty-two Uzbekistani women were arrested on Walking Street in the early hours of September 26 during a police sweep of the area.
Pol Col Nopadol Wongnom, superintendent at Pattaya Police Station led a team of officers and worked in conjunction with Pol Col Ittipol Ittisarnronnachai, superintendent of Pattaya Immigration Bureau, in an attempt to remove foreign prostitutes from Walking Street, following complaints that large numbers of Uzbekistani prostitutes had been causing a nuisance by approaching foreign tourists and soliciting them for sex.
Police arrested 22 Uzbekistani women between the ages of 20 and 36. They were named as Miss Kuneeza Alebexandra (31), Miss Hamidova Alkuza (25), Miss Nurikdinova Amira (27), Miss Kemulayiwa Kullandom (27), Miss Mamadova Lola (27), Miss Thermisowa Sokista (32), Miss Musabekova Feruza (26), Miss Safarova Iroda (27), Miss Besbova Lola (22), Miss Bakeva Umidakon (22), Miss Sumtafabeva Tilafras (21), Miss Rashidova Dilnosa (23), Miss Sharibova Mikina (21), Miss Mamataliawa Samira (18), Miss Deejumeva Yaldas (20), Miss Fesiyewa Saborahon (36), Miss Abdullasulova Tilshoa (21), Miss Aralova Umida (26), Miss Damleva Ferusa (18), Miss Kulamova Madbuma (34), Miss Radmatova Madire (30), and Miss Tokeva Ada (25).
The women denied the charges, claiming they were just ordinary tourists. However, after checking their records police discovered that each of them had been arrested before for prostitution. So they were all charged again.

Pol Col Nopadol Wongnom stands amongst
the 22 Uzbekistani women rounded up on prostitution charges.

Big fish give Bangsaen fishermen a scare

Patcharapol Panrak
We have heard of the big ones that got away but it’s not often that catching fish that are too big sends frightened fishermen hurrying back to the safety of the shore.
Yet another fishy tale? Not according to four lucky or unlucky fishermen who swore that it was exactly what had happened to them after dropping lines as usual in the sea off Bangsaen Beach. They had photos to prove it.

Catching larger than normal fish, and supposedly even bigger fish chasing the sent of blood, gave Bangsaen fishermen the heebie jeebies and they high-tailed it to shore.

One of the men, Pol. Sgt. Maj. Prawit Uthachan from the Saensuk Police Station, on his annual holidays, told this strange tale of the four of them in a small speedboat catching much bigger stingrays, snappers, sea bass and rabbit fish than the usual size on September 21, from a depth that was not all that deep.
Then a monster white snapper weighing more than 30 kilograms took the bait. The wide-eyed and sweaty fishermen struggled for more than an hour and had to use a boat hook to heave the fish into their small speedboat.
The fishermen then immediately hoisted anchor and sped back to shore with a boat laden with fish “because a large number of other big fish were following the scent of blood of the fish we caught, which has never happened before,” according to Prawit.
It was even stranger that four big whales were seen swimming offshore from Bangsaen Beach near an artificial reef where the men were fishing and the scene of their dramatic events.
Prawit was left pondering why the big fish had moved closer to shore, which was good for other fishermen, he said. His theories included changes in the earth magnetic field, that the whales had chased deep-sea fish closer to shore or that a big storm was brewing at sea.
Whatever is the real explanation, Prawit and his friends now have a real tall fishy tale to tell to all and sundry for some time to come yet.

Officials treat HIV orphans to lunch

Patcharapol Panrak
Charitable visitors brought with them much food and love for the HIV-positive orphans at the Sinapis Center of the Lorenzo Orphanage on September 20.
Namsilp Parnwichai, coordinator of a food for the children project, led a group of AIDS vaccination volunteers, Ministry of Public Health officials from Sattahip, Banglamung, Sriracha and Panthong and community leaders from Chonburi Province to the home.
In the group were also 20 staff members of a business company whose birthdays fell in September.
The visitors brought with them rice, dry food, stationery, toys, sanitary napkins and more, valued at 10,442 baht, for the 45 children there.
A good lunch was served to the orphans.
Jinda Leulai, director of the center in Panasnikom District, thanked the visitors and explained that the Lorenzo Home opened in 2001 to house children, from as young as 18 months to 10 years, who had contracted AIDS from their mothers and had been abandoned by their parents.
She said that her center continues to struggle to keep up with the increasing demand for orphanage places and urged that our pressing social problems of AIDS, family breakdowns and violence against children be addressed by all as a matter of priority.
She said that the Camillian Sisters had recently received a plot of land, donated by Boontham Kanlayangkun, which will help in the future provision of care for more HIV-positive orphans.
In the meantime, judging by the overflowing charitable goodwill evident at the lunch, prospects appear good for the children in the Lorenzo Orphanage.

Charitable visitors donate food and necessities to the HIV-positive orphans
 at the Sinapis Center of the Lorenzo Orphanage.

HRH Princes Soamsawalee helps northeast flood victims

Patcharapol Panrak
HRH Princess Soamsawalee has sent emergency survival parcels to victims of the flooding in Udon Thani and Khon Kaen provinces.

Sailors load up supplies destined for flood victims in the northeast.

Thousands of parcels, containing food and medicine, including 200 parcels for monks, were transported by a convoy of Royal Thai Navy trucks from the Utapao Air Base in Sattahip overnight to the northeastern provinces on September 19.
Somtawin Yangyoo, assistant secretary to Her Royal Highness, said HRH the Princess, as patroness of Friends in Need associated with the Thai Red Cross, saw the need to provide immediate relief to flood victims and mobilized the emergency help that was ably delivered by the Navy.

Banglamung information volunteers ready

Vimolrat Singnikorn
The Voluntary Association for Community Development and Security has been formed in Banglamung District as an exchange center using new information technology to promote communication within the community.

Yossapon Ohnta, head of the association.

Yossapon Ohnta, head of the association, met Mayor Itthipol Khunplome at city hall on September 18 to inform the mayor and to ask him to become honorary chairman of the association.
Yossapon said that the association will work for the residents of Banglamung to improve personal security, co-ordinate information about government services and the community’s needs both for the benefit of government and residents to ensure smoother functioning of the district.
Mayor Itthipol said that he was very pleased to have the opportunity to work with the voluntary association and he was prepared to support the association’s work in any way that he and the city could.

Students clean up Ban Ampor Beach

Patcharapol Panrak
National Youth Day saw students from Sattahip Wittayakom School rolling up their sleeves to clean up Ban Ampor Beach, a project co-organized with the Najomtien Sub-district Administrative Organization.

Students from Sattahip Wittayakom School help clean up Ban Ampor Beach on National Youth Day.

Sompong Sainapa, head of the Najomtien Sub-district Administrative Organization opened the event, along with Sattahip Wittayakom School director Chamnot Plong-Udom.
Students from eight classrooms at secondary school class 2 level took part in the project, clearing the beach of garbage.
Sompong said that Ban Ampor Beach is a favorite place for tourists, and generates income for the local community through the selling of seafood and souvenirs, and the business that visitors bring for the local shops. Keeping such a valuable asset clean was therefore important to the local community.

Culture sparkles in Sattahip

The colorful parade winds its way through the streets of Sattahip.

Patcharapol Panrak
The four geographic regions of Thailand were well represented in cultural form at the first “Thai culture in 100 states” show celebrated at Chumporn Park in Sattahip on September 19.
Folk dancers wearing colorful regional costumes sparkled on stage, northern hot-air lanterns floated in a competition and different traditional music was played by students using a large collection of Thai instruments.
Students from the Thai Alangkarn Theater performed folk dances indigenous to the local Bangsarae community. Regional foods and OTOP handicrafts completed the picture of a good cultural festival.
The show also commemorated HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s 53rd birthday.
Narong Theerajantarangkun, Sattahip district chief, opened the event.
Chaiyathep Boonlert, in charge of cultural activities in Sattahip, received good support from government, private organizations and associations when organizing the event.
Kampon Tansaja, owner of Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, helped in the presentation of the show including constructing the stage while Rear-Admiral Sriwisuth Ratarun, commander of the Sattahip Naval Base, placed Chumporn Park at their disposal.
Chaiyathep said that our young people are increasingly preoccupied with material things often at the expense of knowledge about their traditional culture and history.
It is important then to see this cultural show as a pilot project that would continue into the future, he said.

Youths representing the four geographic regions
of Thailand ready to parade through Sattahip.

Traditional music is played by students using
a large collection of Thai instruments.