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City wins bronze for
being disabled friendly
(L to R) Pannee Limcharoen, director of the
Pattaya Public Works Office, Chanansa Suttithamrongsawat, city councilor,
(back row) teacher Samrit Chapirom, teacher Suporntham Mongkolsawat, Mayor
Itthipol Khunplome, and Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn display the award.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
After Pattaya City won a bronze prize for providing good access at
its offices for disabled users in a nation-wide competition, the city mayor
vows to do better and aims to win first prize in the award next year.
A bronze honorary plate and 10,000 baht in cash were awarded by the 2008
Friendly Official Location for Disabled People competition run by the
Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.
Other organizations and businesses in Pattaya also won prizes for providing
good access for disabled people: the Alangkarn Theater won 3rd prize in the
tourist destination category, the Hard Rock Hotel won 2nd prize in the
accommodation category and the Pattaya Redemptorists won 2nd prize as a
foundation for disabled people.
Pattaya Underwater World, Royal Cliff Beach Hotel, Diana Garden Resort, Best
Western Pattaya and Marriot Resort and Spa in Pattaya won consolation prizes
in the hotel establishment category.
The results of the contest were officially announced on September 23 at
Government House by the Minister of Social Development and Human Security
who presented awards to winners.
There were 109 private and government organizations throughout Thailand
participating in this competition. They were divided into categories for
judging: 65 government buildings, 6 educational buildings, 8 tourist
destinations, 12 hotels and 18 other places such as hospitals, shopping
centers and gas stations.
“The prize is a positive beginning and our city now plans to ensure that
facilities such as sanitation, roads and public ramps at both private and
government organizations cater well for the disabled wherever possible,”
said the mayor.
Community concerns over new pier
Pramote Channgam
Plans for a large new pier and marina for sporting and leisure craft
on Pattaya Beach are being discussed but the proposed project is already
meeting initial community opposition.
 Kampanart
Cheewapreecha, managing director of Golden Plan Company.
Research is focused on the beach in front of the Marine Rescue Office (to
the left of the Bali Hai Pier) as the location for the constructing of a
pier able to service up to 200 12-30-meter long boats. Connected to the pier
would be a series of 1.8-2.4 meters wide concrete buoys with expanded
polystyrene each able to dock 30 to 42 boats.
There would be hoisting facility for boats, a fuel station and a
multi-purpose building at the marina that will cost 684 million baht to
build.
The Department of Maritime Transportation and Commerce has engaged Golden
Plan Co. Ltd., C Spectrum Co., Ltd. and STS Engineering Consultants Co.,
Ltd. to research the construction of four new piers, two in the Gulf of
Thailand and two on the Andaman Sea coast.
The consultants recommended the construction of one of the piers on Pattaya
Beach.
The Marine Department and Pattaya City organized a seminar to present
research results to the community on October 7 in the Thappraya meeting room
at city hall, chaired by Mayor Itthipol Khunplome.
Pongwan Jarudaecha, director of the Survey and Engineering Bureau,
Department of Maritime Transportation and Commerce, and officials of the
construction companies outlined details to interested parties from the
community.
But most of the views aired at the meeting disagreed with the project,
citing concerns ranging from the effect of waves against the embankment and
beach erosion to spoiling the scenery of the location.
Calls were made for further research to be done on the impact of the pier
before any decisions are taken.
PAD pickets Banglamung police station
PAD members picket Banglamung
police station,
protesting the recent violence in Bangkok.
Theerarak Suthatiwong
100 Pattaya-Naklua People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) members,
some clad in black, held wreaths and placards in front of the Banglamung
police station on October 12 to protest the recent violent police action in
Bangkok before going to the capital to continue their protest at Government
House there.
Speaking for the protesters, Srisuda Ratchaniyom and Wanchai Prayoonsirisak
said the group wanted to make very clear their objection against the
“shameful action” of police using “chemical weapons and violence” to
disperse the protesters in Bangkok on the evening October 7, killing two PAD
members and injuring many others.
“The government must accept responsibility for the harm and destruction
inflicted by the teargas and bombs that police fired at protesters,” said
Srisuda.
“Police propaganda that the bomb which went off was being carried by the
protesters themselves wouldn’t convince even a kindergarten child. Who would
believe that people would bring a bomb to blow themselves up?” asked Srisuda
as she boarded a bus to Bangkok to continue her fight there.
Concern persists over
drop in Asian tourists
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
The 80% reduction in incoming tourism to Pattaya during this high
season from Asian countries due to Thailand’s chaotic political situation
was the subject of a brain-storming session by Pattaya City and tourism
officials on October 9.
 Deputy
Mayor Verawat Khakhay chairs the discussion.
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay reported that the country’s political
instability has badly affected our Asian tourism markets of China, Taiwan,
South Korea, Vietnam and Hong Kong.
He echoed the rising concern in Pattaya’s business and accommodation sectors
over the sharp drop in visitor numbers.
The meeting at city hall, attended by Chamrun Wisawachaiyapan, chairman of
the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association and other members, and Niti
Kongkrut, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Region 3, came
up with some solutions.
Four ideas to bring tourists back were discussed: a leaflet with a detailed
map of Pattaya to be made available to tourists at Suvarnabhumi Airport,
tourism promotions for festivities such as Loy Krathong, Halloween and New
Year celebrations, more advertising by Pattaya City and TAT Pattaya aimed at
the domestic market and promotion booths in Bangkok’s department stores.
Verawat reported that Pattaya’s latest promotion at the Queen Sirikit
Convention Center, for example, attracted good response with many domestic
tourists purchasing tour packages.
Challenges remain ahead for 2009 with the high prices of fuel, the turmoil
in international economy as well as our political problems, Deputy Mayor
Verawat foreshadowed.
Political Development Council urges peace
The Political Development
Council
is calling for an end to politically motivated violence.
Theerarak Suthatiwong
The Political Development Council met to elect Dr Suchit
Boonbongkarn as its chairman and drafted a 5-point plan for peaceful
progress in Thai politics when it met in Banglamung on October 12.
Son Roobsung and Laddawan Tantivittayapitak were first and second
runners-up in the election and became vice-chairpersons of the council
at the meeting held at the Side Pattaya Hotel.
The new Thai constitution provides for the establishment of this
independent and non-governmental body, set up by the Political
Development Council Act of 2008, to promote political participation in
the country from the grass-roots level.
The council has a charter to draw up political master plans that would
embody the democratic aspirations of Thai people and recommend them to
the government to point the direction of future political development.
Dr Suchit said the council consisted of a total of 120 members drawn
from representatives of people in 76 provinces and all sectors of Thai
society including private citizen associations, academics and heads of
Election Commission of Thailand, National Anti-Corruption Commission
Office, National Ombudsman Office and the Community Organization
Development Institute.
Dr Suchit said that the council was very disturbed by the political
violence when Thais were fighting Thais in a way that had never happened
before. The council had drafted the following five guidelines to be
applied to our political process:
1. All must stop doing anything that causes loss of life of innocent
citizens.
2. Protest must be peaceful without any weapons. The council recommends
that peaceful protests be confined to particular locations, avoiding
confrontations.
3. Authorities must perform their duties peacefully according to the law
without violence against legitimate protests, the government being
responsible both morally and legally for any injuries and loss of life
of citizens.
4. Opponents of the government should send representatives to negotiate
with the government to find peaceful ways to solve the nation’s
problems. This council is willing to be arbitrator in such talks.
5. People who agree with these recommendations by the council are
invited to help spread the word for a peaceful resolution through all
means at their disposal.
Pattaya aims to be IT city
Pramote Channgam
The progress to make Pattaya “a complete IT city” headed a full
agenda of priority issues requiring decisions of city planners at their
meeting on October 10.
 Mayor
Itthipol Khunplome (left) and Dr. Witsanu Palayanon (right), president of
the Pattaya Strategic Council, chair the meeting.
The topics keeping the councilors busy are: a cable car, the traffic problem
on Sukhumvit Road, water supply and protection against floods, the
environment and the beach, the development of Pattaya IT, tourism promotion,
development of the city plan, alternative energy resources, accommodation
for low-income residents and education.
The large meeting was attended by Mayor Itthipol Khunplome, Dr. Witsanu
Palayanon, president of the Pattaya Strategic Councilors, the strategic
committee, deputy mayors and council members from 14 zones.
A sub-committee was created to make recommendations back to council.
TOT (Public) Co., Ltd. and CAT Telecom Public Company Limited co-operated to
submit their proposal to provide a WI-FI system to integrate into the city’s
IT network using fiber optic cable.
TOT proposes a 1Mb wireless network integrated into the city’s security
system of CCTV, online payments and tourist services on Pattaya Beach.
The planned network starts from the Dusit Thani Hotel and extends to South
Pattaya, a distance of 2.7 km. The city can also have a wireless internet
network covering the beach and be the first to have such provision in the
country.
CAT Telecom meanwhile plans to develop a 10Mb fiber optic ADSL cable
connection to all housing. When completed within 10 months, Pattaya will be
the first location in Thailand to have complete wireless internet coverage
and be well on the road towards being “a complete IT city.”
Police celebrate their day
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Eight outstanding Banglamung police officers received certificates
of merit, whilst other officers received promotions and 97 children of
police officers received secondary school scholarships on National Police
Day, October 13.
 Pol.
Col. Sarayuth Sanguankokai (right), Superintendent of Banglamung Police
presents a certificate to Pol. Lt. Col. Kunawuth Maetheepittinan.
Pol. Col. Sarayuth Sanguankokai, Superintendent of Banglamung Police,
chaired the ceremony to present certificates of merit to: Pol. Lt. Col.
Kunawuth Maetheepittinan, Pol. Sen. Sgt. Maj. Surapon Srihon, Pol. Sen. Sgt.
Maj. Thanat Sripraman, Pol. Sen. Sgt. Maj. Pramote Pimpisen, Pol. Sen. Sgt.
Maj. Samarn Paratpan, Pol. Sen. Sgt. Maj. Prakob Kamsoda, Pol. Sen. Sgt.
Yuthapon Boonkerd, and Pol. Sen. Sgt. Maj. Somkiet Emyaem.
At the opening of the ceremony a letter from Pol. Gen. Patcharawat
Wongsuwan, Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, was read to the
gathering.
The letter quoted a message that His Majesty the King gave on the occasion
of the 100th anniversary of the Royal Police Cadet Academy, which urged
police officers to perform their duties to the best of their capacity, using
strength, patience and sacrifice for the good of the nation.
Food was offered to monks to mark this day when the police force took stock
of its own strength and achievements.
Lightning razes new director’s house
Firefighters and neighbors
look on in disbelief after lightning struck the house, causing it to be
gutted by fire.
Patcharapol Panrak
A bolt of lightning scored a direct hit on the house belonging to
the Director of the Chonburi College of Agriculture and Technology, which
was then destroyed by fire on October 12, only 11 days after the new
director started his new work and took up residence there.
Fortunately for him, the director, Wanchai Tomee, 44, was working at his
office elsewhere and escaped harm. Damage is estimated at about 400,000
baht.
After chief of the Najomtien Sub-district Sompong Sainapa alerted police,
three fire engines took an hour to douse the fire but little of the house
could be saved.
There had been much rain and severe electrical storms on previous days but
neighboring residents were convinced that it was not an auspicious time for
the new director to move in - hence the freak direct hit by lightning.
Pattaya Immigration
police win top award
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
The Pattaya Immigration Office has won the top award for excellence
as a people’s police station for 2008.
 Pol.
Col. Itthipol Ittisarnronnachai, Superintendent at the Pattaya Immigration
Bureau, proudly displays the award.
Pol. Gen. Patcharawat Wongsuwan, Commander of the Royal Thai Police,
presented the award to Pol. Col. Itthipol Ittisarnronnachai, Superintendent
at Pattaya Immigration, on National Police Celebration Day, October 13.
Col. Itthipol said that the Police Station for the People Project was
established in 1998 to judge performances of the three wings of police
administration: immigration, investigation and border patrol.
This is the first year that Pattaya Immigration Bureau has been selected
best immigration office in the country, he said.
Judging was based on many criteria such as human resources management, IT
system and equipment, cooperation with other government organizations,
budget control and community relations, said Col. Itthipol.
Tiger the tomcat rescued
Theerarak Suthatiwong
For Tiger the Romeo tomcat, a late-night out in his Naklua
neighborhood to seek female companionship went badly wrong on October 16.
 A
rescuer surveys the situation before he and his colleagues were able to free
the impaled frisky feline.
Miss-timing a simple jump over the fence that was no doubt accomplished many
times before with eyes shut, Tiger’s right back leg became impaled on the
fence, leaving the cat caught there, mewing mournfully and struggling for
several hours with its head hanging downward.
It was left to good neighbor 70-year-old Thongyhib Sroisri in Naklua to call
for urgent assistance from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue
Foundation, who promptly sent rescuers to the scene.
After a bit of a struggle, rescuers finally managed to free the cat. Tiger’s
keeper, 60-year-old Mrs. Supab Srireung, eventually learned of the accident
and took the cat to get medical treatment.
Tiger’s wound turned out to be not too bad, but the vet said he should take
it easier for a while. Female company will have to wait just a little
longer.
British bomb expert dies of natural causes
Boonlua Chatree
A former British explosive expert working with Thai police, Michael
Leonard Brewer, has passed away aged 54.
He had suffered from cirrhosis of the liver in the past four years and died
peacefully at his home in Naklua on October 10.
His wife Jintana said that Brewer was treated at Pattaya Memorial Hospital
two days before he died but refused to be admitted there.
Well-loved and respected by his colleagues, Jintana said her husband had
worked as a bomb expert with Thai police and was also a volunteer police
advisor and English interpreter at the Pattaya police station under
Superintendent Pol. Col. Noppadon Wongnom.
Officials in a quandary
over illegal tour guides
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
The continuing problem of illegal tour guides still occupies the authorities
with no solution in sight.
It is a common complaint by Thai tour companies that some 50% of tour guides
working in Pattaya are unlicensed Thai guides or foreigners working
illegally as guides, usually for visitors of the same nationalities from
European and Asian countries.
 Apichart
Puetpan adjourns the meeting.
A meeting on the issue at Pattaya City Hall was attended by deputy city
clerk, Apichart Puetpan, Banglamung deputy district chief, the Tourism
Authority of Thailand (TAT), Pattaya Immigration Bureau, police and tour
company staff on October 8.
The Department of Employment of the Chonburi Provincial Administration
reported that it had received many more complaints about the increasing
number of illegal tour guides who were taking jobs away from licensed Thai
guides.
The complaints specified illegal Russian tour guides and those guides
working in tour groups from Scandinavia, France and Germany. Previously the
problem with illegal tour guides was confined to Asian tour groups such as
those from China and Korea.
Niti Kongkrut, director of the TAT’s Region 3 office, said that this had
been a chronic problem for some time because foreign guides did not know
enough about Thai history and culture and therefore gave misleading
information to visitors.
The dilemma is that if the authorities strictly suppress these foreign
guides, that may also affect tourism because many foreign tourists prefer
guides who speak their native languages and not English. Therefore the
matter should be under careful consideration so that it will affect tourism
in the least possible way, Niti said.
Pol. Maj. Thanapat Premsuk from the Pattaya Immigration Bureau said a
foreigner who works as a guide contravenes the Alien Employment Act BE 2521
and if caught would be prosecuted according to the law.
As to the consequences of enforcing this law on tourism, it was the
responsibility of other associated departments but police must do their
work, he said.
The meeting was adjourned to another date at the Immigration Bureau without
firm conclusions.
Campaign underway to
treat cataracts for elderly
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Elderly patients in the Pattaya region will be checked by doctors to
see whether they require surgery to remove eye cataracts in a health
campaign to commemorate the HM the King’s 80th birthday.
Bangkok Hospital Pattaya is working with Pattaya City to check elderly
patients in North, Central and South Pattaya, along with Naklua and Ban
Nork. Fifty out of a total of 250 cataracts patients from each area have
been seen by doctors with the remaining patients to be checked later.
Surgery will be performed on those who need it in a project funded by the
national health insurance scheme.
Cataracts patients lined up to have their eyes checked in a ceremony on
October 10 at city hall, chaired by Mayor Itthipol Khunplome and attended by
Dr Pichit Kangwolkij, director of Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, Deputy Mayor
Verawat Khaki, Dr Pipat Anuchatrakun, an ophthalmologist at the hospital,
and others.
The campaign based at the hospital will also cover needy elderly people in a
wider area of Banglamung, Sattahip, Chonburi and Rayong.
Hospital director Dr Pichit said many older people suffer from cataracts
when the lens of their eyes become opaque which, if left untreated, could
lead to blindness.
Surgery being performed is of the usual high standard provided at his
hospital by its team of ophthalmologists, he said.
Elderly patients prepare for
eyes exams to check for cataracts.
Minister opens travel seminar
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
While opening the travel seminar of the Federation of Thai Tourism
Associations (FETTA) in Pattaya, the Minister of Tourism and Sports Veerasak
Kowsurat looked forward to an improvement in Thai politics, acknowledging
that recent violent events had adversely affected our tourism.
 Veerasak
Kowsurat (right), Minister of Tourism and Sports, greets entrepreneurs
participating in the table-top sale event.
He told the seminar at the Dusit Thani Hotel Pattaya that measures were
being taken to try to repair our image in the eyes of the foreign press but
that there is some way to go.
Veerasak said he had an opportunity to meet a total of 1,207 mass media
representatives from around the world who were invited to come to Thailand
by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to witness the opening of
Thailand Tourism Year.
He used that occasion to answer their questions, explaining to them that
most tourist areas are not affected by the political violence in the
capital. He said that the foreign reporters were then taken around the
country, including Bangkok, to see the situation for themselves.
“We need to hold our breath a little longer,” the minister said.
FETTA is made up of five travel associations: Association of Thai Travel
Agents (ATTA), Thai Hotels Association (THA), Thai Travel Agents Association
(TTAA), Association for Domestic Travel (ADT) and Thai Eco-tourism Adventure
Travel Association (TEATA).
These associations work together to survey and develop tourist destinations
and exchange tourism goods amongst themselves, including dealing directly
with local tourism entrepreneurs.
There was a table-top sale of more than 200 programs and packages among
hotel entrepreneurs at the seminar.
The associations vow to work together to try to improve the current tourism
situation.
Mardi gras to launch
new Central store
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
A colorful Mardi gras parade on Pattaya Beach will open in style the
new seafront hotel and shopping mall being built by the Central Department
Store group when they open for business on January 15, 2009.
But the big festive celebration itself will continue for two months from
January 1 to March 1 with the Pattaya Mardi Gras being planned as an annual
tourist draw.
A “fantasy parade with light and sound effects” complete with vehicular
floats will lead the parade along city roads while elsewhere there will be a
beach parade, sports, seafood stalls and a foam party.
A cabaret parade will sway forth in the night to the sound of music
performed on stage by well-known artists, past beach sculptures of marine
animals and a lighthouse.
Dr. Nattakit Tangpoonsinthan, assistant marketing manager for Central
Business Center Pattaya, said the company is spending 7 billion baht to
build “Central Festival Pattaya Beach”, comprising a large department store
and a 5-star hotel on Beach Road.
The new Central mall has space of 210,000 square meters ready to accommodate
200 top of the line stores, well-known Italian restaurants, brand name
fashion stores and 2,000 parking spaces. In the complex will also be an IT
Center, an entertainment center, a tourist information center, a fitness
center, a spa and an evening market, Nattakit said.
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