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HM the King asks new government
to make peace its priority
In this photo released by the Royal Palace,
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, standing front row, and his cabinet
members listen to HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, left, during a swearing-in
ceremony at Chitralada Palace in Bangkok Monday, Dec. 22, 2008. (AP
Photo/Royal Palace, HO)
Bangkok (AP) - HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Monday asked the new
Cabinet to maintain stability and order. The revered monarch has called on
the new government to make peace its priority after months of protests that
divided the nation.
HM the King made the comments Monday at Chitralada Palace as he presided
over a swearing-in ceremony for the 36-member Cabinet led by Prime Minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva.
In his brief address, His Majesty the King said, “If you (ministers) perform
well, the country could maintain peace and this would be a blessing for the
country. It is what Thai people wish for.”
HM the King then went on to say that all Thais wanted to see the country to
stay in peace so that they can keep Thainess.
His comments came after months of silence about the turmoil in Thailand that
included an eight-day blockade of Bangkok’s airports earlier this month.
Abhisit was elected by Parliament last week as Thailand’s third leader in
four months.
By law, the coalition government under the ruling Democrat Party starts work
immediately after undertaking the swearing-in ceremony.
Pledging that he would strictly follow HM the King’s advice, Abhisit later
told journalists that he would try to bring unity back to the people so that
Thais and foreigners would have confidence in Thailand but the efforts could
“not be achieved without the cooperation of Thais nationwide.”
Abhisit said he and his cabinet wanted to assure everyone that the
government would work for the benefit of the people “on the condition that
people should help in building (the country).” (AP & TNA)
Big New Year countdown
at Bali Hai
(L to R) Rewat Pollook-In, deputy chief of the
Chonburi Provincial Administration Organization, Deputy Mayor Verawat
Khakhay, and Urit Nantasurasak, deputy chairman of Pattaya Council meet to
discuss the New Year countdown.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
It’s shaping to be the New Year countdown to end all countdowns as
Pattaya invests eight million baht to count out the last days of the year to
2009 at Bali Hai Pier.
Pattaya City is joining with Chonburi Administration, MCOT and GMM media in
organizing an enormous seven days and seven nights countdown to 2009,
starting on December 25 and continuing right through to New Year’s Eve,
December 31.
The big week will include performances by superstar artists and fireworks.
The event will officially start at 7:30 p.m. on December 25 at the 15-meter
high Christmas tree at Bali Hai pier.
Superstar artists from GMM media include Pang, Paradox, Sua Tanapol, Tik
Chiro, Boy, Peacemaker and The Star will perform and there will also be
traditional cultural shows.
There will be a daily fireworks display, beginning at 9.30 p.m., talent
contests, traditional Thai performances, raffles and shows.
The climax of the weeklong event will of course be the countdown to 2009,
when thousands fireworks from 15 different locations up and down the beach,
from North Pattaya through to South Pattaya, will be set off exactly as the
clock strikes midnight New Year’s Eve. The final events will be broadcast
live on Modern Nine TV from 22.30-1.00.
For those wishing to make merit in the morning on January 1, beginning at 7
am, seventy monks will be on the road collecting alms at 3 locations: Larn
Pho Naklua; at the Tourist Information Center Pattaya Beach Road before the
entrance to the Walking Street; and in front of Surf Kitchen on Jomtien
Beach Road.
“For this enormous celebration, we are hoping there will be over 500,000
foreign tourists gathering during the seven days and revenue of 200-300
million baht is expected to be generated,” Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay
said.
Utapao airport to be upgraded
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
The Royal Thai Navy, with financial support from Pattaya City, has
unveiled plans to upgrade Utapao Airport to international standard with the
new name of “Utapao-Pattaya International Airport.”
 Mayor
Itthipol Khunplome (left) and Rear-Admiral Varasak Junnoo, deputy commander
of the First Naval Area Command.
After its brief but crucial emergency role in the recent closures of
Bangkok’s two international airports, Mayor Itthipol Khunplome confirmed
that he was ready to support all requirements from the Navy for the airport
improvements, expected to be “of great benefit for Pattaya City and other
tourist destinations in the east.”
On December 9, Rear-Admiral Varasak Junnoo, deputy commander of the First
Naval Area Command, met the mayor at city hall to begin consultations on the
work.
The admiral said Utapao Airport is an important international airport under
the Royal Thai Naval Air Division, with the capability of being modified to
be an international commercial airport.
The terminal can be developed to support from 150 to 400 passengers with a
usable area of 2,610 square meters. This includes supporting 50 large
airplanes.
The airport has 3,505 x 60 meters of runway, a 432,300-square meter apron,
SSR air traffic control system, a fire engine, a security engine, an
ambulance, a cabin car, a compact garbage truck, a shuttle van and microbus.
“It will be another gate to Pattaya City and eastern provinces,” Varasak
said.
“The airport was used to process more than 60,000 stranded passengers in the
recent crisis but the terminal needs to be improved due to it being small
and lacking several pieces of modern equipment.”
Mayor Itthipol said that the airport has an advantage of being near several
tourist destinations in the eastern region. Several chartered flights from
Russia used it during the last portion of the year.
“If it can be modified to international standard then it will boost the
region’s economy. Pattaya City is ready to support upgrading work but this
matter still needs further consultation before the plan can be submitted for
Cabinet approval,” he said.
Pattaya rescues pawn shops
Vimolrat Singnikorn
As countries such as the United States go to the rescue of their banks and
the car industry, Pattaya City invests another 20 million baht in its
pawnshops to help them face the world economic slowdown.
 Pattaya
invests another 20 million baht on pawnshops during the economic slowdown.
Suchart Chootipongpisit, manager of the Pattaya Pawn Shop, met Mayor
Itthipol Khunplome on December 9 at Pattaya City Hall to sign loan documents
from a savings bank to the amount of 20 million baht as emergency investment
in pawnshops so they can in turn help their customers.
Suchart said during the New Year holidays many people working here need
extra money to go home to the provinces, which makes pawnshops very busy.
“The current economic crisis means more people would be in need of cash;
therefore pawnshops need to increase their money stock to deal with the
rush.”
The mayor said Pattaya City had already taken a loan from a bank to help the
pawnbrokers, making a total of 50 million baht which the city will pay back
in installments with a low interest of 1%.
Chonburi buses workers
home for New Year
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
The Chonburi transportation office has added more buses to the fleet
to transport workers back home to the provinces during the New Year
festival.
Chonburi’s administration wishes to ensure that workers from the provinces
will be able to return home during the holiday season by adding more buses
and manning checkpoints inspecting buses and drivers to ensure safe and
smooth operation.
 Officers
check the alcohol level of bus drivers.
On December 9 at the Rungrueang Bus station in North Pattaya, the
transportation office continued its campaign to reduce road accidents during
the festive season.
Jirut Visanjit, director of Chonburi transportation office, Nattachet
Kunakorn, general manager of Rungrueang Co. Ltd. and officials joined in to
inspect buses and drivers.
Jirut said that the checks began some three months earlier and they will
become more frequent during the holidays.
It is done to see that all buses are in good condition to transport
passengers. Drivers are checked for license and registration, physical
health, alcohol concentration and they undergo drug tests.
The Transport Ministry had announced they will try to make sure that
passengers are safe in their travels. Call center 1584 is available for
taking in complaints from passengers, including about price, stop points,
and inappropriate behavior of employees.
Jirut said buses are continually being inspected. Passengers are not being
charged for these services, plus they are served free water, cold towels,
and coffee on board.
Pattaya to “wow” tourists again
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Pattaya is set to wow tourists once again, this time Thais ahead
of foreign travelers given the state of the world’s economy.
Bangkok dwellers are being targeted by substantial promotions by Pattaya
which hopes to boost local tourism to replace international arrivals, or
the current lack of them.
 Tourists
are wide-eyed at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo booth.
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Pattaya City and Central World
Bangkok collaborated in organizing the Wow Pattaya promotion at Central
World Bangkok December 12-14.
Ronakit Ekasingh, deputy mayor of Pattaya, and Niti Kongkrut, director
of TAT Pattaya, opened the expo comprising of booths of 44 hotels, 19
tourists destinations and many more programs during the three days.
The show was divided into three zones:
Wow Natural promoted Underwater World Pattaya, Burapa University Aquatic
Institute, Sriracha Tiger Zoo, Khao Kheow Zoo, Nong Nooch Tropical
Gardens, Heaven Under Ocean, Stone Park and Pattaya Crocodile Farm.
Wow Art and Culture promoted Sachatam Castle, Art in a Bottle Museum,
Baan Sukaawdee, Miniature City, Water Market, Sudtangrak Restaurant,
Potiwej Traditional Massage and Pattaya Club.
Wow Entertainment promoted Alangkarn Theatre, Alcazar Pattaya, Tiffany’s
Show, Ripley’s World, Tuxedo Magic Castle, Live Play and Eastern Golf
Club.
Organizers hope Thai tourists will say “Wow!” to all these many
attractions as well.
Police more vigilant
for festive New Year
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Pattaya Police have announced more vigilant control measures for
the safety of celebrants during the New Year Festival.
 Pol.
Col. Somnuk Changate, superintendent of Banglamung police station, shows a
sticker for making contact and reporting mishaps.
The Pattaya Business and Tourism Association attended a meeting with police
to discuss measures to secure life and property during the tourism season
and festivities. Members discussed the CCTV project for better protection in
the streets.
The meeting at the Green Park Resort attended by Banglamung District Chief
Mongkol Thamakittikhun, Niti Kongkrut, director of the TAT Pattaya Office,
Jamroon Wisawachaipan, president of the Pattaya Business and Tourism
Association, Pol. Col. Somnuk Changate, superintendent at the Banglamung
Police Station, Pol. Lt. Col. Sutham Chaosrithong, deputy superintendent at
the Pattaya Police Station, Pol. Lt. Col. Suwan Un-anan, inspector at
Pattaya Tourist Police, Pattaya Immigration, Sattahip Police and hotel
representatives.
Pol. Col. Somnuk said recent political troubles have caused more
unemployment and increased crime. The Banglamung Police Station does not
have a large enough police force and always needs support from other
sectors, such as the Civil Defense Volunteers, administrators and municipal
officers and residents to report criminal activities.
Pol. Lt-Col. Sutham said Pattaya police and volunteer police man checkpoints
on the main roads to suppress crime throughout the city.
Pol. Lt-Col. Suwan said Tourist Police and Immigration officers try to
support tourists in all ways to ensure their safe and pleasant stay in
Pattaya.
People at the meeting discussed CCTV to monitor the beach front and the main
roads, manned by shifts of police officers.
Motorcyclist snatches
Italian’s gold chain
Boonlua Chatree
A young motorcyclist snatched a gold necklace worth 200,000 baht
from an Italian man riding pillion on another motorcycle and escaped in the
busy midday traffic on Thepprasit Road.
 Pianthong
and Luca report the theft to police.
At 12.30 p.m. on December 12, Pol. Lt-Col. Ekadit Srimul, stationed at the
Dongtan police station, received a report from Pianthong Buatik, 30, that
she was riding a motorbike to Jomtien Beach with her husband Corago Luca,
43, from Chokchai Village, as her passenger.
When they arrived at the Thepprasit crossroad to Soi Khor Pai a man
approximately 20 years old rode up on a black and blue Honda and pulled off
her husband’s gold necklace before speeding away in the direction of the
Grand Condo.
Luca stated that he had purchased this gold necklace in Italy and offered a
reward to anyone who can provide information leading to the capture of the
chain thief and the return of his property.
Police launched an immediate search in vain and are continuing their
investigation.
Pakistanis charged with selling sex pills
Boonlua Chatree
Undercover police arrested two Pakistani citizens on December 12,
charging both with selling a large amount of illegal sexual enhancement
drugs to foreign tourists.
 Shahid
Aziz (left) and Usman Talat (right) have been remanded to custody for
allegedly selling ED drugs to undercover police.
Muhammad Usman Talat, 26, and Shahid Aziz, 36, were charged with possessing
35 packs of Penigra, 90 Cialis packs, 125 packs of Viagra and 95 packs of
Kamagra. Each packet of the drugs contains four pills.
The police charges relate to possession of medicine illegally imported to
avoid duty fees and illegal distribution of pharmaceuticals with no detailed
product registrations.
Undercover police had set up an appointment to buy sexual enhancement drugs
for 60,000 baht allegedly from the accused at the Bang Jak Gasoline
Station’s parking lot in North Pattaya. Police said the two men turned up at
the appointed time and were arrested with the drugs.
Pol. Col. Krit Wongrit, commander of Tourist Police Headquarters 2, said
that Pol. Maj-Gen. Atthakrit Thareechat, commander of the Tourist Police,
had ordered the strict cleanout of illegal foreign distributors of sexual
enhancement drugs in Pattaya City. The operation will be expanded to the
rest of the country as well.
Police crack down
on holiday crime
Staff reporters
Commander of the Royal Thai Police in Region 2, Pol. Maj-Gen.
Theerayut Kittiwat, has ordered the “cleaning out of all criminals” during
New Year Festival.
 Pol.
Maj-Gen. Theerayut Kittiwat, commander of the Region 2 Police.
He ordered officers to stringently perform their duties including not
leaving their area of responsibility accept in the events of private
emergency or illness. All available police must be on duty, he said.
On December 16 the commander said many more checkpoints, including mobile
ones, were in operation.
As this may annoy all of the road users, police wished to apologize for it.
This is being done to protect the public against criminals, especially those
with firearms and narcotics.
Regarding traffic during the New Year Festival, police checkpoints will
check for alcohol and drink-driving.
Pol. Maj-Gen Bandit Khunachak, commander of the Chonburi Provincial Police,
said that the order from the commander of Region 2 is being implemented to
crack down on criminals and narcotics.
He said crimes such as gold snatching, car and motorbike theft, plundering
and stealing were on the increase due to more people being unemployed.
“Police officers must use all methods to protect people,” he said.
Former police charged
with ya ba dealing
Boonlua Chatree
A former Pattaya police officer was arrested allegedly with 450 ya
ba pills in his pick-up truck at a police checkpoint on Pattaya 3rd Road on
December 16.
 Police
take Narongrit into custody.
Pol. Capt. Wuthipat Napachot, deputy traffic inspector at the Pattaya Police
Station, was leading police and volunteer officers at a checkpoint to
inspect motorbikes and vehicles in front of Soi Kaorai and Pattaya 3rd Road
in Central Pattaya.
They stopped a pickup truck driven by Narongrit Sengrodrat, 36, of Huayyai,
at 11 p.m. Police said while they were searching the vehicle, Narongrit
threw something onto the road under the truck.
Officers allegedly found a large bag of ya ba pills there and also three
packets in the pickup, confiscating 450 ya ba pills in total and 6,600 baht
in cash as evidence.
Narongrit said that he worked as a Pattaya police officer two years ago and
that the pickup belonged to a brother.
According to police, the accused had used the vehicle to go to buy ya ba
from a teenage distributor on Jomtien Beach to sell, some of the pills
having already been sold before he was arrested at the checkpoint.
The accused said the reason for him keeping business cards of newspaper
reporters in the vehicle was “for insurance to prevent police from arresting
him.”
Thousands of children immunized against polio
Parents bring in their
children to register for the first polio vaccination.
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Some 2,000 Pattaya residents brought in their children for their
first polio vaccination at the Pattaya Public Health Center as a big
vaccination campaign gets underway to eradicate the disease.
 Pratheep
Malhotra, district governor of Rotary International District 3340, joins in
to administer drops to a youngster.
On December 17 the health center was open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for children
under five years of age. Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn chaired the
opening of the polio vaccination campaign.
Apichart Puetpan, deputy city manager, Pratheep Malhotra, district governor
of Rotary International District 3340, President Gerard Porcon and a
contingent of Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Pattaya, city councilors and
officials also attended.
The first vaccination day saw many Thai and foreign parents bringing their
children in for vaccinations. KFC contributed games to occupy children,
Pattaya Arunothai School staff and students and Rotarians were also on hand
to help.
 Say
ahhh - Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn helps the vaccination process.
Deputy Mayor Wutisak said polio was a significant cause of disabilities
through muscular paralysis. The virus affects nerves governing the muscles
in the limbs and those used for breathing. This causes respiratory
difficulties and paralysis of the arms and legs.
The eradication of polio is an important goal for the Public Health
Department and was started according to National Public Health Development
Action Plan 6.
He said the eradication of polio was a duty requiring cooperation from the
entire world. The Department of Pubic Health in Pattaya realized the greater
risks from this disease in the transient and migratory population of
Pattaya.
Na-Anya Chantrakat, head of the Bureau for the Protection Against and
Control of Contagious Diseases in Pattaya, said that this vaccination
campaign for children under 5 will protect our most vulnerable.
Polio vaccination drops are available at the health center as well as
through a polio vaccination service in 20 schools in the city. Community
volunteers also administer the drops in 27 Pattaya communities as do 28
school-nurseries, she said.
Next January 14 public health officials and volunteers will visit worker
camps, homeless people and foreign workers on Soi Phothisarn. Vaccination
visits in other areas will service children who can’t come to the health
center.
DG Pratheep Malhotra stated, “Since 1985 Rotary International’s Polio Plus
program has actively worked with WHO, UNICEF and International Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention to eradicate this dreadful disease. Since
then Rotarians have raised and donated more than US$800 million towards the
program and have immunized more than 2 billion children. The eradication of
polio is of the highest priority for us Rotarians. It is a promise we made
to the children of the world and we have to keep that promise.”
Students from Arunothai School
Pattaya perform
a traditional music and dance show.
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