Police question the suspects.

Theerarak Suthatiwong
Four Cambodian women and one man were questioned by police over the alleged exploitation of five Cambodian children, aged only 5-11 years, by forcing them to become street urchins to sell, beg and annoy all in the city’s entertainment areas.
Supakorn Noja, director of the Children and Women’s Protection and Development Center in Chonburi, received complaints from residents about the children living in Soi Mabyailia 24 in Nongprue.
Police found Chantee, 42, Mom, 22, Kaew, 40, Muay, 25, and Rid, 23, living with four girls and a boy. Officers found three Polaroid cameras in the room.
Supakorn said she knew from an investigation that these children were beggars and sellers of trinkets in clubs and bars and on Walking Street in the evening, annoying everyone with their persistence.
She said the kids were often cruelly beaten if they could not make enough money or refused to go out to work.
Pol. Lt-Col. Kreetha Tankanarak said that Chantee denied hitting or forcing the children and that all of the children were their relatives.
But police said they had enough witnesses and evidence to proceed with their action against the Cambodian gang.
Welfare officers are searching for the families of these young children.

British volunteer police held

Boonlua Chatree
Two transvestites filed a complaint against a British Volunteer Pattaya Police helper for brutality and causing injuries, including spraying pepper spray into their eyes.
On February 25 Pol. Lt-Col. Samroeng Ratananam at the Pattaya Police Station received a report from Boonchuay Srikeaw, 20, from Nakhon Ratchasima, and Warawut Boonkusol, 20, from Nongchok, who accused Paul Anthony Harrison, 49, of injuring them by grabbing their hair and using his knee to attack them, then also using pepper spray on their faces.

The alleged victims hold up a can of pepper spray they say was used on them by a Tourist Police volunteer.

They confirmed this with evidence of a pepper spray bottle that they collected from the scene.
The transvestites said they were hanging around Beach Road at the beginning of Soi 13 with several transvestites friends when a tourist approached and proposed sex.
While they were talking to the tourist, a woman who was standing nearby warned the man that the transvestites were not real women.
The two transvestites became angry and started to argue with her. As the situation got worse, Paul Harrison was passing by and rushed in to stop the argument.
The “women-of-the-second-category” said Harrison didn’t spend any time listening to their story but instead immediately took the side of the real woman.
He then allegedly proceeded to grab their hair and used his knee to attack them. They said he also used pepper spray on their faces, causing their eyes to become irritated and they had to run away.
Later Harrison came to the police station with his volunteer police friends, and wearing his uniform. When questioned, Harrison allegedly confessed that he had needed to use pepper spray, but only to try to keep them under control.
The transvestites also said they were often teased by foreign police volunteers and couldn’t bear it anymore. They said that they should not be discriminated against and made fun of especially by police and they wanted to press charges.
Pattaya Tourist Police asked Harrison to remain at the police station to help them with their enquiries.
Police took the transvestites to the hospital to check on their injuries and will continue to question witnesses.

Beggar leaves police holding baby

Theerarak Suthatiwong
A young woman beggar abandoned her 6-month-old infant with police and escaped when brought in to be fined for being a street nuisance.

Police were left holding this baby after the beggar woman they attempted to arrest escaped, leaving the baby behind.

At 5 a.m. on February 20, Pol. Lt-Col. Prachuab Sentha at the Pattaya Police Station was told by Nopadon Putsuwan of Pattaya Municipality Police that he had arrested a female beggar with an infant on Walking Street in South Pattaya.
Before she could be questioned at the municipal police box at Bali Hai Pier, the woman asked to go to toilet but then vanished, leaving police holding the baby.
Nopadon said while he was on patrol with other officers he heard of a 20-year-old woman carrying a baby and begging for money from tourists.
Police said the woman may be one of the group of beggars who seek money on Pattaya streets and lived at the Chinese graveyard at the Naklua Market.
Police said the infant was most likely not her own child because the woman should have known that officers would just allow her to pay a fine and go.
The baby was sent to social welfare for temporary care and to try to find its family.

Sattahip police raid karaoke bar

Police test workers’ urine for signs of drugs. Evidently none was found.

Patcharapol Panrak
With angry residents in tow, police raided a karaoke bar at the Ekthanee Market (Km 10) in Sattahip after the locals complained in writing to the district chief that the bars around the market were openly hiring out rooms for prostitution.
The owner of a karaoke bar was brought back to the police station because she did not have the proper license, but no one had yet been arrested for prostitution.
At 12.30 a.m. on February 24, Sattahip District Chief Chaichan Iam-charoen sent Surachet Kaewkham, deputy district chief for Protection and Suppression, leaders of resident groups and 10 Plutaluang police officers to inspect entertainment establishments in Soi Ekthanee Market in Plutaluang Sub-district.
The team raided Nong Om Karaoke, surprising some 20 waitresses who were lounging outside the venue, most of whom fled out the back door, leaving only seven women behind to face police.
Police inspected their ID cards and tested their urine.
Bar owner Angkana Seechantra, 43, from Pathum Thani, could not show a license for the bar and was escorted into custody by Pol. Maj. Pongrapee Loisai-Or to the Plutaluang Police Station and charged with running an illegal entertainment business.
Police said alleged prostitution activities will be investigated further and the establishment will immediately be closed down if there is any evidence of that.

US ambassador visits orphans, holds roundtable discussions with media

Staff reporters
His Excellency the US Ambassador to Thailand Eric G. John and his wife Sophia visited 100 orphans at the Pattaya Orphanage Foundation on February 24.
Later the same day, the ambassador invited the local media to a round table at Marriott Resort & Spa.

H.E. Eric G. John, US Ambassador to Thailand, and his wife Sophia receive flowers from the children.
Fr. Michael Weera Phangrak, Pattaya Orphanage director, and Cynthia Brown, assistant information officer, greeted the ambassador and his wife in the orphanage reception area. The special visitors then received a warm welcome and beautiful white garlands from the small children.
Fr. Michael Weera Phangrak also presented the ambassador and his wife a book on the orphanage titled, “Thoughts and more thoughts”, and Father Ray Brennan’s biography titled “In the name of the boss upstairs”.
After the official welcome, the couple greeted the children individually, happily returning their wai and gentle smiles.
They first visited the Pattaya School for the Deaf with Rachada Chomjinda, Pattaya Orphanage manager. The kindergarten students lined up in rows to welcome the guests with sign-language gestures spelling out love for the visitors.
Then the couple looked at sign-language classrooms for small children, the computer room and the dormitory situated on the upper floor of the building.
The visitors went to the orphan care room and again closely greeted the children, impressing officials and volunteer staff there.
Also on the itinerary were visits to the Andres Therapy House to meet with babies and toddlers; then to meet with children from the Child Protection and Welfare Center, where they were presented with children’s crafts.
Following a tour of the facility, Ambassador and Mrs. John presented the orphanage with a set of children’s books donated by the Books for Thailand Foundation with the generous support of the Asia Foundation.
The Ambassador and Mrs. John were both very touched by their visit to Pattaya Orphanage as were all those who joined on the tour that day.
The Ambassador said he was glad to see the children’s happiness, which seemed to grow with Father Ray’s contribution. “I am always happy to support future projects, especially at the Child Protection and Development Center,” he said.
Press round table at Marriott
After leaving the orphanage, the ambassador invited the local media to a roundtable discussion at the Marriott Resort & Spa.
His Excellency noted that since the election of Abhisit Vejjajiva as new prime minister, the atmosphere has improved. He described the relations between both nations as “back to before or even better.”
Under the leadership of President Obama, the US is likely to pay more attention to and work closer with emerging Asian countries.

The American ambassador shows his inner warmth when meeting the orphaned toddlers.
It was no coincidence that the first foreign policy tour of US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, was to Asia, including a stop in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, in which President Obama spent four childhood years.
Pratheep Malhotra, managing director of Pattaya Mail Publishing and Governor of Rotary International District 3340, gave the ambassador a summary of the development of Pattaya and the Eastern Seaboard, and brought out the crucial role that the presence of the American GIs, which were stationed in Pattaya for R&R, has had.
With more than 175 years of diplomatic relations between the US and Thailand, both nations have become more than just business partners.
The Pattaya Orphanage may be considered a prime example of humanitarian cooperation, which has worked exceptionally well.
During these difficult economical times with massive layoffs and slumping tourist numbers, it is absolutely necessary to keep up these joint efforts.
In the past, the presence of US envoys at the Eastern Seaboard wasn’t as high as local entrepreneurs had hoped for. However, with the rising importance of the Eastern Seaboard as a hub for many business sectors, and the US ranking second in foreign investors in Thailand, this is likely to change.
Another point mentioned during the question round was that the number of tourists, particularly from the US, has dropped.
In addition, retiring in Thailand hasn’t been popular among US citizens, much in contrast to the Europeans.
Pratheep suggested that the US should show Thailand who they really are, promote their own culture and create an understanding among each other.
Thai people are still desperate to know and learn about the United States, he said.
After the talks, Ambassador Eric G. John and his wife Sophia posed for some more souvenir shots before joining the American Chamber of Commerce’s meeting, which also took place at Marriott.
With his visit to Pattaya, His Excellency surely raised the local entrepreneurs’ hopes for an increased presence and involvement of US envoys on the Eastern Seaboard.

H.E. Eric G. John, US Ambassador to Thailand, and Cynthia Brown, assistant information officer, meet the press at the Marriott Resort & Spa.

(L to R) Prince Malhotra, Sophia John, H.E. Eric G. John, US Ambassador to Thailand, Peter Malhotra and Michael Albers pause for a commemorative photo at the Marriott Resort & Spa.

Sailors build earth houses

Sailors learn how to make adobe bricks.

Patcharapol Panrak
The Navy continues its leading Green educational work by teaching new sailors how to build cheaper earth houses at its Toranee Suksa Village at the Knowledge Treasure Land new training center in Sattahip.
On February 21, Captain Noppadol Supakorn, commander of the navy’s new training center, and Deputy Commander Captain Virat Somjit taught sailors His Majesty the King’s philosophy and practice of sufficient economy.
The hands-on students got their hands very muddy mixing soil to construct walls for the houses, while being instructed by Surach Sarakam of Baan Din Thai Center and other teachers.
Captain Noppadol said that Vice-Admiral Banyong Nisamaneepong, Chief of Naval Studies, who gives much importance to the new theory of sufficient economy, made available 9.9 acres of land for the construction of the “Knowledge Treasure Land” and Toranee Suksa Village.
The new training center aims to inform students and the public about the conservation of natural resources, living cost savings and how to reduce global warming.
He said that new trainees must learn agriculture to increase self-sufficiently.
Building adobe houses for living and for rent is economical and popular as the houses are very energy-efficient and maintain even internal temperature.