An artist’s rendering of what the tunnels
running under Sukhumvit Road might look like.

Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Pattaya officials hope to construct four tunnels under Sukhumvit Road to help alleviate traffic jams at major intersections in the north, central and southern parts of the city.
At the second and final public hearing Dec. 24, engineers from three organizations to study the plan said they’ve determined the best designs to improve intersection traffic flow based on cost, engineering and environmental requirements.
Subterranean tunnels allowing traffic to cross under Sukhumvit would be built at North, Central and South roads, as well as Thepprasit Road. At the first hearing in November, tolls were proposed for the two southernmost tunnels, but no decision has been reached.
“The majority of the public agreed that tunnels are needed to ease traffic and preserve the existing scenery,” said project director Kitti Thanasapsin. “However, the public said it wants lighting installed and for construction to proceed swiftly to minimize the impact on existing traffic routes.”
He noted there are also concerns related to flooding, which has been a serious problem for Sukhumvit Road and would obviously be worse for sunken tunnels.
Researchers from King Mongkut’s University of Technology, Intrigrage Engineering Co., Ltd., and Bunpanya Technology Co. Ltd. plan to modify their designs based on public feedback before submitting the project to the Pattaya City Council for approval and funding.
Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome said that, if approved, construction could begin within a year.

Foreign arrivals expected to approach 16 million this year

Jomtien Beach near sunset - TAT’s new governor, Surapon Sawetseeranee, expects foreign arrivals to approach 16 million this year.

The number of foreign tourists this year is expected to approach 16 million as targeted if there are no serious political disturbances or epidemics, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Speaking on the first day of assuming the TAT governorship, Governor Surapon Sawetseeranee said he would attempt to increase the number of foreign arrivals to the target set by Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silpa-archa.
“Unless there is political chaos or epidemics, the number of foreign tourists will edge up to 15-15.5 million against the target number of 14 million,” he said.
For local tourism, the target number of local tourists is expected to reach 90 million with combined revenues of Bt430 billion this year.
He said strategies to attract foreign tourists are to expand, maintain, and retrieve the 3 groups of markets including ASEAN, Oceania (Australia-New Zealand and the Pacific) and China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Canada where there are several million targeted foreign tourists.
The TAT chief added that the New Year celebrations this year were more joyful than those of last year, which could help boost tourism.
The New Year celebrations generated incomes of at least Bt3.2 billion. Of this, Bt1.1 billion came from foreign tourists and Bt2.1 billion baht from domestic tourists.
Thailand’s most favored destinations are major provinces including Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Phuket, Songkla, Samui and Pattaya. (TNA)

Another speedboat accident; 17 foreign tourists injured

Salvage workers prepare to tow the stricken vessel to shore.

Theerarak Suthatiwong
Less than a month after a deadly speedboat collision that had Pattaya officials promising to crack down on boat operators flouting safety rules, 17 more tourists were injured when a boat modified to include a second deck capsized.
Police were searching for the captain of the twin-engine “Siti Phan” who fled the scene after the Dec. 24 accident off Koh Larn. The boat was transporting tourists from the island to Koh Jun when approximately 10 of the passengers ascended to the recently installed top deck. The boat became too top-heavy and overturned amid rough seas and wind.
The group of British, Chinese, Dutch and Russian tourists sustained only minor injuries. Unlike the two boats involved in the Dec. 2 crash near Bali Hai Pier that killed two Chinese tourists, the Siti Phan had supplied enough life vests for all the passengers. However, Pattaya City Council member Sanit Boonmachai said he had been concerned about the trip and had actually telephoned the South Pattaya tour company that ran the ill-fated trip the previous night to stress the importance of marine safety.
The Christmas Eve trip was a special charter. The boat is normally used by the Sunny Fun Fishing Co.

Night of passion ends in bloodshed

Boonlua Chatree
A night of singing and passion ended in bloodshed for a 35-year-old Thai woman whose lover, angry at being refused a 200 baht loan, smashed her with a beer bottle and stole her money, gold and telephones.

Aranya recovers in hospital as police (not shown) attempt to sort out the mess.

Police and Sawang Boriboon Foundation medics were called to the Weena Guesthouse on Detour Mountain Road early Christmas morning. There they found Aranya Khorsuk bleeding and swollen from blows to the head and fragments of a beer bottle. She was attended to and sent to Banglamung Hospital for further treatment.
Aranya told officers she’d gone out earlier with her brother and her lover, Wisit Monwisit, to a karaoke bar. After getting drunk, they left and the two romantics adjourned to the guesthouse for some time alone. Afterward, as Wisit was preparing to leave, she said he took 200 baht from her purse, saying he’d pay it back later.
She refused and, she said, he got angry and attacked her before fleeing with money, a 2-baht gold necklace, half-baht ring and two mobile phones. Police are continuing to investigate.

Tourists excited, but unhurt as tour bus catches fire

Boonlua Chatree
About 20 Chinese tourists got a scare, but sustained no injuries when their tour bus caught fire on the way from Jomtien Beach to Bangkok.
Firefighters and Sawang Boriboon Foundation medics were called to Nong Yai temple around 8:45 a.m. Dec. 30. There they found a six-wheeled Mercedes-Benz bus belonging to Patchara Tour Co., Ltd. with its engine compartment burning. The small fire was extinguished within 10 minutes.
Driver Surapol Faksomboon, 40, said when he arrived at the Jomtien temple to pick up his passengers he noticed smoke coming out of the rear of the bus. Investigating, he sustained burns from flames around the battery and told passengers to exit the bus.
The Chinese were a bit panicked by the fire drill, but were not hurt. Firefighters believe the fire was caused by a short circuit in the engine.

Norwegian’s 34,675 baht stolen from hotel safety box

Boonlua Chatree
A Norwegian man felt like he’d gotten a visit from the Grinch instead of Santa when he discovered Christmas Day that more than more than 34,000 baht had gone missing from his hotel safe-deposit box.
Ketil Johansen, 24, filed a complaint with Pattaya police around 10 p.m. Dec. 25 after finding that 60 percent of the 10,000 Norwegian kroners (34,675 baht) he’d locked up were gone from his box at the Tropical Thai Apartment on Soi Post Office.
Pol. Lt. Col. Samroeng Rattananam filed a report before further questioning the hotel manager and employees associated with this.

Woman arrested for drug dealing itching to be set free

Boonlua Chatree
A woman trying to raise money to treat a skin disease by selling methamphetamines is now trying to scratch her way out of jail.

Parnee Wachasat has been arrested after trying to sell ya ba to undercover police.

Parnee Wachasat, 36, was taken into custody after a sting operation by nine Pattaya crime suppression and volunteer officers Dec. 29 outside Yailao Village on Soi Gopai. Police had received reports that a woman was offering ya ba tablets to passers-by in the residential community.
Undercover police volunteers strolled past where Parmee was standing and signaled to regular officers that they’d been solicited to buy drugs. Upon being arrested, the Ubon native was found carrying 24 ya ba tablets.
She told police she’d bought the drugs for 200 baht per tablet and was trying to sell them for up to 350 baht per tablet so she could seek medical treatment for a eczema-like skin rash covering her body. She told police that her ex-husband had given her the disease and begged to be let go, but she was charged with possession of a Class 1 narcotics with intent to distribute.

German beaten by motorcycle taxi drivers

Boonlua Chatree
The next time motorcycle taxi drivers tell Steven Klietz where not to park, he’s probably going to listen.

Klietz explains how the motorcycle taxi riders jumped him.

The 59-year-old German, who parked his Toyota pickup in front of a taxi stand next to a 7-Eleven on Soi Buakhao after midnight Dec. 30, had to be hospitalized after he was allegedly beaten up by up to eight motorcycle drivers for doing so.
Klietz told police the drivers told him not to park his truck in front of the store as it blocked their motorbikes. He said he told them he’d only be in the store a minute but the drivers, all drinking, got angry and started pushing and shouting at him. This eventually led to punching and kicking and Klietz ended up being taken to the hospital.
Police are pursuing the drivers as part of their investigation.

Press association wraps 2009 with new officers, awards

Chonburi Governor Senee Jittakasem (front left) accepts a gift basket from Padungsak Tantraworasit, president of the Eastern Mass Media Association.

Phasakorn Channgam
The Eastern Mass Media Association wrapped up its 2009 business by introducing directors for the coming year and handing out its annual “Good People for Society” awards.

Prasert Jansin (left) of the Bang Pla Soi Post Office in Chonburi, accepts his “Outstanding Citizen of Society” award from Chonburi Governor Senee Jittakasem.
Association President Padungsak Tantraworsit was re-elected for the eighth term and he and other group directors were introduced to the membership.
Padungsak said the group was active in numerous activities during 2009, including joining commissions covering consumer protection, drug control, elections and basic education.
The association wrapped up its meeting by presenting the “Outstanding Citizen of Society” award to Kiatisak Laknakokiat, local reporter for Channel 5; Sukrit Akkalertlap, president of a consulting company on marketplaces in the Eastern Seaboard, and Jamnote Plongudom and Prasert Jansin of the Bang Pla Soi Post Office in Chonburi.

Kiatisak Laknakokiat (left), a local reporter for Channel 5,
accepts his “Outstanding Citizen of Society” award from
Chonburi Governor Senee Jittakasem.

Chatree Laotong (left) receives a raffle prize from Pratheep Malhotra,
managing director of Pattaya Mail Publishing Group.

(L to R) Chonburi Senator Surachai Chaitrakulthong, Sukrit Akkalertlap, Banjong Roongroj, Governor Senee Jittakasem, former Governor Somjet Wiriyadamrong, and Pratheep Malhotra, managing director of Pattaya Mail Publishing Group.

Pattaya celebrates King Taksin Day

Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome leads the ceremony
at the King Taksin the Great statue in front of Pattaya City Hall.

Vimolrat Singnikorn
Pattaya officials and business leaders marked the 241st anniversary of the coronation of King Taksin the Great, who was adopted by Pattaya as its founding father.
The five-hour ceremony at the King Taksin the Great Monument in front of Pattaya City Hall Dec. 28 was led by Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome and attended by businesspeople and club members.
The ceremony started around 7 a.m. with the lighting of candles and incense to worship the “Three Gems.” Buddhist monks then performed a religious ceremony, which was followed by a worship ceremony. This was followed by Thai dance and a performance by the Jo Louis Puppet Theatre, which performed “Garuda Arrested the Naka,” a show about the two enemies Garuda and Naka. After the show, all local officials, along with state and private representatives presented flower trays in front of the King Taksin Monument.
Somdet Phrachao Taksin Maharaj was born April 17, 1734 and became the only king of the Thonburi Kingdom, taking the throne Dec. 28, 1768 and reigning until his death - and the start of the current Chakri Dynasty in 1782. He is greatly revered by Thais for leadership in liberating Siam from Burmese occupation after the second fall of capital Ayutthaya in 1767, and the subsequent unification of Siam after it fell under various warlords.
He established the city of Thonburi, across the Chao Phraya River from the current Bangkok, as the new capital, as Ayutthaya has been almost completely destroyed by invaders. His reign was characterized by numerous wars fought to repel new Burmese invasions and to subjugate the northern Thai kingdom of Lanna, the Laotian principalities and Cambodia.
Upon coronation at age 34, he assumed the official name of Boromraja IV, but is known in Thai history as King Taksin, a combination of his popular name, Phya Tak, and his first name, Sin, or the King of Thonburi.
Taksin’s father was at least partly Chinese and his mother Siamese. He was said to believe that even the forces of nature were under his control and this faith led him to attempt tasks which others called impossible. He never had time, however, to build Thonburi into a great city, as he was fully occupied with suppression of internal and external enemies, as well as territorial expansion throughout his reign.
Taksin’s ties to the Pattaya area stem from 1767, when he somehow battled his way out of a besieged Ayutthaya and fled to Chonburi and Rayong to raise an army of 500 to return to free the capital.
In 1981 the Thai Cabinet passed a resolution to bestow on King Taksin the honorary title of “the Great.” The date of his coronation, Dec. 28, is the official day of homage to the king, although it is not designated as a public holiday.
Chonburi marked King Taksin Day with public officials and residents joining Gov. Senee Jittakasem in laying flowers at the King Taksin the Great Monument there.