Interior Minister Chalerm
Yubamrung meets the press outside a June 18 meeting at Nong Nooch
Tropical Garden.
Patcharapol Panrak
Interior Minister Chalerm Yubamrung demanded Chonburi
provincial police crack down on Pattaya jet ski operators and enforce
legal bar-closing times to help clean up the city’s tawdry international
image.
Chalerm, who also serves as deputy prime minister,
told Region 2 police leaders at a June 18 meeting at Nong Nooch Tropical
Garden to prepare a battle plan against organized crime outfits,
unregistered vehicles often used in crimes and others scams by June 22.
Popular resort areas in Thailand need to be made
safer, both physically and economically for tourists, if the country
hopes to meet its goals of growing tourism revenue to 2 trillion baht a
year, he said.
Chalerm also ordered police to enforce the country’s
legal closing times on Pattaya’s notoriously late-running bars, saying
nightspots must close by 2:30 a.m. and that police need to be more
vigilant on checking entertainment venues aren’t allowing minors to
enter.