Pattaya police took criticism from the mayor and the media last Tuesday during a meeting at Pattaya City Hall called by Police Lt. General Narongvanich Thaithong, Deputy Commander of the Police Department (Special Crimes Suppression Division).

Lt. General Narongvanich came down from Bangkok to preside over the meeting with local police to discuss ways to battle the influx of foreign mafia in Pattaya. Over twenty Commanders and Superintendents from the Chonburi region attended. (see story, page 2)

However, the ‘uniformed Mafia’ was cited by some as being one of the main problems with Pattaya. Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat stated, "These undesirable foreigners would not be engaging in their antisocial activities if the police department had a solid policy against crime. I hope the police are sincere in their desire to deal with this problem, for if nothing is done, tourism in Pattaya will wither and dry up."

Assistant Editor of Pattaya Mail Kittisak Khamthong, acting as a representative of the media, suggested, "Before worrying about ‘foreign mafia’, the Police Department should stamp out the ‘uniformed mafia’. (Thai) police are infamous for using their power to extort money from various entertainment establishments. There are also police who are ‘behind the scenes’, helping the foreign mafia do their dirty work. Complaints by foreigners against the Thai police are common and there is even a ‘Boycott Thailand’ site on the Internet."

Kittisak continued, "If the police stopped engaging in extortion and other illegal activities, the foreign mafia could not exist."

The General answered by stating, "If any police are found engaging in illegal activities, please send a postcard to PO Box 1234, Bangkok. After a thorough investigation," the General said, "offenders will be punished.

Notables in attendance at the meeting included Sujarit Pajchimanan, Governor of Chonburi; Sethaphan Buddhani, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand for Region 3; Sansak Ngarmphiches, the Head of the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism; Pairat Suthithamrongsawat, the Mayor of Pattaya; Prasert Thanasethakorn, District Chief of Banglamung; Suphadit Maneeratcharatsri, the President of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association; Surat Mekhawarakul, the President of the Lion’s Club of Pattaya; and others too numerous to mention, all of whom suggested various ways for the police to do their job.

The slapping of a young Thai boy by the wife of the First Secretary of the Finnish Embassy has resulted in a closed-door settlement between the parties involved.

The boy, Noy (alias) squirted the embassy official’s wife with a water gun after she had requested he not do it. The woman was formally dressed and on her way to an official function in Pattaya.

The father of the boy filed a complaint with police, who could do nothing due to the woman’s diplomatic immunity.

A mediation was held between the Finnish Embassy and the boy’s father, with the Ministry of Foreign affairs becoming involved as well.

Finally, the Finn agreed to apologise for this heinous crime. She did this in public through a Thai interpreter.

The father responded, saying he would not ask for monetary damages. He just felt that this was unsuitable behaviour for a diplomatic official.

He also felt that the Finn should understand that throwing water and smearing powder on people was a Thai custom. Even if she did not enjoy it, there was no reason to abuse a 4-year-old child.

After the formal apology, Mr. Thamrong, the boy’s father, said he was satisfied with the results. He was very glad that this incident was cleared, as he did not want Thai-Finnish relations to suffer.

Reporters and other outsiders were not allowed into the ‘negotiating’ session and no reports of what was said were allowed to be issued publicly.

Police Lt. General Narongvanich Thaithong, Deputy Commander of the Police Department (Special Crimes Suppression Division), arrived from Bangkok on Tuesday to preside over a meeting with local police to discuss ways to battle the influx of foreign mafia in Pattaya. Over twenty commanders and superintendents from the Chonburi region attended.

The foreign mafia, present in Pattaya for many years, shot to prominence with the recent killing of a Russian businessman in a Mafia ‘hit’. Due to this killing’s wide media coverage, the police finally decided to ‘solve the problem’.

A committee of all branches of law enforcement in Pattaya has been formed to work on ways to eradicating foreign mafia in Pattaya.

General Narongvich emphasized the need for cooperation between the various embassies, private sector and local media in ferreting out the enclaves of organized crime.

The General continued, saying that some of the foreigners had stayed in Pattaya so long that they have been able to become ‘influential figures’. Pattaya was not gaining any advantages by having these people in the city.

General Narongvich also spoke of the new ‘Tourist Advisory Center’, the purpose of which is to help tourists who suffer from harassment by foreign mafia.

Chonburi Governor Sujarit Pajchimanan, meanwhile, stated that, "This problem would not be such a big one if the media did not spread it all over the papers. People knowing about the foreign mafia has an adverse effect on tourism." The Governor accused the media of making a ‘big deal’ out of every problem. He asked the Pattaya media to be circumspect and concentrate on ‘good news’.

Mr. Bryan Scott, 35, of the UK, lost over 50,000 Baht in cash and valuables when his hotel was robbed last week.

Scott complained that none of the hotel staff would help him, even thought the door to his room had been opened with a hotel passkey. When Scott reported this to police, they told him they could not help him, as the robber was unknown.

Mr. Scott approached the Pattaya Mail for help in sorting out the problem. He also requested the newspaper warn other tourists staying at the hotel.

The British man told Pattaya Mail reporters that he left his South Pattaya hotel room at approximately 17:00 hrs (April 16) to enjoy Pattaya’s varied and unique cultural life.

Returning at 2:00 a.m., he asked the cashier for his room key, but it had mysteriously disappeared.

The cashier on duty let the man into his room with a passkey. Scott found that a camera, gold necklace, cellular phone, a Walkman, and several Buddha images had gone missing. The clincher in the robbery was that his eyeglasses had also been taken.

The Pattaya Mail contacted police for Scott, but officers had no leads about the felon.

Investigations continue.

Mayor Somchai Khunpleum and the whole city of Sean Sukh are celebrating. The city won the prestigious ‘Silver Medal for Good Government’ award from the respected Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

The judges chose the winners in Manila on April 3, 1998. Mayor Somchai went to Manila to hear the announcement of the winners himself as he was very confident that Saen Sukh would win.

Saen-Sukh won the Silver Medal and a Commemorative Trophy.

The Konrad Adenauer Foundation chooses the best community administrators each year. The purpose of the award is to encourage good government and cooperation in East Asia.

Mayor Somchai said the award, ‘...not only brought honour to Saen Sukh but to all Thailand.’

The Pattaya Sports Club, the Amari Orchid Resort and the Pattaya Mail have gotten together to support two young Pattaya natives in Thailand’s National Girl’s Tennis.

On April 16, Mr. Theva Sritawan brought his daughters to the Pattaya Mail offices to request sponsorship for the girls to help them compete in the Thailand Tennis Championships, to be held from the 19-26 April, 1998. The matches will be held at the Nightingale Courts on Ramintra Road in Bangkok.

One of his daughters, 13-year-old Khanitha, had just come from the Thai Sports School Championships in Suphanburi where she won the gold medal playing for the National Sports School of Ubon Ratchathani Province. However, the family did not have enough money to enter her in the National Championships.

The Pattaya Sports Club and the Amari Orchid Resort learned of this and generously offered to join Pattaya Mail in co-sponsoring her. They also offered the use of their tennis courts and a professional coach.

Khanitha is a former student at Pattaya School 8 and is presently studying at the National Sports School in Ubon Ratchathani. She is in 7th grade. Her father has coached her for the last 4 years. She has consistently come in 2nd and 3rd in every match she played for the past three years. She won the bronze medal in the four national youth tennis matches held this year.

Khanitha’s sister, Patamaporn Khamchan is also a promising young tennis player, and the two young females, champions of the Sports School of Thailand in the 12 and 14 year class, have won two bronze medals in the Thailand youth tennis competition. The girl’s recently competed in the playoffs of the ‘Thailand Tennis’ championships.

These two young Pattaya natives show great promise of being future champs. They have already toured and are currently ranked second and third in Thailand in their age groups. Their only problem has been lack of sponsors and proper funding.

The Pattaya Mail, the Pattaya Sports Club and the Amari Orchid Resort are proud to support these young athletes in their endeavors.