|
Goodbye beach power poles
History in the making – power poles and the
unsightly mess of tangled power lines are being removed from Beach Road.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
The scenery along Pattaya Beach Road is already being much improved
as all of the 100 eyesore power poles and overhead lines are to disappear by
the beginning of December with all electricity and telephone lines having
now been buried.
Pattaya Second and Third Roads are also due to receive the same visual
improvement after the success of this pilot project on the beach.
On November 13 at the Dusit curve on Pattaya Beach Road 1, Saman
Sutthipongkaset, manager of the Provincial Electricity Authority in Pattaya,
Mayor Itthipol Khunplome and other officials strolled along the road as the
power poles were being brought down, already enjoying the improved vista.
“Today is the first day that 34 power poles along the sidewalk on Pattaya
Beach Road from the Dusit curve and continued to Walking Street are being
removed,” said the mayor.
“The scenic pilot scheme started in 2004 to bury all electricity and
telephone lines in pipes underground along Beach Road with water supply
pipes and the last step is to remove these power poles,” he said.
Saman said some problems now involve the disturbance and inconvenience for
businesses and traffic along the sidewalk from work to dismantle the poles.
Also while it was not a problem for existing electricity users, new meters
will need to be installed for new users connecting to the system requiring
additional four million baht over the set budget.
Bar owners protest at police station
Boonlua Chatree
More than 100 bar owners converged on the Pattaya Police Station
early on November 19 in angry protest against the action of a music
copyright company over the arrest of the owner of the Dream Bar for alleged
copyright infringement.
 Bar
owners protest the methods used by a music copyright company.
Chatree Sitthisak, 37, president of the Beer Bar Association, said the bar
owners were angry about the action of Tanongsak Saicham, an attorney
representing RKT Publishing Co. Ltd, on the previous evening to force Dream
Bar caretaker Pian Khonto, 41, to come before police accusing her of
copyright infringement.
Netsrai Chamnankit, 39, from Banglamung and the Dream Bar owner, said four
company representatives, one of them a non-commissioned police officer,
acted as customers in her bar.
She said the men gave a CD to a bar employee and asked the staff member to
open the CD and play the music. But the company group then immediately
seized CD and the bar VCD player and offered to close the case if the bar
paid them 30,000 baht.
She said the bar didn’t have the money and reluctantly agreed to bring the
dispute before police on duty at the station. Apart from witnesses in the
bar, Netsrai said she also had CCTV recording to back her protest at the
company’s arbitrary actions.
Chatree said his association members opposed this kind of action by the
company and will help the Dream Bar fight all charges in court and use the
right to bail out the accused.
The Dream Bar owner and her lawyer will file complaints against the
copyright company for the use of force and for removing the bar’s VCD and
also the presence of a police officer in the group.
Pol. Lt. Col. Wanlop Kangtharathip, inspector on duty at the police station,
said the copyright group had informed the station beforehand what it was
going to do at the bar. He said that police will treat the matter fairly and
the case will now go before a court of law.
City donates motorcycles to police
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Pattaya City donated 16 motorcycles to police for use by police
volunteers to continue their good work of reducing crime in the city.
Mayor Itthipol Khunplome, city officials and councilors attended a ceremony
to hand over the motorbikes to police officers and volunteer police from the
Pattaya Police Station on November 17 at Pattaya City Hall.
Pol. Col. Noppadon Wongnom, superintendent at the Pattaya Police Station,
said the motorcycles had previously been returned to the city by police at
the completion of the police-military patrol project under the 2007 city
budget.
But now they will be used by volunteer police officers operating from the
Pattaya Police Station for patrols at the eight guard and checkpoints
throughout the city.
He said the current campaign of increasing the number of police volunteers,
both to increase police presence and to lighten the workload of police, was
working very well as shown in the 30-40% reduction in crime being recorded.
Mayor Itthipol Khunplome
(center) and city officials hand over motorbikes to Pol. Col. Noppadon
Wongnom (3rd right), superintendent at the Pattaya Police Station.
Utapao airport goes international
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Utapao Airport will be renamed Utapao Pattaya International Airport
in the next three months as it is being upgraded to a small commercial
international airport with good facilities, becoming another access point to
Pattaya.
 Rear-Admiral
Surapong Aiyasanon (right), deputy director of Utapao Airport, explains the
change in the airport’s name.
The airport is located in the Banchang district of Rayong province, 190 km
from Bangkok and just down the road from Pattaya.
Rear-Admiral Surapong Aiyasanon, deputy director of Utapao Airport, told the
Pattaya Business and Tourism Association (PBTA) meeting on November 19 at
the Green Park Resort in Pattaya that currently Utapao Airport is an
important international airport under the control of Royal Thai Navy.
It is being upgraded to international airport standard by expanding the
terminal area from a capacity for 150 to 400 passengers with a usage area of
2,610 square meters. This includes 50 aircraft being supported according to
current international airport standards.
It will have a runway measuring 3,505 x 60m2, a location for parking
measuring 432,300m2, including a fire engine, rescue vehicles, an ambulance,
a cabin car, a garbage truck, a shuttle bus, and an SSR (secondary
surveillance radar) system. It has a security system that is just as good as
that of the Don Muang Airport.
It will also have a 50% reduced charge for aviation parking from today until
March 2009.
Utapao Airport has been a reserve for Don Muang Airport, a center for the
transfer of goods, used for commercial pilot training, support for expanding
charter service, a domestic airport for flights to Phuket and Samui, and a
repair center for Thai and foreign aircraft.
The airport was built during the Vietnam War in one year in 1965 by the
United States to support its war effort.
Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, army commander-in-chief and prime
minister, assigned the Royal Thai Navy to occupy the airport for official
use and gave its present name.
In 1973 the US withdrew troops from Utapao and Thailand and the airport had
from then been used as a reserve commercial airport for Don Muang.
Chonburi governor praises city
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Chonburi Governor Surapon Pongtadsirikun, on an official visit
to the Banglamung District Office on November 13, praised Pattaya City’s
administration for its effective use of the latest technology in the
running of its services.
 Chonburi
Governor Surapon Pongtadsirikun (center) visits the Civil Registration
Office at Pattaya City Hall.
Banglamung District Chief Mongkol Thamakittikhun and Pattaya Mayor
Itthipol Khunplome welcomed the governor and his party.
Governor Surapon paid respect to the King Taksin monument located in
front of city hall then visited the CCTV workshop and Civil Registration
Office, including the Call Center.
Addressing local government officials, Surapon stressed the value of
honesty, clarity and accountability in public service. Officials should
listen well to the people and respond to their needs, he advised.
The recent rapid growth in the economy of the province is due to the
success of local businesses and foreign investments. In their service,
local government officials should support this sector of the community
in particular to the best of their ability, he said.
Officials should be proud of their reputation and protect it by giving
good service to the community.
The governor again referred to the serious problem of narcotic addiction
among the young. Officials need to be vigilant and stamp out drugs to
maintain health and safety for our youth, he said.
Banglamung prepares
for royal birthday
Saksiri Uraiworn
As His Majesty the King’s 81st birthday on December 5
approaches, preparations are underway in Banglamung District to
celebrate the occasion.
Prathhep Khonyoo, senior district chief, chaired a meeting at the
Banglamung District Office on November 20 to prepare for the royal
anniversary celebration.
 Prathhep
Khonyoo, senior district chief of Banglamung District.
The official day will start in the morning at about 7.30 a.m. with 82 monks
invited so that celebrants to can offer food and make merit. In the evening
candles will be lit to wish His Majesty the King well, followed by a
procession from Pattaya School #3 (Sawangfa Temple) to the Banglamung
District Office.
Banglamung District Chief Mongkol Thamakittikhun will chair the ceremony at
the district office to light candles in salute to His Majesty and to mark
what is also designated as National Father’s Day.
Then prayers will be chanted and a speech made before celebrants gather to
sing Sadudee Maharacha (celebration of the Great King), the Royal anthem.
Pattaya students will then perform Thai classical dances on the field near
the district office.
Banglamung residents are invited to fly the national flag and His Majesty
the King’s yellow flag side by side at their homes.
City to celebrate King Taksin the Great
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Pattaya City prepares for a religious celebration on King Taksin Day
December 28 at his memorial statue in front of city hall.
 Tawit
Chaisawangwong, chairman of the city council, leads the meeting for the
annual worship of the Great King Taksin.
Tawit Chaisawangwong, chairman of the city council, led a meeting on
November 13 at city hall to prepare for the annual Great King Taksin worship
ceremony, attended by Wuttipol Charoenphol, Pattaya City manager, and other
officials.
Tawit said that this year the planned event will be greater than previously
with both Brahman and Buddhist ceremonies being held for two days.
On December 27, a Brahman worship ceremony will be held: the opening of the
shrine at 9.19 am, a “Ti-klee” ceremony at 3 p.m., followed by dancing and a
sword show, and at 7.49 p.m. will be a religious ceremony.
Mayor Itthipol Khunplome will be the chairman of the ceremony.
On December 28, a traditional Buddhist ceremony and a presentation of flower
trays will be held. There will be 200 chairs on both sidewalks for all
celebrants worshipping at the Great King Taksin monument.
King Taksin, who descended from Chinese ancestry on his father’s side, ruled
from December 28, 1768 for a short period of 15 years. He founded Thonburi
as a capital city and united his country in its warfare with the Burmese,
regaining control of Chiang Mai and putting Cambodia under the vassalage of
Siam by 1779.
The date of his enthronement has been commemorated ever since as Thai
history remembers King Taksin the Great.
Najomtien police station opens
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay
(right) presents the gifts to Pol. Lt. Col. Pramote Ngarmpradit, commander
of Najomtien police station.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
The new Najomtien police station, not yet officially-opened,
received gifts of 5,000 baht in cash, a fax machine and five telephones from
Pattaya residents on November 17.
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay led a group of residents to give the gifts
which included large portraits of Their Majesties the King and Queen, to
Pol. Lt-Col. Pramote Ngarmpradit, commander of the new Najomtien police
station.
The groups wished the police colonel well in his new work at the station.
Lt-Col. Pramote said this police station was previously the local
administration office of Najomtien district and was transformed into both a
public service center as well as the police station on October 29 this year.
He said the station with it 45 officers was now fully ready to serve the
public who can call the following telephone numbers: 038-255-700,
038-255-577, 038-255-777, 24 hours a day.
His Majesty’s Royal
Birthday next Friday
Staff reporters
Friday, December 5 is His Majesty the King’s 81st birthday, and
celebrations will be taking place all over the Kingdom.
The day is also celebrated as national Fathers Day.
Here in Pattaya, there will be a big celebration at the Bali Hai Pier in
South Pattaya. Everyone is invited to this event and to wear the King’s
yellow color to show their respect and loyalty.
As in previous years the birthday parade will start at 5 p.m. in front of
the Royal Garden Shopping Center in Pattaya and travel along Beach Road to
Bali Hai Pier in South Pattaya.
Students from many schools in the educational service area will perform on
stage when the parade reaches the pier at 6.30 p.m., which will be the
official starting time for the ceremony of making worship offerings of “Phum
Thong and Phum Ngern”.
All celebrants can then make homage and good wishes to the image of His
Majesty the King and join the rest of the nation in the candle-lit birthday
ceremony.
It has been requested also that all celebrants wear proper attire in yellow
to respect the auspicious and happy occasion of the royal birthday.
Finn beaten on sidewalk
Theerarak Suthatiwong
A Finnish citizen was found beaten and unconscious on the footpath on
Pattaya 2nd Road early on November 16 after an apparent argument with a taxi
motorcyclist.
 Rescue
workers take the injured Finn to hospital.
Voutilainen Juha Ensio, 48, was found by a Family Mart supermarket staff
with facial injuries to his mouth and nose. Police and Sawang Boriboon
Foundation rescuers rushed the unconscious man to Pattaya Memorial Hospital.
Pol. Lt. Col. Roengwit Rakchat from the Pattaya police station said the
attack victim was found by Nittaya Sahsook, 28, of Buriram Province,
assistant manager of the Family Mart shop nearby.
She told police that Ensio was very drunk when he arrived on a taxi
motorcycle and wandered in and out of the supermarket without buying
anything. She saw him going back out to talk to the waiting taxi
motorcyclist.
As it was late, no one paid further attention until about 10 minutes later
when Nittaya saw Ensio slumped on the ground and the motorcyclist had gone.
Police were waiting for the man to regain consciousness and explain to
police what had happened.
City targets beach prostitutes
Mayor Itthipol Khunplome
prepares a PR plan on Pattaya’s tourism reputation.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Pattaya City is finding ways remove prostitutes from it beaches in a
general attempt to change the image of the city as a destination for sex
tourism. Officials are instead trying to promote the city as a place for
other activities such as sports and ecotourism, according to Mayor Itthipol
Khunplome.
The mayor and senior city officials met at city hall on November 18 to
discuss yet again ways to counter the prevailing impression in some foreign
media that the city was a destination for sex. Particular attention was
given to a recent report in a Belgian newspaper that one in three residents
of Pattaya was a sex worker.
He said as a matter of priority the city is working to change this image
with the help of various organizations such as the Tourism Authority of
Thailand, travel agents and other tourism bodies, so that its real role as
an international holiday destination was better recognized.
A consultant has been hired to draw up a plan of action for the media and
another advisor is looking into legal ways to curb especially the too-public
soliciting of tourists by prostitutes on Pattaya and Jomtien beaches, he
said.
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay spoke about “the tourism image being damaged
due to there being a large number of women soliciting sex especially on the
beaches, which is a problem difficult to suppress.”
Youth accidentally
shoots himself
Boonlua Chatree
A young man died after accidentally shooting himself in the heart
while showing off a pistol to a friend in a house Siam Country Club Road in
Nongprue, according to police.
Apichat Ruekpruksa, 25, from Nakhonchaisri, was rushed to hospital by his
friend Tam, 15. Apichat had a 22-caliber bullet lodged in his heart and was
pronounced dead on arrival.
Tam told investigating officer Pol. Maj. Nit Withinanthakit that he and his
friend were electricians who worked together to install power lines.
He said Apichat had shown him the pistol and loaded a bullet into a firing
chamber. He tried to shoot it but the pistol did not fire. He then turned
the gun towards himself to check the working of its hammer when it went off
and shot him in the chest.
Police kept a handmade .22 caliber pistol with a bullet cartridge in the
chamber for further testing and investigation.
Fireworks grounded
at Loy Krathong
Mayor Itthipol Khunplome
inspects fireworks seized
from vendors during Loy Krathong.
Staff reporters
Enforcing this year’s ban on fireworks during Loy Krathong, Pattaya civil
protection volunteers confiscated more than 100,000 baht worth of bangers
and rockets, curbing celebratory enthusiasm for the sake of safety.
As a precaution against fire and personal injury, Banglamung District Chief
Mongkol Thamakittikhun banned fireworks during the festival.
Volunteers on patrol on November 12 found vendors smuggling fireworks on to
Pattaya and Jomtien beaches and seized fireworks from 139 vendors, storing
them at the Pattaya Civil Protection Volunteer Center located next to the
Pattaya Public Health Center on Soi Buakao.
Pattaya Mayor Itthipol Khunplome and Pol. Col. Noppadon Wongnom,
superintendent at the Pattaya Police Station, were at the center on November
13 to review the effects of the enforcement of the firework ban.
They hosed the firework haul with water to destroy them.
The mayor said the volunteers were divided into two groups: one patrol
vehicle with 10 volunteer officers cruised along Pattaya Beach from the
Dusit Hotel to the old pier in South Pattaya and another patrol vehicle with
10 more volunteers took care of Jomtien Beach.
Guard’s kick foils
bag-snatchers
Theerarak Suthatiwong
An alert security guard came to a dramatic rescue of a Dutch tourist
couple when he foiled a bag-snatching attempt by two escaping motorcyclists
by kicking over their motorcycle.
He then detained the male and female would-be thieves until police arrived.
Police arrested Bunchong Bunraksa and an unnamed woman accomplice.
Pol. Lt. Col. Wittaya Yoenyong from the Pattaya police station said the
Dutch couple had checked out from Villa Navin on Jomtien Beach Road and
stood outside to wait for a taxi to take them to Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Police said the two thieves grabbed the Dutch woman’s small traveling bag
and tried to flee on a motorcycle. Adul Artwichai, 20, the Villa’s security
guard, launched a flying kick to knock over the motorcycle and detained the
bag-snatchers.
According to police, the motorcyclists said they tried to steal because they
needed money to feed their child but police found that the pair had
previously committed several similar crimes. Both were detained at Dongtan
police station.
Baywatch: Billboard repair, anyone?
The billboard at the Pattaya
City limits needs urgent attention.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
It can’t be good for Pattaya City’s image if one of its official
signboards, very visible on busy Sukhumvit Road at the end of the city
limits in the direction Sattahip at Km. 153-200, is left damaged due to long
years of service.
The wooden billboard on two large iron posts is faded and can’t be read
completely, as words are missing.
A new billboard is obviously overdue.
|
