Police rescue another molested child

The abused nine-year-old points out the accused child molester, John Joseph Kosky.

John Joseph Kosky, 66 year old retired Australian school teacher, was arrested by Pattaya police Monday, May 5, and charged with child molesting after police raided his house where he was keeping a 9 year old boy.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Suphthee Boonkrong of the Police Investigation Division led the investigative team that went to Kosky’s residence at the Thip Condo on Jomtien Beach after receptionists at the condo became suspicious of Kosky. They told officers that young boys frequently visited Kosky’s apartment unescor-ted, and that they called police because the
9 year old boy looked frightened.
When police arrived, they found Kosky with the 9 year old child (name withheld). From evidence, police experts determined that sexual behaviour between the man and the young boy had just occurred.
The child, who is from the Isarn region of Thailand, had been left with Kosky by the boy’s uncle who had hired Kosky to teach him English. The boy reported that Kosky had him perform various sexual acts and gave him 50 Baht each time. He also said that Kosky fed him well.
Kosky has lived in Pattaya for about a year and for a while taught at one of the schools here.
Police charged Kosky with child molesting and re-manded him to custody to await trial.

Exploding ice trucks

Inspecting the exploding trucks.

Police received a report from an employee of the P.P.U. ice company in Sattahip that one of the company’s ice trucks had exploded while parked next to another company truck outside the office.
When police arrived on the scene, they found small pieces of a plastic bottle near the damaged vehicles. They kept this for evidence.
When police questioned the employee, they learned that the P.P.U. Ice Company belonged to Kriengsak Phaetrakul, a member of the Rayong Provincial Council. His wholesale prices were lower than any other ice company, so he naturally had more customers than anyone else.
Police have come to no conclusions and have not yet ascertained what type of explosives were used. They are still investigating.

Jobless man commits suicide

Police received a report that a young man who was despondent due to unemployment had taken amphetamines and climbed an electric pole in front of the Pattaya Police Station.
The man said he did not wish to live anymore as he had been sacked from work. He had no money to pay any of his bills. Despite officers’ efforts to coax him down, he continued climbing the pole, touched a wire and was electrocuted.
The police then brought in a ‘cherry-picker’ crane and brought the man’s body down, surrounded by a gawking group of tourists.
From the man’s identification card, police learned that he was Leucha Utharkang, 26, of Loei Province.
The man had been employed at a restaurant in Pattaya, but due to the change in the closing time of entertainment establish-ments, many workers are being laid off. Leucha was one of these.

Illegal aliens arrested

Seven Cambodians were arrested for illegally entering and working in the kingdom.

Police arrested seven illegal aliens working in a godown belonging to the Ao Thai Sugar Company.
The seven were Cambodian nationals and told officers that they had entered Thailand through Aranyaprathet. They were receiving 3,500 baht per month, but did not know their employer’s name.
Police are now looking for the employer. The Cambodians are being held in custody, until the law decides on what to do.

Illegal abortion clinic raided

Police and public health officials last week raided an illegal abortion clinic on Pattaya Second Road.
Police found 8 women waiting for abortions and 2 in the process of receiving abortions when they raided the clinic. Seeing officials, everyone tried to escape. The doctor performing the abortions was the only one to elude authorities and the women on the tables were left in mid-operation.
Five clinic staff, two women who performed abortions and the eight women waiting for abortions were arrested. They and the up-to-date medical equipment and supplies were taken to the Pattaya Police Station.
All of the women confessed to the ‘intention of aborting their child with their consent’ and were held for prosecution.
The raid was held due to complaints by residents of the area, who complained that the women were ‘promiscuous and immoral’. Seven such clinics have been closed in Thailand this month alone.
If the pregnant women should receive prison sentences, their unwanted children will be born in prison and have to stay as long as their mothers. There are no special infant care facilities in Thai prisons.

Bus driver arrested for collusion

Pattaya police arrested the driver of a tour bus and charged him with conspiracy, and aiding and abetting a criminal after he allegedly gave access to his parked bus to a thief after the passengers had disembarked to watch a transvestite show.
Police made the arrest after one of the bus’ passengers made a complaint stating that the thief had stolen his bag. Mr. Yan Jan, a Chinese national, told officers that he had come to Pattaya with a tour group. As is strangely usual with many of the transvestite shows, members of the audience are not allowed to carry their handbags into the theatre, but must leave them at a ‘bag check’.
Mr. Yan, however, left his bag in the tour bus. After returning to the bus, Yan saw a robber cutting his bag. He and his friends fought the thief, but the bus driver sat idly by, unwilling to help.
The robber managed to flee, taking 112,000 baht in Hong Kong Dollars and Chinese Yuan with him.
At the police station, Arun the bus driver denied that he had anything to do with the robber and was not in collusion with him. But 4 of the other passengers had seen him let the thief on the bus. He also sat smoking a cigarette while the tourists were fighting with the robber. Police arrested Arun under the pretence that he had colluded with the robber.

What will happen to the child?

Prachum Rachsingh was able to keep custody of his 2 year old daughter.

A report was made to police that an infant was being abused by a man sitting on the Pattaya Pier. Arriving at the scene, police learned that the 2 year old child was the man’s daughter. The child appeared to be suffering from mal-nutrition so officers took both to the police station for questioning.
Prachum Rahchsingh, 35, the father of the child, told police that his wife, a former ‘service girl’, had AIDS and now lay dying at her home in the Isarn region. She had refused to give him her address. He had contracted the virus from her and was in the first stage of the condition.
He told police he had merely slapped the child on the bottom three times to stop its annoying crying. He said he could not find work, as he had no education and was weak from the ravages of the HIV virus. He told the police he loved his child and begged them to please not arrest him.
Officers were legally unable to arrest the man as he had not done the child any harm and it is not a crime to be infected with HIV.
They gave the man a lecture, telling him that the child was crying because it was hungry and should not be struck for that reason. They then let him go.
Whether the officers looked into their law books for any laws protecting infants against child neglect, which would have enabled them to help the infant, is not known.

Unruly police behaviour leading to business closings

Krua-Theque owner Mr. Rerngchai points to his empty top shelf, cleared off because most of his customers don’t buy the expensive liquor, and when it is on display, certain police officers demand it for free.

Three employees of a photo-processing shop filed a complaint with police, alleging that they were attacked by a crime suppression officer out of uniform. He had also threatened them with a weapon in a public place which, they claimed, was not in keeping with being a sentinel of the public peace.
One victim, Manoon Thongsila, explained the situation. Before the incident, he and 3 friends had gone into a restaurant to listen to music and drink alcoholic beverages. Soon a personality clash ensued with a table of young men near them, so they decided to leave the restaurant.
The men at the other table followed them outside and began a fight. The clash was short and the attackers soon left in their own vehicle.
The attacked stayed at the scene to check the condition of their cars, which had been struck by bottles and kicked by their attackers. There were a group of citizens watching them do this.
At that moment, a Bangkok Crime Suppression plainclothes officer drove by in a pick-up. He stopped his vehicle and got down in a drunken state, asking the young men, “What is your problem?” He then slapped Manoon in the face, once.
At that time, the young men did not know he was a law enforcement officer. The officer pulled out a side arm and said in very vulgar Thai, “I’m with crime suppression.” At first, the group did not believe him and asked for his identification. At that time, the officer’s address book fell out of his pocket without his knowledge. Looking at it, Manoon saw that his name was Vitaya Na Nakorn (Thais with the secondary name “Na” are of the nobility). Manoon slipped this into his pocket as evidence.
During the argument, an officer of the Pattaya Crime Suppression Division drove by with a local inspector. The two told the first officer to leave the scene and enquired as to what was happening.
When the officers saw the many members of the public and media at the scene they implored the young men to file a complaint. They were accompanied by a group of police officers, who wanted to find out the story. These officers tried to cover up the truth and say the man was lying and was not a member of the Crime Suppression Division. When reporters told police that they had evidence that the man was, everyone looked upset.
Crime Suppression Police in Pattaya said they were not trying to protect this man as he was not one of their group, so they registered the complaint in the day book. The young men decided not to file charges against the young men who attacked them, but against the police officer instead. They assured he would be summoned and questioned.
The owner of the Krua-Theque, Mr. Rerngchai, revealed that this type of behaviour is not uncommon, and that the behaviour of some of the members of the police force are forcing him out of business. He related that he had regularly been forced to serve free liquor to members of the police department and the Crime Suppression Division. He had also been forced to buy foreign whisky from a police captain in the precinct. He also complained that police came in at closing time and rudely chased his customers out. Now he has very few customers. He said he could not remain quiet any longer and had to ask for justice.
Reporters visited Mr. Rerngchai, who had been questioned by investigative officers on the alleged police corruption for more than one hour. He swore his testimony was true. He said he had not only been coerced to buy alcohol from the police, but had been forced to serve them free. Officers had also engaged in malicious mischief, lighting (fire) crackers in the restaurant on two occasions.
He continued, saying that this had gone on for three days running until he did not dare to put foreign liquor on display. He could not sell any and if police saw it, they would extort it from him. He lost money continuously. To not lose any more money, he said he was closing the establishment temporarily. This was also because he was afraid of ‘dark influences’.
He said even though the Deputy Superintendent of Police had guaranteed his safety, he did not want to be reckless. He said he knew he was putting himself in a difficult position, but wanted to halt police corruption.
Reporters have visited many entertainment areas and establishments. They have found them to be very quiet with few customers.
The places which still have customers are Isarn restaurants, which sell Larb and Som-Tam and Chinese restaurants which sell rice soup. These establishments also sell liquor and have no fixed closing time.
Police may be seen eating and drinking at these places after they close the other establishments.
There are reports of uniformed police officers sitting with ‘service girls’ which they have dragged out of cafes and massage parlours. The uniformed officers sit with these girls in public, showing no shame.
Due to lack of business, entertainment establishments are losing large amounts of money. Krua Theque is the first entertainment venue to announce its closing. He has been closed as of April 30th. The second large establishment to close will be the Seventh Hole on Pattaya 3rd Road. The owner says expenses are approximately Baht 50,000 per night but his earnings are less than Baht 2,000. He is now in the process of changing his shops into Isan restaurants. That way, he will be able to stay open all night without being arrested. He also said that police ask for free alcoholic beverages, but as they are people he knows, he doesn’t think of it as extortion.
The only places which have a few customers are beer bars, but not enough to keep them running.
Police Deputy Commander Wannarat Khacharat says that police sent in to Pattaya are divided into a Commando squad and an undercover division. Some have been sent back to Bangkok already.
He continued, saying that this police action will have no long-term effects on tourism in Pattaya.
The Deputy Commander added that if citizens had any problems with police behaving in an unruly manner or any news of ‘dark influences’ operating to please telephone 1699 and report. Callers need not give their names or addresses and all problems will be dealt with efficiently.
“The aim of the government is not to stop Pattaya’s tourism, but hopefully bring about a change in which the city will be known as a quality tourist spot and not a haven for Thai and foreign low-life.”

Manoon Thongsila after being slapped by a Bangkok Crime Suppression officer opened the door to many more complaints about unruly police behaviour.

Rayong suicide rates highest on Eastern Seaboard

Physicians of the Rayong Public Health Department made public that Rayong Province has the highest incident of attempted suicides on the Eastern Seaboard.
Doctors say this is due to the rapid change in lifestyle. People are faced with ‘development’ and pressure with which the Thai psyche does not cope well.
The rapid change from agriculture to industry causes great stress and the change in lifestyle from subsistence to business causes emotional and cultural conflicts within the individual.
The Department recently released the following statistics:
Patients with stress related problems: 795 per 100,000 patients.
Patients with emotional disturbance: 73.1 per 100,000 patients.
Those with suicidal ideation and successful suicide: 71.5 per 100,000 patients.
Doctors are alarmed by these figures. They are the highest on Thailand’s east coast and show a strong tendency to increase.
The Health Department is instituting a campaign, pointing out that the family, the smallest of institutions, can be a source of comfort for those with problems. Doctors are encouraging more in-family problem solving and contact between generations.

He didn’t know she was married

Hans Weir, a 54 year old Swiss national, filed a complaint with Pattaya police, telling them that he had been punched in the face by a Thai man approximately 25 years old.
He told officers that a ‘service girl’ at a beer bar in South Pattaya had approached him while he was sitting drinking.
He paid the 150 baht bar fine and the two were walking along the street when the Thai man appeared and told Weir that the woman was his wife. He then clopped him in the jaw and dragged the woman off.
Police are still searching for the couple.

Garbage complaints

Unattended garbage bins are causing problems in the “litter free” area of Soi Buakow.

Residents of Soi Buakow are questioning Pattaya’s supposed “no-garbage” policy.
Garbage waiting for collection is sometimes left for three or four days, causing an unsightly mess and unbearable smell. Although it is their job to dispose of garbage on a regular basis, the sanitation department must be called to collect it.
Residents are asking, does the city ignore it because not many people see it? All the bins are full, but it is not taken away. There are no recyclabes in the bins, so the dustmen aren’t interested in collecting it.
Make Pattaya clean!

Visa run to Saigon

by Ron Stebbing
Twenty years ago Vietnam was impossible and ten years ago unimaginable. But the country today is rapidly discarding its doctrinaire isolationism and welcoming foreign investment and tourism. Getting there is easy. Both Vietnam Airlines and Thai operate daily for around 6,000 baht return and your travel agent can arrange a Vietnam visa for around 2,000 baht. On arrival, you will be required to fill in a further immigration form and provide a passport photo as well as completing a health certificate. Airport documentation must be kept in your passport and presented on departure. Taxis from the international airport to downtown Saigon (actually Ho Chi Minh City) cost around eight US dollars and it is best to arrive with a good stock of small denomination bills. The Vietnamese dong is currently about 11,600 to the dollar, but most things can be bought in either currency or a combination of both. Hotel prices are similar to Bangkok’s ranging from the very satisfactory Thai Thien, with aircon at 22 dollars, to the elegant luxury of the New World at 200 plus.
Out on the streets, the city has more than regained its pre-war bustle and the general atmosphere is welcoming to foreigners. English is surprisingly widely spoken. Most of Saigon’s approximately eight million people appear to own a motor bike and crossing a road is considerably more dangerous than in Pattaya. Matters are not helped by the fact that parking a motor bike on the actual road is illegal with the result that the sidewalks double as parking lots. Walking the streets is generally safe, if ostentatious behavior is avoided, and eating out a real pleasure. Hotel restaurants tend to be pricy, but there are countless excellent noodle stalls with dishes around 10 baht and a very acceptable bottle of local beer at 16 baht. In the centre of town is the very popular Planet Saigon, opposite Rex Hotel, which is cool and spacious with main courses about 100 baht and draught Tiger beer at 35 baht.
The city’s nightlife has not quite regained its pre-war reputation and, in theory, prostitution is illegal. Vietnamese logic can’t yet get to grips with why a foreigner and a local should be together unless it is to plot against the state, which explains why sex is relevant to the laws of sedition. Social life centres on ice cream parlours and, later, at discos which are rather expensive with beer at around 80 baht. A popular rendezvous is the San Son on Le Loi Street, although, a word of advice, Friday night is “boys night”. The age of consent for both sexes is 18 and offenders are liable to the death penalty, although there are no known cases of the penalty being inflicted to date.
There is now a Royal Thai Consulate, situated at 77 Tran Quoo Thao, which has the usual variety of visas available. Applications must be submitted before 11:30 a.m. and take two to three days to process. The usual business papers are required for non-immigrant “B” visas with double entries freely available, but it is useful to take along some papers even for tourist or non-immigrant “O” varieties. For example, a letter of recommendation from a Thai citizen may be necessary for a double entry tourist visa, and retirees or long stay visitors should keep a bank book handy in case they are asked for proof of income whilst in Thailand.
Tourist sight seeing in Saigon tends to be rather war related with a war museum, a war crimes museum (both predictably anti-American) and the old presidential palace which is now called the palace of unification. This is the spot where Vietcong tanks blasted through the gates in April 1975. Just up the road is the US embassy which has been left largely as it was before the Yanks finally did go home. A breath of refreshing air can be gained from the heat of the city by trying a trip down Saigon River. Prices vary according to the comfort expected, but a river ferry will cost you the princely sum of 5 baht return.
Out of the capital, there are many trips available, but they tend to be long and slow. A real must is to visit the tunnels of Co Chi, about thirty miles out, once a vitally important strategic area between the end of the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Black Lady Mountain and the northern outskirts of Saigon. Here, tourists are invited to crawl their way along a specially enlarged tunnel which was once used by the Vietcong and snared by countless booby traps.
All in all, Saigon offers an interesting change from the usual visa run destinations, although it is not for the extremely budget conscious who won’t take to the air. Don’t forget the eight dollars airport departure tax by the way. Bon voyage.