Pattaya Mail — News

New meaning of police beat

On the night of 30 November, Mr. Klaus Wolko, a German tourist, was arrested by Pattaya police for disorderly conduct after he became drunk and loud while sitting at Honey Bar in Soi 8 with his girlfriend. He was detained at Pattaya police station, and was later beaten by Pattaya police.

Photo: Klaus Wolko displays the shiner he received at the hands of a Pattaya police officer while in jail.

Klaus told Pattaya Mail, "I was quite drunk, for that day I found out that my best friend had just passed away. I could have reacted badly, for my girlfriend said that I talked too loud and was disturbing other guests nearby. My girlfriend could not bare the shame, so she called the cops to take me to the station to calm me down.

"When I arrived at the police station, the officer simply threw me into a cell. It was a special cell where they have all foreigners. But since I had done nothing wrong, I tried to call the officer to let me out. No action was taken. I then shook the cell in order to get attention from the officer outside the cell. Only this time, the man got the message. He opened the cell and came directly to me.

"He took me out of the cell I was in and put me into another cell where there were over 15 Thai men inside. The man, without saying a word, began to kick me, punch me, etc. I was on my back on the floor and pleaded for him to stop, but the man did not want to stop, he simply kept on beating me up. After approx. 2 hours, another cop came in and took me out, and my wife stood there waiting for me. She gave the cop a sum of 600 baht and thanked him for the favor of letting me out.

"I then went to the hospital. The doctors treated me for 1. Subconjunctival hemorrhage of the left eye, 2. Subcutaneous haematoma of left upper and lower eyelid, and 3. Multiple muscle contusions of the neck and back.

"What had I done? If I was not welcome into this Kingdom, throw me out. Is this the way to treat a tourist, especially when you are in police uniform, and in the police station? I intend to bring along this very message to all the media in Germany, to warn all my countrymen so they will know what is awaiting them in Thailand. This should really be superb marketing for the Amazing Thailand Year," concluded Mr. Klaus.

British anti-child abuse team visits Pattaya

Senior police officers of the Northumbria police force, led by Assistant Chief Constable Crimmens, met with head of the Pattaya Tourist Police, Police Major Jongsak Yamlamool, and other officers during a visit to the resort on December 10.
The British police are planning a seminar on combatting child exploitation, to be held in Thailand next March.

Child molester fined and released

A motorcycle policeman reported that he had arrested a European man who had lured a young boy into having sexual relations by offering him money.

Additional officers arriving at the scene found the European male, later identified as UK national John Marlik, with his trousers around his ankles. He was in an agitated state. The boy, near him, tried to run from police. Both were taken to Pattaya Police Station for questioning.

The 14 year old boy told police that he was strolling around Royal Garden Shopping Plaza when Marlik, 67, approached him. The man invited the boy to have ice cream with him in the wooded area behind the Lotus Supercentre.

At the scene, Marlik offered the boy 200 baht to have sexual relations with him. They were interrupted by the suspicious police officer, who had followed them behind the store.

Marlik was charged with child molesting, and his history was taken down by police. He was then fined and released.

Lucky lottery vendor saved by hotel manager

Thanachai Chairungbancha, a lottery vendor, almost had a very sad Christmas. But he was saved by an Angel.

Mr. Thanachai dropped all of his 719 lottery tickets. Not knowing where to look, he was facing a very large problem. He had no way to make a living, and would be expected to pay the National Lottery Bureau tens of thousands of baht for the tickets.

But an Angel intervened.

Marion Vogt, Guest Relations Manager of the Thai Garden Resort Hotel, found the tickets lying in the street. She immediately called the Pattaya Mail, asking what would be the best way to find the owner and return them. The Pattaya Mail suggested she bring them to the final match of the Pattaya Mail Cup, as Tourist Police Commander, Maj. Jongsak Yeamlamool, would be attending. At the match, Marion turned the tickets over to Major Jongsak, who wrapped and sealed them.

The Commander then put announcements on radio and television.

Mr. Thanachai, after searching for the tickets and feeling totally lost, went to the Tourist Police. ‘It was my only hope. I never thought if anyone found them, they would actually turn them in to the police,’ said the lucky man.

He was overjoyed when Commander Jongsak returned the tickets to him.

The Commander, the tourist police and even Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsak then bought many lottery tickets from the man, hoping good luck would come to them as it had to Mr. Thanachai.

This was another piece of unbelievable luck, as he thought he would never sell enough tickets, due to time he lost when they disappeared.

The lucky Mr. Thanachai thanked Mr. Khom Meesri, Assistant General Manager of the Thai Garden Resort.

During the Christmas season, it’s good to know that Angels do exist.

Strange "whole-dwellers" leave police at a loss

Police out on their usual patrol in Soi Jurarat saw a group of odd people who appeared to be engaged in a ritual of no known religion.

The seemingly hypnotised group was intoning incantations and processing around a hole in the earth. Members held knives, peacock feathers and fly swatters. There were 7 adults and 2 children in the mysterious cult.

Police cautiously moved in and observed from time to time a group member descending into the hole. When police asked the group their faith, they rudely said they worshipped Lord Garuda.

‘Don’t worry, no-one will kick you in the face,’ they shouted to puzzled police. They then began to beat wild and arcane rhythms on their knives and fly swatters.

Police, worried about the public’s safety and the group’s sanity, took them into custody for questioning.

Sum Sae-Ng, 47, the leader, told officers that the cult worshipped ghosts and land spirits. The cult members were dishevelled, some clad only in undershorts. All nine were suffering from dehydration and malnutrition as they did not believe in eating.

Police officers tried to induce the children to take water, but the leader forbade them, telling them that nasty ‘water ghosts’ would possess their bodies. The children refused to accept water or nourishment.

Police were at a loss as to how to handle the situation, as the cult members were totally under the control of the leader, who appeared psychotic and actively hallucinating. The whole group would wai into the air, and then babble incomprehensibly.

All attempts to communicate with any group members failed. When spoken to, the people would press one baht coins to their foreheads and temples.

Without a court order and a doctor’s certification, officers could do nothing but release them.

Ousted vendors stage protest

More than 100 vendors from the old Larn Pho Market in Naklua staged a protest on the steps of Pattaya City Hall, demanding to know why they were being forced to move out of the market where they had been selling their various wares for over 20 years.

Carrying signs reading, ‘Pattaya is Unfair to Poor People’, ‘The Economy is Not Well, but We’re Even Worse’, ‘Pattaya is Slaughtering Those who Live Hand to Mouth’, the group marched, staged a sit-in and shouted that they wished to speak to the mayor, poste haste.

Some had paid ‘key money’ of more than 300,000 baht.

They were told to move to the New Market on very short notice with no reasons given.

Later, Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat, City Manager Songsak Yomjinda and Mr. Yordthong Senanan, District Security Chief for the Pattaya City Council, arrived at the scene.

The protesters presented baskets of flowers to the mayor and implored him not to make them move.

After accepting the floral tributes, the mayor told the protesters they had been asked to move to the new area prepared for them so improvements could be made on the old market. The old area is to become a wastewater treatment plant and public park.

An attorney representing the protesters, Mr. Virachai Sukhmethsawat, spoke with the public officials and city council members. Mr. Virachai and his clients were asked to return on December 16th for another meeting.

The protesters warned the city that if they did not receive fair treatment on the 16th, they would blockade the road.

Walking Street Food & Beverage Festival

The Walking Street Committee in South Pattaya has announced they are organizing a Food & Beer Festival in cooperation with Singha Beer. The fair will be held every weekend on South Pattaya’s "Walking Street" from 7 p.m. until midnight.

Tables and food stands will be set up along the street. Beer bar operators and others are invited to reserve their tables to sell drinks and food at 100 baht per table per night. Part of the proceeds will be used as scholarship funds for poor students in Pattaya schools. The rest will be spent promoting the Walking Street in the future.

Singha Beer is sponsoring the event, and will provide all tables and draft beer equipment at no charge to the city.

For further information, please contact Amarin Phachonyut, Director of the Walking Street Committee.

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