Deputy Prime Minister Bhichai Rattakul visits handicapped in Pattaya

Deputy Prime Minister Bhichai Rattakul visited Pattaya on Tuesday, May 12th, acting as honorary guest at the grand opening of the Thailand Wheelchair Tennis Open at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort, and making a visit to the Redemptorist Center.
The Deputy Prime Minister visited Pattaya to show his support for, and give encouragement to the physically challenged in Pattaya.
During his visit to Pattaya, Deputy PM Bhichai, in his capacity as acting chairman of Thailand’s participation in the 13th Asian games, also visited the sites in Pattaya that will host the water sports for the games.
The Redemptorist Center gave a warm welcome to the respected statesman, who was accompanied by General Thienchai Sirisamphan, former Deputy Prime Minister.
Father Patrick, Principal of the School, arranged a special performance for the visiting dignitaries.
The Redemptorist Center is administered by the Redemptorist Centers of Thailand. The center offers vocational education to the physically challenged. The center specializes in computer programming and electronics tuition. There is no tuition charge and the students receive free room and board.

Deputy Prime Minister Bhichai visited the Center, exhorting students to do their best for themselves and Thailand.

Only in Pattaya

Strange but true, a tale from the night scene

Miscalculating a bit, 82 year old Gerald Patrick took two ‘service girls’ to his room last week for the usual activities. The girls proved to be tough cookies, however, and beat the octogenarian about the head and shoulders, then ran off with 35,000 baht in cash.
Gerald Patrick dragged his bruised body into the Pattaya Police Station and reported the incident.
On May 12th, Patrick stated that he went to the ‘Sexy A Go-Go’ Bar and met lovely Ms. Kongphan Khreuangsoongnern and her friend ‘Knock’. When they reached his room, they did not provide the service for which he bargained. He told police that ‘Knock’ did live up to her name, though.

Octoggearian Gerald Patrick signs a complaint against Ms. Kongphan Khreuangsoongnern (seated right) for being one of two persons who beat him and stole his money. Ms. Kongphan attempted to disguise gerself as a nun, but was picked up in a local disco when her drinking and dancing in nun’s attire aroused suspicion.

After thoroughly trouncing him, the girls tied him up and ransacked his room. Finding 35,000 baht in cash, the girls made a hasty exit.
Pattaya police later found one of the girls and arrested her.

Kongphan, who had shaved her head and was posing as a Buddhist nun, confessed to all charges.
Under police questioning, Kongphan told officers that she thought her new ‘skinhead’ look and nun’s habit would prevent police from recognising her.

She also said that Patrick had paid the ‘bar-fine’ for she and ‘Knock’. When they reached Patrick’s room, the girls found he had definitely not been taking Viagra.
She continued, saying that Patrick had a lot of money and she and ‘Knock’ wanted some, too. After pummeling Patrick and running away, the girls divided the booty.

It was then she conceived the idea of ‘taking vows’.
Her one mistake was going to discos and engaging in orgies of drink and dance while dressed as a nun. This made her rather conspicuous.
Police charged her with conspiracy and robbery in the night leading to the bodily harm of others.

Police have not yet apprehended ‘Knock’.
Investigations continue.

U.S. and Thailand to hold Cobra Gold ’98 Joint Exercise

The Armed Forces of the United States and Thailand will conduct the 17th annual Cobra Gold Exercise in Thailand from May 19 to June 1, 1998. Cobra Gold is one of the largest exercises involving U.S. forces in the Pacific command this year. Cobra Gold ’98 is the latest in the continuing Series of U.S. - Thailand Military Exercises designed to ensure regional peace through the U.S. Pacific Command’s strategy of cooperation with friends and allies and strengthens the ability of the Royal Thai Armed Force to defend Thailand.
As in all previous Cobra Gold Exercises, this exercise will include joint-combined land and air operations, combined naval operations, amphibious operations, and special operations. The exercise will also provide constructive benefits to the people of Thailand through combined Thailand-U.S. medical and civil affairs projects.

Participating U.S. forces will total approximately 10,600 and will include elements of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific (MARFORPAC); U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC); U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF); U.S. Pacific Fleet (PACFLT); Special Operations Commands Pacific (SOCPAC); Air Mobility Command (AMC) and reserve elements from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.
Participating Thai forces will number approximately 6,250 and will include elements of the Royal Thai Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force.
For additional information regarding Exercise Cobra Gold ’98, contact Group Captain Sopon Thamprayot of the Royal Thai Supreme Command, Tel: 281-6673 or Fax: 281-6932, or USIS Press & Media Relations office at Tel: 205-4232 or 205-4241 or Fax: 650-8919

Stay on top of the news and current event with the USIS Bangkok homepage: http://usa.or.th (Includes links to homepages of other U.S. government agencies).

Thorne maintains innocence

Thai law provides 7 consecutive 12 day incarcerations while police are gathering evidence for presentation to the prosecutor. Andre Stefan Thorne, alleged UK pedophile, faced the Chonburi court on May 12 for his second 12 day jail period.
Thorne is charged with molesting three children whom he was raising for their parents. Once child is 11 and the other two are eight years old.
Thorne still denies all guilt in the matter.
While waiting to face the court, Thorne talked with his lawyer, friends and the parents of the three boys.
Thorne spoke mainly about being ‘cheated’ by someone who offered to ‘arrange’ bail for him. He also expressed worry about the four boys in his care and his housekeeper.

Photo: Accused pedophile Andre Stefan Thorne (right) signs documents and protests his innocence on all charges.

The accused man’s attorney, Mr. Yongyuth Phromchai, told reporters he had requested bail twice, but was refused by the court. The court’s decision is based on the seriousness of the charges.
Thorne is in contact with the British Embassy which is only allowed to ‘advise’.
Thorne then talked to the Pattaya Mail before being returned to Chonburi jail.
He maintains that the charges are total fabrications of the police department. Thorne told our reporters that, "he was concerned about all children". The three boys under his care are nephews of his housekeeper.
According to Thorne, he felt ‘sorry’ for the children as their families were so poor. He considered the children to be his ‘god-children’ and was taking care of them and sending them to International school.
Why he wished the children to leave their parents when he could have simply provided the family financial help is not known.

He claims to never have molested the children. He also claims the children told him they never testified to police that he did so.
He stated that his, "whole ‘family’ is now suffering, as they haven’t enough food to eat."
Thorne maintains that he is the only person allowed to draw money out of his bank account. Why he does not draw up a power of attorney, the usual method for incarcerated people, is not known.
He maintains that his friends are providing the children and the family with what they can ‘spare’, and says he wishes to get out of jail so he may help the family. He once again stated his total innocence of all charges.

Andre Thorne alleges that a Mr. Gay (surname unknown), from whom he rents his motorcar, contacted him. Gay told Thorne that he knew ‘influential’ officers in the Banglamung Police Department. He told Thorne that he could get the charges dropped, but it would cost him an initial 10,000 baht. Thorne said he was looking for any way to get back to his family, so he allowed himself to be tricked out of the money. He had a friend pay the money to Gay for him.

Gay allegedly contacted him again and told Thorne that 100,000 baht was necessary to buy off police. Gay told Thorne he had used the first 10,000 to ply the detective in charge of the case with expensive food and drink. Thorne said he was very suspicious that Gay had spent the money on himself. He told Gay he could not give him more money as he could not withdraw it from the bank. Gay then tried to get 50,000 baht from Thorne’s housekeeper. She refused and told police about Gay approaching her.

Andre Thorne will go to Chonburi court again on May 25, 1998. If the court does not grant him bail, he will then be incarcerated for another 12 days.

Bizarre night at B.K. Mansions

Somsak Ariyakong, 20, a security guard at B.K. Mansions, stopped a patrol car and told officers that three rooms in the estates were missing clothing and other valuable objects. There were also damaged windows, doors and transoms. After the midnight robbery, the culprit ran into the jungle.
A squad of 20 officers sallied out of the station to catch the burglar, and stationed themselves at strategic points at the edge of the jungle, making egress impossible. Another group went into the Cobra filled woodland to find the thief.
Searching for more than an hour, police did not find the thief. Police explained to reporters that just as police work required considerable skill, most successful thieves were not slouches at the art of evading capture.

Leaving the verdant woodland, officers went back to the B.K. Mansions. The three rooms had been ransacked and two of the residents were not in evidence. This made it very difficult for police to ascertain what had been stolen.
Ms. Kanjana Sophakham, 20, one victim, was already at the police station, filing a report. She reported that 1,500 baht, some clothing and her etui were missing.

Police once again went into the forest to find the culprit, but instead found Mr. Phaiboon Visethsri, 36, highly intoxicated, sitting on a tractor. For some unknown reason, Phiboon revved up the tractor and attempted to mow down the officers. Quite agile, police were able to jump sideways into the underbrush. Demanding he desist, Phiboon responded by turning the tractor around to attempt another attack.
The officers managed to get behind the tractor and jumped Phaiboon. Shouting obscenities, he was hauled to the police station. Without the tractor.

Mr. Phaiboon was not the thief, but was still charged with insulting law enforcement officers and drunk and disorderly conduct.

TAT establishing Tourist Service Centers

Mr. Julin Laksananwisit, the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, announced the establishment of Tourist Service Centers.
Mr. Julin said, "This is being done to aid tourists in moving about the country with greater ease."
Tourists need only telephone 1155. The slogan is ‘Remember one number and Tiow throughout Thailand’. The headquarters of the project is located at the Tourism Authority of Thailand main office on Rachadamnern Nork Avenue in Bangkok.

The centres will provide 4 basic services to tourists.
1. Information for tourists. This service will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
2. Emergency assistance. Tourists finding themselves in difficulty may ring the Tourism Authority of Thailand or have the ‘Service Centre’ report for them.
3. Full police service, such as filing complaints, investigations, patrols, and the ‘quick mobile unit’.
4. Compiling Statistics. All calls will be noted for reason and will then be compiled as statistics for future reference.

Copyright 1998 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
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Created by Andy Gombaz, assisted by Chinnaporn Sangwanlek.