Asian Games flag ceremony in Pattaya

Flag to be carried throughout Chonburi

Chonburi Governor Sujarit Pajchimanan chaired a meeting of the Asian Games opening ceremony committee of Chonburi where it was announced that an official Asian Games flag will be paraded throughout the region to promote the pan-Asia sporting event.

The ceremony in Chonburi will begin on November 30th at 12:00 a.m. at the Sattahip Market Junction. The flag will be borne by the Sattahip City Hall and enter Pattaya, then pass the South Pattaya Junction and the Alcazar Transvestite Cabaret Club. The flag will rest at Pattaya City Hall.

A "flag welcoming ceremony" will then be held to welcome the 13th Asian Games on December 1st at 9:00 a.m. The flag will then be borne from Pattaya City Hall to Udom Bay in Laem Chabang and continue on by the city hall in Sri-Racha, the Nong Born Market, the bypass junction leading to Chonburi, and the Navamintharachini Camp in Chachernsao Province, where it will come to rest at 12:00 p.m. on December 1st, 1998.

The total distance the flag will be borne is 77.7 kilometers.

This ceremony will be held to promote the Asian Games and inform the public of every province in the East that the games are taking place.

There will be posters and signs set up at various places advertising that the 13th Asian Games will be taking place in Chonburi.

Revered Monk to speak at Alcazar

To address the public on money matters

The Aksorn group, the Alcazar Transvestite Club and the Media Association of Pattaya have invited Phra Payorm Kalyano, a monk famed for his public speaking, to address a meeting on "How to Avoid the Perils of the Age of the IMF."

The young monk, the Abbot of Suan Kaew Temple in Nonthaburi Province, will speak at the Alcazar Transvestite Cabaret Club on October 28 from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. At this time, he will address students. He will give another speech from 13:00 - 14:00 for the general public.

From 14:30 - 16:30, members of the Election Committee will explain elections and democracy to the public.

The people of Chonburi are quite excited about the coming of the celebrity monk. His schedule is totally booked. On his way back to Pathum Thani, he will stop in Chonburi to give a talk in the late evening.

Phra Payorm, novices and nuns from the Suan Kaew temple will also be bringing products made from waste and donated items to sell at bargain prices. The proceeds will be given to unnamed charities.

All students and interested residents of the area are invited to hear this revered ascetic speak on the workings of the International Monetary Fund, at the times mentioned above, free of charge.

Citizen protest leads to company action

Meyer Company responds

Residents living near the Meyer Company in Laem Chabang staged a demonstration late last month, protesting the leakage of noxious fumes. The fumes were causing residents respiratory, sinus problems, headaches, nausea and vomiting.

Dr. Sanit Banthuchan, Manager of the Laem Chabang branch, responded to the protest by ordering engineers to investigate the company’s emissions control system. Officials of the Ministry of Science and the Office of Pollution Control assisted the engineers in their investigation.

The Meyer Factory in Laem Chabang Industrial Estates must solve its pollution problems within two months.

They found that the factory’s rainwater catchment tanks and waste water tanks used the same ducts.

The company’s incinerator was working beyond its capacity, allowing leakage of chemical dust particles into the air.

Checking the emissions release system, officials found Toluene and Sodium Hydroxide.

Dr. Sanit told reporters he had met with Mr. M.S. Chan, the owner of the company, who assured him that repairs had begun.

Government organizations sent an official letter to the Meyer Company on October 7. The letter stated that the company must have repairs complete 2 months from the date of the letter. If this was not done, the Industrial Estates would revoke the company’s license.

The Industrial Estates of Laem Chabang has built an "observation station" in order to make sure that local factories are up to international environmental standards, or ISO 14000. This means the quality of the water, air and waste products.

As for the polluting waste, the Industrial Estates has 2 rules. Waste with polluting substances must be processed by the Genco Company and ordinary trash will be collected by the Industrial Estates itself.

The Ministry of Public Health is now treating residents who have become ill due to the waste.

The Meyer Company, which makes stainless steel kitchen fixtures for export, has appointed Mr. Viraphan Worachat, Director of Personnel, as the representative of the company. Viraphan has engaged the Jacon Engineering Company to be the advisor in the solving of the various problems with pollution. Mr. Phairoj Chanrith is the Manager of this company.

"The factory has requested 2 months to solve the problems and will set up a ‘pollution guard’ system in its smokestacks. This will take approximately 2 months. The system will use activated carbon, which can absorb 80% of the Tuloene and Styrene. This will bring the factory within established standards. But it is not known whether the chemicals which do escape collect in the body or not," Mr. Phairoj said.

Fake Rolex vendor robbed

Held at gunpoint by two men dressed as police

A vendor of counterfeit Rolex watches was robbed on his way home from a hard day’s work. On October 13th, Mr. Boonyan Pooprasert, 41, called Banglamung police from a phone box in Soi Bua Khao, the scene of the robbery.

Boonyan told police that after he finished his exhausting day of peddling fake Rolex watches, the injured party was gathering up his stock and putting them into his Honda automobile.

Boonyan Pooprasert explains to police how he was robbed of his daily take of selling counterfeit watches. Apparently he was not arrested for copyright violations.

At that moment a motorcycle pulled up beside him. Two Thai men in their late 20s got off the vehicle and approached Mr. Boonyan.

Telling him they were police officers they told him that he was under arrest for selling fake watches. One of the men put a gun of unknown make to his head. The other handcuffed him.

This done, the two robbers took Mr. Boonyan’s 5 ounce solid gold chain, his 5 ounce solid gold bracelet, one gold inlaid Buddha image and his very expensive real solid gold watch. They also took 15,000 baht in cash, which the injured party had made from selling the fake Rolex watches that day.

The thieves did not take the counterfeit watches.

Police listened to Boonyan’s story while he still wore the handcuffs.

In passing, Boonyan apologized to police for selling counterfeit watches. He accompanied officers to the police station to look at mug shots and sign a complaint.

Major companies announce delay in investment

Economic downturn postpones plans

Two large companies have announced they will delay their investment in the Mab-Ta-Phut Industrial Estates due to the recent economic downturn in Thailand’s ‘bubble’ economy.

Ban Poo Mining and a company in the Siam Cement Group had plans to build factories in the estates at Rayong. The companies were planning to build factories on 5,500 rai of land in the area.

Construction continues on the Mab-Ta-Phut Port even though potential users have yet to be found.

Aside from the economic downturn, the slow construction of the port is also a factor in the companies not investing the expected 500 million baht.

Mr. Sermsak Sinthusek, Director of the Mab-Ta-Phut Port Authority, said that the building of the pier would cost 3,106 million baht, borrowed from Thai and foreign banks.

The Italian-Thai Company and the Penta Company are constructing the port. The port should be finished in the year 2000.

Mr. Sermsak said, "Even though the two companies are delaying their investment and only paying a security deposit for the rent of the land in the future, the port must be built as the contract with the two construction companies has already been signed. We do not consider ourselves ‘in the red’ now."

Mr. Sermsak said the Mab-Ta-Phut Port is proceeding to look for customers. Although no potential customers have appeared yet, the Port Authority is confident that there will be customers wanting to use the port once it is finished.

Return to Agriculture

Asian crisis forcing people to return to living off the hand

Many sectors in Thailand are affected by the financial crisis currently gripping Asia, especially Public Health, Banking and the land sales and development sector.

This has caused Thailand’s industry a great deal of difficulty and the country has turned to agriculture once again. It is thought that farmers who have come to cities should be able to return to the land and engage in agriculture.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has begun a project of "innovative agriculture." This project is based on ideas that His Majesty the King presented 20 years ago.

At that time, when Thailand’s industrial development first began, His Majesty the King warned that "safety nets" need be implemented in case of financial crisis.

His Majesty’s project was based on the theories: "enough to feed the people" and "sustained development of agriculture."

Commercial Agriculture: This idea was for agricultural products for export which would help the stability of the balance of trade. This theory stated that several main agricultural products and/or livestock industries be developed to ensure a flow of cash into the country. This idea emphasized quality and market demand in foreign countries. Domestic need was not a part of this plan.

Enough to feed the people: This part of His Majesty’s two fold plan was a program which would feed the farmers and the people of Thailand. This plan was designed specifically for times of financial crisis.

His Majesty’s plans were brought up at a meeting of counselors last year. Eight thousand experimental projects will be set up throughout the country. Chonburi will be conducting this in ten Districts and 92 places.

Farmers chosen for this project will be given land areas of 10-15 rai. The land has natural wells and will also rely on rainwater. Families will be medium sized (5-6 members). The families chosen will have no other profession or source of income. Those chosen for the project will be in proximity to each other and will be expected to cooperate in an ‘extended family’ manner.

Vacant post draws suitors from afar

Deputy Governor of Chonburi position open

On October 1st provincial government leaders, civil servants and many other important people from Chonburi gathered to welcome Mr. Suphoj Laowanyasiri, Governor of Chaiyaphum Province, and Mr. Thongchai Anandtakul, Governor of Chantaburi Province. The new head of the Provincial Office of Pathum Thani, Mr. Phaisal Ratanaphanlop, also journeyed to Chonburi.

All three of these gentlemen came to Chonburi to enter the race to become a future "city father".

Police Lt. Chanaphong Jakkapark, former Deputy Governor of Chonburi, has departed to become Governor of Nan Province in the North of Thailand. The other Deputy Governor is now the governor of Phanga Province in the South of Thailand. Mr. Kittiphong Sunanan, the Head of the Provincial Office of Chonburi, is now the Governor of the relatively new province of Nong Bua Lamphoo.

Commemorative coins offered for sale

"To build the spirit of the Thai people"

Ms. Sirikanya Thienmanee, Treasurer of Chonburi, announced that commemorative coins will be sold with His Majesty the King’s permission.

The coins will feature the image of Thailand’s guardian Phrasiamthevathiraj.

It is hoped that the public will keep the coins and pay homage to them. They are intended to build the spirit of the Thai people and give them a sense of well being in these times of economic collapse.

The coins will be blessed by his Holiness, The Supreme Patriarch.

Copper coins three centimeters in diameter cost 99 baht. Five centimeter coins will cost 500 baht.

"National Friendship Coins" made of two-colors with a diameter of 2.6 centimeters will cost 10 baht. Coins of 92.5% silver with a diameter of 3.5 centimeters cost 700 baht. Copper coins cost 60 baht.

The coins may be purchased at all Provincial Treasuries and all Laem Thong Bank Branches from now on.

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