Pattaya Mail receives US Consul

US Consul and Second Secretary Paul Mayer, Chief of American Citizen Services, paid a visit to the Pattaya Mail offices on February 7. Consul Mayer was in town on Monday to meet with high ranking local police officials and Chonburi Governor Sujarit Pachimnan before setting up “shop” in the Merlin Hotel on Tuesday to provide consular services for US citizens living in the area.

(L to R) Pattaya Mail Executive Editor Dan Dorothy presents flowers to welcome US Special Consular Assistant Rumpa Anantakul and US Consul and Second Secretary, Chief of American Citizen Services Paul Mayer, with Elfi, Sue and Pattaya Mail Managing Director Peter Malhotra.

“It’s good to be able to get out of the office and visit Americans living outside Bangkok,” Paul said. “If I had my way, we’d go to a different part of the country every month.”

Paul also reiterated the importance of American citizens living in Thailand to register with the embassy, and wants to allay fears some people have of doing so. “We have no desire to hunt down (US citizens) and report them to the IRS or whoever. We just want to know where they are. When an emergency happens, it’s my office that gets called.”

Consul Mayer was accompanied on his visit by US Special Consular Assistant Rumpa Anantakul. Ms. Rumpa has had many years of experience with the US Embassy, and of late has been helping Paul follow up on the Wayne Tischbern murder case.

US Consul and Second Secretary, Chief of American Citizen Services Paul Mayer (left), Pattaya Police Chief Pol. Col. Phinit Satcharoen and other high-ranking local police officials met for lunch at the Vientiane Restaurant on Pattaya 2nd Road.

Although the Lumpini police are yet to solve the case, both Paul and Rumpa were adamant when saying that it is still an active case, that police are still working diligently to solve it, and that the American Embassy is in regular contact with the police to get updates. Unfortunately, the more time that elapses before a case like this gets solved, the less likely it is that it will ever be solved.

Consul Mayer has had plenty of experience working with the local constabulary, and indeed one of the reasons for his visit here was to reestablish contact with Pattaya’s men in uniform. “It has been a few months since I’ve been down here (Pattaya) and more than a year since I’ve talked with the police and district officers here,” Paul said. “It is important to let them know that the US Embassy is here to help. If anything happens (to an American citizen), we want them to call us right away.”

After leaving the Pattaya Mail offices, Paul and Rumpa had a “power lunch” at the Vientiane Restaurant with high ranking police officers such as Pattaya Police Chief Pol. Col. Phinit Satcharoen, Deputy Superintendent Pol. Lt. Col. Chachawan Phisuttwong, Suppression Inspector Pol. Lt. Col. Suchart Pranee, Bang Lamung Police Chief Pol. Col. Padungsak Ubekanon, Bang Lamung Deputy Police Chief Pol. Lt. Col. Prachotkanha and Tourist Police Department Inspector Pol. Maj. Porarid Lilasiri.

With the growing number of Americans in the expanding industrial business hub that is the Eastern Seaboard, US Consul and Second Secretary, Chief of American Citizen Services Paul Mayer and US Special Consular Assistant Rumpa Anantakul are fully cognizant of the impact they can have here. “Unlike (posts) in other, much larger countries, I feel I can truly make a difference here,” Paul said. Almost the same sentiments that gave birth to the Pattaya Mail. The spirit lives on.

Clarifying elections ballots

Reminder - bars will be closed

Pattaya’s first ever public election for city mayor takes place on Saturday, February 12th. Voters will also decide who will sit on the city council.

To clear up any confusion over the ballots, Pattaya’s acting mayor Sunthorn Prasertdee, who also heads the city’s election control committee, had the ballots color-coded. The yellow portion of the two-part ballot is for voting for mayor, while the green portion is for voting for city council members. Sunthorn has been actively publicizing ballot marking procedures hoping to eliminate voter confusion.

Preparations for the election were completed nearly a week before voters go to the polls, meaning election officials have been fully instructed on their duties, including insuring the election process is carried out fairly and with no outside interference.

The acting city mayor and the election committee have also been urging eligible voters to go to the polls. The day before the election, students from Pattaya schools were scheduled to participate in a campaign inviting voters to take advantage of their right to vote and remind them of Saturday’s election. Polls will be open from 8.00 a.m. until 3.00 p.m.

Reminder: Thai law states that no alcohol may be sold or served beginning at 6:00 p.m. the night before an election and ending no sooner than midnight on the day of the election.

Burnt out hotel renovations nearly complete

Authorization to reopen could come this month

The Jomtien Palm Beach Hotel, formerly the Royal Jomtien Resort, is clearing its last hurdles before reopening, authorization for which may come as soon as the end of this month.

(L to R) Jomtien Palm Beach Hotel’s managing director Thaworn Ucchin and general manager Suchart Hirayakanokul greet Chonburi’s Deputy Governor Wirasak Phornphibul on his inspection tour of hotel. The hotel, where nearly 100 people lost their lives in a fire in July 1997, may get the go-ahead to reopen this month.

On Tuesday, February 1st, Chonburi’s Deputy Governor Virasak Pornpiboon led a team of investigators on an inspection tour of the hotel. The Deputy Governor said his visit was, “...to add confidence to previous safety inspection results, as no one wants a repeated incident on the same scale.”

The Royal Jomtien Resort made international news in July 1997 when a cooking gas tank exploded causing a fire that engulfed the hotel and took nearly 100 lives. Many of those who were lost died because fire exits had been chain-locked shut.

The hotel’s managing director, Thaworn Ucchin, who was singled out at the time of the tragedy as being responsible for the hotel’s policies, which included the locked fire exits, was on hand to greet the Deputy Governor on his inspection tour.

Thaworn and the hotel’s general manager Suchart Hirayakanokul showed the team of inspectors corrections the hotel had made that previous teams of investigators from independent agencies had identified as being necessary.

The hotel is now in the process of constructing bowling lanes, and a few other minor adjustments remain to be finished.

The Chonburi administration set up an inspection committee composed of civil engineers and town planners, including provincial and city police officers, to investigate the hotel’s standards after rebuilding. The committee’s continuing inspection results must be submitted to provincial officials for consideration before authorization to reopen can be issued. The last inspection is scheduled for this month and the final decision authorizing the hotel to reopen or not is expected before the end of February.

Hungry leopard nips tourist

Russian woman becomes snack

Miss Maria Ya, a 19-year-old Russian tourist was bitten on the arm by leopard at the Noong Nuch Park last week - and just to show how much the “new” Russia is adopting “Western” ways, the young woman is suing the park for half a million baht. According to Miss Ya, the leopard and a monkey were left unattended.

Russian tourist Maria Ya was bitten by a leopard at a local amusement park.

Miss Ya was visiting the park with friends and sat to have her picture taken with the chained leopard. While standing next to the leopard, the big cat turned and bit into her arm. Her friends and employees had to come to her rescue and forcefully remove the animal from her arm.

Miss Ya was rushed to Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital where she was treated for the animal bite, which left her arm scarred with seven teeth marks. Miss Ya then reported the incident to the police. Miss Ya is asking for 500,000 baht in damages for the injuries suffered from the leopard because of negligence on the part of Noong Nuch Park.

Representatives from Noong Nuch refused to agree to any settlement until the matter was cleared by park owners, due to the large amount of money Miss Ya demanded.

Police registered Miss Ya’s complaint, noted her injuries and directed Noong Nuch Park to meet with her to decide on an agreeable settlement.

Police find abandoned Benz

10 million baht auto had plates stolen from an Army General

Sattahip police found an abandoned dark blue Mercedes S 500 off of Sukhumvit Road in Sattahip. The Bangkok license plates on the car were registered to Army General Amphon Amornwisaisorndech, assigned to the office of the Deputy Minister of Defense.

The new left-hand drive model was found in perfect condition. The interior was still intact and the odometer registered 63,766 kilometers. The round tax sticker had expired on 3 April 1998, and a sticker from the Rayong Benz Center on By-pass Road was still attached to the windshield.

Dusty but otherwise in new condition, this Benz was left abandoned on Sukhumvit Highway, most likely because the “owner” had brought it into the country illegally to avoid paying taxes.

Police contacted the Rayong dealership who identified Mr. Sanan Bunsanguan, age 49, from Naklua as being the person who brought the car in for service on 2 February 1998.

Police also contacted the office of the Deputy Minister of Defense and the son of the Army General, Army Cpt. Thirawut Amornwisaisorndech, who assured Sattahip police his father was not the owner of the car, although the plates did match. Police were advised to continue the investigation, speculating the car was probably illegally brought into the Kingdom.

Sattahip police suspect the person who abandoned the car had illegally brought it into Thailand to evade paying the required tax on the 10 million baht vehicle.

Chonburi Development Party sweeps provincial council election

Only 1/3 of eligible voters turn out

The Chonburi Development Party swept all seats in the February 5th provincial council election. 226,320 voters turned out at the polls in Chonburi, or about 35% of eligible voters.

Ten Chonburi districts will now be sending members to serve on the Chonburi Provincial Council. Elections were held in 7 of those districts (Chonburi Muang District, Sri Racha, Bang Lamung (including Pattaya), Sattahip, Phanat Nikhom, Phanthong, Si Chang Island and Ban Beung), while elections in 3 other districts (Bo Thong, Nong Yai, and Chan Island) were unnecessary as the candidates ran unopposed.

About 35% of eligible voters turned out to exercise their right to vote in the February 5th election for Chonburi Provincial Council. On Saturday, February 12th, voters will once again go to the polls, this time to elect the city’s mayor and city council.

Provincial council elections took place all over the country, except, curiously, for Buriram Province.

Local voting was slow in the morning, but picked up in the afternoon. Voters who did turn out voiced complaints over confusion at the polls. Boards posting candidates for Pattaya’s mayor and city council members caused some confusion, as that election won’t take place until February 12th. The biggest complaint, however, was that many polling locations did not have house registration numbers clearly posted for voters to find their names, which caused a lot of wasted time.

When all the votes were counted, candidates 3-8, from the Chonburi Development Party, swept the election, taking all six seats allocated to Bang Lamung. The winning six candidates were: Rewat Phonluk-in with 25,878 votes, Paramedsawa Ngamphiches 24,631, Chalerm Kaetjae 23,960, Thonglo Ampheung 23,540, Mongkol Sawaenghasab 21,423 and Chanyudh Hengtrakul with 20,650 votes.

Laem Chabang port official accused of falsifying education records

University Administration Manager says allegations are true

A group of 100 employees from the Bangkok and Laem Chabang Port Authority organized a protest at the Laem Chabang Port Authority in Sri Racha on 1 February, contesting the authenticity of education records belonging to Laem Chabang Port Director Pheraphol Traiwatana.

The protest group included the President of the Academic Affairs Administration Thaweeb Kanchanawong and Safety Officer Thawachai Sri Muang.

Pheraphol was the first director appointed to the Laem Chabang Port Authority from the private sector. He was appointed in December 1998, and the Thai Port Authority is in the process of extending his tenure as port director for another two years. But after a review of his records and a reply from the Asian University Academic Affairs Administration Manager Kenichi Yamada, apparent problems were identified.

Kenichi Yamada’s replied with a letter that indicates there are no educational record’s of any person named Pheraphol Traiwatana on file at the university, nor are there any records of Pheraphol Traiwatana graduating from the university.

The graduation certificate registration number Pheraphol Traiwatana referred to as his, 4296 dated 15 March 2524, is in the name of an entirely different person with a different date of birth. The only information corresponding correctly is the person’s nationality and subject major.

Yamada’s letter speculates the graduation certificate in question may have been falsified, changing the person’s name and date of birth. Yamada added that the university only issues one original copy to all graduates and he suggests the original copy be examined.

Pheraphol Traiwatana has yet to respond to the allegations.

Election committee rejects two senate candidates

The Chonburi election scrutinizing committee rejected the applications of two senate hopefuls on the grounds they were or had been affiliated with government offices. Naval Admiral Preecha Padibatsornkij, candidate #7, and Wiroj Tantrabhorn, candidate #19, both had their candidacies rejected under the stiff laws governing the eligibility of candidates for the Kingdom’s senate.

Thailand’s first ever senate elections are scheduled for March 4th.

Admiral Preecha was rejected because he was a member of the government police committee. Wiroj Tantrabhorn was rejected because of his government affiliation as a Burapha University board member.

In all, 20 people from Chonburi have registered to run for senate.

Chonburi Election Committee Chairman Kornkij Wutisombun said the applications of Admiral Preecha and Mr. Wiroj were both rejected due to a requirement prohibiting senate candidates from having any association or affiliation with government office. He said that, so far, the two applications were the only ones disapproved. He did add, however, that the others are still being reviewed and that some applications are lacking requested personal information.