Pattaya’s new city council meets for the first time

“Security of personal property and the physical safety of the community are police responsibilities and as provincial governor and advisor to the city administration,” he said, “I will issue instructions for police agencies to provide their full support to the city administration. If full cooperation is received among all agencies, and everyone works together effectively, even problem areas like the ‘song taew’ disorganization and visiting tourists being taken advantage of are not beyond our capabilities to correct.”

Thawit Chaisawangwong, Chairman of the Pattaya City Council, and Sunthorn Prasertdee (front), Secretary of the Pattaya City Council.

To open the meeting, council member Faruk Wongborisut, being the senior member at the age of 62, temporarily took the position of temporary council chairman while the other 23 council members voted for the permanent chairman.

Thawit Chaisawangwong was voted in as council chairman, with Adisorn Phonluk-In selected as the first deputy chairman and Patana Bunsawat selected as a second alternate deputy.

After Thawit Chaisawangwong took his seat as city council chairman, the selection for the city council standing committees began. The standing committees are basically two groups of members consulting on various matters pertaining to the city council. The standing committees will conduct research and submit their findings to the council.

The members selected to the first standing committee, which will conduct general research, were Banlyy Kunlawanich, Thongchai Adsong, Miss Jidapa Subhalak, Ratanachai Suttidechanai and Phraiwal Arom.

The second standing committee, which will take the collected data gathered by the first group and compare the information with Pattaya City’s Constitutional Codes to ensure it complies legally, will be made up of council members Phisai Phanomwan Na Ayuthaya, Suwit Nongyai, Uryt Nantasurasak, Anthawud Phokeo and Phansak Saengjan.

Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat then submitted the names of Watana Chantanawaranon, Niran Watanasatsathorn, Wutisak Rermkijakarn and Wirawat Khakhai to be his deputy mayors. Governor Sujarit recorded the names.

Niran Watanasatsathorn, a former city manager, will undertake responsibility for Larn Island and the Office of the City Manager. Watana Chantanawaranon will assume responsibility for the Social Welfare Department. The Environmental and Sanitation Department responsibilities will be delegated to Wutisak Rermkijakarn, and the Treasury Department will be under the responsibility of Wirawat Khakhai, a former deputy city manager. The City Maintenance and the Educational Planning Departments will fall under the control of the mayor himself.

The mayor has inherited added responsibility from new constitutional authority, which affords the city mayor full administrative control, as well as responsibility for the actions of all city councilors and other appointed subordinates.

Somchai Khunpleum has been appointed as the mayor’s advisor, along with Chonburi Governor Sujarit Pachimnan and Mr. Bhinyo Tanwised.

The city council will next convene for general reviews on 1-30 March and 1-30 August.

Pakistani arrested for drugging and robbing fellow countrymen

Caught trying to leave country from Chiang Mai

A Pakistani suspected of drugging and robbing his fellow countrymen in Pattaya, Ali Mojal Gulzar was arrested in Chiang Mai last week whilst trying to board a flight home to Lahore.

Hussain Maazafar, Ahmed Khurshid and Ali Liaqat complained to police that their money, valuables and friend went missing during a drug induced sleep. It was later confirmed that Gulzar, 40, had supplied the drugged drinks and food to his partners at the hotel where they were staying, B. R. Inn on Soi 12, the night before he disappeared.

Ali Mojal Gulzar was arrested for drugging and robbing his fellow countrymen. He was returned to Pattaya to stand trial after being arrested trying to leave the country from Chiang Mai airport.

The three men told police officials that upon waking, they experienced dizzy sensations and a strange taste in their mouths, and soon discovered all their valuables totaling nearly US$12,000 was missing.

Police from the Foreign Crime Suppression Office in Pattaya sent out information on Gulzar to all exit points, and were later able to announce the successful arrest of Gulzar just as he was about to board the aircraft in Chiang Mai.

When the police apprehended Gulzar at the airport he was found to be carrying a bag containing Hussain’s passport and what was left of everyone’s money.

Gulzar is now behind bars and will go to trail in Chonburi.

Everybody hangs out at Leos

A billboard outside one of Pattaya’s most controversial go-go-bars that advertised “A Valentines Show with a Difference” really brought the crowds in, or should we say out.

Big Leo Paris A-Go-Go really gave their male clients a night to remember - and so did our local constabulary when they raided the pub just before midnight on February 12th. The customers were enjoying a live, on stage, uncensored re-run - Thai style- of The Full Monty.

After the bar was cleared of patrons, the 10 “all male” performers were escorted from the stage and fined 500 baht each for performing unsavoury acts in public.

The 25-year-old Manager, Chalermkiat Linjee is to stand trial for operating without the proper permits.

The German owner could not be charged or identified, as Manager Chalermkiat did not know how to pronounce his name.

Whoever said you don’t get more than you paid for in our fair City?

Quick action by police foils paint ball theft

Suspect caught gathering loot from hiding place

The ‘Sniper Zone’ paint ball park was last week robbed of nine paint ball guns valued at 14,000 baht apiece. However, quick acting police managed to capture one of the miscreants and recover all of the stolen items.

Kriangsak Ratanawong, caretaker of the ‘Sniper Zone’ paint ball park, contacted the Pattaya police on the evening of 17 February to report the theft. Kriangsak told police that the theft had occurred whilst he had left the facility temporarily unattended earlier during the night. Upon his return he found the guns missing, along with one motorized lawn mower and three fishing poles.

Montree Rodkhong was caught while trying to collect some of the items he had stolen from the ‘Sniper Zone’ paint ball park.

Police officers immediately conducted a search of the premises and of the thick jungle area surrounding the facility off Thepprasit Road and noticed a male aged about 25 years of age loitering in the bush.

The officers then took up hidden positions in the deep vegetation, closely watching the man’s movements. The unlucky suspect soon started retrieving the stolen loot hidden in the overgrown area. The police moved in, scoring an ‘on the spot’ arrest.

Montree Rodkhong, age 23, confessed to all, and identified his partner in crime as a person named Sanga. He and Sanga stole the items, he said, with the intention of pawning them a few at a time. He was caught whilst collecting some of the loot.

All of the stolen items, along with a few minor items the manager hadn’t noticed missing, were returned to the park and their rightful owners.

Montree, a resident of Phanat Nikhom District, will be tried for forced entry and stealing private property.

Meanwhile, police continue searching for his partner, Sanga.

Two arrested for maintaining wild animals for tourist pictures

Tourist turns them in

A foreign tourist contacted Pattaya police to report two people were using wild animals and charging tourists to take pictures with them. Mr. and Mrs. Chala Insaad from Nong Prue were arrested near Soi Marine along South Pattaya Beach.

Mr. Chala Insaad and his wife (not shown) were arrested for using wild animals to make money off tourists.

Mr. Chala was in possession of a large iguana and his wife, Mrs. Nutriam was a few meters away with two python snakes, one in each hand.

Although the animals they were using are not considered endangered, they are nonetheless wild animals and it is considered cruelty to animals to use them in the tourist trade.

The husband and wife admitted to allowing interested tourists to take pictures with the reptiles for 100 baht a picture. The two told police they had no other employment and were uneducated, and neither realized that what they were doing was illegal. They said that there seemed to be so many tourists wanting to have their pictures taken with the animals, they thought it was acceptable.

Police explained the nature of their wrongdoing and released them after fining them 300 baht apiece (the price of 3 pictures).

Brazen drug dealer arrested in eatery

Restaurant customer notifies police

21 year-old Sarawud Phothong from Suphanburi was arrested for possession of amphetamines at a small restaurant in Central Pattaya after a customer at the restaurant notified police.

The customer told police that as the man was eating his meal, he was offering to sell the drug to passers-by, and seemed to have no apparent fear of getting caught.

Police arrived in time, as Sarawud was still in the restaurant. When he saw police officers approach he began to get up from his seat, but was immediately restrained. Police searched his person on the spot and found 20 “yaba type orange” amphetamine pills in his pocket.

A stunned Sarawud acknowledged the pills were amphetamines but insisted he had no idea how they got in his jacket pocket. Sarawud, an employee at the Serene gay bar in Soi Pattaya Land 3, is being charged for both possession and distribution of a Class 1 illegal narcotic.

Noisy gamblers arrested with drugs

Disturbing the peace of hotel guests

Two men and four women between 18-23 years of age were arrested from their hotel room at the Marina Inn. The dirty half-dozen were caught gambling and doing drugs.

All six confessed, telling police they had been gambling and partying in the hotel room for the past month.

They may have been able to continue if they had been a little quieter while doing so. However, the management of the Marina Inn called Pattaya Police because the group was causing undue noise, which was disturbing other guests.

Police confiscated 30 amphetamine pills and gambling equipment from the room.

Mr. Thawee Ruangthong, age 19, Mr. Sanan Sawangsin, age 20, Miss Somphorn Muang Prasit, age 22, Miss Bunsom Nakromyayee, age 19, Miss Duangkhae Saensuk, age 23, and Miss Noknoi Jumrin, age 18, were charged with illegal gambling and using and possessing illegal drugs.

Disqualified senate candidates reinstated

Receive favorable ruling from Constitutional Court

The two senate candidates from Chonburi who were disqualified from running for election had that decision overturned. The officials, Admiral Preecha Padibatsornkij and Wiron Tantrabhorn have been reinstated by the Chonburi scrutinizing committee.

The reversal of the judgment came at a meeting at the Banglamung District Offices, where it was announced that the Constitutional Court ruled in favor of both gentlemen. No details were given as to why the decision was overturned, only that the two candidates were disqualified in error and that both candidates are indeed authorized to run for office.

However, a flier was sent out identifying 19 senate candidates, which included their pictures, educational background, positions held, and each candidate’s ballot number. Candidate #7’s information made it into the flier, but candidate #19’s information was left out, and a note was attached saying the candidate’s application was withdrawn. There has been no further information supplied clarifying why candidate number 19, University of Burapha board member Wiroj Tantrabhorn, didn’t make the flier.

Thailand’s first election of members to the Senate will be held on 4th March. The campaign requirements outlined in the new constitution seem to be confusing to a lot of people. Much of the confusion stems from different interpretations of the required criteria to run for office.

Confusing areas include authorized campaign procedures and authorized methods of circulating campaign posters. Also unclear is the stipulation prohibiting anyone with previous government affiliation from running for the Kingdom’s senate.

Admiral Padibatsornkij was initially rejected because he was a member of the government police committee, and Tantrabhorn because of his government affiliation as a Burapha University board member.

5 University students take top award

Five students at the University of Fine Arts took home the 50,000 baht first prize in the PBTA “City Image Contest”.

The Pattaya Business and Tourism Association (PBTA) and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced the results this week at Mike’s Shopping Mall.

Two representatives of the five winning contestants in the PBTA “City Image Contest”.

Students and community members were invited to participate in the contest, portraying their ideas and architectural vision, using the areas of Central Pattaya, Beach and 2nd Roads as their drawing board. A written explanation, in Thai and English, supporting each plan was required by the panel of judges.

Representatives from the Royal Siam Architects Association, the Regional Architects Association and different Planning Committees judged the entries, awarding a 50,000 baht cash award for the most innovative plan.

The winning entry, submitted by a group of five students from the University of Fine Arts, was their plan aptly named, “Pattaya: Recreation & Entertainment City”.

The Group’s vision for the city’s new image portrays a fun-filled city with attractions specifically directed at local residents and tourists of all ages, taking into consideration the existing natural environment.

All the architectural plans that were submitted to the competition will be on display on the 4th floor of Mike’s Shopping Mall until 28 February.

From March, they will be presented at other locations in Pattaya.

Pattaya Redemptorist Vocational School

The Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Disabled is the first and only school in Pattaya providing free room and board for students and vocational training. The teachers at the vocational school have changed the lives of more than 1,000 handicapped persons and credibly the teachers themselves are disabled persons guiding the students on their way to self-sufficiency.

Students learn electronics at the Pattaya Redemptorist Vocational School.

Many disabled people possessing the desire to learn apply for the one year electronics course or two year computer course. Upon successful completion, employment opportunities open up for the student whose future was once uncertain.

What is most remarkable about the students, or disabled persons in general, is their attitude and approach to life. They seem to possess no apparent discouragement or despondency. They accept their physical limitations and are fully prepared, in spirit, to pursue life’s many obstacles. Consistently, on a scale of social misbehavior, disabled persons do not present the problems affecting society caused by other adolescents with full physical abilities.

One of the students at the Redemptorist Vocational School said he has been enrolled at the school for a year and a half now. He said there is no cost for his training or his room and board. Upon completion of his course he looks forward to previously imaginable employment.