City addresses Jomtien Beach complaints

Set out plans to organize the area

Vendor practices at Jomtien Beach have been controversial for as long as the beach has been a mecca for sun worshipers. As city council member Chaichan Pechala-Aw put it at a city council conference on May 2, “In Jomtien it is virtually impossible to sit in peace without someone coming by every few minutes pestering visitors to buy something.”

Council member Chaichan told city hall that tourists have registered a number of complaints. He said that the vendors setting up in a disorganized manner is already a known problem, but past action has produced little change.

The vendors along the beach pay a city rental fee of 500 baht per year for a 7x7 meter area and 1,000 baht per year for a 7x14 meter area. Chaichan said that tourists desiring to visit the beach with their own mats are complaining that they are unable to do so, as some vendors chase them off or insist they pay space rental fees. To this end, Chaichan suggested identifying clearly marked areas for tourists who bring their own equipment.

Other complaints include advertising vehicles with loud speakers slowly driving along the beach roads disturbing what should be a peaceful environment in a natural setting. Yet another mounting concern is the many vendors selling seafood who double park along Jomtien Road. They obstruct traffic and add to the parking problem in an area where ample parking is already scarce.

Deputy Mayor Niran Watanasadsathorn responded to Chaichan’s statement by saying action is already underway to organize the nearly 400 vendors along the beach areas, although the actions outlined don’t appear to address the issues brought up by Councilor Chaichan. Deputy Mayor Niran cited a recently held meeting with established vendors, whereby the vendors were issued instructions to have unnecessary items removed at the end of the day, and were clearly told what items could remain overnight. The overall plan has been implemented, the Deputy Mayor said, but it will take some time before the vendors understand the requirements, although positive results are expected to be noticed before the year ends.

Changes considered for the future include vendors removing all items from the beach area at the end of the day, as well as being required to wear identifiable vests with emergency phone numbers to use to call in and report incidents.

The council members then approved a 2.1 million baht plan to construct a fenced in paved parking area on 2,800 square meters of land. The area would accommodate up to 80 cars and 150 motorcycles and would include a small structure for a guard attendant.

USS Kitty Hawk and escort ships arrive Saturday May 13

The American aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk and its supporting cast of ships USNS Flint and USS Chancelorville will arrive this Saturday, May 13th, bringing with them 6,000 sailors. The USS O Brien arrived on Thursday, May 11, and the USS Juneau will arrive on the 27th of May. All ships are here to take part in the annual Cobra Gold exercises.

The USS Kitty Hawk, USNS Flint and USS Chancelorville will be here for 4 days, leaving on Wednesday the 17th of May. While here, the entourage is expected to spend about US$500,000 per day, including food and fuel. Last time the Kitty Hawk and her crew were here, the local ATMs ran out of money, an incident banks would be wise not to let happen again.

Also while in town, the crews of these 5 ships will once again take part in their annual COMREL (community relations) services. Some of the crew members from these ships will use part of their R&R time to visit health centers, schools and wats where they will be hosting BBQs, painting and rebuilding structures, and once again leaving Pattaya in better condition then when they arrived.

Drug addicts arrested burglarizing home

Hold police at bay for 2 hours

Community Crime Watch members alerted Pattaya police that a burglary was in progress at Park Hill Village at 1.30 on the morning of 29 April. Sawang Boribun Rescue Unit personnel and neighbors had surrounded the house, trapping the burglars inside.

Samat Rattana and Mongkol Neunjamnong were arrested for breaking and entering.

Police arrived and called for the burglars to give themselves up, but their calls met with no response.

Not knowing whether the burglars were armed, the police officers carefully planned to enter the home. Eventually one of the juveniles was apprehended and questioned. He confided that one other individual was still inside the house. At 3.30 a.m. both burglars were in police custody.

The two culprits, both Chonburi residents, had been disowned by their parents due to their drug habits. Samat Rattana, age 20, and Mongkol Neunjamnong, age 15, told police they made their way to Pattaya after leaving Chonburi looking for work. They decided to rob the house looking for items to sell to support their habit and buy food.

Chinese tour guide raped and murdered

Hotel security guard disappears

Pattaya police investigated the death of a young tour guide from China reported at 5.00 a.m. on May 7th. The dead body of Miss Mae Sae Jang was discovered by a tour employee friend at 4.30 a.m. after management at the Pattaya Garden Hotel entered the room using a spare key.

The body was found lying face down in the bathroom wearing a pull over shirt. She was naked from the waste down. Two towels were wrapped tightly around her neck and her head was badly bruised. Evidence indicated rape and police took samples of pubic hair for further examination. Articles of Miss Mae’s other clothing were on the room floor amongst scattered items indicating struggle. No money was found in her purse.

The hotel security guard on duty the previous night, Buntham Sudakrot turned up missing and is now the focus of the investigation and main murder suspect. Police are conducting investigations in Buntham’s home area of Srisaket and checking Buntham’s known friends in Rayong.

Tourist couple robbed and beaten

Muggers apprehended

Horst Hentschel and his wife Hedda were mugged while walking along Jomtien Beach Road on May 4 at around 2.00 a.m. Two men on a motorcycle stopped and tried to snatch Mrs. Hentschel’s red belt purse. She resisted the attack and was struck in the face whilst her husband was knocked to the ground injuring his knee and elbow. The two men disappeared with the red purse.

At the police station, Mrs. Hedda Hentschel holds up the remnants of her purse whilst sporting a damaged eye received from the thieves.

Police were notified and questioned witnesses in the area who identified the motorcycle. The police were told that it drove off into Soi 18. Police went to investigate just as the same motorcycle described was coming out of the Soi with two riders. The two men were apprehended and immediately taken to the Dongtan Police Station. The two insisted they were innocent of any wrongdoing, claiming they had just borrowed the motorcycle to go out and buy some food.

The two finally convinced police of their story and subsequently led them to the area where the two other men loaned them the motorcycle. Police continued the investigation in Soi 18 finding out the two real criminals fled out of a back window when police arrived. The investigation soon identified a relative’s home in Sattahip where the two men were later arrested, still in possession of the red purse.

Both men were charged with robbery and physical assault. Both confessed to similar crimes in the past.

The three arresting officers were rewarded with 5,000 baht by their commanding officer for conducting a thorough investigation and apprehending the thieves so soon after the incident.

Woman hospitalized after drunken brawl

Girls just wanna have fun?

Ms. Somjit Hawirod, age 31, needed hospitalization after a drinking session with her girlfriend got a little out of control. Apparently Somjit had bitten her friend on the arm during a “friendly” drunken wrestling match on the afternoon of May 2nd and had a glass broken over her head for refusing to unclench her teeth.

Pattaya Memorial Hospital, where Somjit was being treated, contacted the police to come and investigate. When police arrived, hospital attendants were treating Somjit for two 4-inch open wounds, one on the side of her head and the other on her forehead. Officers recorded her story while she was lying on her stomach enveloped in a cloud of cheap whisky fumes.

Somjit told police she was drinking with her friend named Noi at a rented apartment in Soi Thepathida where both of them were joking around having a good time. The two began wrestling and Somjit sunk her teeth into Noi’s arm causing her to scream out in pain. Noi then grabbed a nearby glass and cracked Somjit over the head, knocking her to the ground. Somjit said Noi struck her in the head with the glass one more time before disappearing.

Police left Somjit in the hospital’s care and advised her to come to the police station to file a complaint if she wanted to press charges against Noi. However, they also counseled her that Ms. Noi could then probably press charges for the initial bite.

Officials investigate complaints at Soi Bua Khao Market

Local residents can't budge on market day

Residents around the South Pattaya market on Soi Bua Khao reported a number of complaints concerning erratic parking in the market area which was preventing residents from entering or leaving. Vendors parking their vehicles on the edge of the road also obstruct traffic turning it into a dangerous situation for pedestrians. Other complaints included gangs congregating in the market area.

Pattaya administration officials investigated reported problems in the South Pattaya Market in Soi Bua Khao.

Deputy City Mayors Niran Watanasadsathorn and Wutisak Reumkijakarn and a group of officials paid a visit to the market to investigate the complaints. They found the situation to be exactly as described, with vendors set up on the edge of the street, vehicles obstructing traffic and other vehicles parked in public thoroughfares preventing anyone from entering or leaving. The vehicles, tables and other apparatus were ordered removed and warnings were issued to the violators. Assurances were given to residents that the police will patrol the area in the future and will issue fines in place of warnings. The matter concerning the gangs will also be looked into.

Where have all  the sidewalks gone?

The city administration is concerned about the many beer bars in Pattaya, as more continue to open. Lately, many beer bars are starting to set up tables and chairs on public walkways obstructing both mobility and the city’s effort to improve Pattaya’s image.

Pattaya’s mayor wants to correct beer bar problems starting with walkway obstructions, like the one shown here at the entrance to Soi 9 off Pattaya 2nd Road.

While describing the problems associated with the many beer bars, Mayor Pairat said the city administration is almost powerless to legally set controls. The number of beer bars that are allowed to operate are approved, authorized, controlled and issued by the Bang Lamung District office. The licenses authorizing the sale of alcoholic beverages are also controlled and issued at the district level.

The mayor is looking for solutions and has begun discussing the matter with beer bar business owners and Pattaya police to see if the walkway situation can be resolved. Other policies might include the prohibiting of such establishments from operating in areas surrounding schools, temples and other such locations. It is felt that these policies would be easier to achieve if the city had the controlling interest.

The mayor intends to broach the subject with the Bang Lamung District Chiefs and to confer with the Ministry of Interior’s Administration Department requesting that Pattaya City control the authorization and licensing of businesses selling alcohol. He went on to state that having licensing authority would facilitate easier control in cases like walkway obstruction, limiting numbers and maintaining the beer bars to specific zones.

On May 17, the people of Thailand will observe the Buddhist Holy Day of Visakha Bucha. Visakha Bucha Day marks the beginning of the Buddhist Era 2,543 years ago, and is observed each year during May.

Queen Sirimahamayaphrachananee and the Lord Buddha’s birth at Lumpiniwan Garden, Southern Nepal-India 80 years prior to the beginning of the Buddhist Era Year 1, on the 15th day of the 6th month of the Buddhist Lunar calendar.

The Buddhist Holy Day of Visakha Bucha observes three important occurrences combining the Birth, Enlightenment and the Death of Lord Buddha Gautama Siddhartha. Born in the eastern foothills of the Himalayas in 560 BC, Siddhartha renounced worldly pleasures soon after the birth of his first child. He then left his home, as thousands of other Hindus had done before him and continue to do so, searching for salvation.

He was brought up in a rural family, his father a clan leader, where he was sheltered from life’s miseries. After observing a decrepit old man, a diseased man, a dead man, and a monk he realized the impermanence of earthly things and began his quest for enlightenment.

The Buddha obtaining enlightenment on the banks of the Neranchara River, 45 years prior to the beginning of the B.E. Year 1, on the 15th day of the 6th month of the Buddhist Lunar calendar.

For six years he sought enlightenment through ascetic practices, eventually deciding it was not to be found in that manner and resumed the life of a wanderer living on alms. While sitting under a Bo tree in a posture of meditation for seven weeks, Siddhartha resolved not to stir until succeeding in his quest. He eventually achieved his quest, entered a state of Nirvana while still alive, thus becoming the Buddha.

What took place on that day was the start of Buddhism as Siddhartha set forth to reveal his discovery, eventually spreading his beliefs into many parts of Asia. Siddhartha was later recognized as one in a great line of Buddhas with a concept going back to Vishnu or Siva. While Buddhism was flourishing in East Asia, it was being reabsorbed by the Hindu Religion in India.

The Lord Buddha passing into Nirvana at the age of 80 at Kusinara and the beginning of the Buddhist Era on the 15th day of the 6th month of the Buddhist Lunar calendar.

The large following created over 25 centuries ago and continuing to this day is witness to the fact that something of distinct value was created. This was explained in the Buddha’s first sermon at Benares where it was believed that the key to enlightenment is found in the presence of suffering.

The sermon expounded on the “Four Noble Truths” identifying suffering with birth, decay, illness, death and rebirth, and the failure to obtain one’s desires. Desire is the cause of suffering, or the continuing cycle of rebirth. “Cessation of desire eliminates suffering; and the path to the cessation of suffering is the middle path or the ‘Eightfold Path’. The steps in the ‘Eightfold Path’ consist of: correct views, aspirations, speech, conduct, livelihood, effort, thought, and concentration or meditation.”

Devout followers of Buddhism consider Visakha Bucha Day as an important event and crowds of devotees will participate in ceremonies at nearby temples, making merit in the morning through bringing alms to monks and listening to sermons. Later in the evening, devotees will continue assembling at temples to conduct the “Wien Tien” ceremony, walking around sacred temple grounds three times with candles, joss sticks and flowers.

The Thai government has also designated the same day as “National Tree Day” to increase public awareness of the importance of preserving the disappearing forests. The day’s activities will have many levels of government, schools and local organizations planting trees in addition to observing Visakha Bucha Day.