City fathers to evict elephants

As for what to do with the elephants and mahouts, the city administration has met with members from the Thai Friends of Elephants Foundation and the Bang Lamung District Domestic Animal Department to establish policies and procedures. They also introduced controls over the many elephants residing in the 10 different entertainment businesses in Pattaya.

The Pattaya Elephant Preservation Committee, created to look after the welfare of the elephants, have drawn specific stipulations prohibiting the elephants from entering the city. However, as good as these intentions are, the committee has failed to be convincing when communicating the reasons to the elephant owners. Some continue to come into the city looking for support or extra money both during the day and after dark.

This same problem is prevalent in all of Thailand’s tourist locations - Phuket, Chiang Mai and Bangkok are also seeking methods to resolve this issue.

The city of Pattaya recently instituted a policy of confiscating the seating platform on elephants brought inside city limits rather than impounding the elephant, as the city does not have facilities to look after impounded elephants.

No organization has yet come up with a workable solution to the problem. Elephant owners and mahouts have understandable objections, as they currently have no identifiable alternative other than returning their animals to the jungle and hence losing their source of income. If elephants are released back into their natural habitat, other problems are sure to persist. These include land mines in border areas, irate farmers complaining about damaged crops, and no agency is volunteering to retrain unemployed mahouts.

Her Majesty Queen Sirikit has orchestrated a project in conjunction with the National Forestry Department and the World Wild Animal Preservation Society to return elephants to the their natural habitat. This project has already returned some elephants to a more suitable habitat after reimbursing owners with 200,000 baht.

Australian Federal Police provide Joint Sexual Assault Investigation Training

Visit Pattaya to observe child sex case procedures

Following an initiative by Kevin McTavish, the senior Liaison Officer for the Australian Federal Police (AFP), and with funding from the Australian Agency for International Development (AUSAID), two AFP training officers came to Thailand to run a Joint Sexual Assault Investigation Training Programme, which centred on how to deal with children who have become victims of pedophiles. The course focused on how to effectively question the victims without psychologically harming them.

Detective Constable Melissa Webb and Detective Sergeant Michael Chew ran the three week course in Bangkok for the Royal Thai Police with twenty six officers attending, including three from Pattaya.

Officers from the Australian Federal Police meet with police officers in Pattaya after holding a Joint Sexual Assault Investigation Training Programme.

Following the completion of the training, the two overseas police officers, accompanied by a group of American officers led by Officer Jody Fletcher, Special Agent of the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service, were invited to come to Pattaya and see, at first hand, the steps that are being taken by local authorities to combat child prostitution. As part of that familiarisation, the AFP officers were introduced to Mrs. Sopin Thappajug, the Chonburi Juvenile and Family Judge, who has recently been elected Chairman of the Pattaya Street Children Corrective Action Project, and Pol. Col. Phinit Satcharoen, the Superintendent of the Pattaya Police.

Col. Phinit explained to the group the current workings of local law enforcement. “We extended the third floor of the station, where we now have one data room and a city control room. We now have computers online with the Immigration Authority, Foreign Affairs, the Chonburi Provincial Police and the Royal Thai Police Headquarters. Our control room is set up so that officers on duty can control and guide other officers to do their job effectively should any incident take place anywhere in the city.

“We also have a suspects room where the victim can identify the suspect through a one-way mirror.

“We have built a children’s room where victims can stay during the investigation. It has a video camera so that when a police officer questions the child, it will be displayed on TV in front of a selected team in another room. Everything the child says is recorded onto video, which then can be used in court as evidence. A new law comes into effect in September that no longer requires the victim to go to court, and which allows the use of videotape recorded during the questioning of victims at the police station. This will mean a lot to every case regarding child molesting, as it will significantly reduce the chance that a defendant would walk free for lack of evidence,” Chief Phinit said.

“We also have a records room,” Chief Phinit continued, “where we have trained officers who collect information from everywhere and enter it into the computer. These are the results of the 3 million baht we received last year,” he concluded.

A delegation of Superior Police Officers from Thailand will visit Australia in June, led by Pol. Lt. Col. Amnuay Phetchsiri. The aim of the visit is to show the Royal Thai Police how Australia handles child molesting cases and what kind of materials are needed.

DC Webb from the AFP Training College’s Sexual Assault Investigation Programme felt there was a strong need for training in Thailand, very much as there was in Australia. “The legal procedures are very similar between the two countries, and there are also similar needs.” She identified a need for training in how to deal with the complaints that come from the public. She hoped that following the training course the Thai Police would be able to open up communication with the public so that they would feel less uncomfortable in reporting incidents.

DS Chew felt that even just increasing awareness was strong justification for the programme, a training manoeuvre which is scheduled to be repeated once a year for the next four years.

It is good to see combined programmes such as these being run throughout the world and for police agencies being able to pool resources and information.

Election Commission likely to endorse Chonburi senators

Round 3 not necessary in Chonburi

Although further scrutiny is expected, it appears as though all three Chonburi senators-elect will receive their official appointments. This would negate the necessity of Chonburi Province participating in a third round of senate elections.

The Election Commission has already endorsed 22 of the 78 candidates elected by voters in the senate election’s second round on 29 April. The announcement, made on May 9, indicated endorsements were final in five of the 35 provinces involved, with the remaining areas still under consideration.

It appears likely that Chonburi senators-elect Pol. Lt. Col. Preecha Patibatsorakij, Viroj Amatakulchai, and Pol. Maj. Gen. Veera Anantakul will receive official appointments following further scrutiny by the Election Commission.

As for the rest of the country, the Secretary of the Central Organization for Democracy (Election Fraud Reporting Center) Somchai Srisuttiyakorn has collected data on fraud allegations concerning 38 candidates elected in 22 provinces. The information has been turned over to the Election Commission Investigation Section representative, Sawat Chotphanich.

Election Commission member Yuwarat Kamolwech said that the third round of senate elections has been scheduled for June 4, which will be in time for the June 24 Parliament Assembly Conference.

Frenchman arrested for drug possession

Two Thai girls also caught

French citizen Arena Laurent, age 24, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, a class 5 illegal substance. Police also arrested Nonglak Teksuwan and Sakaodyan Thammawong, both 19 years old.

Frenchman Arena Laurent will spend the rest of his holiday behind bars after being arrested for possession of marijuana.

Police had suspected Laurent of drug activity and began collecting information on him, and on May 7, police were waiting for Laurent when he returned to the Jasmine Hotel in Soi B.J. at 2.00 a.m. When Laurent drove up on a 400 cc Honda, police surrounded him before he could dismount. They began searching both him and his motorcycle and found two plastic bags containing marijuana under the seat.

Police then went to search his room where five young Thais were busily smoking the illegal weed. Upon arrival of the police, the smokers ran off in all directions. Police managed to restrain and hold just two of the fleeing culprits, Nonglak Teksuwan and Sakaodyan Thammawong.

Police confiscated more marijuana mixed into filtered cigarettes and other drug paraphernalia from Laurent’s room before taking the three suspects into custody.

17 year old steals rental car

Fed up with walking

Seventeen-year-old Preeda Winichakul from Nong Prue was arrested and charged with stealing a white Suzuki Caribbean from a car rental firm on Soi Diana Inn.

Too tired to walk, Winichakul ended up with plenty of rest-time in a police cell after he stole a car.

Pattaya police learned of the theft at 5.00 p.m. on 8 May. They obtained a description of the vehicle, which had Bangkok plates, and received reports throughout the evening of it being spotted at various places in and around Pattaya.

At about 2.00 a.m. it was reported to have been seen on Sukhumvit Road heading towards Chonburi. Bang Lamung police set up roadblocks and when the car eventually appeared, the driver failed to stop. Police gave chase, finally forcing the driver to pull off the road.

After confessing to the crime, Winichakul allegedly told police he got the impulse to steal the car as he was fed-up with walking.

French tourist arrested on multiple charges

Bad week to be a French drug addict

Kamel Morchedi, age 23, from France was arrested and charged with robbery, evading capture and possession of methamphetamines, posing a class 1 punishment.

Morchedi allegedly drove his motorcycle through Soi Pattaya Land 2 and snatched a gold necklace from a girl walking by.

Morchedi sits in the back of the police wagon, waiting to be transported to the station.

Police set up roadblocks after receiving the report and determining that the suspect was heading in the direction of Jomtien.

They radioed the information ahead and had police waiting near the Khao Prabat Temple and the Pattaya Park Hotel when the suspect on motorcycle approached. Morchedi was observed throwing a bag to the side of the road and tried to evade the roadblock, but in his attempt to evade capture, he fell from his motorbike.

Morchedi was apprehended and police retrieved the discarded plastic bag, which contained 10 methamphetamine pills type orange, one watch, one gold ring, a motorcycle helmet and 1,400 baht in cash.

Kamel refused to admit to the charges, claiming the only items belonging to him were the watch and helmet, which failed to impress the police officer on duty.

Sewage dumping continues

Mayor says he’s determined to end the pollution

The Pattaya city administration received a number of complaints from local residents prompting Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat and a team of council members to investigate. The complainants reported that refuse was continually being dumped into the coastal waters into South Pattaya Bay.

The mayor has said that he is determined to clean up Pattaya Bay.

The water in the area was dark and murky with the bottom layered with spawning oysters and broken glass, causing tourists to avoid the area.

Two trucks were promptly brought in, and the sewage in the area was dredged and removed. Mayor Pairat said the city administration is determined to correct the pollution problems in the area, so that Pattaya may continue to act as a popular tourist resort. The offending sewage pipe is to be replaced with connections to the main sewage system.

It is commonly known around the world that mankind in his ignorance has been responsible for the destruction of his natural environment. The coastal area of Naklua is no exception. Nature provides human life the resources by which to subsist, and in return, the important balance required by nature is ignored. This is caused by man harvesting too much of the natural resources, and thereby creating adverse affects on everyone and even changing weather patterns.

The population, and its pollution, has now crowded into the once pristine waterways of Naklua.

The main industry of Naklua has always been fishing. The older fisherman can recall former days when the waters were clear and the beaches were free of trash and discarded items. The area had abundant marine life where different types of shellfish flourished during low tides, further inland wild monkeys roamed, and off the coast in deeper waters large fish were plentiful with dolphins a common sight.

Twenty years ago houses were scarce in the area, but as Pattaya and the surrounding area grew - so did Naklua, attracting new businesses and more fishermen competing for the area’s bounty of marine life. Over the years the waters became over fished and the coastal area suffered from the area’s growth, which continues to pollute the coastal waters.

Ten years ago the fishing industry in Naklua peaked and many former fishermen turned to other occupations associated with fishing. As the area continued to expand so too did the environmental problems. The over fishing deleted the marine life in the bay’s deeper waters and at the same time the increased number of residents and merchants dumping their waste into the bay started to kill off the shellfish. Similar action took place south of Naklua from the many hotels.

The area waters turned dark and murky and the coastline became littered with trash emitting a stench that residents must have grown accustomed to. Corrective action is still not too late. But it would require a lot of co-operation from the community, and a great deal of understanding, to save what is the last area in the district, where marine shell life could still multiply.

One of Thailand’s most famous international symbols has recently taken a ‘back-seat’ in the transport arena with the launch of the skytrain and the ever expanding expressway system, but the tuk-tuk is set to emerge from the shadows in one of the year’s most original events.

Bartercard - the barter exchange company - is celebrating its second birthday and is daring companies to adopt a tuk-tuk for the day and take part in a rally from Bangkok to Pattaya to raise funds for charity.

This unique event will be staged on May 27 and over 100 tuk-tuks are expected to depart the Marriott Riverside Hotel on the road to the Eastern Coast where the chequered flag will be followed by a post-race party.

Pattaya Mail prepares its tuk-tuk contender!

This event follows last year’s water skiing from behind a longtail boat on the Chao Praya, which raised funds for the needy in Klong Toey.

Managing Director of Bartercard, Graham Brain, says, “Last year’s stunt on the Chao Praya was very exciting but we believe that our tuk-tuk rally will really capture the imagination of both the business community as well as the general public. As soon as it was first announced we have received tremendous feedback.

“The tuk-tuk evokes great warmth from people and this event will not only be our birthday celebration but a celebration of a very unique form of transport.

“This event is also a great way for our company to give something back to the community that has supported us so well since we started operations two years ago.”

Companies get the chance to customise the tuk-tuk in their own corporate way and be part of one of the year’s most talked about events. A full back up team will be provided for competitors, along with transport for supporters.

Funds raised will go to Bangkok South Rotary Club which will implement a project to provide tuition fees for needy students wishing to take degree courses. The five gold sponsors of the event are eThailand, Star Cruises, Royal Garden Resort, Boonrawd Trading, and HSBC.

Brain said that there was a good chance that this could be a regular event.

“Given the enthusiasm that has been shown, there is no reason why this cannot become an annual event.”

For more information regarding sponsorship of this event please contact Khun Jintana on 7127525.