Pattaya’s garbage disposal problem continues to mount

It’s time to begin recycling

Trash collection is a problem that city administrations all around the world are concerned about. Rightly so, as areas can be overcome with accumulated waste causing environmental damage and unwanted diseases in a short span of time.

Developed countries concerned with preserving the environment have instituted recycling procedures to decrease the amount of waste and discourage the excessive use of plastics, while opting for more biodegradable products.

Mountains of trash are piling up in the Nong Prue dump at a rate of 196 tons per day.

The recycling of trash is not yet of major importance to Pattaya’s administration, as there are other problems requiring correction before the administration can begin emphasizing recycling. Plus, a sort of recycling process already exists, as certain items of garbage are picked out by individuals with no other means of employment who periodically pass through certain areas collecting discarded goods that they can sell. However, many people show very little concern with this practice and ignore, if not disdain, the collector’s livelihood. Other people, meanwhile, who are unable to afford trash collection continue to discard trash in open areas.

Pattaya City’s rapid growth over the years, with its many hotels, restaurants and bars, increases the city’s trash output to astronomical levels. According to the Environmental Health Department, Pattaya accumulates 196 tons of trash per day, which amounts to 71,540 tons of garbage per year.

The Pattaya administration has been contracting the Chatrachai Trash Collection Company for the past 15 years and the trash has been deposited in an area on 35 rai of land in Moo 12, Nong Prue. The area has turned into a mountain of rubbish that emits a stench throughout the surrounding area causing area residents a lot of understandable concern. People residing in the vicinity say that during the rainy season the stench becomes even worse and a wind carries the smell to nearby communities.

The administration has identified a new site located outside city limits and away from adjacent communities. According to responsible officials, the Nong Prue site is being converted back to its normal state.

The increasing amount of trash requires imperative and immediate action to maintain control of the situation. There will be major problems ahead if not seriously attended to, as the build up will just keep on adding to the list of environmental preservation concerns. A consolidated effort is required by governments the world over, including local residents in every community, to look for ways to reduce the amount of personal waste by minimizing and recycling and properly disposing of ones own garbage.

City Health Department goes mobile

Helping those in need

The City Health Department sent a mobile service team out into neighboring communities to assist disadvantaged families living outside of Central Pattaya.

“Just a little off the sides, please.” Haircuts were among the many things provided by the City Health Department on their mobile assistance day.

The mobile team consisted of medical personnel offering free physical check-ups for children and city officers providing identity card services. Dental checks, family planning guidance and haircuts were also provided. Food items were distributed to families registering for assistance.

Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat and Deputy Mayor Wutisak Reumkijakarn helped organize the mobile team.

Visits were made to the Bang Lamung Home for the Elderly, Bang Lamung Boys Home, the Vocational Training Center and the Redemptorist School for the Handicapped.

Local bands provided entertainment for the young people.

14 year old charged with raping 4-year-old girl

Said he was imitating an x-rated video

The Bang Lamung police officer on duty on 24 May found it difficult to believe when Mrs. Nok Wongwan reported her 4-year-old daughter was raped by a 14-year-old boy living near their home in Soi Wad Thamsamakhee.

Nok, employed as a singer in a Pattaya coffee shop, told police she saw her daughter playing with the 14-year-old boy near their home. Since her daughter and the boy often played together, she didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary and went inside to lay down to rest before going to work later in the evening.

She said later her daughter woke her up complaining of pain in her pelvic area. Nok examined her and discovered she was bleeding and that her hymen was broken. Nok said she realized what had happened when her daughter described what the boy had done.

Police officers found the boy still playing in the street area and brought him in for questioning. He admitted to police what he did to the little girl saying the idea came to him after he was walking in the community and passed a house where an x-rated video was on TV. He said he wanted to try what he saw, and when he saw the little girl he began playing house with her. He said he then began experimenting, eventually leading her into doing what was displayed on the video. He said he completed the act one time, which caused the girl to cry out in pain, so he stopped and allowed her to go home.

The little girl was taken to the hospital for examination and treatment. The doctors’ observations were recorded as evidence.

Charges were registered against the 14-year old boy for rape.

Frenchman arrested on suspicion of pedophilia

Tells police he was the boys legal guardian

French tourist Jacques Philippe Albertini, age 57, was arrested from his hotel room on May 23rd after police had received reports he was sexually molesting a young boy.

Police went to Albertini’s hotel room on Soi 17 at 3:00 a.m., knocked on the door, and receiving no answer used the spare keys obtained from the hotel management to enter the room. A young boy was found sleeping naked on the bed with Albertini, who was clad only in his underwear.

French tourist Jacques Philippe Albertini was arrested and charged with sexually molesting a child.

Albertini defended the situation by claiming to be the legal guardian of the 7-year-old child. He described to police how he had been looking after the boy for some time now, after having the boy’s parents agree to signing a document releasing him into his custody, which was witnessed by the district office in Phitsanalok.

Albertini, who is in the Kingdom on a regular tourist visa, said he brought the boy to Pattaya 10 days ago and is sending money to the boy’s parents.

Police questioned the 7-year old boy, whose explicit description of Albertini’s alleged behavior during the past 10 days was extremely incriminating.

Albertini insisted the boy’s accusations were fabricated, denying everything said, and claiming he wanted only to care for the young boy for whom he felt sorry for and loved, and only intended to look after his personal welfare.

Albertini is being charged with sexually abusing a minor under the age of 15 years.

Action taken on Jomtien Beach Road congestion

Food vending vehicles to be cleared out

The many vendors and vehicles converging on Jomtien Beach vying for the tourist baht have increased so much that these vehicles are creating a dangerous situation for both drivers and pedestrians. This is due mainly to traffic congestion and obstruction.

The congestion is worse on weekends and holidays where the pick-up trucks selling seafood are just part of the hazard. A great deal of other modified three wheeled vehicles have added to the chaos, selling roasted chicken and papaya salad up and down the street.

Other vehicles adding to the threat are numerous trucks equipped with loud speakers driving the length of the beach road broadcasting their wares, disturbing the atmosphere of a peaceful tourist resort location.

Deputy City Mayor Niran Watanasadsathorn announced plans to correct the situation are underway with city excise collection officials instructed to fine vehicles obstructing traffic along the beach.

Some vendors are unconcerned with the announcement warnings. They claim that the city has a loud bark policy but little bite, and others dispute the action declaring that the excise collection officials are all corrupt.

However, the city administration said they are prepared to take action against any excise collection official performing duties in an unacceptable manner and has established a phone number to report such incidents. These numbers are (01) 862-8818 and 410-200 ext 444.

German arrested for 10 year overstay

German national Andreas Schroder, age 32, had somehow managed to avoid detection and live in the kingdom for 10 years without visa extensions, or even a valid passport.

The Pattaya Police Foreign Crime Suppression Center finally caught up with and arrested Schroder on May 16 while he was walking in Soi Post Office.

Schroder’s German passport had been issued in 1991 and had expired in 1996. Schroder confessed to residing in the Kingdom for almost 10 years without requesting visa extensions. He said that he lived off money made from translating letters and various documents for individuals and companies in the local vicinity. He was staying at the Tequila Bar in Soi Yamato.

Schroder was charged with illegally residing in the Kingdom and for working without authorized permits.

Walking Street Committee plans for an uncertain future

Wet T-shirts to save the street?

The Walking Street Committee is still pursuing future plans even though government administration’s threat to dismantle the area looms overhead.

The central government seems to be giving every indication that they will go ahead with the planned restoration project, which would dismantle portions of the area to put in a new pier and rebuild the general area. But, as in most bureaucratic endeavors, the actual beginning of the work may not take place for quite some time. Perhaps with this in mind, the committee tasked with promoting this famous area is proceeding “business as usual” and is planning a number of festivals and activities for the upcoming fiscal year, including a wet t-shirt contest scheduled for next April.

Walking Street Committee members met with city council members on 24 May at Pattaya City Hall to discuss these plans and address current problems and concerns with the Walking Street.

The first items on the agenda were to address the cost of resurfacing the street with inlaid brick and set appropriate times for trash collection to prevent unsightly appearances when tourists flock to the area.

Walking Street Committee Chairman Narit Phechararat then outlined the committee’s plans for a number of events and festivals in the area to promote tourism to Pattaya.

These include a “Beer Singh and Somtam Night” (23-29 June 2000), The “Walking Street Grand Sale” (15-17 July 2000), “Miss Walking Street 2000” (21 October 2000), the “Loi Kratong Festival” (11 November 2000), and the “Walking Street Beer Festival 2000” (22-31 December 2000).

Activities being planned for 2001 include the “Walking Street Art Fair” in January, the “Chinese New Year” in February, a “Food Fair” in March, a “Wet T-shirt Contest” in April and a “Thai Fruit Festival” in May.

Public invited to attend

The official dedication of the “new” Tourism Authority of Thailand Region 3 (Pattaya) office will take place at 9.30 a.m. on June 4th in front of the new TAT office building at 609 Pratamnak Road (near the fitness park on Pratamnak Hill). Mrs. Pavena Hongsakula, the Minister in Charge of Tourism from the Office of the Prime Minister will be presiding over the dedication, which will include a consecration ceremony performed by Buddhist monks.

Tokens commemorating the occasion will be presented to supporters and an award presentation is also scheduled for the winners of the Pattaya City Improvement Contest.

The TAT Region 3 Office cordially invites members from the community, government officials and leaders from charitable organizations, tourists and the press to attend and share in the official opening ceremony on Sunday morning.

TAT’s Region 3 office (Pattaya) will be officially dedicated on June 4th.

Originally called the Tourist Promotion Organization (TPO) the Tourist Authority of Thailand was established on 18 March 1960, during the period of Field Marshall Sryd Thanarach’s government. It was the first action taken to promote tourism in Thailand. In the year 1979, the TPO received the status of the Tourist Authority of Thailand.

The Tourist Authority of Thailand’s Region 3 office in Pattaya first opened on 19 March 1977, under the Tourist Promotion Organization. The 1977 office was the fourth branch opened in Thailand. TAT rented temporary office space on Pattaya Beach Road to house the office, which was responsible for the entire eastern region.

In the year 1993, budget allocations were made to make improvements on Pattaya Beach Road and the resident office in Pattaya moved to a new location on Beach Road, with the new name Tourist Authority of Thailand Region 3, which was then responsible for Pattaya, Chonburi and Samutprakarn.

In 1998, the TAT Region 3 Office received a budget allocation to construct a new facility on Pratamnak Hill near Chalerm Prakiat Park. The construction was completed in April 1999.

Thai Hotel Association (THA) Eastern Chapter President Chachawan Supachayanon and association members met with 52 finance and accounting officers from various hotels belonging to the association to organize a Finance & Accounting Club. The meeting took place at the Dusit Resort in Pattaya.

Realizing the important function provided by the finance and accounting employees who represent the heart of the business, the members agreed to support the club’s organization, setting a platform to discuss various related problems affecting hotel business finances.

In the past, many incidents have occurred when hotels have been confronted by tourist agencies having ulterior motives, which have ended up costing the hotel industry millions of baht. Establishing the Finance & Accounting Club creates a consolidated effort to maintain necessary data to enable information exchange, which will help prevent further incidents and protect the image of hotels in the THA Eastern Chapter.

Other benefits derived from the combined effort of the club will be maintenance of information on creditors, marketing, hotel taxes and providing bargaining power in various areas, which in turn will economize resources.

The club members elected Thitaya Phonchiwin as THA Eastern Chapter’s first Finance and Accounting Clubs chairman. Thitaya is currently the Director of Finance and Accounting at the Pattaya Royal Garden Resort and Plaza. Other committee members will be identified in the near future.