Will the new water treatment plant be too costly to run?

50 million baht per month needed to operate

If Pattaya’s new wastewater treatment plant follows suit with most of the rest of the treatment facilities in Thailand, it may cost more to operate than those using it will be able to afford.

There are currently 40 wastewater treatment plants in Thailand. Research analysts from the Department of Public Works and the Ministry of Science, Environment and Technology’s Pollution Control Department say that nearly half are struggling. A recent report concluded that there are “national level problems concerning 17 water treatment facilities in Thailand”, and that “local areas are unable to afford the required expenditure for them to operate efficiently.” The Department of Pollution Control is proposing 100 million baht is needed to rectify the situation.

The new water treatment facility in Pattaya is scheduled to start treating water in Pattaya this November.

Researchers’ view the excessive design going into the construction of many of the water treatment facilities around the country as going to unnecessary extremes, resulting in unaffordable user costs. The researchers fear the majority of people will not accept the burden of added cost, which local budgets are unable to sustain.

National Environmental Law, Article 88, clearly specifies that designated localities requiring construction of water treatment facilities will be required to collect costs for usage in accordance with prices established by the Environmental Commission of Thailand, which have yet to be identified.

In Chonburi Province, the water treatment facilities in Sri Racha and Phanat Nikhom were identified as two of the 17 facilities that are unable to operate to expected potentials.

Sri Racha’s facility is plagued with equipment problems involving an inoperative “flap valve”, as well as other technical problems.

Phanat Nikhom’s facility is out of operation due to damages caused by the construction contractors.

Pattaya currently has three water treatment facilities, in Jomtien, Central Pattaya and Soi 17, and each has been afflicted with misfortunes or setbacks, which continually prevent them from operating at their desired potential.

Two other water treatment facilities are still under construction in Chonburi Province, one of which is the 1.8 billion baht facility in Pattaya.

The new facility in Pattaya is reportedly going to be operational this November; however, even the contractor, Sombat Phecharatrakul from Samprasit Construction Company, has always maintained reservations concerning its operating capability, referring to all the technical problems at other water treatment facilities.

In addition, Pattaya’s administration has yet to come up with a viable plan to collect money to cover its monthly operational costs. The anticipated cost for continual efficient operation of the new facility is around 50 million baht per month. This money will most likely come from a separate water treatment bill charging users for water treatment costs at a rate of 85% of their day-to-day water usage.

The Ministry of Science, Environment and Technology and the Macro Consultants Company submitted that Pattaya City’s administration should decide whether to maintain the new facility within the administration or to contract the operation out to the private sector.

The city administration is now faced with the task of finding someone suitable to maintain the plant before the 1.8 billion baht facility becomes a new, in-operational monument and tourist attraction.

FCCT to make third pilgrimage to Pattaya

To get first hand look at Pattaya’s positive changes

Around 60 members of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT), representing 20 countries, will make their third official trip to Pattaya on July 21st to observe on-going Eastern Seaboard developments.

The visit of the journalists gives Pattaya the opportunity to show the many changes that have taken place and a chance to publicize internationally the tourist attractions available in and around Pattaya, hopefully to further increase tourism interest in this region.

The progress made in controlling pollution in Pattaya will be shown with the journalists observing city trash collection procedures and the water treatment facilities.

Included in the tentative itinerary are visits to local beach areas, the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden Elephant Show and a meeting with Pattaya City Police Chief Pol. Col. Phinit Satcharoen. A visit to the Foreign Crime Suppression Center is also on the itinerary, as is a conference with a host of local officials and other experts in their fields who will be available to answer the media’s questions.

Deputy Mayor Watana Janthanawaranon chaired a meeting on 14 June to prepare for the foreign journalists. Attending the meeting were Thai Hotel Association Eastern Chapter President Chachawan Supachayanont, Pattaya Police Lt. Col. Sene Iamsamang and leaders from other organizations.

The journalists will stay at the Dusit Resort whilst on this fact finding tour.

Pork processors arrested for illegal operations

Working after hours and using too much borax

In what may gone down as the “Big Pig Borax Bust”, 16 slaughterhouses processing pork meat were raided this week for operating outside of prescribed hours and using too much borax as a chemical preservative.

The raids resulted in a number of arrests, and the Bang Lamung Police Station area being crammed with slaughterhouse employees, facility owners and over 200 dead hogs smeared with borax. Thirty police officers from special police units from Chonburi and Bang Lamung conducted the raid.

Over 50 employees were brought in along with the slaughterhouse owners. Charges ranged from slaughtering pigs outside of the prescribed hours of operation (regulations prohibit the slaughtering of pigs prior to midnight), slaughtering more pigs than being reported and smearing the processed meat with the chemical preservative borax.

The police raid was prompted by a number of complaints registered by consumers concerned about the excessive consumption of borax. The borax preservative prevents spoilage and gives meat a fresh, attractive color, but excessive use is dangerous for human consumption.

The estimated value of the confiscated pork, according to the owners raided, is 700,000 baht.

The owners of the slaughterhouses justified their actions claiming the large demand for pork forced them to operate outside of the prescribed hours in order to deliver the required demands on time. The owners also complained that up until recently, there were never any responsible agencies in the area interested in how the pork processing businesses functioned.

Belgian knifes innocent woman

Claims he was frustrated with local women

Mrs. Ubonwan Singkam, age 32, told police she was nonchalantly walking through the Royal Garden Shopping Plaza at 6.30 p.m. on 16 June when a foreign tourist unknown to her lashed out at her with a knife. The attack resulted in bad wounds to her face and arm. The man was quickly restrained and the police were notified.

Allegedly frustrated with local women, Belgian Herbert Alois Juler Bastin was arrested for assault after knifing an innocent woman.

Mrs. Ubon was rushed to Pattaya Memorial Hospital for treatment that required stitches for lacerations to her face and arm. Later she told police that she had never seen the man before, and had no idea why he attacked her.

Witnesses managed to restrain the man until police arrived. He was still in possession of a three-inch knife stained with Ubon’s blood when arrested.

The attacker was identified as Belgian Herbert Alois Juler Bastin, aged 47. Bastin confessed to the crime, saying he was destitute and frustrated after being swindled out of all his money by a local girl. He said that he hated all Thai women for the way they make men fall in love with them, and later, once the money runs out, have nothing to do with them.

Bastin is being charged with physical assault.

Minor wife’s gambling leads to husband’s murder

Man beaten to death by debt collectors

Somryt Ngeunsawang was beaten to death near the Nong Ket Noi Temple on the evening of June 11th. His murder apparently stemmed from 1,300 baht in gambling debts run up by his wife.

Mrs. Suphan Prabphan, age 29, told police she was the cause of Somryt’s death. She told police she gambles every night after getting off work as a singer in North Pattaya, and that she owed 1,300 baht to two men she identified as Amphai Phornhomsiri and his son Suphot.

Mrs. Suphan said the two men came to her apartment to collect the debt, and an argument broke out after she told them she was unable to pay. She said her husband, Somryt, came to her defence, offering the men 300 baht and promising to pay the balance later.

The father and son allegedly refused to extend the timeframe and a heated argument ensued. At one point, Mrs. Suphan said, the assailants withdrew a gun and a knife.

She said Amphai and Suphot then began beating and kicking Somryt in plain view of witnesses, but the witnesses were too afraid to assist. Mrs. Suphan said the armed men continued the brutal beating even though Somryt was begging for mercy and pleading for them to stop. The beating continued until Somryt breathed his last breath. The murderers then drove off on a motorcycle.

Police took statements from witnesses and are now searching for the two suspects.

Two arrested with assault weapon

Denied involvement in assassination attempt

Suwithin Phikulkaem, age 27, from Sra Kaeo Province and Abhirak Sripathum, age 23, from Sakon Nakhon Province, were arrested this week and charged with possession of an illegal assault weapon.

Suwithin and Abhirak were arrested in Pattaya for possession of a loaded AK-47 assault rifle.

After receiving information that the two hired gunmen were hiding in a room on the third floor of a building in Soi Park Hill, Pattaya police surrounded the building shortly after midday on 17 June. Another group of plain clothes officers were positioned on the floor area while other officers proceeded to bust the door down surprising the two men inside. Both were sleeping and easily apprehended.

Police found an AK-47 assault rifle with six rounds of ammunition in the magazine in a large travel bag at the head of the bed. No other illicit items were discovered in the apartment.

Suwithin and Abhirak denied they were involved in an assassination plot, claiming they brought the weapon into Pattaya to sell it.

The two men were charged for illegal possession of a loaded assault weapon.

Tourist dies in bed

Cause determined as sexual over-stimulation

Sixty-one year old American Charles Outland was pronounced dead on arrival at Pattaya Memorial Hospital at 8.30 p.m. on June 19th.

Doctors tried to revive Outland as soon as he arrived, but to no avail. The cause of death was listed as heart failure.

Police questioned a young girl named “Daeng”, last name withheld, who accompanied the body to the hospital. Miss Daeng told police she was staying with Mr. Outland at a hotel on Soi 7 after he contracted her to leave the bar where she was employed.

She said that on the second day the two were engaged in a duel on the bed when he suddenly collapsed on top of her. She rolled him off thinking that he was just exhausted. Daeng said she came out of the shower and tried to wake him, but she realized something was wrong and contacted the hospital.

Police presume the death occurred from his over exertions during sexual intercourse. The body was transferred to the Police Forensic Lab for further examination.

Coming from new construction

City officials conducted an on-site inspection on 20 June responding to complaints from residents on Soi Nawee near the Siam Country Club Road where wastewater continues to collect from a nearby housing development.

Deputy Mayor Wutisak Reumkijakan, accompanied by city officials and sanitation maintenance personnel conducted an on site inspection of the sewage on Soi Nawee.

Deputy Mayor Wutisak Reumkijakan, accompanied by city officials and sanitation maintenance personnel witnessed the collected wastewater causing the stench in the air and polluting the surrounding area. Soi Nawee is located on lower ground where wastewater has been collecting from a nearby housing area under construction.

Residents asserted that the smell intensifies when it rains and the drainage provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes and rodents. Older housing developments nearby experience a similar problem where the wastewater drains downhill and is collected in vacant areas behind the housing area.

The city’s budget limits its ability to construct proper sewage systems in many areas, but regulations governing construction of new housing developments now exist that require the plans to include proper sewage drainage before permits authorizing construction are issued. The inspecting officials are in the process of contacting the owner of the housing development to rectify the problem.

Taught a way to supplement family income

Pattaya Deputy Mayor Wutisak Reumkijakan and city council member Fraruk Wongborisut opened a short-term training program for low-income families at the Ton Krabok Mosque in Naklua on 14 June.

More than 30 housewives and family members turned out for the five-day training seminar designed to help supplement family income. The training was sponsored by the city administration with a budget of 40,000 baht.

Training experts from the Bangkok Flower House Factory presented the project and showed the families how to make various flowers and fruits from clay with an initial investment of no more than 1,000 baht. The market demand for the hand made clay figures is greater than what the Bangkok factory can produce, with most of the interested buyers coming from European countries.

Wutisak said the training was very productive and could help struggling families by giving all members the chance to work, and, most importantly, there exists a strong demand for the finished product.