CARAT 2000 exercise launched in Sattahip

Thailand, U.S. join forces in Southeast Asia

“I am certain that CARAT 2000 will proceed smoothly under the careful planning and consideration of the staff of our two countries and will certainly obtain good results as in years past.”

The Ambassador (center) Admiral Loeffler (left) and Admiral Preecha Phungsuwan inspect the state of the art weapons that are used during the excercise.

CARAT is a series of bilateral exercises between the United States Navy and Marine Corps and their counterparts throughout Southeast Asia was first held in 1995. It aims to promote interoperability in the areas of operational planning, command and control and tactics. It also builds friendships and enhances military -to-military relationships.

“This year’s exercise is intended to ensure that our forces are prepared to work together to meet real world challenges,” said Ambassador Hecklinger. “CARAT brings together naval units representing all of the capabilities in our arsenal needed to conduct navy and marine operations.”

Approximately 1,800 Sailors and Marines pulled into Sattahip on July 2 for the exercise. Navy frigates, amphibious ships, a salvage unit, SEALS, Seabees and members of the U.S. Coast Guard and Army will work with their Thai counterparts throughout this phase of CARAT which ends July 14.

CARAT events will take place at a number of locations in and around Sattahip, including the Chuk Samet Port, Royal Thai Marine Corps Base at Sameasan, Hat Yao, Hut Khlot and Koh Yoh. The Thai and Navy task groups will get underway for at-sea exercise events July 10.

During CARAT, members of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74 will build an addition to the Wat Sakaew School. Medical, dental and veterinary clinics are also planned throughout the two-week period. Civic action projects like these take place in each phase.

“This is a vitally important part of this exercise,” said Ambassdor Hecklinger. “It shows the Thai public the dedication of our militaries to community service.”

Commodore Joseph J. Natale, commander, Destroyer Squadron Nine, headquartered at Naval Station Everett, Wash., heads the U.S. CARAT task group. Ships participating in the exercise include USS Germantown, USS Mount Vernon (LSD 39), USS Sides (FFG 14), USS Reuben James (FFG 57), USS Safeguard (ARS 50) and USS Salt Lake City (SSN 716).

The CARAT 2000 series started in the Philippines last month and ends in Singapore this September after phases in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

Khao Kheow accused of turning research center into tourist resort

Visiting ‘big wigs’ turn it into a who’s who zoo

The Khao Kheow Park in Sri Racha is controlled by Zoological Operations through the Office of the Prime Minister. The park obtained permission from the Forestry Department in 1996 to establish a Wild Animal Research Center at Chompu Mountain. It has been alleged that the activities at Khao Kheow resembled a tourist resort rather than a scientific animal research center.

Bhinyo Niroj, from the Office of the Prime Minister, who is in charge of the Zoological Operations.

This prompted a number of visits by high-ranking officials from the Forestry Department and the Office of the Prime. Their findings supported the accusations and they collected photographic evidence.

Bhinyo Niroj, in his capacity as Zoological Administrator, paid a visit to the Khao Kheow Park on the next day. He was accompanied by a group of officials connected with zoological operations and produced documentation of current policies and inspection authorisations.

Bhinyo’s investigative report identified a number of areas still not completed according to the original 40 million baht plan. This plan included erecting facilities where students can observe and study a collection of stuffed wild animals, a research center with an animal hospital and accommodation to house 150 visitors. The plan intended to afford students the opportunity to study wildlife, and educating them on preserving the natural environment.

Sopon Damnuy, the Deputy Director of Zoological Operations and the former Director of Khao Kheow Park, said the original intentions of the research center were for research and was strictly non-profit. In the U.S. the Wildlife Institute has a five-year agreement for conducting research at the Khao Kheow Park Research Center and has already completed two years.

Bhatra Pongbhamorn, the current Khao Kheow Park Director, said that the park has been in existence for over 20 years and some areas have steadily deteriorated. He said the completion of facilities for student research should be completed by the end of August this year.

The Khao Kheow Park has been offering a “Night Safari” from 6-9 pm daily, which, according to Bhatra, has become quite popular. Policies are now under revision to include public relations plans to promote the attraction to tourists.

Student severely beaten by teacher

Local teacher admits beating the 9-year old

Nine year old Khomsant Khonganant was taken to the Pattaya Police Station where his grandmother complained that the young boy had been badly beaten by his fourth grade teacher at Pattaya City School #8. The grandmother said it was criminal behaviour by any person, especially someone in the teaching profession. In the grandmother’s statement she described finding marks on his buttocks, so severe that they prevented him from sitting down.

Khomsant’s grandmother indicates the wounds

Khomsant said his teacher took a stick to him, allegedly 75 times, for misbehaving and not doing his school assignments. The grandmother said that whatever the teacher’s reasons were for causing such torture were totally unjustifiable. After questioning the boy, it became obvious that he was prone to misbehaving but the extent of the punishment was excessive. The grandmother was told that laws are now in place protecting the rights of children and she had every right to take the matter to court.

The school director, Mrs. Somneuk Palokawong Na Ayuthaya, was shown a copy of the accusations made against the 4th grade teacher and she too was aghast when shown the marks on Khomsant’s legs. The school director said the entire teaching staff had only recently been instructed on the subject of excessive punishment warning all teachers that such behaviour would not be tolerated at the school.

The 4th grade teacher, admitted to whipping the 9-year old boy for misbehaving and agreed that she may have punished him excessively. After hearing this, Khomsant’s grandmother announced her intentions of taking the matter to the Provincial Department of Education to demand that disciplinary action be taken.

Felonious parking, with intent!

Despite all the improvements to the Pattaya Municipal Police Station with modern computer equipment to assist in criminal investigations and new operations attending to the needs of women and children’s rights, another apparently insurmountable problem has arisen. It has become impossible to drive your car to the station to report a felony, as there is no place to park.

The side street is taken up with the large number of confiscated motorcycles and the area at the front is taken up by vehicles belonging to police officers on duty. The motorcycles are taking up most of the space and some have been parked there for so long they are beginning to fall apart.

Surely these dilapidated vehicles be moved so residents with urgent business can conveniently gain access the municipal building?

One member of the notorious “Fatty & Skinny Gang” arrested

Maybe “Skinny” disappeared into a crack in the wall!!!

Pattaya police have been investigating two criminals wanted for numerous muggings in Pattaya and Bangkok since last November. They were known to be riding around on a blue Honda motor bike with Bangkok plates. Numerous reports from victims consistently identified the two men with one being well fed and the other on the thinner side.

Fatty sings for his supper

Following information that two men were hiding out at an address in Thepprasit Soi 8, the police officers raided the rented room barging in on “Fatty” who was now sporting a bright red hairdo, adding to his other conspicuous features. Fat boy was alone in the room and easily apprehended by police who later identified him as Piakhun Pitikul, aged 26, from Bangkok. Police confiscated a large number of stolen items including three cellular phones, 11 phone cards, four pawn-shop tickets, one gold ring and cash in the amount of 2,500 baht. A few necklace pendants once attached to gold necklaces long since pawned were also found.

During Police questioning hunger soon overcame Fatty, and officials now believe they have the name and a good lead on his partner’s whereabouts. Skinny is expected to be apprehended shortly.

More squealing over slaughterhouse

Pork producers making pigs of themselves?

Last month’s raid on pork slaughterhouses by Special police units from Chonburi and Bang Lamung resulted in a number of arrests that has now prompted the city administration into tougher action.

The charges brought against the slaughterhouse owners and their employees included working outside prescribed hours, falsifying documents and using the chemical preservative “borax”. Borax prevents spoilage and gives meat a fresh attractive colour, but excessive use is dangerous for human consumption. Over 200 pigs were confiscated and hauled into the station on 20 pick-up trucks in addition to the over 30 “human” arrests.

Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat and city sanitation officials returned to the 16 slaughterhouses to conduct their own inspection. This was after the responsible departments failed to inspect the sanitation requirements in the past. The conditions witnessed by the inspecting officials were enough to decide on closing down the operation before further endangering the lives of consumers.

All 16 slaughterhouses are on two rai (800 square metres) of land in Soi Tua Ngok opposite the Rural Water Works Building in Moo 12. The mayor and sanitation officials discussed the poor conditions speculating that the entire operation would probably require moving to a temporary location, which would cost two million Baht to construct and could be completed within three months.

The owners of the slaughterhouses justified their actions by claiming that the large demand for pork forced them to operate outside of the prescribed hours in order to deliver on time. The owners continue to dispute the regulations, contesting that up until recently there were never any responsible agencies in the area interested in how the pork processing business functioned and this included sanitation and environmental agencies.

A modern slaughterhouse with up-to-date equipment and sanitation and costing 40 million Baht is still under construction in Moo 10. This new facility is to be operational later this year. The plan for the new Pattaya Slaughterhouse includes having the smaller slaughterhouses invest in the new facility. The new establishment can slaughter up to 120 pigs within one hour compared to the present average of 250 per day.

More Burmese labourers arrested

Jin’s Employment Agency does a runner

Thirty foreign labourers were apprehended in Soi Sakao off Pattaya Second Road. As the police approached, the group of labourers downed tools and ran in all directions. The congested area, behind the Calypso Bar afforded easy avenues of escape and the scene turned into a Keystone Cops episode.

The Burmese patiently waiting for Jin

Eventually, fourteen people were rounded up, nine males and five females, and were identified as illegally entering the Kingdom from Burma.

After questioning the group, a Thai man, only identified as “Jin” was found to have co-ordinated the transfer of the labourers to Pattaya, promising them employment with good wages. Each labourer in turn agreed to hand over a large percentage of their earnings to the good hearted “Jin”.

Police later went looking for “Jin”, but he had disappeared. More than likely he is on his way back to the Burmese border to collect a new group with the labourer’s wages still in his pocket.

This time the Popovics are the victims

Bussiness goes up in smoke!

Police officials who were conducting inspections in Soi S.S., stopped to check a pedestrian carrying a black bag. The officers searched his bag and produced 30 packages of contraband Marlboro cigarettes illegally brought into the Kingdom. The 22-year old man Sonthaya Thongkham, was detained and charged with dealing in contraband.

Later Monchai Upanan contacted the same police officers reporting that he had found the thief who had stole his TV and CVD player, which he had recently registered as stolen. Police met with Monchai who eagerly pointed out the thief standing on the opposite side of the road. Songkran Asanok, aged 20, initially denied Monchai’s accusations.

Songkran defended himself by telling police that a friend of his was in need of 2,000 baht and he was holding the pawn shop ticket for a TV and CVD player as collateral. Monchai claimed that these goods were his stolen property.

Songkran continued with his convoluted story saying his friend never returned with the borrowed money and he then decided to see what kind of items were pawned at the shop, when he was suddenly pounced on by Monchai. After finishing the police remained unimpressed and Songkran was arrested for theft.

The Department of Agriculture has organised the National Pineapple Festival to take place this weekend (14-16) at the Bang Saen Beach Resort.

The festival is intended to help improve the quality of production in order to compete against foreign markets. Thailand is now the largest producer and exporter of pineapple in the world with 50% of its production exported and worth over 10 billion Baht in foreign revenue. The main areas producing pineapple in Thailand are in Prachuab, Phetchaburi, Ratchaburi, Kanchanaburi, Chumphorn, Nahorn Phanom, Nong Khai, Lampang, Uthaithani, Trat, Rayong, Chachoengsao and Chonburi.

Though the industry in Thailand produces half of the world’s consumption, there still remain many shortfalls in meeting this demand. This is mainly due to inadequate marketing and the current system of production. Other problems include a lack of unity among producers, causing competition during periods of low production and additional drawbacks from the foreign markets being flooded with other produce.

During the festival a number of seminars are scheduled to discuss subjects on developing the industry and correcting existing problems. There will be exhibits on display from government agencies and the private sector. Other activities include a parade of floats decorated in pineapples from the various provinces, as well as pineapple eating contests - pineapple products and other merchandise will be available for sampling.