Chart Thai opens new office in Chonburi

Thousands celebrate Kamnan Poh’s Birthday on same day

Somchai Khunpleum, in his capacity as eastern region election campaign director for the Chart Thai Party, joined the former prime minister in presiding over the opening of the party’s new central office. The office will control activities in both the eastern and central regions.

The two events on the day drew thousands of people, including Kamnan Poh’s three sons Vittaya, Ittipon, and Sonthaya, who is the Deputy Minister of Interior. The minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Prapat Photisuthon, party members, local area government officials, a large crowd of supporters and devoted followers were also there.

The Chart Thai Party’s new central office building in Saen Sukh.

During the celebration, the Chart Thai Party released their list of parliament candidates hoping to represent Chonburi’s seven provincial election areas in the upcoming national election.

The party candidates are: Area 1 (Chonburi), Sanga Tanasanguanwong who has already served 2 terms to date. Area 2 (Phanthong District), Vittaya Khunpleum, Kamnan Poh’s son who has served 3 terms to date. Area 3 (Phanat Nikhom District), Somchai Sahachairungruang, who has served 2 terms. Area 4 (Ban Beung District), Surasit Nitivutivoralak, who has also served 2 terms. Area 5 (Sri Racha District), Ittipon Khunpleum, another of Kamnan Poh’s sons, who is campaigning for the first time. Area 6 (Banglamung District), Chansak Chavalitnititham, who has served one term to date. Area 7 (Sattahip), Sansak Ngampichet, who is the area’s veteran candidate with three terms served to date.

Thousands assembled at the Chart Thai Party’s new central office building in Saen Sukh to celebrate both the opening and Kamnan Poh’s birthday.

Kamnan Poh’s third and eldest son, Sonthaya Khunpleum, the Deputy Minister of the Interior, and Chonburi Provincial Council Chairman Chanyut Hengtrakul were also on the party list, which may very well be enlarged after the election, depending on the outcome of the voting.

The new Chart Thai Office building is located at 36-2 Bang Saen Lang Road in Saen Sukh Municipality and will become the center for coordinating the party’s election campaign with the seven other party offices in each election area in Chonburi Province.

Deputy Minister of Interior Sonthaya Khunpleum, in his capacity as Chart Thai MP team leader, reaffirmed the party’s stance of continuing the development of the area by working as a team and responding to the peoples’ wishes with the party motto “Sincerity in Raising Prosperity”.

Pattaya’s 2001 city budget yet to be finalized

Many projects debated, some agreements reached

The tug and pull of trying to hammer out a budget for next year is now in full swing at city hall. The task at hand is to fit numerous projects, programs and operating costs into available funds.

According to one city councilor, “...trying to satisfy budget requirements has been a stressful experience.”

On September 19, seven city council members were given five days to trim the budget to fit into the 225 million baht the city has in its coffers. When the city council met again on September 26, this had yet to be done.

The September 26 meeting turned into a long and arduous afternoon, with many debates over budget requests that would not be met. The debate also focused on a substantial number of requests that were obviously inflated, as well as additional projects that were not even in the original budget submission.

By the meeting’s end, the council members did agree to purchase a garbage truck for 1.65 million baht to supplement the city’s fleet of small trucks used during holidays and special occasions. Traffic light expenditures were reduced from 3.6 million to 3.3 million baht. A tree-planting project along Pattaya Beach Road was authorized. The budget for new construction costs was reduced from 31.6 million baht to 29.8 million baht. Expenditures for new city hall communication equipment were reduced from 1.5 million baht to 449,000 baht. A request to purchase school desks and chairs for the city school system was approved at 500,000 baht.

The final revision for the day involved increasing the budget from 1.1 million to 1.28 million baht for installing pipes to connect to the water treatment plant in Soi Arunothai.

14-year-old boy stabbed during glue sniffing party

Assailants avoid capture

14-year-old Chainarong Nutawan from Kalasin Province was stabbed in the chest during a glue-sniffing party in the New Star Hotel on Pattaya 2nd Road. The assault took place at approximately 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 27.

Pattaya police were called to investigate the stabbing, and when they arrived with members of the Sawang Boriboon Rescue Foundation they found Chainarong sitting in front of the hotel clutching his chest and holding his bloodstained shirt. Chainarong was taken to the Bang Lamung Hospital where he was treated for a one-inch knife wound above his left breast.

Police question Chainarong as medical personnel tend to his stab wound.

Police later learned that Chainarong and at least 3 or 4 other youths had rented a room on the 3rd floor of the hotel and were sniffing glue when a fight broke out. During the fight, one of the youths stabbed Chainarong in the chest.

Police found 10 tubes of 3-K glue and as many plastic bags discarded in the boys’ rented room. Remnants of the fight were also evident, as there were bloodstains throughout the room.

The other youths were nowhere to be found and police are waiting for Chainarong to recover so that they may obtain further information from him about the assault.

Two local drug pushers arrested

One arrest leads to the next

On September 29, a Banglamung police sting operation, led by Captain Nikorn Buaphech, led to the arrest of two local amphetamine dealers.

Pornpimol Nernsaeng, age 20, from the Prakhanong area in Bangkok, was arrested first after undercover police purchased two “yaba” pills from her near the intersection of Center Road and Sukhumvit Highway. The undercover police used 280 baht in marked banknotes to purchase the drugs and secure the arrest.

Thawachai Inthaphong (left) doesn’t look too pleased with Nikorn Buaphech (right) after both were arrested for selling yaba.

Pornpimol admitted to police she purchased the drugs in packets of 200 pills for 8,000 baht.

During police interrogation, Pornpimol gave police the telephone number of the man from whom she purchased her drugs. She then arranged a meeting with her dealer to purchase more drugs, but this time Banglamung police were positioned at the designated area waiting for delivery.

Police arrested Thawachai Inthaphong, age 34, when he drove up on his motorcycle looking for young Miss Pornpimol. He had a total of 335 methamphetamine pills in his possession, along with 8,000 baht in cash, two bank deposit books and one Nokia mobile phone.

Thawachai confessed to police he bought the drugs from an agent in Pattaya and sold them to different users and small time dealers.

Both Thawachai and Pornpimol were jailed and charged with distribution of class 1 narcotics.

Police are continuing their investigation, following the chain of dealers in Pattaya.

Unidentified body found floating near Phal Island

Police surmise Thai male, about 25-30 years old

Naklua fisherman Chakhorn Sukho notified police at 1.00 a.m. on September 27 that he had found a drowned man floating near Phai Island. Chakhorn and his four crewmembers had hauled the body aboard and brought it back to Naklua.

The fishermen told police they found the body floating near a freighter behind Phai Island, about 30 kilometers from Pattaya.

The condition of the body indicated it must have been in the water for 3-4 days. The face was charred from fire, which badly distorted its features, and a portion of the skull was exposed.

The pants suggested the man was a fisherman, although he was wearing a very expensive shirt. Police investigators assume the man was between 25-30 years old. Otherwise, nothing to help identify the man was found on the body.

Police now must wait for results from the forensic lab to determine the cause of death and possibly the cause of the burns.

Police deputy director-general says he is fighting off bribe attempts for Ulrich’s release

Says 10 million baht has been offered

Police General Sant Sarutanong, the deputy director-general of the Royal Thai Police, told a conference of immigration police officials that ever since he took his position in October 1997, he has been inundated with offers for Wolfgang Ulrich’s release.

Police General Sant was chairing an annual immigration police operational results conference when he said that influential people connected to graduates of Military Academy Class 1, as well as lawyers, businessmen and government officials have been making concentrated efforts to obtain the release of Wolfgang Ulrich. He said as much as 10 million baht has been offered.

Police General Sant declined to name who was attempting the bribes, but he told the conference that he has declined all offers and is having a hard time believing how well connected Ulrich is.

Police General Sant’s previous positions were at rural and regional levels, and he said he had never heard about Wolfgang Ulrich before being promoted to deputy director-general of the Royal Thai Police. “Had I known the position entailed fighting off malicious bribe offers,” he said, “I would have stayed with the regional police department.”

Wolfgang was arrested two weeks prior to Police General Sant taking over his new position as Royal Thai Police Deputy Director-General (Administration 2) and the requests for Ulrich’s release started straight away. At the time, only a select few had any knowledge of the incident and the news had yet to hit the newspapers. Pol. Gen. Sant said he was perplexed when approached by the many influential persons in political circles interested in Ulrich’s release. He said even close friends approached him.

The police general said he has never come face to face with Ulrich and has no intentions of giving him any special attention.

Later, at an interview with reporters, General Sant avoided answering direct inquiries when asked about the 10 million baht offers, saying he didn’t want any misunderstandings over various quotes. “The immigration police is a highly visible department, which is watched closely. I intend to protect the department,’ he said. But he did say that foreign lawyers and former public prosecutors were leaving their calling cards.

Police General Sant also said that Immigration Police Lieutenant-General Chidchai Wanasatit once told him that his steadfast stance on the Wolfgang case was highly admirable, and that “his efforts would not be forgotten”.

A source from the Immigration police divulged that a politician offered 10 million baht for Wolfgang’s release. The source said the matter was not made public due to uncertainties during a period when Interior Minister Major General Sanan Khajornprasad was still in office. “Afterwards the offers subsided.”

Wolfgang Ulrich is still serving a sentence in lieu of paying fines for illegally importing into the Kingdom and avoiding taxes on his yacht “Last Money”. He is also wanted by German authorities for allegedly embezzling 500 million baht of donated funds from an animal protection foundation in Europe.

Current Interior Minister Banyat Bantadtan recently said he will ask General Sant where he obtained information that politicians had offered 10 million for Ulrich’s release.

Changes in drug laws to affect local businesses

Business owners could be held liable for drugs used on their premises

Recent changes in the Kingdom’s drug suppression laws could have a large impact on the many entertainment businesses in Pattaya. The changes, announced by the Prime Minister’s office, basically hold owners of businesses responsible for activities conducted on their property, and depending on the circumstances, the owners could be held liable for any illegal drug activity, including use and distribution.

The intent of the new legislation is to strengthen the nation’s anti-drug prevention and suppression campaign.

The law is directed at all types of businesses where people congregate, including hotels, apartments, guesthouses and snooker rooms, but places specific emphasis on entertainment businesses, such as bars and discos. The idea of the law is to force proprietors to be aware of what type of activity is taking place in their establishment, and participate in the nation’s effort to reduce the drug problem by reporting drug-related activities to police.

The new law was announced at the end of last July and provincial officials have closely scrutinized the full meaning of the legalities involved. Pattaya will be especially affected, due to the large number of entertainment businesses, hotels and guesthouses here.

Over 500 proprietors and representatives from various types of businesses in Pattaya and Banglamung were briefed on the new legislation by Provincial Police Drug Suppression officers at a meeting chaired by Chonburi Governor Sujarit Pachimnan at the Pattaya Park Beach Resort on September 27.

Laws are already in affect regulating the number of occupants staying in a hotel room, and the law making business owners liable for drug-related activity occurring on their premises will have hotels and similar businesses paying closer attention to how many occupants are entering each room.

Ongoing effort to help during economic downturn

A large number of local farming families are being taught different ways to help supplement their income during these tough economic times.

The Agricultural Promotion Department in the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, in conjunction with the Food Production Research and Development Institute and the Laem Chabang Municipal Administration, are currently running a food preparation training program.

Local families are being taught methods of making different confectionery from breadfruit, jellied pineapple, french-fries, salad creams, sweet dishes from coconut and cassava flour, and jellies topped with sweetened coconut milk. They are also being taught how to raise tropical fish and develop the production of fish sauce.

The training program first started in April of this year and has since trained a total of 350 people from eight provinces in the eastern region during seven training sessions.

The program is receiving support from university scholars who are researching and developing new methods and ideas to subsidies incomes for families engaged in agriculture.

On September 21, the University of Agriculture in Sri Racha hosted a Food Production Training Exhibition, presenting technological advances in agricultural production and putting on display items produced from the training program.

Chonburi Deputy Governor Wirasak Pornpibul and Professor Tira Sutabut, the director of the Sri Racha Agricultural University, joined the ribbon cutting ceremony opening the exhibition.

Honoring the late Princess Mother - HRH Princess Sri Nagarindra

In honor of the late Princess Mother’s birthday on October 21, and commemorating her birth one hundred years ago, the province of Chonburi has organized projects to clean up coastal beaches in the name of HRH Princess Nagarindra.

Chairman of the Standing Committee on Tourism in the House of Representatives Santsak Ngamphiches began the environmental clean-up activity, which involved more than 500 residents and students from Sattahip working along a 700-meter area at Bang Saray Beach.

The Princess Mother passed away at the age of 94 in 1995, but remains immortalized in the hearts of the Thai people through her sincere kindness and generosity towards all the people of Thailand.