PEACH (and Pattaya) comes of age

Before a star-spangled array of guests, the guest of honor, General Prem Tinsulanonda, president of the Privy Council and statesman, activated the switch to mark the grand opening of the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall (PEACH). With all the drama of a Steven Spielberg movie, the ceremonial plaque rose from the stage, coming out from under a blanket of smoke as the multi speaker system blasted us away with the 2001/Star Wars theme. It was Hollywood, it was theatre, it was dramatic and it was here in Pattaya!

General Prem Tinsulanonda presided over the grand opening of PEACH.

However, drama and movie sets aside, the grand opening of PEACH by General Prem did also mark a new chapter in the history of Pattaya, not just of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort. The managing director of the resort, Panga Vathanakul said in her address, “Our confidence in the continued future success of PEACH stems from our belief in the revival of Pattaya as Thailand’s top leisure and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions) destination. Already we are seeing signs of this becoming a reality.”

Royal Cliff Beach Resort MD Panga Vathanakul (left) with PATA CEO Joe McInerny (2nd right) at the cocktail reception following the grand opening of PEACH.

The significance of these words should not be overlooked. The resort that has been awarded the title of the Best Resort Asia/Pacific from the Pacific-Asia Travel Association (PATA) has taken up the running to support Pattaya in its push for new recognition in the world marketplace. Panga reiterated at the grand opening that, “Despite the economic crisis that gripped Thailand, the Board of Directors of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort strongly believed that the establishment of a world-class convention and exhibition center would, through tourism, contribute to national economic recovery and at the same time place Pattaya’s tourism industry on a higher and more sophisticated level.”

Andrew J Wood was on hand to present a bouquet of flowers to guest speaker Ms Yuula Lindberg (center), president of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and key-note speaker Paul Flackett, former managing director of the European Incentive and Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition (EIBTM).

Since the soft opening of PEACH twelve months ago, it has already contributed much to the overall prosperity of Pattaya with eighteen events having been held there. With thousands of tourists coming to our city, bringing with them their tourist dollars that have been spent in myriads of differing outlets and enterprises here in Pattaya. There should be no one who doubts whether PEACH will have an economic impact for us all.

The Pattaya Mail congratulates Khun Panga and the Royal Cliff Beach Resort and commends them for having the foresight and faith to invest over one billion Baht to give Pattaya a such a facility as PEACH. It is now up to everyone to make Pattaya a worthy place for such a top class international tourism attraction.

Banglamung has new police superintendent

Police Col. Suphoj Kasemchaiyanan has assumed the position of Banglamung District police superintendent, replacing Police Col. Phadungsak Ubekkhanon, who, as reported in Pattaya Mail last week, became Pattaya’s new police chief.

In accordance with national police policies, the new district police superintendent said he would make drug suppression a priority task. He said special attention was required to reduce drug trafficking and drug use within the district.

Police Col. Suphoj Kasemchaiyanan

The new superintendent said special public relations programs were needed to increase public awareness of the dangers associated with drug use and the penalties involved. He said he would enlist community members to become part of the national anti-drug campaign.

Police Col. Suphoj also stated that nobody, including government officials, was above the law. He described police officer duties as important measures in securing the future of the country and the stability of the nation. He said he expects each police officer, through their behavior, to set examples for others to follow.

Police Col. Suphoj was first assigned to a superintendent position in 1998, with the Khao Saming District Police in Trad. Afterwards, he was assigned to Phantong District in Chonburi from 1998-1999, followed by the superintendent position with the Ban Beung District Police in Chonburi. He was later assigned to Chonburi Provincial Region 2 as the superintendent inspector.

During his past assignments Police Col. Suphoj was instrumental in closing a robbery case involving three million Baht and he was also involved in arrests confiscating 100,000 met amphetamine pills.

Two Loei girls rescued from Rayong flesh trade

Told they would be waitresses

Chonburi officials rescued two young Loei Province girls from the flesh trade in Rayong after the 14-year-old and 15-year-old girls’ guardians, Mr. Sommai Srikham and Mrs. Samut Saisiri, had sought their assistance.

Sommai and Samut presented a bouquet of flowers to Poramesawa Ngampiches as thanks for helping get their two young girls back home safely.

The guardians told officials that two men from Ban Phay in Rayong had promised them the girls would be put to work as waitresses in a restaurant. The two men, only identified as Med and his son Kriangkrai, were never heard from again and the worried parents came to Rayong to investigate on their own.

Sommai and Samut said they recognized a vehicle parked near a karaoke in Ban Phay and soon observed the two girls out front receiving customers.

They then sought help from Poramesawa Ngampiches, Chonburi council member, to coordinate the matter with other local officials to engineer the girls’ return.

Poramesawa took the matter to members of the Chart Thai Party, who then made contact with MP Piya Pitudacha in Rayong. MP Piya took the matter to local police, who orchestrated the girls’ release.

Young woman plunges from 3rd floor

Fall follows argument with tourist

Miss Tadsanee Rungruang, a 17-year-old girl from Buriram, received multiple fractures after plunging from the 3rd floor of a South Pattaya hotel.

Police, called to the scene at 11 p.m. on November 20, found Tadsanee laying on the ground moaning in pain, surrounded by foreign tourists trying to console her while waiting for assistance. She was transferred to the Pattaya Memorial Hospital where she was treated for a fractured wrist and seriously fractured ribs. She was later moved to the intensive care unit.

Witnesses told police that Tadsanee had entered the White Inn Hotel on Pratumnak Road and knocked on the door of a 3rd floor room occupied by a German tourist identified only as “Danny”. Witnesses were unsure what took place, but told police they heard Tadsanee scream and watched as “Danny” walked away from the room. They said they then heard Tadsanee screaming as she fell.

Before hitting the ground, Tadsanee hit a portion of the hotel’s roof on the hotel’s 2nd floor, severely injuring herself.

She was unable to respond to police questioning and investigators are now waiting for her to recover in order to clarify what happened.

Local Abbot accused of serious wrongdoings

Residents call for his removal

Over 200 residents from Takhientia met with District Dean-Monk Phra Khru Wijitthamasarn on November 22 calling for the removal of the local Abbott, Phra Khru Suntorn Punyakamo, from Wad Sangkapiaw.

The residents claimed the temple was improperly cared for and accused the Abbott of neglecting routine Buddhist ceremonial duties. They also made more serious claims that drugs were being sold on temple grounds and that women were visiting the Abbot during improper hours.

The Abbott was also accused of misappropriating temple donations for continuously purchasing newer model automobiles. Residents also said they had heard gunshots being fired from the temple grounds, causing fear in the community, and when the Abbott’s son was arrested by Banglamung police for selling drugs on the premises last year the members of the community began calling for a temple investigation.

Leaders of the community said that Phra Khru Pladsuntorn’s actions and personal conduct as the temple Abbott had been well respected, but his character had been undergoing disturbing changes over the past few years.

His behavior changes and neglect of duties eventually turned the entire community away. People stopped going to the temple, and some lost faith in the Buddhist Order altogether. Others started going to temples outside of the community.

District Dean-Monk Phra Khru Wijitthamasarn listened to the community’s concerns and studied the results of the temple investigation, then announced that the Abbott’s resignation would be accepted.

He informed the residents that their accusations were supported to some extent; however, no evidence was substantiated to support Phra Suntorn’s involvement in the sale or use of methamphetamine drugs, and other claims of sexual liaisons with female visitors were also unfounded.

District Dean-Monk Phra Khru Wijitthamasarn has appointed Phra Samulek from Wad Banglamung to assume the position of Abbott at Wad Sangkapiaw.

As for the deposed monk, Phra Suntorn denied the community’s accusations and said he felt sorry after being removed from the temple. He went on to say that during his 20 years as Abbott at Wad Sangkapiaw he organized the construction of a number of pavilions and living quarters for monks and continually improved the temple.

He said the accusations against him implying he was involved with selling drugs at the temple were unjustifiable, and insisted that residents misconstrued the incident involving his son’s arrest for selling methamphetamine drugs at the temple. He also denied the claim of sexual misconduct, saying that female visitors to the temple seeking advice at a monk’s living area was normal. Finally, he said that when it became known that the residents in the community wanted him to be removed from the temple he soon decided to resign as Abbott.

When asked if he intends to leave the monk-hood, Phra Suntorn said he has been a monk for so long that he knows no other means to survive and he requested to be accepted at the Wad Thepbut in Huay Yai as a resident monk.

Ital-Thai nearing settlement with local sea mussel farmers

Pollution killing off local shellfish

A long awaited settlement may finally be forthcoming for residents farming mussels in Laem Chabang.

A local mussel grower rows his catch ashore

The mussel growers first made claims of environmental pollution in December 1999, pointing in the direction of the Italian-Thai Development Company after sea mussels (hoi malaeng phu) raised near the mouth of the Banglamung canal were dying. Other shellfish and marine life have been dying as well.

Samples of the dead mussels were analyzed at the Burapha University Oceanography Center where it was determined that the mussel openings used to collect food were clogged with residue. Further investigation identified the residue flowed with the currents from a drainage system leading to the Italian-Thai Company in Sri Racha.

This past July, Chonburi deputy governor Suphoj Lawanasiri issued instructions for Banglamung district chief Vichien Chawalit to come up with an agreeable settlement between the mussel growers and the Italian-Thai Company after 17 mussel growers registered over 4.4 million Baht in financial losses.

The financial losses were determined by an assessment made by the Oceanography Center. So far, 11 of the 17 mussel growers have agreed to accept an offer compensating them for 60% of their total loss.

The six remaining mussel growers have elected to continue the matter in court.

Chief Minister of Arunajal Pradesh India visits Pattaya

Given key to the city

The Chief Minister of Arunajal Pradesh India, HE Mithi Mukut and a delegation of representatives from Arunajal Pradesh visited Thailand from November 20-23. The delegation made a stop in Pattaya to explore various aspects of the tourist trade.

Mayor Pairat presented Chief Minister Mithi with the key to the city.

Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat and TAT Central Region Office 3 director Manit Bunchim received the visitors at city hall on the morning of November 22. Mayor Pairat presented Chief Minister Mithi with the key to the city.

Chief Minister Mithi Mukut and his delegation were interested in gaining information on the working mechanisms supporting businesses engaged in tourism. They also expressed interest in the different tourist attractions in Pattaya and methods of introducing the attractions to people in India.

The city’s inner workings connected with the tourist industry were highlighted and the guests consulted with both the mayor and Manit covering public relation planning and other tourist-related topics that the representatives planned to incorporate into future plans. Following the talks at city hall the discussions continued during a tour of some of the sights in Pattaya.

The Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall (PEACH) at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort hosted the MUST Exhibition and Conference last week. A RAI Media organized event, MUST is an acronym for Maintenance, Utility, Services and Technology.

Promoted as the “MUST be there, MUST hear” forum for the Eastern Seaboard Region, it once again attracted many participants, 5000 plus visitors, over sixty different trade displays and speakers from diverse regional industries.

(From left) Board of Investment (BOI) deputy secretary Pairot Sompouti, Manu Leopairote, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Industry, and the governor of EGAT Vitaya Kotcharug cut the ribbon to open MUST 2000.

Since the Eastern Seaboard has “Now become Thailand’s Major industrial region and the preferred location for investment,” according to Board of Investment (BOI) deputy secretary Pairot Sompouti, the MUST 2000 conference proved once again to be a major showcase and networking opportunity for local companies. Major industrial enterprises involved in power generation, petrochemical, oil and gas, electronics, electrical, automotive, construction, industrial services and high technology training, computer and other major industries were all represented.

MUST 2000 was co-organized and supported this year by EGAT, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand; the Board of Investment of Thailand, Eastern Region Investment and Economic Center Office; Ministry of Industry, represented by the Bureau of Supporting Industries Development or BSDI; the renowned TPA Technology Promotion Association (Thai-Japan); and the Maptaphut Maintenance Club (MMC), the association of Thailand’s largest petrochemical plants.

Papers and discussion topics were presented by Thailand’s policy makers in such vital areas as the New Ministry of Industry, Government Developments in Industry, New Directions in Investment on the Eastern Seaboard, Privatization of the Power Industries, the Future Prospects of Maintenance Business, Industrial Services High Technology Training, and other crucial areas of environment, automotive and general industrial technologies.

Manu Leopairote, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Industry, said in his keynote address, ‘The New Ministry of Industry Visions for Supporting Industry’, “The Department of Industrial Promotion (DPI), through the Bureau of Supporting Industries Development, has been implementing projects aimed at upgrading supporting industries for tool and mould technology. The objectives are systematical, technical training and seminars, technical information and advisory services, trial prototyping services and upgraded technical capability of personnel. It is the post economic crisis management that needs the most attention. Alliances, co-operation and partnership are key factors for the country to come through the crisis and raise the spirits for entering into the next century.”

Pairot, of the BOI, said in his opening address, ‘New Investment Direction and Trends in the Eastern Region’, “That although the Eastern region has not remained unaffected by the slowdown of Thailand’s economic growth, there are three significant positive factors in the area’s future. Firstly, the industrial sector will increase providing growth for supporting industries and services. Secondly, progress in economic decentralization and outlying province development will continue. Thirdly, regional economic and globalized production capacities are being expanded. The trend of investment in 2001 will be increasing size of projects; more foreign participation, continuing growth of export orientated projects; and increasing proportion of greenfield investment.”

Walter Kretschmar, the German director of the Thai German Institute of Technology (TGI) in his address on ‘Business Objective Centered Industrial Training’ spoke enthusiastically on the high priority of integration of technical knowledge and skills - development in modern production technologies in the Thai technical and engineering industry, and the comparative competitive advantage that hi tech training gives.”

MUST 2000 conference was once again a successful MUST attend event to all those related to the Eastern Seaboard and Thailand’s Industries, affording diverse industrial professionals the opportunity of networking, exchange of new technology and increasing sales and marketing.