Horrible crash results in one death, two seriously injured

Father of 2 killed, young daughters in hospital

Just before noon on December 21 the driver of a Volvo 18-wheel truck heading for Bangkok with a full load of chemicals collided with a Nissan trailer truck parked alongside the road. The impact caused the trailer to over turn on top of a pick-up, killing the pick-up truck driver, Mr. Anuwat Liphirak.

Careless driving resulted in a major crash on HWY 336, killing a father and seriously injuring his two young daughters.

Anuwat, 54, from Rayong, was traveling with his two daughters, age 5 and 10. Anuwat was killed instantly and rescue workers need heavy equipment to remove his body from the vehicle.

The two girls sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the hospital by Sawang Boriboon Rescue workers. The younger of the two suffered a critical abdominal wound.

The Volvo truck driver from the Trans International Company, Yuttana Wongsaensuk told police the Nissan trailer truck was stopped on the road and had no warning lights on to alert him. Yuttana was taken to Banglamung police station where he was charged with reckless driving resulting in death and injury.

The driver of the parked Nissan trailer truck was nowhere to be found.

Collecting small debt proves dangerous to lender

Received multiple stab wounds

Seventeen year old Khwansiam Chitrat learned the hard way: “neither a borrower nor lender be...” In an attempt to collect a 300 baht debt owed him by 19-year-old Pao, Khwansiam instead received stabs wounds to his back and arm.

Khwansiam told police that on December 18 he went to collect the 300 baht debt from Pao at an apartment building in Soi Bua Khao. Khwansiam said when Pao appeared, he walked towards them and withdrew a knife. Khwansiam said he raised his hand in defense as Pao came directly for his throat.

Khwansiam received a six-inch laceration in his right arm and a 10-inch long cut along his back, which was deep enough to expose bone.

He said Pao then ran off.

Khwansiam’s friends took him to the Pattaya Memorial Hospital where he was treated for the stab wounds.

Police are continuing the investigation to confirm Khwansiam’s information.

Local police put on alert during New Year holiday

Told to be extra vigilant

Police forces in Pattaya have been deployed to patrol the streets on foot, bicycle, motorbike and car in an increased effort to provide safety for visitors over the holidays.

Pattaya police of all different uniforms are an extra alert during the holidays.

Tourist Police Division 3 Superintendent Col. Charuwat Vaisaya gave the police officers a precautionary briefing prior to the 10-day period ending January 1.

Pattaya municipal police and tourist assistance volunteers were also mobilized and alerted to the increased possibilities of crime during the period. During the holiday season, Pattaya routinely experiences a large number of visitors. Many congregated in the South Pattaya Walking Street area, requiring police to use added precautionary measures throughout the city.

Aside from the common disturbances associated with holiday celebrations and over-indulgence, there is a variety of possible crimes that make the first time visitor a favorite target of con men, pick pockets and tricksters.

City begins building inspections

Violators given one week before facing forced removal

Last week the mayor accompanied the building control officer on an inspection tour of the city where more than 100 structures have been identified as being in violation of Pattaya City regulations. Those businesses were ordered to initiate corrective action within seven days or the city would take the necessary steps to make the corrections.

City administrators inspect buildings in violation of city regulations, and walls encroaching onto public property in the area of Soi 9.

The building control officer from the city maintenance office, Ittiwut Thitiworn said that city policies outline clear building standards, requiring his office to conduct inspections to control the many different building violations that have been allowed to go on endangering the lives of residents and tourists in Pattaya. The violations include encroaching on public property, unauthorized additions, and non-compliance with city safety regulations or variations from authorized plans approved by the city. Many of the violations pose serious dangers, including inadequate structural safety and fire hazards.

Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat said most of the violations were found among the many beer bars and smaller businesses that have recently cropped up along 2nd and 3rd Roads. Owners of buildings found encroaching onto public property and those with unauthorized additions were ordered to dismantle or make the appropriate corrections within seven days. The mayor said the orders were issued to the violators with the understanding that the city now has absolute authority to initiate action following non-compliance without having to pass through the court system.

Jomtien parking lot to become a reality

Location causing concern

Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat announced that the long awaited parking lot at Jomtien Beach should be completed this January, using 2-million baht from the budget. The parking area is 150 meters long and will accommodate more than 200 vehicles. The city also has plans to rearrange the area and plant more trees to beautify the beach.

However, the location of the parking lot near Jomtien Dongtan Beach has caused some concern among vendors and businesses in the area. So, Mayor Pairat chaired a meeting with deputy mayor Nirand Watanasadsatorn and over 50 vendors and proprietors from Jomtien Beach at City Hall to ask them to support the city’s goal of creating a scenic setting along Jomtien Beach by helping to maintain order and cleanliness in every concession holder’s area.

Meanwhile, some tourists has expressed their discontent with the chosen site, saying it has destroyed one of the area’s last remaining natural settings. They say that the parking lot may have the opposite affect by destroying the scenery and adding noise pollution and unwanted vehicle fumes.

Recycling program continues in Pattaya schools

Teaching children the benefits of saving the environment

In an effort to clean up the environment, the Environmental Quality Improvement Department is teaching local students the merits of recycling. Their ongoing program is a continuation of the city school district’s environmental campaign to educate people in properly disposing trash. All 10-city schools are involved in the project.

Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat opened the city school “trash recycling project” organised by the Environmental Quality Improvement Department at Pattaya City Hall.

This most recent portion of the project involves trash banks, or “recycling to help the community and the nation”.

Through the trash recycling projects in local schools, local officials intend to encourage younger generations to bring in recyclable objects to be deposited in appropriate containers. They also want to help children understand the dangers of pollution and teach them methods to reduce it.

The “trash bank” project records each student’s contribution deposited in the recycle banks, and the returns can later be withdrawn after recycling the items at a profit. Plastic and glass bottles and different metals with other recyclable materials are all categorized and recorded before being deposited using the “5R” rule of: Reduction, Reuse, Repairing, Recycle and Rejection.

Pattaya City was identified by the National Environmental Commission as a pollution control area in 1992, with the intention of attracting local interest and business support in enforcing environmental controls in the local area. However, the tourist industry being the main source of revenue in the area has caused rapid growth with an expanding population making it difficult to keep up with the demanding environmental concerns. Currently, Pattaya produces between 200-250 tons of refuse each day.

The recycling project in city schools is a way to begin controlling pollution and protecting the environment by increasing the awareness of the problem that affects local communities all over the world.

City administrators help administer polio vaccine

Annual vaccination drive underway

Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat and Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkichakarn helped administer polio vaccinations to the area’s youths when the annual polio vaccination drive kicked off on December 21.

Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat helps administer polio vaccine to a local youngster as part of the city’s annual polio vaccination drive.

Mayor Pairat first “officially” opened the annual polio vaccination drive with a group of city officials behind the Pattaya Health Clinic in Soi 6 off of 2nd Road. Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkichakarn, in his capacity as director of city health, sanitation and environmental related areas helped organize the drive.

The Thai government, with the help of Rotary International, intends to eliminate polio from the country. The country’s health development plan calls for administering polio vaccinations to children under the age of six, but mostly targeting one-year-old children.

Pattaya having a large number of people migrating from the outer provinces looking for employment presents somewhat of a problem for the program, as some young family members do not receive the required number of polio vaccinations due to their migration. This is requiring a concerted effort to reach all children before the age of six.

Another aspect causing difficulties in achieving 100% elimination of the disease is the remote areas in Thailand where a number of children reside with families not having permanent domiciles.

The campaign is continuing in Pattaya with volunteer workers from 15 communities seeing to the distribution and administration of the polio vaccinations to children in the proper dosages.