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Bit in the butt
Boonlua Chatree
Sixteen-year-old Ahnucha Phanbhaiphal took a late night motorcycle ride he will likely never forget.
In a bizarre twist to what might be termed a drive by shooting, Ahnucha, who lives in Naklua, was driving by Jomtien Beach on his unregistered motorcycle
at about 3 in the morning. He said he heard what sounded like a gunshot, and immediately felt a burning pain in his upper left buttock.
 Ahnucha Phanbhaiphal was the victim
of a drive by shooting, except it was him who was driving by when he got shot.
Ahnucha said he instinctively reached down to feel where the pain was coming from and when he pulled his hand back up it was covered in blood. He said that
when he realized he had been shot, he immediately sought help from friends, who escorted him to the hospital.
When police arrived to investigate, young Ahnucha was squirming around in pain on the emergency room operating table at Pattaya Memorial Hospital while
doctors were busily removing the unwanted lead.
Ahnucha told police he had no idea who fired the shot or where the shot came from. He also insisted he had no quarrels with anyone. He did, however, fail
to mention why he was riding an unregistered motorcycle in Jomtien at that late hour.
Korean restaurant raided for serving endangered snakes
Finally draws forestry police attention after operating for 9-years
Vichan Pladplueng
The Hi-D Restaurant on Soi Chaiyaphruk has been serving exotic snakes for over nine years. Unfortunately, many of the types of snakes they served are on
the protected species list. On April 10, the forestry police finally became wise to the situation and raided the restaurant, arresting the owner, Mr. Black Shae and 20
employees.
 Forestry police shut down the Hi-D
Restaurant for cooking and serving endangered snakes.
The Hi-D Restaurant is a large establishment that boasted serving exotic meals made with snake meat, the eggs or skin and various other organs to hundreds
of customers, mostly Korean tourists, every day. Ingredients include the sexual organs from the snakes, claiming that these enhance sexual prowess for the consumer. Other
dishes have been promoted as long life elixirs.
One of the restaurant’s best selling dishes was a special python soup selling for 1,000 baht, which the restaurant claimed heightened sexual activity.
The pythons were being skinned and prepared in front of the table. The restaurant was also well known for its “shows” when waiters caught the elusive snakes.
The restaurant was well known to farmers in the area, who found their way there bringing in live snakes to sell by weight. Large snakes sold for as much as
1,000 baht.
Police confiscated more than 1,000 kilograms of refrigerated snake meat, body rejuvenating elixirs and other strange preparations made from the protected
animal’s different organs. Police also confiscated thousands of live snakes kept in containers scattered throughout the restaurant. The live snakes were handed over to
animal protection agencies.
The 43-year old Korean owner, Black Shae told police his restaurant had been operating for the past nine years offering the exotic dishes to chartered
tours from Korea and other tourists visiting the Pattaya area.
Shae and his staff of employees await trial for dealing in protected animal species. They face a possible four year jail sentence and/or a 40,000 baht
fine.
The restaurant is allegedly one of two Korean restaurants offering an exotic menu listing several snake dishes. The second restaurant is located off
Sukhumvit, Soi 83 in Bangkok.
Death hotel claims another life
German tourist found dead on 3rd floor awning
Management at the Jomtien Palm Beach Resort, formerly the Royal Jomtien, infamous for the July 1997 fire that took an estimated 100 lives, reported to
Pattaya Police that a tourist discovered a body lying on top of an awning at the 3rd floor of the 16 floor hotel.
A loud thud had been heard and hotel security personnel began checking the floors, searching for the source of the noise. Moments later a Chinese tourist
reported the body of a man lying on the 3rd floor awning.
The only identification found on the body was an ATM card bearing the name Willi Hochmeier. Two types of anti-depressant medications were also found on the
body.
The information from the ATM card did not match anyone registered at the hotel and police are still looking for further information to confirm the identity.
The awning where the body was found was next to the hotel elevator, which has windows on either side. Police conducted a search of each floor and discovered
a window near the elevator on the 11th floor had recently been tampered with. Numerous fingerprints and other evidence were recorded as evidence.
The hotel bartender told police that he had served the man in the bar but said the man disappeared without paying his bill.
Police continue the investigation whilst waiting for the results from the police forensic lab.
One of Germany’s “Most Wanted” criminals arrested in Pattaya
Robert Muller wanted on armed robbery and murder
Boonlua Chatree
German Robert Muller was arrested in Pattaya last week after Thai and German authorities tracked him to his Jomtien condo.
Muller, 34, is wanted in Germany for armed robbery and murder, along with a host of other crimes. Before his arrest, Muller held a position atop
Germany’s “Most Wanted” list.
 Robert Muller, one of Germany’s
“Most Wanted” criminals, sits in cuffs after his arrest in Pattaya.
Pattaya Tourist Police, led by Pol. Maj. Noradech Klomtuksing, made the arrest on April 9 outside Muller’s residence at the Metro Condo in Jomtien. The
investigation was a cooperative effort through diplomatic channels with the German police.
Muller’s last crime on record in Germany involved the armed robbery of a jewelry store on July 25 last year. Muller allegedly made off with 1.5 million
German marks worth of diamonds, but not before committing murder during the robbery. Muller evaded arrest and allegedly fled to Pattaya, where police believe he has been
staying since 1997.
Police also believe that Muller sold the stolen diamonds to P.S. James Jewelers stores in Bangkok and Pattaya. Muller has a Thai bank account with over 3
million baht on deposit. He also allegedly paid cash for a new Honda Accord.
At the time of his arrest, Muller had in his possession 100,000 baht in cash and a Krung Thai cashiers check for 2,150,000 baht, dated 2 Feb 2001. Muller
also had approximately 500,000 baht cash in a safety deposit box at his condo.
Muller was turned over to Pattaya city police, who are detaining him on the charge of entering the Kingdom with a passport that had been revoked by the
German government. It is expected he will be turned over to German authorities soon.
British tourist brutally murdered in South Pattaya bungalow
Police surmise he was murdered by a burglar
Boonlua Chatree
The death of Mr. W.E. Wauch, a 40-year old tourist from England, was reported to Pattaya Police at 6.30 a.m. on April 9. His body was found on the floor
between the bed and wall inside a one-story bungalow on Pattaya 2nd Road.
Police officers and medical personnel concluded the death occurred approximately two hours earlier. Investigators surmise Wauch was murdered whilst
defending himself against an intruder who had entered the bungalow through a rear window intending to burglarize the bungalow.
Wauch’s body was covered in bruises caused by a heavy, blunt object. Sawang Boriboon Rescue personnel transferred the corpse to the police forensic lab
for further examination.
Footprints and other evidence were found around the rear window, which was 1.5 meters above the ground. Wauch’s belongings were scattered about the room
indicating a struggle took place. Police as yet do not know what items, if any, were stolen.
Pattaya entertainment businesses “circle the wagons”
Petition Interior Ministry for 4 a.m. closing time
Pattaya’s entertainment business owners and city administrators met at the Grand Sole Hotel last week to discuss Interior Minister Purachai
Piemsomboon’s recent crack down on bars, discotheques and other entertainment facilities across the nation, closing them down by 2 a.m. Provincial council members from
Banglamung and other notable figures in local government circles also attended the meeting.
The business owners reasserted their stance that Pattaya differs from other areas in Thailand due to the city’s status as an international tourist
location, and that this status warrants relaxed regulations prescribing opening and closing times. There was a mutual understanding that enforcing the 2 a.m. closing time
seriously affected business in Pattaya.
They did agree that problems do exist with underage persons being allowed entry into various entertainment facilities and that drugs were often dispensed
in and around entertainment venues.
These problems were discussed at length whilst looking for solutions agreeable to all parties involved, and it was decided to appoint a committee to
address the concerns of the Pattaya business community in a document addressed to the Ministry of Interior. Preecha Sanguansak was appointed to chair the committee, with 10
members drafting a document with supporting justification for consideration by the Ministry of Interior.
The document will ask the Ministry of Interior to relax the closing time in Pattaya to 4 a.m. The committee hopes to gain support from the Ministry of
Interior by including in their document insurance of their combined efforts to support the Ministry of Interior’s initiatives.
This support includes an anti-drug campaign, posting anti-drug slogans at entertainment facilities, stricter controls to prohibit underage persons from
gaining entry into entertainment venues, and an absolute stance against sex shows and lewd entertainment operating in Pattaya.
The newly appointed committee plans to develop into a local association comprised of the entertainment business community in Pattaya.
Prior to sending off the finished proposals for consideration, the contents of the document are to be reviewed by the city council and members of the House
of Representatives from Banglamung.
Fake prison official absconds with 40,000 baht
On the night of the 7th of March Ms Prateep Pakdeekam and 4 of her friends were arrested with 650 methamphetamine pills in their possession. Prateep’s
relative, Prakong Charoenporn was quick to come to her aid. Prakong met a woman who claimed to be Wattana Promnok, a C6 official with the corrections department. Ms Wattana
offered to help get Ms Prateep’s punishment reduced, if not dismissed altogether. This service would cost Prakong a handsome sum of 40,000 baht.
 Wattana, alias Keseree as she
appeared in Lopburi.
Prakong agreed, seeing that Wattana’s surname was the same as a former national police chief who is now the minister of labor. Another convincing aspect
was that Ms Wattana was sitting around the Pattaya police station, seemingly knowing everybody and knowing how to arrange the necessary details in such bothersome matters as
having been jailed for the offence of selling drugs.
So the money was paid. Ms Wattana left two mobile numbers where Prakong could contact her. He tried once but was told by a little girl that her mother was
in a meeting and to call the other number. Try as he might all he got was, “The number you’re trying to reach cannot connect.”
Now Prakong is getting worried. He smells a rat. So he goes to Chonburi prison to make enquiries. No Ms Wattana to be seen or even heard of. After a most
frustrating and hot walk around the prison compound (outside that is) Prakong stopped to get light refreshment. Lo and behold, what did his eyes see? A front-page news story
in a Thai daily reporting the arrest of his Ms Wattana Promnok in Lopburi. Only now she was called Keseree Somthai, aged 48.
Pakong rushed to police to make his report, claiming that Wattana, alias Keseree had defrauded him.
Pattaya police registered his report and have sent an urgent message to Lopburi asking for the detention and repatriation to Pattaya of Ms Wattana um,
Keseree for further interrogation.
Meanwhile, Prateep and her 4 friends await their fate as guests of the Pattaya corrections department.
Twilight Pattaya to be zoned
Deputy city mayor Weerasak Pornpibul announced that his committee has approved zoning of entertainment establishments from the Naklua Beach area up to
Sattahip, including Na Jomtien and Pattaya 2nd Road.
In these areas it is now illegal to set up any new establishments, covering beer bars, karaoke, and other entertainment.
Additionally, no new entertainment construction will be allowed on land that is less than 100 meters from the main Sukhumvit Highway. The new regulation will
be implemented by the end of this month.
City trying to control rental vehicle businesses
Propose a type of zoning
Although past efforts have been unsuccessful, city hall is once again trying to bring the hordes of rental companies under control. Presently, these
businesses set up anywhere they wish on public property, blocking traffic and making pedestrian travel inconvenient at best.
Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat and his deputy Nirand Watansadsathorn, along with Pol. Lt. Col. Pramot Ngampradis from the Pattaya City Traffic Police met
with rental vehicle owners from around Pattaya on April 10.
During the meeting, new measures to control the business were discussed, including a proposal to prohibit business on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
The city administrators also proposed setting up consolidated rental locations, with each separate business combining vehicles in separate designated zones.
Three locations were proposed: one in the area of North Pattaya Road - Central Road, another in the area between Central and South Pattaya Roads, and the third located within
South Pattaya’s Walking Street.
However, past organizational attempts have been quickly ignored by older businesses when newcomers continually emerged, popping up in all parts of the city
and setting up as they wished. Following short periods of order the vehicles soon reappeared, positioned back on the streets, taking up public property, obstructing pedestrian
traffic and presenting an unsightly appearance all over the city.
Aside from the lack of order and invasion on public areas many businesses also ignore the required registration fees due the city.
Hawk Sailors relax, Thai-style
Journalist 1st Class Mark A. Savage, USS Kitty Hawk public affairs
When USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), USS Vincennes (CG 49) and USS Gary (FFG 51) visited Singapore, the sailors knew they were there
for business. The Hawk Battle Group commemorated the new Changi Naval Base Pier and hosted several high-profile visitors and tours aboard their ships.
 The Blue Ridge Band from the US
Navy’s USS Blue Ridge plays for an appreciative audience at the Central Festival Center Pattaya.
But when the ships dropped anchor off Pattaya Beach, Thailand, April 5, approximately 6,000 Sailors hit the beach with their minds set on relaxation,
shopping and having fun. To assist them in that mission, Kitty Hawk’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department provided plenty of tours to entertain and excite the
adventurous sailors.
One of MWR’s tours took the sailors to the Sriracha Tiger Zoo, where they could get “face to face” with tigers, crocodiles and several other animals.
“The zoo was very nice,” said Aerographer’s Mate 3rd Class Shang Eng, who got up close and personal with a family of crocodiles. “That was very
intimidating. I kept my eyes on them the whole time,” said the Orlando, Fla., native. “That is one experience I’ll not try again.”
 Enjoying a COMREL with the kids
Though she may never want to handle such creatures again, she said she did not regret the experience and even learned a little about the reptiles.
“The crocodiles felt really weird,” Eng said. “I was expecting them to be warm, but they felt cool and dry. I’m glad I had the crocodile picture.
It’s an experience I’ll never forget.”
Sailors also witnessed tiger cubs nursing from a mother pig, a circus show which featured performing tigers, bears and monkeys and the elephant show, which
has become a trademark of Thailand.
In a land where elephants were the major source of transportation for hundreds of years, the pachyderms have gone on to become the international symbol of
Thailand. And they’re still a popular draw for tourists from all over the world.
“They’re a lot of fun,” said Aviation Machinist’s Mate Airman Daniel Kelly, from Columbia, Md. “I rode the elephants last year and I wanted to
repeat the experience again. It’s a neat way to get out and see a lot of the land.”
While many sailors took advantage of the MWR tours, others chose to lay around by their hotel swimming pools, get fitted for that custom-made suit, take in a
traditional Thai massage or participate in a community relations project at the Chonburi School for the Deaf.
The school is home to 344 students, age five to 20. They also have a staff of 45 teachers providing courses similar to public schools, with emphasis on
communications.
The Hawk sailors spent the day painting the building, cooking hamburgers and hot dogs and playing with the children.
“The children enjoyed it very much,” said Pornprapa Thai-u-tid, the school’s director. “The children enjoyed playing with and seeing the American
sailors. They are very kind.”
“I have two kids of my own and I loved this,” said Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Charles Holzworth, from San Diego. “Playing with these kids makes me
feel like I’m back home with my kids and I just wanted to help out.”
While some sailors didn’t get a lot of playtime with the children, they felt they made just as significant a contribution.
“This is an opportunity for us to give back to the community and show them a side of the Navy that’ll speak well of us,” said Lt. Glenn Zeigler, from
Richland, Wash. “We had the chance to get into the Thai countryside, give the school a facelift, meet the people and enjoy their hospitality.”
“It’s my way of showing my appreciation to the Navy while being able to do something worthwhile and showing that Americans do have a heart,” said
Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class (AW/SW) Tyrone Vester, a Detroit native. “I’m just having fun and enjoying my time here.”
Before starting the work, the sailors were treated to a traditional Thai dance from a young student at the school. Even though she did not have the ability
to hear the music, she still amazed the Sailors with her talent for the art. “It was unique,” Vester said. “She actually looked like she was moving to the music.”
After the painting was done and the food had been eaten, the sailors helped to clean up the area, bade farewell to their new Thai friends and returned to the
fleet landing to enjoy the remainder of their liberty time in Pattaya.
Copyright 2001 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand
Tel.66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax:66-38 427 596; e-mail: [email protected]
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