Rain storms create havoc on Pattaya roads

Road show to ITB receives financial boost

Local businesspeople also plan to exert more influence on zoning laws

The upcoming road show to the ITB (international tourism market in Berlin) next March received a major financial boost when the Chonburi provincial administrative organization agreed to support the trip with a 5 million baht budget.

The Pattaya Carnival Night held on September 17 at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort during the Travel Mart also raised 423,555 baht for the trip.

Mrs. Panga Vanthanakul (right), THA consultant, presented funds raised from Pattaya Carnival Night to Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat (center), who transferred the finds to Manit Boonchim (left) of the TAT central region 3 office to be used to support travel to the ITB Berlin in March of next year.

Local government officials and the private sector recently met at city hall to plan how best to use the funds for the trip to ITB.

Possible uses for the money include a new brochure depicting the city wastewater treatment plant and highlighting environmental improvements.

Mrs. Panga Vathanakul, MD of the Royal Cliff, also suggested excerpts pertaining to Pattaya’s zoning plans be included in the brochure. She said the wastewater treatment plant and zoning plans would be, “primary selling points to attract tourists by advertising a revised Pattaya to everyone around the world.”

Discussions at the meeting then turned to the topic of entertainment zoning in Pattaya, with many of the members saying they have been excluded from talks about zoning, something they hope to change.

President of the Thai Hotel Association (Eastern Chapter) Chachawal Supachayanon said thus far no THA members have been invited to participate in any of the zoning planning sessions, and although representatives and chairmen have sat in on some of the meetings, they were largely outnumbered. Chachawal said the zoning required 2-3 months of research, not just 2 or 3 meetings and then closing the matter.

Chairman of the Pattaya Hotel Club Suwat Phaepiromrat said that he and only four other PHC members attended the 2 or 3 meetings on zoning, and accounted for a very small representation. He questioned the criteria used to select the people responsible for thrashing out the zoning plan, and said the large majority at each meeting appeared to be owners of beer bars from around the city.

Mrs. Sophin Tappajug, associate judge to the Chonburi Juvenile and Family Court and THA consultant, who also owns the Green Bottle Pub, singled out beer bars, saying they were contributing to unwanted noise, which is disturbing residents and hotel guests.

Members at the meeting suggested that the administrations in Chonburi, Banglamung and the city of Pattaya are being too hesitant and do not want to be over restrictive in zoning the city. They said they have been neglecting to include participation from the Pattaya business community at meetings to resolve the zoning issue.

The businesspeople at the meeting resolved to meet with new Chonburi governor Chaded Insawang on or before October 16, the day the Minister of Interior Purachai Piumsombun was scheduled to review the zoning plans submitted by Pattaya. No information has been made available from that meeting, or whether the meeting even took place. There is also no information yet as to what the Ministry of Interior has decided concerning Pattaya’s zoning plans.

A general consensus at the meeting was that the Minister of Interior would reject Pattaya’s latest plan for zoning, and would return it for another revision.

The business community also let it be know that they feel all of Beach Road should be excluded from inclusion in any entertainment zone.

Two murdered at the home of affluent money lender

4 arrests made - large inheritance cited as motive

Vichan Pladplueng, Boonlua Chatree and Damree Kaewmuang

Two women were found brutally murdered on the morning of October 15 at the home of an affluent money lender in Banglamung Sub-district.

Mrs. Jamniang Rakkhwamdee, 62, and Mrs. Ratana Bamrungwat, 35, sustained gunshot wounds, head wounds from a blunt instrument and multiple stab wounds.

The 16-year-old suspects reenact the murder for police, allegedly masterminded by Sawat Bamrungwat.

Police collected four .22 caliber shell casings from the floor near the bed. In an adjacent room a bloodstained pairing knife and a wooden club with a bloodstained towel were also collected as evidence. Medical examiners believe the deaths occurred two days before the bodies were discovered.

The investigation revealed that Mrs. Jamniang, the elder of the two women murdered, was temporarily staying with Mrs. Ratana, who lived with her older sister Mrs. Ying Bamrungwat. Mrs. Ying was undergoing treatment at Sriracha Hospital and Mrs. Jamniang was staying with Ratana to keep her company.

Police ruled out theft as a motive for the double murder due to the many valuables left untouched in the home, as well as the gold necklaces still around the necks of both victims.

The owner of the home, Mrs. Ying Bamrungwat, was a well-to-do landowner who rented out portions of her land for others to farm. She was also a moneylender who collected sizeable interest with little or no collateral. Mrs. Ying’s younger sister, Ratana, was identified as Mrs. Ying’s bookkeeper who looked after her money lending transactions.

Police first assumed that the murder involved a grudge or someone wanting to clear their debts by eliminating the wealthy landowner and her sister.

However, information soon surfaced indicating three youths were linked to the murder, including Sayam (Jo) Bamrungwat, Mrs. Ratana’s 16-year-old stepson. He was arrested along with 16-year-old Ekaphan Chanta in Chanthaburi. Phisal Warasit, also 16, was arrested the following day hiding out with relatives in Roi-Et.

All three suspects eventually confessed and re-enacted the crime for police records. A fourth man implicated by the three youths, identified as Sawat Bamrungwat, the older brother of Sayam’s father, according to Sayam was the mastermind behind the murders. The murders would have left Sawat as the sole heir to land worth hundreds of millions of baht registered in the name of Mrs. Ying Bamrungwat.

Sayam said that Sawat gave him 10,000 baht to purchase a weapon and instructed him to commit the murder on the night of October 13. After purchasing the .22 caliber pistol for 5,000 baht Ekaphan and Phisal were recruited to assist.

The three juveniles described how they arrived at Mrs. Ying Bamrungwat’s home asking for lumber to complete a home under construction, and later asked to spend the night. Once the women were asleep Phisal, the driver, waited outside as the lookout while Sayam and Ekaphan murdered the two women.

Sawat Bamrungwat was arrested on October 18 while he was attending the funeral ceremony for both Mrs. Ratana Bamrungwat and Mrs. Jamniang Rakkhwamdee at Wat Nong Ket Noi. Sawat was charged with conspiring to commit murder, and the three 16-year-old juveniles were charged with premeditated murder and conspiring to murder Mrs. Ying Bamrungwat and her two nieces, ages 12 and 13.

Sawat Bamrungwat denies the charges.

Doughty police arrest 17 in gambling den raid

Police confiscate cards, chairs and 200 baht fortune

Boonlua Chatree

Banglamung police arrested 17 heinous gamblers in a daring late night raid on October 16.

After receiving reports of illegal gambling at 353/20 Moo 9 in Soi 49 off Sukhumvit Road near the Central Pattaya Road intersection, police surrounded the gambling den, cutting off all avenues of escape.

Officers then quickly moved in and broke up the action, creating a melee that saw at least as many gamblers flee the scene during the confusion as were arrested.

Tables and chairs were confiscated, along with decks of cards and a small fortune of 200 baht in cash.

The owner of the house, identified as Mr. Mongkhol (Sia Siam) Kedsakhorn, 44, was arrested, as were 9 women and 7 other men.

All 17 arch criminals were charged with illegal gambling and turned over to case officers for further disposition.

Car thief leads police on wild chase

Stolen vehicle recovered, but much the worse for wear

Boonlua Chatree

Mr. Somkiat, driving a brand spanking new green Mitsubishi pick-up, pulled into the Q8 petrol station on Sukhumvit Road near Pattaya Central Road around 2.00 a.m. on October 19. He had planned to continue on to Bangkok.

Unaware of the dangers lurking nearby, he parked the truck, with the engine idling, in front of the restroom, intending to use the facilities for no more than a few moments. Before Somkiat could finish answering nature’s call, he heard the sound of his Mitsubishi speeding away, along with the 8,000 baht cash and his mobile phone that were sitting inside.

Steaming mad at his blunder he immediately reported the theft. Area police were alerted and wasted no time preparing roadblocks leading out of Pattaya.

The thief drove wildly through a roadside checkpoint set up in Laem Chabang and soon had police vehicles in hot pursuit. The crazed driver then recklessly ran into a road block gate, nearly injuring police officers in the process.

The Mitsubishi sped away, still crashing into other obstacles but somehow managing to stay on the road. Laem Chabang police joined the chase and another roadblock was prepared ahead. The driver had no intentions of stopping and pummeled a police truck set up at the roadblock at Angsila District outside Chonburi. He then turned down a side street in the direction of the sea.

The driver finally ditched the now crumpled up Mitsubishi on the beach, where it eventually rolled into the sea. The thief ran for the waves with police officers hot on his heels. They were eventually able to catch him and drag him out of the water.

Tiwakorn Pulklai, age 25, was arrested and charged with vehicle theft, reckless driving, endangering the lives of the public and attempting to kill police officers in the line of duty.

Tiwakorn told police he had no excuse for his misbehavior, other than saying he was unable to pass up the chance to take off with the new pick-up that he saw carelessly left parked with the keys in the ignition, begging him to take it for a spin.

Doctor loses patience and slaps patient, perhaps losing more patients

Boonlua Chatree

Doctor Prairoj of the Banglamung Hospital, perhaps at the end of a long, tiresome shift, lost control of his emotions and slapped a patient in the face.

The victim, Mrs. Jiamjit Saengsuwan, a 51-year-old local resident originally from Chiang Mai, later stormed into the Banglamung police station on October 18 to report she had just been physically assaulted at the Banglamung Hospital.

Mrs. Jiamjit told police that she was at the hospital to help a friend who had just been bitten by a centipede. With no money to pay the doctor bill, Mrs. Jiamjit said she went to the administration section to apply for the government’s “30 baht medical coverage gold card” for her friend. Doctor Prairoj was the attending physician.

Mrs. Jiamjit said that there were many people seeking treatment at the government hospital and the wait for the gold card was extremely long. After a few hours passed by, she noticed Doctor Prairoj leaving the hospital at the end of his shift.

Disgruntled with the long wait, she said she approached Doctor Prairoj and demanded to know how much longer it would take. She alleged the doctor told her that, “everyone else has been waiting 2-3 hours, so what makes you special?”

Mrs. Jiamjit said at that point she turned and walked away, but to her dismay the doctor allegedly followed behind continuing a string of loathsome remarks, and when she turned around to respond she was smacked in the face. She said the incident took place in front of many witnesses, including a police officer who had to intervene to quell the disturbance.

Mrs. Jiamjit said she left the hospital and sought treatment for a cut lip and puffed-up face at Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital.

Banglamung Hospital’s director, Doctor Prasit Jittiwatanapong was later asked about the matter and acknowledged the embarrassing incident. He said disciplinary action was underway, and that Mrs. Jiamjit was contacted and a full apology was made. He also said channels in Chonburi were notified and the person involved in the incident has been temporarily relieved of duty.

Young drug offenders to be rehabilitated through training program

Pattaya ready for Pattaya Rowing Barge Festival

Skal Pattaya and East Thailand fostering Pattaya promotions

Mike’s displays energy efficient additions for prominent Malaysians

Updated every Friday
Copyright 2001  Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
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Updated by Chinnaporn Sungwanlek, assisted by Boonsiri Suansuk.
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