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Northern Thailand
residents receive help for the cold weather
Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital contributes medicine,
and Banglamung Village Scouts collect items to combat cold weather
Chakrapong Akkaranant
The director of Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital, Dr. Pichit
Kangwolkij, along with members from the nursing staff and administration
sections donated medical supplies to relieve cold symptoms and stomach
ailments, as well as antibiotics and other topical ointments to give to the
victims of cold weather in the north of Thailand. Heavy clothing and
blankets were also donated.
Village Scouts from Banglamung collected the items and
other supplies that had been donated by many local organizations and people
from communities in Banglamung.
 Dr.
Pichit Kangwolkij, Bkk-Pattaya Hospital director, presents a donation of
medical supplies to Suwat Rajatawatanakul, Chairman of the Banglamung
Village Scouts committee , prior to transporting the medicines and donated
items to hilltribe villages in the north.
The donations filled up 16 ten-wheeled trucks that
convoyed up to different areas in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son to
distribute the items to various hilltribes from December 12-17. The event
was part of the scouting project “Small Houses in Huge Forests”, which
is part of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s project supporting various hill
tribes.
Banglamung gets new
district chief
Vichan Pladplueng
Chaen Cheunsiva assumed the duties of the Banglamung
district chief officer on December 7, replacing Vichien Chawalit, who is
taking over a director position at the office of local administration under
the Ministry of Interior.
 New
Banglamung district chief officer, Chaen Cheunsiva
Chaen’s last posting was district chief in Sriracha,
and before that district chief in Samut Prakan. Chaen has accumulated 10
years of experience as a district chief, but admitted being a little uneasy
about the tasks waiting for him. Referring to the MOI’s objective of
implementing social order, Chaen said the job involving the nightspots in
Pattaya is conceivably a monumental task, especially following his
predecessor who closed down a number of businesses just prior to his
transfer.
The new district chief officer said he conferred with his
predecessor before the transition and received a thorough briefing on the
major problems needing corrective action. Chaen said he intends to adhere to
the MOI’s basic policy of eradicating the social problems that continue to
damage the country’s reputation, and said he is intent on eliminating the
drug epidemic in his jurisdiction.
He said he plans to make personal observations of the
overall situation and conduct inspections in all entertainment areas
operating in his jurisdiction in the near future.
Any nightspot discovered to have underage patrons on the
premises, or which is open after the prescribed hours of operation, or
offers entertainment considered to be degrading or socially unacceptable
will be immediately shut down temporarily, Chaen said. The MOI policy and
instructions issued by the provincial governor will be strictly adhered to,
he said, and violators will appear in court.
Chaen said that he plans to meet with police chiefs from
both the Banglamung station and the Pattaya municipal police station along
with the assistant district chief officer to determine a decisive plan of
action to tackle the drug problem.
Pattaya Islamic
community celebrates end of Ramadan
Join Muslims around the world following
30-days of fasting
Boonlua Chatree
More than 1,000 followers of the Islamic faith
congregated at the Darulyakreen Mosque in Soi Nern Plab Wan on the morning
of December 15 ending the 30-day observance of fasting during Ramadan.
Followers of the Islamic faith around Pattaya joined
Muslims around the world in observing strict procedures and personal
conduct during the 30-day period. Devoted followers fast each day from
sunrise to sunset, even forgoing water or swallowing saliva.
The gathering at the mosque included both men and women
participating in ritual prayers and at the end of the ceremony after
asking “Allah” for his blessings. Everyone joined in the mosque
courtyard exchanging fruits and desserts with other prepared dishes
brought along. The 30-days of fasting conclude with personal hostilities
forgotten and misgivings and reservations occurring during the previous
year forgiven.
The daytime fast covering the 30-day period inspires
individuals to understand inner feelings of desire, building individual
strengths, exonerating greed and resigning to one’s position in life
without wanting personal possessions and coveting the belongings of
others. The ending of the annual fast customarily includes people giving
what they can afford to those less fortunate.
Pattaya’s
Muslim community celebrated the end of Ramadan on December 15.
PBTA organizing
club for local tour guides
Strengthening tourism to Pattaya
Order and guidelines for local tour guides were the
topics of discussion as Surat Mekhawarkul, PBTA president, chaired a
meeting with members of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association on
December 12. Organization of local tour guides by forming a specific
governing group will maintain professionalism in the tour guide business
and protect the city’s reputation.
Discussed at length was the subject of tour guides who
have work permits and those who do not, which include foreign tour guides
and assistant tour guides working in Pattaya. The group decided that the
profession required a more systematic organization in order to continue
improving the tourist trade in Pattaya.
 (from
left) Chaen Cheunsiva, the new Banglamung district chief officer, Surat
Mekhawarkul, PBTA president, and Tirapong Hemwadee, PBTA secretary.
The forming of a club is considered one method to
better control tour guides with the PBTA acting as business advisor
providing instructive guidelines and direction. “Pattaya In-Board and
Guide Club” is the name under consideration for the new organization.
Out of the nearly 100 tour guide groups in Pattaya,
many operate with personnel who do not possess work permits. The club
members intend to allow guides with and without work permits to be members
by including those without work permits to assume secondary affiliation.
Surat pointed out that what was more important than the
work permit issue was the fact that the tour guide profession has an
important role in the local tourist industry. He said in order not to
jeopardize the city’s reputation, it is necessary to establish certain
criteria in a clear manner for workers in the tour guide profession to
follow.
Three areas are to be emphasized starting with
maintaining club objectives, verifying credentials of its members and
improving professional standards in ethics and courteous behavior among
employees. The character of the club is to retain an international theme
on standards, but not necessarily pertaining to international membership
alone.
More information is to be made available on the new
club organization following further consultations after identifying
competent personnel to advise and direct the club’s functioning.
Also discussed during the meeting was the Pattaya Road
Show on its way to the ITB in Berlin in March 16-24 of this coming year.
The funding support was reviewed identifying B3-million from the Chonburi
PAO, B1-million from the Pattaya city administration and B1-million from
the TAT. Participants interested in accompanying the Road Show to Berlin
are encouraged to make their plans made know as soon as possible.
Free Polio
Vaccinations
In the continuing campaign to eradicate polio from
Thailand by the end of the year, local Rotary Clubs and the
Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital are sponsoring free polio vaccinations on
December 21 and 22.
The vaccinations are being organized by the city
administration’s public health office and the polio vaccine will be
available from 9.00 a.m. - 4.30 p.m. at the Pattaya Public Health Center,
community clinics and in all Pattaya schools having kindergarten classes,
and at each Children Day Care Learning Center.
There will be a second vaccination period at the same
locations on January 18 and 19, 2002.
As Thailand continues its campaign to eliminate polio
in the country and prevent any further outbreaks of the crippling disease,
delivering the vaccine to remote border areas where residents are
constantly moving and in contact with people from outside the country has
made the task extremely difficult.
The problem of illegal workers from neighboring
countries steadily coming into Thailand looking for employment forces the
organizers to continue the campaign by providing polio vaccinations to
children five years old and under.
The best prevention method is to administer the polio
vaccine five times beginning with the first three times at the age of 2, 4
and 6 months old. The fourth vaccination should follow one year after the
third vaccination, and the fifth vaccination can be given 3-4 years later.
Siam Alliance plans
to build “living” marine museum
Asks city for use of area near Larn Island
to “propagate” fish
The Siam Alliance Corporation has asked local
authorities for permission to use an open water area off Larn Island to
build holding pens for marine life. Siam Alliance has plans in the works
to build a 320 million baht ocean museum called “Pattaya Underwater
World”, and needs the area to propagate marine life for its museum.
The project’s director, Tanawich Wuti, described it
as a marine life research and replenishing center, which would supply the
planned museum to be located on 15 rai of land just south of Pattaya, near
Tesco Lotus on Sukhumvit Road.
Tanawich recently met with Mayor Pairat
Suttithamrongsawat, city officials, representatives from the Tourist
Authority of Thailand, Port Authority Area 6, District Fishery Office, and
members of the Larn Island sub-committee.
The area being asked for is 400 meters from Tawaen
Beach on the southern side of Larn Island. The marine life would be
contained in floating baskets and would later be transferred to the
Pattaya Underwater World.
“The site has the most suitable conditions
available,” said Tanawich, “as it has clean water and the appropriate
depth to contain the fish with limited affects from monsoon winds and boat
traffic.”
He also said the site is far enough away from Larn
Island to be safe. Sharks are amongst the many varieties of fish to be
temporarily contained in the floating devices, and Tanawich assured the
authorities that measures would be taken to ensure the sharks could not
accidentally be released.
Tanawich said the area is suited to the marine life
already thriving in the area, and that his company intends to obtain
documentation from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment,
and the Port Authority that would alleviate any fears that the natural
environment would suffer any detrimental affects.
Siam Alliance hopes to be able to begin the project in
January of 2002, pending approval from the appropriate authorities.
Mountain Bike Rally
tomorrow
Raising funds for City School #9
The city’s “1st Pattaya Mountain Bike Race” will be
held tomorrow, December 22. The charity event will raise funds to go towards
constructing a new cafeteria at Pattaya City School #9.
The rally will begin at 2.00 p.m. at the Million Year
Stone Park and Crocodile Farm, and will proceed along roads in Banglamung
east of Sukhumvit, and end up back at the starting point. Bicyclists will be
competing for trophies in the name of Pattaya Mayor Pairat
Suttithamrongsawat.
Chonburi traffic and safety volunteers are providing
support for the race, which is divided into four different distances, from
10 - 40 kilometers, and different age groups starting from 10-years old on
up to 50 years of age and over.
Naryphon Chawalit-Nittitham, the chairman from the
Pattaya Bicycle for Health Club, expects the event will attract a large
number of participants, and souvenirs with other conveniences have been
prepared. More detailed information is available by calling 038-222018 or
225249, and 01-8438212 or 01-5765593.
Another crackdown
to begin in January
“Pattaya’s Reputation Salvaging
Committee” set up to attack social ills
Chonburi governor, Chadet Insawang told the December
Government and Private Sector (G&PS) meeting that a crackdown would
begin in mid-January following warnings issued during the first two weeks of
the New Year.
This month’s meeting focused on Pattaya’s reputation
and issues having negative affects on tourism. Leaders from the private
sector were appointed to head separate committees focusing on correcting
specific problems.
 Chadet
Insawang (right), governor of Chonburi, with his deputy governor, Pisit
Boonchuang at the recent G&PS meeting at city hall.
The governor said the problems were all well known to
everyone, with the city’s reputation in the sex industry topping the list,
followed by a number of problems resulting from rapid growth and neglect
during years of prosperity. He said that although there are no immediate
solutions, a special unit will conduct weekly inspections at entertainment
nightspots in Pattaya and other districts with the objective of eliminating
social ills.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Sene Khamtiang, Commander of Chonburi
Provincial Police Bureau told the gathering that between January and
November of this year, 815 prostitutes were arrested operating on Pattaya
Beach walkway alone. He also said that eight houses of prostitution were
raided with the owners arrested, along with seven others charged with
securing women for the sex trade. Other arrests included 97 freelance
prostitutes working out of different legitimate business locations, with
some foreigners included in the number. The police commander said the
figures indicate a staggering problem, but the police bureau is unable to
keep up because each person arrested is released following payment of fines.
Other issues concerning traffic congestion, baht bus
problems and pedestrian crossing areas also surfaced, with the mayor
defending on-going actions to correct many of the problems identified.
Members at the meeting agreed that Pattaya has much
potential in the tourist industry; however, if unable to correct the
fundamental problems affecting the city’s image the available
opportunities would soon fade away.
It was decided to organize specific committees devoted to
correcting specific areas with members from the private sector chairing each
committee. Under the name of “Pattaya’s Reputation Salvaging
Committee”, five committees made up of as many as nine members from the
private sector and related government offices will brainstorm the problem
area assigned. Each committee’s proposal and respective plans for
corrective action will be presented to the main board for consideration
before being carried out.
Panga Vathanakul, managing director of the Royal Cliff
Beach Resort, will chair a group looking at areas pertaining to new building
construction, maintaining cleanliness in the city - in conjunction with
sanitation issues, and organizing the city’s traffic.
Sophin Tappajug, Chonburi Juvenile and Family Court
Associate Judge will chair a committee to help children left to roam the
city streets. The group will also take on other problem areas involving
prostitution in Pattaya, to include gays in the sex trade and those
classified as women of the second category.
Wisit Chawalit-Nittitham, chairman of the Sawang Boriboon
Rescue Foundation and chairman of the Banglamung District Council on Culture
was selected to chair a third committee considering problems associated with
certain foreign nationals residing in Pattaya.
Sanit Boonmachai, chairman of the Pattaya Tourist Boat
Group will chair the fourth committee that will look into organizing the
beach areas in Pattaya, to include vendors operating on the beach.
Surat Mekhawarakul, president of the Pattaya Business and
Tourism Association (PBTA), was selected to chair the committee that will be
devoted to correcting problems associated with tourists being taken
advantage of by local business operators, to include integrating controls to
protect consumers.
Local clubs restart
road safety program
Hope to produce road safety cartoon to air on
local news
Chakrapong Akkaranant
The Pattaya-Jomtien Rotary Club and the Ge’ Laurant
Foundation are renewing efforts to increase road safety awareness in and
around Pattaya.
 Pattaya-Jomtien
Rotary Club president, Alvi Sinthuvanik (right), and Rotarian Kees Peperkamp
(2nd right), Ruud De Vos and Gerald Lanners from the Ge’ Laurant
Foundation are leading the way towards safer roads.
Members from the two clubs hope to produce a road safety
cartoon to get the message across. The educational cartoon would teach
traffic laws and regulations, and would be geared towards younger
generations. The clubs hope to reach current drivers and improve driving
conditions in the near future.
Leading the way are Pattaya-Jomtien Rotary Club
president, Alvi Sinthuvanik, and Rotarian Kees Peperkamp, along with two
members from the Ge’ Laurant Foundation, Ruud De Vos and Gerald Lanners.
The Ge’ Laurant Foundation is helping to fund the
traffic safety project and the educational cartoon, which they plan to
broadcast following both Sophon and Banglamung cable TV news programs.
The idea is still in the planning stage, and both cable
companies are being consulted. Organizers hope to expand the project in
Pattaya and the surrounding area.
Pattaya receives
Environmental Awards
The city of Pattaya and Pattaya City School #9 recently
received awards for exceptional programs in recycling and other
environmental projects implemented in the past year.
The award presentation ceremony was held on Thailand’s
National Environment Day, December 4, at the Sirikit International
Convention Center in Bangkok in recognition of schools and local
administrations for outstanding endeavors in preserving the natural
environment.
 Pattaya’s
deputy city mayor, Wutisak Rermkichakarn accepted the award presented by
Deputy Prime Minister Dej Boon-long.
Pattaya deputy city mayor, Wutisak Rermkichakarn
represented the city and accepted the awards presented by Deputy Prime
Minister Dej Boon-long.
The projects receiving awards included recycling programs
in all 10 Pattaya city schools, such as exchanging eggs for recyclable
items, a recycling project exchanging reusable items for charity, the
community and hotel recycling center, and two projects making natural
disinfectant solutions and fertilizers from biodegradable materials.
The awards also included the city’s continuous pursuit
in areas of sanitation disposal and protecting the natural environment.
Closing out the old garbage dump in Soi Chaiyapruk and avoiding potentially
hazardous situations to nearby residents and relocating to a new site in
Khao Mai Kaew were part of the efforts recognized, along with successfully
completing the construction of two wastewater treatment plants, one in
Jomtien on Soi Watboonkanchanaram, budgeted at 359 million baht, and the
second plant east of Sukhumvit Road in Nong Prue sub-district, budgeted at
1.8 billion baht.
Big Bust on Soi 6
Chakrapong Akkaranant
On December 7, more than 50 police officers raided
nightspots in Soi 6 between 2nd Road and Pattaya Beach Road. The Pattaya
City Health Clinic and the city library are also housed on that street
amongst the multitude of nightspots.
 A
few tourists were caught in embarrassing situations during a police raid of
Soi 6 on December 7.
The raid was led by Pattaya municipal police deputy
superintendent, Pol. Lt. Col. Sakrapee Preawpanich, and was supplemented by
special action police officers from Chonburi under the direction of the unit
leader, Pol. Cpt. Anek Srathongyu.
A number of the bars equipped to accommodate impulse
shoppers were simultaneously inspected by the police officers, with news
reporters in tow, resulting in three business operators arrested and fines
imposed on women employees.
The inspection was so thorough that a few foreign
tourists were caught in the act when police entered some of the rooms,
causing embarrassing situations for all parties involved.
Police arrested three bar managers and charged each with
illegally operating a hotel type business without proper permits and running
a prostitution racket.
Thirty women between the ages of 20 - 25 were also taken
in to the police station, where their background information was recorded.
All 30 were released after paying a 500 baht fine for accepting money in
exchange for sexual services.
Pol. Lt. Col. Sakrapee said each of the three businesses
would be ordered to temporarily close, and the results of the night’s
inspection would be reported to the provincial governor with a
recommendation for permanent closure.
One third of sex
workers in Mekong sub-region countries are children
UNICEF report details problem of child sexual
exploitation and trafficking
UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) reports that
child prostitutes in the Mekong sub-region now constitute one third of all
sex workers plying the trade there, and the younger the children are the
more likely it is that they have entered the trade against their will.
The report, Children on the Edge: Protecting Children
from Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking in East Asia and the Pacific,
says that surveys indicate 30-50 percent of all sex workers in Thailand,
Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Lao PDR and Yunan and Guangxi in southern China
are between 12-17 years of age.
The report was released prior to the start of the 2nd
World Congress Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, 17-20
December in Yokohama, Japan.
Children on the Edge also looks at the progress being
made at both the regional and country level to combat the sexual
exploitation of children through a variety of programs and legal measures,
including efforts to involve local communities in preventing the trafficking
of girls into the sex trade. Although large numbers of children are being
lured, sold, and kidnapped to meet the insatiable demands of the region’s
commercial sex industry, “Their abuse is denied for shame or fear of
retribution, covered up and disguised, so even now the world has no true way
of knowing how widespread is their exploitation,” the report says.
Due to the convert nature of the child sex trade, it is
extremely difficult to determine exactly how many of the region’s children
are involved in it. But the estimates of governments, the United Nations and
various non-government organizations that are presented in the report show
it to be a major and escalating problem.
Gay bar employee
arrested for theft
Boonlua Chatree
Rungradis Charernsaeng, a 23-year-old male originally
from Satun Province, was arrested for theft on December 9 after an American
customer reported him to police on December 7.
 Gary
Moore points to Rungradis Charernsaeng as the person who stole cash, credit
cards and passport from Moore’s room.
Gary Keith Moore, a 48-year-old American, registered a
complaint that 4,000 baht in cash was taken from his room, along with his
American passport, four credit cards and a U.S. identity card.
Charernsaeng confessed to the crime and told police that
the stolen property in question was all handed over to his girlfriend, Net
Seesai, who was trying to unload the items for whatever profit could be
made.
Rungradis was charged accordingly and police are
searching for his girlfriend, and are following up a pawnshop ticket from
the J.B. Used Merchandise Shop in South Pattaya at the 3rd Road junction
that may lead to other stolen items.
Updated every Friday
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
Updated by
Chinnaporn Sangwanlek, assisted by Boonsiri Suansuk.
E-Mail: [email protected]
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