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200,000 music fans converge on Pattaya for Music Fest 2002
Minister
to the prime minister’s office and TAT chairman Somsak Thepsutin (seated
center) introduces Loso at a pre-concert press conference.
 An estimated 200,000 people from around the country and
abroad converged on Pattaya to enjoy Thailand’s biggest ever music
festival. There were so many people, in fact, walking was even more
difficult than driving through the jam packed city streets.
Preparations began on Friday afternoon when Beach Road
and side sois were closed off from the Dolphin Roundabout all the way down
to Soi 6. The city began filling from 4 p.m. when a convoy of Harley
Davidsons, Vespa motorbikes and VW Beetles made their way from Bangkok to
Pattaya, arriving near Stage 1 next to Pattaya City Hall.
 Modern
Dog “howled” out the tunes.
Minister to the prime minister’s office and TAT
chairman Somsak Thepsutin officially opened the festival at 7:30 p.m.,
followed by a grand fireworks display around stage one and the Royal Thai
Navy firing off a spectacular fireworks display from a frigate anchored
offshore for the beach side stages. TAT acting governor and deputy
governor for marketing Mrs. Juthamas Siriwan, Chonburi governor Chadej
Insawang and deputy mayor of Pattaya Wattana Jantawaranon also illuminated
the opening ceremonies.
 Loso’s
lead guitarist had the crowd screaming for more.
In a press conference prior to the event, Mrs. Juthamas
predicted, “The event will be the biggest music festival ever held. We
expect it will attract 300,000 music lovers including Thais and
international visitors.”
 For
many, the 17 Japanese artists called ‘Johnny’s Junior’ were the
highlight of the festival.
Organizers also worked hard to ensure the logistics
were handled. Government and volunteer security-related agencies were
present to enhance and ensure tourist safety. Local police, military
forces and authorities patrolled major public places and festival venues.
Entrances at the main stage were divided into male and female gates with
authorities checking all bags and belongings in an effort to avert any
potential problems. A co-ordination center was also set up at city hall,
and public relations, security and first-aid units were set up at each
stage area.
 Daisy
shares a “Kodak moment” with Johnny’s Junior’s Tsubasa.
The star attraction on the opening night was a group of
17 Japanese artists, including soloists and bands, called ‘Johnny’s
Junior’, who extremely popular among teenagers from Japan and Thailand.
The band was specially flown in by the Thai government to participate in
this extraordinary event. Johnny’s Junior put on a magnificent stage
show with thousands of young girls screaming at the top of their lungs in
excitement. The finale of their first set for the music festival opening
night was when the performers flung merchandise and their shirts into the
almost hysterical crowd as hundreds scrambled to grasp of a piece of
memorabilia.
 PMC’s
Daisy Vogt catches Oo Haratai backstage for a quiet interview.
Stage one, the Pop Rock Stage, was THE place to be
opening night with Grammy Artist ‘Oo’ Haratai and bands such as
‘Modern Dog’, Silly Fools and Loso.
‘Oo’ Haratai told Pattaya Mail, “I like to come
to Pattaya and enjoy the beach, and I will stay and watch the bands and
enjoy the music from the Rock ‘n’ Roll stage.”
“It is difficult to find a concert as big as this,
even in Bangkok,” she added.
Oo Haratai is currently signed with Grammy Grand and
has had 3 solo albums and 2 special albums. Her performance at the Pattaya
Music Festival received rave reviews.
 Many
of the recording artists
and fans made the trip from Bangkok to Pattaya via convoy of Vespas,
Harleys and VW Beetles.
When the second day of festivities dawned, Pattaya City
opted not to proceed with the Amazing Thai Wisdom Fair, and not close down
the rest of Beach Road as they felt it would create further chaos in the
city. Pattaya’s Roads were jam-packed with motorists as it was, as were
the stage areas where people clambered to get a look at their favorite
artists.
The ever entertaining ‘Bird and Hart’ were one of
the main attractions down on the ‘Easy Listening and Jazz’ stage.
Pattaya Mail caught up with the pair, who have been working together since
1983, hanging out back stage before their performance. Bird, who comes to
Pattaya once every couple of months said, “It’s great to be part of it
(the music festival). The more things like this happen ... it just brings
more awareness to Pattaya itself... great weather and a great beach city
to be in.”
 Hart
(left) and Bird (right) enjoy coming to Pattaya. Hart said, “We’re
like Penn and Teller; he’s Penn and I’m Teller”.
Hart, who is also a newscaster on a national TV station
and emcee for many events, looks at their relationship from a slightly
different angle. “We’re like Penn and Teller; he’s Penn and I’m
Teller”.
The second stage was by far the loudest with younger
crowds drifting towards hip-hop and Indy music, including the talents of
both Thai and international DJs.
With the support of Pattaya City and leading Thai music
labels, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) organized the Pattaya
Music Festival as part of the ‘Summer Music and Sports’ theme, one of
the monthly themes being designated all through this year.
Prior to and during the 3-day festival the Land
Transport Department and Transport Company operated additional bus
services between Bangkok and Pattaya. Pattaya City had also prepared more
parking space around the city for visitors using their own vehicles, and
it was clear that there were many.
The TAT’s ‘Be My Guest’ campaign was designed to
promote Thailand as a high quality, value-for-money destination. The
Pattaya Music Festival 2002 was free to all and designed to boost domestic
and international tourism by creating a wider range of activities for
visitors.
The 10 million baht music festival generated an
economic boost to many of the hotels and local businesses in Pattaya,
injecting an estimated extra 720 million baht into the local economy. Many
hotels were fully booked throughout the weekend.
Whilst many residents may disagree, the Pattaya Music
Festival 2002 was a raging success with more people than ever seen before
on the city’s streets.
Screeching
in delight, Johnny’s Junior fans packed the front of the stage.
Road carnage in Thailand claims two lives every hour
NTSC sets out to reduce road accidents
Current statistics reveal that an average of two people
in Thailand die every hour because of road accidents. Because of this
alarmingly high number of fatalities, the National Safety Council of
Thailand has set a tough goal to reduce the national road death rate.
18,000 people lose their lives on Thailand’s roads
every year with half of the victims under the age of 45 years, according
to statistics revealed at the fourth National Safety Council meeting held
at the Ambassador City Hotel on March 21.
Statistics over the last ten years have shown an
increase in the number of deaths among teenagers and young adults, with
countless more being crippled through severe injuries.
Phirom Simstear, permanent secretary under the prime
minister’s office said the economic and social effects can be felt
throughout the country as vital human resources are being diminished
through carelessness. He said that the majority of road accidents are
caused by a lack of awareness and through irresponsibility by motorists,
including excessive speed, driving under the influence of intoxicants and
complete disregard for traffic rules.
Previous efforts that have been made to enforce traffic
regulations and educate motorists in an attempt to rectify drivers’
behavior include requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets and requiring
drivers to use safety belts. However, lack of consistent enforcement has
yet to come. Phirom called for greater cooperation from government and
private sectors to assist in achieving the goal of reducing road
fatalities.
Other top officials who attended the meeting were
Vipard Thanarach, chairman of the Office of Accident Prevention, Dr.
Parsuk Kulawanich, dean of Burapha University and Pol. Lt. Gen. Udom
Charoen, deputy director general of the National Police Bureau.
Representatives from government and private sectors
from 25 provinces in the Central and Eastern regions attended the meeting,
the outcome of which was to improve the system of management, increase the
budget and implement quality controls.
TAT sets its budget for Songkran in Pattaya and Naklua
“Splash-Fest” only a few weeks away
Preparations are being made for the annual water
throwing festival, also known as Songkran, which Pattaya and Naklua
celebrate April 18-20.
Panjitr Karwarnon, assistant director of the TAT Region
3 office in Pattaya, announced that this year the TAT has been given a
budget of 500,000 baht to support and promote the “Traditional Pattaya
Songkran Festival and water throwing days”. The budget has been set
aside to arrange activities promoting Thai Culture in Pattaya City, and
for the water throwing in Naklua on April 18, in Pattaya April 19 and the
Rice Festival held in Naklua on April 20.
Wattana Jantawaranont, Pattaya’s deputy mayor has
received cooperation from the government and private sectors in previous
years during the Songkran festivities, as well as assistance from the
Lions Clubs to stop the use of plastic bags filled with powder.
Pattaya’s Northern Community and Chaiyamongkol Temple
have arranged parades during the two days of the famous festival.
The “Pattaya Festival” will no longer be held
during this time. This festival will be moved ahead to the month of either
November or December. Therefore, Duck Square on South Pattaya Road will
hold a mini-festival in which Pattaya City is not involved.
Suan Panomwattanakul, chairman of the Chonburi Culture
Council stated that water throwing festivities during Songkran have become
out of control. Many people are forgetting the true meaning of Songkran.
He said that it was time to reflect on the nature of Songkran and promote
the festival to the world as a festival of fun and culture, not a rowdy
free-for-all. He added that he’d like to see Pattaya evolve into a Thai
cultural center and urged teachers in schools to instruct their students
on the true values of tradition.
This year’s water festival will also be part of the
“Amazing Thai Wisdom Fair” held every Saturday on Beach Road. Suan
called for further cooperation from police involved with this year’s
festivities and wants their presence increased.
Schoolchildren get shoes to prevent worms
The Housewives’ Association of the Ministry of Public
Health has donated shoes to needy children in remote areas of Prachinburi
Province in the hopes of preventing anemia due to worms entering through
the feet.
Speaking after donating the shoes to 450 primary school
students in Srimahabodhi District, Dr Daranee Jiriyakijja, president of
the Housewives’ Association and director of the District 1 Communicable
Diseases Control Center, said that nationwide surveys carried out seven
years ago showed that 35 percent of the population was infected with
worms. The most common form of worms was hookworms, infecting 21.6 percent
of those surveyed. Dr Daranee said that worms were the greatest problem in
the South, due to heavy rains, which caused the most ideal soil conditions
for the worms to live and breed.
“The 9 th
National Economic and Social Development Plan aimed at reducing incidents
of worms to no more than 5 percent of the population,” she said, adding
that agencies concerned were now reviewing their strategies for bringing
this about.
Hookworms are found throughout the world, but
particularly in tropical countries. Young worms pierce their way through
people’s skin between their toes, from where they make their way through
lymph glands and into the bloodstream.
Once in the bloodstream, they wind their way into the
lungs and esophagus, before entering the stomach and attaching themselves
to the wall of the small intestine. As the worms grow older they suck
blood from the intestines, leading to anemia, which in turn can cause
delayed development in children.
Dr Daranee said that the Housewives Association decided
to donate shoes to children in Prachinburi Province as the climate in
Prachinburi was similar to that of the southern region. She called on
parents to ensure that their children did not walk around in bare feet. (TNA)
Theatrical shows feature in the Thai-Polish Cultural exchange
The
Polish troupe performed dances representing the fundamentals of Polish
village life in days gone by.
The Polish ambassador to Thailand, Jerzy Furdowfki and
his wife Jogoda Szczurowska-Furdowfka, were the guests of honor at the
opening of the Thai Polish Cultural exchange program between the two
countries held at Alcazar. Presiding over the show were Dr Undomsak
Sakmunwong, deputy director of the World Culture Council and Dr Pandung
Phalomnoo, director of the Rajabha Institute.
The show, the second of its type, was performed to
improve relations and understanding between the two countries.
The show featured excerpts from the Ramayana, and
traditional Thai dancing. The Polish troupe, well into their 2500 th
performance, including more than 40 shows abroad in the four corners of
the globe, exhibited the fundamentals of life in days gone by in Polish
villages.
Proceeds from tickets sales, totaling 150,000 baht,
were donated to scholarship funds in and around Pattaya and Banglamung
schools.
Poland and Thailand have enjoyed cordial relations for
more than one hundred years, dating back the reign of King Chulalongkorn.
Karaoke machines off limits to under aged youths
The Interior Minister last week announced that the
karaoke boxes popular in department stores were out of bounds to the under
20s age group. New measures are being introduced amid concerns that hidden
cameras in such machines could be secretly taking photos of young couples
who used them for the purposes of having sex.
Pol Capt Purachai Piumsombun said that he appreciated
efforts by the police to monitor the behavior of young people during the
long school vacation. He warned that some places frequented by young
people, such as karaoke boxes, were being used for pornographic purposes
by the operators, who installed closed circuit television cameras to
record young couples who used the boxes to have sex. The pictures were
then sold.
The Interior Minister said that similar dangers could
be encountered in the fitting rooms of clothes shops. According to the law
karaoke boxes were classified as class 4 a service venue, which means that
young people less than 20 years of age are prohibited from using them. He
warned that any operators found violating this law would be faced with
immediate closure. (TNA)
Local officials instruct school lunchroom operators on importance of health and nutrition
Pattaya City trying to ensure children receive the correct foods
School lunchroom operators recently received training
from Pattaya City on the importance of maintaining stricter standards of
cleanliness and better nutrition for Pattaya’s school children.
During the training seminar, presided over by Pattaya
deputy mayor, Wuttisak Remkijikarn, 50 business owners and teachers were
told that the large numbers of privately run and government run schools
currently look after thousands of the city’s children. The children
entrusted to their care are an important part of the country’s future
and it is time to improve the standards of operation in the lunchrooms.
Wuttisak added that daily nutrition is important for
the child’s physical and mental development and lack of proper care in
food preparation is a vital waste of human resources.
Wuttisak also announced that the city plans to train
more business operators and schoolteachers and ensure that proper
standards are adhered to in the school lunchrooms.
TAT fast facts
In 2000, Pattaya received a total of 2.53 million
visitors. Of these, about 2.48 million visitors, or about 98% stayed
overnight.
Visitors to Pattaya stayed an average of 4.33 days and
spent an average of 3,016.42 baht (or about US$75.20) per person per day.
This contributed a total of about 32.72 billion baht (US$815.76 million)
to the Thai economy.
Also in 2000, there were a total of 231 accommodation
establishments with 23,608 rooms in Pattaya. The average occupancy rate
was 60.20%, an increase of 1.63% over the 58.57% occupancy rate of 1999.
Increasing drug problem prompts Chonburi administration into action
Health department conducts drug addiction seminar
Chonburi provincial administrators are becoming
increasingly alarmed over the rising numbers of people falling victim to
drug addiction. This concern motivated the administration to organize a
seminar for a target group of pubescent youths and those already involved
in drug abuse, such as truck drivers, motorcycle taxi drivers, industrial
laborers, farm hands and students, as well as male and female inmates.
Sanchai Wattana, medical officer at the provincial
health department said that substance abuse is on the rise and is causing
a string of internal and external problems throughout the nation.
Last year, of the more than 2,900 people under
treatment at rehab centers about 1,400 were being treated for
methamphetamine addiction -locally known as ‘ya ba,’ the “mad
drug”.
The highest numbers of addicts were among groups of
laborers and students.
Topics discussed at the seminar included the use of
medication therapy, which should only be conducted under the care of a
doctor. Lecturers told attendees of the seminar that it is dangerous to
experiment with any kind of drugs. They went on to graphically describe
the degenerating effects, both mental and physical that drug use will
produce. They also explained how addiction and abuse disintegrates the
cohesion of the family and community.
They stressed the positive influence that parents and
community leaders can exert by setting good examples and living morally
acceptable lives. Adults who are usually responsible members of the
community but over-indulge in alcohol often send a message to young people
that intoxication is acceptable behavior, and the seminar appealed to this
group to show restraint and set a good example for youngsters who look to
them for guidance.
Attendees of the seminar were urged to cooperate in the
fight against drug abuse by reporting traffickers and call the hotline
telephone number, 1688 or 038-274404.
Pattaya facing problems of educational needs both in personnel and facilities
After meeting with Pattaya education administrators,
Watana Chanthawaranont, the deputy mayor of Pattaya said that at present
the city faces serious problems in both personnel and facilities in
education.
According to the legal registration, the city has less
than 100,000 population, but in reality there are more than double the
number as people migrate to and work in the city, and send their children
to schools here. This is resulting in overloading of the 10 Pattaya
schools, as the government only allocates the budget according to the
registered census.
Even though in the past four years more building
projects have been pushed through for Pattaya schools number, 1, 8 and 9
and the expansion of Pattaya school number 5 this year, the new government
regulation to provide a minimum of 9 years education from the previous 6,
has brought back the problem of both personnel and facilities.
There are only 280 teachers in total, instead of an
adequate 400, which has resulted in a ratio of 50 students per teacher
instead of 30. This has prompted the city to hire 80 temporary teachers,
but a more permanent solution is needed.
PBTA voices concern over new government requirements
Environmental impact assessments to become standard
PBTA
president Surat Mekhavarakul (center) and members of the PBTA have
expressed concern that later this year, amended legislation will require
new buildings to submit expensive environmental impact assessments.
The PBTA expressed concern over the government’s
amended legislature, due to come into effect in October this year, which
will require all new buildings with over 10 rooms to submit an
environmental impact assessment. The assessment must be carried out by an
independent company and submitted to the provincial offices for approval.
For businesses with 10 to 79 rooms, the costs involved
are expected to be in the range of 100,000 to 200,000 baht, and for larger
buildings, an environmental impact assessment may cost up to 500,000 baht.
Representatives of the PBTA suggested that the real
benefits lay with the consulting companies performing the assessments.
Currently in Thailand, there are less than 30 companies qualified to
perform environmental impact assessments.
The policy was handed down by the Office of
Environmental Policy and Planning after receiving opinions from
Pattaya’s business community on governing and preserving the environment
in Pattaya City.
The policy announcement came from the Ministry of
Science, Technology and Environment, referring to a ministry statute
signed in 1992, which specifically mentions the issue of environmental
preservation in Pattaya. Pattaya reviews the policy every 5 years, and it
comes under review this year.
However, apparently the wording of the policy is
unclear, as the PBTA representatives also asked why the government
hasn’t made their intentions clear, and why they haven’t announced any
specifications as to what is required, such as whether it has something to
do with waste effluent or other issues relating to business operators
renewing their licenses.
The PBTA plans to take up a petition within the next 2
months and deliver it to the National Environment Committee because the
main company used to assess environmental impact is the main consultant to
the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment.
Thanet Supornrangsee, vice president of the PBTA will
represent the PBTA at an upcoming meeting with the Office of Environmental
Policy and Planning and some 40 hotel operators and businesses affected by
the policy. Ideas and opinions will be exchanged as to the pros and cons
of the plan to introduce EIA’s for the businesses concerned.
Further debate on the matter will follow as to what
measures should be taken before the policy comes into effect on October 1 st
this year.
In related news, Surat Mekhavarakul, PBTA president,
announced the association’s annual general meeting will be held at the
Town in Town Hotel on April 9 th.
Under age students playing at local pool hall during school hours
Comment by Boonlua Chatree
The government’s social order campaign appears to
have failed here in Pattaya. The stricter law enforcement being carried
out by the nightlife officials is not mirrored by the same level of
daytime enforcement. The right hand either does not know what the left
hand is doing or enforcement reflects a philosophy that while the dark of
night encourages misdeeds, police on day duty can relax their vigilance.
Some 20 school children were seen using the facilities
of a local pool hall during school hours and flaunting a law that
stipulates those under18 years of age cannot patronize these
establishments. The pool hall, located in Soi Day Night, South Pattaya,
has directly defied the Ministry of Interior’s legislation by not
posting a sign of ‘No Entrance Under 18 years’.
The business also allows these truants to enter an
‘entertainment’ establishment, flaunting the aim of the ‘social
order’ campaign set down by the Ministry of the Interior which endeavors
to protect the country’s youth from corruptive influences and exposure
to illegal drugs.
Of course playing snooker is not illegal. However, many
of these places often operate without any formal business licenses and
often cultivate an environment that leads to the introduction of illegal
drugs and tolerate immoral behavior on the premises. The MOI has led a
crackdown around the nation meant to either force this type of
establishment to come within the law or be forced to close down.
Pattaya’s local and provincial officials have
positioned themselves on the fence and adopted a lenient policy toward
these places in the past. They still seem to be reluctant to strictly
enforce the law at all times and in all areas. Meanwhile, there is
hypocrisy to the scheme of things here. Some of our city leaders highly
publicize measures which are billed as efforts to clean up Pattaya’s
sleazy image and work for the good of society, but turn a blind eye to the
very places which should be closed down.
The law affecting this subject has now changed to 20
years of age. However, it appears to exclude some of Pattaya’s
establishments since they defy the law and get away with it. If law
enforcement is not consistent and transparent, entertainment businesses
have no reason to take these intermittent crackdowns seriously.
One killed in high-speed Sukhumvit crash
Another injured, shop and bridge damaged
Twenty-seven year old Thonakorn Inthpathom was killed
instantly when the vehicle he was driving clipped the back of a van then
careered off and slammed into a bridge on Sukhumvit Highway near the
Redemptorist Vocational School.
 Another
high-speed accident on Sukhumvit Road claimed the life of the driver.
Banthao Homchuen, the driver of the van, told police
that he was driving home from South Pattaya towards Soi Nuen Plabwan when
he was suddenly rear-ended, causing him to lose control and swerve into a
shop house. Banthao received minor injuries in the accident. The shop
house was damaged, but luckily no one inside was hurt.
Police believe that the deceased may have been driving
at a very high speed and with sudden braking may have lost control causing
the car to spin and hit the van before crashing into the bridge.
Out on bail, foreign resident commits suicide
Charged with attacking two Thai women last week
Boonlua Chatree
Foreign resident Russell Egon (sic), arrested
last week for allegedly attacking two Thai women in his Yam Yim apartment,
was found dead in his home just past midnight on March 25.
Nittra Lardbua, 40, the deceased’s ex-wife, found him
hanging in the bathroom with a cord around his neck. Police believe it was
his second attempt to take his own life.
On March 21, Ms. Nittra visited Russell’s home after
he had been released on bail, but found him lying in the bathroom with a
gaping wound to his abdomen.
At that time, police and ambulance officers rushed the
68-year-old to Memorial Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery for
his wounds.
He later released himself from the hospital.
Ms. Nittra told police she her ex-husband was extremely
stressed over the charges brought against him. She also said that on March
25, she had gone out to buy necessities, and when she returned she found
him deceased.
24 Chinese tourists injured in bus crash
Motorcyclist rides away after causing the crash
Twenty-four Chinese tourists were injured last Monday
when the driver their tour bus swerved to miss a motorcycle that had cut
in front of the bus. The driver lost control landing the vehicle in a
ditch off Sukhumvit Highway near kilometer marker 156.
 More
road carnage on the highways and byways of Thailand - luckily this time no
one was seriously injured when this bus landed in a ditch after the driver
had to swerve to avoid a motorcycle. The bus driver was detained for
reckless driving; the motorcycle driver got away.
Police and Sawang Boriboon personnel rush to the scene
of the accident to find the S.C. Somchai Service tour bus almost on its
side in a ditch off Sukhumvit Road. The windscreen was smashed and the
front of the bus partly caved in.
The injured tourists were taken to Bangkok-Pattaya and
Memorial hospitals, where they received treatment for a variety of minor
injuries.
Tour guide, Miss Rosita Sirarpan said she was taking
the 24 tourists from Bangkok to visit the Nong Nooch Gardens just outside
Pattaya, when a motorcycle cut in front of the bus. The driver swerved
trying to avoid colliding with the motorbike, then lost control of the
vehicle and ended up in the roadside ditch.
Police officers detained the bus driver, identified
only as Mr. Matti, for reckless driving causing injury. The careless
motorcycle rider who caused the accident was nowhere to be found.
Motorbike gang shooting spree injures three passersby
Three innocent bystanders were injured in a motorcycle
gang shootout last week in front of Magic Cafe and Karaoke on Thepprasit
Road.
They were later identified as Chalerm Pradit, Wanpen
Saengpoo, and Thipruthai Wathookjai. All three required hospitalization.
Questioning witnesses in the area, police learned that
a gang of 20 motorbike riders take to the street every night, speeding
along the road and very often going on a shooting spree.
Police are looking for two members of the gang
identified as Tao and Chok, aged around 16 to 20 years old, believed to be
residing in the old market of Naklua.
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