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City Hall storms Koh Larn
Bulldozes shops on Samae Beach
“They were operating illegally on public land”
Pattaya City administration officials had apparently
waited long enough for owners to dismantle shops and restaurants city hall
says were built on public land on Samae Beach. So, on June 11, led by
Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat and his Deputy Mayor Niran
Wattanasatsathorn, police and 50 construction workers stormed Larn Island
and bulldozed the shops to make way for a public park and other
improvements.
 City
administrators, police and construction workers last week razed makeshift
shops and restaurants on Samae Beach to make way for improvements.
Mayor Pairat explained, “The island receives a
60-million baht budget from the government for tourism development
projects. The public land at Samae Beach is a beautiful area suitable for
tourism development.
“The administration is building a 50-rai park,
resorts, new buildings are under construction, and more roads are being
built to connect beaches on the island. These local people are operating
unauthorized businesses on public land and are creating environmental
problems. According to the 1979 Building Control Act, these shops were
illegally erected and their businesses are illegal. We intend to enforce
the law,” he said.
US Veterans of Foreign Wars meet in Pattaya for their 36th annual convention
Meet old friends, perform community service
Suchada
Tupchai
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States this week
held the Department of Pacific Areas 36th Annual Convention and Grand of
Pacific 33rd Annual Grand Scratch in Pattaya. Veterans from all sections
of the military who fought in the Pacific region in past wars or were
stationed in Okinawa, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Cambodia, Guam and the
Philippines attended the event.
 Bill
Wichmann (right), Commander VFW Department of Pacific Areas presents a
plaque of comradeship to Gen. Chalermphol Charoenying (left),
director-general of the War Veterans Organization of Thailand under Royal
Patronage of His Majesty the King, at the beginning of the VFW Department
of Pacific Areas 36th Annual Convention and Grand of Pacific 33rd Annual
Grand Scratch held this past week in Pattaya.
The five-day convention opened on June 17 at the Royal
Twin Hotel in Pattaya and amongst other things, enabled many ex-servicemen
to meet up with old friends. However, the annual convention is not only a
get together but also an impetus to give humanitarian aid to local
communities. Many of the veterans took part in community service
activities for the underprivileged and orphans, including donating rice
and other needy items.
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW)
Department of Pacific Areas has over 700 members and has had a strong
relationship with Thailand and Thai veterans since the Second World War.
There are currently over 3 million WWII veterans around the globe.
Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat and Gen. Chalermphol
Charoenying, director-general of the War Veterans Organization of Thailand
under Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King, as well as many other
dignitaries attended the opening of the convention. The event winds up
today, Friday June 21.
Rotary Jomtien-Pattaya and GE Laurant Foundation continue Road Safety Project
Instruct children on road safety
Laor Thongpradap
Committee
members of the Road Safety Project (L to R) chairman of the GE Laurant
Foundation Gerard Lemmers, president of the Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya
Alvi Sinthuvanik, GE Laurant Foundation committee member Ruud De Vos,
Suppression Deputy Superintendent Pol. Lt. Col. Sakrapee Priewpanich, and
president of the Road Safety Project Kees Peperkamp held a press
conference at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort on June 10 to explain the
project and its goals.
Teaching young children road safety is part of a
children’s moral and ethics project planned by Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya.
Alvi Sinthuvanik, president of the Rotary Club of
Jomtien Pattaya, said that the project will not only educate youngsters on
road safety, but will act as instruction and motivation for moral and
ethic guidance.
One of the vehicles of education planned by organizers
of the Road Safety Project is a cartoon series to air on Sophon Cable TV
and Banglamung Cable TV. The project also teaches a road safety course to
pupils in 10 Pattaya City schools. Course instructors are officers from
Pattaya police station.
The Road Safety Project was established 10 years ago
but was interrupted for lack of funds. With assistance from the GE Laurant
Foundation, the project was resurrected. The Foundation donated ten
million baht, part of which will be spent for the cartoon series and
employing instructors to teach road safety in schools.
The Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya also plans to
distribute video tapes of the cartoon series to various clubs in Thailand,
with the hope they will attract public attention and earn more support
from interested groups.
Debate arises over impact of Highway 7 on local communities and environment
Some fear flooding, loss of business
Veerachai Somchart
Environmental engineers have expressed concern over the
impact Chonburi Pattaya Motorway will have on local communities and the
environment.
The Chonburi Pattaya Motorway is the Eastern region
route of the 290-kilometer long Highway 7, a Department of Highways
project approved in April 1997 to improve travel between Bangkok and
Thailand’s various regions.
Concerned environmental engineers said that as far as
they know, there has been no environmental impact assessment on the
development of the route, and should a problem present itself, there are
no measures in place to correct it.
They said the current Chonburi-Pattaya route has
already adversely affected the natural flow of water to the Bangpra
Reservoir, and that the current construction is depriving that area of
water. On the other side of the road, the natural speed of water flow,
which is already interrupted by the current road, will be increased and
could cause a severe flooding hazard.
If the project goes ahead, they said, it will also
seriously affect local communities, depriving them of passing business due
to the limited on and off ramps. They gave the example of Bangpakong
District where, after the motorway was completed and operating through the
area, local businesses lost a large amount of passing trade.
Finally, the group said that proposed U-turns are
located too far away from access points and will create problems for
residents in smaller communities.
Captain Winai Srikajorn, consulting company Tesco
Company Ltd.’s project manager for the Chonburi-Pattaya Section,
reassured the group that, “The department of highways will make the
appropriate studies as to the affects on the local economy and engineering
factors, and do an environmental study.”
Winai made the statements at a meeting with
representatives of Sriracha and Banglamung Districts on June 11 at the
Nong Prue Administration Organization building, called by Tesco Co. Ltd.
to address the issues.
He also said that the study “will include a public
relations program and gain feedback from residents through community
representatives, as well as look at any potential problems that may arise
from the project.”
Winai asserted that, “The project has just begun and
after studying the affects of the project and listening to the opinions of
the 3 communities, the information will be passed on to the Department of
Highways for further examination. Then the process of improving the road
will begin.”
He said he expects the motorway will be completed by
2006. “The new improved 6-lane highway will feature limited access and
exit points as well as a proposed fare of 1 baht per kilometer,” he
said.
Area residents and students recruited to clean up Pattaya Beach
A clean beach is a happy beach
These were hardly the type of ‘beachcombers’ one
usually sees. On June 14, an unusual but determined and cooperative group
of people joined together to clean up Pattaya Beach.
Mayor Pairat Suthithamrongsawat, administration
officers, and 1,000 local residents, including business people and
students from Pattaya City schools 3, 7 and 8 spent the afternoon together
cleaning up the beach starting from Soi 4. Everyone rolled up their
sleeves and collected trash and debris, even picking up sharp rocks and
other pointed obstacles presenting hazards to tourists walking along the
seashore.
In response to a rising number of complaints from
tourists that Pattaya’s beach is no longer the lovely venue it once was,
this team of dedicated citizens started working at 1 in the afternoon to
fix that problem. At the end of the day they collected a lot of trash and
even some items which could be redeemed for cash by the students. Rocks
went for 1 baht a kilogram, wood and plastic went for 2 baht per kilogram,
and broken glass was redeemed for 3 baht for a kilogram
Everyone worked hard and had fun. The students enjoyed
the day immensely and were proud of their achievement. They even came away
with a little extra pocket money. But the real reward was the state of the
beach when they had finished: clean and safe.
City releases marine life into Pattaya Bay
Bringing life back to Pattaya waters
More than twenty officers from Banglamung District’s
Fisheries Department and Sea Rescue Division attended a meeting on June 11
to affirm plans to release marine life into Pattaya Bay.
Chaired by Deputy Mayor Niran Wattanasatsathorn, the
meeting focused on the execution of the scheme to release 3,000,000 sea
animals of different species, such as white snapper, shrimp, and crabs.
 (From
left) Chin Maksiri, vice president and treasurer of the Eng Srisomboon
Foundation, and Eng Srisomboon, president, donated 2 water pumps and 4
respirators worth 27,355 baht to Deputy Mayor Niran Wattanasatsathorn for
the Sea Rescue Division. They made the generous donation at the close of
the meeting scheduling the release of 3 million sea animals into Pattaya
Bay.
Pattaya Bay once provided a habitat for a variety of
marine life. However, rapid growth of the city and inadequate wastewater
treatment polluted the waters and destroyed most of the marine life in the
area. Now that Pattaya City has a wastewater treatment system, online this
new project aims to rejuvenate the dwindling numbers of sea creatures in
the Bay.
A number of water quality tests have been conducted to
make certain the new creatures to be released have a good chance of
survival. The release of the new marine life was scheduled for Thursday
June 20 at Pattaya Beach, Soi 4-5, with Chonburi Governor Chadej Insawang
and Minister of Science, Technology and Environment Sonthaya Khunpluem
chairing the opening ceremony before the sea creatures were released into
their new home.
Environmentalist group to protest power plant in Maptaput
Say the area already has enough pollution
Yuthana Phuchong, leader of the Maptaput Environmental
Resource Preservation Group, said his group plans to protest the new coal
fired power plant being built in Maptaput.
The new electricity power plant is scheduled to begin
operations next year. BLCP Power Co. Ltd. has been awarded the contract to
build the plant.
Yuthana said his group believes if the new coal fired
power plant is built and opened, there will be bad effects to their
surroundings. “The area is already polluted enough,” he said. “After
years of development in Maptaput, the city has already been the victim of
tremendous pollution spewed into the air by factories, refineries,
chemical plants, and petroleum plants operating in the area.”
Yuthana complained the authorities have had almost 5
years to do something about the degradation of the environment from these
industries, but to date, they have not solved the problem.
Members of the Maptaput Environmental Resource
Preservation Group believe the proposed power plant can cause acid rain,
which threatens the quality of life for families living in the area and
could damage crops, animals and upset the ecological balance of the
environment.
Yuthana went on to say that the power plant will have
to use seawater as its coolant, and afterwards, that water is returned to
the sea. But the residents have no assurance that the water returned to
the ocean will be clean.
Members of the group also said they don’t believe the
statement given by authorities that the plant has the most advanced and
hi-tech control over pollution leakage. They said their skepticism is
based on past experience. As one member put it, “Many of the other
factories and plants in the area pour out pollution with impunity. Why
should we believe this one will be different?”
Thailand’s Prime Minister and his Cabinet will be in
the area for a 3-day mobile meeting between June 21 and 23. The
environmentalist group plans submit a formal letter of protest to the Thai
Premier, register an official objection to the government’s plan and
will suggest the government change the location of the building site to a
less high-impact zone. They also plan to set up a podium for people to
discuss the issue and present their opinions on the matter.
The environmentalist group has a history of opposition
to the construction of industries in the area. They protested when the
Maptaput seaport was built and the dumping that went on when it was
widened since it affected a large area of the coastline and surrounding
waters. The group fears that soon the area will become very toxic and no
one will want to live there anymore.
Soi Buakhao fire victims receive assistance
Local government, Red Cross donate vital necessities and money
This past week, the victims of the June 5 fire in Soi
Buakhao received assistance from the local government and the Red Cross.
The fire left ten families homeless.
Shortly after the fire, Banglamung District Officer
Chan Cheunsiva, Pattaya Deputy Mayor Wutisak Remkijikarn, and Banglamung
Red Cross officers organized an appeal for donations.
 Banglamung
District Officer Chan Cheunsiva, representing local government and the
Banglamung Red Cross, presents donations to fire victims of the June 5
fire in Soi Buakhao.
One June 11 the fire victims were presented with vital
necessities including clothes, dried food, and medicine. Each family also
received 3,000 baht to help with expenses until public welfare
organizations can extend more help.
The ten families who lost their homes include Sub
San-air, 65 (6 houses), Wisate Boonsaeng, 42, Niran Sangob, 46, Lek Jaidee,
73, and Samran Jaidee. The total estimated cost of the loss was 1 million
baht.
The Pattaya Administration announced it will provide
further assistance to the families.
Elephant dreams come true
by Lt. Cmdr. Pamela Warnken, U.S. Navy Public Affairs
When Capt. Kimberly Lawler, an Army veterinarian
attached to the Marine Corps’ Landing Force Cooperation Afloat Readiness
and Training, III Marine Expeditionary Force, finished vet school at the
University of Tennessee, the last thing she thought she’d be doing was
treating elephants in Thailand.
Taking part as virtually the only Army representative
in Cooperation Afloat Training and Readiness, or CARAT, a joint exercise
involving six Asian nations, Lawler and her team of active duty and
reservists got to do just that. Their task was to improve the health of
the large animals at the Pattaya Elephant Village - a sanctuary for beasts
of burden. The nearly 40 elephants and 30 oxen who reside at Pattaya
Elephant Village were historically used for timber hauling and field work
in the Thai countryside. By working where heavy equipment cannot go, they
got ample exercise and plenty of natural upcountry food to eat.
 U.
S. Army Capt. Kim Lawler provides care to an elephant near Pattaya as part
of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training. Photo by Lt. Cmdr. Pam
Warnken
But logging is on the wane. Reforestation is now the
goal, leaving many four-ton elephants jobless. It costs about $100 a day
to feed and care for each elephant, says sanctuary director, Phairat
Chaiyakham.
Lawler and her team to the rescue. As part of a civic
action, the U.S. forces were asked to help Phairat. They de-wormed the
massive animals, gave vaccinations, lanced several infected sores,
administered antibiotics and treated a pregnant elephant. For most of the
animals, this was the first vet care they’d ever had.
“We can only use ancient Thai herbal remedies,”
Phairat said. There’s barely enough money to feed the elephants and the
mahouts - their handlers who live at the sanctuary with their families.
“If we have to call a veterinarian, it’s very expensive. That’s why
I so happy for CARAT.”
Lawler’s team - none of whom had ever cared for an
elephant - arrived with a large foot locker full of medicines and
equipment. Soon about 10 elephants were milling around the U.S. team -
herded by the mahouts.
While they don’t particularly enjoy needles and
scalpels just like their human friends, they were docile and polite with
the skilled mahouts talking gently to them and occasionally giving louder
commands.
Two-year old Boonserm stood still while Lawler injected
an abscessed sore on his rump with medicine. Later, Boonserm posed for the
cameras, lifting his trunk high in the air in greeting.
Lawler, athletic and effervescing with enthusiasm,
worked quickly moving from animal to animal. She said opportunities like
this make her job the “best in the military”.
“As a civilian vet at home, I’d be either a small
or large animal veterinarian,” she said. “I mean, how many elephants
would come to your door?
“Here, we get to experience these diverse animal
species and a rich culture. We observe the elephant handlers’ methods,
but they also learn valuable techniques from us. We train them in new
medicines and new practices,” she said.
Part of CARAT’s goal is to foster nation-to-nation
contact on a human level whether it’s working hand-in-hand with the Thai
Marine Corps or Navy, or sharing the American hospitality and expertise
with the Thai people.
“This exercise reinforces our commitment to the host
nations. It underscores the fact that we’re their staunchest ally in
working for security and stability in the region,” says Capt. Robert
Riche, commander, Destroyer Squadron 23, based on the USS Vincennes. Riche
is in charge of the U.S. forces here for CARAT.
Out at the elephant sanctuary, Lawler and her team
finished the workday with a ride on one of the world’s largest animals.
“Be all you can be!” she yelled from her bareback perch on the
elephant’s neck - just another day at CARAT in Southeast Asia.
Dutchman charged with fraudulent business practice
Apparently not for the first time
Dutchman Johannes Smeets, 32, was arrested by tourist
police after they received complaints from Vilailak Suwanachot from Rayong,
Vichai Luangmuang from Chonburi and Somlak Jaitrong from Banglamung who
all claimed they were cheated by Smeets. All three told police they had
invested money into Smeets’ company and had even put up their houses as
collateral.
 Dutchman
Johannes Smeets, 32, was arrested and charged with fraudulent business
practice.
Ms. Vilailak said that Smeets employed her to work for
P.P. and S.P. Service as an executive secretary and had offered her a
salary of about 20,000 baht. But, she said, she never received any payment
for her work.
Vilailak told police Smeets set up P.P. and S.P.
Service to find women for foreigners. She alleged others had also applied
to work for the company and had allegedly paid 3,000 baht application
fees, and that Thai investors had been reeled in to invest about 1 million
baht in the fledgling introduction business.
When she began to believe Smeets was cheating people,
Vilailak said she began to do some investigating and found out that
although Smeets claimed to have a bank account with nearly 200 million
baht in it, in fact he was broke. She told police she believes Smeets
hired a gunman to shoot her when she began to find out too much.
Vichai, a construction contractor, told police that
Smeets had contracted his company to construct a road and drainage system
in Soi Nongprue near the Pattaya Crocodile Farm with a budget of 2,000,000
baht. He alleged that Smeets told him the money would be transferred to
the contractor’s bank account, but Vichai alleged he never received the
transfer.
Smeets’ third alleged victim, Somlak, who owns a
commercial building, told police that Smeets contracted her to find a
building to open an office. She alleges she agreed to provide her 3
stories - 2 blocks building for a sum of 3 million baht, but never
received any of the money.
Ms. Somlak also said that she lent Smeets’ Thai wife
about 200,000 baht for Smeets’ plane ticket to Thailand and set up costs
for the business. She alleges Smeets’ wife told her that Smeets
relatives would transfer about 193 million baht to Thailand for the
business and that she would be repaid from that amount.
Smeets denied the charges, telling tourist police that
he didn’t really cheat these people, but he admitted he didn’t
actually have the money to pay them either.
Upon further investigation, police found out that
it’s possible this is not the first incident of its kind Smeets has been
linked to. Police received information from the Dutch Embassy indicating
that Smeets had been arrested for fraud before, and had served 3 months in
jail.
Police have filed charges against Johannes Smeets for
working without a work permit and operating a business without a license.
The Banglamung Immigration Department is also now investigating him for
possible visa related legal action.
Regarding his alleged fraud of charging and keeping
3,000 baht deposits from potential employees, the case has been passed on
to the investigation department to scrutinize further. As yet, no action
has been taken for Smeets’ alleged duping Thai girls into providing
service for foreigners.
Elderly Australian tourist succumbs to heart failure
Police surmise “over exertion in bedroom” as the cause
Boonlua Chatree
Adis Werner (sic), a 69-year-old tourist from
Australia was found dead on the bed in his apartment at 1:30 a.m. on June
14. Clues at the scene and witness statements led police to surmise that
he died of heart failure after finishing “bedroom athletics”.
Investigators called to the scene searched the room and
found a large amount of medication and one Viagra pill. They found no
evidence of foul play.
They did, however, question a 25-year-old woman who
reported the man’s death to the apartment block’s employees. She told
police that the two had just finished extra curricular bedroom activities
when the man slumped back on to the bed and died. Shocked, she immediately
dressed and ran downstairs to inform hotel reception.
The man’s body was transferred to the Police forensic
institute to confirm the cause of death.
American tourist falls from apartment building
Body discovered by neighbor
Seventy-four year old American John Salet (sic)
fell to his death from the 4th floor of the Thidawan
Apartment in Nong Prue, Banglamung District on June 12th.
Investigation officer Tawatchai Sudsakorn told Pattaya
Mail that he believes the tragedy was an accident.
Supatra Protien, 23, a neighbor from room 203, told
police she had just recently seen the American in room 402, on the 4th
floor. She told police that on the day of the accident, “I was in the
shower and I heard a sound like something hit the ground very hard. When I
went to look, I saw him already on the ground.”
The police searched the victim’s room and found
nothing to imply the death was anything more than a tragic accident.
Apparently the victim slipped and fell. However, the body has been removed
to the Sawang Boriboon Foundation for autopsy.
News Briefs
Foreign resident
mysteriously dies at his home in Pattaya
Briton John Lewis, 53, was found dead at
the front of his house on Soi Khaotalo at about 10:30 p.m. June 13.
Lewis’s wife, Lamduan Labpadsuntr discovered the body.
Investigating police and Sawang Boriboon personnel
found a number of beer bottles and a packet of cigarettes at the scene,
but no evidence of foul play.
Lewis’s wife, Lamduan described her husband as a good
man. She said he would often have a few drinks, after which he would then
play with their dogs.
On this day in particular, she said her husband was
relaxing in the front of their house and had mentioned that he was tired.
She noticed that he was unusually quiet and went out to check on him.
Finding him abnormally still, she realized that he passed away and called
out to her neighbors for help.
Police suspect that the man had suffered a heart attack
and have sent the body to the police forensic institute to determine the
cause of death.
Soldier arrested after
turning drug dealer
Witaya Thama, 32, and Pada Pin-ngam, 31, were arrested
in South Pattaya for possession of 400 ya ba pills.
Withaya, who recently retired from military service in
Prachenburi, told police that he had quit the service to become a security
guard at a hotel in South Pattaya, but because he did not have enough
income to survive, he turned to selling drugs.
He said that he had obtained his goods from a big agent
in Nakorn Nayok. Both dealers were charged with possessing and selling a
class one illegal substance.
Yaba youth arrested for
armed robbery
Nonglak Onthonglang, a cashier at Siam Bayshore in
South Pattaya reported to police that a man had taken 2,400 baht and a
watch from her at a knifepoint while she was in her home in Bamboo
Apartment in Soi VC South Pattaya.
The culprit, Wayu Woralak, age 21, from Chachoengsao,
was soon arrested at PJ Inn Apartment in Central Pattaya. He still had
with him the stolen items, plus 2 methamphetamine pills.
Wayu admitted using the knife to threaten Nonglak to
hand over her possessions, and said he had used some of the money to buy
drugs and go out.
Gambling den raided
Pattaya police raided a gambling den in Soi Ko Pai and
arrested Chatchai Sukchaem, the house owner, plus Prayad Pinitnoi, Jintana
Yaemmechao, and Kwanjai Yaemmechao. All charged with gambling.
Police confiscated a set of cards and the princely sum
of 20 baht in cash.
Snooker club owners stab
customer
Watana Santiwong, 31, was taken to hospital for
treatment after he was beaten and stabbed by father and daughter owners of
a snooker club in Soi Buakhao.
Eyewitnesses said that before the fight, Watana entered
the snooker club with other 4 friends and after many hours of play, they
got into a quarrel with the owner Mr. Ueb, and his daughter Busaba Suwana
for not replacing the billiard balls for them on the table. Watana then
allegedly scraped the snooker table with his stick before walking out.
The witnesses told police that Ueb followed closely
behind and hit him on the head with a gun while his daughter stabbed him
three times in the back, after which both father and daughter fled the
scene.
Police are now searching for the family duo.
Motorcycle theft gang
arrested
Adirek Sridee, Pichet Pusuk, Athorn Nanthasoon, Songyot
Phooam, and Jarin Mala, members of a motorcycle theft gang, were arrested
in Soi Hommek, Naklua last week.
Police confiscated 6 stolen motorbikes from the scene.
During interrogation, Adirek, the professed gang
leader, told police that the group had been in the stealing business for
quite some time. He said they would split up and go around town stealing
motorbikes.
He said they sold the motorbikes for 300-4000 baht each
and then divide the money between them.
Gay bar boys in Soi
Pattayaland tested for amphetamines
Acting on a tip, Pol. Col. Padungsak Ubekkanon, chief
commander of Pattaya police station led a team of officers down to Soi
Pattayaland 1-2-3 to inspect gay bar boys suspected of using
methamphetamines, a class one illegal drug.
The force marched into 9 bars along the three streets
and randomly tested the service boys and waiters for drugs use. Those who
tested were positive taken into custody and charges were filed against
them.
When police arrested and questioned Manop Anurakbunwong,
manager of the bar called Thai Boys they learned that Prasit Sapapchok
aged 33, from Nakorn Rachasima was actually the owner of bar. Police filed
charges against him for hiring employees under the age of 18 and running a
business that sells sex to tourists. Four Thai Boys employees also tested
positive for illegal drugs and were taken to the police station.
The officers had a busy night. The surprise raid
covered 8 other bars, including A Go Go Dream Bar, Jenderlin Man Club A Go
Go, City Boys Club, Boyz Boyz Boyz, Top A Go Go, Toy Boys Night Club,
Funny Boys, and A-Bomb Boys Club. Those using illegal drugs were all
hauled off to jail.
Hong Kong university students visit Pattaya to study city management and Thai culture
Suchada Tupchai
Ten students from the City University of Hong Kong paid
a visit to Pattaya last week on a study tour of city management and
culture on the Eastern Seaboard. Witthaya Sridaranuchit, English teacher
at the Redemptorist Vocational College invited the students to visit
Pattaya as part of their Social and East Asian Studies. Witthaya said that
to his knowledge this is the first time such a trip has been arranged.
Students
from the City University of Hong Kong visited Pattaya last week to learn
about our culture, and made a stop at city hall where they presented a
souvenir to Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat (center).
The students stayed at the Redemptorist Vocational
College, which provided them with an opportunity to observe the
intricacies involved in administrating and developing education at the
well-known school for the handicapped. They also visited other educational
institutions on the Eastern Seaboard.
During a visit to City Hall they were welcomed by
Apichart Puechpan, temporary deputy mayor in charge of visiting university
students, who explained current methods of city management and the various
cultural nuances of the eastern region.
The students were particularly interested in the areas
of environmental management and Pattaya City’s policies regarding the
control of waste disposal, traffic and public safety issues. While
exchanging opinions and ideas on the subject the visiting students
mentioned that the Hong Kong administration in particular has placed a
very high priority on environmental and public health issues.
Following the discussion the students met the mayor,
participated in a photo session and presented gifts of appreciation.
The 10 university students declared they were impressed
with the city’s tourist facilities and overall differences they saw in
comparison with Hong Kong.
Jesters Pledge for Kids is launched
A new facet in this year’s charity drive
The Pledge for Kids program was officially launched
last week at a small reception at the Dusit Resort Pattaya. The program, a
new facet in the continuing drive to raise funds for the Jesters Care for
Kids Charity Drive 2002, allows for corporations or individuals to donate
funds in smaller amounts every month rather than in one lump sum.
David
Smith (front right), Sister Joan (behind him) and Woody Underwood (back
center) handed out certificates and pledge boards to the corporate and
individual sponsors present at the launch.
The money raised through the pledge program will then
be put towards the three organizations being helped in this year’s
charity drive: Pattaya School for the Blind, Eastern Children’s Welfare
Protection Center at Huey Pong in Rayong and Fountain of Life Center in
Pattaya.
Phillip McDonald and David Smith came up with the idea
after last year’s Children’s Fair, and both have pledged their
dedication to ensure that it will run efficiently and transparently.
At the launch, Lewis ‘Woody’ Underwood, president
of the Jesters MC and chairman of the Care for Kids Charity drive, said
that the Jesters have received great support from the community. He also
said that through the charity drive, they have been able to help children
who would otherwise have no fixed financial support, and gave as examples
a number of operations that the drive has funded for children - a much
needed heart operation for one 12 year old girl who is now able to carry
out a normal life, the repair of a cleft palate for another child who,
with speech therapy, can now speak and attend normal schooling, a sight
saving operation for a five year boy last year and academic scholarships
for a number children who, under normal circumstances, would be unable to
attend school.
Though the Pledge for Kids program has just begun, it
has already attracted people ready and able to pledge their support, and
certificates and pledge boards were handed out to the corporate and
individual sponsors present at the launch.
Gold and Silver pledge programs are available - 2,000
baht/month earns a Corporate Gold Pledge and 1,000 baht/month a Silver
Pledge. Personal Pledges run 1,000 and 500 baht for gold and silver
respectively, and for 12 months everyone can follow the pledge for kids
drive on the internet at the official Care for Kids website: www.care
4kids.info/pledge
For pledge kits and information email: pledge@care4
kids.info or contact David Smith on 01 825 0280 or chairman of the Jesters
Care for Kids Charity Drive: lwu5@ loxinfo.co.th
Thai and US Navies kicks up their heels for start of CARAT 2002
Local charity organizations join in celebration
The Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercises
officially began last week, and what better way to promote cooperation
than with a party?
This was scene aboard the USS Vincennes (CG49) when US
Navy and Thai Navy personnel and local charity organizations kicked up
their heels on the deck of the cruiser. The evening’s entertainment
provided in-house catered to all tastes of music as everyone mingled their
way through the evening.
 The
spirit of cooperation - Rear Adm. Jeffrey B. Cassias and Maj. Gen. Narong
Yuthawong jointly perform the honors of cutting the cake.
Members of the YWCA and the Rotary Clubs of Taksin
Pattaya and Jomtien Pattaya turned out to network with military people who
have assisted their many projects on the Eastern Seaboard, thanking them
for their continued support through the many community aid projects
undertaken by the CARAT forces.
“CARAT is not just about military training exercises;
it’s also about community relations and assisting those less fortunate
with the appropriate resources available,” said one US Navy officer.
On the military aspect of CARAT 2002, Capt Robert
Richie told Pattaya Mail this year’s exercises were somewhat
different than previous years. “This year, for the first time, we have
the US Coast Guard working closely with the Thai Coast Guard on a number
of training exercises.”
 Esteemed
Navy writer Lt. Leslie Hull-Ryde enjoys a wild dance at the party.
The Coast Guard will train with and share various
procedures, conduct boarding exercises, anti-terrorism, narcotic
suppression and search and rescue operations.
Following a buffet dinner supplied by the ship’s food
service section, the official speeches came from the Captain of the USS
Vincennes, Commodore Richie, and commander of the Logistic Group, Western
Pacific, Rear Adm. Jeffrey B. Cassias, who welcomed everyone aboard and
thanked the Thai Navy for being gracious hosts during their stay in
Thailand.
Rear Adm. Jeffrey B. Cassias and Supreme Commander of
the Thai Military Maj. Gen. Narong Yuthawong then proceeded to cut a huge
cake ending the evening’s formalities.
The party continued with good food, drink and
entertainment, making for an enjoyable evening.
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