Grandmother used the child for begging during the day

Boonlua Chatree

In the early hours of March 1 Pattaya police were called to a group of beer bars in Soi 7 when they received a report of a man, dressed as a woman, abusing a young child and using the toddler in a begging scam to beg money from tourists.

The 3-year-old girl was given a bath and taken to Banglamung Hospital for a checkup and then sent on to a welfare center.

Officers arrived on the scene to find a 3-year-old, shabbily dressed toddler in tears with her minder dragging her along, begging for money. After observing this abhorrent behavior police moved in and detained Wanchai Parpo, 21, dressed as a woman, taking them both to Soi 9.

Wanchai admitted to police that he had rented the child from the grandmother, who was too old and too poor to care for the toddler, and used her to beg for money from tourists and residents. He said that the average night’s taking was around 700 - 1,000 baht, which he would split with the grandmother after completing their rounds at 5 a.m. Wanchai was charged with child abuse and assault of the three year old.

Wanchai Parpo, 21, was arrested for child abuse and getting caught using a 3-year-old girl in a late night begging scam.

Police the brought in the toddler’s grandmother for questioning, Sa-ing Oontuam, 70, from Ayuthaya. She told police that the child’s mother had passed away two years ago and that she was too old and too poor to care for the child. During the day she would walk around the markets in South Pattaya begging for money with her granddaughter and at night Wanchai would beg from the beer bars.

Police made arrangements for the elderly woman to be taken to the Banglamung Home for the Aged, while the 3-year-old girl was given a bath and taken to Banglamung Hospital for a checkup and then sent on to a welfare center.

Those who had informed them, Piyaporn Bualee and foreign tourists gave police a round of applause. They handed over 1,000 baht for the young toddler to be used to buy clothing, milk and a cuddly toy.

Boonlua Chatree

Small time drug dealer arrested with 25 ‘ya ba’ pills and small amount of cash

The constant war on drugs is a continuing battle and local police recently arrested a Banglamung man in possession of 25 methamphetamine pills and 10,700 baht in cash from sales of the drug.

Police arrested Wiwat Kwankongkon, 22, at a regular checkpoint located in Pattaya Naklua. They attempted to stop the man but upon seeing officers he panicked and fled. Police gave chase and finally caught up with him.

Back at Soi 9 he told police that he had purchased the drugs from a man in South Pattaya and then re-sold them for a healthy profit. Wiwat was charged with possession of class 1 illegal substance with intent to sell.

Two teens arrested for motorcycle theft

Pattaya’s criminals are getting younger and younger. Two boys aged 14 and 15 were arrested for their involvement in motorcycle theft gang. Police also confiscated four stolen bikes.

The youths had stolen bikes from parking lots in South Pattaya as well as locations in and nearby the Sattahip district. A thorough undercover police investigation led to the arrest of the boys, who were charged with theft and possession of stolen goods.

They admitted that they had stolen the bikes to sell, using the money to enjoy a carefree lifestyle, taking another bike when they ran out of cash.

Police suspect the children are part of larger network of thieves and are continuing their investigations.

Drive-by shooting still under investigation

Boonlua Chatree

Two people were the tragic victims of a teenage drive-by shooting while eating at a noodle shop in Jomtien. Police were summoned to the Pattaya Memorial Hospital after a 17-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman were admitted for gunshot wounds shortly after 3.20 a.m. on March 2.

The victims, identified as Anuporn Homkajorn, and Wanwisa Chartraksa, suffered bullet wounds to the face, wrist and leg from .38 mm pistol.

Investigating officers were told the crime occurred as the victims were eating noodles in a Jomtien food shop. Three teens, identified by the victims only as Yo, Kai and Mana, from the district of Huay Yai, approached them threateningly, only to shoot them shortly thereafter.

At the crime scene officers discovered a pool of blood and five spent shell casings. Witnesses told officers that the youths had fled the scene on a motorcycle after firing five shots.

The injured were driven to the hospital in their own vehicle by nearby onlookers. Officers are continuing their investigation to bring the thugs to justice.

Grenville Fordham IMAGE Asia

Just a couple of weeks after industry sources predicted it would come into play, the Thai government has enacted new legislation affecting import taxes on boats.

From 18 February 2004, boats in the following categories imported into Thailand will not have to pay import or excise taxes: (1) inflatables; (2) sailboats (with or without auxiliary motor); (3) motorboats (other than outboard motorboats); (4) other. VAT, currently at 7%, will still apply.

While - pending official translation of the law into English - there are still one or two points that need clarification (for example what exactly is included in the category ‘other’), the new legislation confirms Thailand’s change of stance on the question of leisure boating and its determination to go for growth in this high value tourism sector.

International yacht charter company, Sunsail, is importing several new yachts from Europe by the end of February, to increase the size of its local fleet. “We’ll find out quickly if there are any unexpected problems with the procedure,” said Kevin Quilty, managing director of Sunsail (Thailand) and chairman of the Marine Alliance of Thailand (MAT).

Throughout 2003, MAT worked closely with Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sport, the ministry charged with the development of new sources of high-value tourism revenue, providing input on the needs and opportunities of the marine tourism sector.

“That the zero tax has become reality will give a tremendous boost to the domestic market for yachts, particularly luxury motor yachts,” said Grenville Fordham, managing director of Phuket Boat Show organizers Image Asia Events, adding, “At last year’s show there was evidence of strong interest in boat purchase from Thai nationals, who have largely been out of the market for several years. Now that the tax has gone, we expect to see that interest turn into firm sales.”

The reduction of boat taxes to zero comes only a few years after a previous government hiked total taxation on boats to more than 200%, effectively crippling the nascent yachting industry. A cut in 2001 to 47%, radical in comparative terms, did not give the industry the boost in needed.

While the tax reduction is widely welcomed within Thailand’s marine leisure industry, even by domestic boat builders who have seen themselves lose a competitive edge, there is a belief amongst MAT members that this is only the first step. Cumbersome regulations, restrictive immigration procedures, short length of permitted stay for visiting boats and bizarre ‘taxes’ levied by local authorities still remain.