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Pattaya celebrates
26th Anniversary as a city
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
The rapid growth of Pattaya over the years goes without
saying and much would not have been possible if the city was not handed
self-governing precedence. On Monday morning, November 29, city administrators,
councilors and government staff celebrated 26 years to the day Pattaya
transformed from a municipality into a city.
500 members of the city staff
took part in the ceremonies in front of the King Taksin Monument, which is
special to Pattaya. The great king gave the city its present name.
Ceremonies took place outside city hall in front of the King
Taksin Monument, special to Pattaya, since it was the great king who gave the
then fishing village its name.
On November 29, 1978 the federal government gave Pattaya
special status to manage its own affairs. The city manager, as he was known
then, was charged with the day to day running of the newly formed city. In
1997, when the kingdom adopted the newly amended constitution, Pattaya’s city
management was transformed into an elected government, coming into full effect
on November 30, 1999.
City administration and staff regard November 29 as the
birth of the city and an important day for Pattaya. Each year the incumbent
officials perform ceremonies to remember the event.
Last Monday at 11 a.m., 9 monks led religious ceremonies to
sanctify the occasion and create solidarity among the 1,500 plus local
government employees.
Blue-Yellow flag display
pays tribute to Their Majesties the King and Queen
Fight for Health campaign highlighted
Suchada
Tupchai
In a moving ceremony on November 20, Deputy Mayor
Wuttisak Rermkijikarn presided over the opening of the “Blue-Yellow”
unities event to show respect for His Majesty the King’s birthday on
December 5 and Her Majesty the Queen’s ongoing 72nd birthday celebrations.
Mayor
Niran Wattanasartsathorn led the jogging portion of the Blue-Yellow health
exercises in honor of Their Majesties the King and Queen.
Over 500 people of all ages and walks of life from Pattaya
and Banglamung were present. The display of unity was held at Pattaya School No.
2, Chonglom Temple field in Pattaya City.
After the official opening, dance instructors went on stage
and led the public warm-up before starting the main aerobic exercise to music
event.
In accordance with the government’s health policy, a
jogging event was held to promote good health, and health flags were presented
to participants. In the afternoon, the “Blue-Yellow” unities exercise was
started, which coincided with similar ceremonies held all over the nation.
Bancha Nongnut, chief of public health in Banglamung District
said, “The Fight for Health campaign was initiated in February 2002. The 1st
and 2nd National Health Days were held on November 22-24, 2002 and November 23,
2003.
“In 2002, 46,824 people participated in a mass aerobic
event held at the Sanam Luang public field in Bangkok. This beat the world
record and was noted in the Guinness Book of World Records. Afterwards, health
clubs sprung up all over the nation. At the end of August 2004 there were around
58,770 clubs united in the Fight for Health within Thailand,” Bancha said,
adding that the main purpose of this activity is to pay respect to Their
Majesties the King and Queen and acknowledge their wishes for a healthier Thai
society.
Deputy Mayor Wuttisak Rermkijikarn said he was happy to see such a good
turnout. “This community unity shows an improved attitude towards exercise and
the importance of how a healthy lifestyle can reduce disease and future medical
treatment.”
Soi 9 station to improve appearance and services
Ariyawat
Nuamsawat
Pol. Col. Somnuk Changate, Pattaya police superintendent,
told officers at the annual police meeting that he intends to clean up and
organize the Soi 9 police station.
“We need to improve the image of the station,” he
said. “This includes cleanliness and creating a better parking
arrangement. We are a very busy station and the public traffic makes things
dirty and disorderly. Since officers are already too busy with their
responsibilities, I plan to hire a cleaning company to make the station more
presentable,” Pol. Col. Somnuk said at the November 19 meeting held at the
Grand Sole Hotel.
 Police
Colonel Somnuk Changate (right) presides over the annual police meeting and
says farewell to Police Lieutenant Colonel Sakrapee Preawpanich (left),
deputy superintendent.
Pol. Col. Somnuk also said he wants to bring the station
up to a more international standard. “The existing station sign will be
replaced with one larger and clearer. This will raise our profile so that
Thais and foreigners will feel safer and can find our location more easily
when they need to contact us,” he said.
The superintendent also has plans to coordinate with
Sattahip police to cover areas that might be considered between
jurisdictions. This would include opening a police sub station, connected to
the Na Jomtien Sub-district police station in Sattahip district, which would
facilitate cooperation in crime prevention and suppression between Sattahip,
Jomtien and Pattaya.
“(This) would be more convenient for the public coming
in for official contact, as there would be 24-hour service, with the two
police stations working together, the same as a central police station.
However, this plan first must be discussed with Sattahip’s police
superintendent. If he agrees, further arrangements will continue as soon as
possible.”
The colonel also gave a farewell speech for Pol. Lt. Col. Sakrapee
Preawpanich, deputy Pattaya police superintendent, who has moved to a new
position as assistant chief superintendent at the Khao Hin Sorn police
station in Chachoengsao Province.
City administrators discuss Bali Hai Pier management
Decha Chalermyart
Since the opening of South Pattaya’s Bali Hai pier,
discussions on how it is to be managed have been placed on city
administrators’ agenda. Last week, city management and councilors took one
step closer to making a decision, but none was forthcoming.
Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn chaired the brainstorming
session at city hall where he and his deputies listened to ideas from the
floor on how to manage the area, including the building and the grounds.
The general opinion is that the city should manage the
gardens and public areas. The main reason being given is that currently a
large number of residents use the area for exercise, and if a management
company were to control these areas and the car parks, they might impose a
fee, which city administrators fear would chase people away. However, if the
city administration did not carefully control the area, long term problems
would occur, such as vendors selling illicit items or taxi queues, etc. Such
issues, once in place, would be difficult to rectify.
It was suggested that a management company should take
over the Bali Hai Pier office area (the building). The company, selected
through bids, should provide ready made food and drinks, souvenirs and ferry
tickets at two points. The office area is set to be completed in December,
and officials are scheduled to move out to make way for the management
company.
A transport system along the pier, from shore to vessels
and back, was also discussed. A flat rate fee of 5 baht per person was
proposed, but some thought that a downside to that idea would be the affect
it would have on vendors taking items to Larn Island, as they currently
carry people and cargo to the waiting vessels.
All suggestions were recorded in the meeting minutes to
be considered at the next meeting. A final decision will rendered once a
clear outline has been created.
Organic waste recycling hits the fan
Decha Chalermyart
Pattaya’s current waste site has a lifespan of 20 years
at best. East Waste Co., Ltd., which currently manages the city’s waste
collection, has put forth an organic waste recycling idea to increase the
waste site’s lifespan.
Company representatives proposed that a site on Sukhumvit
Soi 3 could be used to separate and compact organic waste to create
fertilizer. They claim this would reduce the amount of waste taken to the
current Khao Mai Kaew facility by 30 percent. The company reps also said
they would bear the cost of separating the refuse, and only requested a site
to do so.
City administrators, however, turned down the proposal,
saying that despite the company’s reassurances that they would use the
latest odor control techniques, a site such as this should not be located
within the city.
“I’m all in favor of recycling organic waste and
turning it into fertilizer as a method of reducing rubbish,” Mayor Niran
Wattanasartsathorn said, “but we must select an appropriate site for the
project to ensure that it will not cause problems.
“Ideally, it should be outside of Pattaya to prevent
any problems. Once we study the case we can proceed with the next step,”
said Mayor Niran.
The process of turning organic waste into fertilizer,
according to the company, takes approximately 40 days.
Community leaders receive
city development policies
Ariyawat
Nuamsawat
Leaders and committee members from 27 local communities met
at Pattaya City Hall where the mayor and administrators handed down policies on
development and stability.
Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn revealed that the initial
development policy was to plug each community into the IT (information
technology) system and connect them to the Internet. The reasoning would be to
heighten their awareness, create a learning atmosphere and bring the areas up
to date with the latest in technological advances.
Niran also stated that the city intends to create a sporting
facility for each community where they would be able to conduct sporting
activities to benefit residents.
“Any vacant lots should be turned into sports fields,
whether it belongs to the city or can be rented or bought from the respective
land owners. We will try and ensure that every community has a permanent public
facility. The city has already proceeded at Nongateyai, Wat Chonglom, and the
Old Soi Post Office communities,” said the mayor.
Also addressed was the issue of drug suppression and
prevention in the communities, for which Pattaya has received a budget for the
communities of Wat Chonglom, Surao-Tonkrabok, Central Pattaya, Soi 5 Thanwar,
Khao Talo, Wat Thamasamakee and Kor Pai. The city has already conducted
training seminars and monitored the results. A significant reduction in the
amount narcotics in these areas has been recorded.
As a result, Pattaya’s administration will take 2
representatives from each community to Rayong and Chantaburi to study the
results of similar programs and results.
The meeting addressed the issue of local beliefs and
officials asked community leaders to reveal any strange beliefs in their
respective area, citing the recent incident in which a young girl was killed
when her grandmother cut her throat, believing that the child’s spirit would
be set free as an offering to the local deities.
Officials urged community leaders to remain vigilant on such
issues to avoid further tragic events.
Pattaya Tourist police step up crime suppression
Boonlua Chatree
The Pattaya Tourist police have stepped up their
surveillance and patrols in Pattaya City to ensure the safety of tourists
and will continue to crack down on teenage crime.
Police are
stepping up their efforts to get young thugs off the streets.
On November 23, Pol. Lt Col. Wuttichat Luansukhan,
Pattaya tourist police inspector, Division 3 and his team of officers went
on patrol to sweep the area for people trying to rob tourists. The harsh
crackdown follows the policy initiated by Pol. Maj. Gen. Wut Limpatapallop,
assistant at the General Investigation Department, which directs the tourist
police to heavily patrol for any crimes being committed in their
jurisdiction. Pol. Lt. Col. Panya Mamen, tourist police superintendent is
responsible for Division 2. The aim is to reduce the number of criminals who
prey on tourists and get young hoodlums off the streets.
The policy is starting to pay off. On November 16, at 4
a.m., Ekachai Kamolsuk and Panat Hengsuwan were riding a motorcycle at the
entrance to Soi Yen Sabai. Two thieves followed them with their motorcycle.
When they pulled up beside them, they shoved the bike and tipped it over,
then took the bike away from the injured men. Both victims reported the
crime and an arrest warrant was issued for offender Weerayut Thipphannua,
17, who was charged with vehicle theft and remanded to custody.
Another crime occurred on November 17 involved Mana Sukcharoen who was
walking in front of TNR Cyber Zone in Soi Sunee, South Pattaya when suddenly
a man pulled up in a blue Honda Civic and forced him into the car, and took
150 baht from him. While filing the complaint with police, the unlucky Mana
said this had already happened to him twice before. Officers quickly
identified the offender as 19 year old Pakpoom Thipphannuanai who was
arrested and charged with robbery and impounded his car since it was used in
committing a crime.
Police seize contraband fuel
Thailand’s marine
police have seized two ships carrying 6,500 liters of contraband fuel. They also
arrested four men, including two Indonesian nationals, near the Sriracha coast
in Chonburi province.
All four men have been charged with oil smuggling, and are
now in custody at the Si Chang police station, the regional marine police chief,
Pol Col Aphichart Sirisit, said.
The police carried out the raid on both ships late Wednesday
night, while the Indonesian ship was transferring the contraband diesel oil to
the Thai ship.
A fuel pump and a hose used to transfer the oil were also
seized, the police chief said.
The suspected smugglers confessed that the Indonesians had
sold them the oil for Bt4.0 a liter. (TNA)
Friendly invitation for dinner covers for car theft
Pickup held for ransom
Boonlua Chatree
At round midnight on November 25, Pol. Ltd Col. Wuttichat
Luansukan, Pattaya tourist police inspector, received a report from Somjit
Lahkam, 41, and his wife Pramual Kamlah, 37, both Pattaya residents, that
their truck had been stolen. They told officers that earlier they had met
Wasan Triwattananan, 32, who asserted that he was a police lieutenant, and
consequently showed them his notifying member card for the Pattaya
Immigration Police.
Wasan invited the couple and their family for a friendly
meal at the fishing pond on Third Road. Somjit went to the fishing pond with
his pickup truck and parked it in front of a restaurant near the pond. Upon
arriving, at the venue, Wasan made an excuse to leave the gathering. After
waiting an hour for Wasan to return, Somjit got fed up and wanted to go back
home, but his truck had disappeared, so he filed a report with police to
investigate.
The police asked Somjit to call Wasan immediately after
receiving the report, and he soon learned from Wasan that he had found the
vehicle. Wasan told Somjit that someone had the vehicle, and that he must
bring 250,000 baht to get his pickup back. Wasan also said that he would be
an intermediary for the deal.
Somjit immediately notified the police of this, and a
surveillance operation was set up to catch Wasan and any accomplices in the
act. The police advised Somjit to negotiate and say he would give 100,000
baht first, and pay the 150,000 baht at a later date. They agreed upon the
first payment and set up a time to bring the car to a house in the Rung
Ruang community.
Undercover police dressed like motorcycle taxi drivers
and brought Somjit to the house with 100,000 baht in marked cash. Other
police officers were in hiding at the house waiting to arrest the
wrongdoers.
The thieves drove the pickup to the house, and Somjit
proceeded to give the marked money to Wasan. Police then arrested him with
the stolen pickup.
Police recovered a mobile phone and counterfeit money (500 and 1,000 baht
notes). The police also found a number of notifying member cards for the
Pattaya Immigration Police. The police charged Wasan Triwattananan with
theft of property. The case is still under investigation.
Woman battles ex-con for handbag, and wins
Boonlua Chatree
Mesaya Kribthong, 24, was walking along Soi 2 in Pattaya with
her boyfriend when two thieves on a motorcycle rode up and tried to snatch her
handbag. Screaming for help, the furious Mesaya slapped and banged the robber
with her handbag so hard he failed to escape. His accomplice didn’t stick
around, though, and fled her fury.
Police received the report at 3 a.m. on November 25. Arriving
on the scene, officers found that Mesaya and her foreign friend had the culprit,
later identified as Chaowalit Bunsa-Nguan, 25, well in hand.
Mesaya told police that when the two thieves snatched her
handbag, she grabbed it back and slapped one of the robbers telling him, “”I
am also poor, but I always work to survive. You are a man and you don’t have
any shame about stealing a lady’s property!” She told officers they should
let him rot in jail so he doesn’t steal from anyone again.
Police took Chaowalit to the station for questioning where he
admitted to his crime. He told officers that he had been previously charged with
a similar crime and had spent a year in jail fighting the case, which he
eventually won. He said after being released he could not find a job and had
resorted to stealing to get money to buy food. When asked about his accomplice
who had managed to escape, he told police that he knew the man only as ‘Mr.
Bee’.
Chaowalit was charged with theft and will face court
proceedings. ‘Mr. Bee’ is being sought in connection with the case.
Police briefs
Boonlua Chatree
Teen female purse
snatchers target tourist couple
As Chutharat Chanhanghao and her foreign boyfriend were
strolling down Pattaya Beach, a trio of teenage girls riding a motorcycle
bore down on the couple and snatched the Thai woman’s handbag, then sped
off in the direction of South Pattaya.
Police received the report at 9:30 p.m. on November 24,
and patrolmen were dispatched to head off the thieves. Spotting the culprits
as they were riding in front of the Sri Mongkol Tour Bus Station near
Central Pattaya, officers managed to abort the getaway and detain the 3
teenage girls.
Back at the Soi 9 police station, police identified the
girls; all were 15 years of age. They also confiscated the black Honda Wave
motorcycle and later ironically discovered it was the property of their
victim, Chutharat Chanhanghao, 40.
After searching the thieves, police found 1,040 baht, a
make up set, an ID card and one black wallet. The police charged them with
purse snatching, vehicle theft, and alluding arrest. All three pleaded
guilty to the charges and await judicial procedures.
Gidavi Co. Ltd. secretary
found dead in her home
At 5 p.m. on November 24, the-on duty inspector at
Banglamung Police station received notice that a dead body had been found in
the bedroom of house at Chat Kaew Group Village in Banglamung. Investigating
officers accompanied by members of the Sawang Boriboon Foundation rescue
team were ordered to the scene.
On arrival police entered the bungalow and found the
corpse of Pranee ‘Som’ Likitwattananon, 28, lying on her back on the
bed, fully dressed, and her face was covered with a piece of cloth.
Police didn’t find any wounds on the body, only
bruising around the neck as if someone had strangled her. Officers estimated
she had been dead for about 3 days. The room showed no signs of struggle,
but a close check revealed cigarette butts in the sink. Since Pranee
didn’t smoke, officers collected the remains of the cigarettes as
evidence. The body was sent to the police forensic lab for a post mortem.
Region 2 police commander rallies police to ensure safety over Loy Krathong Festival
Boonlua Chatree
You may or may not have noticed it, but you were being
well protected during last week’s Loy Krathong festivities. Police
throughout the region were out in full force, with the primary goal of
keeping the peace and ensuring no ugly incidents would ruin the holiday.
 Pol.
Lt. Gen Jongrak Jutanont, region 2 police commander
Before the holiday weekend started, Pol. Lt. Gen Jongrak
Jutanont, region 2 police commander, addressed Pattaya, Banglamung, Sattahip,
Sriracha and Saensuk police officers, ordering them to impose strict
policing during last Friday’s Loy Krathong Festival.
The region 2 commander gave firm orders to prevent the
sale of fireworks, monitor shops that are licensed to do so, and ensure
public safety and convenience.
Other orders included a crackdown on drunk driving and
other alcohol related issues, and ensure that criminal activity was dealt
with swiftly and efficiently.
Pol. Lt. Gen Jongrak also urged the media to relay the message to the
public that everyone should enjoy the festival, and all other festivals,
safely and not create problems for themselves or other people, and that
parents should watch over their children during the festivities.
EDITORIAL: AIDS -a dangerous predicament
Suchada Tupchai
December 1 is World AIDS Day, sanctioned by the United
Nations AIDS (UNAIDS) project. The focus around the world this year is on
“Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS”. Those who are of age and engaged in sexual
activities can prevent the spread of the disease, which now primarily
affects this group, and is doing so in growing numbers.
The number of people suffering with symptoms of the
disease is estimated at 12 million, according to WHO reports revealed at the
World AIDS conference held in Switzerland from November 15-19.
Nations participating in the conference called for
world-wide cooperation to reduce the price of anti-retroviral drugs, and
called for the release of the latest technology being studied to fight the
disease in order to control its spread. The aim: an HIV-Free new generation;
a tall but urgent order in the fight against AIDS.
However, the pandemic spread of HIV, which initially
mostly affected sex workers and men who changed partners frequently, now
also reaches youths aged 15 to 24. World HIV statistics show that this
high-risk group has 7,000 new members around the world every day. That’s
nearly 5 every minute.
Thailand’s youths are also susceptible to this growing
menace. Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health released figures showing that
the average age of youths engaging in their first sexual activity is now
between 15 and 19, and incidence of AIDS in Thailand’s youth sector is
increasing at an alarming rate.
According to Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, over
1 million people in Thailand have been infected with HIV since figures were
first recorded in 1984. Approximately 570,000 of these people are still
alive, and within this group, 70,000 are 15-19 years old. 60 percent are
women.
This drastic rise is attributed to increased sexual
curiosity among Thailand’s youth, and this because of their lack of sex
education. The Public Health Ministry reports that many Thai youths do not
understand the consequences of having sex before marriage, and the
consequences of not using condoms, especially among “close friends”.
As the world continues to progress at a rapid rate, so
does the spread of AIDS. The dangerous situation is one the world community
must keep a close eye on, and one that everyone must maintain a healthy fear
of. It is everyone’s responsibility to prevent the spread of the disease.
Prevention through education and family support are the major factors needed
for Thai youth. They must be made aware of the figures and the dangers right
in their laps.
As high as the number of those infected goes, the
solution is in our hands. It is human freedom that will choose the path to
salvation - or destruction...
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