Walking Street vendors urged to consider city image

Suggest the district chief move the dump to his house, not theirs

Boonlua Chatree

Residents from Villages No 3 and 4 at Sattahip presented a petition to Sattahip District Office protesting at the pollution caused by the Kao Petch garbage plant, located near Village No 3.

Protesters, carrying signs saying things likes, “Build the garbage dump at the chief’s house (not ours),” and “We need fresh air,” picketed the Sattahip District Office.

Around 100 villagers submitted a letter to Theerachai Limprasitsak, senior deputy district chief, saying that the area smells bad and is infested with flies, and that children and adults are suffering from illness and allergies. The letter contained three proposals for dealing with the problem: to stop burning garbage at the plant, to move the garbage pond away from the community, or to move the Kao Petch plant to an entirely different site in another area.

Sattahip District spokesman Peng Buahorm said that a 50 million baht budget had been agreed on at a meeting on March 8 to build a garbage incinerator at Kao Petch garbage pond for the burning of rubbish from Bangpra, in Sriracha District. The proposal had been voted for at eight to six in favour of the project, and that the Chonburi governor had accepted it.

Unique attempt to reduce traffic fatalities during Songkran

Suchada Tupchai

To ease traffic flow and provide better road safety, Banglamung and Pattaya police set up numerous service points offering drivers the opportunity to have their vehicles checked and receive a foot massage to reduce fatigue.

Volunteer Banglamung Vocational College students provide foot massages to tired drivers.

The new idea was aimed at reducing the road accident toll, which is traditionally high over the Songkran period.

The service points doubled as checkpoints for breath testing. Police carried out random checks and those found to be over the alcohol limit faced stiff penalties.

One police officer on duty said, “The roads are now becoming congested as many people move out of Bangkok to take advantage of the extended holidays. Police and volunteers are working hard to ensure a reduction in serious accidents and road fatalities.”

Narisa Nitikarn

Lack of a major sponsor has put a stop to Pattaya’s public relations campaign. Full Fill & Reverse Company representatives, contracted to carry out the project, said the 5 million baht budget paid by the city was not enough to cover the costs and that a main sponsor was still needed.

Weerawat Khakai, Pattaya deputy mayor in charge of the city’s PR and tourism promotion, chairs a meeting with the city’s contracted PR company.

Weerawat Khakai, Pattaya deputy mayor in charge of the city’s PR and tourism promotion, Chanant Kunchorn na Ayuthaya, TAT Central Region 3 director and Thanet Supornsaharungsi, PBTA president met with company representatives at city hall.

Full Fill & Reverse Company representatives revealed that they had one major sponsor, the Ayinamoto Company, but that another was needed to fill the 2.7 to 3 million baht gap in expenses.

Thanet Supornsaharungsi said, “As far as the advertising goes, it is appropriate to plan it, especially since the contract has already been agreed to by the city to start mid April. If the funds are insufficient, it would be beneficial to delay some parts of the schedule until sponsorship could be found and then added later.

“Not just turn up and say that we have a problem and the project needs to be cancelled.”

Deputy Mayor Wattana Chantanawaranon chaired a meeting on April 5 to explore security plans for Pattaya City, discussing disaster control strategies with senior police officers from Pattaya and Banglamung, tourist police, immigration officials, and representatives of hotels and department stores.

With the possibility of a terrorist attack such as the bombing of Hadyai Airport being repeated elsewhere in Thailand, and with Pattaya as a prime international tourist destination being a possibly tempting target, Pattaya City officials need to convince tourists and local residents that security measures are being taken.

The meeting proposed many ideas for security protection, with strict controls at locations such as hotels, department stores and tourist areas that might be intended targets of terrorists.

Pattaya City will divide security into three categories, namely (1) five-star hotels, (2) foreign consulates, and (3) Walking Street, government offices, gasoline stations, department stores, etc. Security will be divided for each area of responsibility, and a working system is in order.

Pattaya City will announce emergency numbers for these important locations.

Must report all new arrivals within 24 hours

Ariyawat Nuamsawat

Pattaya immigration police conducted their annual training seminar on April 11 for local business operators on the rules and regulations concerning foreign visitors. Held at the Green Park Hotel, the seminar had an attendance of over 100 hotel, apartment and guesthouse owners.

Pol Col Itthipol Ithisarnronachai, Pattaya Immigration superintendent, conducts the annual training seminar.

Pattaya Immigration superintendent Pol Col Itthipol Ithisarnronachai and Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn chaired the meeting.

According to current immigration laws, business owners must keep a ledger of all foreigners staying on the premises. Details of how to check passports and procedures were relayed, including the point that all new arrivals must be reported within 24 hours in accordance with 1989 legislation. A ledger must be available for inspection should police or immigration officials ask for it.

Business owners were informed of the penalties that may be incurred should they fail to follow the rules, with fines ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 baht.

Immigration officers also touched on security issues to protect lives and property in the wake of the recent bombings in the nation’s south. They urged owners and staff to report any suspicious documents or visitors to police in order to maintain a high level of precaution in Pattaya, due to the high profile of the city and the large numbers of foreign tourists visiting each year.

They were also told that information can now be transmitted electronically via emailing: [email protected]

Boonlua Chatree

Acting on a tip-off, Pattaya Immigration police raided a rented apartment belonging to Darren Joseph Handley, 32, an English tourist, and a Thai woman, Nucharin Arksonpradit, 25. The pair were smoking methamphetamine pills, also known as ya ba, when police arrived.

Englishman Darren Joseph Handley and Nucharin Arksonpradit were remanded into custody on drugs charges.

Police searched the room and found another six pills, a small pack of marijuana, five joints inside a cigarette packet, 20 blue pills, 100 needles and 10 bottles of liquid. The officers were unable to immediately identify the substances and later sent them for testing.

Handley told police that all the drugs were his, adding that some he bought in England before arriving in Pattaya on February 21 this year. Handley went on to say that he purchased the ya ba and marijuana in Pattaya for his own use and that was all that was left of his stash.

He said he had noticed that the dealer had not been arrested and asked how police managed to find him.

Police charged Handley with possession and use of class 1 and 5 illegal substances and Nucharin Arksonpradit with using a class 1 drug. Further charges are pending following an analysis of the other substances found in the apartment. Both were remanded into custody pending a court appearance.

Boonlua Chatree

A Soi Bongkot restaurant owner reported to Pattaya police that a foreign tourist had held her against her will, bit her finger and used a stun gun after refusing his advances. Chaweewan Phuwodliknok, 40, made the allegations against Rune Brandsrud, 59, from Norway.

Rune Brandsrud (left) and Chaweewan Phuwodliknok (right) had an argument over a food bill which ended with the Norwegian going to jail.

Police received a report at around 1 a.m. on April 14 with Chaweewan claiming that a foreigner was keeping her against her will in her restaurant. Officers sent to investigate found Brandsrud inside the eatery. He was detained and both Brandsrud and Chaweewan were taken to Soi 9 for questioning.

Chaweewan told officers that the foreigner had been sitting in her restaurant from 5 p.m. and had refused to pay his bill. She said he threatened her as well as biting her finger.

Brandsrud denied the allegations that he had bitten the woman and said that he had paid 500 baht for the bill. He said that the woman persisted he hadn’t paid and proceeded to become angry, sticking her finger in his face and saying that she had police protection. He said he used the stun gun after being threatened.

However, three other female witnesses backed Chaweewan’s claims that the foreigner had threatened her and kept her against her will.

Chaweewan said she did not have any relationship with the man and he was only a customer at her restaurant. She said he claimed to have connections in the police and could easily harm her if he wanted.

Police listened to both sides of the argument and charged the foreigner with holding another person against their will. Rune Brandsrud denied all charges and refused to sign any police statements. He was, however, locked up pending further legal proceedings.