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Thais rejoice as our beloved
King celebrates His 78th Birthday
Celebrations begin to mark the 60th anniversary of His Majesty’s accession to the throne
School
children perform traditional Thai dances in front of the portrait of HM the
King, one of the many festivities held to mark the 78th Birthday of our beloved
King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great on December 5.
(Photo by Suchada Tupchai)
Staff Reporters
December the 5th is considered to be the most important day
for the Thai people, for on this day, we celebrate our beloved King’s
birthday. This day is also considered the National Day and Father’s Day. As
His Majesty reached his 78th birthday, the Thai nation celebrated again, in a
thousand different ways, with every person from the youngest to the oldest
renewing the pledge of loyalty and devotion to our great King.
Children
make merit by happily give alms to Buddhist monks.
This year, as has been a time honoured tradition, tens of
thousands of people living in and around Pattaya gathered to pay homage and
respect to HM the King and wish him the happiest of birthdays.
The festivities began in Banglamung where Worawit
Saisupatpol, Banglamung district chief, led the morning ceremonies. He was
joined by members of the local government, students, various private
organizations and the general public who gathered in front of the Banglamung
district office.
Citizens
holding a portrait of our beloved King rest a while after a long walk.
The formalities began with religious ceremonies and the
offering of alms, known as ‘Tdak Batr’, to 79 monks. This was
followed with the placing of the traditional gold and silver ornaments at the
foot of a large portrait of HM the King as a sign of love and respect for the
father of the Thai nation.
 Mayor
Niran Wattanasartsathorn leads government officials and the populace in a
candle lit ceremony.
Worawit Saisupatpol then led the populace in reading a
proclamation pledging their loyalty and the good intentions of the citizens to
lead their lives on the path of righteousness and truth. The people also
pledged to help in uniting all the people of Thailand to live together in peace
and harmony.
In the afternoon, a parade of more than 3000 people walked
down Beach Road towards the Bali Hai pier where the evening ceremonies were
held.
Prince,
Tony, Rungratree and Elfi represent Pattaya Mail in paying respects to His
Majesty.
Citizens from all walks of life, including both the public
and private sector, queued up to pay their respects by placing their gold and
silver ornaments at the foot of His Majesty’s portrait.
The evening ceremony was presided over by Mayor Niran
Wattanasartsathorn, who led the multitude of joyful people in reconfirming
their pledge and devotion to our beloved King. At the auspicious hour, which
was also observed by people all over Thailand, candles were lit and the night
air was filled with the voices of thousands of people singing songs of praise
to Their Majesties the King and Queen.
The evening ceremonies culminated with the firing of
hundreds of fireworks into the night sky bringing cheers of joyfulness from the
populace.
Next year marks yet another milestone in the annals of Thai history as
Thailand inaugurates a year-long celebration of the 60th anniversary of His
Majesty’s accession to the Throne on June 9, 1946. His Majesty King Bhumibol
Adulyadej the Great, the Ninth King of the Rama Dynasty is the world’s
longest reigning and serving Monarch.
People from
many organizations joined in the parade.
Thousands
of candles light up the lawn at Bali Hai pier.
AAPP closes with announcement on Pattaya Declarations
His
Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great gave an audience to parliament
ambassadors from participating countries. (Photo coutesy of AAPP)
Suchada Tupchai
The Sixth General Assembly of the Association of Asian
Parliaments for Peace (AAPP), which was held November 19-24 in Pattaya,
closed with the announcement of a series of what have been named Pattaya
Declarations.
Dr Bhokin Bhalakula, president of the Thai Parliament
and also of the House of Representatives, together with Mohammad Hassan
Abu-Torabi, deputy speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran
and Suchon Chaleekure, president of the Thai Senate, jointly held a news
conference to outline the results of the conference that had been staged
at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort.
The Pattaya Declarations comprise four main items,
namely politics, socio-economics, peace and stability, and women and
youth.
The political issues focused on democracy and justness,
the non use of violence, harmony, assignment of authority to the political
sector, parliament ambassadors, and coordination between governments and
the United Nations to create permanent stability in the region and
globally.
The socio-economic issues covered poverty relief funds
and international debt reduction and support of trade. Peace and stability
covered terrorism, pandemics, the drug trade and natural and man-made
disasters, along with the control of borders.
Member countries must eradicate the source of problems
by force of law, policies and coordination as a matter of urgency,
especially when natural disasters occur and in cases of pandemics. The
women and youth issues covered equal rights for women and non-use of
violence against women and children as well as discussing education and
health.
“The most important matter is strengthening the
organization through performance plans to transform the AAPP to the APA
(Asian Parliamentary Assembly) and implementing the road map appointing
committees and cooperation on common advocacies,” Dr Bhokin said.
The head of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran as organizer of
the 7th AAPP invited participants to the next assembly.
A time for remembering as Pattaya celebrates
27th anniversary as a city
Narisa Nitikarn
A ceremony was held in front of the King Taksin Monument
at Pattaya City Hall on November 29 at 9:30 a.m. to commemorate the 27th
year of the founding of Pattaya as a city, with nine monks present and city
hall officers making offerings.
 Mayor
Niran Wattanasartsathorn and Pattaya City Administrators made offerings and
gave food to 9 monks to commemorate Pattaya’s 27th anniversary as a city.
Pattaya was a sub-district of Chonburi originally, called
Pad Tha Ya, which means the wind blowing from the southwest to the northeast
at the beginning of the rainy season. The name eventually became Pattaya,
and for years it was a small fishing settlement.
Before 1978 Pattaya had a form of local government on a
lower level than a municipality, and which was established in 1956. This
covered only the Naklua sub-district and was extended to South Pattaya in
1964, when the administrative area totaled 22.2 sq km.
However, Pattaya grew very fast and became a holiday
destination for both Thais and foreigners. The existing administration was
not enough to support the increasing size and demands of Pattaya, and the
national government in 1978 issued a statute for a local administration. The
local administrator and council had to be appointed by election. Thus
Pattaya City came into being on November 29, 1978.
Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn said the administration is far larger now,
and structured differently to the early days. There is now one mayor, four
deputy mayors and 24 councilors.
Only halfway to Paradise
as mayor puts brakes on project
Ariyawat
Nuamsawat
Work on the Pattaya Paradise project has been halted
amidst accusations of corruption. The allegations came following a site
inspection of the land near Bali Hai Pier by Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn,
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh, City Councilor Banlue Kullavanich, and a team
of city hall engineers on November 25.
Mayor
Niran Wattanasartsathorn, Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh, City Councilor
Banlue Kullavanich, and a team of city hall engineers carried out an
inspection of the land where the project was to be constructed.
The order to cease follows complaints made to the Anti
Corruption Committee that public land had been encroached. Reports had also
been received that construction was being carried out at night to avoid
official eyes.
A construction company has been erecting a series of
two-story buildings on land near the Pattaya Sea Rescue Center, but the
council has yet to approve the project and the right of ownership of the
land is still in question.
The Banglamung branch of the Chonburi Land Department
delivered a letter to Pattaya City Council explaining that the land title
deed number 83096 held by Archa Land Company Limited had, as advised by the
Anti Corruption Committee, been issued illegally. The Nor Sor 3 numbers 388
and 389 used as title to the land by the company had previously been
undeveloped beach land. The case is still being decided to rescind the title
deed under Article 61 of the Land Law. Therefore, Pattaya City council is
not authorized to approve any construction on the property.
However, the company in question had already started
construction. The council has taken this seriously and ordered that all
construction be stopped, but the contractors continued with their work.
Charges will be pressed and the case will go to court. Not only fines, but a
prison sentence might be forthcoming. Some of the construction equipment and
materials have already been confiscated and construction has now been
stopped completely.
Mayor Niran said that the project owners have leased the land from Archa
Land Company Limited for a six-year period at just over 3 million baht.
Construction has been carried out over the past four months and was supposed
to be turned into shops and restaurants for rent. The council has imposed
four fines of 1,000 baht so far. Municipal officers will now stand guard
until the Anti Corruption Committee has completed its inquiries.
Council’s mobile community
service pulls into Kratinglai
Narisa Nitikarn
The regular monthly mobile community service organized by
Pattaya City council pulled into the Kratinglai community on November 22,
led by Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn, and with Deputy Mayor Wuttisak
Rermkijakarn and a large number of members of Pattaya City council
attending.
Electrical
appliance repairs were provided by Pra Mahathai School.
There was free rice to be handed out, care of Lotus North
and South Pattaya, and various communities set up stalls, amongst them being
Surao Tonkrabok, Rung Ruang, Wat Thamsamakki, and Wat Chonglom. Services
like hair cutting, electrical appliance repair and eyesight checks were
available free.
Phannee Limcharoen, acting director general of the Social
Benefits Department, told Pattaya Mail that the council organizes the
mobile community service every month. The Kratinglai stop was at Pattaya
School #1.
Many local shops set up stalls offering goods at
knockdown prices. Free haircuts were provided by the Vocational Training
Center. Electrical appliance repairs were provided by Pra Mahathai School
and a foot massage for 49 baht was provided by the Social Benefits
Department. Eye checks, dental examinations, and legal, tax, and education
advice were also available.
The mobile community service has the support of Pattaya
municipal police, along with government and private sector organizations.
Lotus North and South Pattaya provided 50 bags of rice each and Pattaya City
Council gave 100 bags of necessities to the Kratinglai community.
Mayor Niran said that the mobile community service would not be
successful without the help of all concerned.
Tour operators lodge complaint about 800 baht taxi ranks
Narisa
Nitikarn
Pattaya Deputy Mayor Weerawat Khakhai held a meeting
recently to discuss the complaints that have been received concerning hire
cars and tour activities. Lawful tour operators and tourist police officers
attended the meeting to resolve the problems as a matter of urgency.
 Some
taxi businesses in Pattaya are licensed, but others are not. Licensed
operators say unlicensed operators are causing problems.
Weerawat said that Pattaya City Council had received a
written complaint from lawful tour operators against operators who had set up
stalls throughout the city offering taxi services from Pattaya to Bangkok for
800 baht.
These operators refuse to take customers to their
destination in Bangkok and add on tollway fees and additional charges. Most
of these taxi operators are unlicensed and licensed operators have requested
that the council and the Tourism Authority of Thailand rectify the situation
as quickly as possible. They are also asking to regularize the services, as
this is damaging the city’s reputation.
Weerawat said the council understands the problems tour
operators are experiencing and their expenses involved in providing quality
services. These taxi services affect the tour operators’ income.
Weerawat asked for clarification on the laws and Police
Captain Jirawatt Sukhonthat, deputy inspector of Pattaya Tourist Police, told
him that it is the direct responsibility of the tourist police. Police have
received complaints from many tourists, but because the complainant cannot
identify the taxi driver, it is difficult to make arrests. Some arrests have
been made, but not many.
Pisai Panomwan Na Ayutthaya said that taxis coming in from
Bangkok are difficult to control, but the prime minister has allowed the taxi
drivers to pick up returning passengers. Pattaya City Council will need to
check the taxi rank licenses and fine them if they are unlicensed as an
example to others.
Weerawat said he will send out patrols and will also take
the matter to Pattaya City administrators.
The subject of beach order and the remaining problem of prostitutes on the
beaches were also brought up. It was observed that when the girls see the
patrols they cross the road and when the officers are gone they cross back
over to the beach. Weerawat said he would propose that officers be stationed
on the beaches permanently.
Mystery of engineer murdered during seminar
Boonlua Chatree
Police are puzzled over the death of an electrical
engineer found dead in his hotel room after a party organized as part of a
seminar he was attending.
Officers from Dongtan sub-branch police station rushed
to a hotel on Jomtien Beach on November 24 after being notified that there
was a dead body in one of the rooms there.
At the scene, on the 2nd floor of the hotel, officers
found the body of Paiboon Jittarat, a 43-year-old electrical engineer at
the Aran Mermaid Hotel in Srakaew. The body was lying on the floor beside
the bed, dressed in a blue t-shirt and black trousers. The eyes were
bruised, there was a swelling on the head, and the tongue was swollen,
blocking the air passageway. The room bore evidence of a struggle.
The Banglamung Hospital physician who had accompanied
police concluded that Paiboon had died from a blow to his head, which had
happened at least six hours previously.
A friend of the dead man named Prapai said that in the
afternoon of November 23 he had arrived with the deceased and Aran Mermaid
staffers, a total of 50 people, for a two-day seminar at the hotel. Two
people were staying in each room. The deceased was booked into the same
room as Prapai.
After the seminar there was a party in the hotel and the
deceased went absent. Prapai came back to the room and found the corpse.
Police have assumed that the deceased had some dispute
with his seminar colleagues. During the party the deceased went back to the
room alone. His killer possibly followed him and hit him with some object,
killing him. Police questioned two suspects, but both of them denied being
the killer.
Wsomkiat Patama, a 49-year-old driver for the Aran
Mermaid Hotel told police that he took a rest in the room next to the
murder scene. At about 11 p.m. he heard a noise of knocking on the wall and
the sound of something being dragged along the floor, but he didn’t
realize anything had happened until being told of Paiboon’s death. Police
are continuing their investigations.
Police chase youth who threatened volunteer with gun
Boonlua Chatree
A report that a youth was menacing a volunteer police
officer with a gun at Soi Arunothai 4 resulted in a turnout of over 50
volunteer police officers who chased the offender along Pattaya Klang Road.
The suspect turned into Soi 8 beside the Carrefour
department store, which is a dead end road, and he was arrested. Police
identified him as Wichaiyut Pansa-Ard, age 20. They found an unloaded firearm
that Wichaiyut had dropped about 2 meters away from where he was seized. The
weapon was unlicensed and police kept it as evidence.
Wichaiyut said that he carried the gun to protect himself
and that he didn’t have any intention to injure anyone. He said that the
firearm was pressing uncomfortably against his body, and that he had removed
it and then put it back again. That was the action that the volunteer police
officer had seen, and because he was scared of getting into trouble he had
fled. Police charged him with carrying a firearm in public.
When throwing stones, don’t aim at the police box
Boonlua Chatree
Three teenagers driving home drunk on a motorcycle
decided to have some fun by throwing stones at windows, but they made a
slight mistake by hurling a rock through the window of a police box.
Officer Sura Sananua of the crime suppression team at
Banglamung was carrying out his duties in the police box at Soi Nernplubwan
at about 1 a.m. on November 26 when a stone crashed through his window.
Seeing three youths on a black Honda Wave motorcycle
speeding off in the direction of Wat Suthawaat, officer Sura radioed ahead.
One of the youths was caught. At the police station he
told officers his name, Aae (pseudonym), age 16, of Banglamung. He also told
officers that he was the driver and his two friends Pii and Chai were sat on
the back. They were on their way home from drinking at a friend’s birthday
party and being drunk they thought it would be a good idea to throw stones
at windows.
They hit, in addition to the police box, windows at a
photo developers at the entrance of Soi Mabyaisia 17 and a telephone box at
the front of Rung Ruang Village.
As they were making their escape the motorcycle ended up
in a scrape. Pii and Chai managed to get away and Aae ended up at the police
station. Police called in his parents to tell them of his bad behaviour and
kept him locked up to make further enquiries until they find the other two
idiots.
Rescue service picks up survivors as trawler sinks in heavy seas
Patcharapol Panrak
A fishing trawler sank in heavy seas in the Gulf of
Thailand on November 26, with eight of the 15 crew saved by rescue services
and the other seven reported as missing.
 Rua
Ruam Choke Pornthawee’s crew hangs onto the bow as the rescue aircraft
sends down inflatable rafts.
Commander-in-chief of the Royal Navy, Admiral Satieraphan
Kayanont directed Vice Admiral Jamnong Kittipeerathon, commander of Region 1
Naval Strategic Air Command, to send out an aircraft from air squadron 101
at Ban Chang, Rayong.
The trawler, the “Rua Ruam Choke Pornthawee”, had
sailed out of Pattani had met heavy seas 76 miles east of Chomporn and 142
miles off Sattahip.
The aircraft flew over the area and discovered a large oil slick not far
off the front of the trawler, and eight crewmembers of a total of 15 hanging
on to the bow, only part of the ship remaining above water. The rescue team
threw down two inflatable rafts and eight life jackets. Vice Admiral Jamnong
sent out two ships, the Wittayakhom from Laem Tiam and a patrol boat, to
pick up the crew.
Police briefs
Boonlua Chatree
A drunken Finn didn’t know
who injured him
A Finnish man found injured was so drunk that he didn’t
know who had hit him, or what with, or why, or where.
He was found at 12:10 a.m. on November 28 on Soi 4, Najomtien
Beach. Police found blood on the ground, and the injured man sitting outside a
shop on the other side of the road.
He was a Finn about 50 years old, and was covered in blood
from a cut on his head and right eyebrow. The police could not communicate with
him because of the language barrier, and because he was drunk.
Nobody came forward as a witness or to give a statement to
the police. He refused to go to the hospital, and the police could only watch
him for his security.
Frenchman with a pocketful of
dreams stopped by police
A Frenchman with a bag of marijuana hidden in his pocket went
on a motorcycle ride around Pattaya and found himself quickly brought back to
earth.
The man was spotted at 2 a.m. on November 30 by a routine
police patrol. He was driving a blue Honda NSR past Pattaya Apartment, on Third
Road, and officers thought he looked suspicious so they stopped him.
He was identified as Dinar Mohammed Yassine, age 23, a French
national. When police asked to see his passport he replied that he didn’t
carry it with him because he was just out for a ride. Police, suspecting the
influence of drugs, searched him and found a small bag of dried marijuana in his
front left trouser pocket. Police charged him with possession of a Class 5 drug.
Police seek driver of white
Ford in hit and run accident
A Swedish man was knocked down and injured by a car driven by
a Thai man along Beach Road. The accident happened at 3 a.m. on December 2, at
the entrance to Soi 8. The car, a white Ford, sped off down Beach Road.
The injured man was Richard Olsson, 44, who suffered a cut
head and abrasions to his arms and legs. Officers took him to Pattaya Memorial
Hospital for treatment. Police found the car abandoned at the entrance to Soi
Yamoto and are still looking for the driver.
Plainclothes officers make
drug arrest
A man bullying service girls along Beach Road around midnight
on December 1 and looking for a fight with the locals was thought to be on drugs
and police plainclothes officers went to check him out.
Arriving at the scene the officers saw the man smoking a
cigarette and annoying passing tourists. They asked to search him and found
marijuana, a category 5 drug, in his possession. The man was identified as
Noruding Sa-a, age 24, a native of Pattani. He was charged and taken into
custody to find out more about his supplier.
Two armed youths flee from
police but leave behind their motorbike
Two youths dealing in ya ba and carrying a firearm managed to
escape from police although they left behind their motorcycle.
Police officers had lain in wait for the pair just after 12
a.m. on November 25, aware that they were carrying a gun and that they were
delivering ya ba to a customer on Soi 17, in front of 7-Eleven across from Soi
Dang Dam on Thepprasit Road.
The two youths appeared on a motorcycle. The officers
identified themselves but the pair fled on the motorcycle. Police pursued them
until the youths abandoned the bike and fled into the darkness near Suksabai
Villa.
Armed police officers asked for support from volunteer police
officers to close off the area. They searched for an hour but could find no
trace of the two. Officers have, however, impounded the abandoned motorbike and
taken it back to Pattaya police station. They will further pursue the two
fugitives.
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