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Thailand celebrates the 54th birthday of HRH the Crown Prince today, Friday, 28 July, 2006
On the auspicious occasion of HRH Crown Prince
Maha Vajiralongkorn’s 54th Birthday on Friday, July 28, we at the Pattaya
Mail join the Kingdom in humbly conveying our best wishes to HRH the Crown
Prince for a very happy birthday. (Photo courtesy Bureau of the Royal
Household)
Peter Cummins,
Pattaya Mail Special Correspondent
Photos courtesy Bureau of the Royal Household
Born on 28 July 1952 at the Royal Dusit Palace in Bangkok, HRH Crown Prince
Maha Vajiralongkorn is the second of four children, and the only son of
Their Majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great and Queen Sirikit.
His Majesty the King conferred the title of “Somdech Phra Borama Orasadhiraj
Chao Fah Maha Vajiralongkorn Sayam Makutrajakuman” on December 28, 1972,
designating his son as the Crown Prince and Heir to the throne.
The Crown Prince underwent primary schooling at Udorn Hall of the Dusit
Palace and attended secondary school in Sussex and Summerset, England. In
August 1970, he attended the King’s School, Paramatta, Sydney, Australia. In
1976, he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Military Studies at the
University of New South Wales. In 1978, he attended the Royal Thai Army
Command and General Staff College, graduating in 1978 and, later that year,
received a Bachelor of Laws Degree from Sukhothai Thammatirat University in
Bangkok.
Then, in 1990 he attended training at the Royal College of Defense Studies
in the United Kingdom and subsequently military training courses in
Australia and the United States, with observation tours in England, Belgium,
Germany, France and the Netherlands.
The Crown Prince has been schooled in many other military operations,
including aviation in helicopters and high-performance aircraft, special
warfare, demolition and parachute training, as well as courses in small arms
and other weapons used in modern warfare.
Special assignments have included: Commanding Officer of the King’s Own
Bodyguard Regiment and Command, Commanding General of the Royalty Security
Command and Instructor Pilot of the F-5 E/F. He has also engaged in actions
for counter-insurgency purposes in the North and Northeast areas of
Thailand, as well as for protective purposes in areas around Cambodian
refugee camps at Khao Lant, Trat Province.
The Crown Prince has continued the Royal Family’s assistance programs to
underdeveloped areas around the country and visited depressed urban areas
around Bangkok, distributing food and necessity items to people in need. One
such undertaking was participation in a fertilizer preparation project in
Suphan Buri Province, using natural ingredients to enrich the land in
support of the country’s great agricultural pursuits.
As farming is a highly-significant and noble profession in Thailand, the
Royal Family takes an active role in advancing the vital industry of
agriculture and the Crown Prince has contributed considerably in these and
many other projects.
For example, in the first half of last year, the Crown Prince visited people
in the southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwas to listen to their
problems and find ways to assist them. To this end, he met and entered
dialogue with Muslim priests, local community leaders, volunteers, the
dedicated mobile medical teams and their doctors and the public in general.
Here, he urged the officials to improve irrigation systems to aid farmers
and foster other agricultural activities.
Then in July, 2005, he travelled north to mark the opening of Poppy Hall in
Golden Triangle Park, in Chiang Saen district, Chiang Rai, constructed under
the patronage of the Mae Fa Luang Royal Project. In the past, hill tribe
residents grew opium for their living, but after mutual efforts by the Royal
Family, government and local community heads, today the people understand
the bad affects of opium. Consequently they have changed to the farming of
fruit, vegetables and other cash crops, resulting in a vast reduction of the
number of opium growers in the country.
A highlight of the Crown Prince’s past 15 months - in fact, a blessing for
all the Royal Family and the Kingdom at large - was the birth, on April the
29, 2005, of a son, when the Crown Prince and HRH Princess Srirasm became
the proud parents of a baby boy - their first child, HRH Prince Dipangkorn
Rasmijoti.
Thus, on the auspicious occasion of the 54th Birthday of HRH Crown Prince
Maha Vajiralongkorn, we at the Pattaya Mail, Pattaya Blatt, Chiangmai Mail
and the Pattaya Mail on TV join the Kingdom in humbly conveying our best
wishes to his family and a very happy birthday to the Crown Prince.
Decision on two-way traffic system due on August 2
Officials say making Pattaya Second Road
two-way would be the best system to reduce traffic woes in the area.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
A decision on whether or not to make Pattaya Second Road a two-way
system is expected to be made on August 2.
The Traffic and Transport Research Center of Phra Chomklao University in
Thonburi provided an update on their study of Pattaya’s traffic system
at Pattaya District Office on July 19. The study is being undertaken to
find a remedy for the city’s traffic woes. The center says that amongst
the possible permutations, making only Second Road a two-way system will
cause the least problems to the city’s traffic.
Asst Prof Thawatchai Laosirihongthong led his team of researchers in
presenting results of the study to Mayor Niran Watthanasartsathorn.
Thawatchai said that results of the study showed a two-way system along
Second Road was the best option as it will cause the least difficulties
and iron out some of the problems of the present one-way system, as it
would reduce the number of vehicles approaching the Dolphin Roundabout
and entering Beach Road from there. When Beach Road is closed during
activities the traffic congestion will not be as great, and it will also
help to prepare for the lengthening of Walking Street that is slated for
the future.
“A two-way system would come into effect from the Dolphin Roundabout all
the way down to South Pattaya, dividing the road into four lanes, each
lane 3.5 meters wide. Parking areas would be set out specifically and
traffic markings would also be laid out along the entire route and would
reduce traffic congestion on Beach Road, South Pattaya,” said
Thawatchai.
The future extension of Walking Street would be feasible because there
would be less traffic along Beach Road. Traffic signals would also be
internationalized, footpaths set out and stall zones fixed which would
also improve the tourism image.
Pichaet Uthaiwattanannont, director of Pattaya Public Works said that
the traffic problem has many causes, one of the main ones being the
number of cooperative song taews. The lengthening of Walking Street
would also help to support newer public transport system like trams.
Niran said all options have their good and bad points, and the best
option is the one that causes the least problems. He said he would study
the options and make a decision by August 2, then the matter would be
put to Pattaya City Council for approval.
Visitor seeks media help to repair water pipe broken for more than a year
Vimolrat Singnikorn
A visitor from overseas who reported a broken water pipe to the city
council more than a year ago, and who found the pipe still hadn’t been
repaired when he returned recently, brought his frustrations to the Pattaya
Mail office.
 Jeff
Chalfont points out the mess caused by the broken water pipe.
Jeff Chalfont, talking to a reporter on July 19, said the water pipe was on
Soi Police Flat, Soi 5. The reporter accompanied him to the scene where he
found water coming out from a pipe that was lying under a building. The
water was flowing into a storm drain that had no cover, and had obviously
been collecting alongside the road for a long time because of the moss and
algae that was there. The ground was turning black.
“I am a person who uses this route every day, and around May 2005 I filed a
report with Pattaya City officers to repair the pipe,” said Chalfont.
“In September I came back to Thailand and found that the water pipe and
storm drain had not been repaired. After that I filed a report with a
Pattaya tourist police officer, and the tourist police said they were
obligated to report the case to Pattaya City to have the pipe repaired.
“However, no one has been to repair the water pipe, and therefore I decided
to ask the media for help.”
Chalfont says he wants Pattaya City to urgently repair the water pipe. The
city does not want to waste water, and he was afraid that this would damage
Pattaya’s good tourism image.
Mayor rejects proposal to run new Big C Supercenter power cable through city
Mayor Niran
Watthanasartsathorn (left) meets with company representatives from Central
Festival Center, and expresses concern over Pattaya’s image.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
City hall has refused permission for a high-voltage power cable that
would have passed through Central Pattaya to supply electricity to a new
superstore that is to be built on Beach Road.
A meeting between Mayor Niran Watthanasartsathorn, representatives of
Pattaya’s Central Festival Center Company Limited and representatives of the
Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand discussed the project at a
Pattaya City Hall meeting on July 18.
Pattaya’s Central Festival Center had applied to erect 22-metre high
electricity pylons from Sukhumvit through Central Pattaya to the open area
at Beach Road Soi 9 where the new Big C Supercenter is to be located. The
total length of the high voltage cable would have been 7,000 meters.
Representatives of the company explained that the cable is needed to supply
the proposed supercenter from the generator. Due to the fact that the new
supercenter will offer many facilities to its customers there is a need for
additional power, the present supply to the area in question being
insufficient.
Mayor Niran told the company to find an alternative method, as the planned
route would make the area look ugly. It was, he said, not at all appropriate
for a tourist city, and city hall had already spent millions on trying to
beautify Pattaya.
City Scope: Islanders air Koh Larn problems
with city hall during TV shoot
Mayor Niran Watthanasartsathorn, four deputy
mayors and six members of Pattaya City Council answer questions posed by Koh
Larn residents.
Narisa Nitikarn
The problems facing residents of Koh Larn were discussed on July 18
during filming for a television program in front of Wat Mai Samraan, in
which city hall officials and councilors met the islanders and answered
their questions.
Mayor Niran Watthanasartsathorn and the four deputy mayors along with six
members of Pattaya City Council were there to answer questions posed by the
Koh Larn islanders, especially the problem of title deeds, which drew wide
interest from those in attendance.
Niran said that Koh Larn earns billions of baht income for Pattaya and is
extremely popular among local and foreign tourists; therefore city
administrators plan to make the island an eco-tourism destination and to
promote sports there. Pattaya City Council has coordinated with the Regional
Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand to plant trees on 250 rai.
However, due to the increasing number of tourists arriving, better routes to
the island are needed, and public utilities need development. More water is
needed to solve the shortages that are a concern for the locals. A
concession has been awarded to East Water, but the system is not yet
operable as license applications from the Department of Underground Mineral
Resources have not yet been finalized. Electricity generation is still in
phase one of development, namely the installation of windmills and solar
cells.
After listening to the development plans, locals asked the mayor how the
drug problem was going to be solved. Niran said that there was a lack of
officers on the island and city hall would like to see locals play a more
active role in taking care of their communities. Fighting drugs through
sports activities, and supporting Pattaya municipal police in training
volunteer police officers to carry out patrols would go a long way in
helping to eradicate the drug problem, he said.
Questions were also asked about the issue of title deeds, which is a major
problem at present. Niran explained that Pattaya City Council is responsible
for the care and development of public utilities to improve the quality of
life of the public. The issue of title deeds lies with the Land Department.
Land title deeds cannot be issued on land sloping more than 30 degrees.
“Land on the island is limited and therefore development is limited, so
after the city has completed development construction-wise it will
concentrate on the improvement of the quality of life and the environment,
which requires the participation of the public for success,” said Niran.
City hall spends almost 21mn baht on land for new harbor
Bali Hai area has become vastly overcrowded
With 500 boats stored at Bali
Hai Pier, the area is becoming vastly overcrowded.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Pattaya City Council has approved a budget of more than 21 million baht
to buy land for a new harbor near the Bali Hai peninsula, intending to
promote it as a recreational area.
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh said city hall had approved the sum of 21.8
million baht to buy a plot of land measuring 1.1 rai and 15 square wa, held
under title deed number 74760 and located on the way to Pratamnak Hill in
South Pattaya.
He said this would be used as a new harbor for Pattaya, as more than 500
boats are stored at Bali Hai Pier, which is becoming greatly congested.
The new harbor is still in the design stages. The land level may be raised,
and other than boat moorings, a car park is a possibility.
Council member Farooq Wongborisuthi said that the Bali Hai peninsula should
never have been handed over to the private sector to allow operators to
store their tourist boats because it has destroyed the view and polluted the
environment.
Buying the land for the new harbor is good news, he said, but storing 500
boats in an area of just over one rai may result once again in overcrowding.
Copyright police HQ reacts to complaints and swoops on Pattaya
Boonlua Chatree
A high-level police team led by Pol Lt Col Srongklod Lohasiri, a
commander at the national division in charge of copyright and technology
crimes, descended on Pattaya in the early hours of July 20 after
complaints that the local police were ignoring infringements of the laws
concerning illegal and obscene CDs.
 Police
confiscated a further 900 CDs at the suspects house.
They arrested one vendor, 19-year-old Chaiyot Sunrat as he was selling
illegal CDs beside the road in South Pattaya. Police searched his shop
and found 565 illegal copyrighted CDs, 250 foreign movies on CD, and 31
cartons of cigarettes. They also suspected he had still more CDs in his
room on Soi 13/1 at South Pattaya Beach Road, and on entering the
premises they found a further 900 CDs. Police also tried to discover who
had left 746 CDs on the sidewalk, but curiously no one claimed
ownership.
Chaiyot said that all the CDs confiscated by the police, and which
included music, movies and obscene CDs, belonged to a Mr Kao, his
employer. Chaiyot said he was only an employee. However, the police
charged him with copyright infringement of movies intended for
distribution, with distributing obscene CDs, and with distribution of
untaxed foreign cigarettes.
Korean fights woman and ends up
in cell after another fight with police
Boonlua Chatree
A fight between a Korean man and a Thai woman ended with both of them being
fined 500 baht each for disturbing the peace, and with the Korean being
dragged still fighting to the cells when the police discovered he did not
have a valid passport.
 It
was a tough night for Kim Kuu Suu.
Police were called out to the Palm Garden Hotel in Pattaya Klang at 4.30
a.m. on July 19 by a report that a Korean man and a Thai female were
fighting. The pair were identified as Kim Kuu Suu, 28, and Miss Suphanee
Phawiang.
They were taken to Pattaya police station, where Suphanee told officers that
the Korean hit her first after she remarked to him that he didn’t need her
because he was a flirter and had lots of women. After he hit her she stabbed
him in the chest with a pocketknife that she used for cutting her nails,
causing a slight wound. The pair were fined 500 baht each for fighting in a
public place.
When police asked to see Kim’s passport he couldn’t produce one, and was
therefore charged accordingly. As police were about to put him behind bars
he put op a fight and it took 10 officers to overpower him and get him into
the cell, where he will remain until his court appearance.
Police to keep watchful eye on Pattaya after foreign gang bust
Boonlua Chatree
Police will be watching Pattaya carefully, following the arrest of a gang of
foreigners on Samui who belonged to an international criminal organization
that operated in Bangkok, Pattaya, Samui and Phuket.
 Police
arrest Crispan Paton-Smith (with beard) of the United Kingdom at his home in
Thailand.
Pol Col Tisady Arayawutt, commander of the Office Information Technology and
Special Investigations, or the DSI, had led a team of more than 100 DSI and
crime suppression officers to Koh Samui to arrest members of the gang.
The gang members were each on the run from crimes committed abroad and had
married Thai females as a cover for their activities on the island, which
included the coercion of other business owners to hand over their businesses
to the gang. The gang also paid off government officers to issue title deeds
for land on the hilly areas of Samui, on which they built houses and sold
them to foreigners
The Criminal Court had issued arrest warrants for Peter Watkin Jones, 40, of
the United Kingdom, Peter Roseberg, 35, of Denmark, and Kim Rinkard Nielsen,
36, of Denmark. None of these has yet been captured, but Crispan
Paton-Smith, 43, of the United Kingdom, Pramuan Somwong, a land department
officer, and Samroeng Bua-naak, and Prateep Muongkaew have all been
arrested.
The arrest of the money laundering gang members has resulted in the Danish
police and the Swedish and British embassies providing information to the
Department of Special Investigations. The lawbreakers used their ill-gotten
gains and money laundering activities to open real estate companies,
entertainment centers, restaurants and tour operations. The international
crime network is also involved in robbery, human trafficking, weapons
trading and money laundering.
The arrests required the cooperation of the DSI, National Police
Headquarters, the Central Investigations Bureau, the Anti-Money Laundering
Commission, the Drug Suppression Division, the embassies of the relevant
nationals, the Ministry of National Resources and the Environment, the Land
Department and the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Many of the cases involve encroaching on government land. Police said the
cases might cause confusion among foreign nationals who operate business
legitimately, but efforts are being implemented to explain the situation to
them.
Snake photographer knocks woman tourist to the ground
Boonlua Chatree
A street photographer who took pictures of tourists with a python draped
around their necks pestered a female visitor and eventually knocked her
unconscious in the middle of Walking Street when she declined to have more
photos taken.
Street photographer Sakludai Arampra turned out to be a snake himself, striking a
female tourists for not allowing him to milk her for more money.
The assault happened at 4 a.m. on July 18, when police received a report
that a snake photographer outside the Rotate Bar had injured a foreign
woman. Officers found 43-year-old Mrs Deborah Carroll of Scotland
unconscious and lying in the middle of the soi. Her cheek was swollen, and
she had a long open wound on her left arm. The photographer had already
fled.
Police provided first aid until she recovered. Deborah stated that the man
who injured her was one of the people who walked around the entertainment
areas with a python for tourists to have their photo taken. They were
charged 300 baht per photo. She was tricked into having six photos taken but
it was not enough for the photographer who wanted to take more. When she
refused, her hit her.
Officers transferred Deborah to hospital for further treatment and went in
search of the snake photographer.
They found him as he was walking to his room on Soi Samroeng Furniture. He
was identified as Sakludai Arampra, age 36. He admitted he had hit the
woman, and said he did this because he had taken six photos of her with his
python for the amount of 1,800 baht. He saw that she had lots of money, so
he tried to take three more photos. She refused and he became angry. He
punched her twice to her cheek before running away. On the way back to his
residence his colleagues informed him by phone that the police were
searching for him, so he let the python go into a drainage pipe. Police
charged him with assaulting another person both mentally and physically.
Pol Lt Col Wuttichat Luansukhan, superintendent of Tourist Police Division
No 4 in Pattaya, and Pol Lt Col Sutham Chaosrithong, inspector of crime
suppression at Pattaya Police Station, have issued a statement saying they
were very sorry for this shameful event. In future, greater control will be
exercised over photographers who use snakes and other wildlife, who in
previous cases have usually only been charged with illegally possessing a
protected animal.
Thank-you party held for police wives
Pol Lt Gen Jongrak Juthanon, commander-in-chief of
Region 2, and his wife On-Anong, vice president of the Police Housewives’
Association in Region 2, hosted a thank-you party for the wives of policemen
in Region 2.
Boonlua Chatree
The Montien Hotel in Pattaya Klang was the venue on the evening of July
15 for a thank-you party organized for the wives of policemen in Region 2.
Pol Lt Gen Jongrak Juthanon, commander-in-chief of Region 2 and his wife
On-Anong, who is vice president of the Police Housewives’ Association in
Region 2, hosted the event.
Wives of officers throughout the region attended the party, held as a
gesture of thanks for their support both in the work of their spouses and in
the activities organized by them throughout the year.
Thanks were also given to the Region 2 housewife committees that organized
the Red Cross Fair at Amporn Park, the income from which has been handed to
the chairman of the Red Cross executive committee.
Dharma brought in to help in fight against drugs
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Dharma is being brought into use in the fight against drugs use in
Pattaya, city hall having allocated a budget for dharma sermons that will
advise people how to strengthen their will against the temptations of
narcotics.
Mayor Niran Watthanasartsathorn on July 14 presented a meeting at Pattaya
City Hall to discuss the use of the dharma solution. About 350 people
attended, including representatives of Pattaya’s 27 communities, the
Supanimitre Youth Club and other local youth organizations. Deputy Mayor
Wattana Jantanawaranon was also present.
Niran said that Pattaya City has a budget of 8,700 baht for this year to
support the project, and that the communities had also received a support
budget from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board in Region 2 for the
amount of 9,500 baht.
The mayor said that all those attending the project would receive a dharma
sermon from Priest Rachan Ariyo, Abbot of Wangsan Temple in Petchabun
Province, and from Priest Khemphet.
City road show rolls into Koh Larn
Narisa Nitikarn
Pattaya City’s mobile community road show rolled onto Larn Island on
July 18, setting up in front of Wat Mai Samran.
The activities supported by official departments and private organizations to
service the people on Koh Larn included medical checks and advice.
Leading the group was Mrs Pannee Limcharoen, acting on behalf of the
director of the Social Welfare Department, with city councilors,
administrators, and representatives of the community police program at
Pattaya police station attending.
Koh Larn is one of the 27 communities of Pattaya City, and many residents of
the island came along for free services that included haircuts, basic
medical check ups, and electronic equipment repair.
Officials also distributed blue T-shirts, a symbol of Mothers Day, ready for
the celebrations on August 12.
Kamnung Chaweeruang, chief of the Koh Larn Community, said the island has
about 2,900 official residents and three times that number who didn’t belong
there. This is a major problem for the island, as the unofficial residents
cannot always take care of themselves and create problems such as drugs use
and unemployment.
Mayor asks contractors why Koh Larn road project is delayed
Narisa Nitikarn
City hall has demanded an explanation for the delays in completing
construction of a road on Koh Larn.
Mayor Niran Watthanasartsathorn held a meeting at Wat Mai Samran on the
island on July 18 to ask two representatives of August Inter Group Co Ltd,
managing director Watchapong Chatsupakul and foreman Pipop Tongra-aa to
explain to the Koh Larn Community Committee the reasons behind the delays of
the construction of a road from the temple to the Regional Electricity
Generating Authority office.
The committee told the representatives that completion of the 6-kilometer
road was three months overdue, and explanations were needed.
The contractors explained that the road is 80 percent complete. The reason
for the delay is due to the differing ground levels on a stretch of the
road. Discussions are being held with Koh Larn District Office on how to
remedy the problem. The contractors also affirmed that the road would be
completed by the end of July.
Walking Street prepares for 10th anniversary
Will also celebrate HM the Queen’s birthday
Narisa Nitikarn
Mayor Niran Watthanasartsathorn, along with members of the Walking
Street Committee, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Boonrawd Trading
Company Ltd held a press conference on July 21 to announce activities to
celebrate the 10th anniversary of Walking Street and to honor Her Majesty
the Queen’s birthday on August 12.
 Tavich
Chaiswangwong (center), chairman of Pattaya City Council, talks about the
history of Walking Street to Rungratree Thongsai, Public Relations
Specialist and Panida Kladthong, Asst. PR, Pattaya City.
The briefing was enlivened by a show by B-Boy, a fashion show, and a
performance of songs written by His Majesty the King. Miss Thailand World
contestants were introduced before the news conference got underway.
Tavich Chaiswangwong, chairman of Pattaya City Council, Mayor Niran, Second
Lieutenant Chaiwatt Charoensuk, Premrudee Jittiwuttikarn, member of the
Walking Street Committee, Pol Col Somnuk Changate, commander of Pattaya
Municipal Police Station, and Suwan Traitrungtasana and Somchai
Chaichanawong, representatives of Boonrawd Trading, each spoke at the
conference.
Somchai said that Walking Street is an important tourist attraction and very
popular amongst Thai and foreign tourists, and the company is happy to
participate in the Walking Street 10th anniversary celebrations. Boonrawd
will present cases of Singha Beer Lite worth 200,000 baht to the city for
the occasion, and will be supporting activities such as music concerts
throughout the August 10-12 celebrations.
Mayor Niran said the activities would be extensive as many organizations are
supporting the shows and concerts. Miss Universe 2005 is also flying in to
take part. The main activity will be the celebrations for Her Majesty’s
birthday on August 12.
A fashion show was held as part of the Walking
Street 10th Anniversary announcement.
Crowds flock to see golden coral
Marines control access to new reef’
Visitors are turning up in
droves to pray to the golden coral.
Patcharapol Panrak
The golden coral reef found by Rear Admiral Sakchai Ubondetpracharak on
the beach at Princess Jetsada Camp in Sattahip on June 9 has become a
tremendous attraction, with so many visitors attempting to visit the area,
which is being carefully guarded by the Marines, that a glass bottom boat
has been brought in to service the visitors.
At ebb tide the golden coral can be seen, and new coral is being formed, as
Rear Admiral Sakchai and Captain Suwastti Chitadaecha discovered when they
surveyed the reef. The golden coloring of the coral is completely natural.
To protect the new reef, access is being carefully controlled. Divers are
allowed to visit during high tides, and a boat can be taken during ebb tide.
Rear Admiral Sakchai said the discovery is a particularly auspicious one,
having coincided with the anniversary of His Majesty the King’s accession to
the throne, and many visitors are coming specifically to give their
blessings.
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