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Pattaya has enough water for
10 years, says Irrigation Department
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Responding to fears of another drought next year, the Irrigation
Department and the East Water Company have assured the Pattaya Business &
Tourism Association (PBTA) that there is enough water for the next ten
years.
Their prophetic announcement came during the PBTA’s last administrative
committee meeting, held on February 14 at Green Park Resort Hotel.
Thanet Supornsahatrangsi, PBTA president said, “The drought that was
experienced in 2005 was severe and seriously affected daily life and
tourism. Even though presently the situation is improving, if preparations
are not made the crisis could re-occur.”
Representatives from the Irrigation Department responded that the 5
reservoirs supplying Pattaya currently have total reserves of 27 million
cubic meters, which is 69% of their total capacity. Before the drought in
2005, the reservoirs contained only 11 million cubic meters, or 27% of their
total capacity. “So it is anticipated that for 2007-2008 there will
definitely be no water shortages.”
East Water Company representatives chimed in that East Water has laid water
pipes from the Bang Pakong River to Bang Phra Reservoir, which is able to
feed the area with 200,000 cubic meters per day. An additional 10,000 cubic
meters per day can be purchased from Sattahip to stock up water reserves at
Mabprachan Reservoir.
Feed pipe systems that have either been completed or are in the works
include from Dok Kray and Nong Pla Lai Reservoir to Banglamung, and from Pra
Sae Reservoir in Rayong to Pattaya, which could be used during a water
shortage.
Dhanee Thongprachum, manager of the regional Irrigation Department, said
that in future, Pattaya’s water problems will be over as feed pipes have
been laid and expanded under a support budget of 261 million baht.
Two wells are also being constructed, one at Thappraya Hill and one at Soi
Khao Noi, each with a capacity of 15,000 cubic meters. However, the latter
is currently involved in a land dispute with Wat Boon Samphan. Negotiations
should be finalized by May.
Two Russian women shot dead on Jomtien Beach
Manhunt on for lone gunman
with mystery motive
Boonlua Chatree
Police are searching for a lone gunman after two young Russian women were
shot dead on Jomtien Beach as they lay on beach loungers just before
daybreak.
The shooting took place in the early morning hours of February 24.
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Livbov Svirkova |
Tatiana Tsimfer |
The alarm was raised by a security guard on duty at the entrance to Anantaya
Resort, which is located at Soi 18, Jomtien Beach, just 20 meters away from
where the women were sitting.
Police arrived at the scene to find two Russian women, Miss Livbov Svirkova,
25 and Miss Tatiana Tsimfer, 30 slumped in their beach chairs with multiple
bullet wounds in their dead bodies.
The bodies were later transferred to the Forensic Institute whose initial
findings reported that Svirkova and Tsimfer were inflicted with six and four
9-mm bullet wounds respectively.
Examining the scene of the shooting, police found four empty 9mm cartridge
cases. The table where the two were sitting at held a bottle of whisky, a
glass, one mobile phone and a mini skirt.
Somsak Noonoi, 28, an employee of the Siam Pattaya Guard Company, told
officers that he was on duty at the Anantaya Resort entrance when he heard
one gunshot, so he ran out to investigate. As he was running he heard more
gunshots. Initially it was reported that he saw a young Thai man, about 165
cm tall, wearing a black T-shirt and white jeans with a gun in hand run to a
motorcycle and fled towards the end of Jomtien Beach. Later investigations
reported that the nationality of the murderer is still not determined.
The gunman silhouette was
captured on the city’s CCTV cameras.
The two women arrived on February 16, with the Discovery Holiday Tour
Company and were staying at the Dragon Beach Resort on Jomtien Beach,
approximately 500 meters away from where they were shot. At approximately 4
a.m. they left their room and stopped to buy whisky at a 7-Eleven store, and
then went to the beach to enjoy a swim at daybreak.
Pictures taken from the city’s CCTV show a man park his motorcycle at the
roadside about 5 meters away from the where the women were sitting, run
across the wide footpath, jump down onto the beach and fire shots at
something or someone. He then ran back to his motorcycle and rode away.
The CCTV captured images of the gunman during the nine-second shooting but
his face could not be seen clearly.
Police theorized that the gunman wasn’t after valuables because the women
weren’t wearing anything of value.
Acting national police chief Pol Gen Seripisuth Temiyavej has ordered that
the killer be found quickly because this reflects badly on the country’s
image and inevitably its tourism businesses.
Minister of Tourism and Sport Suwit Yodmanee said this crime, like any other
murder of foreigners in Thailand, would definitely affect the tourism
momentum especially in the Russian market. About 100,000 Russians travel to
Thailand and to Pattaya City annually. Their visits generate millions of
baht for many businesses.
The Russian consul in charge of the case said no evidence had been found to
indicate that two women were involved in international sex or illegal drugs
trading. They worked as telephone operators in their hometown and that this
was their first trip to Thailand.
Police said the women had bought a package tour to Thailand and in the eight
days since they had arrived they hadn’t traveled much with the tour group,
usually sightseeing around town by themselves. Police said they didn’t know
whom they met or what they had done during those days because the tourists
could move around freely and are not obliged to travel with the group.
Pol Lt Gen Assawin Kwanmuang, chief of the Provincial Police Bureau 2, said
he has set up an operations center at a hotel near the murder site, and
organized 12 groups of officers to gather information on what has become a
nationwide headline murder case. He said the team leaders meet every seven
hours to update the situation. Police have offered 100,000 baht to anyone
who can provide them with information that will lead to the capture of the
killer.
Police have questioned the tour guide of the company from which the two
victims purchased the tour package. Investigators said the tour leader had
received the two women and other tourists from U-Tapao Airport on their
arrival to the kingdom and delivered them to their hotel.
Security guard Somsak remains the most valuable witness so far, and police
are keeping him in their care for further questioning as the case proceeds.
Police have also questioned the shopkeeper who sold the alcohol to the
women, and are searching for the baht bus driver who delivered them to the
beach.
Police are checking the women’s mobile phones for clues as to whom they were
in contact with during their stay in Pattaya.
Footprints were found on the sand near the bodies, but police are
disappointed that they couldn’t make out which were the shooter’s
footprints, because by the time they arrived, curious onlookers had mingled
around the bodies thus disrupting any sign of evidence that could have been
vital to establishing the identity of the gunman.
On Tuesday Pol. Col. Suthin Sappuang, superintendent of Pattaya police
station summoned over 500 motorcycle taxi drivers to meet with his
investigation team. He urged anyone of them who may have information of the
movements of the women during their last 8 days to come forward and help
police with their investigations.
Meanwhile at city hall, Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh said that out of the
85 CCTVs installed around Pattaya and Jomtien, only 60 were in working
condition. The defective cameras were sent back to the manufacturer in
England for repairs, 13 have come back but have yet to be installed.
Indoor stadium now under city management
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Dr Suwit Yodmanee, Minister of Tourism and Sport, presided over a meeting
for public opinion on the 4th National Sports Development Plan 2007-2011,
held on February 16 at the Tide Resort.
 Minister
of Tourism and Sports Dr. Suwit Yodmanee.
During his visit the minister also signed an agreement to transfer the
management of the recently built indoor track and field stadium to Pattaya
City management.
The National Plan has six development strategies aimed at basic sports,
public sports, sports standards, professional sports, sports science and
technology, and sports management.
Pirom Simasatien, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and
Sport, which organized the meeting, said that public consultation at this
stage was particularly important as the ministry was investigating opinion
on every level, including government departments, public sports
associations, learning institutes, and sub-district administration
organizations.
This exercise is being carried out in five regions, namely Chiang Mai, Khon
Kaen, Chonburi, Songkla and Bangkok. Once the data has been collected and
analyzed it will be applied to the National Sports Development Plan.
Dr Suwit said that sports for the elderly and the disabled would be promoted
alongside sport for the able-bodied, and he urged national and local
organizations to provide their input on this to ensure that the required
budgets were included.
During his visit the minister also signed an agreement along with Kanokphan
Junkasem, director of the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, and Mayor Niran
Wattanasartsathorn to transfer the 472,500,000 baht indoor track and field
stadium to Pattaya City jurisdiction. The stadium was used for the 1st Asian
Indoor Games. Pattaya City will now manage the stadium.
Monthian Thongnit, deputy governor of Chonburi, said that the province is
preparing to present itself as host for 39 national sports games in 2010.
Volunteers trained to cope
with possibility of rabies outbreak
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Fears of a possible outbreak of rabies during the hot summer months has led
to the training of volunteer veterinary workers throughout the 27 Pattaya
communities.
Surapong Wongsontrapron, a veterinarian at the Public Health Office in
Pattaya City said that although at present there are no known cases of dogs
or humans infected with rabies, the situation is being closely monitored.
 People
are being encouraged to bring in their dogs for rabies vaccination.
A training program started on February 16 in which approximately 120
volunteers from the 27 communities within Pattaya City will learn how to
handle isolated incidents of rabies.
A few days later, on February 20, another program began that provides
information to the public and encourages them to bring their dogs in for
vaccinations or for sterilization, free of charge. The service is provided
at Pattaya Public Health Office between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The information is disseminated via mobile units that tour the communities.
Data for the year 2006 shows that during the year 2,137 dogs and 746 cats
were brought in to receive vaccinations. This year Pattaya City has a goal
of performing this operation on no less than 80 percent of the animals in
Pattaya City.
Surapong said that although the population of dogs was being controlled,
data shows the number is not decreasing. This is because dogs and cats are
able to give birth to many offspring. City hall is asking for the
cooperation of the communities in catching stray dogs and taking them to the
dog pound at Jomtien. The pound receives an annual budget of 600,000 baht to
support and feed the strays.
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay on behalf of Pattaya City recently donated some
3,500 kilos of dog food to the pound. Currently the pound is taking care of
464 stray dogs and 42 stray cats. Another pound has recently been opened at
Plutaluang District in Sattahip to take care of the overspill.
City Scope: Mayor confident city will continue to attract tourists
Security and water supply issues are taken care of
(Left to right) Chaiwat
Charoensuk, Chatchawal Supachayanont and Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn are
optimistic about the future of tourism in Pattaya.
Narisa Nitikarn
Pattaya City is working hard to provide services and security for visitors
and will continue to be a major tourist attraction, says Mayor Niran
Wattanasartsathorn.
Niran was presenting a speech on the development of Pattaya and the role of
the private sector, which he delivered at a meeting at the Long Beach Hotel
in Naklua on February 21.
Co-presenters at the meeting were Chatchawal Supachayanont, president of the
Thai Hotels Association Eastern Chapter, and Chaiwat Charoensuk, director of
the Tourism Authority of Thailand Central Office Region 3.
Niran said there was a city hall budget of 16 million baht to promote
tourism, and that every department involved has been directed to cooperate
fully so that the maximum potential can be achieved from this amount.
The unrest in the South and the bombings in Bangkok have caused worry
amongst investors and visitors, but city hall has a strategic plan for
safety that includes the installation of CCTV cameras in the Pattaya and
Jomtien areas.
Chatchawal asked the mayor about the possible problems with water shortages
during this year, saying that last year the situation had become critical
and attracted a good deal of negative publicity.
Niran said that the main reservoir for Pattaya City, Mabprachan, could
supply between 90 and 95 percent of the city’s raw water needs. If there is
not enough water in Mabprachan, nearby reservoirs can supply more, as the
laying of pipelines from the Chaknork and Bangpra reservoirs is now
complete. The Provincial Water Works Authority is looking to find a way to
increase the amount of production for enough water to supply the demand for
homeowners and businesses.
The mayor also presented a report on the marketing plans for 2007 including
a presence at ITB Berlin, which will be held at the Berlin Exhibition
Grounds in Germany from March 7 to 11.
Two foreign men accused of beating and robbing Israeli tourist
The two accused are put on
display.
Boonlua Chatree
Two foreign men accused of breaking into the Pattaya hotel room of an
Israeli visitor to beat and rob him were seized by police in Bangkok the
following day under an arrest warrant issued by Pattaya Provincial Court.
Bojan Papo, a 27-year-old Australian citizen, and Ron Bazilai, 33, an
Israeli, were still in possession of the 290,000 baht they are accused of
stealing from their victim.
Late at night on February 15, the two men were alleged to have gone to the
room of Nahm Iasav Raham, a 46-year-old Israeli who was staying at a hotel
in Naklua.
Raham subsequently told police that he was taking a rest in his room and had
the door open when a man he knew well, and who he identified as Bazilai, had
entered with an unknown man and attacked him, punching him and hitting him
with an iron bar.
Raham had escaped from his room and called the police. When he went back he
discovered that a bag containing 290,000 baht in Thai currency and euros,
plus his passport, an ATM card and his cell phone had been taken.
The two men had already taken a taxi and fled, but police investigations
revealed they were hiding out at the Nonsri Residence on Chuaploeng Road, in
the Yannawa district of Bangkok. Police officers arrested them as they were
walking out of the secluded hotel.
Pol Maj Gen Panya Mamen, commander-in-chief of the Tourist Police, who
announced the arrests at a police briefing on the morning of February 17,
said that both of the accused men denied the charges, but they had been
caught with all the evidence and he was confident there was a case against
them.
Bazilai has lived in Thailand for 14 years, and is the owner of an Israeli
restaurant on Khaosarn Road. He had met Raham in Pattaya, and asked him
several times for money. Raham said he always gave money to the accused,
because he felt that he was helping a fellow countryman. On the day of the
robbery, however, Raham had refused. This had led to the assault.
Navy cracks down on smoking by officers and ratings
Vice Admiral Chanchai Charoensuwan, commander of
Sattahip Naval Base, chops a mock up of a cigarette to kick off the Royal
Thai Navy’s campaign to help people stop smoking.
Patcharapol Panrak
The Royal Thai Navy is leading a campaign to help people stop smoking,
asking all its personnel to try and quit the habit.
Admiral Satirapan Kaeyanon, commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy, is
heading the campaign. He said that everyone in the service, and in
government departments connected with the service, is being offered the
opportunity to receive specialist advice from experts from within and
outside of the Navy, to “absolutely stop smoking”.
The project is being undertaken as a merit-making exercise for His Majesty
the King, who celebrates his 80th birthday on December 5.
Vice Admiral Chanchai Charoensuwan, commander of Sattahip Naval Base, said
that he has assigned Apakorn Kiatwong Hospital to offer help and advice to
officers and their families. The first step, he said, is for those officers
and employees who wish to stop smoking to join the project. They will then
have a qualified expert to give them advice and help, which will lead them
to stop smoking.
Admiral Nopporn Ajavakom, commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Fleet, said
that the Navy has a target of reducing the incidence of smoking to zero, and
that the campaign is being conducted throughout all the divisions of the
Navy, under the responsibility of each division commander.
Vice Admiral Jumnong Kittipeerachol, commander of First Naval Area Command,
said that he has initiated a strict policy. If any officer smokes
cigarettes, that will have an affect on consideration of promotion and
transfers. Any officer who smokes cigarettes will not able to transfer to
the First Naval Area Command.
Admiral Satirapan said that smoking is the cause of many direct and indirect
diseases. Each year the Navy and the government spend a large part of its
medical budget on treating officers and their families for medical
conditions contracted through smoking.
Apart from that, he said, smoking is an expense, with smokers spending money
on cigarettes that should be spent on their families.
Hotel chairman donates 3M baht of aircon units to Police HQ
One hundred air conditioning
units have been donated by the chairman of the new Nusa Playa Hotel for use
at the Police Region 2 Headquarters.
Boonlua Chatree
One hundred air conditioning units have been donated by the chairman of the
new Nusa Playa Hotel for use at the Police Region 2 Headquarters.
The presentation took place at the hotel at 5 p.m. on February 21, with Pol
Lt Gen Somdej Kaokam, deputy commander-in-chief of Region 2 receiving the
units from Wisanu Thepcharoen, chairman of the Nusasiri Group.
Also in attendance were Pol Col Sutin Suppuang, superintendent of Pattaya
Police Station, Pol Col Noppadon Sornsumrarn, superintendent of Banglamung
Police Station, Pol Lt Col Chanapat Nawalak, deputy superintendent of
investigation at Pattaya Police Station, and Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn.
Nusa Playa Hotel is a new hotel located at Soi 13 Na Jomtien Beach. The
37-story property has a total of 580 rooms.
Wisanu said the value of the 100 air conditioning units presented to Police
Region 2 Headquarters was more than 3 million baht, and that the donation
was made in recognition of the work done by the police in serving residents
and visitors.
Culture Street will bring tradition back to Songkran
Narisa Nitikarn
Promoting authentic Thai culture is to be the aim of the festivities
surrounding the Thai New Year, Songkran, in April.
 Suan
Phanomwattanakul (left), chairman of the Chonburi Cultural Council and
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay discuss the upcoming Songkran festival.
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay chaired a meeting of the administrative board
of the Chonburi Cultural Council on February 8, with chairman Suan
Phanomwattanakul present, to discuss the proposed Culture Street to be held
during Songkran.
The event will be staged at Chonburi April 7 to 15 and at Bali Hai Pier
April 11 to 19.
Verawat said that Pattaya District Office would be happy to fully cooperate
with the Culture Street festival with the aim of celebrating Songkran in the
traditional manner, unlike previous years when it has been celebrated
violently.
The next step is to campaign among the public, especially among the young on
how to pour water and request blessings from elders and preserve the fine
traditions.
The opening ceremony at Bali Hai Pier will be held on April 12 at 5 p.m.,
when there will be a colorful five-region cultural parade, representing the
cultures of Central Region, the North, South, Issan and East. There will
also be a parade to celebrate the cultures of Pattaya’s diverse foreign
community.
Verawat said that the event is being organized during the time that Naklua
and Pattaya celebrate wan lai (water pouring), when tourists from all around
the country will be attending in great numbers.
Suan said that Culture Street has received two 500,000 baht budgets from
Chonburi Provincial Administration to stage the event in Chonburi and
Pattaya. However, meetings on the organization of both the Culture Streets
will be held between sub-committees in order that each district can
independently submit the format of their parades.
City on continuing alert for bird flu
Buppa Songsakulchai (left), a
Pattaya public health specialist, reminds Napaporn Toyee-Id, vendor at the
Maela-Or Food Market, to choose poultry that is safe before bringing it to
sell to consumers.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Buppa Songsakulchai, a Pattaya public health specialist, said that although
there have been no cases of the bird flu virus H5N1 in the city, public
health services are closely monitoring the situation.
Poultry would continue to be on sale, said Buppa, and at present demand is
constant, so more information would be provided to consumers and poultry
vendors to ensure they are on the alert.
The Consumer Protection Unit at the Public Health and Environment Office in
Pattaya City has mobile inspectors to monitor the bird flu situation at food
markets around Pattaya. They provide information to people for choices in
buying chicken, duck and other poultry.
Buppa said that the virus cannot survive in heat of more than 70 degrees
Celsius, therefore consumers can safely eat the meat that is cooked at this
temperature or higher.
Most vendors have the opportunity of purchasing poultry that has been tested
by the Department of Livestock Development. Napaporn Toyee-Id, a 29-year-old
vendor at the Maela-Or Food Market, said that the meat is received from a
poultry slaughterhouse in Naklua, and that it carried a seal of approval
from the department. Consumers feel reassured when they see that.
Bird flu virus is carried in the intestines, and the birds don’t show any
symptoms. When wild birds migrate they can spread the virus. When other
animals such as chickens and ducks become infected, there are two stages to
the virus. If the animal has the less serious stage, it can recover.
However, if it is a serious infection the animal may die.
Dead dolphin found
on Jomtien Beach
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Tourists alerted City Public Safety Department officials on the morning of
February 17 that a species of bottlenose dolphin was lying on Jomtien Beach
near the Tourist Service Center. City officials along with veterinary staff
went to the scene where the dolphin was examined. It was thought to be three
to four years old, and at 1.5 meters in length weighed around 100 kilograms.
The creature had been dead for about a week. There was a piece of fishing
net wrapped around part of its tail, and it is assumed the dolphin had been
caught up with an abandoned net that fishermen had cut loose and left in
Pattaya Bay. If the dolphin’s tail had become enmeshed, it might have lost
its strength to swim, and died.
Officials transferred the body for burial. They said the number of dolphin,
especially this species, has almost reached the point of extinction.
Fishermen rarely see dolphin in the bay. Those that are spotted there might
have become detached from their school in the Bang Pa Kong River and swum to
the Gulf of Thailand.
Navy chief conducts ceremony at Thungprong Temple
Admiral Nopporn Ajavakom,
commander-in-chief of Royal Thai Fleet at Sattahip, places gold leaf paper
on the sacred religious marker stone.
Patcharapol Panrak
Admiral Nopporn Ajavakom, commander-in-chief of Royal Thai Fleet at
Sattahip, on February 20 conducted a ceremony for the sacred marker stones
at Thungprong Temple in Plutaluang sub-district, Sattahip.
Chairman of the Plutaluang Sub-district Administrative Organization Thaweep
Taengkaew, and Piroj Marakul na Ayuthaya, chairman of the Sattahip
Sub-District Administrative Organization, were amongst those attending the
ceremony.
Previously, Thungprong Temple was located on the shore beside the bay where
the Navy Reconnaissance Fleet is presently moored, but it was moved to a new
location in Plutaluang sub-district because the Navy needed the land for
maneuvers.
The Navy has therefore always supported the temple, which is a remote one
and which was reconstructed with funds raised by followers. Each year the
Navy brings robes and offerings for the monks, and this ceremony was for
applying gold leaf to the marker, which consists of round stones buried in
the ground to mark the sacred limits of the temple.
Garbage worries rise as volume increases during high season
Vimolrat Singnikorn
The increasing amount of garbage generated by Pattaya City is causing
concern at city hall, where there are worries that inadequate collection and
disposal during the high season might harm Pattaya’s tourism image.
On February 16, chairman of Pattaya City Council Tavich Chaiswangwong called
a meeting to discuss the performance of East West Management Co Ltd in
collecting refuse.
Amongst those attending the meeting were Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay and
Mrs Rujilapa Yaemlaor, managing director of East West Management.
Rujilapa said the volume of refuse has increased in proportion to the
increase in the number of visitors and the number of new residents, and that
the refuse from the business and industrial sectors is also growing in size
and diversity.
“Currently the company provides 21 garbage trucks with routes around Pattaya
City to collect all of the garbage, but these are not enough to cope with
the increased volume and consequently there is garbage left behind,” she
said.
Tavich said this problem is common for all growing cities such as Pattaya.
Pattaya City hired East West Management to attend to this problem. If the
company cannot handle it, then Pattaya City will hire another company.
Tavich added that currently Pattaya City is divided into a ratio of 70:30
for garbage collecting, in which 70 percent of the total is the company’s
responsibility, and 30 percent is Pattaya City’s responsibility. There is
between 230 and 240 tons of garbage left behind in several areas per day.
Rujilapa said the company would add four garbage collection trucks to its
fleet in an effort to improve the situation.
Sontaya leads team in discussing end of the political term
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Sontaya Khunplome, former Minister of Tourism and Sport, chaired a meeting
of the We Love Chonburi group on February 13 to start assessing the work of
the present administration of Pattaya City in view of the fact that the
current political term will come to an end in 2008.
 Sontaya
Khunplome
Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn and his chief advisor Itthipol Khunplome
attended the meeting, along with Pattaya City Council members and city hall
administrators. Reporters were not allowed inside the two-hour session.
Sontaya said after the meeting that it was a consultation for all levels of
the We Love Chonburi political group. Pattaya City is an important part of
the province, and the political term is going to end in 454 days. The
purpose of the meeting was to assess the work of administrators and Pattaya
City Council members, to see how they had progressed and how they had
satisfied the people.
The session had included planning for work before this term ends, in order
to prepare readiness to support the future election. Topics ranged from
infrastructure and services to support the 27 communal areas, traffic
control, environmental concerns, and the services provided for tourists.
Sontaya said there are already candidates lining up to contest for the
position of mayor, and that the election would be won on the provision of
information on clear and sound policies.
New Pattaya City Hospital scheduled to open in 2010
Budget requested to ease burden
on Banglamung Hospital
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
A new hospital is planned for Pattaya in order to treat the growing
population and to ease the burden on Banglamung Hospital.
 Deputy
Mayor Verawat Khakhay says the city should go ahead and begin planning the
hospital even though it won’t be easy.
Pattaya District Office is preparing a budget for construction of the
proposed Pattaya City Hospital, which is anticipated to open in 2010.
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay called a meeting on February 7 to discuss plans
for the new hospital, with a representative of Smithivate Hospital in
Sriracha present, along with a team of architects from the Ministry of
Public Health.
Verawat said the intention was to ease the pressure on Banglamung Hospital,
which is dealing with an increasing number of patients and is currently
treating more than 800 people a day.
He said that city hall is in the process of submitting a budget to the
Bureau of the Budget, which is in agreement with the project because it
would benefit the local population.
“It is anticipated that the budget will be allocated in 2008 and the
hospital will be operational in 2010,” the deputy mayor said.
Pattaya City Hospital will be a six-story, 80-bed hospital built adjacent to
the Pattaya Public Health Office on Soi Buakhao in Central Pattaya.
New beach umbrellas provide a sponsored place in the sun
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh
describes the changes that are taking place with the first phase of the
city’s project to have the private sector sponsor Pattaya’s beach umbrellas.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
One year after the initial idea, city hall’s concept of the private sector
sponsoring Pattaya’s beach umbrellas and therefore doing much to improve the
appearance of the beaches is beginning to become a reality.
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh and Dhanavat Sripraphan, chairman of the
Pattaya Beach Umbrella and Deckchair Association held a meeting on February
22 with the beach operators to describe the changes that are taking place
with the first phase of the project.
Ronakit said that a three-kilometer stretch of Pattaya Beach is to receive
8,200 umbrellas sponsored by Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, at a total cost of 5
million baht. City hall has already received part of the funds.
The new umbrellas are of a much higher standard than the old ones and are
made from Oxford canvas, measuring 42x16 inches and with a pole 2.4 meters
long. They bear the words Pattaya Beach. Ronakit said the contract is for a
period of three years.
The operators will start receiving the umbrellas this month and will have to
take good care of them for if an umbrella becomes damaged the operator will
have to foot the repair bill.
The project will spread to other beaches such as Jomtien and Dong Taan for
which other private sector businesses have shown an interest, amongst them
ING Life Insurance Company Limited. The umbrellas will display the names of
the beaches to which they will be assigned.
No traffic problems during Songkran says culture chairman
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Traffic will not be disrupted during the Thai New Year festival, Songkran,
when the focus of activities will be promotion of the cultures of the five
regions of Thailand, says the chairman of Chonburi Culture Council.
 Somdul
Thamnao, deputy chairman of the Culture Council in Panatnikom District,
worries this year’s Songkran festivities will once again cause traffic
chaos.
A meeting of the organizing committee was held on February 21 at Pattaya
City Hall, with Suan Phanomwattanakul, chairman of Chonburi Culture Council
in the chair.
Songkran festivities will be held over the period of April 11 to 19 at Bali
Hai Pier. April 13 to 15 will be National offcial Songkran holidays and
Wanlai (the water “pouring” event) will be held in Naklua, and Pattaya city
on April 18 and 19 consecutively.
Suan said that with a large number of Thai and foreign tourists in Pattaya
for the festivities, this would be a good opportunity to promote Thai
culture. The five regions, namely Central Thailand, the North, Issan, the
South and the East will be represented through cultural performances, and
OTOP products will be on sale.
Somdul Thamnao, deputy chairman of the Culture Council in Panatnikom
District, voiced his concern over the traffic problem. “Every year there are
always serious traffic problems, and it is feared that this will cause
trouble in the area where the event is held,” he said.
Suan reassured him, saying that officers from the Provincial Police in
Pattaya and the Pattaya Tourist Police will be on hand to solve all the
problems relating to traffic and the safety of tourists and residents.
8 million baht budget provided for community health projects
Pattaya’s Public Health and
Environmental Department officials discuss public services for 2007.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Pattaya’s Public Health and Environmental Department is providing a budget
of more than 8 million baht for a range of community public health projects.
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay on February 12 chaired a consultation meeting
with department officials, with director Mrs Wannaporn Jamjumrus, sanitary
advisor Buphaa Songsakulchay, and Na Anya Jantharakaat, head of the
Communicable Disease Prevention Department attending.
Verawat said this year a priority would be given to community projects and
free services. The Public Health and Environmental Department would have a
budget of 8,124,000 baht for 47 projects, such as exercise for health,
testing for diabetes, drug addiction prevention, and a campaign to promote
food cleanliness and safety.
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