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Immigration announces new requirements
for retirement visas
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
The Immigration authorities have issued new requirements for
foreigners wishing to apply for a retirement visa, including the need to
have an ATM card and a credit card.
Pol Lt. Samruay Saman, deputy inspector at Pattaya Immigration announced the
new rules on November 12.
 Pol.
Lt. Samruay Saman, deputy inspector at Pattaya Immigration
Applicants using visa application form TM 7 have to enclose their passport,
a 4 x 6 cm photograph, 1,900 baht fee, proof of income (certificate of bank
deposit and bank book savings account, or a fixed account for at least the
last three months), and proof of an appropriate amount of money from abroad
through the bank in a certain period of time, such as a certificate of
transfer from abroad or copy of a banking transfer order.
In the event of having any dependents such as a husband, a wife or children,
then the relationship certificate approval with Thai translation certified
by the embassy or consulate must be presented.
The authorities reserve the right to ask for any additional necessary
documents in the event of requiring a copy of an ATM and credit card
statement, a bank statement, a bank book, and a certificate of pension from
the embassy in the event the source of such an amount cannot be checked.
Regulations for taking into consideration a foreign applicant’s extension
for staying in Thailand require that the foreigner be more than 50 years
old, and not forbidden to enter into the kingdom. The foreigner must have
financial proof of a deposited amount of no less than 800,000 baht, or a
monthly income of no less than 65,000 baht, or an annual income of no less
than 800,000 baht in total.
For more information please visit www.immigration.go.th
Sattahip PWD will clear
burned houses on seafront
Patcharapol Panrak
The area on Sattahip Beach Road where a fire burned down a large
number of old houses on August 17 is to be cleared, although no decision has
yet been taken on what will be built on the plot of land, which belongs to
Sattahip Temple.
 Cleanup
is still underway in Sattahip after the Aug 17 fire razed this area.
Most of the tenants of the houses were long-term Sattahip residents and the
area was a well-established one, Sattahip Market dating back at least 100
years. The fire destroyed 40 houses and made 120 people homeless. The
primary estimation of damage was approximately 15 million baht.
The area, however, has yet to be cleared, and remains as a depressing
reminder to the former inhabitants of the disaster that overcame their
homes.
Mayor of Sattahip Narong Bunbancherdsri has appointed the Public Works
Department to clear the area and undertake landscaping to make the land at
least look presentable until such a time as a decision is taken on what to
build there. The land belongs to Sattahip Temple, and any new development
requires approval from the abbot and the hierarchy.
For actual construction, anyone who has obtained a title deed and who wishes
to erect a structure should first contact Sattahip Municipality. People
wishing to build but not possessing a title deed should contact the Ministry
of Natural Resources and the Environment to obtain a permit.
Narong said Sattahip Temple is still discussing whether to allow villagers
to build residences on the land, or for the temple to construct a commercial
building to lease to the people. There is no solution yet, he said. However,
the immediate priority is to remove this eyesore and improve the appearance
of the beach road.
Lucky license plate goes under the hammer for 735,000 baht
Theerarak Suthatiwong
Lucky number plates went under the auction hammer on November 10 at
the Pacific Hall in the Tide Resort Hotel at Bangsaen, with bidders vying
for the most auspicious vehicle numbers newly issued by the Land
Transportation Department for Chonburi.
 License
plate Gor Ror 9999 received a bid of 160,000 baht, not nearly as much as the
735,000 baht bid for Gor Ror 8888.
Land Transportation director general Silapachai Jarukasemwattana chaired the
auction for the license numbers, which is the fifth of its kind to be held
in Chonburi Province.
The car plates have been issued with a maximum of seven alphabet groups and
the designation Gor Ror, and registered in Chonburi. Top price paid was for
Gor Ror 8888, which received a bid of 735,000 baht from Mrs Pariyapan
Sophonkitchanit, the owner of Wedding Studio. Plate Gor Ror 5555 received a
bid of 590,000 baht, and Gor Ror 9999 received a bid of 160,000 baht.
Prasit Sirisang, Chonburi Land Transportation Officer said the winners of
the bids would receive special plates with a graphic scenery design of
Pattaya Bay. Twenty lucky telephone SIM numbers for GSM/AIS systems also
went under the hammer.
Income from the auction was about 20 million baht, higher than any of the
previous auctions.
Unpaid fees for garbage
collection cause concern at city hall
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
City hall is increasingly concerned at the amount of garbage collection fees
that remain unpaid, with the Environmental Management Department holding a
meeting on November 7 to discuss the problem.
 Pramot
Sapsaeng, the city’s environment chief, says some folks are behind on their
refuse pickup payments.
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay chaired the meeting, which also included city
environment chief Pramot Sapsaeng.
Verawat Khakhay said city hall was especially concerned about those who have
not paid their refuse collection fees for the period 2003 to 2005, an amount
that adds up to more than 100,000 baht. In October this year there were 154
houses with an unpaid amount of 99,925 baht.
Pattaya City will urge that a company be directly responsible for collecting
the debts with officials asking for payments. This company must inform
Pattaya City in the event that these debts cannot be collected. If this
happens, then Pattaya City would send an officer to collect the payment once
again.
If the debtors have reasonable cause for not paying the fees for things such
as closing of businesses, then Pattaya City would cancel this collection
fee. However, the debtors must notify Pattaya City Council.
If a payment cannot be collected and a business is still running, then
Pattaya City will use other methods to ask for payment. This will be done by
studying other regulations such as food storage certificates, and tax
certificates that involve business.
TAT plans campaign to
woo Japanese visitors to Pattaya
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is to undertake a marketing
campaign next year to woo Japanese visitors to Pattaya, following the
discovery that less than 10 percent of Japanese tourists to Thailand are
actually visiting the city.
 Chaiwat
Charoensuk, director of the TAT Central Region 3 Office
A meeting was held by the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association on
November 14 at Green Park Resort to discuss marketing plans for next year.
PBTA president Chamrun Witsawachaipan chaired the meeting.
Chaiwat Charoensuk, director of the TAT Central Region 3 Office said that
there is currently a 16 million baht support budget from Pattaya City for
tourism marketing. Of this amount, 10 million baht will be divided into two
strategies: 6 million baht will be spent on advertising overseas, and 4
million baht on domestic advertising.
Creative Juice is the company that has been appointed for the domestic
advertising budget, and will come up with an additional amount of 4 million
baht, taking the domestic budget to 8 million baht. This campaign is
currently at the plan presentation stage.
In the overseas markets, Nok Air and the TAT will work together to bring in
the travel companies and media from Malaysia and China to Pattaya.
A fam trip is also being organized for travel companies in Tokyo and Osaka
with the intention of bringing more Japanese tourists to Pattaya. This is
after discovering that only 100,000 Japanese tourists are visiting Pattaya
each year out of a total amount of 1.6 million tourists to the country.
Pattaya received media coverage in Japan following the LPGA Golf Tournament
last October when 20 Japanese media personnel visited Pattaya to write about
the event.
Citizens urged not
to sell their right to vote
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Pattaya City has appointed a team of process experts to convince
people in the community not to sell their right to vote.
 Mayor
Niran Wattanasartsathorn
On November 14 at Pattaya City Hall, the Democratic Administrative
Development Center held a meeting to consider operations to respond to the
cabinet’s resolution to support democracy.
Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn chaired the meeting with a panel of Pattaya
process experts, and heads of the local communities attending.
Niran said that this meeting was held following the cabinet’s resolution on
October 9 for clean elections and impartial voting. Therefore, a national
agenda to resolve the problem of selling the right to vote was announced,
stating that all sectors should be responsible for their own areas.
The Ministry of Interior has set up a framework to support the operation,
based on expanding knowledge of the initiative, persuading the public and
the communities to be aware of the value of the right to vote, and forming a
support network to protect the rights of the individual.
Niran said that Pattaya City has assigned the Pattaya team of process
experts to extend this concept to the community leaders and school
directors. The process should be completed by December 10.
Sattahip schoolchildren learn how plants help reduce global warming
Khru Pattamat watches as her
students do their part to help
reduce global warming.
Patcharapol Panrak
Children from Ban Sattahip School are being encouraged to plant
flowers and saplings as part of a campaign to make them more aware of the
dangers of global warming.
The school held a meeting for students on November 12 led by Khru Pattamat
Kamsuk, with 31 boy and girl scouts also present for guidance. Miss Wantana
Waehatanarak, a pupil in secondary school class 2 was appointed leader of a
group to open the Flowering Plant Club, with a program named “4 Baht for a
Nice Homemade Garden.”
Under the program, students will each donate 4 baht to purchase one
flowering plant, which will be planted in the school garden.
Khru Pattamat said that global warming affects people all over the world,
but youngsters either ignore the problem or do not understand it. Planting
saplings and flowers will help them understand that plants help reduce CO2
and air pollution, increase green areas, add to the scenery, create an
environment, and lower the temperature.
Chonburi candidates
register their names
for the general election
Poramet Ngampichet, Chanyuth
Hengtrakul and Santsak Ngampichet sign up
to run for parliament.
Theerarak Suthatiwong
November 12 marked the opening by the Election Commission of
Thailand of the period in which MP Zone candidates could apply for
registration, a process that continued through to November 16, and the large
parties sent their most hopeful prospective parliamentarians along to sign.
Central Chonburi District was where Chonburi MP Zone candidates had to
register, and crowds of supporters turned up to offer flowers and good
wishes to their favorite candidates.
There were candidates from five parties who applied, namely Prachatipat,
Chart Thai, Matchimatipatai, Ruamjai Chat Pattana and Palang Prachachon.
There was a drawing for impartiality, with Anon Raewattananon, president of
the Chonburi Election Commission as the chairman. The draw was witnessed by
Komsan Ekachai, deputy governor of Chonburi and Pol Maj Gen Bandit,
Khunachak, commander of the Provincial Police in Chonburi.
Poolsak Sangkaew, director of elections for Chonburi explained the rules and
methods of the election before drawing numbers for the five parties’
candidates.
Zone 1 is Central Chonburi for Panthong and Panatnikom, which has three MPs.
The numbers for the Prachatipat party candidates are: No 1 Pramual Empia, No
2 Banchob Rungroj, and No 3 Manit Pawasut. The numbers for the Palang
Prachachon party are: No 4 Tanawat Wattanawongpinyo, No 5 Sarayut
Wongsaengthong, and No 6 Sanae Somsri. The numbers for the Chart Thai party
are: No 7 Somchai Sahachairungruang, No 8 Amarin Tangprakob, and No 9 Jatil
Khumkrong. The numbers for the Matchimatipatai party are: No 10 Ms Daowalak
Suriyathip, No 11 Sarancha Srichonwattana, and No 12 Somchai
Srisunthonwoharn. The numbers for the Ruamjai Chat Pattana party are: No 13
Nanthiwut Kosapanyatham, No 14 Pokkrong Pasukyuod, and No 15 Tanarat
Chawatkul.
Zone 2 is Koh Sichang for Banglamung, Sattahip and Sriracha (only
sub-districts of Sriracha, Surasak and Thungsukla), which has three MPs. The
numbers for the Prachatipat party candidates are: No 1 Mrs Pojanart
Kaewpaluk, No 2 Tanaroj Rojanasakul, and No 3 Maitree Soiluang. The numbers
for the Palang Prachachon party are: No 4 Vice Admiral Rot Wipatphumprated,
No 5 Chaisirimongkol Piriyapabsakul, and No 6 Admiral Surapol Chandaeng. The
numbers for the Matchimatipatai party are: No 7 Tongchai Pimchakul, No 8
Wichian Tangthamsatid, and No 9 Mrs Su-Inee Phiandee. The numbers for the
Chart Thai party are: No 10 Santsak Ngampichet, No 11 Chanyuth Hengtrakul,
and No 12 Poramet Ngampichet.
The last zone is Zone 3 for Borthong, Nongyai, Koh Chan, Banbung and
Sriracha (excluding the sub-districts of Sriracha, Surasak and Thungsukla),
which have two MPs. The numbers of candidates for the Matchimatipatai party
are: No 1 Pol Lt Col Sanong Promthaisong, and No 2 Surapol Pimsakul. The
numbers for the Palang Prachachon party are: No 3 Kasem Luang-On, and No 4
Chaichalerm Pitakplin. The numbers for the Prachatipat party are: No 5 Pol
Maj Gen Weera Anantakul, and No 6 Sorawut Nuangchamnong. The last party is
the Chart Thai party with candidates numbered as No 7 Uthai Maneerattanaroj,
and No 8 Jirawut Singtothong.
MP elections all over the country are scheduled on December 23, 2007, which
will be the first elections under the new constitution of 2007, following
the Council for National Security’s coup d’etat. It will be an indicator for
the future of Thai politics.
Man found dead in seated
position in mansion room
Boonlua Chatree
An autopsy is to be conducted on a British tourist who was found
dead in a seated position at a room in Prima Mansion during the afternoon of
November 1.
Housekeeper Miss Yupaporn Bunyaprawat, 24, notified Pattaya Police Station
that a man had passed away in room 103 on the first floor of the mansion,
which is located in Soi Rungland.
Officers went to the premises, a five-story apartment building with more
than 50 rooms. They identified the deceased as Paul John Graham Bone, age
51, from Hammersmith in the United Kingdom. The body was in a sitting
position at the table in the room. He was wearing a white T-shirt and
cream-colored three-quarter-length shorts. His hands were folded in his lap,
and he had two fine gold rings on his left ring finger. It was estimated
that he had passed away more than six hours previously.
In the room there were no signs of a struggle. A cellphone was beside the
corpse, and on the bedside table were a used glass and a bottle of drinking
water.
Yupaporn told the officers that she was the housekeeper at Prima Mansion.
She was cleaning the first floor and noticed that the room of the deceased
was open, and that the deceased was sitting down as if he was sleeping. She
opened the door and approached the man, feeling that he had been seated too
long. She spoke to him, and realized that he had passed away. She ran down
and told her colleagues that a tourist had died before informing an officer
by phone.
Police transferred the corpse to the Medical Jurisprudence Institute for
autopsy.
Service girl busted
for organizing drugs party
Boonlua Chatree
A service girl who plied her trade on Pattaya Beach has been
arrested for organizing a ya ba and ya ice party in her leased room with her
friends.
Police received a report at 1:30 a.m. on November 6 that a group of people
had gathered for a drugs party at a room on Soi Buakao. Officers arriving at
the scene found the door open. Entering, they found Miss Ampai Nijiram, the
24-year-old tenant of the room, high on drugs. She had with her four halves
of ya ba pills and a small pack of ya ice.
Ampai told police that she worked soliciting sex on Pattaya Beach. She had
bought five ya ba pills from Walking Street for 400 baht per pill, and paid
1,000 baht for a small ya ice pack. She took the drugs in her room with her
friends and foreigners, but they had already run away.
Police charged Ampai with illegal possession and consumption of Class 1
narcotics.
Swedish man dies after returning from hospital treatment
Boonlua Chatree
A Swedish man who had been suffering from a number of ailments
passed away at his home in Soi Adam, South Pattaya during the evening of
November 8.
The man’s partner, 33-year-old Miss Parat Klaharn, a resident of Uthai
Thani, notified Pattaya Police Station of the death. Officers arriving at
the scene identified the body as that of Lars Aake Gustafsson, age 55, a
native of Stockholm. He was lying on the bed and wearing a designer shirt
and shorts.
No signs of injury were found on the body, and there were no signs of a
struggle in the room. Medication was found on the table in the bedroom. The
corpse was transferred to the Medical Jurisprudence Institute to find the
cause of death.
Parat stated that she had lived with the deceased for more than two years.
He suffered from a number of ailments. Seven days previously he had returned
after a two-month stay in hospital. Parat said he had suffered a spasm and
coughing before passing away.
Drunken Russian gropes Mixx pub girl
Boonlua Chatree
A Russian man was fined by police after he drunkenly groped a
receptionist at the Mixx pub in South Pattaya.
Police received a radio call to the scene, which is next to the arched entry
at the Bali Hai end of Walking Street, at 2 a.m. on November 13. Thai and
foreign eyewitnesses were crowded around the entry to Mixx pub, where the
19-year-old victim, Ms Da (an alias name) and her colleagues were having a
verbal dispute with a group of Russian tourists.
Da indignantly asked the officers to arrest a Russian man there, because he
had molested her. The accused Russian was named as Mr Stefan, age 31, and he
admitted that he had groped her because he was drunk. He agreed to pay
damages.
Da said that she was performing her duty of inviting guests into the pub
when Mr Stefan came along and hugged her, groped her bottom and her
genitalia, and then grabbed her breasts. This had happened in front of a
crowd of people, and she was deeply embarrassed. She was frightened and
tried to get out of his arms, but Mr Stefan shouted and refused to apologize
to her until the police arrived.
The officers arranged a compromise and asked for 8,000 baht in damages from
Mr Stefan, before closing the case of molestation in public.
A brief look at Loy Krathong
meanings and traditions
According to the history written by King Mongkut in 1863,
the Loy Krathong festival has its roots in ancient Brahmin culture, going
back some 700 years. The spirits of the river were given offerings which
were sailed in the river in small boats (krathongs) and in this way the
owner of the krathong would gain absolution. This was a Brahmin belief.
 Loy
Krathong this year falls on Saturday, November 24.
The small boats fashioned by the beautiful and talented Nang Noppamas, the
daughter of a Brahmin priest and wife of King Phra Ruang, were notable for
their construction and beauty. It was this king who then dedicated the
krathong to the memory of the Buddha, and decreed that the event would be
called Loy Krathong and that it should become an annual celebration to
commemorate the skill and beauty of his consort. In this way he lifted it
out of Brahmin culture and installed it into the accepted Buddhist way of
life. This is the reason that the krathongs now carry three incense sticks
representing the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.
During the Loy Krathong Festival, people decorate their krathong with
flowers, joss sticks and candles which will then sail away, taking with them
bad health, bad luck and unhappiness.
Lanterns are well-known symbols in the Loy Krathong Festival, too, being
used to decorate houses and temples in worship of the guardian spirits.
There are four kinds of lantern used in the festival: the hand-held rabbit
lantern, the hot air balloon lantern (kom loy), the hanging lantern for
religious worship, and the spin lantern installed at the temples. The belief
in lanterns is that the lights inside compare with the wisdom the people
will gain in the next life.
Environmental conservation
the theme of Loy Krathong
Use only natural materials for krathongs says city hall
The city is ready to host this
year’s Loy Krathong Festival. Remember, only use biodegradable material in
your krathong.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
This year’s Loy Krathong Festival in Pattaya, to be held on November
24 at Bali Hai Pier, will focus on environmental protection and
conservation.
City hall and the Tourism Authority of Thailand Central Region 3, which are
jointly organizing the festival, held a briefing on November 13 that
emphasized all the krathongs that are being made for the competition must be
manufactured from cassava, banana leaves and other natural materials.
There will be a Pattaya Young Noppamas contest with more than 100,000 baht
in scholarships as the prizes.
Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn, mayoral advisor Itthipol Khunplome, and
Chaiwat Charoensuk, director of the TAT Region 3 Office announced the
festival program.
Niran said the festivities would be held from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Bali Hai
Pier. The SY Music Band will be featured on stage and other performers will
include Spicy Kids from the Tee Sib program, Bird Too Pleng, and the Jubjib
Choenyim comedy team.
Well-known teenage singer Ice-Saranyu, and Boy-Pitsanu Nimsakul AF #2,
Boy-Tadsufud AF #3, and other actors and actresses including Ja-Jittapa
Krungthep Ratree and Off-Akarapol Nareesamosorn will perform a concert. The
highlight of the festivities will be the Pattaya Young Noppamas contest.
Itthipol said that the krathongs should be made out of natural materials,
which will easily biodegrade. Cassava can be molded using a technique from
Belgium, which has been tested by Kasetsart University. A krathong made in
this way will biodegrade within six hours, becoming food for marine life.
Krathongs can also be made from bread and banana leaves.
Nong Nooch Loy Krathong
will feature coconut-shell krathongs
Patcharapol Panrak
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden is to hold its own Loy Krathong
festivities on November 23, the day before the official festival that will
be held on November 24.
Director Kampon Tansatcha has announced that the Nong Nooch festivities will
include the making of krathongs from coconut shells and candles, which will
cause no environmental damage as they decompose completely in the water.
Nong Nooch manager Manit Narinrak said that Nong Nooch Tropical Garden has a
policy to revive and conserve Thai traditions. Loy Krathong he said is one
of Thailand’s most charming festivals, and is also a major attraction for
Thai and foreign tourists alike.
November 23 at Nong Nooch will feature a gala dinner, a mini concert, a
fireworks display, a Noppamas parade, and a floating market in the lake at
the gardens.
Many attend funeral for deputy mayor’s elder brother
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Ekasit Ekasingh, the older brother of Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh,
was laid to rest on November 9 at St Nikolaus Church.
Amongst the mourners joining the family in the church were Mayor Niran
Wattanasartsathorn, mayoral advisor Itthipol Khunplome, former MP for
Chonburi Chanyuth Hengtrakul, and Pratheep Malhotra, managing director of
Pattaya Mail Publishing Co Ltd.
Father Paibun Udomdet led the Christian religious ceremony, with the
internment being in the church grounds.
Ekasit Ekasingh was the eldest son of Maria Piewpan and Prasert Ekasingh. He
passed away from heart disease on November 4 at the age of 58 years.
Ekasit, who was born on December 20, 1949, had lived in the US for many
years and returned to Thailand before his death. Ronakit, who is the second
son of the family, presented the eulogy.
Family and friends say their
final farewell to Ekasit Ekasingh.
Exhibition displays life and work of His Majesty the King
This weekend sees the final
few days of a nine-day exhibition held on the life and works of His Majesty
the King, held at Pattaya Indoor Stadium to commemorate His Majesty’s 80th
birthday.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
This weekend sees the final few days of a nine-day exhibition held
on the life and works of His Majesty the King, held at Pattaya Indoor
Stadium to commemorate His Majesty’s 80th birthday, which will be celebrated
on December 5.
Project supervisor Jutamas Nganaruemonkit of the Index Event Agency
discussed the final arrangements with Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn and the
organizing committee on November 12.
The exhibition is being held under a program initiated by the prime minister
and is one of a series of exhibitions being mounted throughout the four
regions of the country. Chonburi province was selected as the venue for the
Central region, with Pattaya City staging the exhibition over the period
November 17 to 25 at the Pattaya Indoor Stadium. Opening hours are 9 a.m. to
8 p.m.
Jutamas said that the display is organized into nine sections, illustrating
different aspects of the life and work of His Majesty. The signing of a gold
bodhi leaf is also being organized, with all four regions contributing a
gold leaf that will be presented to His Majesty in the final days of the
birthday celebrations.
1,679 cataract patients to have free operations under Chonburi program
Supporters of the “Clear
lenses for Thai people to honor HM the King’s 80th birthday” event gather
for a group photo.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Chonburi Province, working in association with a number of
organizations, is to carry out 1,679 operations free of charge on patients
suffering from cataracts, under a special program held to commemorate His
Majesty the King’s 80th birthday.
The operations, following clinical consultations with the patients, began on
November 14 at Samitivej Hospital in Sriracha, with an opening ceremony
presided over by Chonburi Governor Pracha Taerat.
The other organizations working with the provincial authorities are Chonburi
Red Cross, the Rotary Clubs in Chonburi, the Chonburi-Bangsaen Lions Club,
Samitivej Hospital in Sriracha, Samitivej Hospital in Srinakarin, Samitivej
Hospital in Sukhumvit, and Banpaew Hospital in Samut Sakhon.
This project came about from the ideas of a number of private organizations,
notably the Sriracha Rotary Club, which is handling the overall
organization.
A cataract is an opacity that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye,
and is often found in elderly people. A survey of a number of communities in
Chonburi revealed that 6,414 people had cataracts, a number that is
increasing every year.
Pracha said that the provincial bureaus undertaking the assessments for the
free operations had to select the most appropriate patients. In Panatnikhom
District tests were carried out on 1,006 people with the affliction, but
only 402 of them were selected for the operation. Muang District had 700
patients, but only 130 were selected. In total, 1,679 cataract patients will
receive the operation this time.
Assistant Prof Dr Somchai Patana-Anek, director of Samitivej Hospital in
Sriracha said that this project was a very beneficial one, because most of
the patients were poor and didn’t have enough money for medical treatment.
As the affliction can cause sufferers to later go blind, those having the
operation will benefit by having normal eye vision afterwards.
The cataract procedure in the hospital usually costs more than 30,000 baht.
However, by giving medical services free of charge, there is no cost under
this program to patients. The operations started on November 14 with about
100 patients, and the program will end around December 4.
Mrs Saensuk Emkovit, a 75-year-old cataracts patient who has been selected
for treatment said that she has suffered from cataracts for two or three
years, and that she was unable to see clearly. She had applied for treatment
immediately on hearing about this project. She said she felt very lucky to
have been selected for the operation, as she had no opportunity to pay for
it.
135M baht budget requested for new hospital
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Pattaya City has requested a budget of 135 million baht from the
Bureau of the Budget to construct the new Pattaya Hospital.
 Architect
Wachira Katanyutanon presents his draft plans for the new Pattaya Hospital.
The hospital, which will be located at Pattaya Public Health Center, is a
five-story structure that is being designed by Light and Space Co Ltd.
Architect Wachira Katanyutanon presented his draft plans at a city hall
meeting with Pattaya City chief Sittiprap Muangkoom on November 13.
The building divides essentially into two halves. The first to the third
floors will be a modern hospital-style building, but the two floors above
that will be incorporated into a more traditional roof design to avoid the
appearance of a block-shaped structure. The hospital is rated a medium-size
one, with a capacity of 82 beds.
Dr Wutichai Tawatthongchai, director of the medical section at Pattaya
Public Health Department said that the Pattaya Hospital plans are ready to
be handed over, and the layout is satisfactory for the general use area.
Detailed planning now has to be done to cover structural engineering,
mechanical and electrical engineering, sanitation, fire prevention systems,
and interior design.
Sittiprap has voiced concern over the hospital’s refuse system and in
particular its wastewater disposal, saying that environmentally friendly
systems must be installed.
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