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Surachai takes Chonburi seat in senate election
Low turnout at the polls
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
As widely predicted, Surachai Chaitrakulthong has won the election
to represent the province of Chonburi in the national senate, retaking the
position that he had held until the military coup in 2006.
The polling stations report that voter turnout was quiet, with only 393,477
people voting out of the 890,113 eligible.
 New
elected Chonburi Senator Surachai Chaitrakulthong
The low turnout for the senate election contrasted sharply with the
parliamentary election on December 23. Earlier there had been complaints
about lack of information on the candidates and for the advanced voting
facility for those unable to vote on the actual day.
Seven candidates stood for the Chonburi seat, namely Surachai
Chaitrakulthong, Chatchai Naewpaya, Rear Admiral Dara Burasikapong, Admiral
Sompob Phuridet, Kornkit Wutisomboon, Sombat Ouitrakul, and Chakapan
Naklada.
Surachai, well known from his previous term in the senate, came an easy
first with 167,375 votes. In second place was Admiral Sompob, who received
49,866 votes, and in third place was Rear Admiral Dara, who received 48,754
votes.
With 393,477 people casting their votes, there were 329,308 valid ballots,
11,821 invalid ballots, and 53,357 waived ballots.
Elections were held nationwide for the senate, one senator being elected for
each province, making a total of 76. There are an additional 74 senators
already selected, making a total of 150. A parliament meeting will be held
within 30 days, after certification by the Election Commissions.
Amongst the duties of the 150 senators are the screening of laws approved by
parliament, monitoring of the administration, and the appointments,
promotions and dismissals of politicians and officials. The term of the
senate is six years.
Surachai Chaitrakulthong is 47 years old, and holds a master’s degree. He
operates a private business, RCK Rungcharoen Co Ltd, which distributes
trucks and semi-truck chassis, and also has the largest warehouse for rent
in the Eastern region.
Thaksin stays out of limelight for security reasons
Bangkok (AP) - Deposed prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra has stayed out of the public eye since returning from exile
because of security reasons, an official said Monday.
“He hasn’t appeared in public much because we have to be careful about
security,” said Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama, who was previously
Thaksin’s lawyer and spokesman.
Noppadon did not elaborate on any specific security threats against Thaksin,
who returned home Thursday from 17 months in exile. Thaksin had lived abroad
since being ousted in a September 2006 coup.
The 58-year-old tycoon-turned-politician has opted not to stay at his
Bangkok residence. When asked why, Thaksin said the home was under
renovation, but the interior minister said the house posed a security risk.
Thaksin spent his first night on Thai soil at Bangkok’s Peninsula Hotel, a
5-star hotel chosen in part because of its rooftop helipad in case he
required an emergency evacuation, Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung.
After a night at the hotel, Thaksin moved to a location that has not been
disclosed.
Thaksin says he returned to Thailand to defend himself against corruption
charges and has promised to stay away from politics, though critics fear his
return is a calculated step toward regaining power.
Thaksin could face a total of 15 years in jail for two cases lodged against
him after the bloodless coup. He has been charged with corruption and
conflict of interest and failing to disclose his family’s assets. His first
trial opens March 12.
He was quickly granted bail in both cases, which will be heard over the next
two months. About US$2.1 billion (€1.4 billion) in assets belonging to
Thaksin and his family have been frozen until his name is cleared.
Baht buses continue
to flout no-parking rules
Staff Reporters
Baht buses are continuing to park in no-parking zones at the front of Big C
in North Pattaya, despite continuing complaints from the public.
Pedestrians and road users on Second Road have lodged complaints with the
police regarding the baht buses, which park at the red-white traffic signs
declaring this to be a no-parking area while they wait for customers to come
out from the department store. The result is traffic jams and obstructions.
Pattaya Mail reporters went to the scene, where they found a number of baht
buses with their engines turned off, waiting for passengers. When people
emerged from the store they climbed on board one of the waiting vehicles,
which then drove away. However, in each case there was another baht bus
waiting to fill the gap.
A reporter contacted Pol Maj Pitakpong Krongchon, traffic inspector, who
said that the police had received several complaints and that officers had
been dispatched to the area. Fines of between 200 and 300 baht were
regularly meted out, said Pol Maj Pitakpong. However, the drivers would not
obey the traffic regulations, and continued to return to the same spot.
The police have also asked for the cooperation of the Pattaya Baht Bus
Cooperative to control its members, and the results are still negative.
There is now a suggestion that the fines be increased to 800 baht. Pol Maj
Pitakpong said that he would be visiting the area himself to assess the
situation.
Every day, Pattaya’s baht bus
drivers park their vehicles in front
of the Big C department store, which obstructs traffic.
Electrical junk left on beach is an eyesore
Pramote Channgam
Jomtien residents are complaining that an assembly of electrical
junction boxes and a TV screen left on the beach for several years has
simply been forgotten about by city hall, which despite many requests has
yet to send workmen along to move them.
 It’s
time to do something about these big, ugly, rusting eyesores on Jomtien
Beach.
The equipment consists of about a dozen rusting components and was
originally used for a multimedia project.
Bamrung Sangsuwan, a 43-year-old Jomtien beach-bed vendor said the apparatus
had been out of service for the three years since he has been working on
this area of the beach. He said that city hall had been asked several times
to remove it, but that no one had paid any attention.
During rainfall, he claims, people had received electrical shocks but city
hall had only sent officials to turn off the power when people complained.
As the equipment deteriorates, it is becoming an increasingly ugly sight.
Covered in dirt and advertisement stickers, it is an eyesore. Just what does
it take to prompt city officials to take action?
Seminar discusses developments for improving lives of disabled
(From left) Father Worawut
Sarapan of the Redemptorist Center, mayoral advisor Itthipol Khunplome,
Suporntham Mongkolsawat, secretary general of the Redemptorist Foundation
for the Development of Disabled People, Sanga Kijsamrej, chairman of the
Pattaya City Entrepreneurs Confederation, and Dr Opas Panya of the Faculty
of Environment and Research at Mahidol University.
Pramote Channgam
A seminar that discussed ways of developing a better quality of life
for the disabled in Pattaya was held on February 28 at the Thappraya Meeting
Room at Pattaya City Hall.
Organized by the Social Welfare Department, the seminar brought together a
group of disabled people from the Redemptorist School along with religious
leaders, community representatives, volunteers working with the disabled,
and local government officers. Representatives of a number of private
business organizations also attended.
Because of the strong support given to the needs of the disabled by the
national government and the regulations set out for local government
organizations, Pattaya has considerable potential in the ways it which it
can improve the lives of its population of disabled people.
The seminar obtained suggestions from each of the sectors represented, with
the idea being to draw up a five-year development plan.
Amongst the speakers at the seminar were mayoral advisor Itthipol Khunplome,
Dr Opas Panya of the Faculty of Environment and Research at Mahidol
University, Father Worawut Sarapan of the Redemptorist Center, Sanga
Kijsamrej, chairman of the Pattaya City Entrepreneurs Confederation, and
Suporntham Mongkolsawat, secretary general of the Redemptorist Foundation
for the Development of Disabled People.
Amongst the topics discussed was the provision of facilities for disabled
tourists, including modifications to the sidewalks and the further
development of sporting activities.
Boatmen say Bali Hai Pier protective wall awaits repair three months after collision
Vimolrat Singnikorn
More than three months have passed since part of the structure
protecting Bali Hai Pier was damaged in a boating accident, and repairs
have yet to be carried out, say boatmen using the pier.
 It’s
been three months since the accident, and the city still has not repaired
the damage.
Pattaya Mail reporters visiting the site on February 26 noted that a section
of protective wall approximately four meters long was leaning to one side,
having been struck when a boat suffering gearing troubles had rammed it more
than three months previously.
The pier is a popular tourist attraction, and a busy one with Thai and
foreign tourists using it for taking boat journeys to Koh Larn and other
areas. It also forms a backdrop to countless tourist photographs, and a
sagging reinforcement wall does not improve the image of Pattaya City when
viewed in souvenir photographs.
The protective structure is a concrete and steel one, with the damaged area
being at Section A of the pier, which is where many boats tie up and which
is consequently heavily buffeted by vessels, which necessarily collide with
it when they are mooring.
Pattaya Mail also noticed during this visit that several storm drain covers
at Bali Hai Pier have disappeared. Boatmen say that the concrete covers
either deteriorate or become broken over a period of time. About 20 are
missing along the length of the pier.
Given the importance of Bali Hai Pier to the tourism business in Pattaya, it
is to be hoped that in future city hall takes a more active interest in the
maintenance of the structure.
American’s scheme to peddle impotence drug is a flop
Boonlua Chatree
Police have arrested a Czech-American man who was peddling the
erectile dysfunction drug Kamagra around the Pattaya bars.
 Frank
Joseph Janalik is led to jail after his arrest for illegally selling
erectile dysfunction drugs.
Pattaya Police Station was alerted to the man’s activities just after
midnight on February 24, with a report that he was currently in the Foodland
parking lot in Central Pattaya.
Officers arriving at the scene discovered Frank Joseph Janalik, 69, carrying
a plastic bag in his right hand. In the bag were 12 cartons of Kamagra,
containing a total of 550 packs.
Janalik said he had purchased the drugs from a dealer in India for 100 baht
per pack, and was selling them for 300 baht per pack. Police charged him
with importing and distributing unregistered drugs and evasion of import
duties, and confined him to a cell.
15-year-old boy charged with raping schoolgirl
The 13-year-old victim (left)
points to the 15-year-old rapist (seated)
under the watchful eye of the arresting officers.
Boonlua Chatree
Pattaya police have charged a 15-year-old boy with raping a
13-year-old secondary schoolgirl who he saw waiting for a bus in front of
her school on February 18.
The boy, given the alias of Neng was arrested during the early evening of
February 25, following the lodging of a report by the girl’s family.
The report alleged that Miss Pat (an alias), a class 1 student at a school
in North Pattaya was waiting for a bus after school had closed. Neng
allegedly saw here there and took her to his residence in Moo 9 in Pong,
where he repeatedly raped her.
Neng later made an attempt to silence the girl, revisiting the school with a
group of people on 10 motorbikes. However, the girl and her relatives had
already contacted police, and a contingent of police had already arrived to
investigate. Police arrested Neng when he showed up with his gang.
Neng has been charged with having sex with a girl under 15 years of age, and
detaining her against her will.
Loan shark attacks
British man in restaurant
Boonlua Chatree
A British man who volubly objected to the presence of a loan shark
in the restaurant in which he was dining was knocked unconscious when he
made an obscene gesture at the man.
 Police
lead Tawatchai Rooruab to the cells after he attacked a British man in a Soi
Phothisarn restaurant.
Police were called out at 1 a.m. on February 28 to the Krau Marum Music
Restaurant on Soi Phothisarn, a restaurant and karaoke bar, where they found
Gordon Robert Head, 56, lying covered in blood under a table. He had a wound
to the head, bruises to his face and body, and was unconscious.
The officers administered first aid until he regained consciousness, and
then transferred him to Banglamung Hospital for treatment.
The attacker was identified as Tawatchai Rooruab, also known as Ai Kung, a
29-year-old resident of Sukhothai. He had a bloodstained right hand, and had
not had time to escape from the restaurant. Kung stated that he was a loan
shark and was collecting money in the restaurant. A foreign man had shouted
obscenities at him and made a gesture with his middle finger. Kung said he
became angry and struck the man, who hit his head on a pillar on his way to
the floor.
Police charged Kung with assault and causing bodily harm.
Two transvestites attempt to flee on motorcycle after robbing Iranian man
Boonlua Chatree
Two transvestites who picked the pocket of an Iranian man and then
fled on a motorcycle were caught when police blocked the road.
Pattaya Police Station received a report at 1 a.m. on February 28 that a man
had been robbed of his mobile phone and money at the Second Road crossing to
the North Pattaya Roundabout, just one meter away from the traffic police
box that was unmanned at the time.
 Victim
Mohammad Dawoud Heidary (right) is seated next to the two transvestite
thieves whilst filing a report at the police station.
The two thieves, described as being women of the second category, had then
fled with their haul on a motorcycle, a blue Honda Click, heading in the
direction of South Pattaya Beach.
The police station radioed ahead for a patrol to block the road, which they
did near the Amari Orchid Resort. The thieves approached at speed and
managed to get through the blockade but collided with a group of TV and
newspaper reporters who also happened to be at the scene, capsizing the
motorcycle and ending their escape bid.
Both criminals were dressed in female clothing, and were identified as Nirut
Srangnork, 28, a resident of Khon Kaen Province, and Wachira Banchoun, 35,
from Yala Province.
Their victim, Iranian national Mohammad Dawoud Heidary, 44, identified as
his property a Nokia N70 mobile phone that was found in the handbag of one
of the thieves. He stated that he is a banker, and was in Pattaya on
vacation. He was walking along the street when the two transvestites came up
to him and hugged him, stealing 3,000 baht and his phone as they did so, and
then fleeing on their motorcycle.
Nirut and Wachira admitted the robbery, saying that they planned to sell the
phone. They were charged with theft and with using a vehicle as a means of
escape.
Six-year-old boy rescued from violent father
Theerarak Suthatiwong
A six-year-old boy who was beaten by his father and forced to beg
from tourists has been rescued by the Pavena Foundation after a report on
the boy’s plight was sent to the foundation’s website.
Pavena Hongsakula, chairwoman of the Pavena Hongsakula Foundation for
Children and Women approached Pol Col Nopadol Wongnom, superintendent of
Pattaya Police Station during the evening of February 18, asking for police
cooperation in saving the boy from the abuse of his father.
Pavena explained that the owner of a cellphone shop in South Pattaya had
been in contact via the website www.pavenafoun dation.or.th alleging that
the man had been beating the boy and forcing him to beg for money from
foreign tourists on Walking Street.
The father was known to lease a room opposite the Tawanchai shop on Soi
Bongkot, and Pol Col Nopadol along with a number of officers and foundation
personnel went to investigate the premises.
They found Samphan Muangnoicharoen, a 33-year-old resident of Nongplalai,
Banglamung, along with his six-year-old son Jang (an alias) and
four-year-old daughter Jum (alias). The officers examined the boy and noted
several bruises on his body. Asked who had caused the bruises, the boy
pointed to his father and then ran into the arms of foundation officers for
help.
Samphan at first denied all of the charges, but the police officers were
able to charge him after a urine test detected a narcotic substance.
Pavena said that the foundation had received a complaint on its website, and
an officer had investigated. It was discovered that Samphan was taking his
son out every night to Walking Street, and forcing the boy to beg for money
from foreign tourists. Sometimes the father forced his son to perform a
dance in exchange for coins. The boy was beaten with a broomstick on nights
that he received less money than expected.
One evening Samphan had ordered the boy to wake him up at about 8 p.m. so
they could go out begging. The boy had, however, been unable to wake his
father, who was drunk. When Samphan awoke it was almost 10 p.m., and he beat
the boy. Jang had told the owner of the cellphone shop, who contacted the
foundation.
Jang is now being taken care of by the foundation, and a full report is
being drawn up against Samphan.
Missing German swimmer lands at Suvarnabhumi Airport
Patcharapol Panrak
A German tourist who had gone missing and who was feared to have
drowned turned up safe and well four days later - at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
 Warnecke
(right) has been reunited with his mother after a rather bizarre week.
On February 22, Mrs Sukanya Chimmachui, a 42-year-old tour guide with Go
Vacation Tours who was taking care of a German group visiting Thailand took
a distraught member of her group, 65-year-old Mrs Waltraid Schoepp to
Sattahip Police Station to report that her son was missing.
Mrs Schoepp stated that Warnecke Olaf Lothaur Udo, 42, had disappeared from
the Sunset Village Hotel at Na Jomtien at 11 a.m. on February 21. She said
her son suffers from epilepsy, and needs medication. He had gone swimming
and hadn’t returned, and she feared he had drowned.
Sea rescuers combed the area but were unable to find the missing man’s body.
They believed there was a good chance he was still alive, and Pol Col
Supathee Bunkrong, superintendent at Sattahip Police Station put out a
general alert. On February 26, the Tourist Police and Go Vacation Tours were
informed that Warnecke Udo had been found at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Reunited with his happy mother, Warnecke said that he had swum quite far out
and eventually came back to a quiet and remote beach. He didn’t know where
he was. Night came, and he realized he was lost. He tried to ask a number of
Thai people where he was, but no one was able to communicate with him.
Luckily, he had 200 euros with him, so he was able to buy food, clothes and
shoes. He then found a taxi, which took him to Suvarnabhumi Airport. It was
not made clear why went to the airport.
New water drainage
pipes being laid on Soi 17
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
New water drainage pipes are being laid at Pattaya Soi 17 and the
road will be resurfaced with reinforced concrete, under a 150-day contract
that is due to end on July 24.
Pattaya City has hired DD Karnyothana Part Ltd to undertake the works under
contract No 47/2551.
Work involves breaking up the existing road surface, and city hall has asked
for the cooperation and understanding of residents and businesses in the
area. There will be inevitable traffic congestion during the contract
period, and road users are asked to avoid using this route whenever
possible.
An already congested street,
Soi 17 is about to get worse
as the city digs it up to improve water drainage.
Three companies donate
umbrellas for Jomtien Beach
Representatives from three
private companies present new beach-bed umbrellas to Pattaya City to help
make Jomtien Beach look more attractive.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Three private companies have presented a total of 720 beach-bed
umbrellas to Pattaya City to help make Jomtien Beach look more attractive.
Representatives from Advanced Info Service Pcl, World Gems Collection Co Ltd
and Mityon Pattaya Co Ltd presented the umbrellas at a Pattaya City Hall
ceremony on February 28, where they were received by Wutthipol Charoenpol,
head of the city manager’s office.
Wutthipol said the beach-bed vendors would be urged to install the umbrellas
within two days.
The group of representatives included Sakchai Saksunthornsiri, director of
the provincial eastern region of Advanced Info Service (AIS), Nantawan
Ritin, assistant marketing manager of World Gems Collection, and Burin
Chanrakkarnkha, deputy managing director of Mityon Pattaya, which is a
distributor for Honda and Yamaha.
Wutthipol said that Pattaya City has a policy of improving the look of the
facilities on the beach, including bringing order to the colors used for the
beach umbrellas, which had previously been the decision of the individual
operators. City hall had already worked in cooperation with Bangkok Hospital
Pattaya to change the umbrellas on Pattaya Beach.
AIS donated 600 beach-bed umbrellas, Mityon Pattaya donated 90, and World
Gems Collection 30. City hall will distribute them to the Jomtien Beach
vendors, who will hand over their old ones in exchange.
Changes to Sukhumvit traffic lights meant to ease congestion
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Work has started on the reconfiguration of the traffic lights on
Sukhumvit Road to try and alleviate the traffic jams, which have become
particularly acute with the laying of water drainage pipes and the
construction of the overpass that will connect Sukhumvit to the new
motorway.
 Tyco
Company traffic engineering technician Denpong Na Pattalung explains the
news system.
The lights at the North, Central and South Pattaya intersections on both
sides of the road are being changed, following a meeting at Pattaya City
Hall on February 27 that was chaired by Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh and
which included Pol Maj Pitakpong Krongchon and Pol Capt Thapa Klongwanna of
the Traffic Police.
A resolution was passed that the lights would be adjusted so they first
allowed vehicles from the North, Central and South Pattaya roads access to
Sukhumvit Road. The vehicles in the lane going directly to Pattaya City and
turning right to the North, Central and South Pattaya will be stopped to
allow traffic to pass in the opposite direction.
Ronakit said that initially the system would be operated on a trial basis,
and if it proves effective it would be adopted permanently. He said that one
of the main reasons for the tailbacks at present concerns the large number
of vehicles waiting to turn right to North, Central and South Pattaya
obstructing the through traffic from Bangkok going through Pattaya in the
direction of Sattahip.
“If traffic is changed from the older system by first allowing all vehicles
to turn right, then that would make the system flexible,” he said.
Pattaya to be promoted heavily in Europe and Middle East
Bundarik Kusolvit (left), vice
president of THA,
and Rungthip Suksrikarn present their plan to the THA.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
A road show taking in 28 cities in Europe and the Middle East is
being organized by the Thai Hotels Association Eastern Chapter and the
Tourism Authority of Thailand to generate additional tourism for Pattaya.
TAT has devised an international marketing plan for Thailand that takes in
tourism trade shows in 28 cities, where receptions will be held for the
industry and media.
The objective of the plan is to increase the number of tourists visiting
Thailand to 15.7 million, which would yield an income of 600 billion baht.
The previous year’s figure was 14.5 million.
THA has agreed to participate in the International Tourismus Borse, ITB
2008, in Berlin this March, one of the most important events in the
international tourism industry calendar. Under the THA-TAT umbrella, 140
Thai organizations will be represented, 119 of them being hotels and 19
travel agencies. Sixteen Pattaya organizations have committed to this event.
Goods, services and packages will be promoted.
During the period May 6 to 9, THA and TAT will participate in the Arabian
Travel Market, ATM 208, in Dubai. Here, Pattaya businesses will meet the
representatives of travel agencies and other tourism industry potentials,
providing the opportunity to promote the city in the Middle East, regarded
as a new and potentially exciting market.
Miss Bundarik Kusolvit, vice president of THA, said that Pattaya is
investing heavily in promotions in new markets, as the city is up against
stiff competition from Phuket and Samui, which also have energetic marketing
campaigns.
Buddha image cast
for Sattahip temple
Patcharapol Panrak
February 21 saw Deputy Abbot Wisuthiwongsachan of Paknam Pasicharoen
and Vice Admiral Sriwisut Ratarun, commander-in-chief of Sattahip Naval Base
and who also heads the Layman Party presiding over the casting of the Somdet
Prabhuddhuna Pannas Wisarn Pracharta Bhuchit Buddha image.
 Deputy
Abbot Wisuthiwongsachan of Paknam Pasicharoen and Vice Admiral Sriwisut
Ratarun, commander-in-chief of Sattahip Naval Base perform the ceremonial
casting of the Buddha statue in Sattahip.
The figure, which will measure 49 inches in length and be depicted in the
Prab Praya Chomphubodi posture, will be located at Thepprasart Temple in
Sattahip.
Also taking part in the casting ceremony were members of the Momgkol Yattra
Group, who are advocates of Luang Por Wat Paknam Pasicharoen.
Prakhru Wisran Thammakorn, the abbot of Thepprasart Temple said that the
group practicing Dharma at the temple had cooperated with the Momgkol Yattra
Group to cast the image to make merit for the 80th birthday of His Majesty
the King.
The name Somdet Prabhuddhuna Pannas Wisarn Pracharta Bhuchit has been given
by Somdet Pramaharatchamangklachan of Paknampasicharoen Temple.
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