Boonlua Chatree
A pharmaceuticals shop in North Pattaya has been charged with illegally stocking and selling erectile dysfunction drugs.

Somwang Thamapatpong was arrested for possession of a large quantity of prescription drugs.

Following investigations, officers from Pattaya Police Station went to the Ozone Pharmacy on Second Road during the evening of April 30, where they found the owner, 57-year-old Somwang Thamapatpong in possession of a large quantity of prescription drugs.
Amongst the drugs seized by police were 208 packs of Kamagra jelly, 70 Kamagra pills, and 13 packs of Caverta. Somwang was taken to Pattaya Police Station and charged with illegally distributing drugs.
Somwang said that because his shop is located near the beer bars, foreigners often asked to buy the drugs before going out with bar girls, which brought him a very good income.

Italian faces child sex charges

Theerarak Suthatiwong
An Italian man is facing charges relating to having sex with children, following a complaint lodged with police by the parents of a nine-year-old boy.
On April 30, Pol Col Kanisorn Yuwawittaya, deputy chief of special operations at the Children, Youth and Women’s Protection Center, Police Provincial Region 2 obtained warrant number 65/2551 from Pattaya Provincial Court for the arrest of Ruggero Costa, age 59.

Ruggero Costa (center) is taken in to answer questions related to his alleged sexual abuse of children.

Costa was arrested at an apartment in Moo 10, Nongprue, and charged with sexually abusing a child of less than 13 years of age. Costa denied the charges during preliminary questioning, and says he will defend himself in court.
Pol Col Kanisorn Yuwawittaya, superintendent of the Child Protection Center said that the parents of Master Lek (an alias for the nine-year-old boy) filed a complaint stating that Costa had lured the boy into his living room to sexually abuse him.
The team of investigators had been monitoring and observing Costa’s behavior for more than two months, and knew that Costa had often brought children, both male and female and aged between eight and 13 years, into his home. He paid these children 500 to 1,000 baht each time. Most of them were homeless children in Pattaya.
Costa is said to be a bellboy at a hotel in Italy, and has visited Thailand regularly as a tourist for 10 years. Even though the accused denied the charges, police say they have enough evidence to prosecute him.

Police investigate apparent suicide of Belgian physician

Boonlua Chatree
A Belgian physician has been found dead from a gunshot wound to the head, apparently self-inflicted during severe depression that followed an incident in which his former wife and a Thai man had allegedly attacked him in his own house and stole 3 million baht from the safe.
Gerard Kaufen, 55, had telephoned a friend, named by police as Mr Robert, 60, in the early evening of May 1 to say how depressed he was over the betrayal and the robbery, which had taken place three days previously.
A few hours later, at 1:30 a.m. on May 2, Banglamung Police Station received a report that a foreign man had committed suicide in house number 3/136 in Atthaporn Village on Soi 9.
Officers led by Banglamung Superintendent Pol Col Sarayut Sanguanpokai, together with Sawang Boriboon Foundation rescue workers and a physician on duty at Banglamung Hospital went to the scene, a single house on an area of approximately 100 square wah.
The body of Gerard Kaufen was found on the patio. The cause of death was a shot to the head, the bullet entering behind the right ear and exiting behind the left ear. The body was lying on its back, wearing a blue T-shirt and green shorts.
Beside the deceased was a .38-caliber pistol with five bullets in the chamber. Two rounds had been fired.
Pol Sen Sgt Maj Weera Palktoo, 42, who is head of the traffic police at Banglamung Police Station and is also a neighbor of the deceased, said that he heard two shots while he was in his own house. He ran outside, but could see nothing unusual. Then, looking over into his neighbor’s house he saw the body in a pool of blood, with the pistol lying nearby.
Mr Robert, a Belgian national, arrived at the scene and told police that Kaufen had been a physician in Belgium. He had moved to Thailand 15 years ago. He was married to Mrs Yuan Kaufen, 38, but the couple had recently divorced.
Kaufen had become very depressed, and started drinking heavily. He became reclusive, staying in the house alone. Mr Robert said that his friend told him his former wife had come to the house with a Thai man, and that the man had beat him up before opening the safe and taking 3 million baht along with a quantity of jewelry and other property.
Police are now tracing Kaufen’s former wife. The body was removed to the Forensic Institute for autopsy.

German man dies in fall

Theerarak Suthatiwong
A German man died when he fell from the third floor of a hotel in South Pattaya early in the evening of April 26.
Police were called out at 5:30 p.m. by a report that a foreign man had been seriously injured in a fall at a hotel on Third Road. Arriving at the four-story hotel, the officers found blood on the ground beside the swimming pool, where the man had been found. He had been taken to Pattaya Memorial Hospital for treatment, and he died later.
The deceased was identified as Michael Schrofl, a 46-year-old German citizen. The officers searched his room, number 324 on the third floor, but found no signs of a struggle.
A hotel staff member stated that Schrofl had rented a room on a daily basis with three friends for four days. On the day of his death, he had gone to see a doctor. His friends had gone out. Schrofl came back and went alone to his room. The employee next heard screams from the swimming pool area, and it was discovered that Schrofl had fallen to the ground. He was rushed to hospital.
The body has been sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Police General Hospital in order to establish the cause of death.

No back Chat as escaped convict shoots his way out of beer shop

Boonlua Chatree
Police and prison officers are currently searching for a convict who escaped from Pattaya Prison and who, when discovered sitting in a beer shop just 1 kilometer away, fired a gun at the officers and disappeared.
Chat Saengngam, age 25, had originally made his escape during the afternoon of April 10, when he was placed on a work party undertaking a job outside the prison.
Investigations revealed Chat was still in the area, and just after midnight on April 16 he was known to be drinking beer at the Wun Beer Shop in Nongplalai. The Pattaya Prison governor led a team of prison officers in surrounding the shop, which is only 1 kilometer from the prison walls, but Chat had a gun and fired at them three times.
No one was injured during the shooting. The prison officers believed their man to be still inside the premises, as they had the place surrounded. However, they had no search warrant and were unable to get inside.
An employee of the shop told them that Chat had got away into the night, and eventually Nongplalai village chief Kreok Prabra was called in as a witness, along with a member of the press that had gathered outside the besieged shop, and the premises were searched. The search was in vain, and the disgruntled prison officers returned to their jail empty-handed.
Chat Saengngam had originally been arrested by officers of Banglamung Police Station and was serving 10 years and four months for robbery. He had already spent nine of those years behind bars, and was nearing the time of his release.
On April 10, the prison officers had taken 15 prisoners, including Chat, to work in front of the prison. All were classified as trusted prisoners, as they only had a short time remaining of their sentences. Chat managed to escape during work. He is believed to be in hiding with his family or friends in the area, and the search continues.

Mobile clinic visits Nong Pangkae Community

Pattaya’s mobile health service provides free health checkups.

Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Pattaya City’s mobile health clinic visited Nong Pangkae Community on May 1, providing free medical checkups and other services for residents.

Pattaya’s mobile health service provides free blood pressure checks.
Organized by the Pattaya Public Health and Environment Department, the mobile service travels to all the communities in Pattaya in turn, and is manned by physicians, nurses and public health officials.
During the morning of May 1, the clinic provided an information and consultation service, while the afternoon saw medical checkups for conditions such as high or low blood pressure, diabetes and oral disease, along with the distribution of free medication and family planning advice.
Advice was also given on animal vaccinations and eradication of mosquitoes using pesticide.

Navy sends ship to Cambodia on friendship exercise

Commander-in-chief of the First Fleet of the Royal Thai Fleet,
Rear Admiral Nopadol Suthammasapa gives an official send-off
to the HTMS Sukhothai’s captain and crew.

Patcharapol Panrak
The Royal Thai Navy has sent the HTMS Sukhothai to the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville as part of the cordial military relations that exist between the two countries, and to support stability on the Thai-Cambodian border.
Under the direction of Vice Admiral Chaiwat Pukkarat, commander-in-chief of the First Fleet of the Royal Thai Fleet, Rear Admiral Nopadol Suthammasapa gave an official send-off to the vessel and its crew on April 28 at Laem Thian Port at Sattahip Naval Base.
Rear Admiral Chumpol Wongwaekin, chief of staff at the First Fleet was commander of the ship heading for Sihanoukville.
Rear Admiral Nopadol said that more than 100 military personnel are on board the ship, which will anchor at the Cambodian commercial port to undergo training and a familiarization program.
Rear Admiral Chumpol said that the responsibility of the First Fleet is to protect Thailand’s interests from Trat to Chumporn. The mission to Cambodia is to help cement friendly relations between the two countries, and to undergo training for such possibilities as a disaster at sea, and for cross-border issues.

Alisa and Surat congratulate Itthipol

Staff reporters
The two main losing candidates in the mayoral election have congratulated the winning candidate, Itthipol Khunplome, and wished him success with his plans for Pattaya.
Itthipol won by a landslide victory on May 4, and will become mayor once the Election Commission ratifies the election.

Surat Mekavarakul (right) congratulates Itthipol Khunplome for his victory in the mayoral race.

Surat Mekhawarakul was almost 10,000 votes behind Itthipol, despite finishing second in the race.
“I and my team will definitely continue doing helpful works for society in every aspect we can, but I have to see what will happen in the future and will decide later if I will run for the post again at the end of the new four-year term,” said Surat.
Surat added that his final total of votes had been well below his expectations, and was lower than it had been in the previous election.
Alisa Phantusak said that the voice of the people was to be respected, and thanked everyone who had helped with her campaign during the past three months.
“I truly congratulate Khun Itthipol for his achievement,” said Alisa.
She added that she had been disappointed to receive such a low number of votes. She also stated that she had been disturbed by subversive leaflets distributed by a group of unknown affiliation, which were intended to destroy her reputation during the campaign and which had led to a great deal of misunderstanding about her.
Alisa said that she and her party would carry on doing works to benefit society, and that they would be monitoring those who were taking up their new positions to ensure that the promises made during the election campaign were adhered to.

Alisa Phantusak (center) says thank you
to everyone who had helped with her campaign.

Fines begin for drivers using cell phones

Theerarak Suthatiwong
Starting from May 10, a hefty fine faces anyone caught using a cell phone while driving.
Following a three-month period of publicizing the new traffic regulation, which had been enacted by the national government on February 8, police have now been instructed to prosecute anyone found using a cell phone while driving a vehicle.
Pattaya Police Station superintendent Pol Col Nopadol Wongnom briefed officers this week that tickets must be handed out to anyone breaking the law, starting from May 10. Fines would range from 400 baht to 1,000 baht.
The police chief said that anyone having to use a phone while driving should use hands-free equipment such as Small Talk or Bluetooth, in the interests of their own safety and the safety of other road users.

Royal Ploughing Ceremony today, May 9

The annual Royal Ploughing Ceremony at Sanam Luang near the Grand Palace in Bangkok, and the accompanying Cultivation Ceremony held at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha the day before, are of great significance in Thailand. This year the events are taking place today, May 9.
During the ceremonies, appropriate strains of different grains for cultivating are selected just prior to the planting season, and rituals are performed to interpret the year’s harvest. Grain selection is an important consideration when planting crops, as the crops rely on soil, ample rainfall and other natural factors.
The Cultivation Ceremony is also performed to help keep the different grains free from disease, producing a bountiful harvest.
His Majesty the King, accompanied by Her Majesty the Queen, always preside over the Cultivation Ceremony held at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
The Royal Ploughing Ceremony signals the beginning of the planting season in Thailand. Two well cared for oxen of the same color pull an ancient plough, breaking the ground so that sacred seeds may be planted. Two other oxen wait in reserve.
Two Brahman priests sprinkling sacred water along the path lead the royal procession, with its nine-tiered royal umbrella.
Two pairs of female guardians carry grain in one gold and one silver container following behind the plough, seeding the tilled ground.
Three circuits tilling the earth around Sanam Luang are completed and at the end the oxen are offered seven types of foods to select from: rice grain, corn, peas, sesame, liqueur, water and grass. Brahman priests then interpret their selection.
Following the ceremony, many people collect the seeds from the ground to keep as sacred objects promising a prosperous year, while others sow the ceremonial seeds mixed in with other seeds to sanctify the season’s crop.

Redemptorist School shows disabled the advantages of skills training

Pattaya International Ladies Club, Bangkok Hospital Pattaya
and local government officials are banding together to help improve
the lives of the disabled in Pattaya.

Vimolrat Singnikorn and Elaine Poole
Redemptorist School held an open day on April 23 to show members of the disabled community how they can acquire education and skills that can be used to gain income and enhance their quality of life through job satisfaction and financial independence.
Banglamung District Chief Mongkol Thamakittikhun opened the event, along with Father Lawrence Patin, who heads the Redemptorist Foundation, and representatives of Bangkok Hospital Pattaya and the Pattaya International Ladies Club.
Mongkol said that the aim was to encourage all disabled people in Chonburi Province to take advantage of the opportunities that exist for education, and skills and vocational training. He said that support and cooperation from many organizations was needed. For this event, said Mongkol, there had been good cooperation from the Pattaya International Ladies Club and Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, which had presented medical supplies to the disabled.
Apart from disabled people registering for various training opportunities, the day was used for building a self-help network amongst the disabled in Chonburi Province, through the representatives of the various communities of disabled who attended.
Somchai Sirorat of the Social Development and Human Stability Department in Chonburi, Suporntham Mongkonsawat, director of the Redemptorist Foundation for the Disabled, and Manop Iamsa-Ard, representing the Chonburi disabled community, all addressed the gathering.
During her address, Rosanne Diamente from the Pattaya International Ladies Club Team told the gathering how she is working with the governor of Chonburi currently on 60 cases involving people with disabilities that have been identified by the governor’s office as in “special need”. PILC have been busy raising money to fund this project as well as receiving generous donations from the Pattaya Mail PC Classic, Royal Cliff Beach Resort International Regatta in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Jomtien Pattaya, and other anonymous donors.
To date, 29 cases have been reviewed, and of them 22 have been completed. Many cases involve urgent repair or alteration to homes, and others involve urgent medical requirements.
Bangkok Hospital Pattaya was approached by Rosanne and generously offered to donate a large quantity of urgently needed medical supplies. Representatives from the hospital came to hand-over 30 medical kits, 200 pieces blue pads, 200 adult diapers, disposable dressings 60 sets, urine catheters 100 pieces, and one special hospital bed.
Neera Sirisampan, international affairs director, who officially handed over the equipment to Rosanne said, “On behalf of Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, we are very pleased to have been invited by Pattaya International Ladies Club (PILC) to take a part in this significant event. We have always admired PILC for their continuous contributions to the less fortunate citizens of Pattaya. We will continue to work hand in hand with PILC to improve the life of underprivileged people to raise their standard of living.”
Other members of the Bangkok Hospital, Pattaya representatives were: Neil Maniquiz, Pattaravadee Wangviriyaphan, Janya Rattanaliam, and Kemawan Chusuwan.
Neera Sirisampan presented medical equipment to four people that the PILC have helped:
Sombat, who is paralyzed and in a wheelchair. Essential repairs have been made to his home, including toilet facilities and a ramp added so now he can leave the house.
Sing, who is paralyzed due to a work-related accident. Essential repairs have been completed to his home. Sing has recently started a re-training program at the Redemptorist Centre.
Surmee has lost one leg, but still manages to look after her two grandchildren and do some simply daily work as a cleaner and Tawee, who lost her right arm.
Sing gave a very touching thank you speech saying how grateful he was to all who had helped him. Because of the work of PILC and the medical equipment donated by Bangkok Hospital Pattaya his quality of life will further improve.
This is a great example where teamwork within the community can make a difference to the lives of PWD. If you would like further information about the Chonburi Handicap Project being co-ordinated by PILC for the governor of Chonburi, please contact Rosanne Diamente ([email protected]).
Finally, before the participants of the seminar had to rush off to start the various organized workshops, ladies of Garunyawet Handicapped Home entertained everyone with a dance display.
The afternoon was devoted to support groups and consultation, with advice being given on subjects that included providing aid for independent occupations, education for disabled children, occupational training, rejuvenating medicine, physical equipment, rights to facilities and welfare for disabled people, and discussion on problems and complaints.
Chang Kornchanarat, social welfare officer at the Redemptorist Center for the Independent Occupations of Disabled People said that 80 percent of the disabled people in Chonburi Province became disabled because of accidents, with most of the accidents involving vehicles and motorbikes.
Industrial machinery was another major cause of disability, and there was a concentration of disabled people in Panatnikom, an intensively industrialized area, who had been incapacitated through accidents with machinery.
Chang said that one of the problems was that many people who are disabled are ashamed of their physical disabilities, and don’t accept themselves. This is a one of the reasons so many commit suicide, he said.
There were 10,700 people registered as disabled as of March 31, 2008 in accordance with the Disabled Peoples’ Revival Act of BE 2543, according to data from the Chonburi Social Development and Welfare Bureau.

USS Blue Ridge docks at Laem Chabang

Sue Kukarja
The USS Blue Ridge, which has arrived at Laem Chabang Port for a routine visit, held an onboard reception on May 1, hosted by Vice Admiral William Douglas Crowder, commander of the US Seventh Fleet, at which the guest of honor was Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.

Vice Adm. Doug Crowder, commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, welcomes the media aboard USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19).
In their speeches, Vice Admiral Crowder and Prime Minister Samak both emphasized the long-term friendship of the two countries, saying that Thailand and the United States share similar values and ideologies, among which are peace, liberty, democracy and free enterprise.
On the following morning, a press tour was provided that allowed the Thai and foreign media an opportunity to learn more about the ship and the duties of the sailors.
The Marines, officers and crew on board the Blue Ridge also had the opportunity to experience the hospitality and culture of Thailand, with community projects arranged that included a beach clean-up at the Banglamung Home for the Aged and a visit to the Camillian Center, which takes care of HIV/AIDS infected children.
Additionally, talks were held between Royal Thai Navy personnel and the Seventh Fleet staff.

(L to R) Thai PM Samak Sundarave j, US Ambassador Eric John and Vice Admiral William Douglas engage in friendly chat during the visit.
USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) is the lead ship of the Blue Ridge-class of command ships of the United States Navy. She is the third Navy ship named after the Blue Ridge Mountains, a series of ranges in the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern US.
The ship was commissioned on November 14, 1970, at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard as a command and control platform for the Navy. With accommodations for more than 200 officers and 1,200 enlisted, the ship provides all the services of a small town.

(L to R) Thai PM Samak Sundaravej, Vice Admiral William Douglas and US Ambassador Eric John cut the friendship cake.
From 1971 until 1979, the Blue Ridge operated from San Diego, California, where she deployed to the Western Pacific, earning the Meritorious Unit Commendation and Navy Unit Commendation for the evacuation of Saigon in 1975.
Since October 1979, the Blue Ridge has been forward-deployed at Yokosuka Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan as the flagship of the commander of the Seventh Fleet. The Blue Ridge participates routinely in US and allied training exercise each year with countries throughout the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean.
As a command-and-control ship, the Blue Ridge has a technologically advanced communications suite, allowing the Seventh Fleet commander and his embarked staff to direct US naval forces in the region.

Guests from Pattaya with Bobby Brooks (2nd right),
president of the U.S. Navy League Thailand.

Ships’ paint donated by local group

Navy plays a vital role in Eastern region

Members of the European and Scandinavian business communities
in Pattaya donate paint to Rear Admiral Nopadol Suthammasapa.

Patcharapol Panrak
A group of Thai and foreign businessmen have declared themselves as the Navy Lovers Group, and presented paint for renovating a warship of the First Fleet at Sattahip Naval Base.
Komkrit Kiwanitchee, a 45-year-old Pattaya businessman and leader of the Thai Navy Lovers Group on April 21 together with group members visited the commander of the First Fleet at Sattahip to present exterior and interior ship painting materials.
Vice Admiral Chaiwat Pukarat, commander-in-chief of the First Fleet of the Royal Thai Fleet appointed his deputy, Rear Admiral Nopadol Suthammasapa, to welcome the visitors, and to receive the ship paint in front of the command center.
Komkrit said that the Navy plays a vital role in the Eastern region community, and that the Navy Lovers Group would be donating more materials for other ships in the future.
The group includes members from the European and Scandinavian business communities in Pattaya.

Star cast takes disabled children for visit to the ocean

For many, it was their first time seeing the ocean

Patcharapol Panrak
Singer Mos Patipan and the female lead from the movie Phukong Chao Sanaeh, Sumonrat Wattanasaelarat, led a group of disabled children from Bangkok to Toey Ngam Bay on April 28, the first opportunity that many of the children had to see the ocean.

Grammy singer Mos Patipan, star of Phukong Chao Sanaeh led the group of 33 disabled youngsters to Toey Ngam Bay. For many it was their first time tour to the beach.
Well-known comedian Ter Cheonyim and the film crew accompanied the group.
Patipan Pattaweekan, better known as Grammy singer Mos Patipan, star of Phukong Chao Sanaeh led the group of 33 disabled youngsters to Toey Ngam Bay, which comes under the Royal Thai Marine Corps Command Unit at Prince Chumporn Camp.
Rear Admiral Suwit Thararoop, commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Marine Corps directed his officers and men to take care of the children, and provided a vehicle to take them sightseeing around the beach and the bay.

Leading stars of Phukong Chao Sanaeh movie share their love and care with one of the children before taking them to the beach.
Mos said that this was the first time the children had been brought out of their urban homes to experience the ocean and the natural environment. The crew of Phukong Chao Sanaeh was eager to help the youngsters in every way they could, and to make sure the kids knew they were loved and valued.
Sumonrat charmed the kids and acted as big sister, while Ter Cheonyim had them, and the film crew, roaring with laughter with his sense of humor.