Chalerm threatens to remove non-performing officials

Ariyawat Nuamsawat
The Minister of Interior has urged the governors of the eight Eastern provinces to make more of an effort in suppressing narcotics and ensuring that entertainment outlets obey the law.

Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung.
Chalerm Yoobamrung addressed a gathering of governors and their deputies from Srakaew, Chantaburi, Rayong, Trad, Prachinburi, Nakhon Nayok, Chachoengsao and Chonburi in Jomtien on May 2 to stress the ministry’s policy.
Also attending the meeting were chiefs of police, district chiefs, village headmen, and local administrators.
Chalerm said that although he is an elected politician as a member of the Palang Prachahon Party, the issues rise above those of party politics and that the full cooperation of regional officials and the police are required.
Previously, said the minister, the provincial police were under the Ministry of Interior, but now they are administered directly by the provincial administrations so that they can respond more directly to local needs.
Chalerm said that the narcotics problem has to be resolved and that he is asking the provincial governors to cooperate with the director general of the Department of Corrections and the Royal Thai Police Department to review the records of those convicted of narcotics crimes so that an in-depth survey can be made of the available data.
Currently, said the minister, data from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board is out of date, especially for the border provinces such as Srakaew and Trad. Here, he said, there has to be greater effort. The number of checkpoints must be increased because it is known that drug traffickers are using routes through here from neighboring countries.
The minister also spoke about the entertainment establishments, saying that they should have a closing time of 2 a.m. This is to avoid meetings or gatherings of people for unlawful purposes, narcotics, and child prostitution.
Chalerm said it would be demoralizing for provincial authorities to have their work taken over by the ministry, but that they should bear that possibility in mind. He also threatened to remove any governor who was considered to be lax on this matter.
Chalerm additionally spoke on the number of accidents that take place during festival periods, when lots of people were traveling back to their hometowns. He said that police are not to take leave during these periods.
“The governors and police officers must find a method to reduce the number of accidents,” said the minister. “In one year there have been 200,000 accidents, which has resulted in large numbers of fatalities and disabilities. The government had to reimburse people approximately 20 billion baht. This budget is unnecessary, and is a loss.
“Therefore, we must cooperate in taking care of this, and it is wished for the administrators and police officers to immediately stop the illegal distribution of alcohol in gas stations. This includes forbidding shops to distribute alcohol to youngsters under 20 years of age, and to intoxicated people. In the event of finding this, officers will immediately arrest them.”
The problem with traffic accidents significantly affects and damages the economy and society, such as teenage gangs racing motorbikes or not wearing helmets. Serious responsibility for this should be taken.
Another important policy is to crack down on trespassing into preserved forests or public areas. Currently, there is an area of approximately 5 million rai being encroached upon, said the minister.

Tremor from China quake felt in Thailand

An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale hit Wenchuan county in south-western China’s Sichuan province Monday, local officials said.
The earthquake struck at 2:28 pm and could be felt in cities hundreds of kilometers away, including Beijing, Shanghai and Bangkok.
“Major tremors” were felt by residents of cities closer to the epicenter, including Sichuan’s capital, Chengdu, and nearby Chongqing, the official news agency Xinhua said. Those in tall office buildings of Bangkok also reported that their building swayed.
The US Geological Survey measured the quake at 7.5 and said it struck 95 kilometers west-north-west of Chengdu at a depth of 10 kilometers. (dpa)

Female junkie drowns 8-year-old girl after selling her phone to buy drugs

As an angry mob looks on, Malika shows police
where she drowned the 8-year-old girl.

Boonlua Chatree
Banglamung police have arrested a female drug addict who drowned an eight-year-old girl in a pond after selling the child’s cellphone to buy amphetamines.
Surisri Tawasaen disappeared from her house on May 8, and was later found floating in a pond behind a cassava house on Soi Chaiyapornwithee 2/1.
At 1 p.m. on May 9, Pol Col Sarayut Sanguanpokai, superintendent at Banglamung Police Station, Pol Lt Col Somchai Yotsombat, superintendent in charge of crime suppression and Pol Maj Col Nit Witinantakit, Banglamung investigator brought in Mrs Malika Pajuang, age 26, a resident of Moo 6 in Naklua, together with an LG cellphone that had belonged to Surisri.
Pol Col Sarayut said that there was already an arrest warrant issued for Malika in connection with the theft of a 6-baht gold chain. Officers had gone to a house at Fa Mi Ard Kan Village, in Nongprue, where the accused was believed to be staying. There she was arrested and confessed to stealing the chain, and also confessed to the murder of Surisri.
Malika told police that she had gone out on a motorcycle with a friend named Mr Num. She saw the girl playing with a cellphone in the children’s playground beside the village. She knew her, because they were neighbors. Malika stopped and asked her to ride around on the motorbike with them, and then took her back to the playground where they had met.
Then Malika had taken Num back to his house before going back to the playground. Surisri was still in the same place. Malika took the girl for a ride along Soi Nongprue, and her motorcycle gas tank was nearly empty. She asked the girl to sell her cellphone at 108 TP Telecom at Tuk Com in South Pattaya, and received 500 baht for gas and to buy ya ba.
She said she was afraid that Surisri’s mother would find out the cellphone was sold to buy drugs. She suggested the girl go for a swim in a pond behind a cassava house. She killed her by holding her head under the water. Then she fled to hide out at her cousin’s house, where the police caught up with her.
After Malika’s arrest was announced, she was taken to the scene to complete the police report. Crowds of angry people gathered while the officers were conducting their operations, and the deceased girl’s cousin tried to attack the murderer. Malika was hurried back to Banglamung Police Station for her own safety. She has been charged with the premeditated murder of another person for property.

Human traffickers arrested with cargo of Cambodians

Boonlua Chatree
Three men have been charged with human trafficking following a police sting operation in which undercover officers posed as building contractors looking to hire Cambodian workers illegally.
A press briefing was held at 3 p.m. on May 8 by Pol Col Ittipol Ittisarnronnachai, superintendent of Pattaya Immigration, who announced that an arrest had been made following the police operation at 4 a.m. that same morning.
Pol Col Ittipol said that he had worked in cooperation with Pol Maj Col Tanapat Premsuk, inspector at Pattaya Immigration, and that they were acting on information that a gang was bringing groups of Cambodians into Pattaya in a gold-bronze Toyota Vigo pickup.
He said that the traffickers were selling the workers to a contractor in Pattaya for 2,000 baht per person.
Police officers had obtained a cell phone number, 0871438083, which they called and, posing as contractors, asked to buy a number of Cambodian workers.
The man who answered agreed to deliver 9 Cambodian workers for 2,000 baht each. The officers first copied twenty 1,000 baht bank notes and then went to the appointed place for the delivery, which was outside the PTT gas station next to Ban Sukawadee.
At the appointed time, the pickup arrived with two men sitting beside the driver and 9 Cambodian men and two women in the back. The officers handed over the money, and once the notes had been accepted they identified themselves as police and arrested the three men.
The three traffickers were identified as Tid Bunmanoo, a 19-year-old resident of Wattananakorn, who was the driver; Nakorn Wongthong, 26, from Lopburi; and Apinan Naiprasert, of Srakaew. They were charged with harboring, and aiding the illegal entry of aliens into the Kingdom. The pickup was confiscated along with the Nokia 1110 cellphone number 0871438083 on which the police had made contact with them.
The Cambodians said that they had each paid 2,000 baht to the traffickers to take them to work for a contractor in Pattaya. They were charged with illegally entering the Kingdom, and were deported.
Pol Col Ittipol said that these traffickers had delivered Cambodian workers to contractors on several different occasions, each time asking 2,000 baht from each worker and charging the contractor another 2,000 baht per person.

Villagers gather to appease the ghosts at 100 Dead Curve

Patcharapol Panrak
Spooked villagers at Samae Sarn Sub-district in Sattahip have been making merit at the Payayom Shrine to appease the numerous ghosts that are said to haunt the notorious 100 Dead Curve, after a woman had a dream that featured 500 ghosts, the shrine, and an alto xylophone.

With monks chanting in the background, people make merit to try and appease the ghosts at 100 Dead Curve.

Mrs Saowapa Chaosuan, 49, who lives at Moo 4 in Samae Sarn and who is a member of the Samae Sarn Sub-district Administrative Organization said that she had a dream in which she had agreed to make merit for the 500 spirits and to play the xylophone for Payayom.
She said that when she related her dream to friends, they were terrified. There have been countless accidents at this curve in the road, many of them resulting in death, and the shrine was set up for those who had met their end at the spot that has earned such a grim sobriquet.
On May 6, Prasert Pitakkorn, who is chairman of the Samae Sarn Sub-district Administrative Organization, along with his deputy Thongchai Bamrungban and Saowapa invited nine monks to chant prayers beside the shrine.
Crowds of people from the neighborhood and outer areas attended this merit making ceremony, bringing garlands of flowers for the shrine. Many were people who had survived accidents after the Payayom Shrine was built. One of them was Pol Sgt Yom, an officer at Sattahip Police Station, who survived an accident when his pickup collided with a power pole. The pickup was cut in two, but he wasn’t injured.
Apiwat Chamkram, a 44-year-old crewmember of the HTMS Chakri Naruebet, said he had hit a black dog when he was riding his motorcycle past the shrine. He was thrown from the saddle, but wasn’t injured. When he looked, there was no sign of any dog.
Saowapa said that after this merit making, there would be another on July 5. This time, she said, she would arrange for an alto xylophone to be played for Payayom.

Get the picture at Tattoo Festival

Exhibition aims to improve image of tattoo artists

Ariyawat Nuamsawat
The World Tattoo Arts Festival and Exhibition is taking place this weekend, Friday May 16 to Sunday May 18, with tattoo artists and enthusiasts from around the world gathering at Pattaya City Walk in South Pattaya.

Suphatchaya Lattisophonkul, aka Bell China Dolls, shows off a large tattoo on her back during the announcement of the event.

This is the second year the event is being held, and the organizers are confident that it will outstrip last year’s in attendance, when it achieved overwhelming success with more than 7,000 Thai and international visitors.
The festival this year will feature a combination of traditional Thai tattoo art, and the advanced body tattooing that has grown in popularity here and overseas during the past several years.
There will be 70 booths for tattoo artists and related products, and there will also be an international seminar on tattooing.
Ms Suphatchaya Lattisophonkul, aka Bell China Dolls, a member of the committee organizing the 2nd World Tattoo Arts Festival and Exhibition Thailand, said that the inaugural event last year had been a great success, partly because the image and professional standing of the tattooists’ art was growing, and partly because Pattaya is an outstanding venue and attracts the right kind of audience for the event.
She did, however, stress that the festival is not designed as a hard sell for members of the public, and that its aim is more to advise, inform and entertain. She said that people, especially youngsters, need to know more about tattooing, rather than let their emotions and peer pressure influence them into doing something they might regret later.
Ms Rungwipa Sae-Ong, aka Joy Wong, who is also on the organizing committee, said that the 70 booths would be divided into zones representing countries or regions, such as Thailand, Japan, America and Europe.
More than 100 internationally renowned tattoo artists will be taking part, she promised. Other attractions on the program include a Khone performance, a Thai cultural art exhibition, a tattoo contest, and body painting.
The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), and Boon Rawd Brewery Co Ltd are supporting the festival.
The international seminar, entitled “Tattoo Spirit”, will be held on Friday May 16, at 1:00 p.m. at the Manita Hotel. The seminar will be held in cooperation with international tattoo artists, along with the Jimmy Wong family, which is Thailand’s representative. They will discuss matters promoting higher professional ethics, which will include agreeing not to perform tattoo work on youngsters less than 20 years of age.
Estimates from the organizing committee are that the festival will generate an income of 400 million baht for local tattoo businesses and those who specialize in the supply of technology and designs.

AFG learns the traps in outsourcing

Dr Iain Corness
The latest Automotive Focus Group (AFG) meeting was held at Orangery by the Sea, and was one which really held the interest of the 30 members who were present. The address was given by Dr. Supachai Manusphaibool, a man with impeccable qualifications to be able to work as a consultant in that quagmire known as Thai Labor Laws, and for the AFG to address the Labor Protection Act Amendment which is coming into force on May 28 this year.

AFG Chairman Mike Diamente (left) thanks Dr. Supachai Manusphaibool by presenting him with a bottle of Australian red wine.

Unfortunately Dr Supachai was delayed in getting to the venue, but such was the interest in his speech that the AFG members sacrificed drinking time with the Australian Chamber of Commerce to be able to hear all of Dr. Supachai’s speech.
The crux of his address was the government’s assessment of the outsourced labor situation, “The excessive use of outsourced labor supplied by employer nominees is an exploitation of labor, treating labor as a commodity to save costs.”
Towards correcting this perceived iniquity, the new provision in the act states: “Business operators shall see to it that the indirectly employed workers who perform similar nature of work with the regular employees shall be given equal rights, interests, and fringe benefits, without discrimination.”
Dr Supachai concluded his talk saying, “As the automotive industry, electrical and electronic industries have been the engine of growth, a major exchange earner, a rapidly growing source of employment and income, the government is expected to allow plenty of time for adjustment. The message, however, should be well taken and the use of indirectly employed workers must be significantly reduced.”
He was thanked by the AFG Chairman Mike Diamente and presented with a bottle of Australian red wine (possibly to make up for the loss of wine drinking time with the Australian Chamber!)