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Kingdom bids farewell to
HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana
The young HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana
(Photo courtesy Bureau of the Royal Household)
The Royal Great Victory carriage carrying the
urn of late Princess Galyani Vadhana is pulled past the Grand Palace
(background) during the rehearsal of the royal cremation of the Princess in
Bangkok. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)
General view the crematorium of late HRH
Princess Galyani Vadhana at the royal ground in Bangkok. (AP Photo/Wason
Wanichakorn)
The entire Kingdom will be observing the Royal Cremation of HRH Princess
Galyani Vadhana, the late beloved sister of HM the King, in the capital on
November 15.
The Royal Funeral is being observed on the same day at the same time all
over the country.
Locally, all residents are invited to present dokmai chan, sandal
wood flowers at the cremation ceremony scheduled to start at 4.30 p.m. at
Photisamphan Temple.
At 10 p.m. everyone will join in national mourning when the grand cremation
ceremony begins at the Phra Maen Grounds in Bangkok.
All residents are asked to wear black to mourn the passing of HRH the
Princess for three days from November 14 to 16 and to abstain from amusement
and social activities. All service and entertainment venues are being asked
to stop or decrease their shows, performances and entertainment.
Government offices will fly flags at half-mast.
Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana
Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the elder sister of
HM the King passed away on Wednesday January 2, 2008. She was 84 years old.
HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana was born on May 6, 1923 in London. She was the
oldest child of Prince Mahidol - a son of King Chulalongkorn - and his
commoner wife, Sangwal, later Somdej Phra Srinagarindra Baromarajajanani,
lovingly known as the Princess Mother. All three of their children were born
abroad, where Prince Mahidol traveled and studied medicine.
The family’s early life was difficult, with Prince Mahidol dying in 1929,
leaving his wife to raise the three children alone.
After Thailand’s absolute monarchy was abolished following in 1932, the
Princess Mother and her children moved to Switzerland to be away from the
maelstrom of politics.
In 1935, HRH princess Galyani’s other brother, Ananda, was named king,
though he was to spend most of the next decade, including World War 2, in
neutral Switzerland.
“We were in a small country and we were just monsieur, mademoiselle, not
prince or princess,” she recalled in 2000. “Some people did not know we were
a royal family. We were like Swiss children and we knew a simple life of
ordinary people.” HRH Princess Galyani married Col. Aram Ratanakul
Serireungriddhi, a royal aide but a commoner, in 1944, which meant she had
to give up the royal title she was awarded in 1935. The couple had a
daughter but were divorced in 1949. The royal title was later restored by HM
King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1950.
She married again in 1969 to Prince Varananda Dhavaj, a professional pilot,
who passed away in 1990.
Perhaps the most cosmopolitan of her generation of royals, HRH Princess
Galyani taught French language and literature at Thai universities after her
post-war return from Switzerland, though she had graduated with a bachelor’s
degree in chemistry from the University of Lausanne. A lifelong Francophile,
she founded the Association of Teachers of French in Thailand, which she
headed in 1977-81.
She also took up an intensive schedule of charity work, which is a mainstay
of royal responsibility. She was a patron of at least five health-related
foundations.
“My father was a doctor and my mother was a nurse. I suppose that has
something to do with my work (on charities),” she said. “I lived a long time
in Switzerland and when I came back to Thailand I saw there was much to be
done in every domain.”
While dedicated to teaching and the arts, Princess Galyani considered it
important to continue the work begun by her mother, the Princess Mother, in
supporting the activities of the Foundation of Voluntary Doctors under Royal
Patronage of HRH the Princess Mother.
Alleviating pain and suffering of ordinary folk who are suffering illness,
especially those who could not afford normally available medical services,
is a special concern of the voluntary doctors. The doctors particularly try
to reach people in Thailand’s more remote areas.
The princess was heavily involved in projects under her royal patronage,
especially traditional Thai arts, education, sports and social welfare. She
was president and honorary president of organisations and foundations as
diverse as the Cardiac Children’s Foundation, the Princess Mother’s Charity
Fund and the Autistic Foundation of Thailand.
The late princess was noted for her interest in the arts, especially theater
and classical music, a taste cultivated when she, like HM the King, was
educated in Switzerland, where she spent much time until later life.
She spoke five languages, and loved to travel, documenting many of her
journeys in books. Known to be modest and self-effacing, she told an
interviewer in 2000 that: “I don’t like gala dinners. They’re boring.”
She created her own foundation for funding the studies of gifted young
musicians, and she was the Royal Patron of the Bangkok Opera.
HRH Princess Galyani also traveled widely within Thailand and overseas to
represent the royal family and her country on missions and was a focus of
affection of the Thai people.
HRH Princess Galyani is survived by her daughter and a grandson.
City’s subsidized
medicine to stop
Vimolrat Singnikorn
The Pattaya Public Health Center’s 29-baht prescribed medicine
subsidy to low-income patients, paid by Pattaya City, will be stopped from
the beginning of next year after the Office of the Auditor General found
that this was surplus to the 30-baht national health scheme now in place.
 Deputy
Mayor Verawat Khakhay explains the reasons for stopping the 29-baht
subsidized treatment.
The office ordered the health center to charge actual prices for prescribed
medicine being provided and discontinue the 100,000-baht per year subsidy
for prescribed drugs that the city had paid over the last five years to
support its own scheme of the 29-baht treatments.
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay explained to a meeting at Pattaya City Hall on
October 31 that the 29-baht treatment project was created to support the
public before the government’s 30-baht national health scheme was
introduced.
Many residents used this service at the public health center and each year
the city received a support budget from Banglamung Hospital to provide
subsidized treatment.
“In 2007 a budget of 400,000 baht was provided which did not cover the
actual expenses so the service center applied to increase the annual support
amount to 800,000 baht which was already approved,” he said.
But with prescribed medicine being charged at market prices, patients will
still not be too disadvantaged, according to Verawat.
Pattaya City will inform the public in advance for these adjustments. It is
thought that it will not create any problems due to the center only charging
for medicines which are from the government and not expensive. Service fees
for doctors and medical equipment still remain free as they were before.
Patients presenting national medical insurance certificates will use the
center’s treatment free of charge.
Regarding people who don’t have the medical insurance certificate, they can
apply for it or request more information at Banglamung Hospital, said deputy
mayor.
High season tourists
down by 50%
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Tourist arrivals in Pattaya have decreased by more than 50% in this
high season from the number this time last year and the outlook is not
encouraging, according to the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association.
Asian tourists especially are staying away in droves fearing political
violence. Visitors from elsewhere are also being kept away by the high price
of fuel sending up air travel costs.
Jamroon Wisawachaipan, chairman of the Pattaya Business and Tourism
Association, told a meeting of business and tourism leaders at the Green
Park Resort, organized by his association on October 30, that much needs to
be done to remedy the situation which may even become worse next year.
Thanet Supornsaharungsi, chief advisor of the association, reported that
hotel reservations and occupancy were down by 50-70%, compared to the same
time last year when all hotels were full for the high season.
Arrivals from the European and Russian markets have also dropped by 50% and
“there is no positive sign that the situation will get better,” he said.
Thanet said that the total number of tourists is expected to remain at just
50-60% level this season compared to last year, if the political crisis
remains and there is not “serious policy to deal with the problem.”
The government needs to provide significant support because tourism cannot
depend only on the entrepreneurs who are doing all they can to promote
business.
The most important solution is to find a way for the government to reach a
compromise with the opposition People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD)
regarding the political crisis. And, as soon as possible.
Airlines, especially Thai Air International, need to decrease the price of
tickets which were doubled following oil price increases. But the fares have
now not followed the fuel price down, Thanet said.
Rattanachai Sutidechanai, Pattaya City councilor, on behalf of the chief
commissioner of Pattaya Tourism and Sports, said the city is helping to
promote many tourism activities, such as the Loy Krathong Festival, Eastern
Cow Breed Exhibition, International Balloon Festival, windsurfing and LPGA
golf tournaments, the countdown to New Year’s Eve and the 2008 Ride for
Peace.
Patchararin Sawettarat, assistant director of the Tourism Authority of
Thailand Region 3 (Pattaya), said TAT is working hard to promote Pattaya
tourism to both the domestic and international markets with new campaigns.
Pattaya City has allocated 6,000,000 baht, central TAT 3,000,000 baht and
the Chonburi Provincial Administration has also given some money for an
international promotion campaign and advertisements, which has a total
budget of 18.5 million baht, Patchararin said.
TAT will travel on a promotional tour to Germany, Vietnam, Dubai, India, and
Russia, and advertisements are being made in Japan, Australia, and Russia to
create a positive image of Thailand in those countries.
The assistant director then gave details of a host of upcoming events in the
next year in Thailand which would attract tourists.
The domestic market is allocated 6,000,000 baht for advertisements in
magazines, print ads, radio spots and websites, the main targets being young
people and family groups.
Patchararin said the “Traveling in Thailand to Refresh the Economy” campaign
was expected to expand the domestic travel market by 5%, aiming for 87
million tourists who will generate 3.88 trillion baht.
Bird Flu is in season now
Staff reporters
The end of the rainy season and the beginning of winter is danger
time for the Bird Flu virus, warned the livestock department of Sriracha
District. They have asked farmers to be more vigilant and to promptly report
any sign of the disease.
 Somchai
Khemklad from the Livestock Department of Sriracha District.
Somchai Khemklad from the department said as winter arrives in many regions
across the country, the risk of poultry contracting Bird Flu (influenza A
virus, subtype H5N1) rises also because of natural migrations of wild birds
to the country during the winter months.
“Several suspicious poultry deaths have already occurred in the lower
northern region and the situation can not be trusted … there is always a
need to be alert,” he said.
In the event of any infection in poultry stock, farmers must immediately
inform village headmen and district livestock departments or they can call
the Sriracha District Centers for Bird Flu directly.
While waiting for official help to arrive, infected poultry must be
quarantined. Chemical disinfectants must be requested from a sanitation
center nearby to spray the dead poultry and the surrounding area where they
were raised.
The poultry carcasses can be packed into double plastic bags for cold
storage for later analysis. Failing that, infected livestock must be burned,
he said.
Harder times postpone
beauty pageant
Vimolrat Singnikorn
The business of beauty is also affected in our turbulent times
as the organizer of the fifth annual Miss International Queen 2008
beauty pageant in Pattaya has announced the postponement of the show
until next year.
 Alisa
Phanthusak, organizer of the Miss International Queen 2008 that is not
to be.
The 25 transvestite entrants have been informed by letter that they will
have to wait a few more months before enough tourists will come by again
to make it worth the cost of mounting the show.
Alisa Phanthusak of the Tiffany Show Pattaya Company and organizer of
the pageant made the sober announcement on October 31.
She said that seven million baht has already been spent on the event but
blamed the world economy and our political violence for the current
sharp decline in tourist numbers in Pattaya.
“The weather and natural disasters have affected the tourism atmosphere.
This can be seen from the declining numbers of tourists this year. When
compared to last November, this year is very quiet,” she said.
“Most tourists worry about the unsafe situation and most Thai people are
mourning HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana. The best thing to do is to
postpone the pageant this year.”
Alisa gazed hopefully to next year when things may be back to normal
when tourists with pockets full of money to spend are back in the
audience again.
Next year’s pageant will be shorter than usual but there are still plans
to send Miss Tiffany Universe 2008 and Miss Tiffany Universe 2009, who
will be chosen at the beginning of next year, to compete in the Miss
International Beauty Queen Pageant overseas.
Yellow is the color for
His Majesty’s Royal Birthday
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Details of the celebrations for the 81st birthday of “Por Luang”
(Royal Father), His Majesty the King, on Friday December 5 have been
outlined.
 Deputy
Mayor Wattana Chantanawaranon heads the meeting.
Deputy Mayor Wattana Chantanawaranon chaired a meeting on November 28 at
Pattaya City Hall to prepare for the grand event by the sea.
There will be a big celebration at the Bali Hai Pier in South Pattaya and
everyone is invited to this event and to wear the King’s yellow color to
show their respect and loyalty.
As in previous years the birthday parade will start at 5 p.m. in front of
the Royal Garden Shopping Center in Pattaya and travel along Beach Road to
Bali Hai Pier in South Pattaya.
Students from many schools in the educational service area will perform on
stage when the parade reaches the pier at 6.30 p.m., which will be the
official starting time for the ceremony of making worship offerings of “Phum
Thong and Phum Ngern”.
All celebrants can then make homage and good wishes to the image of His
Majesty the King and join the rest of the nation in the candle-lit birthday
ceremony.
It was suggested in the city hall meeting that the Pattaya administration
provide a large digital screen to receive transmission from central TV to
experience the poignant atmosphere of the candle lighting ceremony
throughout the country happening at the same time.
It was requested also that all celebrants wear proper attire in yellow to
respect the auspicious and happy occasion of the royal birthday.
Beach power lines
now all underground
Pramote Channgam
Pattaya City has announced that work to place underground all
electricity supply and telecommunication cables along Pattaya Beach Road has
been completed and, once all overhead wiring and poles have been removed,
the beach-front scenery will be much improved.
 Power
cables along Beach Road are now all underground, and city hall says it is
time for the Provincial Electricity Authority to remove power poles from the
area.
The city is now considering the usage charges that are to be levied on state
and private enterprises to help pay for this improvement.
The underground cable project, with a budget of 200 million baht, covered
the section of Beach Road from the Dusit Resort to Walking Street in South
Pattaya.
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh chaired a meeting of a committee to discuss
regulations and conditions associated with using the underground cables at
Pattaya City Hall on November 4.
He said the goal of the project was to improve visual aspects along Pattaya
Beach.
“Construction is complete and the only thing left is for the Provincial
Electricity Authority to remove power poles from this area. Currently there
are still some departments that haven’t removed their attached lines from
the electricity supply cables and are still not doing anything about it,” he
said.
The primary consideration from the committee is now to propose a lease rate
to state enterprises and the private sector that have placed their utility
lines through the tunnel.
The monthly lease fee for state enterprises is 2,000 baht/km. Rates for the
private sector are being considered and will be ready within two weeks to be
submitted to the city council for approval.
Farang police
volunteers on duty
Pramote Channgam
It may not be well-known that along with 300 Thai police volunteers
that are helping Pattaya police with their work, there are also 24 foreign
volunteers lending a firm hand, mainly helping to serve foreign tourists.
 Pol.
Lt. Col. Suwan Ouanan, Inspector at the Pattaya Tourist Police Station.
Pol. Lt.-Col. Suwan Uuanan, Inspector at the Pattaya Tourist Police Station,
said Tourist Police have set up the two groups of Thai and farang volunteers
to support their work due to not having enough personnel to take care of
tourists and to ease the language barrier.
This is being performed under the “volunteer foreign friendship” project
from the commander of Tourist Police.
Foreign tourist police volunteers were selected from foreigners with
residency in Thailand. Their personal backgrounds were first checked then
they attended a basic course both in theory and practical applications to
know their duties and main objectives as volunteer Tourist Police officers,
Col. Suwan said.
Farang police volunteers distribute tourism information to Thai and foreign
visitors and help them to liaise with police in case of problems.
He said police volunteers have no right to make arrests or pretend to have
any legal power. But police have received complaints of some volunteers
being a menace, bagmen and demanding protection money from tourists.
Anyone experiencing this abuse of power can contact the 1155 Call Center at
Tourist Police with the name of the volunteer or at
http://www.pattayatouristpolice.com
Faulty helmet partly to blame for woman motorcyclist’s death
Boonlua Chatree
A female employee of Tops Supermarket was killed when she lost
control of her motorcycle and fell into the path of a water truck on Central
Pattaya Road on November 4.
Police said Nittaya Kaewsikao, 33, from Khon Kaen, received severe head and
chest injuries and died at the scene of the accident.
The driver of the truck, Porn-A-Nan Kannam-Ang, told police that he was
driving on the road in front of the Pradul Fresh Market when the woman rider
coming towards him overtook a vehicle and crashed her motorcycle under the
wheels of his truck.
The rider was wearing a cheap plastic safety helmet that offered very little
protection.
Pol. Lt. Col. Sumet Hanwisai from the Pattaya Police Station attended the
scene at 12.30 p.m. and cleared a large crowd of on-lookers in the heart of
town. Pol. Lt. Col. Sumet said that had the deceased used a better quality
helmet, she most likely would have survived the crash. He encourages all
riders to use quality helmets.
Police detained the truck driver and charged him with careless driving.
Handbag snatchers hit car
Boonlua Chatree
Two drunken motorcyclists speeding past allegedly snatched a handbag
from a woman on a taxi motorcycle but then crashed their motorcycle into a
car driven by a Korean tourist and so were easily caught by people at the
roadside.
 The
drunken bag snatchers face a court hearing over their actions.
Dararat Whittling, 34, of Phitsanulok, told police she was passenger behind
taxi motorcyclist Yutthapong Sasuk, 35, of Nongprue, in Pattaya Soi 8 in the
early hours of November 1 when two men on another motorcycle snatched her
hand bag and sped off in a cloud of exhaust fume.
Fortunately for the victim, the men’s motorcycle immediately crashed into a
car turning into the lane and the gathering crowd could perform a citizen’s
arrest on Suriya (“Toey”) Chamrat, 22, of Naklua, and Supakit (“Keng”)
Nilmuang, also 22.
Police, led by Pol. Lt. Somchai Chaikananukul, deputy inspector in crime
suppression at the Pattaya police station, said the men had the woman’s
black handbag with them.
According to the police, the two men said they were drunk and had crashed
into the car but “didn’t know where the handbag had come from.”
The men were taken to Pattaya police station and charged.
Ping-pong bomb makers arrested
Boonlua Chatree
Two men happily experimenting with making “mini-bombs” out of
ping-pong balls and firecrackers were arrested after tourists complained to
police about their test explosions at Ruamchok building on Yinyom Beach in
the early hours of the morning.
 Pol.
Col. Nopadol Wongnom (left) watches as an officer displays some of the
paraphernalia in front of the accused.
Montree Khamphan, 38, from Suphanburi, and Chatchai Bunpheng, 21, from Surin
were having a great time getting more bang for their buck by taping
firecrackers together with ping-pong balls and making a more lethal weapon
from them.
Pol. Col. Nopadol Wongnom, Superintendent at the Pattaya Police Station, was
called to scene of the disturbance at 1.20 a.m. on November 2, confiscating
the firecrackers which have been modified into a “mini-bomb.”
The would-be bomb makers, apologizing that they did not intend to hurt
anyone, were taken to the station anyway to cool their aspirations and to
give neighbors some sleep.
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