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Six fishing trawlers netted for illegal Far Islands trawling
Boonlua Chatree
Six fishing boats illegally trawling the shallow waters of Pattaya’s
Far Islands were netted themselves by marine patrol officers for taking fish
in bulk from protected areas popular with scuba divers.
Department of Marine and Coastal Resources officers patrolling near Koh Man
Wichai Sept. 17 seized the Panitwaree, Panitwaree 7, Panit 2 and Panit 18
and arrested their two Thai captains and 16 Burmese crewmembers. Later that
day authorities arrested the captain and crew of the Rungtaweesap 9 and
Rungtaweesap 10 also using double trawling nets off Koh Pai.
All the vessels came out of Samut Prakan Sept. 15. The captains claimed they
didn’t realize fishing trawlers were not allowed in the islands administered
by the Royal Thai Navy and used daily by Pattaya dive shops.
Kritayot Chamnanchang, operations chief for Marine and Coastal Resources
Ship 204, said the Ministry of Agriculture barred bag- and push-trawl
fishing in the Far Islands from Sept. 1 to Feb. 28 each year after years of
heavy fishing that nearly wiped out the fish population. Through
conservation and the sinking of the HTMS Khram off Koh Pai in 2003, numbers
have returned allowing divers to again enjoy fish watching.
The seasonal prohibition also extends to beam trawling, push nets, Chinese
purse seines, anchovy purse seines, luring purse seines, King mackerel
encirclement gill nets, bamboo steak traps and shrimp trawl bags of all
kinds. Patrols are stepped up this time of year as poaching is prevalent.
Boat captains were sent to the inquiry officer at the Pattaya Police Station
for legal processing. As for the alien workers, the captains stated that
they all had work permits, a claim that immigration officers will
investigate.
Buffalo week races to finish this weekend
An exciting finish at last
year’s event.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
It’s buffalo racing week in Chonburi as the 138th edition of the
crowd-pleasing contest comes to a finale Saturday, Oct. 3, capping six days
of excitement.
Chonburi Gov. Senee Jittakasem said the buffalo race festival will give a
much-needed boost to the local economy by attracting Thai and foreign
tourists to the event.
The races divide the buffalos into three categories, small, medium and
large. Additional fun activities will include a Miss Country contest and a
buffalo decoration contest where the animals are judged on beauty and their
costumes on creativity.
Other traditional games such as cow racing, lasso techniques, a tug-of-war,
an oiled post climbing contest (not for the buffalos) and a boxing contest
where the boxers are blind-folded will add to the gaiety.
This year’s festival also features a local-products market, folk song
contests, artists, singers, Thai country and pop music, a Buffalo Village,
farmer’s life village and a local sports competition. There will also be a
beauty contest and a folk music show performed by well-known artists.
Buddhist Lent ends Sunday
Sunday, October 4 marks the end of this year’s Buddhist
Lent, or Auk Pansaa, celebrated on the full moon night of the eleventh month
of the year. The event also marks the “official” end of the rainy season,
even although the weather might not necessarily cooperate.
A great number of lay people will be gathering at their local temples to pay
their respects, make merit, perform the Tak Bat Dhevo ceremony and place
steamed rice wrapped in coconut palm leafs, called “kao tom hang”, into
monks’ alms bowls. Other religious ceremonies will also take place at local
temples.
Police Colonel Wittaya Yuangyong from the Crime Protection and Suppression
Division of Pattaya Police told Pattaya Mail that since this is a
religious holiday, it is against the law to serve alcohol on this day.
Restaurants, bars and entertainment venues are allowed to remain open, but
must not serve alcohol of any kind on Sunday, October 4, 2009.
New patrol boat for Koh Larn
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Pattaya City Council say when it comes to patrol boats for Koh Larn,
two are better than one.
 Mayor
Itthiphol Khunplome addresses the city council in regards to purchasing a
new patrol boat for Larn Island.
Island officials had gone before the council to clear up budget-allocation
problems blocking the purchase of a twin-engine, 3.9 million baht boat only
to run into choppy waters about their plan.
Citing earlier expenditures of 72 million baht for the island’s
often-unusable ambulance boat, Council member Amnaj Thiengtham said
officials should reconsider their plans for a 36-foot vessel with two
250-horsepower engines and instead get two smaller, single-engine boats that
are capable of operating in areas the larger boat cannot.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome said city officials on Koh Larn will review their
plans again, but urged the council to approve the budget-allocation and
paperwork issues hampering any purchase.
The council did lean towards allocating the funds with hopes at least one
new boat will be available for high season. However, the final decision was
to study the matter further and re-submit the request at another meeting.
Occupational training
to be offered to community
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
More than 60,000 of Thailand’s poorest citizens each year would
receive vocational training under the Community Occupation Project
initiated by the national Vocational Education Commission and
administered locally by the Vocational Training Center of the
East-Bangkok.
 Vocational
Training Center Director Raksaporn Tanthasuwan says the aim is to have
60,000 or more people nationwide receive training in their choice of 108
different occupations.
Planning and budgeting for the Pattaya-area project began Sept. 21-23 at
the Town in Town Hotel with Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh meeting with
140 representatives from both groups and eastern region schools.
Vocational Training Center Director Raksaporn Tanthasuwan said that this
seminar was held to share information on the project, which aims to have
60,000 or more people nationwide receive training on their choice of 108
different occupations.
He said local Vocational Education Commission offices will supervise
follow up on community projects, organize learning exchanges and hold
exhibits.
Commission counselor Pongpet Pattayapala said the program is part of the
government’s anti-poverty campaign and expects that giving poor training
in a profession will lead to higher wages and better living conditions.
Other benefits include learning more about the occupations offered by
technical schools, reforming examination standards, and assigning
schools to provide vocational training.
“This seminar for the exchange of information to create a community
vocational project creates new knowledge on the development of
occupations,” he said.
Banglamung proposes new police beach patrols
Banglamung administrators
attend a meeting to discuss the tourism fund.
Saksiri Uraiworn
Banglamung District officials have proposed a new police patrol for
Pattaya Beach to better protect tourists from crime.
At a Sept. 15 meeting on the district’s tourism support fund, which is used
to aid tourists victimized by crime, Yodthong Sriwaralak, a respected
citizen of Banglamung District, proposed that Pattaya City and police
provide officers to patrol the beachfront from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. daily,
with special attention given to gang-related crimes. District officials took
the matter under consideration.
During the meeting officials also recapped the tourist fund’s current
balance (1,043,407 baht), summarized accounting procedures, discussed ways
to raise additional monies, and how to best use those funds to help tourists
who become victims of crimes or disasters.
Problem dog kennel
causing a stink in Sattahip
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Tony - the man behind Tony’s Gym, Tony’s Entertainment Complex and Tony’s
Food Court - can add another item to the long list of things with his name
on it: problem dog kennel.
Tony’s Pet Sanctuary, which recently moved from Jomtien Beach to Sattahip’s
Plutaluang sub-district, has been ordered to stop taking in animals and fix
up facilities to curb its powerful smell and better contain its guests.
 Surapol
“Tony” Sanguanchartisorakrai answers critics of his Tony’s Dog Sanctuary.
Tony was called before Pattaya Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh and officials
from the Plutaluang Sub-district Administrative Organization, Chonburi
Province and the city’s Department of Health and Environment Sept. 17 to
answer complaints from Sattahip residents that the kennel stinks, that stray
dogs regularly escape and terrorize the neighbors and that TDC workers are
asking for money from people who abandon dogs.
Apisak Ruangkachornm, vice president of the Plutaluang Sub-district
Administrative Organization, said the facility and its staff’s practices
violate the public Health Act of 1992 and the sub-district’s own rules in
numerous ways.
Tony, whose real name is Surapol Sanguanchartisorakrai, said Tony’s empire
has been experiencing tough times lately, which prompted him not to outfit
the kennel’s new location properly and completely. Included among the items
not installed were fences.
Surapol blamed people who left dogs at the facility without informing
workers for part of the animal-control problem. That’s why, he said, people
were later asked for money. However, he added, that practice has been
stopped.
While he understands the need to clean up the kennel, Surapol admitted he
doesn’t have the money and suggested Pattaya city officials should pay for
the new fencing. He also asked that citizens donate more food.
Pattaya officials took the budget request under consideration, but has
ordered the facility to close doors to new arrivals and care for the 700
dogs and 40 cats it already has under its care.
Pattaya, Sriracha, Si Chang Immigration offices
merged, renamed
Maj. Gen. Sakda Chuenphakde
(center), commander of Immigration Region 3, and other top local immigration
officials, pose in front of the new “Chonburi Immigration Office” sign at
Jomtien Soi 5.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
The reach of Pattaya’s Immigration office has gotten longer with the
consolidation of the Sriracha and Koh Si Chang branches into the newly
renamed Chonburi Immigration Office.
Top Immigration officials unveiled the new name Sept. 24 with a blessing
ceremony at the Jomtien Soi 5 office known until recently as the Pattaya
Immigration Office. Maj. Gen. Sakda Chuenphakde, commander of Immigration
Region 3 said the new name reflects the fast-growing nature of Chonburi and
Immigration’s efforts to provide quality service.
Although the new Chonburi Immigration Office will be responsible for
Sriracha and Koh Si Chang, those branches will remain open as well.
Col. Athiwit Kamolrat, superintendent of Chonburi Immigration, said the
merging of the three offices reflects the local impact of a National Police
reorganization that went into effect Sept. 7. As part of the restructuring,
two officials were transferred from Sriracha to the Pattaya headquarters.
Teachers, social workers trained to help traumatized children
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome
(left) accepts a token of appreciation from Sudjai Nakphian, coordinator of
the Quality of Pattaya Street Kids Development Project.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Pattaya officials believe they can reduce the number of street
children and runaways by giving teachers and social workers more training on
child psychology and trauma.
Teachers from all Pattaya public schools plus representatives from various
orphanages and charity groups attended a two-day seminar on psychological
counseling for children Sept. 18-19 at the Pattaya Redemptorist Vocational
School.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome, who chaired the workshop, said the goal would be
to improve conditions for children in distress, particularly teenagers,
through school intervention. Often, he said, youngsters are subjected to
sexual abuse because they are not taken care of well enough. “It’s necessary
for families and society to help protect them,” the mayor said.
The psychological training includes exchanging experiences and opinions in
developing measures, networks, the creation of ideas, and treatment of
problems to reduce the number of Pattaya street kids.
Banglamung police arrest drug dealer who shot officer
Boonlua Chatree
Banglamung police have apprehended a drug dealer who shot an officer
during a sting operation last month.
Choocheap Chaisiri, who goes by the street name of “Keng Santikam”, was
arrested Sept. 17 just hours after he allegedly shot Lance Cpl. Tosapol
Sombun in the leg during a buy at Choocheap’s Ban Graek 2 Village residence
on Soi Wat Santikam.
 Police
arrested Choocheap Chaisiri (standing, shirtless) for drugs and weapons
offences.
Banglamung Pol. Maj. Kamol Taweesri alleged Choocheap was a major dealer and
supplier of methamphetamines in the area and police set up a “buy” of 200 ya
ba tablets with six officers waiting to apprehend the dealer and his two
male lieutenants named Sa and Pao.
Once the deal was done, Tosapol shouted at the three men to stop but before
the words were out of his mouth, one of the three shot him and fled on a
motorbike. Unfamiliar with the area’s side streets, the officers lost the
suspects.
Choocheap’s escape didn’t last long. Police found him within two hours and
arrested him holding a 9mm pistol, but no drugs. Officers also arrested
three other teenage customers. At press time it was unknown if Choocheap’s
two lieutenants were caught.
Police said Choocheap confessed to his crimes, claiming he shot the officer
because he was scared.
Lance Cpl. Tosapol Sombun was taken to Banglamung hospital for treatment.
Police raid Soi LK Metro adult club
Women working at the Devil’s
Den are rounded up for processing at the local police station.
Boonlua Chatree
Call it the Devil’s Den or Hell Club, police appear intent on
closing down a Soi LK Metro club known for its anything goes adult
entertainment no matter what name is on the door.
For the second time this year, Pattaya Immigration Police Sept. 19 raided
the club operating under the name “Devil’s Den,” detaining 21 women and the
American owner, Jack Daigle. This time police swooped in based on the club’s
latest ploy to attract customers: by offering bookings and services over the
internet. Officers seized a computer, external hard drive, mobile phone,
CD-ROMs and brochures, plus condoms and sexual aids.
All the women were charged with loitering in a house of prostitution while
Daigle, 48, was busted for working without a permit and intent to sell
prostitution services. The club remained closed last week.
Daigle denied the charges but, with a number of previous arrests for
adult-related activities, police were skeptical.
Originally opened as a copy of the well-known Bangkok Eden Club, Devil’s Den
has been subjected to several raids in its short history with each closure
resulting in the brothel’s sale to new owners. Earlier this year police
pounced on the “Hell Club,” as it was previously known, racing to its
upstairs room to seize a wide variety of adult toys and paraphernalia. This
time, it was the club’s website that did it in.
Pattaya Immigration Police Superintendent Col. A-non-nut Kamollut said
investigators had spent time perusing the Devil’s Den internet storefront,
which provided prices for illegal services, information, photos and the
ability to chat with hostesses and make bookings. Police, using a foreign
assistant, simply contacted Daigle by telephone an hour before the raid and
made an appointment. The foreigner went to the club, paid for services and
adjourned to a bedroom. Eight officers then moved in.
Pattaya authorities also said they planned to arrest the business’s
registered owners, Michele Victor Mentor and Wasana Kotnadee.
Drunken Brit takes a tumble
Boonlua Chatree
A drunken British man apparently averse to using stairs jumped
instead from his Soi Lengkee guesthouse, landing bruised, battered and in
police custody.
 Police
and rescue workers try to calm the disorderly Brit.
Police arrived at the guesthouse to find Geoffrey Edward Harold, 53, pacing
the inn’s second-storey roof and raving incoherently. Pattaya Sawang
Boriboon rescuers assumed the man was either crazy, drugged or simply drunk.
Before authorities could intervene, however, Harold jumped the four meters
to the ground, taking a bruising tumble.
Witness Worarat Noipad said the man, who indeed was well liquored, had been
ranging on his veranda before ascending to the roof. Pol. Lt. Col. Anan
Thamchaikul said the drunk man would be charged with creating a public
disturbance.
British driver stuck between rock, hard place
Boonlua Chatree
Police are looking for a South Pattaya motorbike taxi driver who
threw a rock at a British man’s car, breaking the passenger side window.
 Road
rage? Apparently an angry motorcycle taxi rider threw a rock at this car,
shattering the window.
Patrick Ward, 38, said he was leaving the Big C supermarket on Sukhumvit
Road when a taxi driver threw a half-kilogram stone at his Honda Jazz,
breaking the window and causing about 2,000 baht damage.
Ward said the taxi had been coming into the market in the opposite direction
he was driving and then turned to follow him. Ward told police he assumed
the taxi driver was angry at something. Ward said he originally thought the
driver had shot his car, then realized it was a rock.
Police have the rock and photos of the damage as evidence, but Ward was
unable to provide much of a description of the stone thrower.
Police Briefs
Boonlua Chatree
Woman killed, robbed
in Soi VC Hotel apartment
A 40-year-old Thai woman was beaten to death and robbed in her
Soi VC Hotel apartment.
Police Sept. 18 said Buapan Parpuangpan had been dead about two days before
she was discovered. The Nakhon Ratchasima native was lying in bed fully
clothed and her face had been beaten with a blunt instrument. She apparently
died of head injuries.
The room had been ransacked and the woman’s valuables, including mobile
phone and purse, were missing.
Lt. Col. Sutham Chaosithong, deputy superintendent at the Pattaya Police
Station, said Buapan likely knew her killer. Police are looking for a
partner who collected trash for a living.
Fire at curtain store causes 1 million baht damage
Investigators are trying to determine the cause of a fire at a
Naklua curtain retailer that caused about 1 million baht damage.
Firefighters battled the blaze at the Watatanaporn Curtain 46 Co. on Naklua
Road for about 30 minutes Sept. 20. The three-story commercial building was
also home to about 20 employees, who all escaped without injury.
The cause of the blaze, which occurred in the basement office area, is
unknown. The building was closed for a holiday at the time.
Angry Norwegian
stabs hotel worker
A Norwegian man angry at being told to turn down loud music
stabbed the hotel employee who told him the tunes were disturbing other
guests.
Perchristiau Fredrikstad, 50, was arrested and two bloody knives were seized
by police called to the New Orchid Hotel on Soi Pratamnak 4 around 2:30 a.m.
September 20. Chan Kamchaee, the hotel’s 32-year-old electrician, sustained
a stab wound to the stomach. He was taken to Pattaya Memorial Hospital.
Fredrikstad admitted he stabbed Chan after the two got in an argument over
the Norwegian’s refusal to turn down the music when asked.
Frenchman dies
of natural causes
A 40-year-old Thai woman returned home Sept. 21 to find her
elderly French spouse of nine years had passed away.
Police and Sawang Boriboon Thamasathan found the body of Pierre Maurice
Thepaut, 66, lying in bed. He had been dead for several days, likely of
natural causes, authorities said.
Wife Kampong Yangnok told police she’d been away visiting family since the
end of August but talked to her husband regularly on the phone. When he did
not answer this week, she came back to their Piamsuk Villa home to check on
him.
Pattaya celebrates ‘father
of Thai medicine’
Phasakorn Channgam
In 1915, Siriraj Hospital was much like the rest of Thailand’s
medical industry: small, crowded, under-funded, understaffed, and
ill-equipped. That all began to change the day HRH Prince Mahidol Adulyadej
stepped through the doors of the Royal Medical College clinic.
 His
Royal Highness Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, the Father of Modern Thai Medicine.
Over the next 13 years, HRH Prince Mahidol - father of HM King Bhumibol
Adulyadej - would fund the training of Thailand’s first western-educated
doctors, set up public health scholarships and each year, on the anniversary
of his death in September 1929, is feted as the father of modern medicine
and public health for Thailand.
Pattaya marked this year’s 80th anniversary with a week-long celebration
based at The Avenue shopping center on Second Road with proceeds going to
that very same hospital - Siriraj - that opened HRH the Prince’s eyes to the
state of Thai public health. City and provincial officials, doctors,
students, aid groups and others marked “Mahidol Week” Sept. 21-27.
Cherdsak Theerabut, honorary councilor with the Siriraj Foundation, Dr.
Som-Ard Wongkhemthong, former professor with Tokyo University’s medical
faculty, and Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay opened the festivities the evening
of Sept. 22. A wreath was laid before HRH the Prince’s image, his history
was told and an exhibit and souvenir sale helped to raise funds for needy
Siriraj patients.
Verawat noted that Mahidol Day is an important date on the Thai calendar as
it marks the founding of modern dentistry, pharmacology, nursing, public
health and social welfare in Thailand.
Born the 69th son of HM King Chulalongkorn on New Year’s Day 1892, HRH
Prince Mahidol was sent abroad after being named Prince of Songkla at age
13. He didn’t return to Thailand until the outbreak of World War I. After
resigning from the Navy after a nine-month stint, HRH Prince Mahidol was
taken to Siriraj Hospital by half-brother HRH Prince Rangsit, a lower-ranked
prince who felt the hospital needed a bigger presence to improve its
quality. Shocked at what he saw, HRH Prince Mahidol agreed to help his
brother improve the hospital and spent the next several years learning
medicine in the United Kingdom and the United States.
During that time HRH the Prince personally bankrolled the education of two
Thai students at U.S. medical universities. One of those turned out to be
18-year-old Sangwal Talabhat, who would later marry HRH the Prince and sire
Thailand’s next two kings.
HRH Prince Mahidol died Sept. 24, 1929 of kidney failure, but his legacy
remains. Many students sent abroad under his scholarships became key players
in modern Thai medicine and helped establish new medical schools and
universities. The Royal Medical College later became the Faculty of Medicine
at Siriraj Hospital, a key faculty of the Medical University founded in
1943. In 1969, the Medical University became Mahidol University and Prince
of Songkla University. Finally, the Prince Mahidol Award was created in 1992
and given to pioneers in medicine, public health, and social services.
Navy launches new tug to
boost Sattahip port operations
Patcharapol Panrak
Cargo will move a bit more quickly through the Sattahip Commercial
Port after the Royal Thai Navy added a new tugboat to its fleet.
 Adm.
Kamthorn Phumhiran, commander in chief of the Royal Thai Navy, formally
receives the fleet’s new tugboat.
Adm. Kamthorn Phumhiran, commander in chief of the Royal Thai Navy, formally
received the tug Sept. 18 at the Sattahip Naval Base. The 83 million baht
boat was the first of its kind built by Mahidol Adulyadej Naval Department
and Seacrest Marine Co. Ltd.
Kamthorn said the new vessel will help Juk Samet Port reach parity with
other commercial harbors by improving the movement of inbound and outbound
cargo vessels.
The Sattahip Naval Base has run the commercial port for 25 years. It’s used
by about 40 freight companies and handled 974 ships and 346,966 tons of
cargo in 2008.
The admiral also said he expects this to be the first of many vessels the
Mahidol Adulyadej Department will oversee construction of.
The new tug is 27.5 meters long and has a displacement of 320 tons. It can
pull 20 metric tons and travel in water as shallow as 4.15 meters at up to 9
knots. It’s staffed by a crew of nine.
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