Theerarak Suthathiwong

Aiming to make Chonburi’s roads safer during one of the most accident-prone times of the year, Saensuk Municipality officials held a road safety seminar.

The sign says: Don’t drive when drunk, you will definitely be arrested.

The event was held just before Songkran, when there are usually many road accidents, injuries and fatalities. Narong Kraisawat, vice-president of the Royal Automobile Association of Thailand and Saensuk Mayor Narongchai Kunplome led the event at Ban Laemtaen School.

The workshop stressed safe-driving techniques and highlighted 50 road signs to raise awareness of accidents. Executives from Captain Color Paint donated paint sets to the school for students to use for art projects.

2 arrested in kidnapping, ransom of Dutch national

Police escort Frantisek Janku and Daniel Motycka to re-enact the kidnapping of Alexander.

Boonlua Chatree

Two of three men who allegedly kidnapped a Dutch national and only released him after extracting 5 million baht in ransom have been arrested by Pattaya Police.

In the re-enactment Alexander is shown how he was bound with curtain strings.

Czech citizens Frantisek Janku, 37, and Daniel Motycka, 36, were the alleged strongmen behind the April 12 taking of 41-year-old William Peter Alexander from the McDonald’s restaurant inside Royal Garden Plaza. Police are still looking for 36-year-old Polish national Robert Sterling, who reportedly arranged to have his supposed “friend” stuffed into a black pickup truck at gunpoint and taken to a Jomtien Beach home.

Janku and Motycka were picked up by police walking on Soi Pratamnak 4 near where Alexander claims he was held captive. Both men confessed they escorted Alexander from the restaurant to the parking lot of the nearby Welcome Plaza hotel, where they forced him into the Toyota truck. Police had the two re-enact the kidnapping and show where they bound the Dutchman with curtain strings and a gag while they awaited payment of the ransom.

The kidnapping appears to be related to a debt supposedly owed by Alexander to the Polish man he once considered a friend. Starling had gone to the McDonald’s to collect what was owed, Alexander said. Things spiraled after that. The Dutchman was tied up on the third floor of the Jomtien house and told he would not be released until 90,000 euros – about 5 million baht – was paid.

Alexander said he told his captor he didn’t have that kind of money available, but could have it wired from the Netherlands. Once the money was transferred, the Dutchman was set free and went to the police.

7 year-old child dies trying to save her father

Patcharapol Panrak

On April 15, 2010 Capt. Nopadol Supakorn, Commander of the Recruitment Training Center, Naval Education Department, in Sattahip received a request from Jiranan Pongpan, 37 and her daughter Kanchanok asking for assistance in finding her husband Ekachai 37 and her 7 year old daughter Amornrat who had had gone to lay fish traps at the Bangsarae Reservoir the day before but had not returned home.

The officers along with the rescue unit of the Sawang Rojanathamsathan Sattahip Foundation mounted a search team to look for the lost father and daughter around the wooded area and along the banks of the reservoir.

On their search they found a pink t-shirt, a pair of sandals, and a fish trap that belonged to Ekachai. As they searched further, they spotted both father and daughter holding each other in the water about 30 meters offshore.

On bringing the bodies back to shore the rescuers noticed that the man’s legs were entangled in the fishing net.

Officials assumed that the man had gone into the water to lay the traps, but got entangled in the mesh and struggled to get free. On seeing her father in trouble the 7 year old jump in to help, but was not strong enough to help him and in the process they both drowned.

It was an emotional scene on the banks of the reservoir as both the mother and daughter could not control their sorrow. Members of the rescue team were also visibly moved by the unnecessary loss of life.

Ladyboy thief caught on camera

Boonlua Chatree

A ladyboy who stole mobile phones and cash was captured within minutes – thanks to CCTV cameras.

The thief took the items from a Soi Kopai apartment while its four occupants slept inside.

The culprit is identified by two victims of the crime.

Warit Anuwongworawet, 28, was arrested near the intersection of Soi Sophon Cable and Third Road in the early hours of April 11. Still in the pink dress he was seen wearing on CCTV footage at the Rung Ruang apartment complex a few minutes before, the transvestite was caught with two mobile phones, cash and an ATM card belonging to 23-year-old victim Wandee Luangthong.

Warit confessed his crime to police, saying he’d been waiting at the apartment building for a friend to return from buying drugs. Annoyed at being delayed, the Chachoengsao native decided to amuse himself by sneaking into a ground-floor room and taking what he could while the four people slept inside.

Also caught with two ya ba tablets on him, the thief said he didn’t realize Rung Ruang had CCTV cameras watching his every movement.

Guide sets hotel ablaze after bar girl row

Bunlua Chatree

A Chinese guide set fire to a hotel after it stopped him bringing three girls back to his room.

At 3am on April 16, police received a report from Mr Preeda Yotwichit, 42, manager of the Golden Beach Hotel on Second Road about a fire.

A security camera shows Mr. Shen in a heated argument with a hotel employee who denied access to the three damsels.

After receiving the report, a team of officers went to investigate and found hotel employees rushing to put out the fire. The cost of the damage is between 10,000-20,000 baht.

The blaze occurred in the corridor on the fourth floor, which was occupied by the tour guide. The fire damaged all of the curtains and windows, broke a mirror, and spread throughout the floor. The hotel workers detained a 57-year-old Chinese tour guide identified as Mr Shen Wen Liang.

The man was drunk and proclaiming loudly that he had not done anything wrong. Officers took him to Pattaya Police Station for questioning.

Mr Preeda and a hotel security guard said that before the incident Mr. Liang had tried to bring three karaoke bar girls with him for other Chinese hotel guests. However, because of the hotel’s rules, employees wouldn’t allow him to take the service girls into any of its rooms. This upset Mr Liang and he shouted at the hotel employees and allegedly threatened to burn down the hotel. However, no-one paid much attention to this.

Five minutes later Mr. Liang went to his room and a fire started. The hotel security guards gathered to extinguish fire, and detained the guide before calling the police. The hotel’s CCTV recording was used to confirm that Mr. Liang had started the fire, which caused damage to the hotel. The police charged him with arson and destruction of property.

Mr Preeda said stated that Mr Liang started the fire as he was unhappy about the hotel’s policy of not allowing bar girls into its rooms. Mr. Liang is thought to have wanted to provide them for his Chinese tour group, which was staying in the hotel. He announced that he would burn down the hotel, and blamed hotel employees before committing arson.

POLICE BRIEFS

A Speed Boat operator found dead in a boat

Bunlua Chatree

At 2:30pm on April 14, 2010, Pol. Lt. Col. Samran Kamwattana (Investigator at the Pattaya Police Station) received a report about someone dead in a speedboat at Bali Hai. Police officers went to investigate the scene along with Sawang Boriboon Foundation rescuers.

The Pirom Boat 395 speedboat had already been brought to shore. Onboard was the corpse of Mr. Thonglor Yoomak, 56 lying upside down in the driver’s seat. No signs of a struggle were found.

Mr. Montree Sintham, the speedboat operator said that the deceased had just brought foreign tourists back from Koh Lan to Pattaya. He was just about ready to moor his boat, when he noticed that the Pirom boat did not have a driver. He turned his boat around to verify this, and found the deceased lying upside down on the floor of the boat. He hurried to bring the deceased to shore to rush him to a hospital for treatment, but realized that Thonglor had already died.

The officers primarily assumed that the deceased probably had a heart attack, because of working in sweltering heat.

The foundation rescuers brought his corpse to the Banglamung Police Station where his relatives received the body for funeral proceedings.

Senegal man claims attack was unprovoked

A Senegalese man claims he was beaten by the owner of an Internet caf้ and several others - for asking to make a photocopy.

Djiby Hamidou, 41, called police to Pattaya International Hospital on April 12 where he was being treated for a swollen face and broken arm.

Hamidou said he had stopped by at an internet shop on Soi 10 to make a photocopy, but had trouble communicating due to his poor English skills. Suddenly, he claimed, the shop owner and others jumped on him and beat him. He then took a motorbike taxi to the hospital.

Suspecting there was more to the Senegalese man’s story than met the eye, police are continuing to investigate.

Australian jumps from 4th floor apartment building

At 3:00am on April 15, 2010, Pol. Lt. Col. Anan Thanchaikul, Investigator on duty at the Pattaya Police Station, received a report from Ms. Supatsorn Chansopa, 21 stating that her Australian boyfriend had jumped from room on the 4th floor of the apartment building where they lived, and was seriously injured.

The officers went to examine the scene along with Sawang Boriboon Thamsathan Foundation rescuers. At the scene they found an injured foreigner identified as Danny James Richardson, 30 on the concrete pavement in front of the apartment complex. The officers immediately brought him to Pattaya Memorial Hospital for treatment.

Ms. Supatsorn Chansopa stated that she had a dispute with the injured man after returning from her errands. She didn’t want to shout at him, so she left the room to avoid a dispute. As soon as she went out the door, Richardson climbed up onto the window sill and jumped down from the 4th floor. She immediately ran down and found that her boyfriend was still alive, and notified police officers.

The officers went to check the room and didn’t find anything in disarray or that there was a struggle.

They went to Pattaya Memorial Hospital, where they found Richardson undergoing treatment for his injuries. Because the injured man was not able to make a statement, the officers recorded their observations for further legal investigations.

Grenade defused at power plant

Theerarak Suthathiwong

A potentially devastating grenade attack at Laem Chabang has been thwarted.

An M67 grenade was found inside Laem Chabang Power Station 1 on the morning of April 9, but was defused before causing an explosion that would have set off a chain-reaction blackout.

A ‘brave’ policeman precariously holds the hand grenade to try to defuse it.

Power station employee Tarakorn Chansom found the device seven meters from the station’s high-voltage generator. Bound with electrical tape, the device was set to explode once exposed to the heat of the day. However, it was discovered early in the morning and defused before it could do any damage.

Sriracha Provincial Power Authority Assistant Manager Vichit Tanesanon said that had the grenade gone off it would have affected two transformers which, in turn, would have affected four feeder grids throughout the Laem Chabang Industrial Estate and even expanded to Power Station 2 on Sukhumvit Road. That station supplies power to the Harbor Mall and a failure there could have then affected the Auo Pai Power Station.

The grenade, which investigators say was intentionally tossed into the power station, comes amidst a violent uprising by anti-government protestors and bomb attacks against three high-voltage power pylons in Ayutthaya, which supplies power to Bangkok. Blackouts in Bangkok and Thailand’s main port are suspected to be part of a plan by ill-intentioned people to create chaos and put pressure on the current government to resign.

TQ1 to reopen 2 weeks after devastating fire

Firefighters worked fast to extinguish the fire before it could spread to nearby shops.

Boonlua Chatree

Owners of Pattaya’s first go-go bar say they hope to reopen the Beach Road landmark gutted by fire within two weeks.

More than a half-million baht in damage was done when a roof-top air-conditioning unit caught fire April 16 at the Tahitian Queen near Soi 12. First opened, in 1978, the bar for a time was the city’s only chrome pole palace but in recent years has become more popular as a drinking hole for Pattaya expats than a draw for tourists.

No one was hurt in the Songkran blaze, which destroyed most of the bar but did not spread to nearby businesses thanks to help from nearby shop owners and a quick response from four fire engines. A clothing shop next door did faint after suffering 200,000 baht in smoke damage to her goods.

Tahitian Queen waitress Naree Sommit said about 20 foreigners and 50 staff were inside the bar when there was a loud explosion on the roof. Fire swept quickly from the compressor across the ceiling.

Long-time fans of “TQ1” bemoaned the loss of their favorite drinking hole online, but owners, who were not in Pattaya at the time, posted on various message boards that despite the damage, they hoped to reopen within two weeks.

‘Underwear bandit’ falls asleep in victim’s house

Patcharapol Panrak

A female DJ woke up to find a drunken car mechanic sleeping in a pile of her underwear.

DJ Kai shows reporters the rack where her underwear was hanging the night before.

Amorn Nathalampa, 22, was arrested on April 11 after breaking into the Moo 8 home of Pattira “DJ Kai” Ganket the night before.

He told police he had got drunk with two friends the night before. They had promised to take him home but, as a joke, dropped him off inside the house of the DJ and threw in some underwear that had been hanging outside to dry. He then passed out on the floor.

Pattira found the man asleep on the floor of her daughter’s room. She was not amused and did not believe his story. She told police several female DJs at a local community radio station had been harassed by ‘underwear bandits’.

Despite filing complaints with the police, nothing had been done, she complained, She said she believed Amorn was part of a gang of people causing problems and that he had a worrying perversion about women’s underwear.

Inspector Lt. Pitichon Therdkiatkul plans to track down the mechanic’s two drinking buddies to verify the story before letting him out to sleep in his own bed again.

Brakes placed on car-nappers

Narinthorn points her finger at Vichien the alleged car-napper.

Boonlua Chatree

Two men who allegedly hired two cars from a rental agency then demanded 100,000 baht for their safe return are now pondering their failed scheme from behind bars.

Police arrested Tanapat “Ou” Pongkhao, 33, and Vichian “Ek” Dulnakit, 39, on April 9. A yellow Honda Jazz was shown off as evidence.

Investigators claimed Tanapat hired the Honda and a black Toyota Vios truck from Ms. Narinthorn Patanamat in March, promising to return the vehicles by April 7. But, instead, Vichian allegedly telephoned Narinthorn saying that they had borrowed money and left the cars as collateral in Chanthaburi. He demanded a ransom of 100,000 baht to get the car back.

The car agent contacted police, who had her set up a pay-off meeting. When Vichian arrived in the Jazz, officers moved in. They later arrested Tanapat. Both men denied the charges. Police are following up on their investigations and warned citizens that such scams were quite common and one should be careful who one deals with.

1 hurt, 2 million baht in damage in fire near Naklua Market

Firefighters work hard to put out the fire that threatened to engulf the whole market.

Theerarak Suthathiwong

A 65-year-old woman suffered smoke inhalation in an April 16 fire behind the new Naklua Market that had merchants scrambling to save their wares.

Nonglak Ngampotchanamongkol, owner of the “Ngam Thaworn” commercial building, was carried to safety from the burning second floor of the three-storey structure by her son Kitikomon, 36. She was taken to Chonburi Hospital were she was treated for smoke inhalation.

Five fire engines took an hour to extinguish the fire, which spread to another large building, consuming three blocks of Sawangfa Road in flames. Damage was estimated at about 2 million baht. Nearby merchants, fearful of losing their livelihoods, quickly tried to evacuate their goods from the area.

Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the blaze. Kitikomon speculated it was caused by an electrical short as he didn’t see any burning candles or incense on the second floor where the fire started.

No one else was hurt in the accident as Kitikormon’s father and children had escaped when fire broke out.