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HRH Princess Bajarakitiyabha leads Rapee Day ceremony
Chief
Justice Suphian Jungkriangkrai (left) delivers the court’s yearly report
to HRH Princess Bajarakitiyabha on Rapee Day.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
HRH Princess Bajarakitiyabha saluted the father of the
Thai justice system in this year’s Rapee Day ceremony in Pattaya.
At the Aug. 5 ceremony at Pattaya Provincial Court - two
days before the actual holiday - Chief Justice Suphian Jungkriangkrai lit
candles and incense in honor of the three gems, along with 10 Buddhist
monks. Her Highness then arrived and led the commemoration ceremony.
Rapee Day is named after the father of the Thai justice
system, Prince Rapee Pattanasak. The 14th son of King Chulalongkorn, he
founded the country’s first law school and promoted the systemization of
land-title deeds and ownership. The holiday commemorates the day he died.
Rapee was born Oct. 21, 1874 and studied law at
Christchurch College at Oxford University. Upon returning to Thailand he
became minister of justice at the age 22, a position he held for 14 years.
After founding the law school in 1897 he drew up the first syllabus and
taught the students himself.
In 1911, King Rama VI appointed Rapee agriculture
minister. In addition to standardizing land ownership, he created the Royal
Irrigation Department.
The prince fell ill in 1920 and resigned to move to
Paris. He died Aug. 7 the same year. His statue was constructed in front of
the Ministry of Justice and each year law practitioners and the general
public who now live under the law he once wrote pay tribute to him.
Thai holiday tourists boost Pattaya
Worries over foreign tourism deepen
Phasakorn Channgam
Long-suffering tourism businesses in Pattaya are wishing
every weekend could be a long holiday weekend.
In stark contrast to most of this low season, recent
holiday weekends have seen Pattaya come alive again, albeit with Thai
tourists, not foreign visitors. During these long weekends, hotels have
reported occupancy rates of better than 70 percent, beach chair vendors have
been soaking it up and Thai restaurants have been full.
Thanet Supornsahatrangsi, advisor to the Pattaya Business
& Tourism Association, says some hotels have been fully booked on long
weekends.
Business owners credit the Pattaya government’s
aggressive promotion campaign that has seen Beach Road play host most
weekends to outdoor shopping stalls, concerts and other events, such as last
weekend’s International Fireworks Contest. Also spurring Thai tourism is the
Pattaya Grand Sale campaign sponsored by the city and various sports, hotel
and retail associations.
Yuwathida Jeerapat of the Pattaya Business & Tourism
Association said more than 20,000 people have registered for a Pattaya Grand
Sale card, which grants holders discounts of 10-50 percent at restaurants,
golf courses, stores and tourist attractions. During the recent Buddhist
holiday weekend, more than 30 percent of the visitors to Pattaya used their
card, she said.
While beach vendors say they are happy to have their
chairs filled again and hotels report being satisfied with weekend business,
the worry that this summer’s tourism mini-boom has been fueled almost
exclusively by domestic Thai tourism hangs over the city like a dark cloud.
TAT Pattaya office Assistant Director Akarawit Thepasit
estimated that 85 percent of this summer’s visitors to Pattaya have been
Thai with most of them coming from Bangkok for a holiday weekend at the
shore. Beach vendors agreed, saying 70 percent of their customers are Thai.
On one hand, that’s a success for TAT officials and Mayor
Itthiphol Kunplome, who basically wrote off any hope of luring foreign
tourists back to Thailand so soon after this spring’s bloody “red shirt”
riots in Bangkok that left 70 people dead over two months.
Battered by a “perfect storm” of worldwide negative
headlines, government travel warnings, a weak global economy, unfavorable
exchange rates and sky-high airfares, officials reluctantly conceded that
the only way Pattaya’s economy would make it through the summer was to get
Thais to visit en masse.
For hotels, Thai restaurants and businesses that cater to
the local market, the strategy has worked. Thanet Supornsahatrangsi, advisor
to the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association, said some hotels have been
fully booked on long weekends with most saying they were more than 70
percent full.
Foreign-oriented businesses, however, continue to suffer.
Western food restaurants, golf and scuba diving operators and real estate
agents are still plagued by empty seats, few bookings and no buyers. It’s
also taken a toll on the city’s famous nightlife industry, which has seen
historic numbers of pubs and discos go under during this low season.
Looking out over a busy, Thai-filled beach, many foreign
business owners wonder aloud if the government will ever work as hard to
bring back the foreign tourist as it has to get the Bangkok weekend visitor.
Beach chairs, mostly empty during the slow season,
are
filled with Thai tourists during long holiday weekends.
Y.W.C.A. donates medical equipment to Banglamung Hospital
The YWCA Bangkok-Pattaya
Center and local club’s donate important medical equipment to Banglamung
Hospital for Mothers’ Day.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
The Y.W.C.A. Bangkok-Pattaya Center marked Mother’s Day
by donating medical equipment to Banglamung Hospital for its new Chalerm
Prakiat building set to open soon.
Nittaya Patimasongkroh and Y.W.C.A. supporters presented
five suction devices and a nasal continuous positive airway pressure machine
- worth a total 230,000 baht - to Dr. Prasit Jittiwatanapong, director of
the government hospital on Aug. 12, HM the Queen’s birthday.
Nittaya noted that the hospital treats a large number of
poor Pattaya-area residents, so the machines really go to benefit the
underprivileged.
“The five-storey Chalerm Prakiat building will open very
soon and Banglamung Hospital needs a large amount of medical equipment,” she
said, adding that the CPAP was a much-needed device.
CPAP is a treatment that delivers slightly pressurized
air during the breathing cycle, keeping the windpipe open during sleep and
preventing episodes of blocked breathing in persons with obstructive sleep
apnea and other respiratory problems.
Nittaya said the funds for the equipment came from the
Pattaya Sports Club, Rotary Club of the Eastern Seaboard, German Sports
Club, the Y.W.C.A. itself and Dr. Strassberger.
Police organize ordination for 11 monks
Pattaya Police organized
the ordination of 11 Buddhist monks
to honor HM the Queen for Mother’s Day.
Boonlua Chatree
Pattaya Police organized the ordination of 11 Buddhist
monks to honor both HM the Queen for Mother’s Day and police officers who
died during the past year.
Superintendent Col. Nantawut Suwanla-Ong started the
proceedings the morning of Aug. 7 by assembling the 11 “nagas,” or monks to
be, in the Pattaya Police Station parking lot. Among the men was Pol. Lt.
Col. Kritsakorn Thong-In.
Suwanla-Ong then led a nagas procession around Pattaya at
6 p.m. before the rite of remembrance was performed by a Buddhist master
from Ayutthaya. Candles were passed clockwise around the circle of nagas as
parents looked on.
Initiation continued at 8 a.m. the next morning with the
11 formally ordained at Chaimongkol Temple in South Pattaya in the first of
nine days of ceremonies. During that time the new monks will study the
precepts, ask for offerings at Pattaya Police Station each day and take in
sermons on behavior and experiences.
The celebration continued in the evening with traditional
Thai entertainment.
Naval aviators honor HM the Queen with planting of 99 trees
Patcharapol Panrak
The Royal Thai Navy’s Aviation Division planted 99
Paduak trees to honor HM the Queen on her birthday.
Naval aviators plant trees to honor HM the Queen on
her birthday.
Rear Admiral Soracha Soraprathum, commander of the
Naval Aviation Division, led the Aug. 7 ceremony on the field behind the
division’s headquarters in Ban Chang. The plants will one day cover the
2 rai plot.
Rear Adm. Soracha said the ceremony not only honors
HM the Queen on Mother’s Day, but beautifies the offices where naval
personnel work daily. He said he hoped it was an example for others in
the armed forces to plants trees and flowers in open spaces.
Navy holds rice-planting ceremony to mark Mother’s Day
Navy recruits plant rice
the old fashioned way in honor of HM the Queen’s birthday at the Navy
Recruit Training Center’s Sufficiency Economy Learning Center in Sattahip.
Patcharapol Panrak
The Royal Thai Navy encouraged people to honor HM Queen
Sirikit on her birthday by planting jasmine rice on Mother’s Day to harvest
on Father’s Day in December.
Duangporn Pumhiran, president of the Navy Wives
Association, led the Aug. 9 ceremony at the Navy Recruit Training Center’s
Sufficiency Economy Learning Center in Sattahip. Thai “sang yod” jasmine
rice - HM the Queen’s favorite - was planted with speakers talking about the
importance of traditional farming in Thai society and the need to preserve
such traditions.
The days also saw exhibits on the sufficiency economy
philosophy of HM the King, organic agriculture, construction of earthen
houses, natural waste disposal, energy conservation and the traditional
lives of Thai farmers.
Training Center Commander Capt. Noppadol Supakorn said
planting rice was something all Thais could do together to create unity in
the country while honoring the royal couple by sowing seeds on HM the
Queen’s Mother’s Day birthday and harvesting the crop on HM the King’s
birthday on the Dec. 5 Father’s Day.
The Learning Center is devoted to espousing the virtues
of “sufficiency economy,” a philosophy that holds that all Thais should be
able to grow enough food themselves to care for their families, only spend
money on necessary things and make Thailand independent of global economic
cycles.
Population census to be held in September
Census takers dressed in pink might soon be showing up at
your front door,
as Thailand’s decennial census kicks off in Pattaya Sept.
1.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Thailand’s decennial census kicks off in Pattaya Sept. 1
with population information taken by mail, telephone, Internet and by
pink-shirted census takers.
At an Aug. 5 press conference at Pattaya City Hall,
Jirawan Bunperm, director of the National Statistics Office, said this year
marks the 100th anniversary of the national census. The census provides key
data for planning the next 10 years of health, education and social
services.
“Most Thai people and foreigners in Thailand reside in
different areas than their legally registered address. People have been
careless about updating their registrations, not providing any notification
at all or have moved,” Jirawan said.
Getting an accurate picture of how many people are living
where helps plan the public health budget, the number of physicians and
medicine needed, as well as the need for teachers, schools, shelters and
facilities for the elderly and those with disabilities, he said.
“It is very useful in constructing a national development
plan and the private sector will use it for the investment plans, production
quantities and services,” Jirawan added.
Most people will complete their census questionnaire
through an interview with “Mr. and Ms. Madee,” the name the statistics
office is putting on all the census takers’ pink t-shirts. Jirawan said the
interview takes only a few minutes. Alternatively, questionnaires can be
completed by telephone by calling 1111, by mail or on the Internet at
www.NSO.go.th. All information is strictly kept confidential.
Interviews run from Sept. 1-30 and those with questions
can call 038-791895-6.
Thailand began counting heads during the early Sukhothai
and Ayuthaya eras so as to calculate the number of military forces in the
kingdom. But the modern census began during the reign of King Rama V as
“population lists.” This will be the country’s 11th census.
Rayong school evacuated after bogus bomb discovered
Police investigate what turned out to be a fake bomb
outside Areewattana School in Rayong.
Theerarak Suthathiwong
Areewattana School in Rayong was evacuated after a
security guard found what appeared to be a bomb - but turned out to be a
hoax - next to a garbage can in front of the facility.
Police and the bomb squad from Sattahip Naval base were
called to the Bangjak Road school in Rayong’s Choengnern neighborhood early
Aug. 5. The location was also only 100 meters from the Office of Basic
Education Commission Area 1.
School security officers used tires to surround the
suspicious white plastic box that had a red-and-black wire protruding from
it. Arriving at the scene, Muang District Chief Wirat Ratanawijit ordered
the school evacuated and closed for a day to keep students from harm.
Rayong police, however, didn’t wait for the bomb squad to
actually arrive before officers began poking around the bomb’s case. Opening
the box, they found an electronic power panel with wires connected to two
dry batteries and switches covered with black electrical tape. That was
linked to a small speaker. There was no explosive.
Rayong Police Superintendent Col. Mana Inpithak said the
device was left by an ill-intentioned person to cause a disturbance and that
investigators will try to track down who left the bogus bomb by the school.
1 killed, 4 injured in Burapha University construction collapse
Rescue workers pick through the rubble in the aftermath of the collapse
of a building under construction at Burapha University.
One worker was killed and 4 injured during the collapse
of a building under construction at Burapha University Sunday night in
Chonburi.
The new building under construction for the Faculty of
Education collapsed at 9 p.m. August 15, after cement was poured to cast the
floor of the third tier of the eight story building.
The initial search effort was difficult because of a
tangle of scrap metal and cement, and the point where the victims
disappeared was in the middle of the site where heavy equipment could not
reach.
Local authorities said the military with heavier, more
specialized equipment were drawn in to help rescue workers.
Deputy Minister of Education Chaiyot Jiramethakorn
inspected the scene telling reporters that the construction foreman said
seven workers were initially caught in the collapsed area while some 30
workers escaped safely. All workers have now been accounted for.
The deceased was identified as Rung Phare-sa while the
four injured workers were two Thai nationals and two Cambodians. One Thai
was released from hospital. (MCOT online news)
60-year-old Norwegian caught in act with 16-year-old, still denies charges
Boonlua Chatree
A 60-year-old Norwegian man was arrested for hiring an
underage girl for sex.
Police raided a hotel on Soi 13/1 in Pattaya in the early
hours of Aug. 9 after being tipped off that an old man had brought a young
girl to his room. Officers allegedly entered the room to find Ystein Arild
Larsen engaged in sexual activity with a 16-year-old girl.
The teenager said Larsen had offered her money for sex
and further investigation found that perhaps this was not the first time
with the girl.
Police charged the Norwegian with committing lewd acts
with a minor. Larsen was sent to Pattaya Police Station to face charges.
New immigration system catches another fugitive hiding in Pattaya
Boonlua Chatree
A Swedish fugitive hiding out in Pattaya became one of
the first victims of the Chonburi Immigration Police’s new transnational
criminal system when he was arrested while checking in at immigration
offices in Jomtien Beach.
Swedish fugitive Amini Kamran became one of the first
victims of the Chonburi Immigration Police’s new transnational criminal
system.
Amini Kamran, 37, was wanted on a Swedish arrest warrant
issued in May for illegally selling 37.6 million baht in drugs and medical
products over the Internet. Facing a six-year jail term, the Swede fled the
country for Thailand where he had been hiding out in Pattaya under the guise
of a language student since November 13, 2009.
On Aug. 5, Amini went to the Chonburi Immigration Office
to extend his education visa. When his name was entered into immigration’s
new Transnational Criminal Database system, the warrant popped up and he was
placed in custody, caught thanks to the same Internet on which he supposedly
had made his illicit income.
The Transnational Crime Center officially opened this
month and pulls together warrants from law enforcement agencies around the
world as well as visitor information from hotels and condominiums in order
to track down wanted foreign criminals.
The Swede’s visa was canceled and he was prepared for
deportation. He also was blacklisted from returning to the Kingdom.
Sold! To the PCEC member in green
Master of Ceremonies Les Edmonds welcomed everyone to the
Pattaya City Expat Club’s regular Sunday meeting on August 8. After the
usual opening announcements, Les introduced the guest speaker, John
Collingbourne of Collingbourne Auctioneers located here in Pattaya. John was
an auctioneer in Wales for 30 years.
Familiar Pattaya identity John Collingbourne, of
Collingbourne Auctions on Chayapreuk Rd, shares with PCEC members the
interesting story of how he became an auctioneer.
John said that he got into the auction business when his
landlady suggested that he do something with the other half of the parcel he
was renting for another type of business. He started a car auction and it
developed into one if not the largest car auctions in the UK, which he said
is still being run by a family member.
After coming to Thailand, he thought that having an
auction house would be a good business. He started out in a different
location about 15 months ago. He subsequently moved to his present location
on Chayapreuk 2 road just east of Sukhumvit because he needed more space.
John said that it was an uphill struggle to keep an auction house operating;
you need from 350 to 450 lots each week to keep up the movement. At present,
he said he has plenty of buyers at the auctions; it is sellers he really
needs as he wants to continuously turn over the merchandise to keep buyers’
interest. If an item doesn’t sell at its first auction, he will try again
for a second and third auction; if not sold on the third try, the item is
removed.
John demonstrates his skills as an auctioneer with two of
lots of Portugese Rose, with proceeds to go to charity.
Using the Tavern by the Sea’s WiFi, he was able to show
everyone his web site at www. collingbourne-auctioneers .com. On his
website, all items received for auction by 3 p.m. Friday are displayed.
Also, from Monday to Friday, he said anyone can come by and examine the
items that are to be auctioned, which are varied and many, such as
paintings, sculptures, appliances, computers, vehicles, furniture and more.
He mentioned that in his last auction, they even had gramophone player
available. John noted that for electrical appliances to be accepted, they
must be in operating condition.
On Saturday morning before each auction begins, an
auction catalogue is made available showing all the lots up for bid. Because
of certain legal requirements in Thailand, the auction has to be a closed
auction. If someone wants to bid, they must become a member. Membership
costs 20 baht and gets you the catalogue and a member number to use when
making bids. John said successful bidders must put down 10% of the bid
amount as a deposit at the time of the auction - the balance to be paid the
following Monday.
Former Chairman Richard Smith advises members of
arrangements for the Queen’s Birthday celebrations, and the special light
blue shirt in her honour which is being shown by Sermsakdi.
As to fees, he said that the buyer pays a premium on the
bid price of 10% plus VAT and the seller pays a 15% commission plus VAT. He
said the VAT applies only to the premium or commission amount; not to the
price of the item sold. He said many people have items lying around or
stored that they could bring in to be auctioned. John mentioned one
individual had some old stuff that he hadn’t looked at in 5 years and
brought it in for auction. The items auctioned off for 28,000 baht. So, he
suggests that you may want to dig through your “old junk” too. Instead of
taking up space, you might receive a tidy sum to add to your coffers.
To demonstrate how an auctioneer works, John brought two
lots of 3 bottles of Portuguese Rose wine, which he said he would auction
off and the proceeds would go to any charity that the PCEC chose. He
explained that he obtained several cases of the wine from a vendor at a much
discounted price; the wine originally sold for 695 baht per bottle. It was
an interesting glimpse of the auctioneer’s art; the first lot of 3 bottles
went for 1,500 baht and the second went for 1,400 baht.
After answering several questions, Les called on Richard
Silverberg, the club’s Internet guru. Richard said that instead of a website
find, he wanted to recommend a free Internet anti-virus software. Unlike
Norton and McAfee software, which are cumbersome with all their bells and
whistles, the free software he wanted to recommend did the job quite well.
Richard said this software is Microsoft Security Essential. He has been
using it for 9 months and is well satisfied with it. He did point out that
if you wanted to try it, you needed to uninstall any other anti-virus
program because two such programs running at the same time can cause all
kinds of problems and conflicts. The software can be downloaded from http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/.
Les then called on Roger Fox to conduct the always
informative and sometimes humorous Open Forum, where questions about living
in Thailand and Pattaya in particular are asked and answered.
Bangkok branch contributes to Chiang Mai foot clinic’s success
Elfi Seitz
The opening of a Bangkok branch has fueled success of
Chiang Mai’s first medical foot therapy clinic.
Dr. Chao Duangduen Na Chiangmai is joined by Mrs. Supajee
Nilubo, Honorary Consul for Sweden and Dirk Weeber-Arayatumsopon in cutting
the ribbon to open the clinic.
The Podology Center, operated by German Dirk
Weeber-Arayatumsopon and partner Wuttipong, opened its Bangkok location Aug.
1, grabbing the attention of the Bangkok Post, Post Today and the TNN
business television channel.
Broadcasters visited the Podology Center to document the
success of the two entrepreneurial men. They even brought along their own
patient for couple to treat for the show, which will air in coming weeks.
The TNN report is only the latest bit of media coverage
for the center, which was featured on ASTV in October for a health workshop
in Chonburi. Early this year a center-sponsored photo shoot on Koh Wai was
covered by magazines CEO World and Fashion Review and the Thai PBS Health
program “Konsurok.”
The free publicity has fueled interest in the company and the Chiang Mai
branch has undergone a facelift, with new equipment, waiting area and small
surgery theater added.
Dirk Weeber-Arayatumsopon demonstrates his technique
on the foot of his
friend and MC, Jojo Ongkarn.
Banglamung Cable celebrates 22 years on the air
(L to R) Pratheep Malhotra, managing director of Pattaya
Mail Publishing Co., and Korn Kitcha Amorn congratulate Banglamung Cable for
their 22 years on the air by presenting a flower basket with former Chonburi
MP Poramet Ngampichet to General Manager Detthana Bunyaprapachot.
Montree Kotchawong
Banglamung Cable Television celebrated 22 years on the
air at an Aug. 6 celebration at its Naklua offices.
Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome led a guest list filled
with local political and business leaders including former Vice Minister of
Public Health Sansak Ngampichet and former Chonburi MP Poramet Ngampichet.
The company invited monks from across the area to perform a merit-making
ceremony.
Banglamung Cable TV Co. Ltd. was established in 1988 with
14 channels. It has steadily expanded throughout the years and now offers 73
channels of programming for the Nong Plailai, Nongprue, Naklua, Pong, Huay
Yai, and Banglamung districts and sub-districts.
General Manager Detthana Bunyaprapachot said this marks a new chapter for
the company, becoming the first cable operator to offer Internet access in
Thailand. The company is also offering special 22nd year prices of
subscriptions at 222, 1,222 and 2,222 baht.
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