Pukpik
serenades the public who are waiting to pay their traffic violation fines
with a sense of calm in their hearts.
Pratchaya Kerdthong
Hoping to bring some calm to a stressful place, a
19-year-old Sriprathum University student has started playing violin once a
week at the Pattaya Police Station.
Chatwilai Muaanprasert, a sophomore music student, does
her best to sooth the savage beast Tuesdays from 1-3 p.m. She burns the
strings with a smile, even as officers fiddle with arrest warrants and
jailing the uncivilized around her.
Chatwilai said she joined the police’s “volunteer spirit”
program because she wanted to use her free time constructively and help
those in society. In addition to her jailhouse gig, she plays for patients
at Banglamung Hospital from 9-11 a.m. Mondays.
She is not paid for her gigs. “Applause is enough reward
for me,” she said.
Superintendent Col. Nantawut Suwanla-ong said he invited
the violinist to show people “the Pattaya Police Station is not a horrible
place.
“It’s a place to provide service to the public, both Thai
and foreign,” he added. “We put on a strict image, but the station can be
gentle at the same time.”
