US Navy plans massive shore leave in Pattaya

17,000 US sailors to hit the beach early April

Pattaya City is preparing to welcome as many as 17,000 US sailors visiting for shore leave when the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), and her support ships the USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), USS Vincennes (CG 49), USS Blue Ridge and USS Gary arrive in Pattaya between April 2 and 5.

On March 22, the USS Kitty Hawk moored to Changi pier in Singapore, marking the first time a U.S. carrier has moored pier side in the Lion City. The ships stop in Pattaya next. U. S. Navy Photo by PH2 (NAC) David C. Mercil

The aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk arrives in Pattaya after a port call in Singapore.

While here, aside from shore leave, many of the US sailors will be involved in community relations activities (Comrels). Some of those include: USS Blue Ridge Comrel at the Chak Ngian School on April 3, performances of the 7th Fleet Band at 5 p.m. on April 3 at the Central Festival Business Center, and again at 5 p.m. on April 4 at the Royal Garden Plaza, and again on April 5 on Walking Street; USS Kitty Hawk Comrel at the Ban Saen School l for the Deaf on April 6 (including barbecue); April 7 Comrel at the Ban Nok School by the USS Chancellorsville; and an April 7 Comrel at the Ban Bung School for the USS Gary and USS Vincennes, amongst others.

German-Thai yaba connection broken

Caught selling to undercover officers

Reporter: Boonlua Chatree

Illegal German-Thai business relations took a hit last week when German Bernd Bongartz and his Thai girlfriend Phed were arrested for selling methamphetamines to uncover police officers.

Bernd, Phed and Somchai feel the burn of the Pattaya police sting, and probably won’t be Bongartz-ing any joints in the joint.

Pattaya’s tourist police from department 3, after obtaining a search warrant from the Chonburi court authorizing entry to an apartment in Soi Bua Khao, sent undercover officers posing as drug addicts into the apartment to purchase five methamphetamine pills using four pre-recorded 100 baht banknotes on the evening of March 20. When the German suspect handed over the five pills and accepted payment, the other officers standing by sprang into action, raiding the room.

When police burst inside the apartment, Somchai Chairad was first to be taken into custody, as he was ingesting the drug. Somchai, an 18-year-old employee of a local gay bar, later told police he stopped at the apartment almost every day before and after work to take the drug.

The German suspect was identified as Bernd Bongartz, age 37, carrying a German passport. His visa had expired a year ago. He was handcuffed and searched, which produced 30 more methamphetamine pills. A search of the apartment only turned up four other pills found floating in the toilet.

Bongartz told police that he had been selling the drugs ever since his visa expired. He said he was living off the proceeds with his girlfriend, 30-year old Phed Wongtawan from Phrae. He described how she obtained the methamphetamines from the north and he sold the drugs to foreign tourists while she contacted locals in the area.

He also admitted to exporting the drugs out of Thailand and he said the business was just starting to become quite profitable.

Both Bongartz and Phed were arrested and charged for peddling the illegal drug. Bongartz faces an additional charge for illegally residing in the Kingdom.

Somchai accompanied the two to the station and was charged with using the illegal narcotic.

Abusive drunks not tolerated here

Police public service messatge

At the time of his arrest, the identity and nationality of the tattooed foreigner pictured here was unknown. He lost his shirt and lost control of his mind after consuming excessive amounts of booze.

The 35-40 year old man was verbally abusing people along the street and causing an unsightly scene until residents had enough and notified Pattaya tourist police.

He was taken into custody and given the special guestroom at the Pattaya municipal police station, not a nice place to visit, until recovering his senses.

Unfortunately, this is not an unfamiliar sight in Pattaya and the concern is for the personal safety of the individual, as drunk as he may be. All too often the person ends up being the target of someone with ill intentions, or more likely he becomes the target of someone responding to his profane and abusive behavior, and he receives physical injuries to remind him of the lesson later on.

Local police and US Navy coordinate security

Preparing for US sailors arriving for shore leave

In preparation of the visit of the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk and her support ships, Pattaya tourist police department 3 inspector police major Naradech Klomtuksing received a visit from U.S. Embassy security officials Louis T. Lockwood, Anthony Sideris and Steven Kolodji. The 3-man team was here to coordinate security with Pattaya’s tourist police.

Pattaya tourist police department 3 inspector police major Naradech Klomtuksing (left) received U.S. Embassy security officials Louis T. Lockwood, Anthony Sideris and Steven Kolodji in preparation of the arrival of the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk and her support ships, scheduled to arrive this week.

Pol. Maj. Naradech Klomtuksing said he was glad to assist the men from the U.S. Embassy. He said it was the department’s duty to assist tourists of all nationalities as if they were close relatives and he would prepare the police officers in his department for the April visit.

The U.S. Embassy officials presented Pol. Maj. Naradech with a black T-shirt with the U.S. Navy insignia before departing.

Buddha image stolen from Wat Huay Yai

Statue was presented to the temple over 80 years ago

A venerated Buddha image was stolen from Wat Huay Yai, perhaps during the heavy rains towards the middle of the month. A novice monk discovered the missing statue on March 18 whilst cleaning and replacing flowers in the monastery.

The young boy noticed the empty place where a smaller Buddha statue was normally positioned in front of the larger primary Buddha statue of the temple. The temple abbot, Phrakhru Bhatrakijwibul Bhatthako (Luang Po Kan), was asked if the statue was moved back into the abbot’s quarters for safe keeping, but the abbot said he was just as surprised as the novice monk. Further investigating led them to believe the statue has been stolen.

Residents from area, appalled at the audacity of the crime, surmised the statue must have been stolen by a depraved person having no moral convictions or fear of the consequences if caught.

Police investigating the matter surmised that the Buddha statue could have been taken some time during the heavy rains occurring four days prior to discovering the statue missing. The monastery was not cleaned each day and some days no one entered at all. That particular part of the monastery is a 68-year-old structure which remains open allowing people to come in and worship at the temple’s primary Buddha statue.

The missing Buddha statue was described as a highly decorative figure made of bronze and other metals from the era of Rama V. The outstanding feature is the black face presenting a frightening pose while sitting in meditation. It takes four people to lift and move the statue, which measures approximately 64 inches (about 1.63 m) from the base to the top.

The Buddha statue was given to the Huay Yai Temple almost 80 years ago and was presented by the abbot from Wat Thepsirintorawas, Somdej Phutthakhodsacharn.

Over the years the precious statue was kept in the living quarters of each abbot at Wat Huay Yai, but the excessive weight of the statue became a concern due to the age of the abbot’s 2nd floor quarters. Three years ago it was moved to the monastery permanently to allow devout Buddhists the opportunity to worship it. The very old and sacred Buddha image attracted many people who traveled from afar just to worship the ancient statue at the old Huay Yai Temple in Banglamung.

World Dog Center under attach for smelly water

Residents want pollution stopped

Reporter: Vichan Pladplueng

A group of over 50 residents from Moo 6 in Nong Prue banded together on March 18, demanding action against the World Dog Center on Country Club Road.

The residents, many of whom have lived in the area for over 30 years, said wastewater from the dog pen area behind the showplace drains into the natural stream nearby, sending a foul smell throughout the area. During rainy weather the residents said the smell becomes worse.

The water from the stream was used for irrigating rice fields and other crops that no longer produced, and fish raised in small fish farms were also killed off. Residents used to bathe with the water but had to stop due to skin irritations.

The residents said they began getting perturbed soon after the center opened a year ago. They said the smell in the area was bad enough but when the local stream became contaminated they decided to take action.

World Dogs Center is a show business with highly talented dogs from around the world performing for tourists. The many different breeds of dogs collected at the facility put on shows for chartered tour groups bussed to the center each day.

On 19 March, the chairman of the Nong Prue Sub-district Administrative Organization (SAO) Mai Chaiyanit, along with other officials, went to the World Dogs Center to meet with the manager, Pairach Chanalert.

After the officials investigated the claims made by local residents, the public officials ordered the center’s management to install a water treatment system, and recommended the center use a deep ground septic tank. The officials also ordered the center to control the foul odor emanating from the dog pen area.

The officials scheduled a return visit to take place in two weeks to inspect the corrective actions, and the SAO chairman said legal action would follow if the center did not comply with the orders.

Mai Chaiyanit then put on his political hat and referred to past problems with businesses in the tourist industry and other factories ignoring environmental concerns. He said the Nong Prue administration was intent on enforcing stricter compliance to regulations to preserve the natural environment.

Surat Mekawarakul re-elected PBTA president

Seven Pattaya hotels receive Health Ministry certification for guarding against Legionnaires disease

Reporter: Veerachai Somchart

In 1999 the Health Ministry started inspecting sanitary standards in hotels, with specific attention applied to preparations guarding against Legionnaires disease. The program was implemented in Chonburi, Prachuab Khiri Khan and Nakhon Rachasima.

The bacteria causing the deadly disease are known to exist in large air-conditioned buildings like hotels, hospitals and business centers. The bacteria are also closely associated with swimming pools, decorative fountains, hot and cold running water systems and other water equipment.

So far, 14 hotels in the three provinces have received certification commending their preparations to guard against Legionnaires disease. Seven of the hotels were in Chonburi, each in Pattaya: the Royal Cliff Beach Resort, A-1 the Royal Cruise, Royal Garden Resort, Siam Bay Shore, Thai Garden Resort, Siam Bay View and the Sunbeam Hotel.

ATCC in March: business as usual

Story and photos by Peter Cummins

To say that March was a busy month for ATCC’s dynamo executive director Kathy Lindsay and her trusty cohorts at the chamber office would be somewhat of an under-statement. Starting with the Annual General Meeting and the month’s Sundowner at the embassy on the 7th of March, a luncheon meeting with Dr Kriengsak Charoenwongsak mid-month at the Regent and a luncheon with H.E. the Australian Ambassador H.E. Miles Kupa at the Grand Hyatt Erawan on the 22nd. Finally, the year’s highly-prestigious ATCC Business Awards dinner at the Shangri-La rounded off the month’s activities. One would be tempted to say that for the ATCC in March, then, it was “business as usual”.

March Sundowner

The Sundowners was well attended and catering by the neighbouring Sukhothai was first-class in every respect, upholding the high standards which have become synonymous with the Sundowner tradition.

ATCC and embassy personnel surround Ambassador Kupa

A highlight of the evening was the announcement of five new members of the chamber, mentioned elsewhere in this issue. But there was another highlight in the persona of one Hardy Papson who appeared out of the Tasmanian bush, so to speak, to regale us with his presence.

Apart from his many other attributes, Hardy was well known as the ‘master of the Seaboard Sundowners’ for the number of occasions he opened his splendid house and tree-lined garden in Pattaya to hold successive events.

Thereafter he moved to Hobart. As a Tasmanian who fled the island in February 1956, I was naturally very curious to learn how Hardy was faring on the island state. By a strange coincidence, he was occupying a house right next door to the one which I left some forty-six years ago. “Fine,” he said. “It is a great place to live”.

Hardy’s statement reminded me of a tee-shirt someone who knew me well once gave me, printed thus and pronounced with an Italian accent: “Hobart... a great place to live!” (read, leave) Not so for Hardy - and many others, I might add. Now managing his own consultancy company, Hardy considers Hobart as a most satisfactory base for operations - and living (leaving?). He is also fortunate that I am not his next-door neighbour (my comments, not Hardy’s).

Lunch with the ambassador

Just back from two weeks of meetings with Australian Government officials, H.E. Miles Kupa brought the 80 or so attendees up to date with the latest foreign policy thinking, as it relates to Asia generally and Thailand, specifically.

The newly elected president of the ATCC, Hugh Mosley, introduced the ambassador, emphasizing his distinguished career with the Foreign Service and his many achievements.

Sundowner beauties at the Australian Embassy

H.E. looked askance - albeit only a little - at the ATCC Newsletter of March which described him as “a strikingly handsome man”. As Gary White pointed out, although he did not write the particular piece, it was accurate and we, at the Newsletter, stand by our description!

The Ambassador’s style is at once friendly and open and, with a firm grasp on his broad range of topics, he conveyed to all of us there a positive and optimistic message from Canberra and Melbourne where he addressed business groups.

The ambassador was pleased to note an increasing awareness of Thailand in Australia and anticipates closer co-operation and collaboration with the new Thaksin administration.

He also pointed out that Australia-Thai relations were strengthening in many spheres, referring to the joint exercises in East Timor, the rapid increase of both exports to and imports from Thailand, to a total of $5 billion, representing a 31 percent increase in two-way trade in 2000.

There has also been a vast increase in the number of Thais studying in Australia, the Ambassador added, noting that, for the first time, the Thai student body in Australia had surpassed that of the UK and was rapidly catching up to the USA, as the most desirable place for education.

The Ambassador fielded several topical and relevant questions from Kathy, Gary White and Max Lindsay, amongst others. Past president of ATCC Max Lindsay presented a commemorative gift to the ambassador in appreciation of the considerable time he spent with us.

PP Max also thanked the embassy for the great co-operation extended to the chamber over the years - an approach which has been instrumental in the great progress the ATCC has made in trade and development with the host country. Not the least of this assistance has been access to the embassy for the monthly Sundowners and other events which all contribute to the furthering of trade and Australian interests.

The Ambassador’s address could be summarized in his own words (or, as close to them as I can recall): the role of the ambassador in the world today places more focus on economics and trade development, rather than solely diplomacy.

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