Friday, 7 February 2014

Pattaya Burapha Bike Week 2014

A press conference was held at Central Festival Pattaya Beach to announce and give details of the upcoming Pattaya Burapha Bike Week 2014. Khun Itthipol the Mayor of Pattaya, Pattaya Police Colonel Supachai, Khun Attapol Director of the TAT Pattaya and other local government officers along with Khun Michael President of The Burapha Pattaya Bike Club were all present to welcome members of the media and members of the public.

There will be many two wheeled themed events during the week including the 17th running of the Ride for Peace which will see hundreds of noisy machines parading their shiny chrome exhaust pipes along the streets of Pattaya and on to the final assembly point at The Indoor Stadium at Chayapreuk 2

Bikes from all over the world be at the main event. British Bikes, Indian Bikes, Eastern european Bikes, does Easter Europe exist any more and of course a host of Harleys.

There are expected to be well over 10,000 Bikers, Biker Fans and Biker Groupers, standing around and oohing and ahing at the metallic paint jobs before buying a new pair of leather boots, getting a compulsory I survived Biker Week in Pattaya Tattoo and then of course as is the norm in Pattaya riding off on their noisy hogs to get well and truly sozzled. See you there.

Sattahip Royal Princess Turns Up Again

A middle aged lady calling herself Her Royal Highness, Princess of Thailand, turned up yet again at the Sattahip District Offices. The woman who lives in Phlutaluang, Sattahip is a regular visitor to Sattahip Government offices where she is treated with respect but obviously not the same respect as would be given a real Princess of Thailand.

The aim of her visits is to put in a claim for living expenses that she thinks the Government should give her as befits her status as a right royal princess. She puts her case in a lucid way and her requests are duly noted by the District officers on duty.

This is not her first visit to this particular office. She is obviously mentally ill. I applaud the Government officials for their patience in dealing with the strange requests of this strange lady. However it about time that she is given an opportunity to tell her story to Thai mental health officials who are trained to cope with folks who have such delusions of grandeur.

Bangkok Taxi in Flames After Crash on Motorway Near Chonburi

Chonburi Police and rescue services were called to the scene of an accident on the Pattaya bound carriageway of the motorway at Km 75 near Nongkhangkhok.

A Toyota Altis taxi was in the right hand lane of the highway engulfed in flames. There was significant front end damage. Nearby was a Toyota Hilux Pick-up truck that had rear end damage.

The driver of the Bangkok based Taxi Khun Attakrit aged 34 from Samai District in Bangkok and the driver of the Pick-up Khun Suwichai aged 26 from Sakeo Province were both injured in the accident. They were given first aid at the scene and then transported by volunteer rescue foundation vehicles to Chonburi hospital for emergency treatment.

Police had to close the whole carriageway for fear that the taxi's gas tank could explode. This caused a 10 Km traffic jam. It took fire fighters about 20 minutes to bring the CNG gas fuelled blaze under control.

Police will need to talk to the drivers of both vehicles when they are in a fit state to be interviewed. At the moment the police are assuming that this could well be another instance of a fatigued driver on a long journey simply falling asleep at the wheel.

Fatal Motorcycle Crash in Chonburi

Chonburi Police Leutenant General Khompol was called to investigate the scene of a fatal road accident on the Chonburi-Phanatnikhom Road near Soi 3 Nongtamlueng in Phan District. At the scene he found the body of a Khun Garn aged 25 who works at The Siam AT Industry in Amata Nakorn Chonburi.

He had sustained a broken neck and was laying in a pool of blood. Some of his relatives hadalready arrived at the scene and were obviously in great distress. The Honda motorcycle that Khun Garn was riding was about 20 metres away and completely wrecked.

The police studied the bike and the accident scene. There were no eye witnesses to the actual crash. What they ascertained is that the motorcycle was being driven at high speed when he appeared to have tried to avoid a pot hole, lost control bounce off the concrete central barrier and then collided with a lamp post.

Chonburi Biker Falls Under Wheels of 18 Wheel Lorry

Choburi Police were called by a rescue foundation unit to investigate a fatal road accident in Tambon Nongkree of Muang District Choburi.

At the scene in front of The Pata Petrochemical Co., Ltd.  a large traffic jam had been caused whilst rescuers gathered together the body of a Khun Ekasit aged 37 who had sustained massive catastrophic injuries after falling off his motorcycle and under the wheels of an 18 wheel truck.

Witnesses to the accident said that they saw the motorcycle approaching the scene at high speed when a dog ran out into the road. The rider braked and tried to avoid the animal. He lost control and fell off the machine and under the wheels of the lorry.

The body of Khun Ekasit was transported to hospital for a full forensic post mortem to be carried out.

Thursday, 6 February 2014

Pattaya Kindergarten Event

Pattaya Kindergarten teachers and representatives of various schools Pattaya both teachers and school administrators took part in an event this week to celebrate performances of students in the early childhood development program.

The event was held at The Pattaya City Public Library which is located at the Centre Court Stadium on Soi 7 of Theppasit Road.

Activities for the children and teachers were lots of singing, fantasy painting activities making beads into lots of bead shaped objects a Calligraphy Contest and a Dance Troupe which entertained everyone not so much for their prowess but more for their enthusiasm.

Pattaya St. Patrick's Day Preparations

Khun Rankit Ekasing The Deputy Mayor of Pattaya presided over a preparatory meeting at Pattaya City Hall for the upcoming St. Patricks Day Celebrations which will be held on the 17th of March.

Present at the meeting were representatives from the Father Ray Father Ray Foundation. Father Ray is probably the most famous but certainly not the only Irishman to walk the streets of Pattaya. and other Irish groups such as the Guinness Drinking appreciation society of Pattaya.

There will of course be a parade to mark St. Patricks Day which will start at The Alcazar Theatre on Second Road and wend it's merry way down Beach Road to Pattaya School Number 8. No doubt snarling up traffic once again. There will be plenty of Leprechaun look alikes, they are called Thai girls and everyone will dress in green and get very drunk.

As a proud Yorkshire man may I suggest to Pattaya City Hall that next year we also celebrate Ecky Thump day on the First of May which just happens to be my birthday. We can have a parade down Beach Road with all the Thai girls wearing clogs and flat caps waving suggestively with Black Puddings and marching along with their pet whippets. We can all get very drunk on Tetley's fine ale and snarl up the traffic once more. Then there is St. Stalin's Day for our Russian friends - St. Chairman Mao Day for our Chinese visitors.. the list goes on.

Queen Sirikit Navy Hospital Sattahip Cancer Awareness Seminar

Admiral Kanin the director of The Queen Sirikit Navy Hospital Sattahip led a team of senior doctors, medical staff and hospital administrators to announce a major project for this renowned medical facility to mark World Cancer Day.

The event titled "Cancer prevention Cancer 5 for 5 is not far away" was organised at the outpatients department of the hospital. The aim was to bring more awareness of cancer and to educate the public that cancer is not the death knell that most people over the years have come to fear.

In a  seminar entitled Cancer and People Today given by the Chief Physician of Oncology he told the participants that at one time contracting cancer was considered fatal but with modern advances in medicine cancer is no longer considered an incurable disease. Yes cancer killed 7.6 million people worldwide each year and expects this toll to rise in the near future. However with cancer awareness and cancer prevention campaigns the dreadful toll can be brought under control.

He stresses the importance of prevention and screening of cancer as well as to know about the disease. With appropriate medical treatment and proactive health care such as the screening for breast cancer fewer people will die from cancer and those who already have cancer will be able to live a longer and more active productive lives.

Getting to Know Khao Khiaw Open Zoo's Tigers Up Close

Petting Zoos where one can stroke poke and prod the live exhibits are not a new phenomenon. Getting up close and personal with a range of cudly and not so cuddly, furry and not so furry creatures is a great way to spend a day out. Khao Khiaw Open Zoo near Pattaya has gone a stage further and a size larger. Fancy cuddling a tiger well the zoo can oblige and give visitors a really unique and wild life experience.

Khun Suriya the director of Khao Khiaw Open Zoo gave more details of his open zoo ideas where local Thai tourists and foreign tourists can get to know these fury friends in much much closer detail. They can of course have chance to feed the tigers but also get to know a lot more about the physiology and social habits of these rare and beautiful endangered species. 

Major Pattaya Motorcycle Theft Gang Busted in Banglamung

Region 2 Police Commander Major General Chetta and other senior police officers held a press conference to announce the arrest of a bunch of thieving Thai Youths who had been running amok recently all over Chonburi stealing motorcycles that were used to commit other crimes like burglaries or transporting drugs. They were also "ringing" them - breaking them up for parts or changing the bike's identities to be sold on. It is thought that they and their gang have been responsible for the theft and disappearance of over 100 motorcycles in recent months.

A raid on a house in Banglamung District caught members of the gang assembled with the appropriate equipment to to disassemble motorbikes. Khun Manat aged 18 and two other 17 year old youths were arrested and are helping the police with their enquiries. They have already confessed to a string of thefts. They would steal the bikes and then sell them on for 2-3,000 Baht apiece and divide the proceeds amongst other members of the gang. Drugs of course played a prime motive in this crime spree raising money to buy drugs to feed their evil habits at the expense and inconvenience of law abiding citizens.

Canadian Victim of Lady Boys on Pattaya Beach Road

Pattaya Beach Road is a lot prettier during the daytime after millions of Baht have been spent on it's beautification by Pattaya City Hall.

At night it is a different story. Prostitutes, drug pushers and gangs of opportunistic thieves lurk behind almost every tree. A Canadian Mr. Tim Gerard, age 37 years old is the latest victim to join the long long list of tourists who will return home without many of their possessions and with bad memories of the reality that is Pattaya at night.

Pattaya police had a short walk from Pattaya police station to the beach near soi 13/1 where Mr Gerard was waiting with other citizens who had just witnessed Mr. Gerard being robbed bu a bunch of thieving lady boy thugs.

The story was the same just the date and nationality was different. Mr. Gerard was walking back to his hotel at 4 in the morning when he was ambushed and surrounded by a flock of fake ladies who mobbed him. Some hugged him, some kissed him, some offered a variety of sexual services whilst the main man lifted his wallet at which point they all fled into the night on waiting motorcycles.

A wallet, drivers licence, ATM card and 10,000 Baht in cash. The good news he was unhurt in the incident apart from his pride.

CCTV cameras all along Pattaya Beach Road. A weekly sweep of Beach road to rid the area of undesirables. There is only one way to stop this transsexual crime spree - ban all blokes in skirts from the Pattaya City limits. Apart from Scotsmen that is.

Wednesday, 5 February 2014

Fatal Car Accident in Chonburi

Chonburi police and rescue foundation units were called to attend a serious road accident near the Galaxy Hotel in Bangsai district of Chonburi. At the scene they found a Toyota Yaris vehicle literaly wrapped around a lamp post. Trapped in the car was the driver Khun Jamnong a 54 year old teacher in a local Chonburi school.

Khun Jamnong was severely injured and unconcious. It took rescue workers using cutting equipment and the jaws of life over 30 minutes to extricate her from the wreckage of her vehicle.

Khun Jamnong had lost a lot of blood and was was rushed to Chonburi Hospital. Unfortunately she failed to regain conciousness and died of her injuries later in hospital.

Police are examinig the wrecked Toyota to find out if there were any mechanical defects but believe that with the extent of the damage that the vehicle was being driven at high speed at the time of the accident. CCTV cameras are also being examined in the vicinity in the hope that they may show what happened moments before the crash took place.

Sattahip Suicidal Fire Rampage

Sattahip police and volunteer rescue units rushed to the scene of a strange incident in Moo Baan Sirikha in Sattahip after reports that a man was trying to burn his house down.

At the scene they were confronted with a difficult but urgent situation. The occupant Khun Chanok aged 42 had barricaded himself in a second floor bedroom of the house and had set fire to a cooking gas bottle. Smoke was billowing out of the windows and police needed to gain entry quickly before the house became engulfed in flames with the man inside. Getting entry to the house was difficult as the man was throwing whiskey and beer bottles from the window at the officers which were landing on vehicles parked on the street.

Water hoses were used to tackle the flames but the police needed to get inside. After a 30 minute stand off they smashed through a glass door downstairs and rushed up to the second floor where the man had locked himself now in the bathroom.

They managed to break down the door and tackle the man who was armed with a knife. Finally the gas bottle was secured and the fire doused.

Officials and neighbours are puzzled what caused the crazy suicidal rampage and think that certainly alcohol was involved as the man had been seen earlier in the evening sat on the porch of the house drinking heavily.

Chinese New Year in Pattaya Clothes Sales

The area of Naklua in North Pattaya has a high proportion of local Thai residents who boast Chinese family connections. Therefore during Chinese New Year you can see the Chinese symbols everywhere from Chinese lanterns decorating lamp posts to brightly coloured menus announcing special Chinese New Year menus at special Chinese New Year prices.



Bright colours especially reds and Yellows are everywhere. A local clothing store owner in Naklua said that this year there was an increase in sales for brightly coloured clothing especially patterned with Chinese characters and Chinese designs. This year is the year of the horse so there was a stampede for anything with a horse design or horse logo. Customers were chomping at the bit and these garments were galloping out of the store.

Food Prices Rise For Chinese New Year Holiday

Food prices go up for the Chinese New Year Holiday is not a new story it happens every year.

A survey of food prices in Chonburi over the Chinese New Year holidays showed an expected rise over the normal prices before the holidays. Fruit prices were up 5-10 Baht a kilo. Pork up about 30 Baht a kilo. Chicken and duck up by between 10 and 30 Baht a piece and similar rises in vegetables across the board. Market vendors blamed high demand especially for high quality foods.




It is the norm in Thailand for market vendors to celebrate any holiday by jacking up the prices. Up to you if you want to pay these inflated prices but we all got to eat.

Price increases or price gouging is nothing new. It happens all over the world. Remember in Thailand to negotiate or barter at every opportunity. Speaking a little Thai is useful but even more useful is a simple smile. Yes there is a dual price system for Thais and farangs. However for food purchases this doesn't seem to be the norm anymore. Market vendors seem pretty fair to me.

Tuesday, 4 February 2014

Pattaya City Hall Massage Course

Due to a massive shortage of massage girls in Pattaya especially those performing foot massage Pattaya City Hall has been running a training course for masseurs at the public expense of course.

300,000 Baht has been invested in the latest training where 72 people will undertake the massage course which will be held at Pattaya Community Centre.



Pattaya City Hall hope that this investment in providing foot massage will come as a great relief to the thousands of tourists who walk the streets of Pattaya every day in search of one of the new fangled bus stops. Thank you City Hall for your fortitude and forward thinking.

Major Drugs Haul in Nongprue East Pattaya

A press conference was held at Nongprue police station in East Pattaya this week where Police Major General Kacha the Comander of the Chonburi Regional police and senior police officers from the Nongprue police announced the seizure of a large quantity of Yaa Baa (Methamphetamine tablets.

Earlier a raid had been carried out at a house in Moo 1 Tambon Pong, Amphur Banglamung after information indicated that a Khun Soonthorn also known asTong Faijaidee, aged 31 was present at the house with a large stash of drugs.

As they executed the raid the suspect Khun Soonthorn spotted the police and escaped through the back door of the house. Inside the house they found a suitcase and a back pack that contained 49 bundles of packaged tablets  in the suspects bedroom. A total of 99,800 Yaa Baa (Methamphetamine tablets) that are suspected to have been transported from a main drugs supplier in the North of Thailand.

They also detained Khun Samreang the mother of Khun Soonthorn and took her to the police station for further questioning. A warrant for the arrest of Khun Soonthorn has been issued

Monday, 3 February 2014

Another Drug Dealer Arrested in Chonburi

Nice to see that Police Captain Chokchai of the Chonburi police has been promoted to  Deputy Inspector of the Drugs Suppression Unit. Over the past few months he has been consistently and conspicuously taking drug dealers and their evil products off the streets of Chonburi.

After receiving a tip off Captain Chokcha and his caped crusaders paid a visit to a residential premises imn Moo 3 of Baan Suan District of Chonburi.

There they had the pleasure of meeting a Mrs Somsaksan and they liked her so much that they asked her to accompany them down to the police station to explain why she had 3 Yaa Baa (Methamphetamine tablets) . Also officers happened to find another 15 Yaa Baa tablets that she kept stashed in her home.


Mrs Somsaksan said that life was tough and she bought the Yaa Baa tablets for 150 Baht apiece and sold then for only 200 Baht to teenagers living nearby who couldn't afford high prices. It was so hard to make a decent living nowadays at 50 Baht profit. Oh Mrs Somsaksan you bring tears to my eyes you really do.

Chonburi Man Shot in Drug Deal Gone Bad

Major General Kacha of the Chonburi Provincial Police and other senior Chonburi police officers along with a volunteer rescue foundation unit were called to a room in Moo 6, Tambon Bang Sai District of Chonburi after receiving reports of a fatal shooting incident.

At the scene they found the body of a Khun Voravuth aged 35 laying in a pool of blood he had been killed with a single gunshot that had entered his head through the mouth. A 9 mm bullet casing was found near the body.

Police found about 7,000 Baht in cash on the body and clutched in his hand was a plastic bag containing 20 Yaa Baa (Methamphetamine tablets)


The father of the deceased Khun Churat aged 61 who lives in a room nearby his son had heard an altercation in his son's room and then heard a gunshot. He rushed to the room to find the body of his son and the two other people who also lived nearby who are thought to have committed the murder making their escape on a motorcycle.

Police are now hunting for Khun Bunlue and his friend and assume at this stage that the killing maybe as the result of a drugs deal gone bad.

Serious Fire at Sattahip Marine's House

A serious residential fire at a housing block for Marine Corps commissioned officers brought a response from several local fire brigades including fire engines from Sattahip Naval Base, Sattahip Municipality, and Khet Udom Sak district fire brigade.

The housing unit consisted of 10 houses on two floors. The fire had started in a room on the second floor and quickly spread to two other homes.

The fire was first noticed by Miss Supattra Lamdabwong the 14 years old daughter of Master Sergent Petcharat Lamdabwong who was not at home at the time. She smelt something burning and noticed smoke coming from upstairs. She rushed upstairs to see a fire amongst a pile of clothes but despite her efforts to douse the fire with a bucket of watter the fire quickly took hold and forced her to run out of the house and call for help.

It took fire fighters over thirty minutes to bring the fire under control and there has been an estimated 1 million Baht worth of damage to the houses and their contents.

Fire investigation officers are as yet unable to pin down the cause of the blaze. Luckily no one in the houses or the attending fire fighters were injured in the incident.