Pattaya News

Pattaya city is adding the final buzz-words to its tourism-development master plan, which will need a budget of about Bt15 billion for 132 projects designed to turn the beach resort into a world-class greenovative tourism city .

Thiti Chantangphol, director of planning and coordination for the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Dasta) said that after a survey, which led to the scrapping of plans for a monorail and an above-sea building, a working committee will be set up to monitor the development.

Regarding Pattaya's annual plan, during the first stage Dasta will mainly conduct a study on zoning for the city, with areas for entertainment, seminars, natural tourism and other uses, which should take about six months.

Next Dasta will work on wastewater management and beach recovery to create a sustainable travel destination, giving Pattaya a new all-around image instead of the present one as a nightlife paradise.

Thiti said the results of Pattaya's repositioning as a tourist destination should be visible by 2017. The withdrawal of the monorail plan will not affect the Thailand World Expo in 10 years, Thiti added.

Under authority from the Public Health Ministry, the Vector Control Unit of Pattayabegan a new campaign designed to prevent the spread of dengue fever and other mosquito-born diseases in the city.

This involves the spraying of industrial strength mosquito repellent/dispersants into areas where the insects commonly breed such as floodwater drains and pipelines throughout the city.

The chemical being used by the Vector Control Unit will kill mosquitos and their larvae, while bonding with the surface of the confined spaces to preventing future breeding of the insects. At present, chemicals have been sprayed into numerous floodwater drains and underground reservoir/pipelines throughout the Pattaya and Jomtien municipalities.

Largely undertaken in response to the ongoing dengue fever endemic in the nation, Pattaya administrators have decided to take a proactive position over the pressing issue before outbreaks rise to the endemic levels seen in many north and northeastern provinces.

In addition to Health Ministry's campaign, administrators have urged Pattaya residents to aid the Vector Control Unit, by eliminating all common household breeding grounds for mosquitos, such as unused pot-plants/containers and areas of stagnant water.

Officials also urge residents to equip themselves with appropriate mosquito dispersants and repellents in order to minimise personal exposure to the disease carrying insects.

Dengue fever is endemic in Southeast Asia and a chronic problem during the Thai rainy season. Dengue typically causes high fever, blistering headaches and intense joint pain. The most serious form can cause internal bleeding, liver enlargement and circulatory shutdown. As with most illness and disease, the elderly and young are most at risk of death from contracting the virus.

The Pattaya Today newspaper is alive and well. (Maybe not so well, but alive.) There is a new issue out as of Sept 1. It includes none of those popular (and some not so popular) columns that have appeared for years. A new managing director is taking over and the former chief is rumored to have left the Kingdom.

Some revamping will take place and it should be for the better.

The fact is that the former owner (who took control only two years ago) was having personal and financial problems which led to the decline in quality.

Two former employees have returned and will get things back on track within a matter of days. Not sure we'll again see Handy Andy or Kris & Noi (I know we will not see Nightmarch which is now in Pattaya Trader and Pattaya Times).

Many thanks to pattayarag for posting the location of the new post office parcel collection point.

Previously this meant a trip to the Naklua Post Office but now the new Pattaya City Post Office is on Sukhumvit about 1km from the Floating Market.

You have to drive on Sukhumvit towards Sattahip until you reach the Floating Market. You then take a u-turn and drive approx. 1km back towards Pattaya. You will see the new Post Office on your left side. Look out for the flags.

Many people who have visited Pattaya (or just observed from a distance via Bravo TV) will recognise Howard Miller.

He is noted as the main man of the Tourist Police Assistants who hang round sorting problems on the Beach Road end of Walking Street.

Or perhaps you may know of his Pattaya One News website that reports on crime in Pattaya.

Anyway he has been appointed the new British Honorary Consul for Pattaya and will now hang round in the Jomtien Soi 5 office.

Update: Resigned

26th October 2011.

Howard Miller resigned as the British Honorary Consul for Pattaya. The role is being redefined as full time and Howard did not want to become a full time consul.

Mayor Ittipon Khunpluem marked the opening of the new city project called Pattaya Beach, Safe and Sound, 24 Hours a Day .

This project is one of the security system plans focused on safety for property, residents and tourists in the city.

City Hall has installed 24 CCTVs, as well as 38 High Mast electric lighting systems every 100 meters, to tighten safety along Pattaya Beach and other busy areas in Pattaya.

There was a very large attendance of Pattaya Business & Tourist Association (PBTA) members at their recent monthly meeting, where questions were raised over the many difficult issues that lie ahead this year.

Finally the issue of water shortages was raised again and officials from Chonburi and the regional water supply bodies assured members that water storage was still looking reasonably stable .

[Note the subtle use of 'stable'  which does not mean 'good' In reality the main reservoir is looking severely depleted, and round my way, the water is rationed by being turned off for 2 days at a time].

However, in relation to their comments that systems were in place to trap river flood waters, the question was raised about the purity of such water. Concerns were raised regarding the chemicals and pollutants that come from ground water and if fish are dying in the rivers this is an indication of how serious the problem has become.

Pattaya City Hall quickly took note of this complaint, because within a matter of a few days, official notices were sent to individual households, warning them that the normal city water supply is not fit for drinking.

Pattaya police of the Child and Women Protection Unit, held a press conference to announce the arrest of an American National accused of producing pornographic images and videos in his Central Pattaya Apartment.

Anthony Paul from USA was detained for producing the material for well known pornographic subscription websites. Paul was found to be in possession of video making equipment, sex toys, marijuana, a small quantity of Opium, a loaded revolver and a selection of women's clothing.

Paul will now go to court to face a variety of charges relating to his arrest.

On Friday, Khun Ronagit, Deputy Mayor of Pattaya chaired a meeting to discuss the continuing problems with Jet Ski Scams involving operators on Pattaya and Jomtien Beaches.

The meeting was told that Tourists are complaining on a daily basis to city officials about the Jet Ski Operators who are asking for large amounts of money for so-called damage to the Jet Ski's. Most of the time it is old damage which was not picked-up by the Tourist prior to them renting the Jet Ski's.

In Phuket the operators are now covered by Insurance where the Tourist has to pay a small excess if damage is caused.

Here in Pattaya there is no talk of insurance but of a registration scheme which, according to delegates, will deter the operators from scamming tourists otherwise they will lose their right to operate on the beaches.

No details on when the registration scheme will begin or how it will work were agreed upon at the meeting which will be followed by further meetings in the future. Meanwhile visitors will continue to get scammed on a daily basis

Sick of paying through the nose for your God Given Right to eat all your favorite foods from home? Me too!

Well, I've got just what you're looking for at the newly opened Cheap Charlie's mini-market on Soi Deng Dam (Soi 17), off 3rd road. We're right opposite the Eden Bar (previously Harley Bar ) & Caddyshack Bars, so you can't miss us.

My company is Tropical Foods, which I'm sure many of you are familiar with as all our foods are currently available, at RIDICULOUSLY HIGH prices , in Friendship & Foodmart supermarkets. 

I'm going to supply all your favorite foods at RIDICULOUSLY LOW prices. This will include all our home cooked products, of which there are now 50+, all the well known brand named goods, deli products, fresh baked breads and much, much more, and all at low, low prices. GUARANTEED!

Here's a few examples of how much you can save on supermarket prices at Cheap Charlie's:

• Fresh baked pies, pasties & sausage rolls – all 55B. Savings = 10-20B
• Fruit pies & deserts – 45B. Savings = 20-30B
• Cake slices – 55B. Savings 10-40B
• All our microwave Man Sized Meals. Honey ribs, Mexican & Italian, etc, etc – 85-110B. Savings = 50-70B
• Anglo/Indian curries -110B. Savings = 60B
• And the list goes on!

The new short cut from Pattaya to the motorway to Bangkok is now open.

The by-pass starts between Central and North Pattaya Roads on Sukhumvit Road, heading north towards Bangkok.

The new road reduces the distance to Bangkok by eight kilometers.

At this stage there are no plans to install the traditional tollway on the new road, but this prospect has not been ruled out in the future.

It has been announced the new by-pass road under construction in central Pattaya should be open to vehicular traffic by the end of March.

The by-pass is situated between Central and North Pattaya Roads on Sukhumvit Road, heading north towards Bangkok.

The new road will reduce the distance to Bangkok by eight kilometers.

At this stage there are no plans to install the traditional tollway on the new road, but this prospect has not been ruled out in the future.

Tourist Police have proceeded to conduct a sweep of Pattaya's Walking Street early on Tuesday morning, the target was to arrest any street sellers that where operating in the area.

A team of 30 police officers descended on Walking Street with the intent on purging the area of illegal street sellers.

After several hours of investigation, officers managed to detain a total of 32 suspects, including 14 flower sellers, 2 illegal animal sellers, 1 seller without any form of identification and 9 Burmese ladies soliciting prostitution.

Suspects were arrested and taken to the Pattaya Police Station where most were fined 500 baht and released.

Police also raided Illusion Club on Soi 14. No word as yet on the outcome.

David Marshall, a British national presented himself to Pattaya Police, suffering from a severely swollen face, black eye and broken tooth. He reported to police that he had been bashed by a group of Thai men after hiring a Jetski from a Pattaya Beach operator close to Soi 13 on Pattaya Beach Road.

It is alleged that once he had returned the jetski's the operators inspected the vehicles, before explaining that Marshall will have to pay for mythical damages done to the bottom of the Jetski he was riding. Marshall claims, that he calmly tried to explain to the operator that he was not responsible for any damage evident on the Jetski, as he had not been involved in an accident or hit anything in the water. He subsequently refused to pay the man any money for the damages.

The argument became very heated, ending with the three Thai Jetski operators attacking Mr. Marshall before another two Thai men walking past the incident also joined in on the attack. Mr. Marshall was able to escape the onslaught, but not before being hit several times in the face causing him numerous injuries.

Comment: Reported in the Sun

From Malcolm

I read somewhere recently that the Pattaya authorities were going to clamp down on the jet ski scams. I read in this mornings Sun newspaper that a 61 year old man was battered by 5 Thais when he refused to pay £1,500 for a few scratches on a jet ski.

We all know that Pattaya is not heaven (though it does seem so at times) but surely the Pattaya tourism department must realise what damage these scams are causing.

Naklua's Old Town market has closed after failing to achieve the city's goal of becoming a unique tourist attraction.

After finding initial success, the walking street project devolved into a typical market selling typical items, rather than showcasing local history and locally made items, as envisioned.

Phumpipat Kamolnat, secretary for Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome, added that traffic problems and the market's general location also proved to be too much of a problem.

Old Town was a pet project of the mayor's, who had hoped to spur a rebirth of tourism to Naklua, which in recent years has become a quiet bedroom community.

A Pattaya City Hall congress meeting has announced the impending completion of the Jomtien 2nd Road construction. After over 2 years of work Pattaya officials assured that the construction was now 75% complete with the remaining work to be completed by mid-2010.

Mayor Ittiphol Khunpluem announced that the development of Jomtien 2nd Road and land acquisition in the area was allocated an adequate budget through the Road & Town Planning Department. Khunpluem revealed that the original time frame was given for successful completion of the Jomtien 2nd Road for 2010 and if constructions continue to proceed at the present rate the development will be completed by mid-2010.

Pattaya Road & Town Planning Department has moved to assure officials that the construction of the 2nd road between Jomtien and Pratamnak Road is now 75% completed with the remaining 25% to be completed within the next two months.

The issue of the new 2nd road extension between Jomtien and Chaiyapruk Road was also discussed at the council meeting. The Road & Town Planning Department explained that construction on this part of the new Jomtien 2nd Road was being held up by various failures in the expropriation of the land needed to complete the bypass.

Pattaya City Hall announced that they are willing to extend the budget in order for construction to be completed sooner, if necessary.

Pattaya bus stations have been swarmed by tourists over the weekend with many thousands of travellers returning home after the recent festive season.

Throughout Saturday the 2nd and Sunday the 3rd the bus networks of Pattaya have been overcrowded with travellers exiting the Pattaya City area. Over 17,000 foreign tourists reportedly passed through the Pattaya bus terminals over the weekend, returning home to start work over the coming weeks.

Buses to Bangkok were arranged to depart with such frequency that for most of the two days they left every 20 minutes.

The Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi Airport line was also overcrowded with foreign and Thai tourists returning home or continuing with the holiday plans elsewhere. The total number of passengers through the Pattaya terminals over the weekend was in excess of 17,000, the highest number seen throughout the whole of the year.

The amount of tourists walking in and around the central areas of Pattaya over the New Year break had increased dramatically from that of the last 18 months. Once again though it was an increase majorly in the Asian and Middle Eastern tourism sectors that was evident, suggesting that the economic downturn is still severely affecting the farang tourist's holiday plans. With so many people reportedly exiting the city over the weekend it seems that the increase in tourists was only short lived and that the relative lull in the high season will continue into 2010.

Two Russian couples have been arrested and charged with public indecency after being discovered having sex on Jomtien Beach.

A Pattaya police captain received a report at approximately 5:30am on Sunday that a crowd of onlookers had gathered where a group of foreigners were having sexual intercourse on the beach and in the sea. A team of police went to the scene to investigate further.

At the scene officers discovered the four foreigners (two men and two women) frolicking around on the beach and in the water, semi-naked, whilst a large crowd of Thai and foreign onlookers had gathered. Police intervened, asking the group to cease the indecent display, get dressed and accompany them down to the local Dongtan Police Station.

After police interrogation it was discovered that the foreigners were of Russian nationality and between the ages of 25-30. They were accordingly charged 500 baht (£9.50) each for public indecency.

The final phase of the Chonburi-Pattaya Motorway will be complete by mid-March, marking completion of a four-year project to relieve traffic congestion and create a convenient link between Pattaya and Bangkok International Airport.

The last phase of the 2 billion baht project will open to traffic March 14.

Highway 7 was authorized by the Department of Highways as an urgent measure to relieve traffic that was crippling development of the Eastern Seaboard. It was also aimed at capitalizing on the opening of the Suvarnabhumi airport.

Atit Keowkam, the civil engineer in charge said: I believe that Highway 7 will make transportation to Pattaya more convenient for the residents as well as tourists . I don't have information about tolls, but I think the residents and tourists coming to Pattaya and nearby areas will get to enjoy the convenience of the new road for free.