Pattaya News

Eleven men and 14 women of various nationalities have fallen victim to a police raid late on Saturday night.

They were attending a swingers party at an unnamed hotel (the article included a name but this wasn't correct) off Pratamnak Soi 5. The tourist police went in mob handed with Bang Lamung district administrative officials with support from soldiers from the 14th Military Circle.

The victims included American, Canadian, Chinese, Malaysian, Singapore, German, Thai, Cambodian, Indian and Ukrainian nationals. They were detained for further legal action.

Police said the party admission fee was 1,500 baht per person but it appears the party was for adult consensual couples and not attended by sex workers.

The hotel operator, a Chinese national, was arrested for violating the Hotel Act and illegally facilitating sexual activities.

This year's Songkran seems a little subdued compared with previous

years. Perhaps things have calmed down due to the military government bringing in swingeing penalties for aggressive water fighting. Anyway there are less high pressure blue pipe guns in circulation and more people armed with conventional plastic water guns.

But there is still plenty of opportunity to get soaked though as Dave reports:

I went out at 9:15 last night to catch a Songthaew into town. When I got on everyone was sitting on the Right and the Left hand seat was covered in Water. I brushed away some water and sat down.

I said to a man sitting opposite that the Water throwing should have stopped for the evening by now. He said tell that  to that woman behind me. As I looked around a Thai woman had a bucket of Water in her hand and was in the middle of throwing it at the Bus. By some luck the water missed me and hit 2 ladies and the Man sitting opposite me. The middle aged Lady Tourist and the Young Thai Girl wearing short shorts and were both drenched.

There were no more incidents until the Second Road, when a Thai Girl targeted me with her Water Pistol. Luckily the water hit me in the Face and only my hair got wet. I would happily have throttled these water throwers,

I will not go out again until Friday and this madness is over.

Run! It's the beach police

Pattaya City council have announced that what they called 'special forces' will team up with infamous thetsakit (municipal officers) to fine people caught throwing cigarette butts on Jomtien's Dong Tan beach.

The beach police will have the power to demand 2,000 baht on the spot. Based on past experience, the move is likely to ignite fears that unscrupulous officers may attempt to extort tourists.

Deputy mayor Banthit Khunjak announced three 'special forces' operatives would be patrolling with regular thetsakit staff. They would use CCTV to help them nail smoking miscreants.

Thaivisa notes that thetsakit officers in places like Bangkok have been key in fining tourists 2,000 baht for dropping butts in tourist areas like upper Sukhumvit. Many people believe that only tourists are targeted and if Thais are in fact fined, they pay much less.