The Airport Rail Link will be extended to connect Suvarnabhumi airport with Don Mueang airport and U-Tapao airport in Rayong, Transport Minister Prajin Juntong has said.

ACM Prajin Juntong said the Airport Rail Link, which connects Suvarnabhumi airport and Bangkok's inner district of Phaya Thai, would be extended to Don Mueang airport in northern Bangkok and to U-Tapao airport in the eastern province of Rayong, near Pattaya.

For the 190km extension to U-Tapao, which is now rated an international airport, the minister said transport authorities would have to discuss it with the Royal Thai Navy, which supervises the airport. He expected the talks to be concluded in the second half of next year.

The route for the Airport Link to U-Tapao would also have to be finalised, and a decision made whether it should start from Suvarnabhumi, Makkasan or Lat Krabang area of Bangkok. Six stations were planned along the route and their locations would have to be decided, the minister said. These would be Chachoengsao, Chon Buri, Si Racha, Pattaya, U-Tapao and Rayong stations.

The Bangkok Post has published an article claiming that Pattaya officials are racing to clean up the resort's beaches and vice spots to try to shake off the sin city tag and prevent the military stepping in as they have done in Phuket and Hua Hin.

First among the targets of city officials and the new police chief are chair renters on the beach and street-walking prostitutes. Lady boy sex workers claim they have already been targeted in a wave of police crackdowns.

Pol Col Suppatee Boonkrong, deputy commander of Chon Buri Provincial Police, who took over as acting head of Pattaya City Police on June 3 in the wake of the coup, said he was aiming to eradicate all prostitution:

I want to completely change the image of Pattaya from being sin city to a friendly town that everyone can enjoy., Safety is our number one concern and that is what we are trying to bring back to the town.

He conceded that there weren't enough police officers to tackle street prostitution so they were being assisted by police volunteers in night-time sweeps. Typically, they were sending out groups of two to four police accompanied by four to eight volunteers in vans and trucks. The volunteers have no arrest powers, but can help compile evidence by taking videos, Pol Col Suppattee said.

Pattaya City deputy mayor Ronakit Ekasingh said they were trying to keep things under control to prevent the National Council for Peace and Order taking over the situation as they did in Phuket and Hua Hin .

As the Midnight curfew came into effect, early on Sunday Morning, The Royal Thai Navy, with assistance from Pattaya Police and District Officials, formed a checkpoint in Central Pattaya to check those who were on the streets after the curfew.

The Checkpoint on the Sukhumvit Road featured heavily-armed Navy personnel who were assisted in searching vehicles and individuals by Pattaya Police and District Officials. Traffic came to a standstill on the main highway as every vehicle was checked along with its occupants.

Items of concern, including knives, ammunition and other illegal items were found and those accused of being in possession of such items were detained and handed over to the Police, by the Navy, for further legal procedures.

A Navy spokesman said that those who fail to comply with the midnight to 4am curfew will be subject to stricter enforcement by the Police from now on.