Recently opened U Turns are closed

Thanks to jj

There seems to have been a new rash of U-turn closings, even some that were just recently constructed like the one in front of the Sukhumvit BIG C south of Pattaya Tai.

How can the local government spend the money to build one, then close it within a few months? accountability?

All the 'closings' do is inconvenience cars/trucks; motorcycles continue to use them by just shifting the barriers slightly

Not a particularly useful destination but may be of interest...

From The Edge Daily

Korean Air has expanded its Southeast Asia network to U-tapao airport in Sattahip near Pattaya.

In a statement on Oct 31, Korean Air said it would fly three times a week to Pattaya.

Previously the only commercial routes from U-Tapao are to Ko Samui & Phuket.

Surely U turns are dangerous but closing them means more traffic in Pattaya as drivers are forced to go the wrong way for greater distances. Maybe the extra traffic will also give rise to more accidents.

From Pattaya City News

4 U-turns have been permanently closed due to safety reasons on the Sukumvit Road. The u-turns have been closed for some time because of safety reasons after reports of multiple accidents at the locations because of drivers failing to notice other vehicles slowing down to make the U-Turn. (And of course for slowly starting vehicles to enter the fast lane of the opposite carriageway)

The U-turns affected:

• in front of the Isuzu Showroom in Naklua
• in front of the Highway Police Station in Central Pattaya
• in front of the Mini-Siam Tourist Attraction in North Pattaya
• opposite the Tesco-Lotus Store in Jomtien, just after the main traffic lights.

A half hourly service with no timetables at the bus stops is surely doomed to failure. How can people be expected to wait for a late night bus when you don't even know whether the last bus has already gone.

From Pattaya Daily News

The yellow line buses will be launched on 15th November 2006.

Last year Pattaya City introduced an air-conditioned bus service to help tourists get around the city. The Pattaya beach bus service consists of three lines - Green, Red and Yellow.

Unfortunately, after one year running, the operation has somehow been through a difficult time, for instance, there were not enough passengers on the Green Line, so the green route has been cancelled.

The latest new is the counter-clockwise route for the Red Line planed to be launched very soon in the near future.

A 30-baht one-way ticket can be used on any of the routes. Visitors will also be able to purchase one-day passes at 90 baht, three-day passes at 180 baht, and one-month passes for 900 baht.. Tourists can use the passes as many times as they like during their validity, making them very cost effective with frequent use."

The bus services start from 6. 00 am. on Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am. at weekends, leaving every 30 minutes and the last round is 22.30 hrs.

...And a policeman who can't seem to tell them apart

Based on an article from The Pattaya Mail

The new commissioner of the Provincial Police has vowed to clean Pattaya of the foreign mafia, obscene shows, child prostitution, beggars, and all criminals, and has declared his goal of reaching a 20% reduction in the crime rate before the imminent high season.

Pol Lt Gen Atsawin Kwanmuang, who assumed his new position on October 1, addressed a meeting to find ways of reducing the rising crime statistics for Pattaya City.

Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn said that city hall has hired a private company to install more CCTV cameras. The greater CCTV coverage would help the policing of problem areas.

Chanyuth Hengtrakul, former member of parliament for Chonburi Zone 7, brought up the subject of the opening and closing times for entertainment establishments, saying the policy was not clear and that it was having a negative effect both on tourism and local businesses. Policing of the entertainment outlets therefore need sensitivity until such a time as the policy is clarified.

Other nefarious activities that will be completely eradicated will be the distribution of obscene CDs, and child prostitution.

Reminds me that I haven't yet seen any mentions of anyone taking responsibility for the deaths due to locked fire doors at Route 99

From Pattaya City News

In May of 2004 a fire engulfed the entrance of Hollywood Discotheque located in South Pattaya. A problem with the exterior lighting was blamed for the fire which luckily resulted in no deaths or major injures.

On Monday Night it happened again as the entire entrance to the club was engulfed in flames. The fire occurred at around 8.30pm as staff were arriving for work. There were no customers inside the club and once again, no injuries or deaths were reported.

 Firefighters were quickly on scene and once again found it difficult to gain access to the fire because of the location of the club and the narrowness of the access roads. Eventually the fire was brought under control and the damage was accessed and the cause of the fire was put down to an electric short circuit. The cost of the damage is around 2 Million Baht.

Tuesday Morning saw construction workers on-site and clearing the fire debris. Hollywood Discotheque will be open for business as usual from Tuesday Night.

What a ludicrous terminal to choose for a non stop journey to the airport. It could easily add 45 minutes to the travelling time for those wanting to go to Pattaya.

Based on an article from The Pattaya Mail

A direct bus service between Suvarnabhumi Airport and South Jomtien  has been opened by Transportation Co Ltd, bearing the number 999 and with a one-way ticket priced at 106 baht.

There is now a shuttle bus to take passengers from Jomtien  to the new airport, and vice versa.

The bus terminus is located at the beginning of Soi Chaiyapruk 1 in south Jontien, 100 meters away from Jomtien Beach.

First-class air-conditioned buses leave here three times per day for Suvarnabhumi Airport, departing at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., and departing from the airport for Jomtien at the same time.

Ticket price for a one-way trip is 106 baht per person, with the bus having a capacity of 40 passengers per trip. There are three service officers on board, namely the driver, conductor and hostess. Cold towels and soft drinks are provided, and there is an on-board restroom.

The bus travels a non-stop direct route on the motorway, and takes approximately two hours for the 127-kilometer trip.

Mrs Pinnat Charoenphol, assistant director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Office Region 3, said the service is a good one and appropriately priced. She has, however, asked if service locations can be opened closer to Pattaya, as the terminus is quite a distance from the center. She has also queried if three buses per day with a capacity of 40 persons each will be enough for the high season, suggesting that extra buses may be necessary.
 

From Pattaya Talk

The bus service is operated by Bell Travel Service. They transport directly from airport to Pattaya terminal and then bring you to your hotel in Pattaya for 150 Baht total. (The local leg being in minibuses)

From Pattaya the buses go directly to the airport (not the bus terminal). Pick-up service from Pattaya hotels also included in the 150 Baht fare.

Scheduled times from Pattaya are 6.00/9.00/11.00/13.00/15.00/17.00/19.00.

Scheduled times from airport are 8.00/10.00/12.00/14.00/16.00/18.00.

Bookings can be made via e-mail (rrc_bus@hotmail.com) where you provide your name, hotel's name, no. of seat required.

The Pattaya propaganda department continues to get upbeat stories printed about the water situation BUT as I write this sentence I still have No Mains Water

From The Pattaya Mail

East Water has promised there will be no more droughts in Pattaya for the next 10 years, following the completion of a program designed to alleviate the continual water shortages that have been suffered by the city.

After the droughts of 2004 and 2005 in Pattaya and the Eastern Region that affected locals, tourism and the industrial sector, the Irrigation Department at Chonburi appointed East Water, to carry out a program of works that would ensure sufficient supplies.

On September 27 the company provided an update on the situation to Pattaya's mayor. Fuangfa Nimcharoen, vice president of corporate affairs at East Water said that the pipe feed connecting the five reservoirs was now complete and all that remained was for the water to be pumped from Bang Pakong River to Bang Pra Reservoir. Currently the system is undergoing testing to check the existence of silt residues.

The works program is enough to supply all Pattaya’s needs for the next 10 years, said Fuangfa, because in addition to the new pipeline the company has contingency plans to pump water from Rayong, namely from the Dok-krai and Nong Plalai reservoirs, and from Bang Pra and Nong Kho reservoirs in Chonburi, directly to the filtering and processing system of the Provincial Waterworks Authority.

Mayor Niran proposed that the company carry out a research of actual water consumption in Pattaya at present which will benefit the city in the long-term in calculating production costs.

The old Market area just north of Soi 6 has been enclosed off as some of the development there seems to be progressing. The fence hoardings proclaims that it will be known as the Moonlight Complex and features advertising suggesting some high class venues.

The current surviving venues are the European Club and Model Club which are naughty show bars for Asian tour parties. Probably Asian tourists will be the target for the new restaurants & bars etc promised for the complex.

There was also talk of a new body massage parlour there but it is not clear whether this is traditional or soapy.   

Pattaya is simply not a pretty place. It surely has no chance to capture the Western tourist market in search of tropical paradise.

A few more families may come, but I can't see them being very impressed, except maybe in a Blackpool type way with lots of garish entertainment for all.

If the authorities were serious about encouraging families perhaps they should at least make it safe to cross the roads here (even just to get to the beach). I would have a nervous breakdown with the thoughts of my kids crossing the roads in Pattaya.

Based on an article from Pattaya Pages

Pattaya For many tourists, the Thai resort of Pattaya conjures up images of criminals on the run and girls enticing westerners into sleazy bars.

But the town is supposedly undergoing a renaissance as the new Suvarnabhumi Airport prepares to open nearby, creating a rush among high-priced hotel chains for beachfront property aimed not at the single guy, but at families.

Developers are buying land to develop shopping malls, five-star hotels, and in a few years Pattaya will change its face, says Chaiwat Charoensuk, the director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) office in Pattaya: We need the families to visit Pattaya, so it is our job to do something to change the image, he adds.

The new airport is located 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Pattaya, and will open as planned on September 28 despite the military coup on September 19.

Chaiwat says he hopes the opening of the regional hub will boost the number of Thai and foreign visitors to Pattaya from 5.8 million per year to 6.5 million.

Chatchawal Supachayanont, general manager of the Dusit Resort and president of the Pattaya chapter for the Thai Hotels Association, says this predicted boom has caused land prices to rocket: There are many new hotels opening like the international chain hotels. In just three to four years the price has gone up 100% in the prime areas.

But there are suggestions that Pattaya's seedy side may not disappear, instead vanishing behind the closed doors of plush new hotels and apartment blocks.

Anthony Burnett, a spokesman for ECPAT, an international NGO that works to end the sexual exploitation of children, says that once a region has established a reputation for sex tourism, it can be difficult to alter: In central areas of the city, a profusion of bars host young women who engage in sexual acts for payment.

Burnett acknowledges TAT's efforts to clean up the city, but says there remains much to be done, and warns that the recent boom could have consequences.

All tourism officials and hotel owners say they are committed to getting rid of child sex tourism, but concede that the wider adult entertainment industry attracts a lot of people.

Another kind of tourist wants entertainment and relaxation, says TAT's Chaiwat. As long as it is not illegal they can come and enjoy life, that's fine for me, it is not dirty, it's normal.

But Chaiwat says there are plenty of attractions for children to enjoy, including a zoo, a submarine and a water park: Pattaya is like Disneyland, but you don't pay an entrance fee.

Based on an article from Pattaya Daily News

Pattaya Pattaya City will open up an information service Call Center 1337.

Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn and Suthep Srisuwan, Assistant Managing Director of TOT. both signed in the joint venture project for new service Call Center 1337 with the service rate at 3 baht only per call throughout the country.

It would be an information center for both Thai and tourist visitors to Pattaya City.

Tourists will be able to have access or ask any kind of information, whether it be inquiring about attractions or making a complaint.

Expenses for the first stage of this project in the first 3 years would be approximately 80 Million Baht. There will be total of 29 Call Center staff, they would work in 3 shifts and communication would be done in various languages.

Based on an article from Pattaya Daily News
Picture from Pattaya Secrets

Pattaya has been hit by flooding after heavy rain on the last three days.

50-60 cm floods were reported in the Soi Bua Kao area, Pratamnak Road and some parts of Sukhumvit Road.

Traffic was a stand still as a result of both the flood water and of broken down vehicles.

The continuous rain was simply too much for the drainage system.

Sources from the Water Public Department told the reporters that they have tried their best to improve on the water drainage system, but still they are unable to fence off the storm that occurred last Tuesday night. The Department confirmed that many of the water pipes are blocked up and and they were unable to free the rubbish and debris in time. The Department does not have enough pumping machines to drain out the water.

From Pattaya Immigration

Although the soft opening was some months ago, the Official Opening is set for today.

I don't suppose there are any raffles for free long stay visas though.

Some services and application forms are now available online at Pattaya Immigration

From Thai Visa

Newly installed railings have been put up along the sidewalks where you must cross Beach Road to enter Walking Street.

You must now follow Beach Road around towards 2nd Road and cross somewhere over there.

And low and behold once you cross at this point, there is no sidewalk on the other side to continue your walk to Walking Street.

This town has no regard for the walking tourist.

From The Pattaya Mail

Pattaya City Council has given its approval to the construction of a 91-story condominium tower on Jomtien Beach Road, a project that would be the tallest residential premises in the world.

Mayor Niran Watthanasartsathorn put the matter before the council asking them to study the proposal by Bruno Pingel’s Siam Best Enterprises Co Ltd to construct the 91-floor Plaza Ocean 1 Tower.

Niran said the building would be 305 meters high and have a total of 600 units, and that there would be a two-floor plaza structure 14.80 meters in height. The buildings would occupy a 17,000 square meter site and be constructed under a proposed budget of eight billion baht.

Many members raised their concerns and objected to the project, stating landscape changes and the capacity of public utilities to handle such a large premises. Problems were foreseen with drainage, waste, traffic flow and electric power which could affect those living nearby and the future public works capacities. Even at present capacities, the city experiences water treatment and waste disposal problems, council members pointed out.
Siam Best Enterprises, however, said that they would implement proper systems to manage such aspects and that the project would help to attract tourism and increase employment cash flow. Finally, Pattaya City Council agreed to the project, and once full official approval is given work would begin immediately. Plaza Ocean 1 Tower would take four years to complete.

Sounds almost biblical. Take a couple of slices of bread, a slab of burger meat and you can feed a wedding party.

From Jil in Pattaya

Bob, owner of Bob's BBQ here in Pattaya (near junction of Pattaya Tai and 3rd Road) unveiled the world's largest commercially available hamburger, coming in at 78.5 pounds. A massive fete was held in the Carrefour shopping center, and hundreds of people and dozens of news outlets were in attendance.

So what exactly does "commercially available" mean? That means that this isn't a one-off, one-time monster, but any time you like, you can walk into Bob's BBQ and order one of these for yourself and take it home with you. It costs 15,000 baht and no doubt can feed the 5000

Bob is often to be seen helping out with the management of the TQ2 bar/gogo just off Walking Street and his more traditional burgers can be sampled there too

Mike's shopping malls are also set to expand into the area and have bought up the disused Prince Hotel in Soi 8. No doubt a few of the beer bars there must be felling worried.

From  Pattaya City News

Tourist Police round-up Ladyboys on Pattaya Beach in response to Tourist complaints.

Responding to increasing levels of beach related crimes involving Ladyboy’s, Police Captain Chirawat, a sub-inspector at Pattaya’s Tourist Police Station and a group of Tourist Police Volunteers conducted an operation on Pattaya Beach on Wednesday Night and rounded up 25 Ladyboys who were known to the Tourist Police as previous offenders.

The complaints from foreigners range from abusive language to attempted theft. The group of transsexuals was later transported to Pattaya Police Station where they paid small fines and profiles of each Ladyboy were recorded for use at a later date. It is hoped that these rounding-up operations will continue and will eventually deter the Ladyboy’s from frequenting the beach area at night.

This rather suggests that the Queen's Birthday won't be designated as a dry day.

From The Pattaya Mail

There is a new Walking Street arch at the Bali Hai pier end of Walking Street. It will be opened at a ceremony coinciding with the Queen's Birthday on August 12th.

The celebrations will mean that Walking Street will be closed to traffic over the period August 11 to 13.

There will be three stages set up for live performances, and there will be a beer drinking competition each day from 23.00-24.30 hrs.

On 12 August the official archway opening ceremony will include a magic show and a cheerleader show. Walking Street will have one hour added to the time it is closed to traffic, with vehicles not allowed night time access until after 3 a.m.

From Pattaya Daily News

Jazz Musicians, Kenny G, Jamie Callum, James Moody, are coming to Pattaya.

This concert will be touring to many places and will be held in Pattaya on 11th December 2006 at 16.00-24.00 hrs.

Attending the concert will be various international artists participating, namely Kenny G, Jamie Callum, McCoy Tyner, Dizzy Gillespie, James Moody, Bamboo Quintet, Regina Carter, Chick Corea, Tim Reis, Georgie Frame and Cu Bop.

The promotor, RSI Dream company, had proposed to use the areas of Bali Hai Pier to stage this concert. As it is considered to be the best location with breathtaking view of the beach and with a panoramic view over the mountains in the background

Unfortunately, due to the scale and nature of the concert, Pattaya council have advised RSI to change a location for holding the venue. Two obvious choice of locations came to mind, one of them is the Public Park of the Indoor Stadium in Soi Chaiyaprue,k or Sukawadee House. Pattaya City Hall is currently in talks with owners of both locations.

From Pattaya Daily News
Picture from My Pattaya

Pattaya City is organizing a Musicians' Club, allowing Pattaya’s Rock Musicians both amateur and professional a chance to get together, to share their experiences and to perform together on stage.

Many well known Thai rock musicians have been invited to attend the Rock Concert event that will be held from 1st 5th November 2006, namely Micro Rock Band, Chartree Kongsuwan, Hinlek Fai, Potato, Endrophine, AB Normal, Palmy, Juk Big. All will perform live on stage.

The Rock Concert Venue will also be staging a Young Rocker Singing Contest during the 1st and 2nd November 2006, allowing young Wannabee Rock Musicians in the eastern seaboard, a chance to act out on stage.

The venue finale will end with a Bonfire night display, followed by a Loy Kratong Festival on the night of 5th November 2006.

The main objective of this venue is to preserve and carry on the tradition of the Pattaya Rock Music Festival that has been well known worldwide. The festival will be held from 1st-5th November 2006, at the Jomtien Public Arena from 1600 hours until 2300 hours.

From Pattaya Secrets

Wheel clamps have been spotted on cars (illegally) parked on Beach Road. The operation seems to be run by the Police. Will it be traffic wardens next?

For drivers:

• red & white kerb = no waiting
• yellow & white kerb = no parking

From The Pattaya Mail

Pattaya’s long overdue project to place all Beach Road cables underground now has a new deadline and is due to be completed early next year.

Mayor Niran Watthanasartsathorn chaired a meeting with city engineers to step up progress on the 250 million baht project that began in 2004 and was originally scheduled to take a year to complete.

The city’s project to beautify the beachfront by removing unsightly phone, electrical and TV cables from view, placing them underground, is now due to be completed early next year.

From the gutter press (and also from coverage by Pattaya City News)

The Mayor of Pattaya, Khun Niran asked councillors and police to drop in and discuss the problem of the wholesale theft of manhole covers.

The Mayor announced that between January 2005 and May 2006 a total of 961 man-hole covers had been lifted from around Pattaya. 294 had been stolen from the Sukumvit Road and 667 had been taken from small Soi’s around the city leaving a hole in council finances to the tune of 2 Million Baht which City Hall have had to cover. Police operations so far have been the pits and they have only managed to entrap two individuals to date.

The meeting discussed how the local Police and city security officers will fall in line in an attempt to combat this crime. No holes will be left uncovered in the search for the thieving sewer rats guilty of these wholly reprehensible thefts.

Members of the public are asked to remain level headed for their own safety and to keep their eyes to the ground in the hunt for holes. They can chip in by calling a hotline to report any thefts in progress. A reward of 20,000 Baht will be given to anyone whose information leads to an arrest and conviction. The hotline number is 038 427 960.

From The Pattaya Mail

City hall are undertaking a project to beautify Pattaya Beach.

Amnuay Naaek of the Pattaya Public Works Department said that the city had been given a 49 million baht budget to extend Pattaya Beach from Dusit Resort Cove to the old pier in Pattaya by laying natural sand from the seafront to bring the beach up to the same level along its whole length.The job will take about 15-30 days to complete.

Laying and filling with natural sand would have to be calculated properly in order that the sea doesn’t drag the sand back into the water. Further, the sand level should not be too high, as it would affect the drainage system during floods and cause the sand to become clogged. The city would only carry out the sand-fill on a 100-meter stretch at the beginning to check for any adverse effects and would inconvenience the public as little as possible while completing the work.

From The Pattaya Mail

Pattaya City is holding talks with the Royal Thai Navy about sinking two disused ships to create a habitat for marine life.

Mayor Niran Watthanasartsathorn said that the Underwater Park project would be in commemoration of His Majesty the King’s 60th anniversary.

The preferred sites are Koh Krok and Koh Pai. However, the Royal Navy has objected to this idea, saying the sunken ships could actually destroy the ecology of underwater sea life as visitors could cause a build-up of underwater garbage. A survey on sea levels will next be carried out, and discussions will continue.

How the world sees the story about the early morning shooting of 2 men in Pattaya sensationalised to fit in with World Cup fever.

Local stories reported that the shootings occurred well after the football had finished (and included some very bloody pictures of a corpse)

From CNN

Thai police are searching for a gunman who shot and killed two soccer fans at a beach resort after complaining they were cheering too loud.

The two men, both Thais, were watching Italy’s 2-0 win over Ghana at a restaurant Monday at the Thai beach resort town of Pattaya, and erupted in roars when Italy scored its first goal, said Panipha Wattakul, a girlfriend of one of the victims.

A man seated at a nearby table asked them to quiet down, prompting a heated argument during which the man pulled out a handgun and shot the soccer fans at point-blank range, said Police Col. Somnuek Chanket. Police know the identity of the gunman, who fled after the shooting, Somnuek said.

Pattaya, about 70 miles southeast of Bangkok, is known for its beaches, its thriving sex industry and high crime rate.

From Pattaya City News

An update Tuesday Morning’s shooting and murder of two men at the Food Works Restaurant on Pattaya Third Road.

Although the suspected shooter is still at large, his vehicle has been recovered. It was found by officers in Laem Chabaeng at the Talae Tong Tower. The vehicle, a black Mercedes Benz was taken to Pattaya Police Station where it was broken into and inspected by Police Colonel Somook and other officers. Inside the car was a gun magazine with three bullets inside and other items including a court summons issued to the suspect regarding a previous case where he was charged with carrying a gun in a public place. Also in the car was registration papers for two guns, both of which correspond to the guns used in the attack.

Further information has also come from the crime scene itself. The girlfriend of one of the dead men, Khun Pantipar revealed that prior to the shooting she walked past the table where the shooter was sitting and drinking with the owner of the bar when the suspect made a number of suggestive comments towards her. It is believed that this may have led the shooter to initiate contact with the two victims which eventually led to their deaths.

I never saw any timetable information at any bus top so find it hardly surprising that the service is under used. Who is going to wait for a bus when you don't have any idea if one will turn up or not.

From The Pattaya Mail

Half a million baht in monthly losses due to rising fuel costs and a significant drop in passenger numbers have forced the Pattaya Beach Bus Co., Ltd. to review their operations. The company has held the concession on the bus service since it inception in early 2005.
As part of the plans to reduce costs, the Green line is to be placed on indefinite hold and bus timetables will change. Buses will run every half and hour instead of the initial 20 minute periods.

The present low season has also seen a great reduction in the number of passengers using the bus service. During high season 80% of passengers were tourists, which has now dropped to as low as 20%.
 
Director Suriyont Sriglindee said that the government is planning to sell fuel direct to transport companies for one baht per liter. We will submit a letter to the provincial department to apply for this scheme.”

The Green line was chosen to be placed on hold due to its closeness to the two other routes. There will be no increase in fares for passengers.

Pattaya Beach Bus company management has said they will apply for the cheap fuel scheme offered by the government but require further details on how to do so and once complete will implement it in their daily operations and financial plans in order to return the service to its former level.

From Pattaya City News

The new Tourist Police Station is located on the Pratamnak Mountain next to the Regional Tourism Authority of Thailand Office.

This 10 Million Baht two story building will replace the current Tourist Police Office located on Pattaya Second Road and opened on 8th June. There will be an official grand opening on 26th July.

The new office offers far superior facilities compared to the old office. On the ground floor is an impressive conference room and a dedicated volunteer room which will be used to coordinate the work of over 250 Tourist Police Volunteers who work in Pattaya. There are improved facilities for the duty officers as well, including a relaxation area for officers on night shifts and a sub-inspectors room for the Police Captains who will often work 24 hour shift patterns.

If you require the services of the Tourist Police you can call their 24 hour emergency number which is 1155 or visit this office.

From The Pattaya Mail

There are plans afoot to improve car parking in South Pattaya: The city is in the process of buying plots of land in South Pattaya to be used as car parks. The city is also in negotiations with Pattaya School #8 to use their football field as an underground car park and if both projects are implemented it would help to prepare for the rapid growth in the area.

A study is currently being undertaken to prepare master plans on the development of Pattaya’s road network. A 10-year road safety plan for Pattaya’s future development is also in the works.

The Traffic and Transport Development and Research Center at Phra Jomklao University has presented three options in resolving the traffic problems.

• The present one-way system is retained
• A one-way reverse system is introduced
• Pattaya Second Road becomes two-way.

The latter option appears to hold the most promise, the study having shown that traveling time will be reduced by an average of 40%, and average traveling distance reduced by 18%. Traffic congestion would be experienced at Pattaya Second Road intersection, but it is conjectured implementing no-parking zones and banning right-turns into the sois could resolve this.

From Pattaya Talk, see also Ocean1Tower Skyscraepercity.com

There are plans for a new 92 storey tower to be built near the existing high rise blocks in Jomtien. No doubt it will be somewhat glorified with shopping centres and the likes, but it is basically a condo building.

The latest story calls it Ocean 1 Tower but it was previously mentioned as Majestic Tower.

From Pattaya City News

Police and rescue workers were called to the Route 999 Pub located at the North end of Pattaya Third Road at around 21.00 on Sunday Evening after reports of a rapidly spreading fire and persons trapped inside were received.

Every available rescue unit along with units from the Pattaya Fire Brigade responded and arrived at the scene to find the front of the club completely engulfed in flames.

It was decided to collapse part of the front wall to assist injured people who were trapped inside. After the wall was taken away, many people were found unconscious on the floor through excess smoke inhalation and were found mostly at the front live band bar area.

One female was found burnt to death inside the club and the rest were taken out to various hospitals around the Pattaya and Chonburi Area who were all put on red alert.

The current figures indicate 8 people have died and at least 58 people have been injured. Initial reports of an electrical fault on an external sign have now been revised to an electrical fault with a neon sign inside the front bar which features live bands. We have also had it confirmed that the back door which was the only exit at the back of the club was locked which hampered rescue efforts and at the time of the fire, a staff meeting was taking place in the front club.

From Pattaya City News

A big screen will be erected at the Bali Hai Port at the south end of Pattaya Beach for the duration of the forthcoming FIFA World Cup. Live broadcasts of every match will be shown on this screen which is sponsored by Chang Beer.

There are plans to offer food and drink to the spectators. Khun Somshai, Deputy Director of Chang Beer confirmed that every game will be shown live and this location was chosen rather than the original planned location of Jomtien Beach because Jomtien is hosting another heat of the World Foot-volley League which coincides with the World Cup.

Another meeting with the Mayor is expected to confirm the plans and how Pattaya City Hall will assist with security and other aspects of the plan.

Based on articles from The Pattaya Mail

The election organisers for the recent Senate elections surely deserve the sack. Not only did they pick a day when traffic and water chaos made it pretty near impossible to get to the polling booths, they spoilt the fun for many by imposing an alcohol free day. (Not particularly successfully in our neck of the woods).

Pattaya people turned out in great numbers to spray water at each other during Wan Lai, but most ignored the senate election. Polling stations were quiet, often with only election officials present. The ballot boxes were closed on time but counting the votes took less than an hour. Outside the polling stations, however, mayhem reigned, with water fights continuing non-stop and traffic frequently at a standstill.
Clearly, holding the senate election on April 19, the same day as the Wan Lai festival, was not a good idea.

In Banglamung including Pattaya, Jomtien and Naklua, 146,625 people were entitled to vote, but only 60,556 or 41.3% chose to do so. (Note that Wan Lai in Jomtien and Naklua was on the day before so it would be interesting to find out the percentage of Pattaya people that voted)

The unofficial results for Banglamung were Santsak Ngamphiches 20,799 votes, followed by Vichien Tangthamsatit with 5,675 votes, Vichien Rattanapirapong 3,446 and Pramuan Aempia with 3,005 votes. Abstentions were as high as 10,376 with 1,902 damaged ballot papers.

Bar workers were also justifiably angry at the election scheduling. A number of bar girls attacked police officers who were on prohibition patrol on election day.

The police patrol had set out just after midnight and were acting under orders to arrest anyone selling alcohol. When the officers arrived at the beer bar group near the Lek Hotel on Pattaya Second Road, they found the Meeting Point beer bar was still serving falang customers.

The bar girls were serving them beer and whiskey, unafraid of the approaching officers. Police arrested the cashier of the bar. He was charged with selling alcohol in an election area, but as the officers led the cashier from the bar the serving girls set upon them, tearing their uniforms and knocking them down.

The patrol radioed for help, but by the time other officers arrived all the staff but one had fled. The two were escorted to Pattaya police station

From The Nation

Pattaya's tourist trade is booming with improved services and infrastructure, including hotels, cinemas, shopping malls and the upcoming opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Last year 5,338,009 tourists arrived in Pattaya, up 6.5% from 2004, according to the Tourism Authority. Of these, 66% were foreign. With an average length of stay of 3.4 days and average daily expenditures of Bt2,819 per person, tourists spent about Bt48 billion in the resort.

Last year there were 293 hotels and guesthouses with a combined 34,007 rooms in Pattaya. They had an average occupancy rate of 58%.

In 2005, the hotel occupancy rate grew by 28%. Pattaya has a strong prospect of attracting more tourists in this year, said TAT governor Juthamas Siriwan. Pattaya was benefiting from its proximity to Bangkok, she said, and could be reached in about 90 minutes via two motorways.

From Pattaya City News

As the Songkran Festival approaches, Police checkpoints around Pattaya are beginning to be seen as we joined officers at this checkpoint in front of the Pattaya Redemptorist School on the Sukhumvit Road in Central Pattaya.

Each checkpoint is armed with breath-testing equipment and we would like to remind you that the legal limit blood-alcohol level here in Thailand is 50mg per 100ml of Blood which equates to one glass of wine and one small bottle of beer. (The limit is the same as for the majority of European countries but is less than the UK limit of 80mg)

If you are caught over the legal limit you will spend one night in prison, or you will have to pay 20,000 baht bail. This will be followed by a court appearance.

We advise you to exercise caution on the roads over the next few weeks and to watch out for these checkpoints. Ensure that you are carrying your driving license and insurance documents along with ownership papers for your vehicle and most importantly do not drink and drive.

From Pattaya City News

The election for the House of Representatives took place on Sunday. At the counting hall, we caught up with Khun Chanyut, the Thai Rak Thai party candidate who was unopposed. He was confident that he would gain a minimum of 20% of the votes cast.

On a national level, the number of voters who decided to cross the no-vote box as a protest against the Thai Rak Thai Party and Thaksin Sihinawatra was high and the no-voters here in Banglamung District were also at a high level, however this is the result which now requires confirmation from the Electoral Commission before it is confirmed.

• Total number of eligible voters was 102,627
• 60,177 actually voted (58.64%)
   
• Khun Chanyut received 27,436 votes
• no-votes were 27,408
• spoiled ballot papers was 5,333

Khun Chanyut received 26.74% of the vote which means he has been elected as Member of Parliament for Region 7 of Chonburi Province, pending Electoral Commission approval.

This story caught my eye as a nextdoor neighbour lost a chicken a couple of nights ago. The locals reckon on a human thief but you never know....

From Pattaya City News

Construction workers in Banglamung came across a hole in the ground which they recognized as being made by a snake. Digging further they discovered a six-metre 40 kilogram python and called in the Sawang Boriboon Foundation to take the reptile away.

Local people had been complaining for some time of losing chickens and believe the python was the reason for their depleted poultry numbers. The Sawang Boriboon volunteers are likely to take the snake to the Kao Kheaw open zoo to be released into the wild.

From Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department

The Grand Pattaya International Music Festival 2006 is now in full throttle as many artists and musicians are lined up and would like all to have an ecstatic time here.

The grand gathering of musicians and artists is going to take place once again this year, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand guarantees you that this year’s music festival will be a huge success. Over the past four years, famous singers and musicians from around the Asian region were looking forward to perform here, and this year, there will be three stages for them to put on a show. The location of this festival will be near the beach of Pattaya. It will take place between March 17th and 19th.

For more information call 1672 or check out schedule and bands at www.tat.or.th

Based on an article from The Pattaya Mail

Pattaya Music Festival will be an alcohol-free zone supposedly in the interests of public safety.

A meeting was held on March 3 at Pattaya district office to discuss the safety aspects of the event, chaired by Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh and attended by representatives of Banglamung and Pattaya police stations and other safety related organizations.

Ronakit said that the festival would be staged along Beach Road to Bali Hai Pier and that the road will be closed from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Alcohol cannot be brought into the areas of the three stages. Stages will be set up at Soi 6, Beach Road, Soi 9 Beach Road and at Bali Hai Pier.

Search checkpoints will be set up to carry out body frisks for weapons, starting at Sukhumvit Road and throughout the stretch where the concert is to be held.

A few days ago we finally got 24 hour mains water. I am not holding my breath about how long it will remain though.

From The Pattaya Mail

No water supply problems are anticipated this summer, with the completion of East Water’s water feed system from the Bang Pakong River to Bang Phra Reservoir, which has already started to ease the supply shortages in the area.

Other plans are also operational, with a second pipeline between Bang Pakong and Chonburi due for completion in 2007.

Wanchai Lawatanatrakul, president of Eastern Water Resources Development and Management Plc, or East Water, said the company commenced laying the Bang Pakong - Bang Phra water pipes along the 53-kilometer route in August to supply water to Chonburi and Laem Chabang from the Bang Pakong River. The project has been operable since the middle of January and is able to supply 10,000 cubic meters of water per day.

From Pattaya City News

New Water problems discussed by the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association.

At the Green Park Resort Hotel in Naklua, the monthly meeting of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association took place. Representatives from the East Water Company were invited along to discuss the current water supply situation in Pattaya.

It was mentioned that already, the water supply to some areas is irregular and this does not look good for the forthcoming dry season which is expected to be as bad if not worse than last year.

The pipeline from Bangkok has yet to be finished and is not expected to be completed until September. The East Water company stated that water would be purchased from other areas where water problems do not exist.

Update: No More Water Shortages...Yeah Yeah

I am writing this in Pattaya and we have NO mains water.

From The Pattaya Mail

The shortages are occurring even though Chonburi Irrigation Department had previously declared there would be no water shortages this year as there is already enough water in reserve, even though water from the Bang Pakong River cannot be fed quickly enough due to heavy seas.

Thanet said the problem has been a chronic one for a long time and has not been truly remedied by the government sector, as can be clearly seen. Government data that has been provided throughout contradicts the reality of the present situation. Most of the hotels are still required to buy water themselves. The association carried out a survey of hotel operators and more than 80% were required to buy fresh water from the private sector, especially around Jomtien and Pratamnak. The association wants to know what the problem is.

The Irrigation Department has already received a budget of 261 million baht to remedy the situation and the project is at present under construction. It is claimed that once the project is completed the problems will be over.

Chaitach Iidsaeng, deputy director of Pattaya Irrigation Office said that the freshwater supply situation in Pattaya will not experience problems during 2006 because there was a large amount of rainfall towards the end of 2005 and the water supplies in the reservoir were higher this year, at 74 million cubic meters compared to the previous year’s 55 million cubic meters. He reaffirmed that this year there would be no water shortages as in previous years.

Bounsom Yutithampinyo, head of Chonburi Irrigation Department’s Water Allocation and Irrigation Development, commenting on the water situation in Chonburi, said that there definitely would not be a water shortage this year because water levels in the Chonburi reservoirs had increased. Based on the 2005 database, water consumption statistics up to the water shortages in August 2005 indicate that this year by the same month there would still be 18.29 million cubic meters, of which 12.06 million cubic meters is consumable. After August the rains will replenish the reservoirs.

Bounsom added that even though there will be no drought in Chonburi this year he would like to warn the public to conserve water, as the higher water levels available in the reservoirs this year will help in future years. If a problem occurs there would still be reserves that would help to alleviate the situation to a certain extent.

On the issue of pumping water from the Bang Pakong River to support supplies, the pipe laying is already completed but pumping cannot commence because of the saltiness of the water. Pumping can commence in August at the rate of 200,000 cubic meters per day or 50 million cubic meters per year. Everyone can put their minds at ease; there will be no more water shortages.

The Bangkok Post spews the bollox about the promotion of Pattaya as a family resort. Hell it would be totally irresponsible to bring a child to Pattaya, the roads are simply impossible to cross safely, any parents would have fits if they saw their kid darting across the four lanes of traffic on 2nd road. As far as I have seen there is just one set a crossing lights in all of Pattaya.

Editorial from the Bangkok Post

The unfortunate drawback of showing hospitality to the world and opening your door to tourists, visitors and businessmen is that it also opens it to far less desirable elements, such as criminals on the run from their home countries, terrorists seeking a trouble-free meeting place, and an assortment of other unsavoury individuals.

For every undesirable alien who gets stopped, a great many more slip through in the guise of tourists and businessmen. That is why the Russian mafia is so well represented here, the terrorists who planned both World Trade Center bombings chose to do more than just visit the country, tattooed German gangsters strut the streets of beach resorts and an American who murdered his wife in Atlanta hid out here, along with assorted paedophiles of all nationalities. It is also why Thai police receive so many requests to help track down foreign fugitives. Just this month, the FBI asked police to hunt down a racketeer on their list of the 10 most wanted fugitives because the trail led here and a German and a Swede were arrested in Prachuap Khiri Khan province and Pattaya, and are being held for extradition to face major crime charges in their home countries.

The UK media has also reported extensively on the criminal underworld, which at times gives the impression of being an overworld, in Pattaya. Their frequent references to Pattaya as the ''Costa del Crime'' because of its supposed abundance of British criminals, are not helping the Tourism Authority of Thailand's efforts to promote the resort as a quality tourist destination for families. This is despite the heavy police presence and rarity of visible violence in the streets.

Pattaya police have rejected British media claims that the resort city is as much of a magnet for wrongdoers as foreign publications like to paint it. Yet they cannot deny the number of high-profile arrests in recent years. And the black T-shirts so popular in the resort proclaiming ''Good guys go to Heaven, bad guys go to Pattaya'' have more than a touch of irony about them. Police do admit that more international cooperation and information-sharing is needed to arrest and extradite foreign criminals and list Germans, Koreans and Chinese as the top three nationalities of offenders in Pattaya. Immigration and other police are well aware of the dark side of globalisation and a great deal of taxpayer money has been spent in upgrading computer facilities and links at airports and border crossings to prevent known foreign criminals from sneaking into the country, yet the influx continues. Clearly an overhaul of the present security measures is called for and tighter security needs to be put in place with an emphasis on increased cooperation with foreign police agencies. We were told this would all happen when the new computer facilities came online in 2004 but there is scant evidence of success.

The country's image and reputation are at stake and we need painstaking police work to keep these undesirables out or, if we cannot do that, put them behind bars pending deportation. Brazil, Spain and Mexico have scared them off. We must do the same.

A first visit to the new office lived up to the ideals. Service was friendly and fast. It is a nice idea that the immigration staff wear track suits rather than police uniform.

From The Pattaya Mail

On-line visa extensions are one of the services offered by the new Pattaya Immigration headquarters, which has just opened in extensive new premises on Jomtien Beach Road Soi 5.

Pol Col Itthipol Ithisarnronachai, superintendent of Pattaya Immigration, on January 10 opened the new headquarters building to reporters, inviting them on a tour of the premises and describing future plans for the service.

He said that under the policies of Pol Lt Gen Suwatt Damrongsrisakol, commander of Immigration Police, the intention is to develop the Pattaya facility as a model immigration control point. Pattaya is one of 15 centers and a prime industrial and tourism gateway that needed to be both an effective control center and to present a favorable image of Thailand to visitors.

We will be the first immigration center to offer on-line visa extension applications where the applicant will submit the application over the internet, said Pol Col Itthipol. Immigration police will check the information overnight and be ready to extend the applicant’s visa the next day. This will take only 10 minutes as we already have the information needed.

I subsequently heard of a rabid dog going on rampage in Sattahip. I wonder if there are more cases than we are being told about.

From Pattaya City News

Rabies case in Nongprue prompts urgent dog vaccination program.

At the Nongprue Public Park, the local administration organized a dog vaccination day where dog owners could bring their pets along and receive free vaccinations against rabies.

With the summer months approaching, the spread of diseases amongst dogs increases and Rabies is a disease which is easily passed on to Humans and can prove to be fatal. We also discovered that three days ago, local officials terminated the life of a dog in the area which was suspected of carrying the rabies virus. Pet vaccination programs will take place on a regular basis around the Pattaya area over the coming months to ensure this deadly disease is contained

From Pattaya City News

A case of suspected rape now from Jomtien involving a female English Tourist which is sure to have repercussions as the story is all over the International press.

The woman had just completed a modeling assignment here in Thailand and decided not to follow the crew and other models back to the UK and instead decided to spend a further week here in Pattaya. On Saturday evening she had arranged to meet friends in Walking Street and waited for a motorbike taxi in front of the KK Advertising Shop.

A Thai man approached on a bike and claimed he was a motorbike taxi driver and could send her to Walking Street but claimed he wanted to go back to his apartment first to collect a safety helmet for her to wear. He made the planned detour to his apartment in Soi 17 on the Tepprasit Road where he allegedly raped the woman in wasteland at the rear of his room.

After the attack, the woman called the Tourist Police who quickly made their way to the location and took her back to Dongtan Police sub-station on Jomtien Beach to make a report of the incident. A full description of the attacker was given and Police began to hunt for him.

On Sunday morning, she accompanied Police to Dongtan Police sub-station where an identity parade was held consisting of five possible suspects. She picked out the arrested individual and suspected rapist named as Khun Pipatpong aged 19 from Nakhon Nayok Province. He confessed to the crime and on Sunday, a reconstruction of the crime took place at the area of wasteland inside Soi 17.

The victim is due to return to England on 9th February and we understand that a trial date for the accused has already been set and the case should be concluded before she returns. The suspect faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison without the possibility of an early release if convicted.

With the case involving 21 year old Katherine Horton, from Wales, who was raped and murdered on New Year's Day in Koh Samui, further damage to the reputation of Thailand as a tourist destination is expected because of this second serious criminal case involving a female tourist from the UK in the space of one month.

Well it didn't take long into the dry season but we have just had to pay for a tank of water. We have had no mains water for 3 days.

I wonder what happened to the water mains connections to Bangkok that the Government promised us by last November.

From The Pattaya Mail

Walking Street’s new archway will be delayed until February or even later as no one has submitted a bid for the project.

Deputy Mayor Weerawat Khakhai chaired a meeting of the Pattaya Walking Street Committee at which it was discovered that progress on the proposed new archway that had been discussed during the previous meeting had not in fact got very far.

Sunthorn Kangsirikul, deputy chairman of the Walking Street Committee said nothing has been undertaken because no organizations had submitted bids for the project and the archway will not be completed on the schedule planned earlier. The project will have to be extended until February or even later if no organizations submit bids.

A giant LED display screen to be mounted on a steel structure in front of Pattaya City Hall will be used for public relations activities and to provide news and other information to residents and visitors.

Construction began on December 22 and will be ready by February. The display screen will be 1.6 meters wide and 8 meters long and the actual structure will be beautified with Alucarbon and plants.

Text scrolling across the screen will promote local events and activities and also display government messages such as advice to citizens to pay their taxes on time.