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.

There's been a bit of a to do at computer/phone mall at TukCom on Pattaya Tai. The landlords have significantly increased rents for the shops in the mall. The tenants took to the streets in protest.

There is soon to be an alternative location for tech shops. The Avenue Mall on 2nd Road opposite Soi 13 is preparing a technology zone.

And because of the rent rises at TukCom, several of the shops will now relocate to the Avenue.

It should be opening in the next couple of weeks.

Eleven people were injured after a hotel lift plunged 6 floors.

The incident occurred at the SunBeam Hotel in Soi 8, Central Pattaya involved a service lift which was being used by a group of students taking part in a Regional School Mathematics Contest.

On Thursday Night, nine students, one teacher and one hotel staff member entered the lift on 12th floor and everything appeared normal until the lift reached the sixth floor when it began to freefall to the ground floor.

Four Students, the teacher and hotel staff member suffered broken bones while the other five suffered minor injuries.

The Pattaya Police Chief assigned himself to the case and began his investigation at the hotel where management claimed the lift was working normally and was being maintained on a regular basis. Pattaya Police have asked the lift to be taken out of service for now.

The first edition of Pattaya's newest publication, Pattaya One, will hit the streets on 1 October 2010.

Costing just 15 Baht, and coming out on the 1st and 16th of each month, Pattaya One is packed with content and features by the best writers in Pattaya and Bangkok. It is expected to quickly become the most popular publication in Pattaya.

Pattaya One's sole emphasis is on entertaining its readers with high quality content.

Howard Miller from Pattaya One commented: We have superb content, for example: Nightmarch, A Fool in Paradise, Pete's Peregrinations, a column by Bangkok's renowned writer Stickman, a new column focused on internet forums, Handy Andy, Kris and Noi, the first dedicated gay column in Pattaya's mainstream publishing history, a real estate section, Travel features, historical features, a medical column, an intelligent golfing column, and much, much more. So much more that we cannot even fit it all in the first edition as we have had to make room for the phenomenal advertising take-up.

Somewhere in the world there may be a city with a more seedy reputation, a place more devoted to the sex industry and more notorious as a haven for criminals on the lam. But probably not.

When dusk comes to this beach resort, a sea of pink neon bulbs casts a pale glow onto the thickly made-up faces of thousands of women (and some men) who sit on bar stools waiting for their patrons.

If Las Vegas is Sin City, Pattaya is a bear hug from Lucifer himself.

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).

A protest was held on Pattaya Beach Road in front of the Central Pattaya Road intersection on Wednesday Morning, comprising of around 120 local Thai Residents and Business Owners who are angry at the frequent use of the beach for temporary markets.

They state that foreign visitors are prevented from using the beach while the markets take place. Traffic congestion and large amounts of refuse are also believed to deter foreigners from using the beach during these times.

Locals have had enough and want the weekend markets to stop.

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.

As yet, no explanation has been provided by the company responsible for maintenance of the lift which plummeted 10 floors injuring 16 people on Saturday. Investigations are ongoing between the maintenance company and local Pattaya police, who have been reluctant to comment on the incident.

Following the devastating lift accident at the Welcome Jomtien Hotel on Saturday, in which 16 people were seriously injured, investigative teams examining the incident stated that details would not be released until the analysis was completed.

Reportedly, the company responsible for the maintenance of the lift, a Thai-American joint venture, stated that the group had been responsible for the lifts at the Welcome Jomtien Hotel for over 10 years without a prior incident.

The company has revealed that it will fully cover the cost of all damages and the medical costs of those affected by the accident.

Adult fun for all ages

The Thai sex trade is driven by overweight, unattractive, middle-aged divorcees, right?

Wrong. A Fabulous investigation reveals it's now 20-something Brits paying for sex.

Nick and Gary are on a boys-only holiday with a difference. Their girlfriends think they're on a golfing trip, when in fact they have come to Thailand solely to have sex with prostitutes.

The young men, both 21 and chefs, are in the beach resort of Pattaya for the first time on a two-week break. Good-looking, with decent jobs and gorgeous girlfriends at home, they are not the sort of guys you expect to see paying for sex on the seedy streets of Thailand. But in the 24 hours since they landed, they've already handed over cash to two prostitutes.

Unashamedly, they compare it to trying to secure a one-night stand. While they might buy girls drinks all night only to get blown out in Tenerife, here they know if they fork out money, they're guaranteed sex at the end of the night.

...

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.

Enjoying life away from the misery guts back home in Derby

Thailand's capital of fun is how the pocket guidebook to the town describes the place, which attracts a million visitors a year. A less kind, but more accurate, description would be one huge brothel.

The average visitor appears to be male, 40 or more, probably losing his hair, frequently fat, very likely British and there for one reason only - to buy sex with young Thai women.

Though there are many other nationalities there, the town is geared to the Brits. Pubs offer heart-clotting all-day breakfasts and giant portions of toad in the hole to set up holidaymakers for a long night cruising the streets crammed with massage parlours and bars, many with names too crude to mention.

There are two kinds of bar in Pattaya. Bird apparently preferred the quieter sort, the oddly named bar-beers, over the brasher go-go bars.

[Beer bar prices start] with the bar fine. The man pays 300 baht - £6 - to the bar owner to take out a girl, and before that she earns about 60p for every drink he buys her. To make real money, she has to offer sex. [bar fine details corrected]

Short time in a room over the bar costs £20. To go back to the man's hotel for long time will cost around £30. One long-time customer will earn half of what a girl would make in a whole month of ordinary bar work.

...

One of the unexpected things about Pattaya is that there's nothing threatening or violent about the atmosphere.

Sat at a crowded bar at 2am is Peter. He's a quietly spoken, neat man in his early 60s from Derby. When one of the BGs asks if he 'wants to play', he nods enthusiastically. As a regular visitor, he knows what will happen next...

From under the bar she pulls out a game of Connect 4 and the pair of them giggle away while she thrashes him at noughts and crosses.

He might pay for 'short time' a bit later, but many evenings he just sits and chats. He says his wife is irreplaceable and: Britain is going to the dogs - can you imagine if this was Derby on a Friday night?

And in many ways he's right. In most British cities, the street would be full of girls brawling, sprawling and spewing. In Pattaya, they're smiling, decorous and attentive.

Clearly all sorts of men go there as sex tourists, not just social misfits.

...Read the full article

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.

Enjoying life away from the misery guts back home in Farangland

Bathed in the neon glare of endless bars and clubs, scantily clad Thai prostitutes crowd the street, beckoning Western men in with promises of sexual acts for no more than £5. They pout and strut, dressed in just knickers and bras while British punters, melting with sweat in 31°C, grab them without shame.

Desperate for the cash these sex tourists have come to spend, girls allow themselves to be groped like pieces of meat.

The girls coo phrases such as I want to be your girlfriend - but it's clearly the only English they know.

They repeat the words like a mantra, hoping to win someone's attention so they can take them to a dingy back room for 15 minutes of sex for cash.

This is Pattaya in Thailand - home to 50,000 prostitutes and where gun-toting maniac Derrick Bird repeatedly came to get a piece of this unsavoury action.

...Read the full article

Long-standing plans to redevelop Walking Street will boost the environment and lead to a safer nightlife district, Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome told the head of a Thailand human rights panel.

During a May 14 tour of the area, Paboon Samsiripong, chairman of the Human Rights Sub-Committee for Women and Children, was briefed about the planned South Pattaya Bay development project, which seeks to refurbish the city's crowded entertainment district by adding open spaces and more family-friendly attractions.

Currently Walking Street is crowded with adult businesses, street vendors and touts. The sub-committee wanted an update on Pattaya's actions to remedy the situation.

Itthiphol noted that the Environmental Protection Commission has shelved consideration of the project until the city resolves the long-standing issue of property owners on the waterfront side of Waking Street encroaching on public land.

Paiboon agreed the development project will both benefit society and generate more than 60 million baht a year for the country. He agreed to submit a favorable report to the government, which could see the South Pattaya Bay project elevated to national importance.

There was a substantial drop in hotel occupancy rates in the seaside city in 2008 when the political situation heated up, with a further slide in 2009

Now the Pattaya hotel market is facing another dismal year with occupancy of four and five star properties possibly falling to 49.9%, which would be even lower than last year's weak average of 54%, said Apisit Limlomwongse, managing director of Nexus Property Consultants.

Not so long ago, in 2006 and 2007, Pattaya was experiencing its usual booming tourist trade. In 2006, four and five star hotel occupancy reached almost 72%.

Hotel occupancy peaked in 2007, when there were almost six million visitors to Pattaya, with the majority being foreigners. There was a substantial drop in 2008 when the political situation heated up, with a further slide in 2009.

Several international chains were impressed with the high occupancy levels in 2006-2007, resulting in the emergence of many new hotels in the seaside city.

Apisit said the average daily rate (ADR) usually follows the occupancy level, and not surprisingly his company's research shows ADR eased last year after peaking in 2007 and 2008.

Apisit Limlomwongse says occupancy rates in high-end hotels will plunge. He forecast that occupancy at four and five star hotels will plunge to 49.9% this year. Although business was good in January and February, which is Pattaya's high season - not December as is usually understood - the street battles in Bangkok that have killed dozens of protesters and left hundreds injured is projecting a very violent picture internationally.

Even if the political situation is quickly resolved the outlook isn't promising for the second half of the year. This is the low season, but although some foreigners no doubt will return in a few months, many of them have already made plans to holiday elsewhere. For this reason Apisit expects that at the very best the average for the whole year would be 59%.

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.

Plans for the multicolored protesters to confront Red Shirts at Banglamung City Hall on Friday Night were cancelled and instead the group remained in front of Pattaya City Hall. Their numbers have increased to over 1,500 and claim they only want peace in Thailand again and want the Red Shirts to stop what they are doing.

The majority of those that attended the demonstration on Friday Night were middle class residents and business operators here in Pattaya who are mostly in support of the current government led by Prime Minister Abhisit and are against plans for the dissolution of parliament as requested by the Red Shirts.

The multicolors promise to continue their protests indefinitely until the red shirts stop what they are doing in Bangkok. Luckily no major confrontations with the Red Shirts have occurred here in Pattaya for now but this looks inevitable.

Thappraya Road started to show signs of undue wear within a fortnight of the official opening at the end of March. A large depression in the roads surface has formed at the junction with Pratamnak Road whilst more recently, during an entire day of inclement weather, a section of the road in the Jomtien bound lane has entirely caved-in allegedly due to the insufficient drainage installed.

...Read the full article

Perhaps a good thing that Pattaya has had a day of rain. The main reservoir is looking severely depleted.

But the authorities seem to be keeping the taps turned on round my way presumably to ensure people can 'enjoy' manic Songkran day tomorrow.

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.

Pattaya International Music Festival 2010 will be held from 19-21 March 2010. It is a very popular event combined with the closure of Beach Road usually causes gridlock.

Pattaya City will close the road along the beach from 4pm until 2am for the 3 days of the festiva.

Contingency plans will be in operation to divert the traffic away from the 7 main venues.

6 music stages will be situated along the Pattaya Beach Road, as follows:

• the empty space in front of Soi 4;
• in front of Hard Rock Pattaya Hotel;
• Central Pattaya Road intersection, beside the beach;
• in front of the Central Festival Department store;
• in front of Royal Garden Plaza Department Store;
• on the old pier beside the tourism public relations centre;

There is also a stage at Bali Hai Pier.

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.

Power Struggle

A power struggle fueled by politics and scandal has erupted among high-ranking Eastern Seaboard police officials, shining an embarrassing spotlight on promotions, demotions and appointments usually handled quietly through back room deals.

...Read the full article from pattayamail.com

Swatted

The New Zealand kung fu grandmaster who allegedly worked closely with Pattaya's ousted police chief to set up the city's S.W.A.T. team found himself under arrest and facing illegal-weapons charges only days after a new chief took office.

...Read the full article from pattayamail.com

The British honorary consul in Pattaya has announced that he will stand down in June 2010 when his current contract expires. The British embassy in Bangkok is expected to advertise the vacancy via its website and in local media over the next few weeks.

Barry Kenyon, who is 68, has been attached to the British embassy since 1997, and became the resort's first honorary consul on a five year fixed term contract in June 2005. In 2006 he was awarded an MBE for services to the British foreign and commonwealth office.

Honorary consuls are local agents who typically deal with problems such as the arrest of British nationals, deaths, serious hospitalizations and various other categories of distress. Additionally, a consulate was opened in Jomtien in December 2008 to provide a wide variety of notarial services for British nationals in the Pattaya area.

Barry said that he would spend his retirement travelling more, writing a sensible book about Pattaya and continuing with some community work. He is a familiar figure at the Jomtien immigration police bureau and is expected to continue to assist at the information desk during busy periods.

PattayaOne spoke with Khun Surat, in his capacity as the Chairman of the Banglamung Cultural Committee about the recent cases of foreigners being caught conducting lewd acts in public places.

In the majority of these cases, the participants are fined between 500 and 2,000 Baht which is not enough according to Surat who believes a sterner punishment should be given to those who conduct the lewd acts as these small fines are not enough of a deterrent.

According to Thai culture, public displays of affection are frowned upon. Khun Surat believes that this situation must be controlled sooner rather than later as the image these stories are portraying to the rest of the world are not helping the image of Pattaya as a tourist destination suitable for families.

Perhaps if Khun Surat were so interested in the image of Pattaya he would be better employed pushing for increased punishments for Baht bus pick pockets and jet ski scammers. Surely late night fun on the beach is the least of Pattaya's worries.

Based on article from pattayaone.net

PattayaOne also reported over the last few days of plans by the new Superintendant of Pattaya Police Station, to clean-up the city and correct problems inherited by him from previous Superintendants.

He has been transferred here to clean-up the City which is a haven for all forms of serious crimes. His main focus will be on crimes relating to illegal drugs.

Prostitution is also high on his agenda and he will be particular interested in arresting agents who provide men and women to customers for the purposes of prostitution.

Perhaps he could at least try and squeeze in pick pocketing, mugging and extortion into his priority list.

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.