Pattaya News & Events

[thailandgr]

PATTAYA– October 10, 2014 [Pattaya Daily News]; at 23.00 pm Mr.Lertporn Noja-director of STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND CHILD ABUSE CENTER (ATCC)- found out that a foreigner had bought sex from 14 year old girl in front of Mike Shopping Mall before having sex with her in the Live In Mansion.
Therefore he notified the police before rushing to inspect the scene.   
At the scene the officials found Mrs.Prapaporn Sawangram aged 37 who provided the girl for the foreigner so the officials arrested her before raiding the room which contained the foreigner and the girl.
The man was identified as Mr.Mariolle Arnaud Jean Nicoias aged 46 from France who was found naked with the girl. Plus the officials went to inspect another room and found Mr.Samreng Ayamueng aged 38 and Ms.Atchara Wichaiwong aged 23 who were having sex and they were also drug addicts.

  Upon questioning Mrs.Prapaporn she confessed that Mr.Mariolle asked her to buy sex from the girl who she just knew and Mr.Mariolle paid her for 700 baht.
While the other were her friends and they were in the room having sex.   
Mr.Palisorn Noja revealed that previously he was notified by the children centre that a 14 year old girl had escaped from the center before staying with Mrs.Prapaporn who used her to provided sex for foreigners.
Therefore he decided to notify the police to arrest her.
The police officers revealed that the officials prosecuted her on charge of human trafficking while Mr.Mariolle was charged for abusing children while Mr.Samreng and Ms.Atchara were charged for consuming drugs.

[halfway inn]

Police Officers Reprimanded

Police Officers Reprimanded After Robberies In Pattaya



A Police commander has punished 3 police officers because they couldn’t control the incidents which had happened in their areas.

PATTAYA– October 24, 2014 

Pol.Maj.Gen.Nitipong Niemnoi-acting commander of Chonburi - had ordered Pol.Lt.Col.Thanawin Kaewsiang - inspector of Pattaya police station -, Pol.Maj.Col.Nantakarn Patumtri - inspector of Nong Prue police station - and Pol.Maj.Col.Thanaporn Rungjiraporn - inspector of Laem Chabang police station - to report to Chonburi superintendent after they couldn’t control their areas.

On 17th of October 2 villains robbed two 7-11’s in Pattaya and they took 4,000 baht.

The incident occurred in the area that these police officers were in charge of.

Upon inspecting the witnesses the police found that the villains were the same gang that robbed both shops.

In addition the administrative officers arrested a Mr.Somboon Permpoon-Tawan Pub owner- on a charge of selling liquors without permission.

[thailandgr]

LADYBOY ROUND UP ON BEACH ROAD

Pattaya police together with police volunteers marched from the police station on the evening of Friday, 24th October to begin one of their regular nightly street inspections. 
As usual, the first place they visited was Pattaya Beach Road, where it wasn’t long before 30 Thai and Lao ladyboys were rounded up and taken back to the police station for questioning. 
They were warned, fined 200 baht and then released back onto the streets. 
Police are deliberately targeting ladyboys, because of the recent bad press involving organised gangs of ladyboy pick pockets operating along the length of Beach Road and Walking Street in South Pattaya.

[Oytopikos]

Tourism down 20% in 2014, high season looking disappointing, PBTA says

Months of street protests and the subsequent military coup have cost Pattaya more than 10 billion baht in tourism-related revenue, the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association said.

Speaking at the PBTA’s Oct. 29 meeting at the Grand Bella Hotel, association President Sinchai Wattanasartsathorn said the biggest hit has come from the marked decline in tourists from China and Russia.



In the first nine months of the year, Pattaya has seen only 6 million visitors, down about two million during the same period last year. Last year Pattaya attracted nearly 10 million tourists, generating 105 billion baht.

The top five nationalities to visit Pattaya last year were Russian (1.8 million), Chinese (1.2 million), Eastern Europe (400,000), Germany (300,000) and Indonesian (290,000)

This year, he said, has been the slowest in three years.

Suladda Sarutilavan, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Pattaya office, says her staff is focusing on building back the European market.Suladda Sarutilavan, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Pattaya office, says her staff is focusing on building back the European market.


“The Russian and Chinese market has dropped a lot in a short period of time, which is why we are preparing a marketing plan for 2015 focusing on the Eastern European tourism market instead,” she said. “Other than Europe, TAT is also planning to focus on the ASEAN market, especially Indonesia.”

From early bookings, the coming high season also will be disappointing, Suladda said. Bookings are down 10-70 percent, depending on market.

As a result, many hotels have put on special promotions, especially for 2015, giving discounts and accommodation packages 10-20 percent off. The promotions are focused on the Chinese market for two-night stays and trips, hoping that they will be able to pull the Chinese crowd back to Thailand again next year.

As for Russians, domestic problems at home are keeping many from traveling, a slowdown expected to last into next year. The ruble has been crushed by sanctions leveled against Russia for its incursion into Ukraine. Russians, as a result, don’t have the economic power to travel as they did in recent years.

The one bright spot has been that Thai domestic tourism has not dropped significantly. Thai visitors to Pattaya were off only 100,000 to 2.8 million in the first nine months of this year, TAT said.

Sanpech Supabowornsthian President of Thai Hotel Association (THA)Sanpech Supabowornsthian President of Thai Hotel Association (THA) Eastern Chapter

However, Sanpech Supabowornsthian, president of the Thai Hotels Association Eastern Chapter, said the Pattaya market, with 139,000 rooms, is now “over-supplied.” He said the government needs to take steps to limit additional hotel capacity coming online.

He also urged other measures to spur tourism, such as recent moves to offer free three-month visas for Chinese tourists. He said the private sector needs to be encouraged to attend trade shows and more marketing.

This article was published in the Pattaya Mail newspaper on Friday November 7, 2014 (Vol. XXII No. 45).
- See more at: http://www.pattayamail.com/business/tourism-down-20-in-2014-high-season-looking-disappointing-pbta-says-42565#sthash.o3Ya0MNo.dpuf

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RUSSIAN SENDING STEROIDS TO RUSSIA

Pattaya Immigration arrest Russian accused of sending Steroids to Russia



PATTAYA:

Acting on an International Arrest Warrant issued by the Russian Authorities, and in conjunction with the Thai Army, Immigration Police arrested a 47 year old Russian National in Pattaya on Tuesday Morning, accused of exporting Steroids from Thailand to Russia.

Officers confirmed the arrest of Mr. Igor Cherkesov under International Arrest Warrant number A-4982/7-2014 dated 2nd July 2014.

He was detained at the “Made Weight” Gym in Soi Watboon in Jomtien.

The Russian Authorities had contacted Chonburi Immigration and asked for their assistance in arresting Mr. Cherkesov, who is wanted in Russia to answer for his alleged crimes.

It is thought a Thai agent supplied the muscle enhancement drugs to the Russian who then sent them on to Russia where the items were sold for a considerable profit.

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RUSSIAN MARKET SLUMPED IN PATTAYA

Sanpetch Suppabawonsathien, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said the Russian tourist market in Pattaya was slumping for the first time in 12 years.

"Hotel room reservations from the Russian market have already dropped by 70% for this high season," he said.

Pattaya hoteliers are facing a difficult time due to pressure from travel agents to cut surcharges and gala dinners from tour programs in the peak season and to sell special packages for Russian tourists.

With the impact from the weak ruble, the number of Russian visitors to Pattaya should drop by more than 50% this year, Mr Sanpetch said.

Pattaya hoteliers need to shift their focus to the Asian market, especially China, he said. But most Chinese travelers prefer to stay in two-star hotels rather than luxury ones.

Chinese visitors have overtaken Russians as the biggest market for Pattaya.

Russian travelers prefer to book hotel rooms or package tours at the last minute.

Some Pattaya hotels are operating at only 30% capacity in high season.

...............

18-12-2014
Bangkok Post

[halfway inn]

NEW BEACH RULES EFFECTIVE

After the recent big clean up of both Pattaya and Jomtien beaches, plus new rules and regulations for beach umbrella and deckchair operators, an inspection was made by a reporter on the afternoon of Wednesday, 14th January to see how effective the results are turning out. 

Indeed, more tourists, especially families, were seen leaving their hotel swimming pools and heading to the beach to sunbathe and swim in the sea in both locations.

Quite a few people applauded the new rules to curb overcrowding on the beaches and the flood of food vendors and masseurs that once dominated the beaches. 

As expected, when questioned, many of the beach operators deemed the new policy unfair to their businesses and stated that they will petition City Hall to make the rules less strict in the near future.

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B10m ROMANCE SCAM

Africans in B10m romance scam



Seven African men — six Nigerian nationals and one Ghanaian — have been arrested in Pattaya for allegedly swindling 10 million baht from more than 100 Thai women online, police said on Saturday.

Chon Buri police chief Nitipong Niamnoi said the arrests followed a police investigation into complaints that many Thai women had been duped into transferring money into the men's accounts.

Police said the gang preyed on women by sending messages via Facebook or online dating websites.

To attract potential victims, they used photographs of good-looking Western men as their profile pictures and claimed to be drilling engineers or millionaires wanting to marry Thai women, said Pol Maj Gen Nitipong.

When the victims responded, the men demonstrated their generosity by saying they had sent them valuable ornaments worth millions of baht.

However, they claimed the goods had not been cleared through customs as taxes had to be paid in Thai currency.

They asked the victims to transfer money to their bank accounts, usually 100,000 to 200,000 baht each, said the police chief.

Some gang members also duped women into investing in businesses with a promise of high returns.

In the past five years, more than 100 Thai women had fallen for the ruses and the damage was about 10 million baht, said Pol Maj Gen Nitipong.

Police tracing the illegal activities tracked the gang to the L.V. Apartment in Soi Chalerm Phrakiart 17 on Pattaya 3rd Road in South Pattaya, where the arrests were made.

Officers also seized seven laptop computers, one mobile phone and three tablets at the scene.

The officers initially charged the suspects with illegal entry and said they would press additional charges after victims showed up to identify them.

The Nigerial suspects were identified as follows:
Williams Chinwedu, 39, Kemmeth Ovuegbe, 40, Emmanuel Onyedikachi Iromuanya, 32, Uchechukwu Nwaogu, 30, Mater Ukwugu, 26, and Udoji Fidelis Anaekwe, 31.

Also arrested was Kofi Mensah, 37, from Ghana.


14 February 2015

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FAKE EURO BANKNOTES SOLD TO CUSTOMERS in...GREECE

Pattaya, Chon Buri:06-03-2015

Pattaya police and anti-international crime police have arrested three Frenchmen for having allegedly made and sold fake euro banknotes.


 
Camille Cinerlli, 30, Elie Maghames, 28, and Alexander Jean la Rocca, 31, were accused of mailing the fake banknotes to their customers in several European nations by hiding them inside Thai cartoon books.
 
Chon Buri Police chief Pol Maj Gen Nitipong Niamnoi and other senior police officers announced the arrest at a press conference Friday.
 
Nitipong said the three were arrested Thursday after the French embassy’s police attaché sought help from the Thai police.
 
The French embassy informed the Thai police that several parcels from Thailand that contained fake euro banknotes inserted in cartoon books were seized in France.

The parcels were mailed from Pattaya.
 
Following the information from the embassy, the Chon Buri anti-international crime center conducted an investigation and learned that the three Frenchmen had mailed several parcels to France and other European countries.

Police also seized 105 fake euro banknotes from the parcels.
 
Nitipong said police obtained an arrest warrant against the three from the Pattaya Provincial Court Thursday and they raided three houses where the three were staying and arrested them.
 
The Chon Buri police chief said police seized 28 items of devices for making the fake notes.
 
Nitipong said the three admitted that they have been collaborating in making and selling the fake banknotes.
 
He said Cinerlli and Maghames learned how to make the fake notes from Internet and had downloaded an application for preparing files for making fake 50 euro notes.
 
They save the files of the fake notes on flash drives and printed them with printers of la Rocca and Maghames, Nitipong said.
 
They sold the notes at the rate of 15 to 17 euro per note to customers in France, Spain, Austria, Ireland, Germany and Greece, causing damage about dozens of millions of baht.
 

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PATTAYA CONDO MARKET

Pattaya condo market braces for downturn


Panoramic view of Pattaya bay from Pratumnak Hill.

A plunge in Russian arrivals demand in seaside has dented demand in a seaside city long used to growth.

The condominium market in Pattaya has been growing continuously since 2007, with a total of 181 projects and 63,000 units developed.

While sales showed a slight upturn last year, the outlook has dimmed for this year because of the sharp drop in Russian visitors, who represent a major market for condo purchases in the resort city.

The Jomtien area remains the most popular choice for developers because of its relatively long beachfront and proximity to Pattaya city center.

Thus Jomtien is the priority for potential development after Pattaya itself, where beachfront sites are becoming more limited and expensive.

However, Pattaya City continues to see its share of new condominiums, though more developments tend to be scattered around North Pattaya and South Pattaya.

Non-branded developers account for 79% of all the condominium units in Pattaya, compared with 21% for better-known names including those listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

Many of the non-branded condominiums were developed by locally based companies owned by both Thai entrepreneurs and foreigners.

The Global Top Group, Matrix Group and Riviera Pattaya Group are among the well-known developers owned or co-owned by foreign entrepreneurs.

It is noteworthy that all of condominiums developed by branded developers were high-rise buildings except The Trust Central Pattaya by Q House, which was a low-rise.

Different buyer profiles can be found depending on locations.

The main buyers of condominium units in the area are Europeans and Russians looking for vacation homes or investment assets.

Wong Amat and Pratumnak hill, unlike Jomtien and Pattaya City, offer more peaceful and private residential areas with many condominiums occupying beachfront sites with panoramic sea views of Pattaya harbour.

The main buyers on Pratumnak Hill area are Europeans, Britons and Americans, as well as Scandinavian travelers and retirees who usually buy to have a second home or a post-retirement permanent residence.

Wong Amat, where many prestigious projects have been located, is known as the most expensive residential area in Pattaya.

It is popular among wealthy Thais, Europeans, as well as Russians who are looking for second homes.

The average annual take-up rate of condominiums in Pattaya was about 2,200 units per year during the 2007-10 period, which represented between 58% and 79% of the units on offer at the time.

Average take-up increased in the 2011-14 period to around 2,750 units, but this represented a smaller proportion of the units developed, most notably in 2011-12, as a glut took hold in the market.

Between 2011 and 2014, an average of 6,300 units per year were developed, compared with only 3,200 in the 2007-10 period.

The spot take-up rate in the Pattaya condominium market declined from 2007 to 2009 and bounced back a little in 2010.

The rate then fell significantly, from 68% in 2010 to 47% in 2011 and 32% in 2012.

The rate recovered to 49% in 2014, resulting in an average take-up rate of 53% for the entire 2007-14 period.

The average selling price of a sea-view condominium last year was 114,025 baht per square meter, which represented a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.7%, from 82,629 baht/m² in 2007.

The average selling price of a sea-view condominium was 71% higher than for a non sea-view unit in 2014; this is partly due to the scarcity of beachfront land with proximity to Pattaya city center area.

Better views add significant value to units in Pattaya as the majority of the market is based on foreigners and retirees.

The selling prices of studio units in the area surveyed ranged from 737,500 to 12.71 million baht, one-bedroom units from 790,000 to 30.8 million baht, two-bedroom units from 1.39 million to 54.6 million baht, and three-bedrooms and larger from 4.69 million to 129.9 million baht.

It is noteworthy that the minimum unit price for a condominium in Wong Amat is the highest for every unit type.

While tourism to Thailand has begun to recover after a rocky 2014, Russian visitor numbers have plunged because of the oil price crash and the depreciation of the ruble.

Some industry executives have forecast a decline of up to 30% in Russian visitors to the country, which has huge implications from Pattaya since it is by far the favorite destination for Russians.

The absence of Russians will diminish the potential for condominium sales in Pattaya.

As well, problems could arise with Russian buyers failing to take transfers of units already purchased because they could no longer afford them.

[thailandgr]

Pattaya-resident farang draws ire from Thais
 
 
Pattaya, Chon Buri:- A farang photographer who lives in Pattaya has drawn ire from Thais  after he shared a satirical cartoon on his Facebook wall.
 
The sharing of the cartoon and criticisms against Harris Black was reported by Naewna Online and some news websites.
 
The cartoon with the title of “Do visit the real Thai!” displays five Thai main characters as paintings that are hiding what the cartoonist sees as the real things happened in Thailand.
 
The first painting of happy farmers hide the oppression of farmers behind it while the picture of a Thai woman in traditional costume hides prostitution behind it.
 
The painting of Buddha image hides murders behind it while a painting of wild animals and a painting of forests hide illegal poaching and illegal logging behind them respectively.
 
After a lot of Thais posted comments to criticize him and tell him to go home, Black posted: “Dear peaceful Buddhists, I shared the cartoon. I did not make the cartoon. The point is to say our feelings, good or bad. Unless you are perfect, do not criticise me.”
 
Nuanchan Junmana was among those who posted the comments. She posted in English: “Dear, if you not happy with my country, please back to your hometown or anywhere as you love. i love my country and very hurt from your share from small point of your view. i respect your opinion but you hurt many heart of thai people.. really sad.”
 
But some Thais also posted messages in support of Black, saying there was no need to be angry as the cartoon reflected the Thai reality.
 
Nattaphorn Bie Dokbunnak posted in English: “Sorry for commenting on your site, I know i'm not your FB friend, but I really do agree with this picture. I know this is not the whole of Thailand, but this is real. If some people think that really hurts, they should try to fix that problem rather than say this doesn't happen in this country. Forgive me for my English if this isn't perfect.”


http://www.catdumb.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015-04-20_21-53-32.jpg

[halfway inn]

THE CORONATION CUP IN PATTAYA

PATTAYA: 05 May 2015

Kingdom Property win Regatta



The 2015 Top of the Gulf Regatta ended yesterday after four tough days of racing in some of the most challenging conditions the event has ever seen.

All eyes were on the one-design Platu class competing for the Coronation Cup, as history looked likely to be in the making.

After a slow start to the series, Kingdom Property (AUS) rallied to put in a string of six wins, including one more yesterday, to make history as the first-ever boat to secure back-to-back Coronation Cup titles. And they did it with one race to spare.

Chris Way and his Easy Tiger IV (AUS) were second and Ben Williams’ The Fox (HKG) third.

In the IRC 1, Foxy Lady VI (SIN) retained their title by three points over EFG Mandrake (HKG) with Wan Ma Rang (THA) third.

In the IRC 2, Iolanthe (AUS) were champions, ahead of runners-up Amanda (SWE) and El Coyote (AUS).

In the Cruising class, Tai Two (JPN) won the title by just 0.4 seconds ahead of Nautical Wheeler (USA).

Cedar Swan (THA) took the Ocean Multihulls title by beating Sonic (THA) with License to Chill (AUS) coming in third.

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PATTAYA UNDER AEC

Seminar outlines challenges facing Pattaya under AEC

Challenges posed to both Pattaya and Thailand as a whole by the ASEAN Economic Community were outlined and debated as city officials and business owners met for a seminar in Jomtien.

Organized by the city and King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, the April 23 AEC workshop looked at the preparations and challenges of the AEC, which is expected to kick off late this year.

Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh hosted a morning session devoted to the directions of the AEC, joint proposals, preparations, public hearings, and ideas from vendors related to tourism.


King Mongkut assistant professor Suchart Chiengchin lectures about important facts and challenges that Thailand will be facing when the AEC is officially launched.

“By the end of 2015, the 10 ASEAN countries will become one as an Asian Community. There will be both positive and negative effects in all managements concerned, especially the economy, stability, and traditions,” Ronakit said. “The three mentioned are the main pillars of the country, which is why the preparations, directions, and ideas must be discussed with all organizations involved in tourism.

“We must take this opportunity to plan in advance how we will develop our society to blend in with the participating countries concerned, and which is why all organizations concerned are invited today to analyze the directions of our city,” Ronakit said.

In the afternoon, Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome welcomed 50 people to hear from King Mongkut assistant professor Suchart Chiengchin, who lectured about important facts and challenges that Thailand will be facing when the AEC is officially launched.

The main topics were about religion and economy.

He said a goal should be to promote historic and traditional tourism with an eye toward getting Pattaya declared a United Nations-recognized arts city.

He added that the economy could be at risk regarding foreign investments because Thailand will be competing with other countries that have more attractive prices and regulations.

“The government is currently trying to amend the law regulating foreigners doing business in the country, allowing every member to operate under the same rules,” he said.

He said property buyers in Pattaya focus on investments of 1 - 3 million baht and condominiums with one bedroom and about 40 sq. meters.

“The prices per square meter are set to increase further, so this matter should be looked into,” concluded Suchart.

Itthiphol said the comments collected during the seminar will be jointly analyzed by the city and university for future improvements.

He mentioned one of the topics that will put Thailand and Pattaya at an advantage is “local wisdom”.

“We are owners of our country as we dedicate our work and efforts to improve the society around us.

We live and follow our tradition, and that’s what’s important to Thailand,” the mayor said. “Pattaya has its own uniqueness and attractions that are not like most other countries, and that is the key in tourism and a growing economy.

“Although becoming a participating country in the AEC will have an effect on tourism, tradition, investments and others, we are currently developing Pattaya to be the center of industry, seminars, goods exhibitions, and international exhibitions.”

[halfway inn]

UFUN PYRAMID SCAM MEMBER ARRESTED

Pattaya 16 May 2015

Police arrest UFUN Pyramid Scam “Member” in Pattaya



As the UFUN Pyramid Scam continues to make headlines in Thailand, Police continue to search for and arrest those who are thought to be involved in attracting investors to the scheme which has reportedly cheated hundreds out of many millions of Baht.

On Friday a team of officers, led by Police Lieutenant General Suwira, Assistant National Police Commissioner, served an arrest warrant on Khun Alisa aged 31 at the Atlantis Condo Resort Pattaya on Jomtien Second Road.

She is known to work in the property industry and is accused of persuading a Philippine National to invest in the UFUN scheme back in 2014.

Police have information that she would receive 8% commission from UFUN to sell investment packages and she is number 17 on a list of those Police are looking to arrest in connection with the scam.

Khun Alisa was escorted to Dongtan Police Station on Jomtien Beach after checks were made on her bank accounts which showed hundreds of transactions which are thought to relate to the scheme.

She stated that she was not concerned over the arrest and would prove her innocence in Court.

Police continue to search for those who are suspected of running and working for UFUN.

[thailandgr]

Last night Police turned up and raided the 808 nightclub on Pattaya’s infamous Walking Street because a picture showing a woman performing oral sex in the club went viral yesterday bringing condemnation across Thailand. 
Why anyone is greatly surprised at such pictures emanating from Pattaya is really beyond me.
Pattaya is home to approximately 3000 bars and tens of thousands of Thai Hookers of various genders.

The fact the Police turned up to to close a club where some of its customers not employees have been caught doing something they shouldn’t is a typical example of Thai Hypocrisy.
From the Pattaya central Police station to the Nightclub in question is around a mile along Pattaya’s beach road passing some 500 odd bars ranging from your small open Beer bar with a few Hookers to full blown Agogo bars with 100’s of naked girls dancing on stage performing oral sex acts on each other for a  Tequila.
But they are okay because no one put a picture of them on Facebook.

Tonight is the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan which brings in tens of thousands of young tourists every month Anyone who has been to a Full Moon Party will tell you there are always dozens of couples going at it on the Beach  in the Sea or up against Surrounding Palm trees . 
Are they going to close the Full Moon Party down next ?!?!?

We had an Email from an anonymous source this morning claiming that he bet the Girl she wouldn’t suck him off in the Club, Evidently she won the bet.