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His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great

and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit were married on April 28, 1950.

(Photo courtesy of the Bureau of the Royal Household)

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitayakara were married by Her Majesty Queen Sawang Vadhana, the paternal grandmother of His Majesty, at the Sra Pathum Palace in Bangkok on April 28, 1950.

Mom Rajawongse Sirikit, the daughter of the Thai Ambassador to France Mom Chao Nakkhatmongkol Kitayakara and Mom Luang Bua Sanitwongse met the soon-to-be-King at the Thai Embassy in Paris in 1948. They were engaged to be married at the Windsor Hotel in Lausanne, Switzerland on July 19, 1949.

They returned to Thailand during the government of Prime Minister Field Marshal Pibul Songkhram and a stunningly beautiful marriage ceremony was held while the Thai military forces formed to honor and salute the Royal Couple.

Following the Royal marriage, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great ascended the throne, becoming the ninth King of Thailand in the Chakri Dynasty with all the pomp and pageantry befitting a Royal coronation on May 5, 1950.

Their Majesties have four children, HRH Princess Ubolratana, HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, and HRH Princess Chulabhorn.

Long live His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit.

Chonburi and Sattahip administrators present needed items

to the underprivileged in society.

Patcharapol Panrak

Chonburi Administration is helping underprivileged people in Sattahip by giving first-aid kits to over 400 people, eyeglasses to 110 and providing canes to 107 others with walking difficulties.

On April 11 Wittaya Khunplome, president of the Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organization, invited Sontaya Khunplome, former Minister of Tourism and Sports, to preside over this project of giving welfare benefits to the poor, with the support of Sattahip District Chief Chaichan Iamcharoen.

Wittaya said that the objective of the project is to have the management of Chonburi exchange ideas with the local management of Sattahip on the problems that the poor are facing and ways to develop their quality of life.

The welfare aid has so far been given to 1,017 people in need.

Sontaya said that this project aimed to truly understand the problems and needs of the local people so that the right improvements could be made.

In this way we can develop the quality of life for women, children, the elderly and those who are disadvantaged, as well as build good relationships between members of parliament, officials and the local management, he said.

Patcharapol Panrak

Navy divers and local residents set out to clean up the beach and ocean around Samaesarn on April 6. Whilst the divers collected garbage from the ocean floor, residents and sailors picked up garbage from the shore.

Navy divers collect garbage from the ocean floor.

The event was a navy, government and private sector cooperation deemed the Sea Protection 52 naval base project.

Samaesarns local government teamed up with the Sea and Natural Resource Protection office, the Fishermens Cooperative of the Eastern Gulf of Thailand, and Vinithai Company for an afternoon of civic duty.

Rear Admiral Worasak Jannu, deputy commander of the Navy Base in region 1, said that the Navy, along with public and private sectors all want to preserve the sea and beaches to protect the many living creatures in the ocean and the beautiful coral reefs. It doesnt hurt that this tends to attract a lot of tourism income, he said.

But garbage thrown in to the sea as well as selling coral from the reefs are spoiling and degrading the beach environment. We all should not stay still instead we should do something about this before the beauty is gone along with income from the tourists, he said.

The admiral also said he hopes projects like this will help make Koh Samaesarn a beautiful destination forever.

Ariyawat Nuamsawat

A committee will be set up to remedy Pattaya tourism after the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Pattaya Office reported that businesses in the city were badly-affected by the violent political protests that disrupted the ASEAN summit meeting.

The committee will monitor tourism promotions to restore the tourism economy, awaken things and bring tourists back to the city after the recent political unrest had reduced the number of visitors during Songkran by 20-30%.

Niti Kongkrut, director of the TAT Pattaya Office.

Niti Kongkrut, director of the TAT Pattaya Office, said that the madness during ASEAN Summit in Pattaya affected a large number of tourism businesses. We dont know for how long this crisis will remain, he said.

The government must think about the affects caused to the tourism business and provide support for it to recover. All parties must now cooperate to find an urgent solution, he urged.

Niti said that there was a policy to promote local tourism in the five regions, using Chonburi as the location to organize the promotion. In mid-May a Tourism Association members meeting will be held in Pattaya.

The foreign tourism marketing plan should be suspended for a while to create stability in the local tourism market and to concentrate more on domestic tourism according to the latest slogan of Merry Thai travel, busy Thai economy.

Mayor Itthipol Khunplome said the committee being set up would allow all tourism interests, state and private, to pool resources to find solutions.

This committee will review and survey the damage to the economy as caused by the protests, including civil claims against wrongdoers who created the chaos.

Letters will be sent to all embassies, especially to the 15 countries which sent representatives to the ASEAN Summit and to tour companies to explain the current situation in Pattaya.

The mayor said that the city will cooperate with local tourism businesses with promotions such as a Pattaya Smile Festival or Come Back to Pattaya campaign.

He said a reduction in the number of visitors attending the Wan Lai amusement day was expected in the aftermath of the protests from some 500,000 tourists last year to about 250,000 attending this years Songkran Festival.

HRH Princess Chulabhorn to preside over event

Some of the contestants take part in a practice run on April 10.

Staff reporters

This weekend a public health team, with help from as many residents as possible, hopes to set a Guinness World Record in aqua aerobics. The event will take place on Saturday, April 25 in the waters in front of Pattaya Beach Road Soi 4.

HRH Princess Chulabhorn will graciously preside over the exercise event.

On April 10 at the spot of the record attempt, Dr. Amorn Leelaratsamee, president of Thailands Royal College of Physicians, Dr. Marut Jirasetsiri from the Public Health Office in Chonburi, Prof. Suchat Upatam, president of Burapa University, Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay and Niti Kongkrut, director of the TAT Pattaya Office, met the press to provide details.

Organizers hope that at least 2,009 people will participate, breaking the previous record. An entire day of activities is planned, with the record attempt beginning at 5:30 p.m. and lasting 30 minutes.

Dr. Amorn said aqua aerobic exercise in the sea for 30 minutes would help reduce those fat, over-indulged and unhealthy bellies.

As part of the festivities, a stage show will teach how to reduce global warming, to take care of ones health with exercise, and how to reduce pot bellies by modifying eating behaviors. Primary health checks will also be offered.

Innovative items created from reusable objects to reduce global warming will be on show from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

There will be a competition for the creation of a life-saving ring made from recyclable items. It must be able to support a body weight of at least 45 kilograms in water, resist humidity and not easily deteriorate. It will be judged by the choice of materials used and its design.

Photographers are being encouraged to take photos of the event and enter them in the days photo competition. Photos must be 11x18 and will be judged for their beauty and creativity. This will also be valuable historical evidence of the event. Two photos per person can be submitted. Judging will take place four weeks after the event.

Both the floatation devise and photo competitions have prizes of 10,000 baht each.

The theme of the event will not only be to set a world record but also to encourage exercise and fitness as well as to fight global warming. More information about the event can be found at http://www.rcpt.org or http://aquaaerobic.webs.com.

Patcharapol Panrak

A highly respected relative of the Royal Family, Mom Chao Ying Rangsi Noppadol Yukol chaired the opening of the Chonburi branch of her nature preservation office in Sattahip on April 14.

M.C. Rangsi presents a broach to the president of her foundation, Sanaeh Tabkhan.

Sanaeh Tabkhan, president of the M.C. Rangsi Nopadol Yukol Foundation reported that it was established on September 12, 2007, with the purpose of being a media representative for the protection and preservation of wildlife and natural resources.

The foundation aims to support state agencies, educational institutions, individuals, private organizations and organizations abroad in this conservation work.

The foundation works to promote the protection and preservation of wildlife, the environment and awareness of humans and wildlife living together charitably and interdependently.

This includes supporting people upcountry to have better lives with reasonable and sufficient living without encroaching too much on wildlife, natural resources and the environment.

The association raises funds by providing entertainment and supporting individuals and organizations to do likewise for public benefit with no political affiliations.

M.C. Rangsi Noppadol Yukol spoke to the gathering of guests and members that she was proud to see Thai children being aware and loving their homeland, by conserving wildlife, natural resources and the environment.

She hopes that all of the foundations activities will help Thai people realize the value of their land.

M.C. Rangsi then presented a broach to the president and committee members and permitted the audience to gather to pour Songkran water for their good fortune.

Then she left to open the annual Pattaya Smile Songkran Festival.

Abbot Prasittanarat leads the blessing ceremony for construction of the new hospital with Mayor Itthipol Khunplome, local officials and the public.

Vimolrat Singnikorn

Monks blessed the erection of the main column of a new city hospital which is estimated to be ready for service in three years.

On April 7 in the parking lot at the Public Health Office in Pattaya, Abbot Prasittanarat of Mae Pang Temple in Mae Hong Son, led monks to bless the construction of the new Pattaya City Hospital in a center post laying ceremony attended by Mayor Itthipol Khunplome, city councilors, officials and the public.

This followed the foundation stone laying ceremony for the construction in March 20 for the new hospital to relieve the burden of the existing government hospital in Pattaya.

Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay said the city engaged Theerakarn Partnership Company for the construction, which began on April 5.

Verawat said the center post ceremony was held, To create good fortune for local citizens, to create good morale and willpower for successful construction.

The hospital has a construction budget of 177 million baht. It is to be built on seven rai of land beside the Public Health Service Center. It will be a five-story building containing 82 beds with a seven-story parking lot for 284 vehicles.

There is also an eight-story building with 80 rooms to accommodate physicians, nurses and employees.

Verawat said plans are currently, To open the hospital for service in 2012 to provide service and modern technology, operating with the citys Public Health Office services.

Thongbai Moonsan strikes a follower in

the back with a machete to prove the strength of his tattoos.

Patcharapol Panrak

More teenagers are relying on the power of tattoos for protection against the big bad world these days, according to a tattoo artist.

Thongbai Moonsan, 43, from Sattahip, is not an ordinary tattooist but a specialist in ritual tattooing known as Yantra that has been popular in Thailand for many years. On April 8, Thongbai held a ceremony to pay respects to his teacher.

It is believed that the Yantra bestows special powers on its host and for centuries Thai warriors were tattooed to protect themselves from the enemy. Even today many people are convinced that the Yantra will keep them safe, even stop a speeding bullet or the thrust of a knife.

With the upsurge in violent crime in Pattaya, specifically gun and knife related crimes amongst young teenagers, more and more young people are turning to the power of Yantra to protect themselves from harm.

Many of these teenagers find their way to the house of famous Thongbai, at Soi Nongnoo in the Plutaluang Sub-district of Sattahip, to join in a ceremony of respect and to receive holy water to make their tattoos more powerful.

Unexpectedly there, a few young men start growling like tigers and begin to act like animals.

Thongbai said that the tattoos were not superstitious nonsense. In fact they help people become better. This is because if they are good people doing only good things then the tattoos will help and protect them.

But if they behave badly, the protection of a tattoo can backfire on its host. Those who decide to have the tattoos must swear to use their power correctly and not use it to attack or injure others.

He said that many young people came with their parents to sign consent first. For most of the young teens, he uses oil instead of the traditional permanent colored ink which may prove an obstacle for them to pass examination for higher study. With an oil-based tattoo, the pattern is usually invisible.

A teenager from Pattaya said that currently Pattaya City has many problems stemming from teenagers. There are motorbike criminals and teenagers use weapons to injure and kill other groups.

They shoot at each other for no reason, only to show off their courage among their peers and to display their power. Therefore they make lettered tattoos for power, because according to their beliefs if they have good conduct, no weapon will be able to harm them.

Police show off some of the suspects with some of the contraband seized.

Boonlua Chatree

Police chiefs outlined the latest police crackdown on narcotics, entitled Take away a wing, to a meeting for community leaders, village chiefs and religious leaders at Pattaya Police Station.

Pol. Gen. Jumpol Manmai, deputy commissioner general of the Royal Thai Police, and Pol. Lt. Gen. Wut Lipatapallop, commander of the Drug Suppression Police, outlined the latest police strategy and summarized the achievements of the Combat Operations Center to overcome narcotics in Region 2.

The police chiefs reported that Take away a wing I operational plan from March 23-25 resulted in 19 arrest warrants issued, with 18 suspects held in 13 undercover purchasing cases.

Sixteen people were convicted: one import case resulted in one conviction, 10 distribution cases resulted in 13 convictions and two drug consumption cases resulted in two convictions.

Evidence included 24,000 ya ba pills, 14.56 grams of ya ice, one car, four motorcycles and seven cellphones.

Take away a wing II ran from April 1-3 resulting in arrests in 12 cases with nine men and three women convicted. Evidence confiscated included 30 ecstasy pills, a small packet of ecstasy powder, 207 ya ba pills, three small packets of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) weighing 1.94 grams, a substance to affect mentality and anxiety (type 4), 30 fire pills, 26,160 baht and $250 in cash.

The police narcotics crackdown is continuing, community leaders were told.

Boonlua Chatree

Two motorcyclists, one German and one Thai, died when their motorcycles collided on Thepprasit Road opposite Soi Thepprasit 15 in Nongprue on April 13.

At 2 p.m. Pol. Lt-Col. Anuchet Katsomboon from the Dongtan police station hurried to the accident site along with rescuers from the Sawang Boriboon Foundation.

At the scene they found the bodies of Jetsongpol Nomsiriprapa, 30, and Ralph Karl, 51, a German national, who sustained neck and head injuries. Neither man was wearing a helmet.

Nearby were a badly-damaged Honda Wave and a 1000 cc Yamaha motorcycle, equally damaged. A car was also damaged when the motorcycles crashed into it.

Eyewitnesses reported that the Thai rider had been waiting in the middle of the road to turn right into the soi when suddenly a foreigner riding a large motorcycle came from the direction of Sukhumvit to the Grand Condo junction at full speed and could not stop.

He rear-ended Jetsongpons motorbike and drove it to collide with the front portion of a Toyota.

Penkanyam Unchit, the owner of the car, said in fright that she had parked her car and left it when suddenly a large motorcycle approached and violently collided with the front portion of her vehicle.

Police took the two corpses to Banglamung Hospital and began to contact relatives.

Boonlua Chatree

Arisman Pongruangrong, the main leader of the red shirt anti-government protesters that attacked the ASEAN summit in Pattaya, was arrested then released on 500,000 baht bail. The bail was approved by a Pattaya provincial court judge.

Arisman Pongruangrong is led through Pattaya Remand Prison to his arraignment at Pattaya Provincial Court.

Asked by the court if he intended to continue his protest if released on bail, Arisman said he intended to continue to exercise his constitutional rights.

Arisman was flown by helicopter to Pattaya under tight security from the Naresuan Camp in Petchburi Province where he had been confined for 12 days since his arrest in Bangkok.

At 12:30 p.m. on April 14, Pol Lt-Gen Aswin Narongphan, commissioner of the Region 2 Provincial Police Bureau, and Pol Col Chanapat Nawalak, the deputy superintendent at Pattaya Police Station, plus 50 police commandos and border patrol officers were on hand to meet Arisman as he flew in. The armed police and commando units lined the football field where the helicopter landed. Arisman was escorted in a van under tighten security to the holding prison in Pattaya.

He was charged for a series of violations, such as grouping more than 10 people to cause unrest, gathering to obstruct traffic, making a speech that contravened the Constitution, disobeying legitimate orders of government officials and using force to destroy property.

Chaiya Pongruangrong, elder bother of Arisman, and lawyer Picha Vichitsilp accompanied Arisman to the court hearing.

Seni Rattanachaoren, the prison commander, prison staff and two companies of police, numbering 300 in total, were on standby fearing that the red shirts might attack the prison and attempt to free Arisman.

At 9 a.m. Arismans team of lawyers, led by Picha Vichitsilp and Phichit Chuenban, argued on his behalf for 500,000 baht bail.

At 12.30 p.m., the Pattaya Provincial Court judge granted bail, allowing Arisman to leave. He reportedly did not turn back to look at the prison gates out of superstition, instead excitedly rushed out to meet and embrace relatives, for the moment free from confinement.

Arisman thanked prison staff and prison commander Seni before traveling by van to Bangkok.

Government permanent secretaries listen

to presentations at the Ambassador City Jomtien Hotel.

Patcharapol Panrak

Government permanent secretaries for the Alliances Sub-district Administrative Organization throughout the country tried to respond to the call for more independence and to their liberation from the Ministry of Interior at a seminar on March 25.

Taweesak Srithongkittikul, president of the alliance, presented the seminar, titled Strategic Management of Personnel for the Sub-district Administrative Organization corresponding to the 2009 Constitution. The event took place at the Ambassador City Jomtien Hotel.

More than 2,500 permanent secretaries and deputy permanent secretaries from throughout the country attended the seminar. Assist. Prof. Wuttisarn Tanchai presented the featured lecture about the future direction of local officials and their duties.

Assist. Prof. Somkid Lertpaithun, Assist. Prof. Atsadang Panikabut, and Assist. Prof. Kowit Puangngam provided knowledge about the strategic management of local personnel.

The main point is the change in the status of local employees to local officials. This is to remove existing injustice which requires agreement from all parties, the Office for the Creation of the Civil Service Commission and amendments to laws that conflict with the Constitution of B.E. 2007.

Kowit Puangngam, Lecturer at the Faculty of Social Science of Thammasart University, said in the past some issues in local management procedures needed correcting, involving protection against political interference.

In the past the Department of Local Administration did not support the local officials as it should. Over the next four years a new dimension must be found and permanent secretaries throughout the country are being urged to fight for self-protection, he said.

Assist. Prof. Atsadang Panikabut said that the Constitution of B.E. 2540 was the first constitution to give almost full power to the local administration under the governments control but the Constitution of B.E. 2550 emphasized decentralizing that power according to the law.

Currently, the local offices overlap and each bureau intends to manage itself according to their plans. This matter needs to be rectified and an agreement made that the local commission must be independent of the Ministry of Interior.

Assist. Prof. Atsadang said to decentralize power was the main focus of democracy - too much decentralization, however, also could be a problem.

He was a part of a corruption investigation at the Department of Local Administration which found that officials were involved. This was one of the defects of the current law, he said.

Vimolrat Singnikorn

Pattaya Citys Children Office is collecting data on homeless children to submit to the Governments Children and Youth Sub-Committee on April 27.

On April 1 at city hall, Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn chaired a meeting of local officials helping street children in preparation for the fact-finding visit by the sub-committee working for the Social Development Commission and Children, Youth and Womens Affairs Commission.

Pannee Limcharoen, director of the Social Welfare Office in Pattaya.

Senators will come to Pattaya to listen to problems in the local community in an attempt to find tactics and solutions for homeless children.

Pannee Limcharoen, director of the Social Welfare Office in Pattaya, said that this discussion was the first step in gathering information regarding the problems of children and youngsters in the city.

The sub-committee will try to help coordinate activities of various welfare offices to monitor the plight of our street children and how we can most effectively help them, she said.

Supachai Satheerasilapin, a representative from the Redemptorist Childrens Home in Pattaya, proposed in the meeting that we could first understand the childrens problems by dividing them into two categories: What can we do for children who have been expelled from school and what can we do children who refuse any schooling or occupational training in the first place?

Supachai recommended that aid workers should enter the slums as quick as possible to support the children with all available means to help families convince children not to run away to become street kids.

Deputy Mayor Wutisak asked officers associated with this to thoroughly collect data and submit it to the Social Welfare Office before the second preparatory meeting on Wednesday April 22 to be reviewed before submitting it to sub-committee.

Patcharapol Panrak

Owner of an Everything 20 baht store had to run after finding a two-meter-long king cobra under the hood of his pickup truck. It was apparently driven there to hide when someone had earlier sprayed mosquito repellent on it.

A large white cobra is tucked away inside the engine compartment of this pick-up.

On April 4 at around 12.10 a.m., Rueang Nopsiri, 38, the owner of the store phoned Sawangrojanathammasthan Sattahip Foundation Rescue for help to get rid of a big snake found in the engine of his vehicle parked in front of his house.

After receiving the call, Pichit Kliakkuthan, rescue chief and a volunteer rushed to the Sahachai Market to find that many people had gathered to take a look at the white king cobra. It was about 2 meters long and hiding under the hood of a Toyota Hilux Vigo.

Earlier, other rescuers tried to use their snake-capturing tools but they proved useless due to the length of the snake, so they sprayed it with mosquito repellent which caused the cobra to slither away. Rescuers searched for two hours but could not find it.

Rueang said that earlier in the night he had come out to check if he had locked his car to find a huge king cobra beside the vehicle so he ran to safety. He got his neighbors to try to help but the snake had already crawled under the hood and would not budge.

Patcharapol Panrak

Nongtakien Public Park near the Sattahip market has become a favorite place for some 40 stray dogs that are causing concern to park users.

Residents have asked government officials to organize vaccinations and sterilization of the dogs, to reduce the fear of rabies during the hot summer months.

Nongtakien residents are complaining that there are too many stray dogs gathered at Suan Krom Luang Chumporn. Some residents have been feeding the dogs their leftovers, good for karma but bad for local residents as the dogs return in growing numbers expecting to be fed.

Meanwhile, many dogs have starved to death and others have been run over by cars.

Muay is a goodhearted lady who feeds her leftover food to the dogs. She said the number of stray dogs in the area had reached as high as 60 dogs, but currently there are only about 40.

She said that as summer moved in, residents were concerned that these dogs may become rabid if officials did not step in to take care of the situation.

Narong Boonbanjerdsri, Sattahip municipal chief, said that some of the dogs gathering around the northern curve at Sattahip market may have owners.

Talks are being made with the naval base to organize vaccination and sterilization for these dogs, he said.

The public has asked the government to not put any of these dogs down, preferring to leave them to nature, while also hoping that their number would not increase.

Stray dogs have taken a liking to Nongtakien Public Park in Sattahip.