New police Commissioner targets child prostitution

Standby Sunee Plaza- you're about to get visits from the boys in brown !!!!


From the Pattaya Mail: 27-10-2006

New police commissioner vows to clean up Pattaya
Ariyawat Nuamsawat

The new commissioner of the Provincial Police in Region 2 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 percent 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 of local community groups, business people and representatives of local organizations on October 12 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. There are over 100 points in problem areas, mainly along the Pattaya and Jomtien beaches, and the greater CCTV coverage would help the policing of these.

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.

Pol Lt Gen Atsawin said that one of the key targets will be the elimination of foreign criminal gangs in Pattaya, and the investigation of officials said to be receiving payoffs from them.

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

The commander said that he anticipates a decrease in the crime rate of at least 20 percent before the high season begins.

zz

[TrongpaiExpat]

"has vowed to clean Pattaya of the foreign mafia"

So, the local (Thai and Thai-Chinese) mafia will not have to compete.

The foreign mafia does not "compete" with the local mafia. If they did, the foreign mafia would be a grease spot on Sukhumvit Highway in about two seconds. In fact, like most places, the Russian mafia preys on Russian businesses, the German on German, etc. The local mafia have their hands full with local "business".

I wouldn't put too much hope in this, BG. It just seems to me that this is another attempt by someone to put words in other's mouths in an article designed to help sell a lot of television equipment. I'm with you on eradicating "underaged employment", but I don't think hundreds of television cameras and sets could possibly help at all, and it certainly wouldn't solve anything. It might actually scare legitamate customers away from legitamate businesses!

It seems to me that closing times are well on their way to being relaxed! I'm happy that forcing early closures is finally being seen as having little effect other than to reduce holiday maker's business.

Why would "legitimate customers" be scared away from "legitimate businesses"? What would they possibly have to fear?

Of course, you're really talking about "johns" and "houses of prostitution" -- neither of which are "legitimate" under Thai law. Are they?

The foreign mafia does not "compete" with the local mafia. If they did, the foreign mafia would be a grease spot on Sukhumvit Highway in about two seconds. In fact, like most places, the Russian mafia preys on Russian businesses, the German on German, etc. The local mafia have their hands full with local "business".

The foreign mafia does not have to compete with local mafia to warrant police attention. What about fugitives from justice and criminal elements from other countries who own or have business interests in the hotel, property, entertainment and "pharmaceutical" industries in Pattaya and elsewhere in the country.
I can think of at least two UK expats, (one in Pattaya and one in Phuket), one of them a so-called pillar of the community, who would not welcome police attention or publicity (particularly if that publicity drew the attention of the police back home to their activities and whereabouts). The "retainers" they pay to their regular police contacts may be no good if investigators are "under orders" to clamp down on their activities.

ac

according to a board member who claims to be an NGO in Pattaya in regular contact with the cops, there is no need for police to visit Sunnee Plaza as there are cameras secreted all over the place monitoring the movements of everyone one who wanders the streets there.

Sadly all his dire warnings of imminent raids came to nowt...the cameras must have malfunctioned. Just like the new ones will.

Senility creeping on Pearl?

I have not worked in Pattaya for more than a year as I am now seconded to Bangkok.

Your panache for exaggeration is unabated I see. As you are fully aware I said that I knew of only TWO cameras (the original ones) located in Sunee Plaza and I am aware of five raids that have been carried out, up to May of this year, resulting from their use, there may have been more resulting from the information gathered but not that I have knowledge of. Your assertion that 'there are camera secreted all over the place' only calls into question your own credibilty.

In these raids a number of kids were arrested and sent to various children's centres, four farangs were arrested one of these was hurriedly permitted to leave Thailand, two more are still in custody awaiting a court appearance and another has been convicted but is waiting for his appeal to be heard. There are of course the cameras in RGP which have for many years been used to record the thankfully now almost extinct underage trade there and in the early days a number of convictions arose from that facility.

It would be a fool who underestimated the determination of Ariyawat Nuamsawat to make inroads into crime in Pattaya, he has been involved in a number of operations in both Bangkok and Chiang Mai and it was down to his tenacity that two long-standing underage businesses in Bangkok were smashed along with a few other crime syndicates.

Hopefully the crackdown will make inroads into eliminating the underage trade much as it has helped reduce the trade here in Bangkok.

xx

Why would "legitimate customers" be scared away from "legitimate businesses"?

WOW? It's that bad there? They are all illegitamate sex businesses? EVERY BUSINESS? I doubt that. even in Pattaya. But if there was a fine restaurant a few doors away from some nefarious bars that were being monitored by cameras, then I would surely be very averse to going to that restaurant for fear of being mistakenly 'exposed'. I think that's rather obvious.

I wish him good luck on the child prostitution areas but the man is confused if he thinks he's going to stop crime by 20%. They will have to run half the locals out of Pattaya. I hope he intends housing and feeding the beggars.

Sounds like new regime-same same old regime.

I wish him good luck on the child prostitution areas but the man is confused if he thinks he's going to stop crime by 20%. They will have to run half the locals out of Pattaya.

...and 50% of the expats.