Where Pattaya Headed !

It will probably come as a surprise to only a very few that the Khunpluem sons won the recent Chonburi PAO and Pattaya Mayoral and Council elections so convincingly, giving the family virtually unopposed administrative control of the complete Eastern Seaboard and Thailand's main industrial zones.

It will be interesting to see what effects this will have, and whether such schemes as the Pattaya tram system and the free government schools for 12 years ever come to be. More interesting may be the plans for the 5 casinos, which the PM apparently gave the go-ahead to last month, in Pattaya, Phuket, Kon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai. Some time ago Kamnam Pho (Khunpluem Sr) offered to donate land for a racecourse in the Huay Yai area, which was never taken up, and the family still have large landholdings in the area; at the same time Ambassador City is ideally located for a casino and co-incidentally (?) could have been purpose-designed as one with an unusually high number of very large inter-connecting ball rooms, banqueting rooms, conference and meeting rooms, etc, and ex-PM Thaksin's son is believed to have bought up a large amount of surrounding land. Interesting ....

Equally interesting is the progress on Ocean 1, which was approved 2 years ago and is due to be completed in 2 more years. So far, despite reports that the specialist equipment had been brought here from Malaysia last year, the site appears to be anything but the hive of activity that could be expected and of the 91 floors planned there are still 91 to go. Interesting ....

[lonelywombat]

Some people are too pessimistic.

The splendid progress being made can be seen on the webcams operating 24 hours a day.

Those towers must be at least 3 floors high


http://www.ocean1tower.com/#home

[bigben]

Great camera sites....

Thanks for the link.

I wonder how long it will be before the RE agents involved make a run for the border? :bom:

I wonder how long it will be before the RE agents involved make a run for the border? :bom:

Friends of Mr. Botting, no doubt. Probably received a "best condo in the universe" award from his magazine before heading for the hills.

[travelerjim]

Some people are too pessimistic.

The splendid progress being made can be seen on the webcams operating 24 hours a day.

Those towers must be at least 3 floors high


http://www.ocean1tower.com/#home

LW..

I believe those TOWERS you refer to, are towers (much like a silo) to be used
in MIXING the CONCRETE - on-site - for the construction...
rather than having to truck in the concrete is huge trucks.

I believe ....that was planned as part of their environmental plans...
to reduce the wear and tear on Pattaya/Jomtien roads and mix all concrete on-site.

TJ

travelerjim, quite true. I drove past 2 days ago after I had been to the Immigration Office, so had no need to use their webcams - the cleanest building site I have ever seen! Funnily enough, fattman, I did not notice the hole or expected signs of deep piling at all. Maybe I blinked!

Quite how these mixing towers are going to reduce the wear and tear on the roads as planned eludes me, since the raw materials will still have to be trucked in in similar amounts to pre-mixed concrete. It does, however, sound good!

[ikarus]

It will probably come as a surprise to only a very few that the Khunpluem sons won the recent Chonburi PAO and Pattaya Mayoral and Council elections so convincingly, giving the family virtually unopposed administrative control of the complete Eastern Seaboard and Thailand's main industrial zones.

It will be interesting to see what effects this will have, and whether such schemes as the Pattaya tram system and the free government schools for 12 years ever come to be. More interesting may be the plans for the 5 casinos, which the PM apparently gave the go-ahead to last month, in Pattaya, Phuket, Kon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai. Some time ago Kamnam Pho (Khunpluem Sr) offered to donate land for a racecourse in the Huay Yai area, which was never taken up, and the family still have large landholdings in the area; at the same time Ambassador City is ideally located for a casino and co-incidentally (?) could have been purpose-designed as one with an unusually high number of very large inter-connecting ball rooms, banqueting rooms, conference and meeting rooms, etc, and ex-PM Thaksin's son is believed to have bought up a large amount of surrounding land. Interesting ....

Equally interesting is the progress on Ocean 1, which was approved 2 years ago and is due to be completed in 2 more years. So far, despite reports that the specialist equipment had been brought here from Malaysia last year, the site appears to be anything but the hive of activity that could be expected and of the 91 floors planned there are still 91 to go. Interesting ....
Once again I caution everybody not to take seriously posts by Gone Fishing. Many "facts" he presented here are simply wrong. To the best of my knowledge Ocean towers are doing just fine.
The results of elections in Pattaya and more generally in Chonbury province are presented as sign of preservation of status quo. Absolutely wrong. Democrats who swept all 8 parlamentary seats in Chonbury just several monthes ago
( and decisively defetead "the family") had a significant setback everywhere in the country in recent local elections.
In particular, they lost several key elections in the South (their stronghold) to local barrons. Why? Your guess is as good as mine.
And my guesss is that the behavior of the fraction in parliament does not impress the people all over the country.
The things like casinos are far beyond control of local Pattaya administration. It will be decided on much higher level
and it will take some time before we see casinos in Thailand..

[Brad the Impala]

It will probably come as a surprise to only a very few that the Khunpluem sons won the recent Chonburi PAO and Pattaya Mayoral and Council elections so convincingly, giving the family virtually unopposed administrative control of the complete Eastern Seaboard and Thailand's main industrial zones.

It will be interesting to see what effects this will have, and whether such schemes as the Pattaya tram system and the free government schools for 12 years ever come to be. More interesting may be the plans for the 5 casinos, which the PM apparently gave the go-ahead to last month, in Pattaya, Phuket, Kon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai. Some time ago Kamnam Pho (Khunpluem Sr) offered to donate land for a racecourse in the Huay Yai area, which was never taken up, and the family still have large landholdings in the area; at the same time Ambassador City is ideally located for a casino and co-incidentally (?) could have been purpose-designed as one with an unusually high number of very large inter-connecting ball rooms, banqueting rooms, conference and meeting rooms, etc, and ex-PM Thaksin's son is believed to have bought up a large amount of surrounding land. Interesting ....

Equally interesting is the progress on Ocean 1, which was approved 2 years ago and is due to be completed in 2 more years. So far, despite reports that the specialist equipment had been brought here from Malaysia last year, the site appears to be anything but the hive of activity that could be expected and of the 91 floors planned there are still 91 to go. Interesting ....
Once again I caution everybody not to take seriously posts by Gone Fishing. Many "facts" he presented here are simply wrong. To the best of my knowledge Ocean towers are doing just fine.



His information was based on physical observation, supported by other posters view of the webcams. Where's your information come from?

It will probably come as a surprise to only a very few that the Khunpluem sons won the recent Chonburi PAO and Pattaya Mayoral and Council elections so convincingly, giving the family virtually unopposed administrative control of the complete Eastern Seaboard and Thailand's main industrial zones.

It will be interesting to see what effects this will have, and whether such schemes as the Pattaya tram system and the free government schools for 12 years ever come to be. More interesting may be the plans for the 5 casinos, which the PM apparently gave the go-ahead to last month, in Pattaya, Phuket, Kon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai. Some time ago Kamnam Pho (Khunpluem Sr) offered to donate land for a racecourse in the Huay Yai area, which was never taken up, and the family still have large landholdings in the area; at the same time Ambassador City is ideally located for a casino and co-incidentally (?) could have been purpose-designed as one with an unusually high number of very large inter-connecting ball rooms, banqueting rooms, conference and meeting rooms, etc, and ex-PM Thaksin's son is believed to have bought up a large amount of surrounding land. Interesting ....

Equally interesting is the progress on Ocean 1, which was approved 2 years ago and is due to be completed in 2 more years. So far, despite reports that the specialist equipment had been brought here from Malaysia last year, the site appears to be anything but the hive of activity that could be expected and of the 91 floors planned there are still 91 to go. Interesting ....
Once again I caution everybody not to take seriously posts by Gone Fishing. Many "facts" he presented here are simply wrong. To the best of my knowledge Ocean towers are doing just fine.


They are doing fine? Really! Does that mean the first level has gone up since I was there an hour ago? GF's post seems pretty accurate to me and like mine, is based on physical observation.

As BTI asks of you: Where's your information come from?


George.

[bigben]

A hive of inactivity. I did see one guy sharpening a pencil.... Your investment might be in that hole.

HAHAHA

Well a small hole is better than no hole at all..... eh?

Once again I caution everybody not to take seriously posts by Gone Fishing. Many "facts" he presented here are simply wrong. To the best of my knowledge Ocean towers are doing just fine.

Any comment would be superfluous!!


The results of elections in Pattaya and more generally in Chonbury province are presented as sign of preservation of status quo. Absolutely wrong.

Actually they were presented as the results of the Chonburi PAO and Pattaya mayoral and council elections, nothing more.


Democrats who swept all 8 parlamentary seats in Chonbury just several monthes ago
( and decisively defetead "the family")

I cannot understand which "family" you are talking about, which was "decisively defetead"; no-one from the Khunpluem family stood for Parliament, as they opted to stand in the administrative elections instead.


The things like casinos are far beyond control of local Pattaya administration.

The location and licencing of any entertainment venue and any possible casino comes directly under the Pattaya council's authority when and if casinos are approved.

Should I laugh - no, I was taught it was rude to mock the afflicted!!

I have no inside information but it does make alot of sense that Casinos could be approved and operating in Pattaya in 2 years. The area where the Ambassador City is would be perfect. There is a lot of vacant land in that area. A fast rail system was (is) planned to connect the new airport and Pattaya area. Also there is a regional airport Utapo close by which could easily handle charters and regular airline traffic directly into Thailand from China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Russia, etc. I also noticed that there is a lot of road construction in that area although not as much building. Isn't there also a marina in that area which could could handle the $1,000,000 yachts? The harbor in Laam Chabon (sp??) is also able to accept cruise ships. Passengers will easily be able to take the rail into Pattaya from there if a fast passenger train line would be built. Pattaya already has a entertainment service base. And when I look and see all those Thai style apartments being built off every small soi in Pattaya, it appears that something must happen to house all the help that would be needed to service the large casinos.

If I was a betting man, I would bet (if given good odds) that it is much more likely to happen than not

[lonelywombat]

Some people are too pessimistic.

The splendid progress being made can be seen on the webcams operating 24 hours a day.

Those towers must be at least 3 floors high





I believe those TOWERS you refer to, are towers (much like a silo) to be used
in MIXING the CONCRETE - on-site - for the construction...
rather than having to truck in the concrete is huge trucks.

I believe ....that was planned as part of their environmental plans...
to reduce the wear and tear on Pattaya/Jomtien roads and mix all concrete on-site.

TJ

Now why did I not think of that, and little me living in an area of large building projects all on time.

[ikarus]

[quote="Gone Fishing":2utn68ql]It will probably come as a surprise to only a very few that the Khunpluem sons won the recent Chonburi PAO and Pattaya Mayoral and Council elections so convincingly, giving the family virtually unopposed administrative control of the complete Eastern Seaboard and Thailand's main industrial zones.

It will be interesting to see what effects this will have, and whether such schemes as the Pattaya tram system and the free government schools for 12 years ever come to be. More interesting may be the plans for the 5 casinos, which the PM apparently gave the go-ahead to last month, in Pattaya, Phuket, Kon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai. Some time ago Kamnam Pho (Khunpluem Sr) offered to donate land for a racecourse in the Huay Yai area, which was never taken up, and the family still have large landholdings in the area; at the same time Ambassador City is ideally located for a casino and co-incidentally (?) could have been purpose-designed as one with an unusually high number of very large inter-connecting ball rooms, banqueting rooms, conference and meeting rooms, etc, and ex-PM Thaksin's son is believed to have bought up a large amount of surrounding land. Interesting ....

Equally interesting is the progress on Ocean 1, which was approved 2 years ago and is due to be completed in 2 more years. So far, despite reports that the specialist equipment had been brought here from Malaysia last year, the site appears to be anything but the hive of activity that could be expected and of the 91 floors planned there are still 91 to go. Interesting ....
Once again I caution everybody not to take seriously posts by Gone Fishing. Many "facts" he presented here are simply wrong. To the best of my knowledge Ocean towers are doing just fine.



His information was based on physical observation, supported by other posters view of the webcams. Where's your information come from?[/quote:2utn68ql]
I am quite disappointed with your posting practice, Brad Impala, recently. I always perceived you as a serious poster and now you are using very cheap tricks. First, during the discussion of pirate DVDs when you tried to invoke other products , I never discussed and now your comment which I can quilify as idiotic.
I am not discussing what is on web camera and what is in the field. I have just said that Ocean Tower project is fine.
The two year delay was not linked to financial viability of the project but rather necessity of getting permits. This is very well known.
I am not going to comment of Gone Fishing posts. The man is dillusional. The very fact that he is simply lying and when confronted with the facts and basically back to the wall never recognize that, make it impossible to have any intelligent discussion with him.
Just one concrete exaple of lie: the members of the family did participate in parliamentary elections and lost. It was cited in my previous posts and I can bring the quote if necessary.
In his recent post he claimed that average expense of visitors to Pattaya per visit was 1000 baht.
What an utterly nonsense! Casinos are currently illegal in Thailand. Pattaya or Chonbury authorities cannot make decisions on that. What Pattaya Male suggests (two years) may be a possibility if Samak still in the office but even that is not clear.
Gone Fishing,
If you are not crazy,
do not you understand what kind of image you project by your totally idiotic posts, by your absolute lack of ability to
logical reasoning? Do not you have anything better to do?
It is utterly abnormal to post with your frequency. Get life or better yet have you ever considered to go...fishing?
Prefereably, in the area with no Wi FI access...

[Brad the Impala]

I am quite disappointed with your posting practice, Brad Impala, recently. I always perceived you as a serious poster and now you are using very cheap tricks. First, during the discussion of pirate DVDs when you tried to invoke other products , I never discussed and now your comment which I can quilify as idiotic.
I am not discussing what is on web camera and what is in the field. I have just said that Ocean Tower project is fine.
The two year delay was not linked to financial viability of the project but rather necessity of getting permits. This is very well known.
I am not going to comment of Gone Fishing posts. The man is dillusional.

A curious post!

Regarding pirated DVDs, you wrote that it was impossible to get pirated copies of Thai DVDS. I responded that that wasn't my experience, you asked where I got them, I told you. Sorry if that qualifies as "idiotic"!

Regarding Ocean Towers, a number of posters observed that no floors have yet been erected. You said that the "project is fine", and I asked you on what you based this assertion. Is it "idiotic" to ask you this? I am sorry, but in circumstances where regular posters are in agreement, from their personal observation, about the lack of progress, you need to provide something a little more than just your assertion that it is "fine", if you wish to counter their observation.

Then in your post you say that you are not going to comment on Gone Fishing's posts, and proceed to write ten further lines....... about precisely that!

I am not sure that you are in good position to accuse others of being "delusional" or "idiotic".

Today Friday 9May at 12:20pm I could not connect to either web cam. First time I have tried.

I am not going to comment of Gone Fishing posts. The man is dillusional. The very fact that he is simply lying and when confronted with the facts and basically back to the wall never recognize that, make it impossible to have any intelligent discussion with him. ... Gone Fishing,If you are not crazy,do not you understand what kind of image you project by your totally idiotic posts, by your absolute lack of ability to logical reasoning?

An interesting post, if somewhat rambling.


Just one concrete exaple of lie: the members of the family did participate in parliamentary elections and lost. It was cited in my previous posts and I can bring the quote if necessary.

As you appear to be happy to comment on my posts, please would you give the reference showing specifically which member of the Khunpluem family stood in the January parliamentary elections in Chonburi. Sonthaya, the eldest son, was still banned from politics as a former TRT executive member, and Witthaya and Itthipol did not stand; Witthaya had stated he would contest the Chonburi PAO, which he won, and Itthipol the Pattaya mayoral elections, which he won. Would you mind giving their name so that it is clear who, exactly, you are talking about?


In his recent post he claimed that average expense of visitors to Pattaya per visit was 1000 baht. What an utterly nonsense!

I thought I had made it very clear in my post on tourist spending in Pattaya that these were not my figures, but those given by the TAT:

According to figures from the TAT, tourists in Pattaya over the last two years have spent, on average, less than 1,000 baht per person during their holiday - are these the high spending, up-market tourists that were being discussed in posts on Pattaya's future?

Chaiwat Charoensuk, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Central Region 3 Office said that 2007 was a good year for Pattaya City and Chonburi Province in terms of tourist arrivals, with the figure standing at 6.62 million. Pattaya City itself received an income of 5.9 billion baht from tourism.
This represents an increase of about 8 percent over the previous year, 2006, when there were 5.5 million tourists and a tourism income of about 5.3 billion baht. (Pattaya Mail)

Lies, damn lies and statistics ....

Just in case there was any remaining room for doubt I subsequently clarified it still further:

It is the amount that the TAT estimate tourists spend in Pattaya every year (around 6,000,000,000 baht); the number of tourists (around 6,000,000) includes all "tourists" including, for example those coming down by the pick-up load for the songkran "festivities".
My main reason for posting this was to show quite how useless statistics are, even (or especially!) when given by a government department

Obviously I did not make it clear enough for you, as in spite of everything I wrote you have somehow understood that these were my figures. I regret that I really do not know how I could have made it much easier to understand - would sign language help, or maybe a few pictures?


To the best of my knowledge Ocean towers are doing just fine.

Doubtless, but on what is your knowledge based? The building permit you refer to was formally issued on 1 October last year; prior to that excavation was permitted on the site; the first deposits were taken two years ago. Had I made one of those deposits I would want considerably more visible progress, after more than seven months, than I (and others) have seen at the site, particularly in view of the contractor's lack of experience in this type of construction (and if you disagree with that, maybe you would tell us of any similar projects they have made) . Maybe you would tell us what, exactly, is "fine" about it and on what your extensive knowledge is based.


It is utterly abnormal to post with your frequency.

429 posts - is that excessive, in 4 years?

"dillusional ... simply lying ... back to the wall ... utter nonsense ... crazy ... totally idiotic ... absolute lack of ability to
logical reasoning" - Strong stuff. Back it up with anything which can be verified.

Also there is a regional airport Utapo close by which could easily handle charters and regular airline traffic directly into Thailand from China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Russia, etc. I also noticed that there is a lot of road construction in that area although not as much building. Isn't there also a marina in that area which could could handle the $1,000,000 yachts?

Pattaya Male,

you are correct. Au Tapao airport actually already handles quite a number of charter flights from Eastern Europe, primarily Russia, and the tour groups are accommodated at Ambassador City. The Marina is Ocean Marina, virtually next door to the Ambassador. The road construction between Soi Chaiyapreuk 2 and Soi Phoenix/Ban Amhur is considerable and, as you have noticed, is not matched by a similar amount of building construction; the only aspect of this that surprises me is that land prices in the area are still low, not only in comparison to Pattaya, but also in comparison to Siam Country Club / Mabprachan reservoir - roadside land is around 1 million baht a rai, and even as low as 400,000 baht in some cases direct from the original owners.

Ikarus,

I'm waiting. The reference you previously gave does not support your claim in any way. If you are unable to find any other, or any other "lie" I have made, then either admit it or crawl back under whatever rock you came from.

An interesting post, if somewhat rambling.Pot, kettle, black?

Ikarus,

I am still waiting for your promised reference and names. In the meantime maybe you would like to peruse the Bangkok Post of 29 April 08, which contained an article titled Khunpluems still top in Chon Buri politics; alternatively you could look at an article in the Pattaya Mail of 3 - 9 August last year, where the Khunpluems stated their intention to stand in local, not parliamentary, politics - hardly authoritative, I know, but a reasonable indicator nevertheless.

I won't be holding my breath (sadly for some) ...