LAW & ORDER

The Pattaya Police, under the direct supervision of Police Superintendent Colonel Sarayuth Sanguanpokai, are moving forward with collecting victims accounts and additional charges in a criminal fraud case in Pattaya receiving international media attention. Many people in Pattaya lost tens of millions of baht.

Chonburi Governor Senee Chittakasem has recently issued new security measures to assure tourists of their safety during the upcoming high tourist season. This is in order to gain tourists’ confidence, with the measures focused on cracking down all crime related issues and a special focus on drug users and dealers.

(TNA) - Concerned Thai officials will continue monitoring whether foreigners have violated law on buying or renting farmland to engage in agriculture in the kingdom although initial investigation found that such a practice does not exist, Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot said.

BANGKOK, September 15 (TNA, Agencies) - A Los Angeles filmmaking couple has been convicted of paying 1.8 million dollars in bribes to a former governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in exchange for winning the contracts to run the Bangkok International Film Festival, according to media reports.

An old law will be enforced beginning next month in Bangkok. Bangkok residents are warned that they will be fined for littering in public. This order has just, recently, been issued by current Bangkok Governor Sukhumphan Boribhad as part of a campaign aimed at convincing people to do their part as well as to instill a good sense of environmental awareness.

There is a very popular cocktail called "Sex on the Beach" ordered usually when someone wants to get in the party mood quickly. Some Pattaya tourists who use English as a second language may not understand that Sex on the Beach is a drink, not an idea for a night of fun. Pattaya Police recently arrested and fined an Iranian couple vacationing in Pattaya for having sex on the beach in Jomtien and creating quite a spectacle.

In a move to facilitate more trade, spark the sluggish economy hopefully drastically improve the importation of goods into Thailand through the port at Lam Chabang and elsewhere in Thailand, Deputy Finance Minister Pradit Pataraprasit announced on August 19 he would seek Cabinet approval to submit a new draft customs law as part of his plan to radically reform the Thai Customs Department to increase port traffic. There have been many complaints of overcharging, delayed shipments and storage fees.

The Chonburi Excise Department from Region 2 recently held a conference to realize and study the current excise problems before planning to draw up an Excise Information Strategy. It was chaired by Miss Suchitra Laohawattanapinyo at the Tide Resort, Bangsaen beach.

An Australian man who confessed to attempting to import three kilograms of high-grade heroin into Australia worth over 14 million baht has been handed a life sentence in Bangkok. Police arrested Andrew Hood, 36, a former store man, as he was attempting to board a plane at the new Bangkok airport to Sydney with seven packages taped to his body.

Recently, Annice Smoel has been released from detention in Thailand and is free to travel home, according to reports in Phuket.