Pattaya facelift prompts switch to one-way traffic

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PUBLISHED : 2 Mar 2024 at 04:00

Chon Buri: Pattaya City began directing vehicles from March 1 to move in one direction on a 3.7-kilometre section of its beachfront street in preparation for a landscaping facelift in the Jomtien Beach area.

The experimental one-way traffic system applies to the section of road starting from the Dong Tan curve and ending at the Chaiyaphruek intersection. It will remain in effect until a 200-million-baht renovation of the 3.2km Jomtien Beach wraps up in 19 months, said Manoch Nongyai, deputy mayor of Pattaya. As part of the project, drainage pipes will be laid along Jomtien Beach, while more spaces will be designated to accommodate 500 more cars at a time, he said.

At present, some 600 cars can fit on the beachfront roadside. This will jump to 1,100 after new spaces are added.

However, if the one-way system ends up causing traffic problems, the city administrative body may consider reverting to the normal two-way flow and seek new measures to mitigate congestion during the renovation work, Mr Manoch said.

The one-way system has been adopted because more than two lanes on the street will be dug up so drainage pipes can be laid, leaving only 60-70% of the street available for traffic.

Signs have been erected to warn motorists of the coming change, he added.

Pattaya has attracted many more Thai and foreign visitors with its beach refilling project, which began in 2011 and finished in 2019 at a cost of 600 million baht.

The city has experienced severe flooding in the past, which prompted it to request funds from the cabinet to finance its flood-prevention projects, said Anupong Putthanawarat, chairman of the city’s administrative and law and order committee.

Following the request, the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning was assigned by the cabinet to study Pattaya’s ideal flood-prevention system, he said.

The department concluded that more than 9 billion baht was needed, far more than the city’s budget. Pattaya has since been implementing small-scale projects to lay new drainage pipes instead.

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Celebrity chef scammed by faux cop

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PUBLISHED : 2 Mar 2024 at 04:00

A man who ate at the Michelin-starred street food restaurant of Supinya “Jay Fai” Junsuta without paying his bill is not a plainclothes inspector as he claimed, but a former civil servant, Pol Col Todsapol Ampaipiphatkul, Samran Rat Station superintendent, said yesterday.

Jay Fai: Won’t press charges

The star-studded chef posted on her Instagram story that she was searching for a man who claimed to be a police officer. He allegedly cut in line, finished his meal and then left without paying his 2,310 baht bill on Thursday afternoon.

Jay Fai later filed a complaint with the Samran Rat Police Station.

The man was nabbed yesterday after police reviewed the CCTV footage. He was questioned before being taken to Jay Fai’s restaurant, where he apologised to the legendary chef-patron.

He said he did not intend to skip out on the bill. He just forgot to pay because he was in a rush to retrieve his car from a maintenance service.

Pol Col Todsapol said the man was a retired local authority officer who claimed to have a problem with his memory.

Jay Fai did not press charges. She said she would ensure her staff are more thorough in future in terms of collecting payment.

However, officers said they would investigate further the report of the man impersonating a police officer.

According to Pol Col Todsapol, eating at the restaurant without paying is considered a form of theft under Section 345 of the Criminal Code, with a maximum detention of three months in jail and a fine of up to 5,000 baht.

Jay Fai is the owner of a street-side restaurant in the Pratu Phi area of Phra Nakhon district. Her establishment has been rewarded a Michelin Star for six years since 2018.

On Thursday, she posted on her Instagram account, @jayfaibangkok, that the man ordered her famous crab omelette and beef phad kaphrao. “He ordered the food and did not pay me,” she wrote.

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Sutin urged to resolve land dispute

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1962 royal decree ‘should be observed’

The Royal Thai Survey Department (RTSD) has proposed that Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang give disputed land to Khao Yai National Park, which it had designated for land reform, a source has said.

The disputed land was selected by the RTSD’s One Map system to be used as part of land reforms for poor farmers. But the national park said the land belonged to it as per a royal decree published in the Royal Gazette in 1962.

Mr Sutin, in his capacity as the One Map committee chairman, earlier called for a meeting with the RTSD to find a resolution to the dispute and review the map system.

The source said that during yesterday’s meeting, the RTSD said the 1962 decree should be observed, and the disputed land should be returned to the national park.

The meeting was held in response to the discovery that almost 3,000 rai of land in tambon Moosi, in Pak Chong district, inside Khao Yai National Park, had been earmarked by the Agricultural Land Reform Office (Alro) as agricultural land for the poor, and that land title deeds for 42 plots were already granted.

To prevent disagreements regarding land ownership nationwide, the One Map system with a ratio scale of 1:4,000 was created by RTSD to be used as a reference. The map, however, concluded that the disputed land was outside the national park and in a so-called buffer zone, which National Park Office director Chaiwat Limlikit-aksorn opposed.

Mr Sutin said that he and the committee would further look at whether the RTSD map was defective, adding that the committee members include the secretary-general of the Anti Money Laundering Office, which should ensure its transparency.

Athapol Charoenshunsa, director-general of the Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), said the disputed land is located within the boundary clearly marked in accordance with the National Park Act 2019.

According to Mr Athapol, the details regarding the boundary in the decree don’t match the map recently developed by the RTSD.

Mr Chaiwat, the National Park Office director, told reporters that there will be a call from an “adult figure” to settle the matter today. “If the disputed lands are given back to the DNP, the problem will be settled,” he said, adding that he would keep fighting if they insist on adhering to the RTSD survey.

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PM aims high for airport

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Premier outlines aviation ambitions

The government aims to have Suvarnabhumi airport rank among the world’s 20 best airports within the next five years, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin says.

This is part of the government’s “Ignite Thailand, Aviation Hub” campaign to make the kingdom a regional aviation hub, Mr Srettha, also the finance minister, said at Government House.

“Suvarnabhumi airport will become one of the world’s top 50 airports in one year and a top 20 airport within five years. I want to thank and offer support to everyone involved in fulfilling the goal of making Thailand an aviation hub,” he said.

Located in Samut Prakan, east of Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi airport ranked 68th in the Skytrax World Airport Awards last year and 77th in 2022.

The government also plans to increase the capacity of the airport to handle 150 million passengers annually. It currently handles about 60 million passengers per year, he said.

Suvarnabhumi’s third runway is also expected to be opened for service in October, enabling the airport to handle about 90 flights per hour, up from about 60 flights, the prime minister said.

“Six months from now, I hope we will not see long queues at Suvarnabhumi,” Mr Srettha said in response to passengers and tourists’ complaints about the long wait at the airport’s immigration control.

The government also plans to develop Don Mueang airport into a point-to-point airport system and to increase its capacity from 30 million to 50 million passengers per year, with the construction of a new terminal for international passengers and expansion of its facilities, the prime minister said.

He said the government also plans to upgrade existing airports in other smaller cities across the country, such as Nan and Si Sa Ket, as well as to build new ones, such as Andaman airport in Phangnga and Lanna airport in the northern province of Lamphun.

Airports of Thailand (AoT) said it is speeding up construction of the new Andaman International Airport, which is set to become a direct long-haul flight hub in the South.

Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said earlier that the new airport, which is in its second stage of development, will serve as an extension of Phuket airport.

The two airports are expected to handle as many as 18 million passengers per year, compared to the annual average of 12.5 million currently handled by Phuket airport, he said.

Once Andaman International Airport opens, it will be a hub for direct long-distance international flights while the original airport in Phuket will accommodate only domestic and short-haul international flights, he said.

AoT president Kerati Kijmanawat said that the AoT is ready to proceed with its East Expansion project, which involves the expansion of Suvarnabhumi’s passenger building. It will invest 9 billion baht in the project, with bidding to start in June, he said.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2027, he said.

He added that bidding for the construction of Suvarnabhumi’s West Expansion project and Satellite Terminal 2 will start next year.

Mr Kerati said earlier that the AoT also aims to increase the flight capacity of Suvarnabhumi’s Satellite Terminal 1 from 50 flights per day to 120 flights per day within two months, then 400 flights per day by the end of the year.

He said the AoT will also invest 36 billion baht in the third phase of Don Mueang airport’s development.

The plan includes the construction of a new international terminal and the renovation of Passenger Building 1.

The expansion will increase the passenger capacity from 30 million to 50 million annually.

The bidding for the project will begin later this year.

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Swiss man ‘sorry’ for injuring doctor

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PHUKET: A 45-year-old Swiss man who allegedly kicked a woman doctor for sitting on beachside steps to his luxury villa in Phuket has apologised for his actions, as has his Thai wife, who berated the woman and allegedly threatened to have her killed.

Urs “David” Fehr, and his wife Khanuengnit showed up at Phuket provincial hall yesterday after officials invited them and their lawyer to explain the alleged assault of the young woman, a doctor at a private hospital.

Attending the meeting were Phuket’s deputy governor, Adul Chuthong, provincial police chief Pol Maj Gen Sinlert Sukhum, and other senior officials.

The couple said they accepted responsibility for what happened at their villa on Yamu beach in Thalang district on Feb 24. Ms Khanuengnit said they sometimes experienced trespassers. She cited one incident in which Chinese tourists allegedly entered the property. At the time, she was swimming, and her husband was not present. She later alerted the villa project owner about it, she said.

As for the incident on Feb 24, she said her husband thought it was the same group of Chinese tourists. Upon seeing them, he took his mobile phone and ran towards them to record a video before allegedly slipping on the steps, she claimed.

Mr Fehr later went to see a doctor who treated his injuries and confirmed they were caused by having fallen, she said.

Mr Fehr apologised, insisting he had not intended to harm the doctor. He claimed he mistook her and her friend for the Chinese tourists who had previously intruded on his villa.

The victim, Thandao Chandam, a doctor at Dibuk Hospital in Phuket, filed a complaint with police against the Swiss man for assault.

Dr Thandao, 26, said she and a friend had been walking along Yamu beach at about 7.30pm after dinner.

They later sat on the steps, which they assumed were public property, to view the full moon.

She said the sudden assault caught her and her friend off guard. The Swiss man apparently scolded them while filming. Dr Thandao said the man’s wife then appeared and told her that she could shoot them dead without ever being found guilty because her son was a powerful police officer.

On Thursday, authorities ordered the couple to demolish the steps because they were built in a public area.

Provincial livestock officials inspected the Green Elephant Sanctuary Park yesterday in Thalang district, which is owned by the couple.

The site has 14 elephants. The officials wanted to find out if each one has a microchip implanted showing its licence and bill of health. Meanwhile, Choeng Thaley municipality found the site has a licence to operate the elephant camp.

There are some 42 elephant camps with a total of 331 elephants in Phuket, including 16 such camps in Thalang district alone.

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Celebrity chef scammed by fake cop

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Real police catch dine-and-dash culprit who left without paying B2,310 bill at Jay Fai

PUBLISHED : 1 Mar 2024 at 20:25

Celebrity chef scammed by fake cop
Supinya “Jay Fai” Junsuta prepares a meal at her restaurant off Maha Chai Road in the Samran Rat area of Bangkok. (Photo: Jetjaras Na Ranong)

A man who ate at the Michelin-starred street food restaurant of Supinya “Jay Fai” Junsuta without paying his bill was not a plainclothes police inspector as he claimed, police said on Friday.

The star-studded chef posted on her Instagram account, @jayfaibangkok, that she was searching for a man who claimed to be a police officer on urgent business. He cut into a queue, finished his meal and then left without paying his 2,310-baht bill on Thursday afternoon, she said.

For the record, the man ordered her famous crab omelette to take away and beef phad kaphrao for dining in.

Jay Fai, 78, later filed a complaint with the Samran Rat Police Station.

The man was nabbed on Friday after police reviewed security video from the area. He was questioned before being taken to the restaurant, where he apologised to the legendary chef-owner.

He said he did not intend to skip out on the bill. He just forgot to pay because he was in a rush to pick up his car from a garage where it was being serviced.

The man was not an inspector but a retired local authority officer who claimed to have a problem with his memory, said Pol Col Todsapol Ampaipiphatkul, the Samran Rat station superintendent.

Jay Fai did not press charges. She said she would ensure her staff are more thorough in future in terms of collecting payment.

However, officers said they would investigate further the report of the man impersonating a police officer.

According to Pol Col Todsapol, eating at a restaurant without paying is theft under Section 345 of the Criminal Code, with a fine of up to 5,000 baht and/or a maximum of three months in jail.

Jay Fai is the owner of a street-side restaurant in the Pratu Phi area of Phra Nakhon district. Her food has been popular with those in the know for decades, but she shot to global fame when her humble eatery was awarded a star in the Bangkok 2018 Michelin Guide.

Since then, it has been a must-visit on the itineraries of celebrities from Russell Crowe to Ed Sheeran and Lalisa “Lisa Blackpink” Manoban.

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Secondary 4 students to sit for English, mother tongue exams in September from 2027

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DOUBLE-SITTING NO LONGER NEEDED AS “SAFETY NET”: MOE

The mid-year sitting for mother tongue was introduced in 1980 when there were concerns that students might not clear the exam requirements for post-secondary education, the Education Ministry said. 

At the time, less than 40 per cent of students passed both their first and second languages, said Mr Chan on Friday. 

Now, about 97 per cent of O-Level candidates clear the mother tongue requirements. “The landscape is now so different that we don’t need to offer this as a safety net for our students. Almost all of them would have no trouble meeting the MTL (mother tongue language) requirement,” MOE said. 

Over the years, a falling proportion of students are choosing to take the exam at the second sitting. In recent years, about one-third of the cohort took the second sitting, and less than 2 per cent of these students got a different posting outcome as a result. 

With the mother tongue exams moved later in the year, schools will not have to rush to finish the syllabus before mid-year, said MOE. 

As English and mother tongue language are not content-based subjects, students do not need a period for intensive revision just before the exams. Moving the papers earlier spaces out the overall examination load for students, the ministry added. 

“I understand that some may be concerned that they will have one less chance to improve their MTL (mother tongue language) grades,” said Mr Chan. 

“But we need to strike a careful balance between striving for excellence, chasing the last mark and allowing our students to learn at a better pace.”

ADJUSTING POLYTECHNIC ADMISSION CRITERIA

With subject-based banding, changes will also be made to the polytechnic year 1 admission criteria.

Students currently have to offer at least five O-Level, or G3, subjects, and achieve an aggregate score of 26 points or better. This score is based on English, two relevant subjects and two best subjects.

From 2028, one of their best subjects can be fulfilled at the G2 or G3 level, while the remaining subjects must be taken at the G3 level.

With these changes, the net aggregate cut-off score will also be adjusted from 26 points to 22 points.

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7,000 courses eligible to be used with S,000 SkillsFuture top-up

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MONTHLY TRAINING ALLOWANCES

Those who enrol in selected full-time courses will also receive monthly training allowances equivalent to 50 per cent of their average income over the most recent available 12-month period, capped at S$3,000 a month. 

This means that if a person has not received any income in the past year, they will not qualify for the training allowance. 

Addressing members of parliament who asked whether caregivers, or those who have been unemployed for a long time will qualify for the training allowance, Mr Chan also confirmed that they will not be eligible. 

This is because the allowance is meant to support workers who experience income loss when they commit to full-time training, he added, noting that these individuals can still make use of the S$4,000 in credits. 

From early 2025, Singaporeans can receive up to 24 months of training allowance throughout their lifetime, which can cover the full duration of a SkillsFuture career transition programme and more than half the duration of most qualifications issued by institutes of higher learning.

The training allowance is designed to cushion income loss when taking courses, said MOE, noting that workers may need to spend a significant time away from work to attend a serious, longer-term course. 

The allowance will be available to those taking courses under the full-time SkillsFuture career transition programme. 

Those taking full-time, full qualification programmes up to the undergraduate degree level offered by institutes of higher learning, and full-time MOE-subsidised full qualification programmes offered by University of the Arts Singapore and arts institutions can also benefit. 

Course fees are not the only constraint when it comes to upskilling, Mr Chan said, noting that workers may have other financial commitments and concerns. 

“It could be difficult to take time off work to upskill, and to lose income during the training period.”

The overall parameters of the training allowance scheme reflect MOE’s considered approach, said Mr Chan.

The supported courses are chosen to facilitate placement and entry into good jobs, while the duration of support will cover more than one bout of full-time upgrading via a SkillsFuture career transition programme or at least half the time needed for a full qualification, he added. 

The amount of support also provides enough coverage for the median mid-career worker, while preserving the incentive to return to work, said the Education Minister. 

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Mid-career workers will have access to 7,000 courses under S,000 SkillsFuture top-up scheme

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MONTHLY TRAINING ALLOWANCES

Those who enrol in selected full-time courses will also receive monthly training allowances equivalent to 50 per cent of their average income over the most recent available 12-month period, capped at S$3,000 a month. 

This means that if a person has not received any income in the past year, they will not qualify for the training allowance. 

Addressing members of parliament who asked whether caregivers, or those who have been unemployed for a long time will qualify for the training allowance, Mr Chan also confirmed that they will not be eligible. 

This is because the allowance is meant to support workers who experience income loss when they commit to full-time training, he added, noting that these individuals can still make use of the S$4,000 in credits. 

From early 2025, Singaporeans can receive up to 24 months of training allowance throughout their lifetime, which can cover the full duration of a SkillsFuture career transition programme and more than half the duration of most qualifications issued by institutes of higher learning.

The training allowance is designed to cushion income loss when taking courses, said MOE, noting that workers may need to spend a significant time away from work to attend a serious, longer-term course. 

The allowance will be available to those taking courses under the full-time SkillsFuture career transition programme. 

Those taking full-time, full qualification programmes up to the undergraduate degree level offered by institutes of higher learning, and full-time MOE-subsidised full qualification programmes offered by University of the Arts Singapore and arts institutions can also benefit. 

Course fees are not the only constraint when it comes to upskilling, Mr Chan said, noting that workers may have other financial commitments and concerns. 

“It could be difficult to take time off work to upskill, and to lose income during the training period.”

The overall parameters of the training allowance scheme reflect MOE’s considered approach, said Mr Chan.

The supported courses are chosen to facilitate placement and entry into good jobs, while the duration of support will cover more than one bout of full-time upgrading via a SkillsFuture career transition programme or at least half the time needed for a full qualification, he added. 

The amount of support also provides enough coverage for the median mid-career worker, while preserving the incentive to return to work, said the Education Minister. 

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