19 November 2014
Cha-Am Beach Should Be Better Organised, Says Mayor A meeting to consider the monitoring of public areas on Cha-Am beaches was recently held at the Cha-Am Municipality. Chaired by the Deputy Governor of Phetchaburi Dr. Krai Bunbandan, the meeting had many participants, most of whom were public officers. Those in attendance included Pol. Maj. Gen. Wichanwat Borirakkul, Col. Suradet Prakhenri, Col. Sihadet Disonthichot, the chief officer of Phetchaburi Provincial Office Mr. Jatuphol Piyamputra, the ChaAm District Chief Mr. Parinya Phothisat and the Mayor of Cha-Am Mr. Nukul Pornsomboonsiri. The Phetchaburi Provincial Office has received complaints from tourists about problems of using public areas on Cha-Am beaches caused by some venders and owners of folding beds on the beaches. The Governor would like to set up a committee to monitor the areas closely. The committee, chaired by the Deputy
Governor of Phetchaburi with the ChaAm District Chief as the secretary, will be responsible for making all public areas on the beaches well-organised and give the Governor a progress report on a regular basis. At the meeting, the chairperson explained to the participants about law and regulations that could be applied and enforced if necessary, particularly the Article 122 from the Act of Local Administration (Vol. 11) of 2008 which enables the District Chief to work with members of local administrative
offices to protect public areas of the country and allow people to use the areas without conflict. In addition, the regulations of the Interior Ministry of Thailand regarding taking care of and protecting public areas of Thailand issued in 2010 also enables the District Chief and local administrative offices to monitor and protect the public areas. The Cha-Am District Chief, as the committee secretary, informed the meeting participants about some measures that the Cha-Am District Office should put in place together with the Cha-Am Municipality. They are: Street venders on footpaths in the area of the Cha-Am beaches should provide space for people to walk conveniently. They need to dress properly and provide customers with an exact price list. 31 shop owners whose buildings are built on public areas should be informed that their buildings will be pulled down and the officers concerned will also monitor other public areas allegedly trespassed.
Bryde’s whales spotted off Phetchburi coast A pod of more than 10 Bryde’s whales have been spotted off the Phetchburi coast in the Gulf of Thailand, forcing local fishing boats to stop fishing and turn into tour boats to ferry tourists to have close encounter of the sea mammals.
Concerned officers were asked to probe a legal case in which an owner of a restaurant and an owner of a hotel were involved. Shops and restaurants near Wat Neranchararam Buddhist Monastery should discuss public area management with the Buddhist monks. Finally, the Deputy Governor of Phetchaburi talked about establishment of one more Centre managed by the ChaAm Municipality on the beach besides the existing one at the municipal office. The Centre will help visitors and tourists who would like to complain about any problems on Cha-Am beaches. The Cha-Am Municipality, the Cha-Am local police office, the Phetchaburi office of Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Phetchaburi Tourism Business Association will discuss recruiting staff to work at the new centre.
New Artificial Reefs for Cha-Am in Muang District and Cha-Am Beach are the major places where artificial reefs are likely to be placed.
He said normally Bryde’s whales will enter the Gulf of Thailand and come near Phetchburi coast during September to March. But this year more whales have come, he said and urged tourists to visit Phetchburi before they returned to deep sea.
Aiming to improve and develop coastal areas for fishing, artificial reefs can aid rehabilitation of the ecosystem of coastal areas. Doing so will help balance the underwater food chain as well as
The rare Bryde’s whales were seen enjoying themselves hunting for food near the coast in the Ban Laem district of Phetburi province. The appearance of the Bryde’s whales prompted the Hat Chao Samran municipality mayor Boonyod Maklai to advise local fishermen to halt fishing and turn their boats to ferry tourists to see the whales as now most fishermen were suffering loss when few fish were caught, and that they could hardly make ends meet.
Other public areas apart from the beaches have been affected.
The Mayor of Cha-Am Mr. Nukul Pornsomboonsiri has chaired a meeting to discuss placing new artificial reefs along the Petchaburi coast The meeting attended by fishery departmental staff from Phetchaburi, Cha-Am’s district office, staff of Cha-Am Municipality and representatives of local fishermen in ChaAm.
A Bryde’s whale is approximately 13.7 metres to 14.5 metres long and weighs about 17 tonnes. In 2012, it was estimated that only 20 remained in the Gulf of Thailand.
Placing artificial reefs in Cha-Am is a major project to promote and provide underwater sanctuary and hiding places in the marine habitat. It will be carried out with a budget approved under the Phetchaburi Provincial Plan. This meeting enabled the stakeholders to discuss where to place the artificial reefs. Laem Phak Bia in Ban Laem District, Chao Samran Beach
encouraging local administrative offices to work closely and actively with local fishermen in managing and conserving coastal resources. The artificial reefs will also help to prevent illegal fishing within 3,000 metres of the shore.
HUA HIN TODAY, November 2014
20 News National Day of Plants and Trees
The Royal Forest Department everyone to join activities for the National Day of Plants and Trees in honour of the Queen Mother and introduced staff safeguarding trees. The Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Mr. Sunan Arunnopparat chaired an opening ceremony of the National Day of Plants and Trees 2014. The event, taking place in a forest of Ban Huay Hin Phlerng Community of Tha Yang District, Phetchaburi, was also attended by the Director General of the Royal Forest Department Dr. Theeraphat Prayunsit, the Phetchaburi Governor Mr. Monthien Thongnit, chief officers of the Royal Forest Department and local people. The participants planted more trees in the 20-
The Royal Forest Department introduced to the participants to tree doctors who are responsible for taking care of major trees in the forest. Scholarships were awarded to students with excellent learning achievement and some funds for management of community forest were given to representatives of local people in the Tha Yang District. On the National Day of Plants and Trees in Thailand, the Royal Forest Department would like Thai people to plants more trees and take care of them as trees promote good living condition for people worldwide.
HSBC poll ranks kingdom 7th best globally
Opportunities for sport are one of the factors that made Thailand the third most-popular choice of destination for expats surveyed by British bank HSBC. Affordable quality of life was the kingdom’s biggest attraction, 140 Thailand-based expats said. “Thailand emerges from the 2014 Expat Explorer survey as the best destination for expats looking for an improved lifestyle at a low cost,” the British bank said. “Over twothirds of expats say they associate Thailand with a higher quality of life (69%) and 72% say they have greater levels of disposable income than they did before moving to the country (much higher than the global average of 53%).” The poll - said to be the world’s largest of its type - questioned 9,300 people working in various sectors and mostly aged between 35 and 54. They were asked about their financial situation - such as salary, savings and the local economy - as well as their quality of life and family issues such as education opportunities for children. Singapore - the top expat choice in Asia and second overall globally - “performs solidly in all areas accounting for quality of life” while offering good economic opportunities, the survey said. Meanwhile, China - second in Asia and third overall - was a top country for high-earners, with one in four of respondents there earning more than $300,000 a year, and having more disposable income to spend on their social lives. The lowest-ranked of the 34 countries was HUA HIN TODAY, November 2014
Nakon Pathhom - Cha-Am Motorway Included
Rai forest area which is a rehabilitation project of the forest ecosystem.
Thailand Third-Favourite Asian Destination for Expats Thailand is the third-favourite destination in Asia among the world’s expats and the seventh-best globally, a poll on quality of life for bank HSBC has found.
Mega transport Projects Get Cabinet Approval
Egypt, followed by the United Kingdom and Brazil. Thailand did not make the top 10 favourite countries among high-income earners. But more frugal expats - most of them older - named the kingdom as the best place for affordable, quality living. “Expats in Thailand and Vietnam (sixth in Asia and 16th overall) point out how cost-effective it is to live in these destinations, with many saying that the countries offer much better value than home,” the bank said. The poll queried 140 expats in Thailand, 38% of whom hailed from the United Kingdom, 14% from the United States and 9% from Canada. A quarter of the respondents worked in education while another quarter were employed in marketing, media, hospitality, travel, and tourism. The sample skewed older, with 30% of those answering being 55 or over and 44% ranging from 35 to 54. Two-thirds of the 140 expats surveyed were male. The expats said they appreciated paying less on utilities, accommodations, public transport, and groceries while 78% said the quality of their accommodation improved or stayed the same since moving. Parents ranked Thailand No 1 in the world for cost of childcare and children’s confidence. The respondents sounded like they were a bit lonely, however: Thailand ranked near the bottom of the 34 countries surveyed when it came to learning the local language, making friends and feeling welcome at work. Thailand also ranked 32nd on expats’ feelings about the environment. Expats in Thailand also bemoaned the quality education and healthcare, with education ranking 30th globally and healthcare 13th.
The cabinet has approved the launch of several mass transit projects that it hopes will convince people to turn to public transport services from driving their own cars in their daily travels to work. The projects involve contracts to build six electric train routes, procure city buses and build new motorways. The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning deputy director-general Chaiwat Thongkamkoon said bidding for six electric train projects which includes the Green Line (Mor Chit-Saphan Mai-Khu Khot), the Orange Line (Cultural CentreMin Buri), and the Pink Line (Khaerai-Min Buri), will be called next year. On public transport, he said the first lot of 489 of 3,183 natural gas-fuelled buses will be bought between January to March next
year. With the new buses entering service, he expected more people will give up their private cars in favour of public transport. Also approved in principle by the cabinet is the widening of roads nationwide to four lanes and building four new motorways: Pattaya-Mabtaphut (89 kms), Bang Pain-Nakhon Ratchasima (196 kms), Bang Yai-Kanchanaburi (96 kms), and Nakhon Pathom-Cha-am (118 kms). The cabinet also endorsed the 1.435-metre standard gauge for rail tracks on three routes: Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Ratchasima-Nong Khai, and Bangkok-Rayong. Under the new track standard, train will travel faster will at a top speed of 160 kilometres an hour.
Cha-Am’s (temporary) Floating Market A Thai colleague asked me whether I knew about the new Cha-Am Floating Market. Later that evening I headed off to the ChaAm Wednesday Night Market and realised that I had been the butt of a bad joke. After two days of virtually non-stop rain, the usually dry market had become just that; a floating market. Two thirds of the area adjacent to the Cha-Am Railway Station was underwater and the usually very busy scene suffering. Most vendors were unable to operate and there was even a jet ski on standby. Mid October was a very wet period for the region. Lots of roadside watery hazards and roofing maintenance required. Historically October is the wettest month of the year, so no one should really be surprised.
We are all looking forward to dryer days ahead and the Wednesday Night Market returning to its place on the Cha-Am shopping scene. To my colleague with the bad joke, thanks, we don’t really need a floating market in Cha-Am. I’ll try the dryland version again next week.