Does anyone actually like Pattaya?

[S Landreth]

and it seems like it'll continue for some time

[S Landreth]

Homeless situation in Pattaya getting worse, authorities urged to take further action

As strict Covid-19 related measures, closures, and mandates continue to leave most businesses in the city shuttered, the homeless situation has been getting steadily worse.

Additionally, currently, nearly all domestic travel options that are inexpensive, such as bus travel, have been shut down, leaving limited options for many people to travel on a severe budget. Indeed, some of the homeless in Pattaya don’t want to leave as the city has many charity food lines and organizations helping those in need and many abandoned and closed buildings for people to take shelter in. Pattaya relies on tourism, entertainment, and hospitality for about 80% of its GDP-all sectors basically either mandated shut by the government to prevent the spread of Covid-19 or essentially shut, like hotels, due to no customers.

Even businesses that are legally allowed to operate are struggling as many residents, both ex-pat and Thai, have left Pattaya behind with limited job opportunities and what seems like a neverending partial lockdown that has now closed even popular ex-pat activities like beaches, pools, golf courses, parks, and tennis courts. This, in turn, leads to fewer customers and less spending in the local economy. Businesses that can open, like restaurants, as takeaway or delivery only have also seen many choose to close for now until the situation improves, with owners claiming the strict rules make being open unprofitable.: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/08/0...n-in-the-city/

[Boots]

I saw a Youtube video a couple weeks ago of an expat that lives there (forgot the name) and there were dozens and dozens of people near the beach in a food line.

Will Patters every be the same? Return like it was?

[S Landreth]

no link,......didn't happen

[lamphun]

I saw a Youtube video a couple weeks ago of an expat that lives there (forgot the name) and there were dozens and dozens of people near the beach in a food line.

It's the same all over the country as the economy is on the rocks and many people are desperate.

[S Landreth]

Chonburi Governor orders more Covid-19 related temporary targeted closures: Several companies, a construction site, worker camps, and dormitories

The Chonburi Governor, Phakkhrathon Thianchai, has announced last night (August 11th) the temporary closure of several companies, a construction site, worker camps, and dormitories in Ban Bueng, Si Racha, and the Chonburi area.

The order was posted by the Chonburi Public Relations office last night. The orders conclude, “Many Covid -19 confirmed cases were being found at companies, worker camps, a construction site and dormitories in the Ban Bueng, Si Racha and Mueang Chonburi area.”

“In order to control the spread of the virus, the Chonburi communicable disease committee has ordered the following temporary closure of the places below.”

“1. Jet Industries (Thailand) Co., Ltd. in Pan Thong from August 11th to August 24th.”

“2.Siam Conan Co., Ltd. in Ban Bueng from August 12th to August 14th.”

“3.Wattanachai Rubber Mate Co., Ltd. and dormitories in Nong Maidang, Mueang Chonburi from August 11th to Spetember 7th.”

“4. A worker camp and construction site of Thai oil of ITL Co.,Ltd. in Thung Sukhala, Si Racha from August 11th to September 8th.”

“5. OTR Wheel Engineering (Thailand) Co., Ltd in Nong Bondang, Ban Bueng from August 13th to September 7th.”

“Any necessary reasons to enter or exit must have permission from a Chonburi Public Health Official. Owners and operators must strictly follow the orders.”

The order takes effect immediately.: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/08/1...d-dormitories/

[S Landreth]

A ten-year-old girl and her family help the needy in Pattaya, CCSA to meet Monday about current Covid-19 measures.: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/08/1...d-19-measures/

[S Landreth]

news doesn't look good coming from Pattaya

[S Landreth]

Pattaya Mayor addresses the status of the Pattaya Beach remodel project

The Pattaya City Mayor has addressed the status regarding the Pattaya beach remodel project after a group of prominent local Thai residents and community leaders protested earlier this week.

Yesterday, Tuesday (August 17th), Pattaya City Mayor Sonthaya Khunploem told the associated local Pattaya press, “The Pattaya beach remodel project is a long-planned continuation of a multi-phase project that started from previously expanding the size and width of the beach sand which was already done several years ago. It is also meant to complement recent water drainage projects and is the next phase of this overall plan. It is not a brand-new project or a replacement for the drainage or sand expansion plans.”

“The project is being supported by the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and private investment which has continued to improve local beaches including Jomtien Beach. This plan was mapped, discussed, and put together long before Covid-19, and the budget set aside for this program was put together by EEC investors and participants specifically for this purpose well before Covid-19 hit. The money being utilized for this plan could not be redirected to Covid-19 efforts even if we wanted to due to the fact that the project is an EEC initiative and was funded and raised well before the virus with EEC investors specifically raising funds for this purpose.” The Mayor stated.

“As for the Pattaya Beach area, we have studied every tree on the beach. We have built a design which limits the number of trees that have to be constantly groomed, trimmed, cut, or removed.” The Mayor continued.

“The trees that have been removed already from Pattaya Beach are easily grown and grow very quickly. Some beach operators and vendors specifically grew the trees over the years to help shadow against the hot sun.” The Mayor explained

“However, these larger trees have a tendency to have branches break, especially during heavy storms and we have had several incidents of people injured. The larger trees also tend to attract insects, birds, rodents, and other types of wildlife that both vendors and tourists dislike. Regardless, We are keeping at least 75 percent of the current trees on the beach.” The Mayor added.

“At the same while we are working on the beach remodel project, we are continuing to help people in Pattaya during the Covid-19 crisis as best as we can. The Covid-19 budgets are in separate funds and we are actively doing all we can, including our previous private purchase of vaccines, to help provide assistance and recovery for the virus.”

The Mayor plans to hold a limited “town hall” in the near future, under strict Covid-19 capacity limits and rules, with prominent residents that have been protesting the plan to further explain the city perspective on the project and invite those opposed to share their opinions and alternate ideas. The main portion of the plan the opponents are opposed to, TPN media notes, is the destruction of existing trees, as well as the timing of the plan in terms of the current Covid-19 crisis.

Opponents of the plan told TPN media earlier in the week that some aspects, such as public bathrooms, better parking, handicap access, playground, and exercise areas, were well needed for Pattaya Beach but were still concerned about the optics and timeframe of the project during the sustained Covid-19 crisis with so many people out of work and in desperate situations.: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/08/1...model-project/

[S Landreth]

I should have posted a picture with the last post above.......

[S Landreth]

^Looks like a mess

[S Landreth]

Pattaya mayor confirms international consortium is funding city’s rejig

Faced with criticism that the funds to enhance Pattaya promenade could be better spent on feeding the city’s hungry, local mayor Sonthaya Kunplome explained that the money was not Pattaya’s to move around at will. “It’s a multi-million baht EEC (Eastern Economic Corridor) initiative, so the cash is reserved for a particular project. Cancelling the beach improvements would not result in one more meal for the hungry,” he said.

In a rare public admission by a politician that many local projects are funded neither by the local authority nor by the Thai government alone, the mayor underpinned the mechanism which has been, and will be, responsible for all the city’s major infrastructure improvements. The 1.7 trillion baht EEC is an ambitious international consortium to transform the three-province, eastern region of Thailand into a hi-tech and logistics hub and gateway, linking China and India and the 9-nation Asean trading bloc.

Although the Thai government and state owned industries are certainly involved, most of the EEC money comes from private-public partnerships of which China and Japan are the biggest investors. Foreign companies are encouraged to join by generous tax incentives and visa benefits. For example, the four-year hi-tech Smart visa requires neither a work permit nor the 90 days immigration sign-on.

The 13,000 square kilometer EEC zone has already had an enormous impact. It is home to the world’s eleventh largest auto exporting industry, a leading global supplier of hard disc drives and home appliances and the center of a major petrochemical industry. EEC Secretary General Kanit Sangsubhan said, “Eventually we hope to see the EEC as a pivotal import-export center linking Europe with the whole of Asia.”

And what of Pattaya? There is, of course, no intention to turn Pattaya into a hi-tech factory and it will remain a vital tourist city, howbeit one far removed from its Sin City and horizontal leisure pursuits reputation. That is why the EEC is spending mega-cash to upgrade the infrastructure of the resort to international standards. Pattaya City Hall, for its part, is fully committed medium-term to the development of neo-Pattaya. Anyone in any doubt should view the billboard at the entrance to the shuttered Walking Street.

EEC projects already completed include the new Route 7 motorway linking Chonburi with Bangkok and the massive improvements at Laem Chabang and Maptaphut ports. The hi-speed rail link between U-tapao and Bangkok airports is already under construction and plans to build a cruise harbor at Bali Hai and demolish Walking Street are currently under deliberation. Whatever neo-Pattaya turns out to look like, it’s going to be created with billions of foreign cash. In any currency.: https://www.pattayamail.com/news/pat...s-rejig-368411

[S Landreth]

Pattaya tackles hurdles to reopening

Pattaya needs to overcome obstacles, including slow approval of standard operating procedures (SOPs), insufficient vaccinations and a spike in infections, as they could jeopardise its reopening plan this year.

Apichai Chatchalermkit, deputy governor of digitalisation research and development at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said the private sector already submitted SOPs to Chon Buri Provincial Public Health Office and is waiting for approval.

The authority is dealing with a surge in new daily infections.

Chon Buri, deemed a dark red zone, saw daily infections exceed 1,000, while Bang Lamung and Sattahip districts, which were set as pilot areas to reopen, reported 221 and 34 cases, respectively, on Aug 20.

He said the province's vaccination rate is far from the herd immunity level of 70%, currently sitting at 33% of its population.

"Pattaya's reopening plan cannot start without those conditions," Mr Apichai said.

The Pattaya Move On scheme requires tourists to stay in alternative local quarantine, which has 19 facilities in two districts, during the first six days before travelling under the sealed route programme from the seventh day.

He said the length of stay in Pattaya was 5-7 days prior to the outbreak, which is shorter than in Phuket.

Tourists might not have to purchase tour packages in advance, but they have to use services from tourism operators who have received the Safety and Health Administration (SHA) Plus certificate. More than 10 operators are waiting for TAT approval of certificates.

If operators fail to prevent tourists from sneaking to other places, their SHA Plus certificates will be revoked.

Prior to the pandemic, Pattaya ranked third in the country with 9.4 million international travellers, of which 2.72 million came from China, followed by Russia at 1.14 million.

Mr Apichai said after the endorsement of the Sputnik V vaccination for the sandbox scheme, Russia is a potential market to spur demand, particularly from chartered flights as Chinese tourists are still not allowed to make overseas trips.

U-tapao airport in Rayong province, which is located outside the two districts of Bang Lamung and Sattahip in the reopened area, is ready to offer flights to Pattaya under the sealed route scheme.

India, South Korea, Taiwan and Germany are other source markets for Pattaya, though the TAT has to monitor the travel restrictions of each country, he said.: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business...s-to-reopening

[S Landreth]

Pattaya residents make the best out of flooded streets during recent rains, more rain coming

Pattaya residents, both ex-pats and Thai nationals were seen making the best out of persistent rains and flooding yesterday morning, August 27th, 2021.

Several people were seen floating down streets in the floodwaters on various rafts and boats while some local workers also came out to catch fish and shells which were washed from nearby ponds onto local roads.

First, a recap of yesterday’s rains in Pattaya. Lighter rain has been falling off and on across the area so far this morning, August 28th.

However, some residents were seen making the best out of a tough situation by floating down flooded roads on rafts or boats. With beaches and pools currently “banned” in Pattaya due to concerns about Covid-19, some residents decided to take to the flooded streets for a bit of fun.

Strong currents had also washed up some fish from ponds nearby onto flooded roads where some enterprising Thais were seen catching fish, nets, and all, directly in the road.

Due to the Covid-19 crisis, this fish helps workers save money that they don’t have with many unemployed due to restrictions and measures in place to control the spread of the virus, according to some of the men Pattaya News reporters spoke to literally fishing in the city roads.

Workers told The Pattaya News that although they understood the flooding was difficult for many people they saw it as a boon and ensured that they were able to eat well for the next several days. They stated they would properly cook everything they caught and ensure it was clean.

More rain is due throughout this weekend. There is an 80% chance of rain today in Chonburi according to the Thai Meteorology Department (TMD), driven by possible heavy thunderstorms in some areas. This is due to a monsoon trough lying across much of Thailand currently and a low-pressure cell in the lower South China Sea. Additionally, a southwest monsoon is currently over the Andaman Sea contributing to the overall rains. We warned about heavy rains earlier this week here: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/08/2...e-rain-coming/

[S Landreth]

he shouldn't be in the water