All you need to know about the Pattaya Beach Renovation!
By: Atom 9.2, Natcha 11.3
A picture of Pattaya Beach.
The beach renovation project started on August 15th, 2021, with a 166-million-baht budget. In estimation, the project will take about 820 days and will finish in May 2023. The renovation is being fronted by Nong Nooch Landscape and The Garden Design Company. They are planning to renovate three kilometers of the beach front’s path, ranging from three to eleven meters wide. They will add more facilities such as a children’s playground, an improved public bathroom, handicap access, new parking facilities, and more.
Despite it being a substantial improvement to the community, multiple protestors have disagreed with the idea, thinking it was a waste of money during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Sonthaya Khunploem has continuously reassured citizens that funds are not being taken away from COVID relief and has also stated that this was a long-term project put in motion before the pandemic began. In the past, there have been several incidents of people getting injured by falling branches in storms. Larger trees also tend to attract more insects, birds, rodents, and other types of wild animals, which commonly bother locals and tourists.
Although the Pattaya beach renovation officially began in August 2021, they have faced many setbacks from mounds of protests and delayed work. Although the protests tend to oppose many of the renovation’s plans, these concerns mainly focus on the removal of the trees (despite planning to uproot only 25% of them). Most of the removed trees are the larger and faster-growing ones, those of which cite concerns for pest and safety reasons. However, concerns have also been made regarding the replacement plant species. It is seen that Indian Almond trees provide a better shade for people using the beach than the provided alternative, the regular Palm trees. One of the protesters has said they have seen these trees since they were little, holding a sense of nostalgia and meaning for them, and removing it is offensive towards the people here. The beach renovation hopes to improve the tourism industry in Pattaya and improve the quality of life for the community.
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