Pattaya: Sunday rains bring devastating damage to resort's multi million baht beach

[webfact]

Picture: Sophon Cable TV

 

Sophon Cable TV published pictures and a damning report of extensive damage to Pattaya's beach after a storm around 3.30 pm yesterday.

 

They said that huge trenches had been gouged in the beach from North to South Pattaya by runoff. 

 

They said that damage to both the environment and tourism - with many visitors in town for the Songkran holidays - was massive. 

 

Picture: Sophon Cable TV

 

Operators were calling for officials to do something quick. 

 

Hundreds of millions of baht have been spent on beautifying Pattaya's beach only to see it frequently washed away as soon as it rains, notes Thaivisa.

 

Picture: Sophon Cable TV

 

Hundreds more millions are currently being spent on Jomtien.

 

Drainage work is one of three priorities for Pattaya as part of their "Neo Pattaya" plan to create a tourism and business hub on the eastern seaboard. 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-04-12

 

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[Shuya]

If there just would be some kind of new exiting technology to collect the water during storms so they don't flood the streets... Guess there is nothing that can be done about it... 

[Patong2021]

My understanding is that there is a group of professionals who can assist. They are called Professional Engineers. 

Or better yet, the  Pattaya people could look at some of the successful beach preservation projects. 

The Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing Project, alias Tweed Sand Bypassing (TSB), is a joint initiative of the Queensland and New South Wales governments and has done a  decent dual purpose of keeping a navigable river open, while replenishing a beautiful beach area. I find it fascinating that Thai government cannot do simple basic engineering while country like Australia can.

[VocalNeal]

If they had a couple of beach cleaning machines pulled by tractors they could have that sorted in hours. But alas.

[shdmn]

25 minutes ago, Shuya said:

If there just would be some kind of new exiting technology to collect the water during storms so they don't flood the streets... Guess there is nothing that can be done about it... 

You are unintentionally correct.  There is nothing that can be done about it unless you think canals about 100 times large than the one in that picture running down the streets of Pattaya sound practical.

It's just basic math.  If you have about a billion gallons of water falling within about an hour or two there is not much you can do about that no matter how big you make the drainage pipes. 

 

People keep posting the same pictures of the same stretch of beach that washes away every heavy rainfall without realizing that it's by design. It's always the same 2 or 3 sections of beach that washes away.  Where the sidewalk is designed like a spillway specifically for that reason

[Crossy]

Ever get that feeling of déja-vu?

 

 

 

 

 

Ever get that feeling of déja-vu?

 

Every single time it rains a bit ...

 

[shdmn]

2 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Ever get that feeling of déja-vu?

 

 

 

 

 

Ever get that feeling of déja-vu?

 

Every single time it rains a bit ...

 

Almost as if it's by design.  Ever stop and think about that?

[Banana7]

1 minute ago, shdmn said:

You are unintentionally correct.  There is nothing that can be done about it unless you think canals about 100 times large than the one in that picture running down the streets of Pattaya sound practical.

It's just basic math.  If you have about a billion gallons of water falling within about an hour or two there is not much you can do about that no matter how big you make the drainage pipes. 

That's not true at all.

One major issue is that the big drainage pipe (1.8 meters in diameter) below beach road, just installed last year, is always at least half full of water, even without any rain. The pumps to drain the pipe are too small, and the pumps aren't started until the pipe is overflowing.

[shdmn]

15 minutes ago, Banana7 said:

That's not true at all.

One major issue is that the big drainage pipe (1.8 meters in diameter) below beach road, just installed last year, is always at least half full of water, even without any rain. The pumps to drain the pipe are too small, and the pumps aren't started until the pipe is overflowing.

The larger drainage pipe does help.  It seems to drains away faster now.  They knew it would still flood though.  That pipe can NEVER be big enough to drain away a billion gallon downpour in an hour. 

 

You think it never occurred to them to use larger pumps?  The pumps would need to be 100 times bigger to do as good a job as the spillway sidewalk does.

[Geoffggi]

I notice the Mayor is keeping quiet this time ............. can't blame the opening of valves twice in a row  !!!!

[Jeffr2]

1 hour ago, shdmn said:

You are unintentionally correct.  There is nothing that can be done about it unless you think canals about 100 times large than the one in that picture running down the streets of Pattaya sound practical.

It's just basic math.  If you have about a billion gallons of water falling within about an hour or two there is not much you can do about that no matter how big you make the drainage pipes. 

 

People keep posting the same pictures of the same stretch of beach that washes away every heavy rainfall without realizing that it's by design. It's always the same 2 or 3 sections of beach that washes away.  Where the sidewalk is designed like a spillway specifically for that reason

They solved this problem in Vegas decades ago.  Use to see cars floating in the parking lot of Caesars Palace every big rain.  They created some cachements, big drainage pipes, and wham.  No more floods.  It can be done.

[mackayae]

LA River.

[PatOngo]

Cool, let's spend a few more million! ????????

[RichardColeman]

The amount of sand continually washed off that beach , there's going to be a new island 100 meters out soon 

[jacko45k]

2 hours ago, shdmn said:

People keep posting the same pictures of the same stretch of beach that washes away every heavy rainfall without realizing that it's by design. It's always the same 2 or 3 sections of beach that washes away.  Where the sidewalk is designed like a spillway specifically for that reason

Well the design might be better with a few large concrete canals/ trenches to take a good percentage of the water. 

[bkk6060]

I walked it this morning.  Kind of cool like walking on the moon.

[bkk6060]

They are out here now trying to smooth it out.

[2 is 1]

Strange beach! Cant haddle water! Well build!

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Operators were calling for officials to do something quick

That's all they ever do... 

[Golden Triangle]

This was posted by another member yesterday 11/4 don't look intentional to me ????

 

 

[Crossy]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Well the design might be better with a few large concrete canals/ trenches to take a good percentage of the water. 

 

Exactly, same sections every time? Then make those sections into concrete spillways and modify the road/kerbs to direct the water that way. Put bridges over for beach users to access. At least that should reduce the sand loss every time it rains a bit.

[lavender19]

5 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

My understanding is that there is a group of professionals who can assist. They are called Professional Engineers. 

Or better yet, the  Pattaya people could look at some of the successful beach preservation projects. 

The Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing Project, alias Tweed Sand Bypassing (TSB), is a joint initiative of the Queensland and New South Wales governments and has done a  decent dual purpose of keeping a navigable river open, while replenishing a beautiful beach area. I find it fascinating that Thai government cannot do simple basic engineering while country like Australia can.

You missed out the word foriengn from professional engineers 

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

My understanding is that there is a group of professionals who can assist. They are called Professional Engineers. 

Or better yet, the  Pattaya people could look at some of the successful beach preservation projects. 

The Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing Project, alias Tweed Sand Bypassing (TSB), is a joint initiative of the Queensland and New South Wales governments and has done a  decent dual purpose of keeping a navigable river open, while replenishing a beautiful beach area. I find it fascinating that Thai government cannot do simple basic engineering while country like Australia can.

Importing professionals is difficult.

[Caldera]

Groundhog day in Pattaya, every time it rains that seems to happen.

 

[Jen65]

It's called "Money down the drain "  !!!

[rcuthbert]

They depopulated the Beach Walkway; consequently, the Monger God is punishing them.

 

[kotsak]

7 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Cool, let's spend a few more million! ????????

 

Exactly.. the contractor (and the receivers of the brown envelopes) must be laughing all the way to the bank everytime this happens.

[shdmn]

8 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

They solved this problem in Vegas decades ago.  Use to see cars floating in the parking lot of Caesars Palace every big rain.  They created some cachements, big drainage pipes, and wham.  No more floods.  It can be done.

Yes, a city like Vegas, in the Nevada desert, is exactly like a city by the sea on a hill in a tropical climate with monsoons.

[shdmn]

 

4 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Exactly, same sections every time? Then make those sections into concrete spillways and modify the road/kerbs to direct the water that way. Put bridges over for beach users to access. At least that should reduce the sand loss every time it rains a bit.

 

As I recall, pipes under the sand was or is part of the plan but I think they decided it was too expensive and kicked the can further down the road on that.  The beach washing away in these specific areas, where the sidewalk is designed like a spillway, is the cheaper by design option.  They just fill it back in within a day or two no big deal.

 

The serial complainers here just love to keep beating this dead horse every time it rains because they simply do not want to believe anything else.

[wpcoe]

The next time they allocate beach sections to chair/umbrella concessions, they should put 2m wide trenches between each one.