Pattaya: City Hall focuses on bringing order to problem of 1,600 speedboat free for all

[webfact]

Picture: INN

 

The problem of private operators of some 1,600 speedboats operating out of Pattaya was raised at City Hall.

 

Council member Sinchai Wattanasatsathorn outlined the problems of the boats that are part of the tourism industry. There is no regulation over the charges they make for trips and people can buy tickets everywhere.

 

They also moor wherever they want despite the rules.

 

Mayor Sontaya said it had been a problem for ages and he had done his best to regulate the industry.

 

Picture: INN

 

He blamed the pandemic and the actions of individual operators to flout the regulations in an effort to recover some of their losses, reported INN. 

 

He said that during the pandemic his staff had been working on making sure that all boats are registered with City Hall and that there would be a central ticket issuing authority in the future. 

 

Thaivisa notes that well before the pandemic took hold speedboat operators in Pattaya almost completly ignored orders to only use Bali Hai port.

 

Hundreds openly flouted the rules by operating off the main beach and loading tourists - mostly Chinese - up from there. 

 

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[canopus1969]

Mob rule

[robblok]

Why do they want a central ticket hub ? To take a cut or to regulate prices. If the former its bad if the latter its good for tourism.

[morrobay]

All they can talk about are prices. Non whatsoever about any qualifications for a passenger boat operators license for these "drivers" Phuket and other accidents just ignored. What do these folks at city hall do everyday besides turn the lights on ? 

[Geoffggi]

All because the people know city hall are too lazy or afraid of the mafia to enforce any restrictions 

[MasterBaker]

sounds like something they need to spend days deliberation on

[klauskunkel]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

There is no regulation over the charges they make for trips and people can buy tickets everywhere.

They also moor wherever they want despite the rules.

Mayor Sontaya said it had been a problem for ages and he had done his best to regulate the industry.

A bona fide conundrum..., why don't you give it a good mulling in those comfy chairs in the OP pic.

Edited June 29, 2021 by klauskunkel

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Thaivisa notes that well before the pandemic took hold speedboat operators in Pattaya almost completly ignored orders to only use Bali Hai port.

 

Hundreds openly flouted the rules by operating off the main beach and loading tourists - mostly Chinese - up from there

Just park a naval ship just off-shore... 

[Surelynot]

A good administrator worth his salt (and one refusing to take backhanders) would sort this inside a week........the gentleman doth protest too much methinks.

[ChipButty]

I guess it's too late now, but there is just to many of them same here in Phuket I remember going to the Similans they were parked bumper to bumper you couldn't go for a swim.

That was the main reasons they shut down Maya beach, it must be looking nice after being closed for 3 years,

[mrfill]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

He blamed the pandemic and the actions of individual operators to flout the regulations in an effort to recover some of their losses

 

But they were flouting the regulations way before any pandemic. Better to blame the pandemic rather than admit being hopeless at implementing the existing rules.

[jippytum]

Pattaya city made expensive modifications to Balli Hi to accommodate the boats taking hundreds of Chinese to Ko Larn  everyday. The boat owners rejected the new facilities and preferred to block Pattaya beach with the speedboats and Pattaya beach road with dozens of  buses and city hall did nothing . Holding  a seminar to find a solution is pointless if you allow the local mafia to do as they please.

[Benmart]

More impotence and the inability to regulate speed boats, jet skis, illegal scooter rentals parking on public roads, merchants and vendors encroaching on footpaths/sidewalks, broken down footpaths, hanging wires; trash everywhere, racing motorscooters with modified or disconnected mufflers, blaring speakers on trucks adding to noise pollution, absent traffic enforcement and so much more.  Seems that the solution is to proclaim the "Sandbox" will save this sinking ship. 

[RocketDog]

47 minutes ago, Benmart said:

More impotence and the inability to regulate speed boats, jet skis, illegal scooter rentals parking on public roads, merchants and vendors encroaching on footpaths/sidewalks, broken down footpaths, hanging wires; trash everywhere, racing motorscooters with modified or disconnected mufflers, blaring speakers on trucks adding to noise pollution, absent traffic enforcement and so much more.  Seems that the solution is to proclaim the "Sandbox" will save this sinking ship. 

Best solution :

Move somewhere else.

Nothing changes here very fast.

[1duckyboy]

This may be a problem if Koh Larn is to be part of a sandbox scheme. 

Edited June 29, 2021 by 1duckyboy

[johng]

1 hour ago, jippytum said:

Pattaya city made expensive modifications to Balli Hi to accommodate the boats taking hundreds of Chinese to Ko Larn  everyday. The boat owners rejected the new facilities

 

I would disagree with that    Pattaya city built a 'marina" that no one wanted  to use

they then forced the speed boats from their traditional parking spot in front of the "Waterfront Condo"  to lay a swathe of blue concrete which again no one can use

they tore up the launching ramp at Bali Hai so the speed boats could not launch and land from there forcing the speed boat operators to transport their craft on the already busy roads...the existing system (parking in front of Waterfront condo)  had worked fine for years  but for some reason  it had to be messed with.

[bangon04]

5 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Just park a naval ship just off-shore... 

no - wait for the new Submarines to enforce the "rules"

[bangon04]

3 hours ago, johng said:

 

I would disagree with that    Pattaya city built a 'marina" that no one wanted  to use

they then forced the speed boats from their traditional parking spot in front of the "Waterfront Condo"  to lay a swathe of blue concrete which again no one can use

they tore up the launching ramp at Bali Hai so the speed boats could not launch and land from there forcing the speed boat operators to transport their craft on the already busy roads...the existing system (parking in front of Waterfront condo)  had worked fine for years  but for some reason  it had to be messed with.

the solution is obvious - "Smart Piers" of course....

[Deli]

10 hours ago, morrobay said:

All they can talk about are prices. Non whatsoever about any qualifications for a passenger boat operators license for these "drivers" Phuket and other accidents just ignored. What do these folks at city hall do everyday besides turn the lights on ? 

Eat Somtam, play with the phone and watch soap operas. Oh... 4 o'clock, time to go home.

[morrobay]

11 hours ago, johng said:

 

I would disagree with that    Pattaya city built a 'marina" that no one wanted  to use

 

Is this the train wreak marina no one could use.

And it was mass chinese tourism that demanded the hundreds of speedboats that parked at the oily Bali hi mess. As well as the downgraded promenade that was converted in to a staging platform/glorified roadway. Now with no more masses and Europeans who have had it, they got what they asked for.

Edited June 29, 2021 by morrobay

[impulse]

14 hours ago, Surelynot said:

A good administrator worth his salt (and one refusing to take backhanders) would sort this inside a week........the gentleman doth protest too much methinks.

 

Anyone who genuinely tried,  wouldn't survive the week.

 

Silver or lead.  The Thai incentive program for politicians.  The smart ones take the silver.

 

Edited June 29, 2021 by impulse

[Stargeezr]

In the past at  Jomtien beach, the boat owners had to put their boats into the water every day

and take them out every night.  I doubt that all the boat owners were making tons of

profits, even in the old normal times. Many boats did not move much, and a few did not look

in that great of shape, even 2 years ago.  Just saying. I also assumed that it was either the

Mafia rules of city hall, or maybe just local Mafia rules, whatever the situation, it was not

something I would have wanted to have to obey.

Geezer

[johng]

4 hours ago, morrobay said:

Is this the train wreak marina no one could use.

 

Yes no one could use it even if they wanted to,

apparently most didn't want to use it

as the mechanisms that where supposed to raise the boats out of the water overnight had broken   so the boats  where slopping around at the moorings and being damaged during windy weather.

Edited June 30, 2021 by johng

[Mr Meeseeks]

23 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

All because the people know city hall are too lazy or afraid of the mafia to enforce any restrictions 

Wasn't the Mayor's old man called the Godfather of the Chonburi mafia? 

[RJRS1301]

On 6/29/2021 at 3:22 PM, robblok said:

Why do they want a central ticket hub ? To take a cut or to regulate prices. If the former its bad if the latter its good for tourism.

Perhaps both, as one imagines they would pay a percentage of turnover for central ticketing hub. WinWin 

Will they also enforce the wearing of flotation devices for crew and passengers?

Edited June 30, 2021 by RJRS1301

[mikebell]

On 6/29/2021 at 12:22 PM, robblok said:

Why do they want a central ticket hub ? To take a cut or to regulate prices. If the former its bad if the latter its good for tourism.

They can't even get 1% of taxi drivers to use their meters; they've no chance against these pirates.

[Leaver]

 

Hundreds of hungry and homeless people out there and City Hall are talking about tourist speed boats, when there are no tourists, and will not be for a long time.