Pattaya Restaurant Reportedly Encroaching on Na Jomtien Beach Draws Harsh Criticism

[webfact]

 

By Tanakorn Panyadee

 

Pattaya — Pattaya residents and netizens were peeved after a famous restaurant situated on a beachside reportedly put chairs and tables on the Na Jomtien Beach to accept customers.

Pictures of the concerned beachside restaurant with about 30 sets of tables and chairs being placed on Jomtien Beach went viral after being posting on Facebook by the Pattaya Watchdog page on February 5th.

 

The tables were covered with blue cloth and the chairs with white cloth. A group of customers were seen chilling and dining on the beach, drawing widespread criticism from Pattaya residents and netizens. The name of the restaurant was withheld, however, pending full official investigation by Na Jomtien law enforcement.

 

Some people stated that the restaurant had been operating on the beach for over a month, adding it was illegal because the beach was restricted to public use only. Beaches in Thailand are considered public land and there are often debates over encroachment of buildings built and situated on beachfronts.

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2023/02/05/pattaya-restaurant-reportedly-encroaching-on-na-jomtien-beach-draws-harsh-criticism/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2023-02-06

 

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[HappyExpat57]

There are no people who are unable to use the beach next to the area being used by the restaurant. The area is huge after the revamp. Hows about the haters all unclench their butt cheeks and chill a bit? I am sure if a few brown envelopes were exchanged this whole tempest in a teapot would go away.

 

And even if ALL the restaurants started doing the same (which I think would be a nice draw, I'd LOVE to be able to dine on the beach at night), there's still more than enough room for all to enjoy the beach.

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, HappyExpat57 said:

There are no people who are unable to use the beach next to the area being used by the restaurant. The area is huge after the revamp. Hows about the haters all unclench their butt cheeks and chill a bit? I am sure if a few brown envelopes were exchanged this whole tempest in a teapot would go away.

 

And even if ALL the restaurants started doing the same (which I think would be a nice draw, I'd LOVE to be able to dine on the beach at night), there's still more than enough room for all to enjoy the beach.

A line must be drawn someplace.... are we now to say all beach areas are available to other businesses as they choose? The damned deck chair vendors are bad enough. (Utilizing some similar allocation method as they get may be an idea). I expect this could cause disputes too.... and pollution and litter as tissues blow down the beach.  Bits of food discarded on the beach bring pack dogs and rats. Are beach walkers still allowed between the tables, can their pet dog take a dump next to a dining family?

[mikebell]

Time to dust off the controversy over all the restaurants built illegally over the beach at Walking Street?

[HappyExpat57]

14 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

A line must be drawn someplace.... are we now to say all beach areas are available to other businesses as they choose? The damned deck chair vendors are bad enough. (Utilizing some similar allocation method as they get may be an idea). I expect this could cause disputes too.... and pollution and litter as tissues blow down the beach.  Bits of food discarded on the beach bring pack dogs and rats. Are beach walkers still allowed between the tables, can their pet dog take a dump next to a dining family?

Sure - draw a line that lets those Na Jomtien restaurants use the area at night. It's an absolutely beautiful setting and would help tourism.

 

I get it, squatting is bad. There was a brand new beautiful two lane section of road built in Pattaya years ago. There was an "S" curve in part of it, and a restaurant decided to build an awning and place tables in front of their shop, taking up a whole lane. Absolutely stupid! Not sure if anyone was killed as it was a blind curve, and it was shut down quickly.

 

Tourism is critical to Thailand, and this use of the beach would be a boon if properly managed.

 

 

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Tourism is critical to Thailand, and this use of the beach would be a boon if properly managed.

And therein lies an issue. I have no problem with this isolated occurrence in Na Jomtien.... and let's face it, the seafood restaurants built out over the sea from Walking St are part of the 99 illegal businesses that have been threatened for decades. Is the beach still theoretically owned by the monarch, and as such to squat on it would be problematic?

[carlyai]

Great idea.

They do it in Bali and it's lovely.

Great restaurant and sea food.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Pattaya residents and netizens were peeved after a famous restaurant situated on a beachside reportedly put chairs and tables on the Na Jomtien Beach to accept customers.

Encroaching?

I'd say it was firmly established.

[Mickeymaus]

Apparently the local government hasn't seen this in over a month. It looks like a real restaurant in a public area. For sure it has been removed already??? Otherwise, questions remain as to why it is still not removed.

[klauskunkel]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Some people stated that the restaurant had been operating on the beach for over a month

That was when the authorities were looking for prostitutes, well planned... 

Edited February 6, 2023 by klauskunkel

[Mickeymaus]

3 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

There are no people who are unable to use the beach next to the area being used by the restaurant. The area is huge after the revamp. Hows about the haters all unclench their butt cheeks and chill a bit? I am sure if a few brown envelopes were exchanged this whole tempest in a teapot would go away.

 

And even if ALL the restaurants started doing the same (which I think would be a nice draw, I'd LOVE to be able to dine on the beach at night), there's still more than enough room for all to enjoy the beach.

They put their tables and chairs on a public area. Now try the following. Take a lot of friends with you and food and drinks (no alcohol on the beach - but does this restaurant care?) and sit in their chairs and enjoy the evening.

 

For sure they will try to remove you and your friends. They want to remove you and your friends from a public area that they are not allowed to use for business?

[HappyExpat57]

1 minute ago, Mickeymaus said:

They put their tables and chairs on a public area. Now try the following. Take a lot of friends with you and food and drinks (no alcohol on the beach - but does this restaurant care?) and sit in their chairs and enjoy the evening.

 

For sure they will try to remove you and your friends. They want to remove you and your friends from a public area that they are not allowed to use for business?

The whole point is to start taking a more adult approach. I know, I know, T.I.T.S., but sooner or later the adults are going to have to start using sensible solutions. I'm advocating for sooner than later.

[Darksidedude]

is that the restaurant at the end of the road, if it is its huge has so much seating area why are they going on to the beach.

[jacko45k]

3 minutes ago, Darksidedude said:

is that the restaurant at the end of the road, if it is its huge has so much seating area why are they going on to the beach.

Because they can..........

[Mickeymaus]

19 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

The whole point is to start taking a more adult approach. I know, I know, T.I.T.S., but sooner or later the adults are going to have to start using sensible solutions. I'm advocating for sooner than later.

We had this already... This shows Jomtien Beach in June 2022. The restaurants and vendors just did what they wanted and nobody cared. I could only find a link to a Thai and German news site - sorry. 

 

https://www.dailynews.co.th/news/1178891/

 

https://der-farang.com/de/pages/na-jomtien-haendler-muessen-strand-raeumen

 

[brucegoniners]

Stop accepting their bribes and kick them off.

[rwill]

I stayed at a resort in Hua Hin that set up tables on the beach at night for dinner service.  But they were all removed right after that.

Perhaps they are doing the same thing?

[Mickeymaus]

5 minutes ago, rwill said:

I stayed at a resort in Hua Hin that set up tables on the beach at night for dinner service.  But they were all removed right after that.

Perhaps they are doing the same thing?

Looking at the picture of Jomtien beach at night that I posted earlier, it might not be a bad idea to have entertainment options other than red light districts and sex businesses at night. But it should not be organized by a beach mafia, but by local governments. There was a lot of chaos. Also traffic issues and lots of noise complaints as far as I remember.

[CanadaSam]

I would much rather pay 80 baht for a large cool beer while sitting on these comfortable looking chairs and tables, than pay 50 baht to sit on a smelly chair with no beer.

 

If the authorities had any brains they would see how much more beautiful and inviting the beach looks with these good looking chairs and tables, rather than the other fools selling only smelly chairs and acting like mafia.

[Guderian]

The stupid council paid for that vast expanse of empty sand to be dredged from the seabed, it's far larger than beachgoers down there need so I really don't see the problem. Just charge them a fee and give them a licence. There are two options: allow local businesses to make limited use of certain parts of the new beach in a regulated manner, or buy a dozen camels and start 'Crossing the Sahara Desert' tours for the Chinese tourists when they return, lol.

[Aussieroaming]

What about the other thousands of businesses that encroach on public land near beaches and on sidewalks or anywhere else that they can claim for themselves.

 

[dddave]

7 hours ago, jacko45k said:

A line must be drawn someplace.... are we now to say all beach areas are available to other businesses as they choose? The damned deck chair vendors are bad enough. (Utilizing some similar allocation method as they get may be an idea). I expect this could cause disputes too.... and pollution and litter as tissues blow down the beach.  Bits of food discarded on the beach bring pack dogs and rats. Are beach walkers still allowed between the tables, can their pet dog take a dump next to a dining family?

I think chair vendors provide a very useful service.  Several years ago, Pattaya enforced Wednesdays as "chair free days", the vendors closed down and it was a joke.  People had no place to sit.  Short term tourists aren't going to go out and buy beach chairs and carry them from their hotel rooms.

I have watched many chair vendors along Jomtien beach from Dongtan to Na Jomtien at closing time.  I have never not seen them raking the area, picking up any trash and usually sweeping the adjoining sidewalk as well.

[jacko45k]

17 hours ago, dddave said:

I have never not seen them raking the area, picking up any trash and usually sweeping the adjoining sidewalk as well.

I used to use one one in Naklua.. ... at sunset he cleared all the rubbish on his spot, and threw it in the sea just down the beach.