Photo courtesy of Utapao Rayong Pattaya International Airport Guide

 

Thailand's Marine Department is forging ahead with Phase 2 of the Jomtien Beach Sand Replenishment Project, aiming to combat coastal erosion and attract tourists. At a seminar yesterday at Jomtien Palm Beach Hotel and Resort, officials and stakeholders gathered to discuss the multimillion-baht initiative's next steps.

 

Deputy Director-General Narinsak Sattaprasit led the meeting, joined by Chon Buri’s Deputy Governor Adirek Unosot, Pattaya Deputy Mayor Krisana Boonsawad, and Rapeepan Rattanliam of Na Jomtien subdistrict. The event brought together local council members, business operators, and both public and private representatives. This seminar was not a mere formality but a crucial step in engaging with the community, seeking their input before construction proceeds.

 

Narinsak emphasised the project's goal of sustainable coastal development. Phase 1 successfully restored 3,575 metres of beach in Na Jomtien and South Jomtien. Phase 2 will extend the beachfront by an additional 2,840 metres, from the Chaiyapreuk Intersection to near the Dongtan Beach Police Box.

 

The Marine Department has highlighted several benefits. The reinforced coastline will protect against natural disasters, enhance the experience for visitors, and support the area's delicate marine ecosystems.

 

Initial delays in the project were caused by necessary upgrades to Jomtien Beach Road’s drainage and road infrastructure—essential groundwork for the incoming sand expansion. With these hurdles now addressed, the initiative is poised to progress, although a specific construction date remains unconfirmed.

 

Local businesses and tourism operators eagerly await the project's commencement, viewing it as a lifeline for Pattaya's economy, which has been sluggish post-pandemic. One local vendor summed up the community's sentiment: “The beach is everything to Pattaya. If the beach goes, so do the tourists.”

 

As the project moves forward, Pattaya may soon boast a larger and more appealing coastline, potentially revitalising the area as a top tourist destination. With its sights set on the future, Thailand aims to blend development with preservation, ensuring long-term prosperity for Jomtien Beach and its surrounding communities.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-07-31

 

 

Should last a year or two before getting washed away 

Combat costal erosion eh ? Next you'll tell me they'll use food strainers to tackle the pm2.5 issue.

 

 

I don't like the artificial beach   it never gets cleaned by the sea.

Look at the above picture.....Jomtien beach is fine as it is.....There is plenty of sand their now.....Ok Pattayas beach was gone and the beach extension was needed..

 

The beach extentions kills the whole beach vibe.....The beach chairs are pretty far from the water......Pattaya beach is deader than a DoDo most every days now. Hardly any people there.

4 hours ago, JoePai said:

Should last a year or two before getting washed away 

 

And when I cut my lawn, it grows back in a week.  That's the nature of maintenance.  It costs money to keep stuff looking good.

 

Beach sand replenishment is a regular occurrence in tourist beaches all over the world.  Just a cost of doing business.

 

 

 

13 hours ago, JoePai said:

Should last a year or two before getting washed away 

If that long, the great sand washing rainy  season is just around the corner. 

If I was a sceptic, I'd do a cost-benefit analysis of this undertaking, quickly conclude that there is huge cost and very little financial or environmental benefit, and even with an optimistic forecast of increased tourist spending, the payback period is multiple decades.

 

They should have followed the western agenda and invented a fake crisis to make us believe the remedial work is a necessary crusade to protect and preserve the habitat of the lesser spotted callapa undulata crab, or some such drivel. 

 

 

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

officials and stakeholders gathered to discuss the multimillion-baht initiative's next steps.

 

First big storm it will be gone !!

She says if the beach goes the tourist goes..........an tourist in their right mind would'nt want to sit on that cesspit, let alone go in the water

Attract tourists ha ha. The end section of Jomtien is just a very wide area of sand, with no shade and no parking, which is always totally empty.

As an 18 year resident of Jomtien, I am NOT looking forward to this.

16 hours ago, blaze master said:

Combat costal erosion eh ? Next you'll tell me they'll use food strainers to tackle the pm2.5 issue.

 

 

I thought they were already doing that! Taking the results of Chiang Mai air pollution into consideration, I don't think I'm far wrong 

1 hour ago, henryford1958 said:

Attract tourists ha ha. The end section of Jomtien is just a very wide area of sand, with no shade and no parking, which is always totally empty.

When they first widened thst area the restaurants on the other side if the road quickly put table ,chairs,umbrellas and lights on the new beach claimimg it for themselves....it did attract a lot of Thai tourists especially in the evenings...and then the local council Na-Jomtien came and told them to remove everything from the beach

there was no such order from the Pattaya council  so all the tourists left...there was/is a very clear  literal line in the  sand with marked difference in tourist numbers eaither side of it.

 

Maybe I am the odd one out but after having lived here for decades I realize, that I am reading the very same news on an almost yearly basis. Among them are steamrollers over faked Rolex watches, the aliens drinking beer during non-alcohol time slots in the afternoon during their vacation and ...... yes, the replenishment of beach sand.

The query I have is, where on Earth do they get all that sand from, against how much money and why has nobody understood yet, that nature dictates where sand is to be and where not? 

Guess it keeps Somchai the trucker and Yodsak with his shovels busy while Sakchai at the city hall ensures, that some of the money from the governmental budget is actually being spent on work performed indefinitely at the beaches of Pattaya and Jomtien. 

Keep up the good work! 

42 minutes ago, johng said:

When they first widened thst area the restaurants on the other side if the road quickly put table ,chairs,umbrellas and lights on the new beach claimimg it for themselves....it did attract a lot of Thai tourists especially in the evenings...and then the local council Na-Jomtien came and told them to remove everything from the beach

there was no such order from the Pattaya council  so all the tourists left...there was/is a very clear  literal line in the  sand with marked difference in tourist numbers eaither side of it.

 

 

Your 100% correct.....These big beach extensions drive people away....
The new Jomtien Beach extension will finish off what little niceness  Jomtien Beach has left.......It will just be a big Dead zone....

 

They for sure know what they are doing too......

3 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

If I was a sceptic, I'd do a cost-benefit analysis of this undertaking, quickly conclude that there is huge cost and very little financial or environmental benefit, and even with an optimistic forecast of increased tourist spending, the payback period is multiple decades.

 

They should have followed the western agenda and invented a fake crisis to make us believe the remedial work is a necessary crusade to protect and preserve the habitat of the lesser spotted callapa undulata crab, or some such drivel. 

 

 

Maybe need to be more specific on just who bears the cost (the taxpayers) and who gains the benefit (kick backs anyone?). Waste of time and money for the entire civic ecosystem, but of great benefit for those inside players. 

,

 

 

I wonder if anybody in Thailand gov't realizes that building a small retaining walkway, maybe half a km out into the sea, to prevent the tides taking the sand away, will both beautify the area, plus permanently stop erosion of sand into the sea, instead of filling up sand every couple of years, a very expensive and temporary solution?

Lip stick on a pig, really... As long as you have garbage washing on shore nightly, and sewage and waste being dumped improperly (almost everywhere), the beach will never look good (long term). Beach nourishment (that's what where talking about here) offers some short-term benefits like providing a wider beach for recreation and storm protection, but it's not a permanent solution, and the added sand will erode away relatively quickly due to weather and waves. Quite simply, it's not cost effective and is only temporary. Not to mention the sourcing of the "new" sand... Thoughtless dredging's environmental impacts create as much a problem as it solves.

20 hours ago, JoePai said:

Should last a year or two before getting washed away 

2 years, you are very optimistic. 

7 hours ago, Surasak said:

I thought they were already doing that! Taking the results of Chiang Mai air pollution into consideration, I don't think I'm far wrong 

 

You're joking right ?

21 hours ago, LALes said:

As an 18 year resident of Jomtien, I am NOT looking forward to this.

Some major work on the front was going on not long ago, it's never ending!

How about doing the roads first, there are a couple that have been dug up and in accessable for over 2 years

16 hours ago, blaze master said:

 

You're joking right ?

Sarcasm can so easily misunderstood!

19 minutes ago, Surasak said:

Sarcasm can so easily misunderstood!

 

Ill show myself out. 😅

On 8/1/2025 at 8:35 AM, henryford1958 said:

Attract tourists ha ha. The end section of Jomtien is just a very wide area of sand, with no shade and no parking, which is always totally empty.

That's why I love this long peaceful beach far from the noise and close to nature. 

5 hours ago, Look Chang said:

close to nature.

It's not natural at all ! , a man made  cat litter sandbox  

with no shade.

13 hours ago, johng said:

It's not natural at all ! , a man made  cat litter sandbox  

with no shade.

Ah, the feel of condoms and cigarette butts between your toes during a morning walk on the beach!