Pattaya City has ordered an investigation after a video circulated online allegedly showing Special Affairs officers collecting fines from tourists without issuing receipts near Bali Hai Pier in South Pattaya.

Pattaya City Police have also inspected the location, including a blue canvas tent reportedly used by the officers. The clip has prompted widespread criticism on social media.

City clerk demands report

The allegations concern tourists said to have been stopped over loud motorcycle exhausts and smoking in a public area at the Bali Hai Pier, Chonburi.

According to the report, the issue is not simply whether enforcement action was justified, but whether money was collected without the required documentation. The video led to questions over who put up the tent, who authorised its use and where any fine payments went.

The Pattaya City Clerk has ordered an immediate fact-finding inquiry and instructed officials to submit their report by 09.00 on Monday 10 August 2026.

Police from Pattaya City Police Station went to the site to establish the facts after the footage became a major topic of online discussion. No findings from either the police visit or the City Hall inquiry had been announced yet.

What visitors should take from the case

Bali Hai Pier is one of Pattaya's busiest tourist areas, particularly for visitors using the waterfront and travelling onwards by boat. The report involves tourists, but the investigation will be relevant to foreign residents as well as short-term visitors who may be approached by enforcement officers in public areas.

Anyone asked to pay a fine should, where possible, ask to see official identification and request a written receipt or other formal record of payment. Keeping details of the location, time and the officers involved can also be useful if there is later uncertainty over the matter.

Visitors who believe they have been improperly asked for money can seek clarification from Pattaya City authorities or Pattaya City Police. The current investigation is expected to address the central questions raised by the footage: who was operating the tent, under whose instruction, and how any collected fines were handled.

Video courtesy of สายข่าวพัทยา

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10 August 2026

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It is normal in Thailand, not only in Pattaya. I once drove in Bangkok and because I did not have GPS it was difficult to find my way. There was a lot of traffic and I had to turn left. The traffic light was green and I tried to make my left turn but than it turned in orange and red, I stopped but i could not prevent I stood on the zebracrossing. A police officer came to me and told me to to drive to the side and gave me a fine as I stood on the zebra crossing. I had a choice pay 500 THB without receipt or go with him to police station somewhere and get a fine and fill in some paperwork. Not difficult to guess what option I choose. I paid my fine and could continue. I see it many times all over Thailand. pay it disappear in pockets and people can go on. Pattaya is no exception.

But these stories will be told by those who are fined in their home country and than Thailand is wondering why the tourism is going down. Enforcement of laws for everybody, and reforms are very very needed

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by ikke1959

Many seemingly naive questions being asked.