Critics of Pattaya landfill plan say encroachment is real problem

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SPECIAL REPORT
Critics of Pattaya landfill plan say encroachment is real problem
Thanapat Kitjakosol
The Nation
Pattaya


A foreign tourist bends down to take a closer look at the giant sandbags. Hundreds of such bags have been lined along Pattaya

PATTAYA: -- Like other coastal cities, Pattaya is losing parts of its majestic beach to erosion at the rate of one metre every monsoon season.

A massive landfill project, to cost the central government Bt450 million, is planned to restore the city's 2.7-kilometre beach to its former glory. About 50 years ago, Pattaya boasted 35 metres of beachfront, but presently, sandy areas are less than five metres in width during high tide. Under the project, tonnes of sand would be transported to the beachfront to restore the condition of the city's North, Central and South Pattaya beaches.

Pattaya Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh was optimistic that the landfill project was a sustainable solution for keeping the beachfront in pristine condition. He said the area would first undergo an environmental impact assessment (EIA) under the supervision of the Marine Department.

The city has already spent Bt16 million in emergency funds to check the 29-metre erosion of North Pattaya beach. Hundreds of giant sandbags line the beach.

The idea of a landfill to counter coastal erosion was first conceived in 1994. The Pattaya Bay Area, one of Asia’s largest beach resort areas, appeals to both local and foreign travellers, each year attracting about 10 million visitors.

Over the past four years, Pattaya's city administration and Chulalongkorn University have been working together to develop the project into a workable solution.

Chulalongkorn researcher Thanawat Jarupongsakul said the new landfill in Pattaya would be the first of its kind in Thailand. Should the project prove a success, it would be emulated in Hua Hin and coastal areas in the South, Thanawat said.

The Pattaya landfill, he said, would need over 360,000 cubic metres of sand and would take over eight months to complete. Barriers in the sea would have to be constructed 15 metres high to create a buffer zone and protect the 100-metre stretch of beach, before the sand to enlarge the beachfront could be introduced. The process would have to be repeated again in about 10 to 14 years to ensure the condition of the beach was maintained.

In a similar beachfront landfill in Germany, the landfill lasted 20 years before it had to be replaced, said Thanawat, adding that Thai contractors did not have the know-how to produce the kind of landfill needed, which could affect its longevity.

A simulated study indicated that as much as 10 metres of a beachfront landfill is washed away in the first year. According to Thanawat, the sand lost each year would have to be replaced for three years running, before the sand settled and the width of the beachfront remained naturally stable.

Conservationists have warned that a landfill might not be easy to implement in the face of strong winds, storms and tides.

Na Krua conservationist Ratana Ongsombat opposes the landfill. Before the construction of buildings on Pattaya's beachfront, the wind and tide had protected the beach from erosion, she said. However, encroachment on the beach had halted this natural process. For example, the construction of the Truth Sanctuary in Pattaya Bay has had an adverse impact on the surrounding environment. Other landfills in southern Thailand and abroad failed to check coastal erosion, Ratana said.

"Beach erosion will not be halted so long as authorities turn a blind eye to beach encroachment," she said, believing the beachfront landfill would end up causing even worse erosion.

Kasetsart University environmentalist Somnuk Jongmeewasin said the landfill was a stopgap solution for coastal erosion. "The sustainable way to solve erosion is to refrain from encroaching on the sea", he said. "Manmade diversions of the tide and current are the main causes of this erosion."


-- The Nation 2013-10-21

[laurentbkk]

a little bit too late for that ..... with all crazy construction and high buildings , its not only pattaya but jombien , na jomtien etc .....

[Spalpeen]

Does anyone have any photos of the beach from 20 or 30 years ago? I'm curious whether it's true that there really was more beach back then.

[Wimbledon]

In the caribbean in the Caribbean republic they spent ooodles doing this pumping from off shore tankers and I spoke with the chap in charge who dug out ports depths from all over the world amd was quite knowledgeable .! I asked him how long did this last ? He said sometimes one big storm can suck much it away !

[scotsdude]

Why would anyone want to go there anyway.. Dirty... Jomtien the same.. Rather take the 1hr drive out of town and go somewhere decent...

Sent from my C5303 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[wwex]

the sand gets washed out whenever there is heavy rain, the solution would be good drainage but for some reason they want to spend the money on shipping in new sand instead, I guess that way its an endless money spinner

[Seismic]

Does anyone have any photos of the beach from 20 or 30 years ago? I'm curious whether it's true that there really was more beach back then.

I might be able to dig some up. But, yes it was a pretty healthy beach 30 years ago. Jomthien was even better, but there was pretty much zero building along the whole of jomthien back then.

Edited October 21, 2013 by Seismic

[sprq]

Does anyone have any photos of the beach from 20 or 30 years ago? I'm curious whether it's true that there really was more beach back then.

1981-83: at high tide definitely no more than 15 metres depth of beach. No photo, just my memory from multiple visits.

[sprq]

Terminology corrections:

not beachfront but beach depth

not beach width but beach depth

not landfill but beach enlargement

[khunPer]

Does anyone have any photos of the beach from 20 or 30 years ago? I'm curious whether it's true that there really was more beach back then.

At FaceBook “Pattaya People Media Group” (www.facebook.com/PattayaPeople) there is an album-folder (under Pictures) with a huge lot of pictures from “Pattay Before”, including the beach front. Picture dates back to around 1960. May not be able to place a link to anothe “Forum”, but it you may try to copy/paste:

www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.510078829034186.1073741826.153778167997589&type=3

Edited October 21, 2013 by khunPer

[johng]

I think this one shows quite well how much of Pattaya beach has been lost.

[threelegcowboy]

"The Pattaya landfill, he said, would need over 360,000 cubic metres of sand and would take over eight months to complete. Barriers in the sea would have to be constructed 15 metres high to create a buffer zone and protect the 100-metre stretch of beach, before the sand to enlarge the beachfront could be introduced. The process would have to be repeated again in about 10 to 14 years to ensure the condition of the beach was maintained."

Barriers in the sea !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The waters edge will now be a barrier !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wwex]

 

"The Pattaya landfill, he said, would need over 360,000 cubic metres of sand and would take over eight months to complete. Barriers in the sea would have to be constructed 15 metres high to create a buffer zone and protect the 100-metre stretch of beach, before the sand to enlarge the beachfront could be introduced. The process would have to be repeated again in about 10 to 14 years to ensure the condition of the beach was maintained."

Barriers in the sea !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The waters edge will now be a barrier !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

surely it a much easier job to put a few good sized culverts out to sea so the city doesnt have to drain itself via the road then the beach when it rains

[UncleJ]

15 million dollars.

It's all about the land the city leases to the umbrella people and the rent some body takes in, right?

50% of the beach is reserved for tourists but someone leased that out too.

Now the taxpayers are bringing in sand that will "Last 10 -14 years" ... or one big storm...

Ooops.

[threelegcowboy]

There will be large rocks or concrete to hold the sand in place (barriers). Your not going to have sand between your toes as you wade out in the water. The waves are going to throw you into the roacks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go to Jomtien and see the large rock used by the road near the far South side.

[Pattaya46]

Barriers in the sea !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The waters edge will now be a barrier !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry but what's the problem with "Barrier in the sea"

It's a rather frequent way to do to stabilize sand on beach.

A famous example is the huge Copacabana Beach of Rio de Janeiro.

German specialist engineers made a good job maybe 30-40 years ago

building huge metal barrier hundreds of meters from the beach

to modify currents so that they deposit sand, and not put it away as before.

Can be done here certainly, but you have to ask to people who know how to do that properly.

[wwex]

its not currents that are doing it, its rain washing the sand out, and then the remaining beach is pushed into the eroded parts which lowers its overall level of the sand. they are building a small wall at the south end of the beach already because its lost about a meter of sand since the rain started and they dont have room for umbrellas anymore.

[PeterSmiles]

Can be done here certainly, but you have to ask to people who know how to do that properly.

You should hang your head in shame, insinuating that anyone in the world would have more knowledge than the Thais about any matter.

Edited October 23, 2013 by PeterSmiles

[Spalpeen]

 

"The Pattaya landfill, he said, would need over 360,000 cubic metres of sand and would take over eight months to complete. Barriers in the sea would have to be constructed 15 metres high to create a buffer zone and protect the 100-metre stretch of beach, before the sand to enlarge the beachfront could be introduced. The process would have to be repeated again in about 10 to 14 years to ensure the condition of the beach was maintained."

Barriers in the sea !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The waters edge will now be a barrier !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

surely it a much easier job to put a few good sized culverts out to sea so the city doesnt have to drain itself via the road then the beach when it rains

You're still thinking like a foreigner. A Thai politician or official will have spotted that the bigger the project, the more opportunities there will be for graft.

[ableguy]

Does anyone have any photos of the beach from 20 or 30 years ago? I'm curious whether it's true that there really was more beach back then.

When there was more beach cameras were not invented .

[ableguy]

Can be done here certainly, but you have to ask to people who know how to do that properly.

You should hang your head in shame, insinuating that anyone in the world would have more knowledge than the Thais about any matter.

How about appointing a minister for beach erosion think of the money to be made.