Pattaya to extend beach in bid to lure tourists

[webfact]

TOURISM
Pattaya to extend beach in bid to lure tourists
SUPHAKORN AKKHARANANT
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- The beach at Pattaya in Chon Buri province is to be widened to about 35 metres to prevent erosion and boost income from tourists visiting the seaside resort town.

Pattaya City's sand-fill project is expected to begin in October and will take around two years, said mayor Itthiphol Kunplome.

To extend the three-km beachfront to the eventual 35-metre width, will take 36,000 cubic metres of sand at a cost of Bt430 million. The first 15 metres of the new beach would involve a sandbag wall to serve as an embankment, while the remaining 20 metres would be of sand.The new beachfront will stretch for 2.7-km and cover around 60 rai, stretching from North, Central to South Pattaya beaches, Itthiphol said.

Itthiphol, who has been the mayor for six years, initiated this beach-extension project in 2010, requesting help from government agencies and local business owners.

Apart from the Marine Department, Pattaya City has hired the Aquatic Resources Research Institute, under Chulalongkorn University, as a project adviser.

The chief of the area Marine Department office, Rewat Phoriang, said the project had passed the Environment Impact Assessment, and is undergoing a bidding process, with this year's budget already available after approval from the Marine Department.

The sand to be used would be closest to the kind on Pattaya beach, found at beaches in Chon Buri and neighbouring Rayong, Itthiphol said.

The first beach areas to undergo the project would be those most damaged or affected from erosion.

When completed, the beach extension project is expected to revamp the image of Pattaya as a resort town with clean beaches and white sand, making it more attractive and have the potential of attracting 10 million tourists, as projected in the Asean Economic Community in 2015, Itthiphol said.

The head of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association, Sinchai Wattanasartsathorn, said the extended beach would be beneficial to the local tourism industry, especially for Westerners who liked sunbathing. Vendors who will rent out beach seats and sell food at the beach also praised the project.


-- The Nation 2014-05-12

[chooka]

wow more deck chairs to trip over.

[David48]

More Sand

More Beach

More graft opportunities

... giving more public area for the touts to claim as their own and charge tourists to sit on the Beach Chairs.

so many better uses for that spend if the intent was to prosper the Tourist Numbers to Pattaya

... not the tourist take from Tourists.

[jeanpierre]

oh thats where they go dump the garbage

[tezzainoz]

and the introduction of Tuk Tuks to transport you to the water

The Police want to get the girls off the streets

so with the new expanded beach we will introduce girls on deck chairs for the all night Tourists

and the reds with this new beach will gather to make financial gain from the increased amount of tourists

[Gsxrnz]

They may as well cover the entire beach in concrete. The sand can't be seen or utilised for all the deck chairs crammed together.

[daoyai]

What about the polluted water? ... oh never mind.

[jerrybuice]

I have a novel idea...why don't they take better care of the beach that they have! The last time I strolled down the beach there were tons of garbage all along the shore line....not to mention 2, yes 2 syringes with needles on them laying on the beach!

[ezzra]

Note to Pattaya city people, before you go "extending" anything, try to diminish jet-ski problems,

parking problems, crime problems, price gouging problems etc, etc., that's what will bring

more tourist and what's more, it will give the existing tourist the reason to come back...

[tezzainoz]

No but those in the know, understand where the first casino in Thailand will be built

[barryofpattaya]

They need to clean it up before they can attract more tourists. The water and the Beach in Pattaya is the most filthiest beach I have ever seen.

[tezzainoz]

They need to clean it up before they can attract more tourists. The water and the Beach in Pattaya is the most filthiest beach I have ever seen.

If tourist are looking for clean beaches they would not be looking at Pattaya

there are so many better alternatives

the tourist they are after have two other things in Mind

Fun and the first Casino in Thailand

[allan michaud]

430million? and it will all just wash away within a short period. What a farce... Thailand I mean, not just this particular idea.

[Travel Dude]

Perhaps Khun Ittiphol could consider the work or real specialists instead of Chula longhorn university. Have a look at the sand engine, the way The Netherlands is protecting it's coast. Source wikipedia:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_engine

[tezzainoz]

430million? and it will all just wash away within a short period. What a farce... Thailand I mean, not just this particular idea.

Before you go over the top

come to reality

The Gold Coast in Australia paid 3 times than amount to do there beaches last year

and what about Hawaii

this island was just ash and rock

all the sand there, comes from Sydney Australia and California

we take our beaches for granted so the need sand not just Pattaya

[morrobay]

'The first 15 m of the project will involve a sandbag wall then 20 m of fill in sand.' So the decaying sandbag mess that can be seen at the North end of the beach will now extend for the entire 3 km. of beach.

[jeanpierre]

'The first 15 m of the project will involve a sandbag wall then 20 m of fill in sand.' So the decaying sandbag mess that can be seen at the North end of the beach will now extend for the entire 3 km. of beach.

will they use the bags from lotus,big c?

[sabaii69]

Maybe getting the sewage/garbage out of the water and garbage off the beach would be a start

[Awohalitsiktoli]

430million? and it will all just wash away within a short period. What a farce... Thailand I mean, not just this particular idea.

Correct! There are two reasons the beach has eroded: 1) they cut down the old-growth trees that were acting as a barrier to erosion, and 2) global warming is causing the thermal expansion of the oceans worldwide, leading to an increase in beach erosion (and it will only get worse in the future). The good news for those who support the project is that it will bring them big money over a long period of time. Money will be spent on a project that will initially look good. But wave action will destroy what initially looked like a successful project, requiring even more money to fix the problem. The cash registers are already ringing. I doubt they will even take the time to consult with beach erosion experts.

[belg]

and i tought sand at the beach was FREE

dirty beach and it will just be filled with more beachchairs anyway

anyway, those quality tourists, they dont come for the beach in pattaya, but for the beeeeches

Edited May 12, 2014 by belg

[dotpoom]

More Sand

More Beach

More graft opportunities

... giving more public area for the touts to claim as their own and charge tourists to sit on the Beach Chairs.

so many better uses for that spend if the intent was to prosper the Tourist Numbers to Pattaya

... not the tourist take from Tourists.

I'm trying to think where in Europe I could sit on the beach chairs for free....last one my wife took in Spain was the equivalent to 500 Bt. but I'll keep trying, might come up with one in the next 10 yrs.

[Don Aleman]

I live in Pattaya where almost no one goes to the beach - extend " Walking Street" where they do go, shoulder to shoulder every night !

[Keesters]

And who owns the place the sand will come from? Probably the same person who provided all the panda crossings that no longer work.

This project is not being done for the tourist it's being done to line someones pocket.

[timmuhonen]

and the reds ...

o...just concentrated into that picture

[bangarang]

Just what that city needs... more beach front on that filthy polluted water.

[smew]

Want more tourists?... make Pattaya more of a vacational resort than sex shopping place by:

1) clean up the beach and the filthy water that no one wants to swim in:is absolutely revolting when you see plastics, paper, glass and condoms floating in Pattaya waters

2) get scams under control

3) Trafic pollution

[sscsamui]

You Still will not be able to swim in the Polluted water and the water will still be polluted, and more cig butts in the sand and how much of the 430 million Baht will be put into how many pockets???

And how bad will it turn out??? BAD...

I think a beach park is a much better idea....

[Strangebrew]

I think by getting rid of those that are causing problem in Pattaya would be better to increase tourism not safe to walk the streets from ladyboy thiefs pickpocketing tourist to Russian loan sharks and drug dealers. Not to mention the huge amount of crooked cops there.

[johnno2]

and the introduction of Tuk Tuks to transport you to the water

The Police want to get the girls off the streets

so with the new expanded beach we will introduce girls on deck chairs for the all night Tourists

and the reds with this new beach will gather to make financial gain from the increased amount of tourists

false advertising. they aren't wearing red shirts

[Benmart]

Dear Mayor. Here are some ideas that may attract tourists:

Clean the beach regularly, which means scheduled cleaning with a tractor rake common to other areas of the world.

Have trash containers on the beach boardwalk that are emptied and aren't overflowing.

Reduce illegal dumping of sewage

Reorganize the beach concessions and chairs to maximize the beach area. There are way too many chairs and not enough beach area, even in high season.

Remove illegal motorcycle renters/squatters

Remove illegal vendors/squatters that occupy sidewalks

Reduce the number of baht buses on Beach Road and Second Road

Ticket and tow illegally parked cars, buses and motorcycles

Prohibit large buses from using Beach and Second Road.

Completely close Beach Road from Central to South Road after 7pm and make it a pedestrian only area following then Walking Street example.

Push to get rid of the police department and start from scratch.

Contract with a company to do the dirty work of vehicle towing since the police can't/won't do it

Start sacking public servants that aren't serving anyone except themselves.

Make it public when people are sacked and not just transferred.

I could go on and on. Wishful thinking, but still a wish.