Twelve Walking Street structures ordered razed

[Rimmer]

Twelve Walking Street structures ordered razed

PATTAYA:--Twelve Walking Street buildings have been ordered demolished for illegally extending their property, the latest chapter in a saga dating back nearly two decades.

Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh clarified the situation regarding the go-go bars, discotheques and retail shophouses on the waterfront side of Walking Street at a meeting with building owners and city engineers May 13.

He said that, in fact, the central government had determined that 101 buildings - basically the entire western side of Walking Street - has been built illegally on government land, but due to land-title issues, now officials can only move against 12 buildings that violated the original building permits.

A royal decree on land expropriation issued April 17 last year confirmed the findings of a 1998 Japan International Cooperation Agency that 101 waterside structures on Walking Street encroached upon royal land and should be razed.

Owners of those properties, including some of Pattaya’s wealthiest and politically connected families, stalled any move to demolish the buildings even as Walking Street grew into Pattaya’s best-known and most-lucrative tourist attraction. Now, some city leaders appear loathe to do anything that will jeopardize Pattaya’s tourism cash cow.

City Councilman Rattanachai Suthidechanai, who heads the Tourism and Culture Committee, said the demolition of half of Walking Street would affect Pattaya’s industry directly. While the city wants to improve its standard of tourist to attract more families, investors and businesses, the razing of half its red-light district would be a serious blow.

- See more at: http://www.pattayamail.com/localnews/twelve-walking-street-structures-ordered-razed-47278#sthash.dhhIRaTE.dpuf

-- Pattaya Mail 2015-05-22

[Pib]

PATTAYA:--Twelve Walking Street buildings have been ordered demolished for illegally extending their property, the latest chapter in a saga dating back nearly two decades.

No one should worry about their favorite bar disappearing anytime soon....the order will never be carried out as long as Walking Street remains a top tourist spot.

[WitawatWatawit]

Nice pix of Walking Street.

[Chang_paarp]

Be fun to see the army turn up with a couple of bulldozers and/or some issue C4.

A bit like what happened in Phuket, but on steroids.

[lovetotravel]

The structures were built illegally. The owners know this. If torn down, and done properly, that stretch of beach could be really nice. But it will take a lot of planning and work.

[WitawatWatawit]

#6--"But it will take a lot of planning and work."

Have no fear, mate, they're up to the task.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827243-pattaya-beach-footpath-washing-away/

[MZurf]

The structures were built illegally. The owners know this. If torn down, and done properly, that stretch of beach could be really nice. But it will take a lot of planning and work.

Nice?? If you want nice then go to Koh Chang or one of the Andaman islands. Pattaya isn't about nice, it's about naughty! Pattaya doesn't have the beaches to ever be able to compete with other places in Thailand for the sea and sun, so it's gotta focus on the last "s" or wither away.

[konying]

Why not "sell" the land to existing building owners?

Either buy or be gone

[ttthailand]

So 89 buildings get a pass to continue ? I wonder what the payoffs were for those deals ....

[ttthailand]

If a royal decree last year stated that the 101 business should be removed and the government does not remove isn't that something that goes against the laws of the land ? Is someone disrespecting the royal family ? Can they really do this ? Wow !!!

Edited May 22, 2015 by ttthailand

[onemorechang]

They will all still be there in 20 years time, same as the last 20 years.

Amazing Thailand.

Money number one, for all

[Robroona]

I don't see the point of the article. It is littered with " but it will be some time before anything will happen due to xxxxx or yyyyy.

We all know that this will never happen, it's been ordered before and never happened, so what has changed?

[lovetotravel]

The structures were built illegally. The owners know this. If torn down, and done properly, that stretch of beach could be really nice. But it will take a lot of planning and work.

Nice?? If you want nice then go to Koh Chang or one of the Andaman islands. Pattaya isn't about nice, it's about naughty! Pattaya doesn't have the beaches to ever be able to compete with other places in Thailand for the sea and sun, so it's gotta focus on the last "s" or wither away.

Easy to have both! Eating at the beer garden is great. Love the views at night.

[Langsuan Man]

Once again the Thai you can't name them and shame them law is if full effect since the media be bothered to tell us which 12 properties have violated their building permits

[kingalfred]

Smash the whole street. It causes more problems then it makes for drunks sorrow drowning and whores helping them lose their money!

[Keesters]

Why not "sell" the land to existing building owners?

Either buy or be gone

You cannot own beaches in Thailand although many try.

[konying]

Why not "sell" the land to existing building owners?

Either buy or be gone

You cannot own beaches in Thailand although many try.

But many already do, so might as well put a price and sell it off to them, instead of demolishing half of Walking Street

[Basil B]

Could be a great tourist attraction, "Blow Down on Walking Street".

Some if not all are death traps, due to inadequate emergency egress.

[smedly]

Be fun to see the army turn up with a couple of bulldozers and/or some issue C4.

A bit like what happened in Phuket, but on steroids.

I wouldn't rule it out, local officials are going to do nothing about it but as you say the issue may not be over