Music festivals could be cut to pay for flooding, trash control

The military-appointed Pattaya City Council is considering cutting up to 40 million baht from city projects, including the Pattaya Music Festival and New Year’s Countdown, to spend on flood control, waste disposal and education.

 

City Council Chairman Anan Angkanawisan presided over an Aug. 18 meeting, the first of several planned, to discuss which projects should be cut and where the diverted funds would go. The session came after the Office of the Auditor-General in July said Pattaya’s former elected leaders wasted public funds by duplicating projects, such as neighborhood cleanups and youth football tournaments.

 

Anan argued that there was 30-40 million baht allocated to projects that are not necessary or of any benefit to the city. In addition, he maintained, huge budgets for annual tourism-driving events such as the music festival and year-end concert series are no longer necessary as they don’t attract the crowds they once did.

Instead, money should be put where the greatest needs are, especially flood control, he said.

 

Read More: http://www.pattayamail.com/news/music-festivals-cut-pay-flooding-trash-control-146412

 

PATTAYA MAIL 2016-08-27

A million dollars or so wouldn't even make a dent in any decent flood control project.

 

Keep the tourist attractions.

Anything that reduces noise and traffic seems like a good idea to me, so I would be happy for all festivals and similar events to cease. I've never been to one and never will.

So much corruption too - I doubt the rents from the crappy Beach Road market stalls that accompany these events go into the Public Purse. And all the 'subcontractors' who combine to put on these events - I bet they're all related, connected, overpriced and on the take. 

 

And with zero public financial transparency, who's to say they aren't?

 

If these things are so popular and successful (with Thais), commercial sponsorship should be sought to host them, not the city wasting valuable public funds on them.

 

what a waste......uhhh?

 

1 hour ago, sharecropper said:

So much corruption too - I doubt the rents from the crappy Beach Road market stalls that accompany these events go into the Public Purse. And all the 'subcontractors' who combine to put on these events - I bet they're all related, connected, overpriced and on the take. 

 

And with zero public financial transparency, who's to say they aren't?

 

If these things are so popular and successful (with Thais), commercial sponsorship should be sought to host them, not the city wasting valuable public funds on them.

 

I think the ex mayors brother or sister owns the company that supplies the tents and stages etc, its not really a secret

if money is that tight there doesn't seem much hope for repairing some of the disgraceful sidewalks around the city.

 I still maintain they should get serious about charging to park vehicles on streets and fines for parking infringements.

I think Pattaya City Council could do much better if they set up a think-tank committee comprising of local TVF members on here and listened................but that,s too simple  

On 27/08/2016 at 10:56 PM, KittenKong said:

Anything that reduces noise and traffic seems like a good idea to me, so I would be happy for all festivals and similar events to cease. I've never been to one and never will.

I do attend the annual Firework competition and would be sad to see that cancelled too.

I am getting a bit old for the music festival and the crowds on New years eve, and general congestion make it something to be avoided. I would expect NYE to be busy irrespective of any special events.

 

I always felt theses events generated much income for Pattaya, filled up the hotels and restaurants and generated millions of baht in takings. Now I hear they are loss making!  If they do indeed lose money, it makes sense to cancel them. But it would be a strange tourist town without these special events. Pattaya may even revert to focus on what it used to be solely famous for.

3 hours ago, alofthailand said:

A rather selfish view. So just because you hate fun we are supposed to suffer your joyless existence too?

 

And making a loud noise and disturbing other people isnt as selfish as you can get?

 

I have plenty of joy in my life, but none of it involves making a noise or annoying others.

How about running them profit making events???

40 millions baht can buy very nice sport car...

I won't complain if they get rid of the music festivals.  

at least the firework show is still on ..for now

 

Taking the fun out of people's lives yet they insist they need 3 submarines.

It's not just 40m Baht, it's 40m Baht for the next 10 or 20years hopefully.  Surely a much better use for the limited funds that are available to improve Pattaya.

Won't this have a negative affect on the people's happiness?

40 million baht ! what kind of number is that ? The price of 4 luxury condos or 4 x 4 bed houses. 8 mid range Mercs.....

The monthly salary of 4,444  employees at 7/11's......

 

And saving this will help them get 2 billion Baht to fix flooding and getting rid of garbage.....In this century ?

 

These numbers are to be expected of a nation that needs a calculator to work out the change for a 50 Baht item from a hundred Baht note......