Cars are not meant to
work as amphibious vehicles, as these drivers certainly found out.
Boonlua Chatree - Photos by Theerarak
Suthathiwong
The heart of rainy season has arrived and with it,
Pattaya’s annual flooding problems have returned.
Hour-long downpours in the wee morning hours of Sept. 30, then again in
the evening of the same day, inundated city streets as drains again
proved incapable of doing their jobs. Runoff washed downhill, where it
created the river formerly known as Beach Road.
The usual traffic problems ensued, with foolish drivers confusing their
motorbikes for jet skis stalling and amazed tourists sitting in idled
baht buses trying not to breathe in fumes from backed up sewage.
Traffic on Sukhumvit was also backed up, as the usual low spot between
South Road and Central Road became a lake.
Elsewhere, North Pattaya Road, Soi Buakaow, Soi AR, and South Pattaya
Road near Tuk Com were also flooded, causing the traffic to freeze. Some
vehicles suffered engine failure trying to pass through the flooded
roads.
Police, the Department of Disaster Prevention personal and volunteer
police were called out in force to try and direct traffic and assist
stalled vehicles.
The heavy rains also took a toll on Pattaya Beach, eroding sand along
the entire stretch.
It’s the same old story, and with more rainy season to come, it looks
like we might be in for a soggy October.
Not even the holy were
spared. This statue of the late ‘Luang Por Boonmee’ at Phothisamphan
Pitthayakhan School was knocked off its stand by a giant 30 year old
tree that fell during the storm. Luang Por Boonmee was the abbot of Wat
Photisampan Temple and was the founder of the school. He is very much
revered by the teachers and students.
The heavy rains also took a
toll on Pattaya Beach, eroding sand along the entire stretch.
