Along Pattaya Beach between
Sois 1 and 5, flood runoff dug holes 50-80cm deep in the sand, leaving many
parts of the beach unusable once the skies cleared.
Jetsada Homklin
Hours of heavy rain and Pattaya’s feeble drainage system conspired again to
flood the city, this time also digging out trenches on Pattaya Beach.
Most areas of the city flooded badly during the Sept. 11 storm, with many
streets retaining up to a meter of water. Even on Third Road water ran 40cm
deep, causing many motorbike riders to give up and simply walk their bikes.
Along Pattaya Beach between Sois 1 and 5, flood runoff dug holes 50-80cm
deep in the sand, leaving many parts of the beach unusable once the skies
cleared. Beach chair vendors bemoaned the lack of business and tourists
complained about having nowhere to sunbathe.
Beach vendors said the damage to the beach could have been prevented if
they’d been allowed to place sandbags on the Beach Road promenade, as they
did last year.
The city, however, ordered all the vendors to remove the sandbags this year,
noting not only does it look unsightly, but also prevents flood water from
returning to the sea and causing more damage for businesses on the other
side of the bags.
Vendors noted that the city does place sandbags itself, but only when it
rains during the day. If it happens after dark, there’s little they can do,
they said.
Meanwhile, continuous storms up through and including Sunday, Sept. 12,
continued to cause havoc throughout the city. The rainy season may have been
slow in starting, but it is coming on with a vengeance.
