Four owners are not only
ignoring orders to take down their structures along the South Pattaya canal
(main photos), but are actually building more (upper right).
Surasak Huasoon
After getting off to a fast start, work to clear the South Pattaya
storm-drainage canal of illegal encroachments has bogged down with some
intransigent property owners even building new structures on public land.
Banglamung District Chief Sakchai Taengho summoned Pattaya officials to a
Sept. 11 meeting to instruct them to reassert themselves in the effort to
remove man-made obstacles along the canal designed to be a pathway for storm
runoff to reach the sea.
As has happened so many times in recent years, Pattaya officials began
clearing encroachments with much fanfare, but dropped their effort when the
cameras left and encroachers dug in. This time, four property owners are not
only ignoring orders to remove their structures, but, as Pattaya officials
eased up on pressuring them, are flouting the law by building new
obstructions.
Sakchai, who spearheaded the effort during the summer and managed, within
weeks, to clear 75 percent of the encroachments, was having none of it. The
city government, he warned, was in danger of again being accused of not
working to their fullest potential.
He told Pattaya officials and engineers they must speed up their efforts,
locate the offenders and bring action against them.
