A rare sight just 2 years
ago, pigeons are now overtaking Pattaya Beach.
Warunya Thongrod
Forget the ladyboy pickpockets, hookers and rats nesting
in trees, Pattaya Beach apparently has a new scourge: pigeons.
A rare sight as little as two years ago, pigeons have
become as a common pest on the beachfront, nibbling on discarded food
scraps, pooping on benches and people and potentially carrying disease.
A 40-year-old beach vendor identified only as “Prasert”
said Pattaya is now an ample food source for the birds, often alleged to
carry everything from bird flu to a fungus that causes a type of meningitis.
“They aren’t a nuisance to tourists, but I think the city should take
precautions to ensure the safety of beach vendors and tourists,” he said.
Surapol Wongsuthawas, animal control chief in the
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Public Health and Environment Office,
said pigeons, like people, like the temperature on Pattaya Beach and humans
are ensuring they stay because people keep feeding them.
He said the office will begin trapping the birds and then
releasing them at the Khao Mai Kheow Open Zoo, feeding them on rice dipped
in white wine to keep them nearby. No birds will be killed, he said.
