Phasakorn Channgam
The chairwoman of the Senate’s Tourism Committee
slammed poor city management of Pattaya Beach and said worsening
environmental and leisure conditions are impeding efforts to attract
high-end tourists.
At a July 20 hearing at the Dusit Thani Hotel,
Thanyarat Ajariyachai said bookings at five- and three-star hotels in
Pattaya have declined due to Pattaya Beach’s ongoing erosion problem,
aging facilities and scams by beach vendors. She said the beach lacked
proper management and control and said that unless something was done,
Pattaya would quickly revert to a destination only for sex tourists.
Thanyarat said the majority of Scandinavian tourists
already choose Phuket as their holiday destination and families want to
be closer to nature, not alcohol, bars and pole dancing. “It’s
everywhere and there is no clear zoning,” she complained.
The hearing was called to ask both government and
private-sector representatives about ways to bolster tourism and remove
impediments to its growth.
Pattaya officials are entirely responsible for maintaining order and
managing Pattaya Beach, but a lack of any law enforcement is obvious,
she said. She said she plans to compile the result of her findings and
feedback from the meeting into a report for the new government.
