Pattaya’s Kratinglai neighborhood wants work at a beach-erosion project halted so residents can explain why they believe it will destroy the marine ecosystem.
Boonma Fungrak, president of the Ban Rong Mai Keed Community, claimed city hall provided no prior notice and offered no public hearings before beginning construction of a stone barrier to prevent tides from carrying away sand from Kratinglai Beach.
Their complaints come late in the process, however, as work began in April and is scheduled to complete Oct. 22.
Boonma said residents were unaware of the 18-million-baht project to combat erosion with a stone wall until the first section behind the Cholchan Resort was finished.
He said residents don’t believe the project will do anything to prevent erosion and, in fact, will create more problems because the rocks in the wall will attract barnacles and moss that could pose a danger to tourists.
More worryingly, however, the change in tidal patterns the barrier will create will irreparably harm the ecosystem, Boonma claimed.
He said it will affect the growth of tiny organisms on which shrimp and crab feed. When their population dwindles, big fish that feed on them will migrate to other areas, he explained.
Boonma filed a formal complaint on behalf of the community asking Pattaya to halt the project and hold public hearings so that residents can explain their opposition and receive more information on the any environmental studies that were done before the backhoes dug in.
