When it rains, it floods in Pattaya. But even by the city’s jaded standards, Tuesday’s inundation was a doozy.
Hours of steady afternoon rain overwhelmed drains and pumps, washing away a Mercedes-Benz in East Pattaya, providing a river for two people floating in an inflatable duck, and causing incalculable damage to homes and businesses across the city.
The usual spots – Sukhumvit Road by the Highway Police Station, Beach Road and Third Road, saw their usual 50 centimeters of flooding, submerging sidewalks and rendering motorbikes useless.
The hilly thoroughfares of East Pattaya, most notably Soi Khao Talo, were hit especially hard, turning again into raging rapids with water at one point a meter deep. It was enough to wash a Mercedes sedan into a ditch, requiring volunteers to rescue two mothers and their children.
On Beach Road, waves of water washed plastic chairs used by beach vendors into the middle of the street as a slow parade of cars surfed through, guided by traffic police.
Water washed into houses and businesses. Residents of the Arunothai Community in central Pattaya reported especially heavy damage.
The rain continued until almost 7 p.m., but floodwaters took hours more to drain.
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