Mayoral candidate Sinchai Wattanasartsathorn promised to cancel unnecessary and disruptive infrastructure projects and use the money to bring Pattaya’s economy back to life.
At the first rally for the Pattaya Ruam Jai group May 24 at Mini Siam Flea Market on Sukhumvit Road, former mayor and party leader Niran Wattanasartsathorn introduced his brother, Sinchai, and the group’s 24 candidates for city council.
Niran, who dropped out of politics in 2004, said he came out of retirement after watching Pattaya disintegrate under appointed Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome.
“While we understand that (economic problems) were caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, problem-solving was slow and have shown no concrete results, which led to unemployment, closed businesses and no tourism,” Niran said. “Consequently, Pattaya is now stagnant, which never happened before during the past 10 years.”
Niran also blasted never-ending road and drainage projects, which have left the city in shambles.
Sinchai, an outgoing city councilman and former head of the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association, said his first order of business would be to review the many public works projects and cancel those that are unnecessary right now. The money saved would be used to rebuild the city’s economy, he pledged.
“Pattaya is my home,” said Sinchai, who heads the Flipper Group of hotels in the city. “When I saw the problems and vexation people have, I decided to run.”
Sinchai said that while he is new to elected politics, he has been a city councilman since being appointed by the former junta in 2016. During that time, he helped create Pattaya’s reopening plan, the city’s inclusion in the “Test & Go” tourist-entry scheme and getting permission for alcohol to be sold in city restaurants.
“I’ve done all that work with no publicity or credit because my heart is with this city,” he said.
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