After banning speedboats from embarking passengers on Pattaya Beach, city hall now is reconsidering.
Mayor Poramet Ngampichet chaired a Feb. 23 to consider a proposal to set a docking area on the beach where Koh Larn tourists can go on and off speedboats.
The National Council for Peace and Order junta in 2018 ordered all speedboats to move to Bali Hai Pier saying disembarking passengers on the beach was unsafe, Pattaya authorities then spent the next five years ignoring the order and didn’t enforce it.
In December, the Marine Department threatened heavy fines on boat operators who continued to use the beach, but, again, nothing was done.
Mayor Poramet Ngampichet on Feb. 15 said the decision was now made to enforce the ban and impose fines starting March 1. Now he’s ready to flip-flop.
Speedboats will be allowed to board customers at the old pier site next to the Marine Department office, but the area is too small to meet demand, Poramet said. So the city is considering setting a mooring and docking area.
The final decision, however, rests with the Marine Department. In addition, the mayor said, city hall has been asked to require all tour buses to park at Bali Hai and not along Beach Road or side streets.
