Pattaya, Thailand – Pattaya Council members Metakrit Suntoras and Suchart Khunjeng, accompanied by Sukraj Kalra, President of the Walking Street Community, visited the long-troubled site of the South Pattaya Canal on July 17, to evaluate the progress made in addressing persistent issues that have afflicted the canal for over a decade.
Once a prominent public utility, the South Pattaya Canal has suffered from severe neglect, prompting various state agencies from both Banglamung and Pattaya Municipality to come together to restore its status as a public utility. Unauthorized constructions encroaching on public land and irresponsible waste disposal have caused environmental degradation and the emission of unpleasant odors.
Despite previous efforts by authorities to tackle the situation, including reclaiming public land and curbing waste disposal, little headway has been made in addressing the root cause of the problem. Consequently, the condition of the canal has significantly deteriorated over the years, with floating garbage and foul-smelling black water becoming a distressing norm.
The current state of the South Pattaya canal not only affects the daily lives of local residents but also tarnishes Pattaya’s economic image as a global tourist hotspot, especially with the renowned Walking Street nearby. Local communities residing along the canal express their dismay as business operators continue to indiscriminately discard waste, exacerbating the canal’s degradation and water pollution.
Despite frequent official visits to the site, the lack of decisive measures remains evident, leading to disappointment among local communities who continue to bear the brunt of the canal’s deteriorated state impacting their living conditions.
