Pattaya has resumed closing its beaches to umbrella vendors once a month after suspending the practice during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mayor Poramet Ngampichet and city officials visited Pattaya Beach Oct. 19 to ensure that all chairs and umbrellas were removed from the sand so that the beach could be cleaned.
The practice was started by the military junta after the 2014 coup, but was suspended over the past two-plus years when cash-strapped vendors asked for leniency during tough times.
But with the pandemic all but officially over, Poramet said things are going back to 2019 on the beach and vendors must clear out every third Wednesday of the month.
Tourists brought their own chairs, tents, blankets and mats and those interviewed said they approved of the policy, as it kept the beach clean.