Editor;
Christmas Day 2011 and after a late night on Christmas Eve I decided to take a quiet stroll along the beach. What a disappointment that was.
Firstly, to call that thin sliver of sand a beach is laughable. To then try and walk along it proved impossible as the vendors had their plastic shades and tables right down to the water’s edge. The beach did look busy at first glance but after stopping 3 times and doing a quick count I estimated that only about 25% of the chairs were actually being used.
Plan B – Walk along that reasonably nice promenade that has been built during the last decade. Once again this proved virtually impossible due to the market that had been set up. In many places the passage way left for people to walk on was less than 1 meter wide. Does Pattaya really need another market selling exactly the items that are available at numerous other outlets around the city? I wonder how the local traders feel about it. Yes, those people who try to make a living year round, not briefly stop over to make a killing on busy holidays and festivals. I wonder if anyone has even bothered to ask them.
Perhaps before making expensive plans to reinstate the beach the local powers that be should consider what the general public actually wants for a beach setting. I think they’d find it a place for relaxation and recreation, not shopping.
Scottish George
