Local officials and soldiers inspected speedboat and other vendors at Bali Hai Pier after complaints about aggressive and possibly illegal sales tactics.
Banglamung and Pattaya regulatory enforcement officers and soldiers mobilized Sept. 17, looking for speedboat vendors pestering tourists and others illegally collecting parking fees at the public jetty.
Officials said complaints centered around speedboat operators who aggressively try to persuade tourists to use their services to go to Koh Larn. Vendors start off with a very high price and force people to spend lots of time bargaining to strike a deal.
The vendors cooperated with authorities, but were ordered to attend a short meeting to explain their behavior. They claimed they were only trying to do business and that the complaints were exaggerated.
Officials said the root of the problem lies in the fact there are too many vendors competing for too few customers, creating conflicts among themselves and with tourists.
The matter will be taken up at a future Pattaya City Council meeting.
