While the cats were away, the rats went back to play at the South Pattaya Canal.
During the months when Pattaya had no mayor or city council, unknown people built an illegal bridge over the canal, knowing there was no one to enforce anti-encroachment laws. Someone in city hall finally caught on this week.
Pattaya has spent more than a decade battling encroachment on the vital “khlong”, which shuttles much of the city’s storm runoff to the sea. Even big name hotels at the end of Walking Street have encroached on the canal, putting a decorative island in the middle of the man-made river, as well as two bridges.
But, apparently, it’s fine for some influential people to encroach the canal, but not so for ordinary folks. Deputy Mayor Manote Nongyai said a demolition order already has been issued and criminal charges will be prepared for whoever built it.
Manote said there currently are three bridges across the canal, with the only one to obtain permission from the Department of Marine Resources being the Siam Bayshore’s. Legal proceedings against the builders of the third bridge are crawling their way through the courts.
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