Despite Pattaya’s plentitude of markets, some residents are digging for their own food; scooping up claims, crabs and oysters amid the bustle at Bali Hai Pier.
Pimporm Nuanong, 43, said she tried many times to fish at the busy harbor, but never came away with anything edible. But looking at the shoreline, she found plenty of shells, many still with clams and oysters inside, plus the occasional crab.
Residents in Laem Bali Hai, South Pattaya, dig for clams at the pier.
After she came home one day with five kilograms of seafood, her neighbors joined in. Now the shoreline has a steady crowd of Thais digging with everything from spoons to shovels to clean out any sea life or simply shells to sell at local markets.
City officials have let the practice continue despite concerns the throngs of hunters in search of marine life for themselves are damaging the beachfront’s image and marine ecosystem.
Clams from the sea.
