PATTAYA, Thailand – A persistent issue in Pattaya’s economic centre was highlighted on September 19 when a woman, appearing to be a vagrant, was seen using drugs on Soi Buakhao, a busy street popular with local and international tourists. The scene, captured in a photo circulating on social media, showed her surrounded by drug paraphernalia, a lighter, and her personal belongings, as pedestrians passed by.
Even under observation, the woman continued her activities, seemingly unfazed by her surroundings. Some tourists, touched by her plight, offered her money, but local residents expressed growing frustration over the situation. They noted that despite previous complaints to authorities, the woman repeatedly returns to the same spot, accumulating more belongings and causing distress within the community.
Residents have reported that she often uses a yellow umbrella to conceal her drug use and engages in personal hygiene in public areas, detracting from the neighbourhood’s cleanliness and overall image. Efforts to intervene have met with hostility, as the woman has reacted aggressively to those who attempt to help. Additionally, there are rising concerns about fire hazards, with reports of her playing with fire near her makeshift sleeping area.
Local residents are now urgently calling for intervention from relevant authorities to address this escalating issue, which they believe is harming the area’s reputation as a tourist destination and contributing to an increasingly unsafe environment.
