Area officials have requested 810 million baht from the government to completely overhaul Pattaya’s overmatched storm-drainage system.
Chonburi Gov. Pakarathorn Thienchai said city and provincial authorities requested 665 million baht under the Eastern Economic Corridor project and 145 million baht from the general fund to completely rip out the entirely of Pattaya’s flood drains and replace them with larger pipes.
The governor conceded, however, that even if the money was available tomorrow, considerable study and planning would need to happen before launching such a disruptive project.
At a meeting with military and local officials, Pakarathorn said it was clear that Pattaya has outgrown its storm drains, which actually only cover 75 percent of the city. Most of the pipes are 40 centimeters in diameter.
Add in Pattaya’s flat topography, the 25 percent of the city that has no drainage, small or clogged drains and overdevelopment and you have the recipe for chronic, disastrous flooding, he said.
Pattaya’s current system has all its pipes send water into five canals, which are backed up by pumps in six areas. There also is a 21 rai lake in Huay Yai that serves as a cache basin.
The governor said the long-term solution is to replace the drainage system and split Pattaya’s underground pipes into four networks, allowing them to handle a million cubic meters of water at a time. In addition, Pattaya could take advantage of the drainage system created for the Pattaya tunnel, which alone can handle more than 400,000 cu. meters of water.
The governor did not explain how the tunnel would remain dry if engineers funneled storm runoff from Soi Khao Noi, Soi Khao Talo and other areas of Nongprue into the underpass’ drains.
