If there has been any silver lining to Pattaya’s lengthy lockdown and slow recovery, it’s been the revival of the beach and sea.
Not only has the sandy shoreline itself been revived, but the water, too, is clearer and cleaner than in recent memory.
A stroll along Pattaya Beach Aug. 10 saw expats and domestic tourists splashing in the water with fish dotting the shoreline, something rarely seen during Pattaya’s heaviest periods of tourism.
One beach vendor said weekends have been busy, but weekdays are dead, reflecting that Pattaya tourism is now driven by Thais who only arrive when not working.
The vendor said one inducement to using the beach would be to improve parking along Beach Road to make it easier to visit.