Nearly 100 residents near Naklua’s Nokyang canal petitioned Pattaya officials for more time to remove structures encroaching on the flood-control channel as the city tries to evict them over the concerns of Chonburi Province.
The city earlier issued demolition orders for 91 houses and cited an additional 25, saying all were built on top of or partly obstructed the public canal, exacerbating flooding problems in the area. They were given 15 days to remove their structures or face legal action and demolition by the city.
About 30 residents presented a petition to mayor Anan Charoenchasri on May 30, pleading for more time, as they had lived for decades in the area and could not simply uproot their lives in two weeks.
Sixty-four homeowners filed a formal appeal with Chonburi Province and the appeals committee ruled that they are part of a permanent community with official registration numbers and legal public utilities that are funded through the Pattaya City budget. Therefore, the committee said, removing these homes could cause a major adverse impact on the community.
Pattaya City Hall was asked to further explain its actions and outline solutions to help the affected homeowners.
Deputy Mayor Vichien Pongpanit said the city is coordinating with the Department of Social Development to find new homes and relocate those affected, as well as talking with the country’s public housing administration for solutions.
The city’s plan is to first evict people renting property while giving those who own their own homes more time. But all residents were warned that during the transition period they must keep the area clean and not further pollute or obstruct the canal.
