Pattaya will close Dongtan Beach to traffic during daytime rain zones to prevent cars from washing floodwaters onto the sand.
Inspecting the latest repair work to the beach June 27, Mayor Poramet Ngampichet said storm damage is a continual concern on Jomtien Beach and heavy machinery is required to fill in all the trenches carved out by rivers of runoff.
Residents in the area told the mayor the damage reoccurs every time it rains more than an hour.
Poramet said there is a budget for a water-drainage project linking Dongtan Beach with Soi Boonkanjanaram, but it clearly isn’t enough.
More long-term flooding mitigation will be studied but, for now, the Free Zone, where vehicles can pass and park during the day, will be closed during heavy rain that occurs between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., as vehicles push more water onto the sand, he said.