Pattaya will require new licenses for businesses planning to operate in three entertainment zones to be designated in the “Pattaya Model Project” now being drafted by local and national officials.
Speaking at the Jan. 26 Pattaya Business & Tourism Association Meetings, Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh said work on the plan to revise zoning, operating hours and tax systems for entertainment venues is continuing with officials hoping to have results as soon as possible.
Deputy Major Ronakit Ekasingh.
Previously, however, those connected with the blueprint said the plan will not be completed until next year.
Ronakit said the current draft calls for the city to maintain its three official entertainment zones, but improve licensing and inspection for businesses operating there.
Spearheaded by the National Counter Corruption Commission – whose criticism of the Pattaya Police Department’s lax enforcement of national bar-closing times prompted a November bar crackdown – the new zoning plan is being eyed as a possible model for tourist-centric cities around the country. It would not only cover operating hours, but business zoning, tax collection, security, and advertising.
