Can Pattaya change its spots?

News > Local News

A whopping 15 billion baht is sought to change the seaside resort's image. But first there's a little matter of clearing up crime and foreign gangsters

Published: 26 Feb 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

Pattaya _ the painted old lady by the sea_ is about to undergo a 15 billion baht face-lift. City executives ambitiously want to turn the city into ''New Pattaya, the World Class Greenovative Tourism City'' with a ''green and clean'' environment for tourists and locals.

But for the Cinderella transformation to take place, the city needs to be classified as a Designated Area for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Dasta), an initiative introduced by the former Thaksin administration, which gives it semi-autonomy.

The city's administrators have been pushing for the move to reclassify Pattaya and its surrounds since 2008. Dasta approved the application in 2009, allowing Pattaya City to swallow eight municipalities and tambon administrations. The Pattaya masterplan was approved by cabinet last year.

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banmebkk
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Discussion 31 : 28 Feb 2012 at 16.4431
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Thailand use to be a family destination even Thais would take their children back in the 90s given the sex trade. Now its just a dump with an influx of rowdy tourists and crime. The only positive thing is that food prices are actually still quite reasonable given that the market is targeted towards foreigners.
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lazar
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Discussion 30 : 27 Feb 2012 at 02.3430
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Itthiphol Khunploem has a nice little thing going with Pattaya farangs, so back off and just move along ok.
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dao
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Discussion 29 : 26 Feb 2012 at 22.1529
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Pattaya is as big as it is and makes as much money as it is because it is a sex tourist hangout .If it wasn't it would look like Rayong or Sattahip .Good luck pulling the plug on that .There are too many greedy mafia types and police making money off keeping it open .
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soltair
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Discussion 28 : 26 Feb 2012 at 20.1328
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Foreign criminals are using the major and immigration chief (and other dignitaries) as a photo ops to be used to intimidate and bully the older and feeble retirees and other expats, "stealing" literally millions from them. If those people cannot "see" with whom they are dealing how can we get rid of them?
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thaidiver
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Discussion 27 : 26 Feb 2012 at 19.1227
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For the Mayor to say with a straight face that Foreign criminals and gansters are even on the radar screen as a minor issue is a joke. Meanwhile innocent tourists are still being targeted everday by the Jet-Ski Mafia and all he and city hall have done is pay lip service to this major problem, year in and year out.
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lazo

Discussion 26 : 26 Feb 2012 at 18.5026
Start by cleaning the whole police, make them do what are they suppoused to do and check after what areas need to be Greenovated
from iPhone application.
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Renaissance
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Discussion 25 : 26 Feb 2012 at 16.4625
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There is more chance of Thaksin keeping a promise about not getting involved in politics again than Pattaya being cleaned up of its dirt and crime. Even many years ago the Police drove Mercedes Benzes. What do they drive now?
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bkposter
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Discussion 24 : 26 Feb 2012 at 16.2624
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Re: D6 you are so right. The biggest mafia of all is the police department. They spend the entire day and night out making collections for protection, and that includes the legal as well as the illegal business, the illegal ones just pay a little more. Every one then is required to pay up the chain a little piece of the pie. Any talk about cleaning it up is just telling you what you want to hear...and will never happen. Pattaya just happens to suffer from a more serious and acute case of what is happening all over the country.
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golf
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Discussion 23 : 26 Feb 2012 at 16.2423
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Why is everybody complaining about Pattaya? Pattaya attracts around 5 Million Visiors every year. The city is heavily growing so it needs more investment to control it. Nobody wants to get rid of the nightlife, pubs and clubs. But it needs entertainment zoneing, clean and secure pubs without drugs and weapons. So just improve the infrastucture, the beaches and the roads, employ more police, keep Pattaya clean and green and you will see - the "bad" foreigners and Thai criminals will move by themselves, because they don't feel well anymore. A 15 billion baht Pattaya face lift is a great idea!
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siamitude
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Discussion 22 : 26 Feb 2012 at 15.1922
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Dont go to Pattaya. It sucks !
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