As a Pattaya native, Noppinun "Nu" Sangthong, a 47-year-old owner of a souvenir shop on Beach Road, has seen virtually everything -- from the behaviour of crazy drunken sex tourists to transgender thieves with tricks up their sleeves.
Nu has gone to work at her shop from her home on Sukhumvit Road for every single day of the past 15 years. In that time she has seen the city change drastically. But for somebody who has claimed to have seen it all, there is one thing she cannot bring herself to get used to, regardless of how many times she is confronted with it.
"Every time it starts raining heavily, a massive amount of water will flood the whole area," said Nu. "Most of the time, it's unexpected and I haven't prepared for it. Much of my merchandise gets destroyed in the flash flooding. It seems to get worse each time and no one cares to do anything to help."
Following heavy rainfall last weekend, several areas of Pattaya -- most notably Beach Road and Pattaya Sai 3 Road -- were turned from four-lane roads into temporary canals. Social media users sharing footage of the flood started wondering why the city had recently been swamped by a problem usually plaguing other parts of the country.
DELUGE OF ISSUES
Photo: Trinai Jansrichol
Floods are not uncommon sights in Thailand's rainy season. Several areas in the country suffer from these issues. When heavy rain takes place in the North, the water moves down through central Thailand before being flushed into the Gulf of Thailand.
Central Thailand is famously prone to flooding, being located on natural flood plains near the Chao Phraya River delta. However, flooding is increasingly common in other parts of Thailand, including the northeastern and eastern regions of the country.
As the weather grows more extreme, the aftermath becomes more brutal.
Last weekend the social media world was awash in photos and videos of flash flooding in parts of Pattaya as well as Si Racha and Chon Buri. One photo from a Pattaya woman came with a caption that read she had "never seen anything like this" for her 17 years of living in the city. The video shared shows a flood sweeping through the woman's area and powerfully moving objects out of its way as it goes.
While flooding in Pattaya and parts of Chon Buri does not last long, the sheer volume of water is enough to have people concerned about their safety and security. Pattaya residents are worried, especially business owners who rely on tourists for revenue.
"We get scared every time we hear that heavy rainfall is expected in the area because we know that Pattaya will be under water again as it happens every time," said Thanongsak Srisan, a 52-year-old restaurant owner on Pattaya Sai 3 Road. "It seems to happen over and over again, especially this year. We can't do anything about it but wait until the water goes down.
"I wonder if anyone at the Pattaya City Hall actually does their job. This problem isn't new but no one seems to care about solving it. It may seems like only a little flooding when compared with other parts of Thailand, but as a business operator I know that every minute counts."
ON THE RISE
Once a humble fishermen's village in the 1960s, Pattaya has since become one of Thailand's fastest-growing cities, with its wealth of hotels, high-rises and businesses.
VALUABLE SERVICE: Left, Pattaya City workers clean up the beach after yet another flood rolled into town.
As the city's development skyrockets, infrastructure is being installed over time to accommodate new visitors. However, the city seems to struggle to keep up. Better urban planning was established as a key priority in the latest meeting of local officials.
In the process, businesses are being systematised and commercialised, including traditionally family-run operations like beach chair rental shops. This doesn't only change the nature of business in Pattaya but the whole local lifestyle itself.
City officials plan to construct more buildings to accommodate visitors staying for both short and long-term stints. Water, electricity and drainage systems are being installed to support the growing number of residents.
Seventeen years ago, the city installed 40-centimetre-wide pipes underground as part of a new drainage system through which wastewater is sent to the factory to treat before it's released into the ocean. They have since added more 60cm pipes.
The system was installed with the hope that it would last the 10 years to follow. Seven years have passed since the point when the system was meant to work.
Besides the time passed, Pattaya itself has changed, with its fast-growing population.
SPLASHING OVER
According to data records, the drainage system installed in Pattaya in 2000 can handle 65,000 cubic metres of water per day. However, the latest statistics show there at least 80,000 cubic metres of water moving through the pipelines on an average day -- a statistic explaining the system's failure to cope with recent rainfall.
The drainage system is largely used for wastewater. Rainwater gets mixed with sewage water before overflowing onto the main road, then back into the ocean.
Thanet Supornsahasrungsi, a Pattaya City spokesperson, told local media that Pattaya Bay might be facing a crisis as the city's wastewater treatment plant is in extremely poor shape. He mentioned that only 20% of the equipment currently functions -- an insufficient figure to accommodate today's large volumes of water.
Gone untreated, the wastewater leads to growing ocean pollution.
Pattaya has three main canals -- Pattaya Tai, Pluek Pab and Nokyang. These are theoretically useful for draining rainwater into the ocean and avoiding floods. However, many of these areas have been overwhelmed by the formation of slums. The communities living around these canals tend to toss garbage into the water, blocking rainwater from entering the ocean.
Sompop Wandee, acting director for the Bureau of Sanitary Works, told Spectrum that Pattaya's flooding issues come down to two factors -- location and drainage system.
"Pattaya City, which is occupied by many hotels and businesses, is situated at sea level," explained Mr Sompop. "Meanwhile, residential areas on the side of Sukhumvit Road are situated in the hilly areas. It is 30 to 100 metres higher than Pattaya City. So when it rains, the water will flow down from higher to lower ground before flowing out into the ocean.
"The drainage system that Pattaya City has is part of the old infrastructure that has been in place since the year 1978. The old system uses small pipes that are 40 centimetres wide. We installed new ones that are 60 centimetres wide at some selected spots. But that's still not enough to solve the problem."
Pattaya City has 12 water pump stations but not all can be counted on to work properly. However, workers are on site 24 hours a day to ensure flooding is stopped as quickly as possible.
"Other parts of Thailand may have floods but we can truly say that Pattaya doesn't have the same problem," said Mr Sompop. "We have the problem of water waiting to be drained and we are usually able to take care of the problem within one hour. It may look bad on social media but I can guarantee that we act on it quickly."
STEMMING THE TIDE
After seeing the same problem repeat itself and seemingly worsen, the mayor of Pattaya City, >> >> Maj Gen Anan Charoenchasri, has given priority to fixing the endemic flooding. He allocated a budget of 58 billion baht to ensuring that residents and business owners in Pattaya don't have to suffer the effects of flooding much longer.
Officials first set out to tackle the flooding problem by checking that all water stations were ready to use in the case of rain. The water pump pushes water both north and south to stop the water from entering Pattaya.
"We are going to build a system that looks like a floodway in order to push the water to the north and to the south of Pattaya into the three canals that we have," said Mr Sompop. "So when large amounts of water come in, they get pushed into the canals before going back into the ocean. When the rain water doesn't come into town, it won't get mixed in with the wastewater and overflow into the ocean, causing water pollution."
City officials have issued eviction orders to slum communities along Pattaya Tai Canal. They can legally evict more than 90% of people from the area. They are now in the process of constructing a wall to prevent the land's erosion as well as cleaning up and widening the canal -- all in an effort to restore its purpose as a natural drainage system.
The slum communities along Pluek Pab and Nokyang canals will also be evicted to let the canals drain out excess water. Officials see taking back public land as a move to solve the flooding problem in the long run.
In the future, Mr Sompop says that a budget of 665 million baht will be requested for the fiscal year of 2019 to improve the drainage system in Pattaya. Officials plan to provide a separate pipeline for rainwater and wastewater for proper treatment purposes.
"The city will grow even bigger and faster as soon as the high-speed train comes to Pattaya," Mr Sompop said. "We also plan to fully develop U-tapao airport to be used as the aviation regional hub in the future, meaning more people will come to the city. So we need to get ready for that day.
"We will install bigger pipes, around one to two metres wide, to handle the water that will flow through in the future. We will also upgrade the water plant to make sure that it can run at its full capacity in the future.
"Flood problems will not occur if we humans don't try to change nature. We built houses, railways, hotels and many more to block nature's path. So now we will make sure that we our system synchronises with the natural drainage way in order to solve the problem more permanently."
RAPID DEVELOPMENT: Once a humble fishermen's village in the 1960s, Pattaya has since become one of Thailand's fastest-growing cities, with its wealth of hotels, high-rises and businesses. Photo: Patipat Janthong
LENDING A HAND: A policeman helps to clean up after one of Pattaya's regular flash floods. Photo: Chaiyot Phupattanapong Photo: Chaiyot Phupattanapong
SOAKING IT UP: Pattaya City at sea level is inundated with water from higher surrounding areas each time there is heavy rainfall. Photos: Chaiyot Phupattanapong
RUBBISH PROBLEM: Pattaya's regular floods mean that piles of garbage collect and block drains from clearing the water.
DEVASTATION: A house is left surrounded by garbage after a flash flood swept through the area.
STRUGGLING TO COPE: Pattaya's drainage system can handle 65,000 cubic metres of water per day but 80,000 cu m moves through pipes each day.
CLEAN-UP: Above and below, people clear the mess after flooding in Pattaya. Residents say the problem is getting worse. Photos: Chaiyot Phupattanapong
TOUGH JOB: Sompop Wandee says Pattaya's regular flooding is caused by the city's location and drainage system. PHOTO: CHAIYOT YONGCHAROENCHAI