Millions Spent on New Drainage Pipes and Pattaya Still Floods

[Gaybutton]

Locals and holiday travelers have been plagued for nearly a year now as the city has torn up roads (yet again) to install new, supposedly high capacity drainage pipes. For many years, whenever there are heavy rains, much of Pattaya floods because the current drainage system cannot even begin to cope. Lord only knows what is coming up out of those backed up pipes.

 

As a result, there are heavy traffic jams while homes, shops, and streets get flooded out. Of course, major pothole problems occur during and after each each set of rains because of the shoddy work that went into building the roads in the first place, and even shoddier work in repairing the potholes.

 

During every rain, it's still the same streets that flood. At this very moment, many of Pattaya's most heavily trafficked roads are already torn up while the new drainage pipes are being installed. The current rains only add to an already present and persistent problem.

 

I probably don't even have to tell you that the roads and areas in which the new drainage pipes have already been installed were among the first to flood out during the heavy rains of the past few days.

 

Most of the time, the Thai people just live with it and don't make a lot of noise about it. But now, even they have had enough. The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: (see http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_04_05_50.htm for photos)

_____

 

Anger as Floods Return to Pattaya Despite New Drainage Pipes Installed by City Hall

 

After four days of almost non-stop rain, Pattaya is clearly suffering as many areas are suffering from flooding. We were out around the City on Friday Night and saw for ourselves the surface water present in many areas as the cities recently modified drainage system clearly cannot cope and pipes blocked with sand and waste have not been cleared on a regular basis as promised by City Hall.

 

Areas experiencing the worst floods were Soi Beokeow, Tepprasit Road in Jomtien, Soi Arunothai in Central Pattaya and the North end of Pattaya Third Road. The Pattaya City Call Center Number 1337 has been inundated with calls from residents complaining about the flood water and demanding immediate action from City Hall.

 

According to weather reports, the rainstorms are now over for now allowing City Hall to survey the City and ask themselves why the Millions of Baht spend on new drainage pipes has clearly not made a difference.

[Guest wowpow]

Floods during periods of exceptional rain are one thing but what's with Second Road! I was appalled to see that state of this major road between the school and Thapphaya Road junction last evening. For most of this year it has been a muddy quagmire with massive potholes. Yesterday it looked like somewhere in Flanders during the first world war. It water filled hole after hole with the traffic trying to negotiate with difficulty and filthy water being splashed all over the place. One could understand a blip during the heavy rains but this road has been without a surface for many months. It is almost as bad when it is dry as the traffic causes clouds of dust to rise.

 

Something needs doing urgently. This is a major thoroughfare in a major city. The holes need filling and a temporary surface laying even during the drain installation work. In the UK works on major roads are often worked all during the night, despite the large labour costs. Any suggestions on how to draw this to the attention of the City Fathers?

 

Looks like I need to get someone to ring 1337!

 

Accuweather.com are forecasting rain in Pattaya every day over the next week - heaviest on Wednesday.

 

This one was the first offer on google

 

[Guest kenrfc]

Millions for Drains, but not one cent for outflow!

 

[Gaybutton]

Any suggestions on how to draw this to the attention of the City Fathers?

 

My guess is they are already as well aware of it as the rest of us. Why nothing much is done to relieve the problems is anybody's guess. Maybe they don't go down that street often enough for the problems to affect them personally. My guess is that if it did affect them personally the problems would be resolved within a week.

[Guest gay_grampa]

This may be a minor point but it is very irritating.

When it rains, the Boyztown entrance from Second Road between Family Mart and Toy Boys always has a huge puddle in the center of the soi. Due to the motocycle and taxi parking by Family Mart it is impossible to get into Boyztown without having to walk right through that puddle.

It is my understanding that Pattayaland Soi 3 is a private road so it should be the responsibility of those bar owners to repair the road surface? It would only be a small job.

It would also make commercial sense because I know a lot of guys who go to Pattayaland Sois 1 or 2 whenever it rains because they don't want to spend the night wearing soggy footwear.

[Guest thrillbill8]

Because of my job, I have lived in 5 countries outside of the "Western" globe... Compared to countries such as Malaysia or Emirates, I am surprised how city projects in Pattaya are done so...so 1/2 arse and takes so long. One BIG difference in the other countries I have lived in, is that they will hire professionals who know what they are doing...even if it means an outside source... so is this the problem?

[Gaybutton]

they will hire professionals who know what they are doing

 

I'm beginning to wonder if there actually are any professionals in Pattaya who know what they're doing. Of course, they might be highly professional . . . get paid big bucks to do the road work, but use cheap, inferior products with which to do the work, hire uneducated, unskilled workers, make a bundle, and to hell with the rest.

[Guest wowpow]

The Mayor responds to complaints concerning construction work on the South Pattaya Road.

 

 

Khun Niran, the Mayor of Pattaya has received a barrage of complaints regarding ongoing construction work on the South Pattaya Road. New water drainage pipes are currently being installed along the entire stretch of the road which has led to problems with uneven road services and disruption to local businesses. The work has been ongoing for many months and local residents and business owners believe it has gone on for long enough and must now be finished off as quickly as possible. The Mayor visited the road on Wednesday Afternoon to see the problems for himself and confirmed that the work must be completed quickly and he will personally contact the contractor responsible for the work who will be told to finish the work by the end of June or face financial penalties.

 

Pattaya City News