After three decades without tap water, Pattaya’s village protests

More than 50 people took part in a demonstration against the scarcity of water and the politicians’ hollow promises on Tuesday in the village of Moo 4. The village is situated in the Bang Lamung district of the Chon Buri province. The Pattaya mayor formed a task force to address the city’s problems on the same day as the protest. Pattaya’s mayor, Poramese Ngampiches, admitted that as the city constructed its infrastructure in accordance with the Eastern Economic Corridor Development Plan, there would surely be some growing pains. It remains to be seen whether these current measures to repair Pattaya’s infrastructure will ultimately make it easier for residents of Moo 4 to access drinking water. After 30 years, residents of one East Pattaya hamlet are sick of not having access to tap water. According to a local government spokeswoman, residents of the Nong Plalai sub-district had access to tap water in the past, but it wasn’t safe to drink. Tidsanu Teerakul, the director of the Chonburi complaint center, made a pledge to the district governor of Banglamung and the provincial governor to submit copies of the residents’ letter of complaint. The demonstrators claim that there is still a water deficit despite numerous petitions and promises made over the years. For the natives, a tank of water costs 170 baht twice every week. The task group put a lot of effort into compiling a comprehensive list of all the repairs required in Pattaya so that the mayor could start doing them within the next month. One of the topics highlighted was the need for better public utilities.