Bid to ‘clean up’ Pattaya speedboat chaos

The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) plan to ‘clean up’ a large number of tourist speedboats that crowd Pattaya’s Bali Hai pier will improve the image of the resort town, but may affect tourism, say business operators.

Marine traffic problems caused by nearly 1,000 speedboats, and the government’s intention to give the resort town a face-lift in its preparation for hosting the International Fleet Review next year are cited as two main reasons behind the proposed move.

Col Phopanan Lueangphanuwat, deputy chief of the 14th Military Circle, announced the speedboat relocation proposal after his latest inspection of the pier in Chon Buri.

“This is a good policy,” said Sanitbun Machai, chairman of the Pattaya Tourist Boat Association. He said he has been working to keep the increasing number of tourist boats in an orderly manner since he was a member of the Pattya Council, so he agrees with the NCPO’s fresh move.

Since 1999, Bali Hai, covering up to 17 rai of land, has been developed into Pattaya’s main pier with a deep water zone for commercial ferries and a docking area for speedboats.

The plan aims to rearrange docking spaces for speedboats that gather at Pattaya beach to carry tourists to and from Koh Lan, a scenic islet located off Chon Buri coast.

Officials believe this could help solve traffic congestion and brush up Pattaya’s tourist image

However, erosion has damaged parts of the docking area and, according to an earlier media report, this has caused speedboat operators to pick up passengers from the north Pattaya beachfront, leading to chaotic scenes of transportation every morning.

If the NCPO chooses to solve the problem by relocating the pier, Mr Sanitbun said he, together with most of the operators, will not oppose it, but the problem is it is not clear where the new site will be located.

If a new pier is far from tourist pick-up spots, the operators need to bear more fuel expenses, which will cause them to increase fare rates and eventually affect tourism, he said, suggesting tourists may have to pay higher fares.

Currently up to 80% of visitors travelling to Pattaya use tourist boat services, he added.

Mr Sanitbun said a relocation could be an alternative and reflects the military’s intention to clean up the mess, however, this solution may “not solve the problem at its root”.

Mr Sanitbun suggested authorities divert their efforts to curb the number of speedboats.