Walking street in Pattaya, 'a never-ending story'
One of the most famous areas of Pattaya is the Walking Street. Somewhat comparable to the former fame of the Red Light District in Amsterdam. The government still does not know what to do with this area.
One option was to demolish the entire area, from Pattaya Thai to Bali Hai pier. This would involve an investment of 1,5 billion Baht to build a park and a Marina port. This option has been on the shelf at the City Hall for years.
Option two is a bit more vague in terms of approach. All property owners must remove all their structures that are closer than 40 meters to the Entertainment zone. In the past, the often wooden structures were bought from fishermen by investors. In practice, it appears that investors, the business world and the tourist lobby can live with the latter idea. The total demolition of the area, although it looks terrible during the day, did not resonate. The tourism industry expects a setback in sales if tourists stay away from the global concept of “Walking Street”.
The total demolition, for which the government already gave permission on March 17, 1992, did not take place for various reasons. The real estate owners, among other things, kept their leg stiff. It is known that several influential and wealthy families and politicians had an interest in this. In 2002, the former mayor tried to find a compromise. Homeowners would sell their properties to the city, the council would invest in this area and rent the property to the former owners. The last plan in 2015 to demolish 12 houses also disappeared in the bottom desk drawer.
For now it remains a clean dream. From the Beach Road to the Bali Hai pier, no nice wide street will be built and there will be no park with artificially constructed islands. The new beautiful lighthouse with clock and jetties for small tourist boats will also remain mothballed for the time being.
The entire area as far as future development is concerned remains unclear. The focus is now on the official title deeds of the owners. The solution may have to come from the military, who have been called in by the city council.