A viral video clip offers one reason why Pattaya’s beaches are so nasty. Apparently, large-scale pipes buried under the sandy shore just near world-famous Walking Street are shepherding — something — from the business area of town right into the sea that is supposed to draw people to the resort town.
The one-minute clip, posted to Facebook page True Pattaya and viewed 24,000 times since Wednesday, shows cranes digging up the beach to reveal what some claim are waste pipes to perform maintenance.
Though some commenters noted that it might be rainwater or other drainage, most believed it to be sewage. If you’ve ever visited the beach in Pattaya, you’ll have experienced the bad smells and murky water at their seaside firsthand.
The page claims that the pipes drain into the ocean about 300 meters offshore, so that the travesty can’t be easily viewed from shore.
The video was accompanied by the message:
“Pattaya’s dirty secret. The sewers are going right into the water. This includes shit, vomit, chemical waste, food waste, and everything else. Then the City Hall has the balls to claim that Pattaya is a family destination, a place for nature and sport? How do they let the kids and family touch this horrible water? Check this video and share it so that they are forced to invest in water treatment and stop this as soon as possible. There are three tubes like this. One at North Beach Road, at the top; this one, close to Soi 6; and another at the entrance of Walking Street. Their exit is about 300 meters offshore where people cannot see.”
Commenters said, “Good grief you’d have to be suicidal to swim there. Sheer filth, and not the good stuff,” “I always thought that water was a bit suspicious,” and “Last week, I was knee deep on Pattaya Beach Soi 13 and saw condoms, sanitary towels, and other rubbish. Its horrible, knee-deep and you cannot see your feet. The sea is brown!”
One ingenious person offered advice to the entire town to, “Stop shitting and vomiting.”
But the best comment has to be, “There is a beach in Pattaya??”
Classic.
Thai channel Sophon Cable shared a related video yesterday that already has 17,000 views and outlines how polluted and dirty the shoreline and shallow waters are. It’s hard to identify what that gray sludge and muck might even be.
Well, we are less likely than ever to go for a dip at the beach in Pattaya. Well done to the town Thailand is trying to rehab from Sin City to a family destination.
Municipal offices in Pattaya were closed at the time of publication but we’ll update this story with a response to the claims as soon as we’re able.
Treaon says
Shed a tear for Thailand.
For mother nature, yeah she’s still here. Shed a tear for mother nature.
She has big plans for the land of Thai. Where to start?
Try and try.
But the sun shall rise again.
Over pristine waters of Pattaya, don’t ask me when.