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21.04.09 THE METAMORPHOSIS OF PATTAYA
Source: Pattaya Daily
Pattaya has finally been designated as a suitable candidate for
substantial improvements in its environment and infrastructure by the
government. The city and its eight adjacent tambons have gained the go
ahead from the necessary government agencies to begin planning the
blueprint to perform the much needed transformation of the city into a
green and pleasant resort destination, acceptable to tourists and
visitors worldwide.
The master plan to this end
is currently being drawn up under the guidelines proposed by DASTA in
collaboration with the Pattaya City Council, with the intention of
beginning to implement the comprehensive redevelopment of the city a
year from now.
DASTA, or the Designated Areas for Sustainable
Tourism Administration, is a public organization that was established
under the royal decree of September 13th, 2003, under the Thaksin
government, to sustain tourism in various designated areas in Thailand.
The cabinet of the present government has now ratified the proposals
for the metamorphosis of Pattaya, originally put before it last month
by Deputy Prime Minister, Maj Gen Sanan Khachornprasart, the overseer
of tourism in Thailand.
The mission of DASTA is to integrate
the tourism developments in designated areas under the government's
policy and regulation. The redevelopment of designated areas, such as
Pattaya, will be overseen, preserved, and renovated in accordance with
the stipulations of the necessary government agencies. The quality of
tourism products and services will also be brought up to global
standards, to allow Thailand’s premier resort to compete with other
foreign tourism destinations.
Recently,
tourism in Pattaya has suffered significantly, especially from the
impact of the “shirt syndrome”, namely the Yellow Shirts’ closing of
Bangkok’s main airports and the recent invasion of the city and
particularly the ASEAN conference at the Royal Cliff Conference Centre
by the Red Shirts. Added to this, we have the perennial problems of
over- and haphazard development, overcrowding, deterioration of the
public infrastructure, inadequate water supplies, coastal erosion and
marine pollution and an increasing crime rate, particularly involving
drugs.
Accordingly,
any plans to transform the city and its environs will be welcomed by
the hospitality industry, local businesses and the populace in general.
The proposals are being particularly welcomed by the Pattaya City
Mayor, Itthiphol Khunpleum, who thanked the cabinet for endorsing the
plan, which he acknowledged as totally necessary for the city’s
wellbeing and continued development as a major resort. Additionally,
the mayor stressed that any transformation was only possible with the
aid of governmental agencies, as the city had neither the wherewithal
or ability to transform itself alone. The mayor’s sentiments also
gained the support of business leaders and other interested parties in
the city.
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