Plan to make Pattaya 'World-Class'

[MidTMike]

Pattaya city is putting the final touches on its tourism-development master plan, which will need a budget of about Bt15 billion for 132 projects designed to turn the beach resort into a "world-class greenovative tourism city".

Thiti Chantangphol, director of planning and coordination for the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Dasta), a public organisation, said yesterday that the master plan was being revised to respond to local preferences.

After a survey, which led to the scrapping of plans for a monorail and an above-sea building, a working committee will be set up to monitor the development, which will be carried out by the administrations of Pattaya and nearby areas.

Regarding Pattaya's annual plan, during the first stage Dasta will mainly conduct a study on zoning for the city, with areas for entertainment, seminars, natural tourism and other uses, which should take about six months.

Next Dasta will work on wastewater management and beach recovery to create a sustainable travel destination, giving Pattaya a new all-around image instead of the present one as a nightlife paradise.

Mayor Ittipol Khunpluem said the takeover by Dasta would change the image of Pattaya as well as the cooperation between public and private sectors. Mega-projects will be completed sooner and be more faithful to the blueprint, he added.

Thiti said the results of Pattaya's repositioning as a tourist destination should be visible by 2017.

By then, tourism will be contributing Bt300 billion a year to Pattaya's economy, up from Bt60 million, as visitor arrivals increase from 7 million to 30 million and the average stay stretches out. Pattaya is considered to attract 10 per cent of the country's tourism revenue.

In 15-20 years, 320 rai (about 51 hectares) of Koh Lan, off the coast of Pattaya, will be open to bidding for building and managing three hotels. The hotel concessions will run 30 years.

Dasta will also look to launch Koh Phai, between Koh Lan and Pattaya, as another island attraction.

In 10 years' time, if nothing were done, Pattaya would face many problems such as tap-water shortages, mafia control and traffic congestion, analysts say. During the past five years, the number of tourists has dropped by 9 per cent, which led to lost revenue for both the country and the tourism industry.

The withdrawal of the monorail plan will not affect the Thailand World Expo in 10 years, Thiti said.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2010/12/29/business/Plan-to-make-Pattaya-World-Class-30145410.html