Reconstructed Pattaya Beach officially opened

PHOTOS: Pattaya Unlimited | Pattaya Mail

The Thai Transport Minister and senior marine-management officials have hailed the rebuilding of Pattaya Beach as a great success at the official opening of the reclaimed beach and shoreline.

The reconstruction was completed early this year to muted applause from the locals, but the ceremony was the official recognition of Pattaya and Marine Department officials who spent nearly eight years trying to complete the project.

But between the rebuild and this week’s ceremony, two storms damaged the underpinning structure and washed much of the new sand back into the Gulf of Thailand. It took another two months to repair the damage and return the beach back to its refurbished condition. For now, Pattaya tourists and locals can enjoy the much wider beach.

The 600 million baht project commenced in 2011 and followed warnings from environmentalists that the new sandy shoreline could be washed away within five years following its completion.

SOURCE: Pattaya Mail