Grilling the corrupt: Pattaya vows to clean up squid scandal
In a sizzling showdown, the Pattaya deputy mayor has sworn to weed out corruption among city officials extorting grilled squid vendors, promising severe consequences for those found guilty.
At the crack of dawn today, December 16, Pattaya City Special Affairs officers swooped in on a group of street vendors illegally peddling their goods on Soi Pattaya Tai 15, right by the bustling entrance to Walking Street in Nongprue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri province. Among those nabbed was 23 year old Nicha (surname withheld), a grilled squid vendor caught in the net.
Fuming yet resigned, Nicha spilled the beans to reporters, revealing her discontent over being apprehended. She alleged that some officials had been pocketing monthly fees in return for allowing her to sell in the lucrative location, with the audacity to demand free food as well.
This time, the arresting officers were a different crew from those previously on the take. Nicha accepted her fate but vowed to expose the corrupt official who leached off her, ready to finger him for a formal investigation, reported Amarin TV.
Deputy Mayor Wuttisak Reumkitcharoen minced no words about Pattaya City’s no-nonsense policy prohibiting street vending in the Walking Street area at night. He backed up the bans, citing tourists’ gripes that vendors cramp travel flow and tarnish the area’s image, tasking officials to make sure vendors toe the line.
In light of vendors’ explosive claims of money and goods extortion by crooked officials, Wuttisak has come out swinging, promising to dole out severe penalties, up to outright dismissal, if wrongdoing is verified. It’s all part of his mission to uphold fairness and polish Pattaya City’s gleaming image.
In related news, Pattaya’s bustling markets and entertainment zones were rocked by a dramatic crackdown on illegal foreign workers as Chon Buri provincial police launched a large-scale operation yesterday, November 28. The raid, involving over 100 officers, targeted individuals working unlawfully in jobs reserved for Thai nationals.
