New plans to help Pattaya’s homeless reintegrate in society

Pattaya officials are trying new ways to improve the city’s issues with homelessness. Deputy Mayor Wuttisak Rueimkitkan led a campaign launch yesterday, with help from the Chonburi Homeless Protection Center. The campaign’s goal is to help integrate homeless people back into society.

Wuttisak had two groups of city officials look for homeless people around Pattaya Beach Road and Pattaya Second Road. The officials helped them with issues over documentation as a first step to integrating them back into society. Wuttisak said that every second and fourth Thursday of the month, officials will set up a stand in front of the Mike Shopping Mall. The mall is in the South Pattaya beach area.

At the stand, officials have been helping homeless people reconnect with state agencies to receive basic needs. This includes proper IDs, shelters, jobs, and Covid-19 protection.

The campaign is urging people not to give money to homeless people, but instead to push them to get help from authorities to reintegrate into society.

Last year, Pattaya’s homeless population was reported to be on the rise after a year without foreign tourists. Even though Pattaya was named one of the top 20 most visited cities in the world back in 2019 with 10 million foreign tourists, Covid-19 restrictions forced many businesses to close. Even some women who worked in bars in the city’s red light district were setting up tents in the empty bars to sleep at night.

Now that many of Thailand’s Covid restrictions have eased, time will tell if Pattaya’s new campaign against homelessness works.

SOURCE: The Pattaya News | The Pattaya News