Pattaya beach turns into unregulated booze and kratom market
Pattaya Beach, a once serene paradise for tourists and locals, is now teetering on the edge of chaos as unlicenced vendors run rampant.
Once discreet, these sellers now brazenly set up stalls along the shoreline, peddling kratom-laced cocktails and alcoholic beverages, ignoring the law with apparent ease. Despite frequent police patrols, vendors openly resume business the moment officers leave, leaving residents and tourists baffled by the seemingly powerless enforcement.
The personal consumption ruse has become the latest trick in their playbook. Vendors disguise alcohol and kratom drinks as if they’re meant for personal use, only to resume selling freely once the coast is clear. The scene isn’t limited to drinks either. A makeshift market has emerged, with beach chairs rented out to sunbathers, transforming the beach into an unregulated hub of trade.
More than just a nuisance, these unregulated activities are also creating serious disruptions. Food and drink vendors with pushcarts, and even motorised vehicles, have joined the fray, parking on the beach roads and causing traffic jams. Local drivers and tourists face increasing congestion, a frustrating experience in what should be a relaxing environment.
“This lawlessness isn’t just a petty nuisance, it’s a public safety issue,” said one frustrated visitor. “Traffic is blocked, there’s nowhere safe to walk, and the police don’t seem to be able to control it.”
As Pattaya Beach’s illegal vendors continue to defy enforcement, questions arise over the effectiveness of current policing efforts. With public order and safety hanging in the balance, residents are calling for urgent action to restore peace at one of Thailand’s most popular beaches, reported Pattaya Mail.
In related news, the President of the Chon Buri Indian Association and two Thai women are seeking justice after a group of Indian men attacked them on Pattaya Beach on Sunday, November 10, at the end of the Diwali Festival.
