Pattaya vendors clash with officials amid festival crackdown
Pattaya City officials have launched a crackdown on beachfront vendors during the Pattaya Music Festival aiming to clear footpaths for pedestrians and maintain order. However, the enforcement has sparked heated debate, with some supporting the move while others accuse officials of inconsistencies and unfair treatment.
As festival-goers flock to the area, vendors have been forcibly removed from restricted zones, with officials insisting they are violating city regulations. Supporters argue that pathways should remain clear, while critics question why vendors are permitted in certain areas, such as South Pattaya, where they reportedly block walkways and disrupt traffic.
Some locals have suggested designated vending zones to allow vendors to operate legally and affordably rather than engaging in a constant game of cat and mouse with law enforcement.
Tensions escalated further after reports surfaced of illegal vendors occupying prime spaces in Soi 1 and Soi 2 days before the festival, allegedly monopolising key areas.
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised about aggressive street solicitors harassing shoppers in parking lots of major supermarkets like Lotus and Big C in South Pattaya. Complaints describe individuals carrying large signs and selling goods, some allegedly pressuring passersby to buy items like wicker baskets, snacks, and dairy products.
One frustrated local shared online, “If you don’t buy, they keep pressuring you. Please check this out. Just arrest them all, they’re all Cambodians.”
Another questioned why local vendors struggle to find customers while outsiders seemingly take over key locations, writing, “The locals renting out spaces are less successful at finding customers compared to outsiders. This post really tests IQ and EQ.”
The enforcement measures highlight Pattaya’s ongoing struggle to balance tourism-friendly policies with supporting local street vendors, reported Pattaya Mail.
While the city remains a hotspot for events and festivals, the battle between regulation and economic survival for vendors shows no signs of ending anytime soon.
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