Pattaya vendors grumpy about python and homeless people bothering customers

Just a normal day in Pattaya.

Vendors in Pattaya are grumpy that homeless people have been bothering customers, and a huge python added to the chaos on Friday. According to vendors at South Pattaya’s Wat Chaimongkol Market, homeless people have been sexually harassing female customers, speaking crudely to them. Many vagrants camp out on sidewalks around the market.

Then on Friday, a new plot twist was added to the mix. A huge python slithered its way into a drainage pipe of a school near the market. City councillors called in animal control officers to deal with the snake, and police to deal with the homeless. The councillors also spoke to the vendors and the homeless people, telling the beggars to leave the area.

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. More people were then forced to live on the streets.

This month, Pattaya officials have been trying new initiatives to help homeless people reintegrate into society. Officials have been setting up a stand in front of a shopping mall in South Pattaya, where people can reconnect with state agencies to receive basic needs. This includes proper IDs, shelters, jobs, and Covid protection. Time will tell if this initiative works.

As for the pythons that sometimes get into human areas in Pattaya, who knows if there’s an effective way to fix that.

SOURCE: Pattaya Mail