Pattaya’s crumbling footpaths spark tourist safety fears
City officials criticised over poor planning and lack of enforcement
Pattaya’s footpaths are drawing fresh complaints from locals and tourists, who say the city’s walkways remain unsafe, cluttered, and poorly maintained.
Residents and visitors are voicing growing frustration over the city’s failing pedestrian infrastructure, saying that despite big promises from officials, Pattaya’s pavements remain a dangerous mess.
Critics say enforcement is nearly non-existent. Motorcycles regularly zoom along footpaths as makeshift roads, dodging pedestrians with alarming regularity. In some areas, cars also encroach, while makeshift business extensions, random debris, and street vendors make it nearly impossible to walk safely.
“There’s no real enforcement. You’re constantly watching your back for a motorbike or stepping over junk just to get a few blocks.”
While the city boasts beautification projects and grand plans, locals argue that core issues such as accessibility, drainage, and safety are routinely ignored. Instead of durable construction, pavements are often patched with sand bases and low-cost pavers — a temporary fix that doesn’t hold up in Pattaya’s regular downpours.
“When it floods, the sand washes away and the pavements collapse. What’s missing is proper drainage. Rainwater should be channelled out to sea every 100 metres to protect the pavement.”
As tourists return post-pandemic, many worry that Pattaya’s crumbling footpaths could leave a poor impression, or worse, lead to serious accidents. With the city marketing itself as a modern beach resort, the state of its streets tells a very different story.
Urban planning experts say Pattaya could learn a few lessons from top tourist destinations like Cancun or coastal cities in Florida and Europe, where pedestrian safety is prioritised. There, footpaths are wide, flood-resistant, and protected by strict enforcement, a far cry from the chaos seen daily on Pattaya’s streets, reported Pattaya Mail.
For now, residents say it’s hard to know when, or if, real changes will come.
“Until there’s proper planning and someone actually enforces the rules, Pattaya’s sidewalks will stay broken. And that’s a terrible look for a city chasing tourism dollars.”
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