Illegal operators in South Pattaya told they will have to pay for polluting the sea

Illegal operators in South Pattaya told they will have to pay for polluting the sea

Illegal operators in South Pattaya have been told they will have to take financial responsibility for clearing up the sea at the resort.

The move comes after a damning environment impact report was made public.

At a meeting yesterday the Pattaya authorities told them they were throwing almost 1000 cubic meters of filthy polluted water into the sea every day.

Not only does that have to stop but the businesses have to pay for the clean up and other work like sewage treatment to ensure the resort is made environmentally friendly.

Mayor Anan Charoenchaisri invited 101 South Pattaya businesses such as restaurants, entertainment places, hotels and other firms to the town hall yesterday.

The meeting was held after orders came from Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda to get something done about pollution at the resort.

Anan accepted that the people he had invited were essentially there illegally but moves to evict them since 1998 were still ongoing.

So as a practical measure in the meantime he said that the operators there would have to start paying for the pollution they had caused.

The operators were blamed for tossing 24,000 cubic meters of filth – mostly polluted water – into the sea every month. This was contained in an environment impact study conducted since February.

They were told they had made money from their businesses – now it was time to give back and start paying for the damage.

But despite the tough words the meeting came up with few concrete proposals.

A committee is being set up to do that, reported Siamchon News.

Source: Thai Visa