PATTAYA, Thailand – Banglamung District officials, led by Paradon Chainapaporn, together with the Pattaya Social Welfare Department and other relevant authorities, inspected Chok Nimit 2 village in Khao Noi 2, east of Pattaya, where residents continue to suffer severe and frequent floods on November 9. Households in the area have applied for compensation for damage caused by the floods and today officials guided them to submit the necessary documents and photographs to support their claims. Once collected, authorities will evaluate compensation needs.

Residents, however, expressed frustration with Pattaya’s flood control measures. Although a large water pump and drainage system has been installed in recent years, residents say this has exacerbated the flooding problem rather than solving it. They noted that before the installation, flooding was infrequent. Now, with the pump installed in the canal, the water levels rise rapidly every time it rains, making the situation worse.

Locals report that they must carefully monitor the water level during heavy rains, often late into the night, and document it through photographs to alert officials to activate the pump. Unfortunately, the system’s responsiveness is inconsistent and sometimes requires residents to repeatedly contact authorities for help.

The community is also disheartened by the minimal compensation available. Since floods occur 4 to 5 times a year, residents argue that a few hundred baht does little to cope with the repeated hardships. Many struggle to provide photographic evidence during these emergencies, while they are busy saving their belongings. They call for real solutions to prevent flooding and fix the malfunctioning water pumping system, instead of continued studies and insufficient financial aid.