Pattaya has long faced persistent flooding despite its seaside location. Residents have repeatedly asked: Why do parts of the city still suffer from flooding, and why has a permanent solution taken so long to implement?
This longstanding question has now driven concrete action. The city has initiated a comprehensive project to construct a main drainage system designed at alleviating flooding across Pattaya’s communities.
In response, Pattaya previously submitted a proposal to the Thai Cabinet, which approved it on the 6th of February 2018. The Cabinet resolution tasked the Ministry of Interior (MOI), in coordination with relevant agencies, with resolving Pattaya’s flooding, drainage, and full-cycle wastewater management issues.
The Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning was assigned to develop a master plan covering 226.47 square kilometers. The area was divided into three sub-basins:
– **Group 1**: Pattaya sub-basin – densely populated urban communities
– **Group 2**: Na Kluea sub-basin – moderately populated areas and suburban communities
– **Group 3**: Huai Yai sub-basin – mix of dense urban and suburban communities
The overall master plan has an estimated budget of 26 billion baht and is expected to directly benefit 144,520 households. Implementation is divided into three phases: urgent, medium-term, and long-term.
Pattaya Municipality was designated as the project owner responsible for budget allocation and coordination. Related agencies were instructed to hold discussions to clarify implementation models before submitting details to the Office of National Water Resources.
On the 11th of June 2021, the Sub-Committee for Driving Large and Important Projects (Meeting No. 3/2564) approved in principle the Phase 1 construction of the main drainage system as an urgent priority under the master plan.
Following multiple coordination meetings between Pattaya Municipality, the Office of National Water Resources, the Bureau of the Budget, and the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning, the government has allocated budgets annually to address drainage issues.
For the urgent Phase 1, the total budget was initially set at 5.3 billion baht but has been adjusted downward to 2.75 billion baht.
Under the latest agreement, the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning will carry out the urgent phase with a 2.75 billion baht budget. Pattaya Municipality will co-finance 10% of this amount. The budget will be committed over four fiscal years, from 2027 to 2030 (B.E. 2570–2573).
Because the project exceeds 1 billion baht, it requires formal Cabinet approval before proceeding. To facilitate this, the Pattaya Mayor has assigned the Deputy Mayor, City Clerk, and relevant department heads to meet with the Prime Minister. The delegation presented factual information and project details in preparation for submission to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
This development marks significant progress toward a sustainable, long-term solution to Pattaya’s chronic flooding problem, addressing an issue that has affected residents for decades. Further updates will be reported as the project advances through the approval process.
