Phasakorn Channgam
The Thai Hotels Association - Eastern Chapter has advised Pattaya
resorts to refuse to pay higher wastewater-treatment rates being imposed by
the city.
At a July 5 meeting at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort, THA Eastern President
Bundarik Kusolvitya recommended members continue to pay 2.5 baht per cubic
meter of wastewater until the city Public Health and Environment office
completes its review of the proposed 80 percent increase.
Bundarik
Kusolvitya, president of THA-EC.
Many large Pattaya hotels have built their own
wastewater-treatment facilities on-site, tremendously reducing or
eliminating water that must be treated at city facilities. Pattaya, however,
continues to charge them for water treatment. To offset the redundant
charge, city hall has allowed hotels to pay 2.5 baht per cubic meter rather
than the official per cubic meter rate.
Faced with the costs of building a new wastewater-treatment facility,
however, city officials have told the THA they will end the discount and
require hotels to pay the legal rate. Bundarik argued that this was unfair,
as hotels already have their own facilities and recycle treated water for
other uses, such as filling ponds and watering gardens.
Bundarik said the association has petitioned to city to continue charging
hotels the lower rate or, at least, base rates on the actual amount of
untreated wastewater collected.
She told members, however, that officials so far have refused, saying the
additional funds are needed to cover construction costs for the new plant.
The final decision rests, they said, with the Public Health and
Environment’s pollution-control office, which is reviewing the matter with
the Provincial Waterworks Authority.
