The fresh seafood, along with all the other culinary
delights, are certainly delicious but more expensive during the holidays.
Urasin Khantaraphan & Surasak Huasoon
Large crowds of holiday vacationers provided the perfect opportunity for beach
vendors to jack up prices for Labor Day.
Jomtien Beach Municipal Police chief Col. Somchai Inruang said beach patrons
complained that vendors not only were selling spoiled or near-spoiled food, but
they had increased prices up to 100 percent for the May 1 holiday.
He said vendors have been warned their operations could be suspended for a week
for each offense, but the issues continue to arise. Authorities actually have
taken to making announcements on beach loudspeakers that anyone who feels
they’ve been gouged on prices can file a complaint at the local police station.
Somchai said food also poses another problem on Jomtien Beach: garbage. On
holidays, large groups of Thais come to relax and eat on the beach, then leave
behind their mess without cleaning up.
One reason is that there are an insufficient number of trash cans and, on
holidays, they quickly fill. The left-behind garbage attracts stray dogs and
rats.
