Gov’t restarts Pattaya tourist assistance fund

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Pattaya municipal police chief, Pol. Maj. Jirawat Sukontasap (right) met with Marine Department Director Ekaraj Kantaro (left) and others to discuss changes to the Tourist Assistance Foundation.
Pattaya municipal police chief, Pol. Maj. Jirawat Sukontasap (right) met with Marine Department Director Ekaraj Kantaro (left) and others to discuss changes to the Tourist Assistance Foundation.

The government will increase funding to Pattaya’s Tourist Assistance Fund to compensate for the city’s growing number of visitors, as well as accidents and crimes.

Pattaya municipal police chief, Pol. Maj. Jirawat Sukontasap met with Marine Department Director Ekaraj Kantaro and Pattaya Tourist Police Division deputy chief Pol. Lt. Pawit Chimpalee Aug. 17 to discuss changes to the Tourist Assistance Foundation begun in 2014 following a string of high-profile accidents at sea.

The program got off to a high-profile start, paying British, Swedish and Russian victims of robberies and shootings between 5,000 and 20,000 baht. But little was heard of the compensation fund following the May 2014 military coup.

Faced with surging numbers of tourists visiting Pattaya, the government apparently is looking to jump-start the program again, with money coming from both city hall and the Tourism and Sports Ministry.