PATTAYA, Thailand – Another round of roadwork is underway on Pattaya Third Road near the Vespa Service Center, where city engineers are repairing a damaged 450 mm pressure pipe. The operation, carried out by the Sanitation Engineering Office with support from the Provincial Waterworks Authority, has forced the closure of one traffic lane until October 22.
While city officials thanked all parties for their cooperation and promised to restore the road surface “as quickly as possible,” many residents responded with frustration rather than gratitude. For them, it’s not the disruption that worries them most — it’s what comes after the repairs.
Locals have long complained that Pattaya’s road maintenance projects often leave behind uneven asphalt, rough patches, and visible trenches that are never properly leveled. “Every time they fix something, it looks worse than before,” one commenter wrote. “The road sinks after a few weeks, and water pools every time it rains.”
Others raised concerns about water pressure problems during the repairs. “No wonder my tap was full of air,” another resident posted online. “The meter was spinning, but there was no water at all. Will anyone compensate us for that?”
Many believe the city’s contractors rush the job just to reopen lanes, neglecting proper resurfacing and long-term quality. The result: cracked patches, potholes, and bumpy surfaces that quickly degrade under heavy traffic — an endless cycle of fix and fail.
Pattaya City has launched multiple infrastructure improvement campaigns in recent years, but public trust continues to erode. Residents say it’s time for real accountability and quality control — not just quick fixes that leave the city’s streets looking perpetually under repair.
Residents have also voiced growing safety concerns, especially about the condition of repaired roads at night. Uneven asphalt, missing warning signs, and poorly lit construction zones have turned several repair sites into accident-prone areas. Motorists say the danger increases after dark when temporary barriers are hard to see and patched sections create sudden bumps or drops. “It’s risky to drive through these areas at night — you never know where the road suddenly dips,” a local motorbike rider remarked.
