PATTAYA, Thailand — As Pattaya municipal officers step up enforcement against motorcycles blocking sidewalks in central areas, readers say the effort feels uneven — with Jomtien once again left out of the picture.
While recent patrols in Pattaya city centre have targeted bikes parked on footpaths, residents and long-term visitors in Jomtien report that chaotic parking continues largely unchecked. Motorcycles sprawled across sidewalks, cars half-mounted on pavements, and delivery vehicles blocking pedestrian access remain a daily sight along Jomtien Beach Road and surrounding sois.
“It’s good to see action in Pattaya,” one Pattaya Mail long-term reader commented, “but pity they don’t do it with the same enthusiasm in Jomtien.”
For many residents, walking in Jomtien often means stepping off the sidewalk and into traffic, navigating around parked vehicles, or abandoning the footpath altogether. Elderly residents, families with children, and people with mobility issues are among those most affected.
Readers say the main problem is not a lack of rules, but a lack of consistency. On some days, officers appear briefly and issue warnings or fines. On others, the same stretches of pavement remain completely blocked without any enforcement.
“Nothing ever changes in Thailand when it’s left up to the government,” another reader wrote, reflecting a common frustration that short bursts of enforcement rarely lead to lasting improvement.
Local business operators acknowledge the parking problem but point to limited designated parking spaces and unclear enforcement as contributing factors. Residents counter that sidewalks are meant for pedestrians, not overflow parking, and argue that regular patrols — not occasional crackdowns — are the only solution.
Urban safety advocates warn that blocked sidewalks are more than an inconvenience, calling them a genuine safety hazard that undermines Pattaya’s image as a walkable, tourist-friendly city.
“If enforcement stops at Pattaya city centre, Jomtien will continue to feel ignored,” a long-term resident said. “We don’t need announcements — we need officers on the ground, every day.”
As the city promotes improvements in public order and accessibility, readers say meaningful progress will only come when enforcement is applied consistently across all neighbourhoods, not just the most visible ones.
For now, Jomtien residents say they will keep watching — and hoping — that patrols eventually reach their streets.
