PATTAYA, Thailand – Mayor Poramet Ngampichet has responded to growing public frustration over the city’s seemingly nonstop road excavations, explaining that the extensive works are part of multiple large-scale infrastructure upgrades being carried out simultaneously across the city.
Speaking during the Pattaya City Council ordinary session, the mayor addressed complaints from residents who questioned why roads in Pattaya appear to be “dug up all year round.” He stated that the disruptions are largely linked to accelerated development projects involving flood prevention systems, water supply expansion, and underground electrical cable installation.
According to the mayor, Pattaya’s underground power cable project is now nearly complete across nine major routes, with two additional areas — Jomtien Second Road and Naklua — scheduled for future development.
At the same time, Pattaya City Council has already approved budgets for major road resurfacing works using overlay and recycling methods on three heavily damaged routes:
- Sukhumvit Road from the Naklua intersection to Central Pattaya, especially near Bangkok Hospital Pattaya
- Pattaya Second Road from Dolphin Roundabout to Wat Chaimongkol intersection
- Jomtien Second Road from Hanuman intersection to Sukhumvit Road
However, despite contractors already being selected for all three projects, Pattaya has been forced to temporarily delay construction due to rising global energy and construction material costs linked to ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Mayor Poramet revealed that Thailand’s Ministry of Finance issued guidance on April 8 allowing contractors affected by soaring costs to request contract cancellations or suspensions. While all three contractors initially requested cancellation, Pattaya City negotiated to instead suspend the contracts temporarily in order to preserve the existing project budgets until fuel and material prices stabilize.
City officials also confirmed that if remaining budgets are left unused or partially spent, Pattaya will prepare additional funding allocations to continue supporting the city’s long-term infrastructure development plans. The mayor insisted the city has already informed and coordinated the situation with the central government, while reaffirming Pattaya’s commitment to improving roads, utilities, flood management, and public infrastructure despite current economic pressures.
