PATTAYA, Thailand – Pattaya City officials have defended a controversial 5.7 million baht renovation project for executive offices and VIP reception areas inside City Hall, insisting the plan is part of a long-overdue modernization effort rather than a luxury upgrade for the mayor, May 22. Pattaya City Clerk Kiatisak Sriwongchai addressed growing public criticism surrounding the project, clarifying that the proposal originated from career civil servants responsible for government facilities management — not from the Pattaya mayor personally. According to Kiatisak, the mayor has never requested renovations to his own office during the past four years in office.
Instead, city officials argued that Pattaya City Hall’s executive meeting rooms, reception spaces, and VIP areas have been used continuously for more than 20 years with little major improvement, despite Pattaya’s status as an international tourism hub that regularly hosts foreign delegations and diplomatic visitors. Officials noted that the current VIP reception area is limited to a single room and is frequently used to welcome two to three foreign delegations each month. “Pattaya is like the face of the country,” Kiatisak said. “Welcoming international guests is important, and the condition of the facilities reflects the city’s image.”
The renovation design was prepared by the city engineering department before entering the normal government budgeting process and receiving approval from the Pattaya City Council. Responding to criticism over the timing of the proposal near the end of the current administration’s term, Kiatisak said the project was intentionally scheduled so future administrations — regardless of political leadership — could immediately benefit from the upgraded facilities after elections. He also stressed that the 5.7 million baht figure is only a preliminary budget framework. The final cost could be lower once the project enters Thailand’s competitive e-bidding procurement process. City officials insist every stage of the project will remain open to public scrutiny under government transparency regulations.
