PATTAYA, Thailand – Why does a coastal city like Pattaya still face flooding—and why has the problem taken so long to fix? It is a question residents have asked for decades.
Today, that question has evolved into a large-scale national infrastructure response. The city’s flood management plan has now developed into a comprehensive drainage system project designed to reduce long-standing flooding in urban and surrounding areas.
The initiative was first approved by the Cabinet on February 6, 2018, instructing the Ministry of Interior and relevant agencies to jointly address flooding, drainage, and wastewater systems in Pattaya and connected areas. The Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning was assigned to prepare a master plan covering a total area of 226.47 square kilometers.
The plan divides the region into three major drainage basins: the central Pattaya urban zone, the Naklua sub-basin covering both medium-density and suburban communities, and the Huai Yai sub-basin, which includes expanding residential and suburban areas.
The overall framework carries an estimated budget of 26 billion baht and is expected to benefit more than 144,000 households. The project is divided into urgent, medium, and long-term phases, with Pattaya City designated as the main implementing authority in coordination with national agencies.
Further progress was made in 2021, when a sub-committee approved Phase 1 of the drainage master plan as an urgent infrastructure priority. Since then, multiple rounds of coordination have taken place between Pattaya City, the Office of National Water Resources, the Bureau of the Budget, and the Department of Public Works.
The initial project budget of 5.3 billion baht has now been adjusted to 2.75 billion baht for the urgent phase. Pattaya City is also required to contribute 10 percent of the funding, with implementation planned under a four-year budget cycle from 2027 to 2030.
Because of the scale of investment—exceeding 1 billion baht—the project must receive Cabinet approval before full implementation. This led to a recent high-level briefing, where city executives met the Prime Minister on April 24, 2026, at Government House to present updated information ahead of submission for Cabinet consideration.
Officials say the project marks a significant step toward a long-term, sustainable solution to flooding in Pattaya, turning a long-standing public concern into structured national action.
