PATTAYA, Thailand – Pattaya City is moving to address encroachment along the public canal at the mouth of Khlong Nok Yang, or Khlong Hak, behind Wat Chong Lom, north of Pattaya, where a survey found about 149 households with structures extending into the canal area. Pattaya Deputy Mayor Manot Nongyai said many residents had built homes in the area decades ago, with some families having lived there for several generations. Authorities therefore plan to proceed gradually while explaining the process and legal requirements to residents.
The initial approach will focus on preventing further encroachment and reorganising structures so they are moved away from the canal. Structures found to be occupying public canal space will be dealt with under the law, with the longer-term goal of reopening the waterway. The canal forms part of Pattaya’s drainage network, connecting with Khlong Krathing Lai and carrying water from the Nong Pla Lai municipal area toward Pattaya. Restoring the waterway is expected to improve drainage and help reduce flooding, particularly around the railway road area.
Pattaya City will coordinate with the Chonburi Forest Resource Management Office and the Marine Department to verify the canal boundaries and land-use rights before further action is taken. The challenge will be balancing long-established communities with the need to keep a vital public waterway open. Authorities say the process will focus on restoring the canal while dealing with affected residents through the proper legal procedures.
