‘They’ll be back under the same coconut tree within hours’ — Pattaya Police beachfront sweep falls flat, draws public mockery

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‘Arrests are made, fines are paid, and the cycle resumes nightly,’ netizens lament as Pattaya police launch late-night crackdown on beach workers.

PATTAYA, Thailand – In yet another highly publicized attempt to “clean up” Pattaya’s seedy underbelly, over 50 officers from Pattaya City Police Station, Tourist Police, Immigration, Banglamung District officials, and the Chonburi Social Development Department launched a late-night crackdown along Pattaya Beach on May 21. Their goal: to remove long-standing night escort workers — colloquially referred to by locals as the “coconut tree women” for their usual posts under the beachfront palms.

The operation aimed to restore Pattaya’s damaged image and prevent criminal incidents stemming from prostitution, which continues to flourish in the shadows despite years of enforcement efforts.



Authorities say they discovered a group of foreign nationals engaging in suspected prostitution and immediately fined them, collected their personal data, and entered it into a tracking system for “proactive safety planning.”

The sweeping patrol, which divided officers into capture and containment units, managed to detain more than 50 individuals — both women and transgender persons — who had been operating discreetly under the coconut trees for years.

But for all the police’s fanfare, much of the public reaction was cynical, if not outright mocking.

Under the coconut trees again: Over 50 detained in Pattaya’s latest raid on the city’s long-standing illegal trade.

On Thai social media, users shared photos of the same familiar faces back under the trees within hours of the sweep, joking that the coconut trees must offer “diplomatic immunity” or be part of some magical revolving door. Some netizens dubbed it the “Groundhog Night of Pattaya,” where arrests are made, fines are paid, and the same cycle resumes nightly.

Critics also pointed out that these clean-up campaigns have been going on for over 40 years, with little sustainable impact. “The coconut tree ladies will outlive us all,” one commenter quipped.


Despite the ridicule, authorities insist this is part of a broader urgent policy to improve Pattaya’s public safety and reassure tourists. Citizens have been encouraged to report suspicious behavior via the Pattaya Police Facebook page or call the hotline at 082-7999-111 or 191, available 24 hours a day.

But as the city races to preserve its tourism image, the recurring spectacle raises a difficult question: Is this truly enforcement — or just theater under the palm trees?

(Photos from Pattaya Mayor’s Direct Line FB page)

Critics scoff as police attempt yet another sweep of Pattaya’s infamous beachfront prostitution zone.

 

Familiar faces, same trees: Locals laugh off latest police raid targeting streetwalkers under Pattaya’s palms