Pattaya is a perfect example of
how unmanaged, uncontrolled tour
ism destroys the environment and
natural resources. Originally a small
fishing village, Pattaya
turned into an intern
ationally known seaside
resort in the short span of
twenty years. At present Pattaya is se
cond only to Bangkok in the number of
tourists it receives. One in every thr
ee tourists visiting Thailand travels
to Pattaya. The city's earnings from
tourism in 1991 were 15,000 million
baht, or 15 percent of the nation
al tourist income. Environmental
pollution and destruction, however,
have brought about Pattaya
's decline as a desirabl
e tourist destination.
Research conducted by the National
Environment Board shows that sin
ce 1986 the quality of marine water
at Pattaya has dropped below the acceptable stan
dard, due to poor rubb
ish and waste water mana
g
ement;
and only 10 percent of the coral reef east of Lan Is
land (near Pattaya) remains.
Uncontrolled construction
along the beachfront has adde
d a further negative factor. All of the
above resulted in a dramatic decrease
in the numbers of tourists vi
siting Pattaya since 1987.