Owners Seek Help To Save Walking Street

Is this the final nail in the coffin for Pattaya's most popular tourist attraction? It has been reported that bars and other entertainment venues in world famous walkway, have been informed to remove their advertising signs by the end of the month of August.

The order was delivered in a letter from the Deputy Mayor Apichart Weerapan.

As expected, the bar owners are far from happy saying it will have a detrimental affect on business and are appealing to the city's media to help.

Officials claim the signs are illegal and could be a danger to the public but many of the signs have been in place for years, so why are they illegal all of a sudden?

The authorities also claim the signs act as obstacles for emergency service vehicles such as fire engines.

With many bars already struggling due to lack of western tourists, this could be the death-knell for many businesses in Walking Street.

Many claim that this is just another vain attempt at cleaning up the areas image, rather than access for emergency vehicles.

What will happen to the people who own or are employed in these businesses when they no longer exist? Has anyone given consideration to this?

What happens when the thousands of foreigners leave in search of a new life elsewhere because they cannot make a profit from their businesses here?

Many have gone home or to neighbouring Cambodia and Vietnam already and if this trend continues, many more will follow.

The nightlife in Pattaya is fantastic and if managed properly, could be a major tourist attraction once again. Amsterdam for instance endorses its"red light" area, legalising it. As a result, the girls and guys pay tax, which goes towards the government's coffers.

Pattaya's night life must be saved or thousands are going to find themselves unemployed.

Source: Thai Visa Content: TPVS