Pattaya officials enforce a 15-day suspension on a beach chair operator accused of illegally reserving public parking and harassing tourists. PATTAYA, Thailand — A beach chair vendor on Pattaya Beach has been slapped with a 15-day business suspension after repeated complaints that they were illegally reserving public parking for paying customers and intimidating visitors who refused to rent chairs. The punishment, issued under Clause 43.1 of the city’s sanitation and order regulations, follows a formal complaint by a Thai tourist who said they were waved away when attempting to park near the beach. “We just wanted to enjoy a walk along the shore,” the tourist wrote. “But someone stopped us and said the whole area was for customers only. Since when is public beachfront parking private?” Pattaya City inspectors confirmed the incident and shut down the vendor’s operations from August 1 to August 15. City officials now monitor the area to ensure compliance. But the punishment, widely publicized this week, has sparked an even bigger wave of local anger — not at the city, but at a system many see as long overdue for reform. “Fifteen days? They’ll just open again like nothing happened,” wrote one Jomtien resident online. “They’ve been doing this for years. It’s about time the city acted — but this is just a slap on the wrist,” said another. Visitors report aggressive behavior from some beach vendors who block parking spaces unless customers rent chairs. Many comments echoed a growing frustration among both Thai visitors and local expats who say beachfront operators behave as if they own public land. “They put out chairs and cones and block off the whole curbside like it’s theirs,” said a domestic tourist from Nakhon Pathom. “One even shouted at my elderly parents when they didn’t rent a chair,” added a Bangkok woman. “They just wanted to sit under a tree.” Several longtime visitors said they’ve stopped going to Jomtien altogether, preferring beaches like Dongtan or Sattahip, where chair operators are fewer, quieter, and more respectful. “In Sattahip, I bring my own mat and sit peacefully under a tree. No one hassles me. No one claims the sand is theirs,” said a retired teacher from Rayong. “I’d rather drive 20 minutes more than deal with this again.” Jomtien Beach parking areas often controlled by private operators, frustrating tourists and locals alike. Some comments went further, calling for structural change: clear signage, assigned chair zones, enforcement patrols — and public awareness of complaint channels. “Put up signs with rules and the city complaint hotline — 1337 — right on the beach,” one expat recommended. “This isn’t hard: mark official chair areas, fine anyone who blocks public parking. Let the beach breathe again.” Others defended the idea of beach services but said the problem lies in monopolistic, aggressive attitudes. “We’re not against chairs. We’re against being treated like intruders if we don’t pay up,” said a local café owner. “Let them earn money — but not by scaring people off,” said a mother who recalled being yelled at for letting her child sit on the sand near unoccupied chairs. For now, the suspended vendor will remain off the beach until mid-August. But many hope this is just the beginning of a wider push to return Pattaya’s public spaces to the people. “We love Pattaya,” one Thai tourist wrote. “But we’re tired of being told where we can and can’t sit on our own beach.” Residents and visitors can report future incidents through Pattaya City Call Center: 1337. City authorities urge the public to report violations to help restore fair access to Pattaya’s public beach areas.