During the afternoon, the British Charge D’Affaires, Mr. Asif Ahmad paid a visit to Pattaya City Hall where he was greeted by Pattaya Mayor Ittipon Khunplume. The Mayor greeted Mr. Ahmad and the official, and assured them of good exchanges between the two countries. The British Embassy covers the requirements of over 850,000 citizens visiting Thailand annually, and approximately 51,000 long term British expat residents. The UK is also the European Union’s largest investor in Thailand. Mr. Ahmad inquired about common problems which occur with British citizens when they visit Pattaya, including thorny issues such as compensations for overcharging for purported Jet Ski damages etc.  Mr. Ahmad deemed that tourists have been taken advantage of for too long, and asked what solutions City Hall plans to implement. The Mayor explained that the delay was most likely because the cases were still in the fact-finding stage, with both sides taking time to present their evidence. However, it is a top priority of City Hall t
o manage this problem, and solutions should be found soon.  Before returning to Bangkok, Mr. Ahmad met with a number of business people from around the Eastern Seaboard, and, although no stranger to Pattaya, he was amazed how fast the city has grown and looks forward to working with City Hall and other local authorities when he becomes the British Ambassador to Thailand.

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