When the Eastern Seaboard master plan was initiated three decades ago, the goal was to create a manufacturing belt in eastern coastal provinces, from Chon Buri to Rayong, that would propel Thailand from a purely farm-based society to a semi-industrial one.

Today that dream has been more or less realised with massive foreign factories sprouting in industrial estates, mass tourism flooding resorts and a property boom in these areas.

Among the stunning achievements has been the appreciation of land and home values. Property prices in Pattaya have doubled again in just a few short years. They now hover around Bt70,000 a square metre for luxury apartments.

But there is genuine concern today that all this growth is being betrayed by poor planning and bottlenecks created by shoddy public works - problems that have surfaced in the last five years.

Indeed, for the Eastern Seaboard to progress, essential elements that foster a better quality of life must exist. Instead confidence is beginning to wane lately as little is done to alleviate congestion, pollution and infrastructure shortages.

Worse, in some places like Pattaya these problems have taken a turn for the worst. The middle of Beach Road, after two years, remains one of the most disgraceful seafronts in the world because of disorganised construction with expensive machinery like bulldozers and cranes stationed on beaches.

Residents there have endured many years of chaotic management of public works, but the constant digging and shoddy patch-up jobs all seems overzealous and totally wasteful of public funds.

Another glaring aberration is the highway construction at Laem Chabang port, where traffic is at a standstill for several kilometres daily because of another poor construction job. Even slower than that is the Chon Buri Bypass that links Rayong.

It appears work has been abandoned for months, forcing commuters to veer off the main track to make a U-turn at Laem Chabang for the past two years before they can make their way to Bangkok.

As commuting to destinations like Pattaya and Rayong becomes intolerable, it is clear that the promise of the Eastern Seaboard is in danger of disintegrating.

As construction is not expected to be completed soon, tourism and real-estate industries could be badly affected as soon as the festive season nears.

Already the country faces many challenges, saddled with a difficult political situation.

The late Dr Sippanondha Ketudat, who passed away recently, was one of the integral players of the Eastern Seaboard. The former education and science minister was among the brilliant local architects who saw the project through.

He made sure the infrastructure worked, realising how crucial the ports of Laem Chabang and Map Ta Phut were to the country's march to the new century. He knew the project must not repeat the mistakes of Bangkok, with poor infrastructure stifling growth and efficiency.

Sippanondha was keenly aware that the biggest fear among residents in Rayong and Chon Buri was the industrial pollution that would come with the many petrochemical and energy plants being built along the coast.

After all, the good people of Phuket had in the mid-eighties burnt down a state-backed tantalum plant after their pleas against the plan fell on deaf ears.

Citing national interest alone is not sufficient to make a mess of somebody's backyard - or worse, their living room.

To foster goodwill and gain confidence of the populace, and not just that in Map Ta Phut and Rayong, but of citizens all over the country, Sippanondha made sure the pollution fears would be put to rest from day one.

To ensure the staff at the National Petrochemical Company plant did not foul up, he had to make sure they had every reason to prevent the threat of toxic emissions being released into the air and water.

His solution was to farm fish at the plant. Visitors arriving there would frequently ask: what are the fish doing here?

Supervisors would reply that Sippanondha wanted the staff to consume the fish daily. If the fish were poisoned by the emissions, they would literally have to pay for their mistake by ingesting contaminated food.

Everyone, especially the local villagers, were pleased and convinced that the plant's workers would work hard to ensure they ate healthy fish.

More than ever, such a policy has its place amid reports of faulty work, including that at the new airport.

In short, Pattaya council members should reside at the construction site at Beach Road to appreciate the full extent of the mess.

Laem Chabang's officials should also be stationed at the blocked junction to see firsthand the misery they have caused.

Unless people responsible for these projects understand the full scope of their handiwork, little will ever improve, and more money will be wasted digging roads and seafronts every year just because there is available public funds to be spent.

Itthi C Tan

The Nation