Because the people in City Hall are complete idiots. What a Swedish company can make in 3 weeks takes 6 months in Pattaya. No planning, no structure of the work. Look at the intersection soi Chayapruek 2/ Sukhumwit. Horrible!!
First of all they should be paid per hour, not per day. Some people have to work 12 hours a day, no overtime.
Many shops, like Thaiwatsadu, have too many employees, who just hang around, talking or playing with their phones. Lack of management.
I have also made myself that question.
Here I can live good on my pension. In my home country I only had enough for rent a small flat and cheap food. Not to have a car and a motorbike, rent a house and still have the half left for traveling around in Asia.