THE NEW ROAD planned to unlock the south of Phuket by linking Chalong and Patong has been rejected. . . and the Governor is not happy.

He backed the idea of putting the road through because it would save hours of travel time, reducing the route from 20 kilometres to five kilometres

But the Department of the Environment refuses to permit the road because it would rise above 80 metres as it goes over Phuket's backbone of hills.

Governor Wichai Praisa-nob, who has been campaigning for better road links on Phuket, said: ''We have a budget allocated from the Government of 26 million baht and 14 million baht from local administrations for this route.

''The money is there. Now they tell us we can't do it.''

The Environmental Ministry says it's illegal for a road to be constructed above 80 metres, and the road would have to rise five metres more, to 85 metres.

(*phuketwan has since learned that this is not the case. The road rises well beyond 200 metres as it crosses the ridge.)

That would take it into what's known as Zone C, where no construction of any kind is permitted.

The current route from Chalong to Patong takes up a lot of time going the roundabout route, either through Phuket City or via Karon.

Drivers have to cover 20 kilometres, which the new direct link would reduce substantially, to five kilometres.

The Chalong-Patong road would take just six months to construct, the governor said.

''I don't understand why anyone with any sense would not give this project the go-ahead,'' he said. ''There are only rubber trees on these hills, not natural forest.''

He said the project would be good for the people, and good for tourism.

''There are other constructions on the island that are clearly above 80 metres,'' he said. ''Why didn't the Environment Ministry do something about those?''

The governor also has a plan for a second highway between the airport and Phuket City and favors the introduction of city-style flyovers to ease congestion at major intersections on the island.

Owners of land above 80 metres say they are being treated unfairly when compared to those who own land at lower levels.

Environmentalists have always resisted construction being allowed in the ''green zone'' above 80 metres. But there have been some exceptions.

The Big Buddha, now one of the island's premium tourist attractions, is one important exception, 380 metres up on Nakkerd Hill.

A new link to Chalong would allow visitors staying in Patong to get to the Big Buddha in a quarter of the time it now takes.

However, the once unmade forest road to the Big Buddha is rapidly becoming built up, with commercial developments.


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