HOLEY Patong Hill! The tunnel may still be a glint in the eye of Patong Mayor Pian Keesin but there's a pretty good practice run happening now.

Work began today to fix the section of the wild and wonderful Patong Hill road that has sprung at least two leaks in recent monsoon seasons. Mayor Pian was in a vehicle that almost fell in, the hole grew so big.

Water rushes down the hill and across the road so fast at this point that the old drainage system is not able to carry it away.

While there have been no holes in the road surface so far this monsoon season (discounting today's road work) the volume of water that has swirled on some days during heavy rain made it obvious that more trouble could be expected.

The Roads Department Director, Aroon Snea, told Phuketwan today that preparations had begun now because more water could be expected shortly.

Construction in the area meant that the natural landfall could no longer carry off the flow. Conventional pipes could not cope, so a 10-metre long concrete tunnel was being inserted under the road.

The Patong tessaban council has provided five million baht for the project and it will take about a week to complete.

Phuketwan will miss the great photo opportunities that those holes provided. But at least there are still the streets further down the hill that turn into impassable creeks.

Water-rafting, anyone?

Check out the hole history of Patong Hill in the links below.