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Patong goes under this afternoon. Flood waters cleared in 30 minutes

Patong Floods as Phuket Downpour Exposes Past Failures

Saturday, May 30, 2015
PHUKET: Patong went under as a sudden thunderstorm lashed Phuket this afternoon. The water can't move as it once did from the hills to the coast with ease because too many canals have been blocked and built over by local administrations that have never been able to manage development properly.

And Patong will continue to go under every time it rains heavily.

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Not much sympathy will be found in your readership; it's the old old story of greed over common sense, mismanagement & overbuilding.

Maybe they could employ the jet skis in place of motor bike taxis.

Posted by Logic on May 30, 2015 19:19

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Even police is a victim of the corruption who allowed to create all this mess... Corruption that police has to fight.. Som nam naaaaaaaa....

Posted by dave on May 30, 2015 19:22

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The Pian factor will be felt for decades.

Posted by Arun Muruga on May 30, 2015 19:39

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Are this pictures of today, of last time, or before last time, or before, before last time, or before, before, before last time? or,...????

Posted by Kurt on May 30, 2015 20:05

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As one who come to Patong back in the 1980's I can assure you there was never a natural efficient drainage for heavy rains. Back then I would sit at a small outside bar and when the rains would come the water would rise to the bottom of my stool and I would walk home through high water.

Posted by mike on May 31, 2015 09:52

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@ Mike. Well, it seems than that the last 30 years nothing developed in financial rich Patong. It seems that the word/understanding of "water management" is still not yet something what accessed the insular Phuket bubble.
But, of course, when you just busy with %%% at beach, no eating/smoking, and do everything make the jet ski owners happy to rent out illegal ( rental people have no license to rent!). Than also the word 'priorities' is a 'non Phuket phrase'.

Posted by Kurt on May 31, 2015 11:37

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@ Mike - there was natural river, open from Patong Hospital to the sea, which drained the rain water from the mountains, so there was years between total flooding.

This river was transformed to drain pipes a few years ago and the road above/next to it was elevated almost a meter.

The result of this genius construction was, that the low parts of the mountain side of the road floods immediately after a strong rain and the center of Patong floods several times every year.

The moral in this story is, that some of the people involved in this construction later was accused for illegal activities and the police station always floods first.

Posted by Sherlock on May 31, 2015 13:16

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Although I feel sorry for people suffering because of those floods, I also feel happiness seeing the police station flooded so often. Is it Karma?

Posted by Mr. K on May 31, 2015 14:33

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the situation in Phuket is always fluid

Posted by slickmelb on May 31, 2015 19:12

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Previously I was glad to see that Patong police station was once in a while under water. The thinking was that because it happens to a police station (all police officers with wet legs and dirty uniforms) the Government would take care and make that area flood free. But they didn't! Crazy.

Posted by Kurt on May 31, 2015 22:31

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@ Kurt - I had the same conclusion. But is not easy to solve this problem now. The insufficient drain pipes is buried under a thick layer of solid concrete, and a row of shophouses.

The only possible solution now would be make a new drain the shortest route from the problem area to the beach, which is Sai Nam Yen and Sawatdirak Rd. A relative short distance, compared to the long distance of the covered river, with a steady slope.

Posted by Sherlock on June 1, 2015 13:08


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