PHUKET: Misunderstandings come in all shapes and sizes but the one that broke like a big monsoon wave over a public meeting about Surin beach today exceeded all expectations.
Just a few days ago, Cherng Talay Mayor Ma-Ann Samran said that an 850-metre long offshore wave-breaker was being considered to protect Surin beach from the damaging low season weather that usually smashes up the wall along the foreshore.
Today at Cherng Talay Council offices, consultants produced five options to save Surin from the waves - and all of them involved getting rid of the natural sandy beach and replacing it with something else.
As misunderstandings go, this was a big one. The 60 or so residents and workers who were present at the Cherng Talay Council probably found it hard to believe what they were hearing and voted down each one of the plans presented by the consultants.
Each of the proposals appeared designed to protect what ever might be behind the beach by replacing the beach with something more capable of deflecting big waves than natural sand.
But as residents were quick to point out, there was never any suggestion that the residents or anyone else wanted to replace the beach.
It was a Homer Simpson 'Doh' moment. The natural sandy arc, is, after all, the reason why the tourists come to Surin.
To replace it with something else would be . . . counter productive. But that's what the consultants put on the table today, five options to do a better job of repelling the sea than the existing beach does.
Locals spoke up, of course, and made the point that a sandy beach is a renewable gem and that, whatever sand was washed away during the monsoon season, generally was restored for the high season.
The problem arises with what people try to build behind the beach, and how the buildings might be can be protected.
To replace the beach would, of course, save a few beach clubs and restaurants at Surin that were of no significance compared to the beach itself.
Whether the consultants realised today that they were working on an entirely different kind of plan to what Surin and Phuket actually needs did not become plain.
It's likely that the Surin offshore wave-breaker idea will simply wash away very quickly. We doubt that anyone will want to raise it again in a hurry.
Just a few days ago, Cherng Talay Mayor Ma-Ann Samran said that an 850-metre long offshore wave-breaker was being considered to protect Surin beach from the damaging low season weather that usually smashes up the wall along the foreshore.
Today at Cherng Talay Council offices, consultants produced five options to save Surin from the waves - and all of them involved getting rid of the natural sandy beach and replacing it with something else.
As misunderstandings go, this was a big one. The 60 or so residents and workers who were present at the Cherng Talay Council probably found it hard to believe what they were hearing and voted down each one of the plans presented by the consultants.
Each of the proposals appeared designed to protect what ever might be behind the beach by replacing the beach with something more capable of deflecting big waves than natural sand.
But as residents were quick to point out, there was never any suggestion that the residents or anyone else wanted to replace the beach.
It was a Homer Simpson 'Doh' moment. The natural sandy arc, is, after all, the reason why the tourists come to Surin.
To replace it with something else would be . . . counter productive. But that's what the consultants put on the table today, five options to do a better job of repelling the sea than the existing beach does.
Locals spoke up, of course, and made the point that a sandy beach is a renewable gem and that, whatever sand was washed away during the monsoon season, generally was restored for the high season.
The problem arises with what people try to build behind the beach, and how the buildings might be can be protected.
To replace the beach would, of course, save a few beach clubs and restaurants at Surin that were of no significance compared to the beach itself.
Whether the consultants realised today that they were working on an entirely different kind of plan to what Surin and Phuket actually needs did not become plain.
It's likely that the Surin offshore wave-breaker idea will simply wash away very quickly. We doubt that anyone will want to raise it again in a hurry.
I wonder how much those genius consultants cost.
Posted by phuketsaviour on September 24, 2014 21:33