Click a thumbnail to view more photographs
Phuket Pursues Illegal 'Stunning Views' Coast Road Builder
By Sert Tongdee Tuesday, August 23, 2011
PHUKET: A party of officials led by Phuket Vice Governor Somkiat Sangkhowsuttarak yesterday inspected an illegal road carved into a coastal Phuket hillside above the 80-metre height limit.
The road, more than a kilometre long, appears to have been cut with the intention of building on the slope overlooking the Andaman White Beach Resort on Phuket's highly-prized west coast.
The views out over the Andaman Sea from the road towards Nai Thon beach are among the most spectacular on Phuket.
Locals complained directly to the Interior Ministry in Bangkok, which oversees provincial administrators. A letter from the ministry directed Phuket administrators to look at the issue.
''Today we are just taking in the damage that has been done here without permission,'' Vice Governor Somkiat said. ''This kind of assault on the law will not be tolerated.
''Now we need to look at the land titles and then trace who is responsible. The 80-metre limit was introduced to protect Phuket from just this kind of abuse.''
|
Comments
Comments have been disabled for this article.
The construction must have been going on for quite a while. Why did it take so long to start any action? Did we have to wait for a new government?
Posted by
Fritz Pinguin
on
August 23, 2011 12:16
The photos show a significant civil engineering feat. There must have been considerable noise and heavy plant involved over a sustained period of time. I'm glad the locals appealed directly to the Minister for the Interior. They should confiscate the land titles. It might make others think twice !
Posted by
Mr Man
on
August 23, 2011 12:42
Editor Comment:
Perhaps someone has begun work on a round-the-island light-rail and just neglected to mention it to anybody.
These reports of the rape and pillage of what was once a beautiful landscape that can never be restored beggar belief.
Equally amazing is the fact that no government or local official took any action until instructed by Bangkok, either during or after construction.
Please can we have a report on the outcome of this investigation and not put to bed like so many other important issues that we hear no more about.
Posted by
innocent bystander
on
August 23, 2011 13:49
The day someone really cares is when the trucking and construction companies have to pay for moving items without a permit. People complain when the trees are cut down but no one stops the trucks loaded down with wood as they drive by the police on the way off the island. When we start reading about the busts at check points because of no permits then we will know someone is trying to stop this practice. How about all those massive loaders that remove tons of dirt? This practice somehow goes on day after day throughout Phuket and only after someone contacts Bangkok they take a look. The police must be directed to stop construction vehicles to check for permits otherwise there is no hope just build, build, build, tear it down if its in your way. There is no one to stop you.
Posted by
mike
on
August 23, 2011 14:32
Three excavators, one roller, one grader and about 10 trucks were involved. The officials know who. While they're at it, have a look at the other hill going out of Nai Thon behind the tower, its the same, and the same people.
Posted by
Anonymous
on
August 23, 2011 16:23
Is this yet another one of the many many item that is on the list of you lot better get it sorted that have appeared on the desks of the main players on the Island after the recent election. How could these people that are meant to be in charge not know about this or who has done this do they really believe we on the island are that gullible, the answer surely lays in the fact that the locals islanders deemed it necessary to go straight to Bangkok for help rather than dealing directly with the local authorities. I do hope an independent investigation is carried out with non island investigators to get some answers and maybe some arrests along with some hefty fines to help restore the track to it's natural beauty.
Posted by
Scunner
on
August 23, 2011 20:30
They'll have to cool it for awhile till Bangkok gets distracted, or if enough payoffs can be sent to BKK. You can count on a bunch of new businesses operating there by the start of the tourist season after this one.
Posted by
JingJing
on
August 24, 2011 03:24
This has absolutely nothing to do with the recent election, local government and parliamentary government are separate.
Posted by
Anonymous
on
August 24, 2011 08:37
I wondered how long it would be before this skullduggery was made public. It seems any piece of land with a sea view will get a villa built on it regardless of the engineering miracle needed to achieve it.
Posted by
logbags
on
August 24, 2011 16:01
Dear Anonymous are you really really that ill-informed as to the ways of the island and Thai government in general, or are you just very gullible.
Posted by
Scunner
on
August 25, 2011 00:51
Reading through your earlier posts Scunner I know now you are clueless as to how Thailand works, you say 'how can the people in charge not no about this', do you really think Khun Daeng the truck driver builds a (quarry) a road in national park, wake up as to only who can do this type of thing!
At present the white sand beach has been renamed to the MUD beach as half the mountain is now deposited there.
Posted by
Anonymous
on
August 25, 2011 09:49
Next time you go north on Sai Kor Rd. (Jungceylon Road) approaching the light on Phrabaramee Rd., look up to the left. New road behind Andaman Hills Apartments, concrete, looks well above 80 meters and about 45 degree slope.
Not sure how anything but a 4x4 truck or off road motorbike will get up that road.
Anyone else notice?
Posted by
GiantFan
on
August 25, 2011 22:31
Ask the locals who they were...trucks and excavators have names on them. Where were the forestry officials? Would you like a list of buildings erected over the 80m limit in the last 5 years?
Posted by
Ian
on
August 26, 2011 06:43
GiantFan, why would you need to use an offroad motorbike to drive up a concrete road? Firstly, it's not a "concrete" road, it's asphalt or bitumen. I drove up there with my (normal) Yamaha 135 cc motorbike and it's nowhere near a 45% slope. More like 15%. And look on Google Earth and you'll see the area of that road is nowhere above 55-60 metres. You're wrong on all counts. Check your facts out before posting wild speculations next time.
Posted by
Atchariya
on
August 29, 2011 14:58
@Atchariya...Sorry but maybe you are thinking of the wrong road...giantfan is indeed correct in his/her account of said road.
Posted by
davidj949
on
August 29, 2011 15:51
Looking at that road from my condo today, it appears that the rain has washed a fair bit of it away..[wonder why haha]
There is a truck and an excatator stranded at the top now. When they were making the CONCRETE road i was watching and they actually had to use the excavator to tow the concrete truck up to pour more concrete.
Nice to see the apology from Atchariya after attacking giantfan so vigerously and so wrongly huh.....
Posted by
davidj949
on
August 30, 2011 09:28
David,
Had a look on Google Earth, but the last update was over a year ago, so nothing shown. I don't think it is off of the road opposite the light at Sai Kor.
What I am basically asking is how to get up to that road? Will bring my camera to take a few snaps.
Posted by
GiantFan
on
August 31, 2011 16:25
To the Ed, can you follow up on this story to see if charges have been laid over the Nai Thon road construction.
Posted by
coxo
on
September 1, 2011 10:59
Ed..would you mind telling me why my last three posts on here have been ignored...i don't understand why...
Posted by
davidj949
on
September 1, 2011 23:05
Editor Comment:
The article is about an apparently illegal road above Nai Thon. We've yet to learn whether there are questions about other roads. Best check with your local authority.
(moderated)
Posted by
davidj949
on
September 2, 2011 10:11
Editor Comment:
You've just proved all our doubts about you are justified, 949.
|
The construction must have been going on for quite a while. Why did it take so long to start any action? Did we have to wait for a new government?
Posted by Fritz Pinguin on August 23, 2011 12:16