Karon, and perhaps all of Phuket, will have to work hard to regain consumer confidence with some recent visitors. A US guest at a high-end Karon hotel commented that with the current exchange rate it would have been cheaper for him to have gone to Hawaii where he would not have had to deal with that "third-world bomb-site and garbage dump of a beach" outside his resort.

He noted with disgust that both the beach road and the road behind his resort were torn up, and that escaping over the hill to Nai Harn offered no relief as the main road to that beach was also torn up with a subsequent dusty traffic jam and mass confusion.

He blasted the resort manager for not warning guests about this outrage before they arrived, as well as for not discounting their steep rates to make up for the inconvenience. So no surprise that the management of a local hotel has passed on the whinge to PW.

What this visitor just can't fathom is why local authorities would chose the busiest week of the tourist year to carry out this work. This is the week when everything should be spit, polished and ready for muster. . .

Posted by Treelover on December 25, 2010 14:54

It is certainly a great idea to put telephone and power line cables underground. Some better planing to start work in May and finish in October when Karon has less tourists would have helped to avoid the present situation. But look forward.

Posted by wm on December 25, 2010 15:05

Gone are the days when that was a coastal lagoon and no road to Patong when you could walk the whole beach and be lucky to see any one on it. No one worried if you drowned while swimming, you learned to take care of your self. The main road along the beach was a single track only wide enough for a motor cycle tire. The rent for my room was 13 baht and later was reduced to 10 baht. I spent only about a 100 baht a day. No electricity, no cars, a few buses.Tthere where people living there who had never been to Phuket town and had no desire to go, even when a road was put in connecting Karon and Kata to Chalong. In spite of all the fun we had, I still love the island today in spite of all the changes. I remember the President of IBM saying to me Phuket was one of the 7 wonders of the world. BUT!! I said but what Will, "he said they will destroy it from over development and lack of planning and corruption".They bring laws in but don't enforce them thus many buildings beside the sea are above legal limit.

Posted by Capt Canada on December 26, 2010 10:52

someone recently emailed me about coming to phuket. i said come to thailand but don't come to phuket. made me think how many others are saying this now.

Posted by john s on December 26, 2010 11:35

I'm so sad to agree with Capt Canada: Thais allow to destroing this Iland: I want to drive the attention of everybody to Nai Harn beach: Government approved for 37 new room at Baan Kratong and all the people can see the horror and destruction is happening on the hill above the lake. There are already 4 condominium and in the last week a bulldozer cut all the jangle around and now a big paling machine started a work for new building. Looking at project site from the road going to the view point, of compared to one year ago, everybody can understand what means to destroy a wonderful place. Shame on the people allowed to do that only in the name of the money.

Posted by Dave on December 26, 2010 12:46

so please enlightened my why i should encourage people to come here now and in the future when there are other destinations in thailand where you will be felt very welcomed and not seeing the island becoming one big cement block.

by the way is this your comment.

Unless a strategy is put in place soon to save Phang Nga and Krabi, Greater Phuket will inevitably become one big grey city (even if some people will still be calling it Phuket Town.).

Posted by john s on December 26, 2010 15:15

Dear Ed,
"People just about everywhere in the world buy land for the purpose of developing it." Yes this is true, but there are many place all over in the world like in Phuket where any building are allowed. So why can't preserve a beautifeul place like the side of Nai Harn lake? This is in the interest of all the people, thais first, cause all the tourist business back to the beach to Rawai area is depending by this small and wonderufl tongue of sand included the sorrounding landscape. To destroy it means to destroid their future. I can't agree with you, just sitting and wait to see this Iland inevitably become one big grey city. Shame again to the people allow to do that: isn't infame, is right!

Posted by Dave on December 26, 2010 19:47