Patong's New 7.3m Baht Shore Sign
By Chutima Sidasathian Tuesday, September 10, 2013
PHUKET: Three trees are being cut down to make way for a 7.3 million baht PATONG BEACH sign to be erected on the shorefront at the circle in Patong where Phrabaramee Road meets Thaweewong Road.
A five metre by four metre LED screen alongside the sign will show security camera footage from around the Patong region.
Patong Mayor Pian Keesin said today: ''The sign will be a new feature for tourists to have their photograph taken alongside.''
He was speaking at a Patong Council meeting with the budget for the sign project already approved and the cutting down of the trees beginning any day.
The sign, 14 metres long and as tall as the LED screen, will be at the rear of a wide walkway.
The giant lettering is a companion to the nine-million baht PATONG CITY sign that travellers pass on the Patong Hill road upslope between Phuket City and the west coast holiday capital.
The population of Patong is reckoned to be as high as 600,000 if tourists and Burmese itinerant workers are included, the mayor said today. It could even be close to a million in high season, he added.
With another large sign about to be constructed, people will be in absolutely no doubt where they are. Whether the huge television screen distracts motorists while they are negotiating the circle remains to be seen.
Mayor Pian said today that the sign should make a popular spot from which visitors can watch the sun set over Patong Bay.
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Comments
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Yea thats whats definitely needed in Patong all right - I feel sorry for the 3 trees that are being cut down to make way for this piece of junk.
Posted by
Ciaran
on
September 10, 2013 13:47
Money, common sense and priorities do make strange bedfellows. This place is turning to 3 dits and a daa, (morse code) by the day.
Posted by
Robin
on
September 10, 2013 13:51
Good to see the Mayor has his high priority tasks moving forward! I wonder who has the contact(s) to install these 7.3m THB necessities? Could this be one of the last big spending sprees of the Mayor? How is the fraudulant vote enquiry going?
Posted by
paul
on
September 10, 2013 13:55
@paul - i believe they are waiting on the electoral Commission to file charges with the court - once done he will be relieved of duties but he is free to run again for mayor again even if convicted.
Posted by
Ciaran
on
September 10, 2013 14:11
A monstrous sign, in/near a roundabout in Patong, "should make a popular spot from which visitors can watch the sun set over Patong Bay." Really? Surely standing on a clean beach with no jet skis and scams would be a more popular spot? And much cheaper.
Posted by
Duncan
on
September 10, 2013 14:16
600.000 visitors a day in Patong.
Sorry how does this work, according to the the Thai Hotel Association there are around 45.000 registered hotel rooms in Phuket. Double that to 90.000 for the non registered small resort etc x 2 = 180.000 guests any given day. A million visitors a day in Patong?? Hope we will never see the day a million people visit Patong in one day, can we verify the number? Airpor authority of Thailand last year recorded 9m Tourists landing in Phuket ?? wm
Posted by
wm
on
September 10, 2013 14:29
Editor Comment:
The Mayor has a tendency, shared by the TAT, to exaggeration.
Quote: "With another large sign about to be constructed, people will be in absolutely no doubt where they are."
Mayor Pian, to ensure people know where they are, may I recommend to include a picture of some Tuk-Tuk touts, Jet-ski operators, a man in brown with Mercedes Benz, some flood pictures, Russian 'service woman' etc.
Just my humble comment in the hope it will help considering the purpose.
Posted by
Mr. K
on
September 10, 2013 14:56
We have way more serious issues to deal with in PAtong that could have done with the money to be spent on this monstrous sign. How much did the illogical viewpoint on the hillside road from Phuket Town to Patong (near the Chinese temple) cost? And it's impossible for anyone to stop for a photo without risking an accident.
And the roads in Patong badly needs repairing, and the floods that occur after EVERY rainshower. Geez, the heartache to think about what that amount of money could have paid for instead.
Posted by
May
on
September 10, 2013 16:08
Guess there's no way the mayor may reconsider & cancel this in favour of something actually sensible & worthwhile, is there?
Posted by
Anonymous
on
September 10, 2013 16:56
What a shame. These decision makers who are elected stay so far from the public interests.
Posted by
Joy
on
September 10, 2013 17:10
In that connection perhaps the city also could afford to correct the beach road arrows which point away from the circle.
Posted by
Sherlock
on
September 10, 2013 17:13
Another ridicules sign to spend money on. Strange that he did not get a lesson when so many people complain about the "Patong City" sign board. and by the way Patong is not even a "City" Shame.
Posted by
Mj
on
September 10, 2013 17:30
Waoooo, I'm sure Novotel, Paragon, Baan Rim Pa, Kalim restaurant, L'Orchidee Residences will love it... When you see already how lighty is the one in Sansabai!!! Close your curtain to sleep, sun glasses for late dinner...
Some do not know how to "spend" the money
Posted by
Stef
on
September 10, 2013 18:37
My condolences to Thai people, expats and tourists visiting or staying in Patong.
Posted by
Stranger
on
September 10, 2013 19:51
Yes, what about the mud pit that used to be a road and is taking forever to finish!!! This place is a joke!! When it doesn't rain it's a dirty dust bowl and when it rains it's mud pit... Now this monstrosity!! Phuketwan can you please do a story on the road that is taking forever to finish!!
Posted by
Anonymous
on
September 10, 2013 20:43
RIP for the tree and shame on Patong Council: on the beach there is no electronic equipment that can withstand more than 2 months to salt. The same applies to the support frame in iron because can resist most two years: money down the drain .. In two years, however, will be exactly the mirror of Patong, a not working city already in decline.
Posted by
dave
on
September 10, 2013 21:26
Is not the circle in Patong where Phrabaramee Road meets Thaweewong Road the way tourists take when they LEAVE Patong, and not arrive?
Posted by
J??rgen
on
September 11, 2013 00:40
Everyone has said it all already, I know.... but.... "oh....my....god". Just shows a total lack of any empathy with tourists, expats or locals. What a stupid, stupid, stupid idea. I just wish I could sell my business interests in Patong and get out forever.
Posted by
Oh dear
on
September 11, 2013 14:25
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Yea thats whats definitely needed in Patong all right - I feel sorry for the 3 trees that are being cut down to make way for this piece of junk.
Posted by Ciaran on September 10, 2013 13:47