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Patong, What a Hole: Photo Special
By Chutima Sidasathian and Alan Morison Tuesday, October 29, 2013
PHUKET: Corruption and drownings are two big Phuket problems but we can't touch or feel them the way we can touch and feel a Patong pothole.
While international standards are often unattainable, the Patong potholes amassed on the road behind Jungceylon are worthy of the 'Guinness Book of Records.'
Rihanna, where are you when Phuket needs you? If only you'd tweeted and posted not just about the slow lorises and the sex shows, but also about Patong's biggest traffic nightmare.
Whenever VIPs visit Patong, they go to Soi Bangla, the famous walking street. The road behind Jungceylon, Patong's famous non-walking, running or riding street, is ignored.
We have taken to that particular stretch twice this week, once in daylight, and once after dark. Who needs new attractions when Patong already has a rocky mountain ride that would be a credit to any theme park?
By day, it is a nightmare of canyons and ravines, some large enough to swallow not just Rihanna but also Miley Cyrus.
And her Wrecking Ball video falls short of the destruction wreaked along this outback track. You need to be a kangaroo here to jump the puddles when it floods.
By night, especially in the wet, this poor excuse for a road becomes a killer.
While the sign on the hill coming up to the coast of Phuket proudly announces 'Patong City,' the series of holes strung together on the ''road'' behind Jungceylon declares the popular holiday town to be hicksville.
It's been like this not for weeks or months, but for years. No wonder corruption and drownings seem beyond Phuket's powers to solve.
Fixing the road behind Jungceylon? Far too hard.
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Comments
Comments have been disabled for this article.
In my opinion this is another example of "diverted funds". The money was spent to repair the road, but no inspection by Patong government meant the job wasn't done correctly.
Posted by
Jacgem
on
October 29, 2013 09:17
Anyone know what happened to the contractor?
Did the money skimmed off leave not enough to actually finish the road?
Questions I'd like to know the answers to, but, I won't hold my breath.....
Posted by
sir burr
on
October 29, 2013 09:35
Instead of just reporting the problem, why did you not speak to the relevant authorities and ask if they have any plans to fix the problem?
Posted by
Tom
on
October 29, 2013 09:35
Editor Comment:
We speak to authorities when we anticipate getting realistic answers, Tom. Don't let us stop you from making your own call.
I'm flabbergasted by the news that this dog track is still in existence. Patong is such a charmless place I generally go nowhere near it. However, in June last year I made the grievous error of going to the airport to pick up a friend going from the south of the island via Kata, Karon, Patong, Kamala, and Surin. In Patong, instead of going along the beach road I took the back parallel road. It was fine to begin with then it turned into the bog hole your news report so rightly condemns. What a total joke. As I bounced along at a snail's pace I kept saying to myself - 'this cannot be real.' Sixteen months later and absolutely nothing appears to have changed.
Posted by
Kaen Phet
on
October 29, 2013 10:34
It's easy to see where all the "good governance" money is not going! The upper echelon of Patong really should hang their heads in shame. I think I am right in saying that one girl has already died by hitting a pothole further along. Welcome to Patong????
Posted by
Sudo Nim
on
October 29, 2013 12:16
Editor Comment:
Yes, at least one death can be directly attributed to the state of the road surface - probably there have been more.
this road has been under construction for over 18 months its madness !
Posted by
Harry
on
October 29, 2013 13:55
This road is that bad I longer use it!! And it seems most others are doing the same.. Rat u thit & Nanni rd are congested more than ever because this road is taking so long to fix!! High season is just about here and with this road still under construction, we'll see grid lock... Well done Patong municipality for taking over 18 months and it's still not finished!! Phuketwan thanks for covering this story..
Posted by
Anonymous
on
October 29, 2013 14:55
With the Mayor's departure who or whom is running the show? Thank goodness the trash is being picked up but the very small crew doing road improvements is an Absolute Joke !
Posted by
Zig
on
October 29, 2013 15:39
It was fixed a couple of years ago,, but then they started to build on the west side of the road which with all the trucks and diggers they recked the road,, then they had to fix the flooding going from the road down the side of Otop as the new hotel needs a flood free driveway,, now they are putting in the last of the drains along the road,, it is meant to be a main road so you can head to karon,, But they should have waited till after new year,, as i will be staying in one of the guesthouse's right where they are digging now,,,
Posted by
sean
on
October 29, 2013 15:39
Thanks for highlighting this PW & hope it has some effect. I'm not using that road for sure again till the mudbath has been replaced by something resembling a road (w/o potholes?).
Posted by
Anonymous
on
October 29, 2013 16:48
Annonymous....you also forgot to mention that stupid unfinished building that sticks out into the middle of the market road that has been there for years...adding to the congestion in a very big way....and Ed, if you don't mind...what exactly is the story behind that building?..who owns it?...why has it been allowed to remain an obstruction like that?...do you know?
Posted by
sky
on
October 29, 2013 16:51
If I'm not mistaken, the road in question is a private road, and so not the responsibility of the local government? The reason it takes so long to fix it is the lack of funds from the private owner I guess. There wasn't any road there before, the owner of the land decided to build a road in order to be able to sell the plots lining it to condo developers, from what I have heard anyway.
Posted by
christian
on
October 29, 2013 18:15
calm down!
This road is private property. No government project. It was, a while ago, a official statement made, that the authorities aren't be able, to speed it up. Because they are not in charge. It's rumored, that the owner(s) of the fields around that road strip got the access, to build and sale, for creating the new main road of Patong.
And there are many reasons, for a 'private payer', not to finish the road to early: The contsruction trucks, for hotels, condos and such, would damage it quickly, again.
And, opposite to the 'with public money' paid roads, a private investor don't wanna pay a road twice, in a couple of years.
Also look at the roadway: it's massive. There may be a bit confusion, for the construction company, that they have to deliver over 50% material and ordered quality, for 100% payment. In special on Phuket very unusual, right? If it would be a government project, it would be in the same quality, like the shortcut, passing Prince of Sonkla Uni. Would be finished for a while already, but had to be repaired on taxpayers bill, already.
I'm not saying, that a private road, investment strectchec over a long period, is good, but it's the reason for this long doing. The road could have been finished, before the first shophouses at the side. How would the road look, again? Like everywhere else, where first is only a road, and afterwards the construction going on.
Posted by
Reader
on
October 29, 2013 18:44
Hard to see where and when these pictures are taken, but they certainly don't cover how the whole distance appears at the moment.
There can be shut some real amazing images on that stretch of land, on which people are supposed to drive.
Posted by
Sherlock
on
October 29, 2013 19:45
All the builders along that road thought they were being coy when they made their first floors a meter above the road to avoid flooding. The new road they are putting in now is 1.5m higher than the old one!
Posted by
NomadJoe
on
October 29, 2013 20:31
To editor - Go back to school and learn how to be come an editor. Learn how to write constructively and professionally, Phuket Wan is not what it was.
Posted by
Michael Spigarolo
on
October 30, 2013 05:42
Editor Comment:
You're right. Phuketwan is not what it was. It's much, much, better. Don't like it? Don't read it.
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In my opinion this is another example of "diverted funds". The money was spent to repair the road, but no inspection by Patong government meant the job wasn't done correctly.
Posted by Jacgem on October 29, 2013 09:17